Marsha Mpressions

Fried Computer!

2010-11-29T18:53:00.002-06:00

That's right.

My computer fried and is being rebuilt so won't be posting for a few days.

And yes...I am displaying signs of withdrawal!

old fashioned holiday

2010-11-24T09:14:00.001-06:00

This photo is the quaint little house

by the HUGE Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH.

We enjoyed a wonderful vacation here a few years ago.

I’m sharing with you today,

because it reminds me of all good things of

Thanksgivings’ past.

What about you?

Can’t you imagine a ‘50 station wagon pulling up to the country porch,

mom and dad open the back car door for anxious children,

not so patiently,

awaiting their arrival to Grandma’s for a Thanksgiving day feast.

I can almost smell the aroma of pumpkin pie and homemade bread

from the wooden steps of the porch.

Whether you’re having an old fashioned holiday or dining out,

my wish for you is a joyous one just like those of Thanksgivings’ past!

shopping, chopping, basting, baking-it’s that time of year!

2010-11-23T08:32:00.001-06:00

It’s prep time at our home.

Busy shopping and chopping;

basting and baking and on and on it goes.

Just in case you can’t read this it’s worth repeating.

“May we eat bread with JOY and drink wine with a MERRY Heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:7

Sharing with Tabletop Tuesday at my dear friend, Marty’s place.

Thanks!

2010-11-22T21:29:00.001-06:00

Nothing like being featured to make your day a bit brighter…

and that’s just what it did when Roeshel featured a couple of my projects on

The DIY SHOW-OFF!

Thanks Roeshel!

sunday eve

2010-11-20T23:00:00.001-06:00

The Lord reigns...

Let the heavens rejoice,

let the earth be glad,

let the seas resound and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant,

and everything in them.

Then all the trees of the forest

will sing for joy,

they will sing before the Lord for he comes…

Psalm 96:10-13

(photos taken in the great land and sea of Alaska)

just sharing a lil’ Thanksgiving…

2010-11-19T08:41:00.001-06:00

from our home to yours.

Come on in.

Sharing with Vignette Friday and Show and Tell Friday.

turkey tees and a bib

2010-11-18T08:32:00.001-06:00

So if you saw my last post,

you know that my grand-guys have a table reserved just for them on Turkey Day,

but what are they going to wear?

A Turkey Tee, of course!

This was a simple fun project.

My local Target store had long sleeve tees and onesies in my guys’ sizes. I was thrilled!

I applied iron-on Pellon Craft Fuse according to the package directions to the back of the fabrics I chose for my turkey to give each stability.
Drew the body of my turkey, the layers of feathers, and the beak separately on paper and cut them out.
Traced them on the back of the respective fabrics with a disappearing ink pen. (Just make sure you cut them out before the ink disappears!) J
In this case, I appliquéd each piece together, layering accordingly, before attaching to the tee. When working with a tee, it’s a little tricky to stitch since you don’t have a flat surface and the knit fabric is stretchy. {Hint, place a sheet of paper under the fabric you are appliquéing to, in this case the tee to keep it from puckering. Any kind of thin paper will do; I use notebook paper. When you are finished appliquéing, tear it off the back} In case you don’t know how to appliqué, it is a tight zig zag stitch around your design.
Tiny buttons for the eyes and a red ribbon sewn under the beak finishes it off.

My little guy still needs a bib so I thought this would be perfect for him.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Sharing with “What are little boys made of”

~old child’s table reborn~

2010-11-16T16:44:00.001-06:00

This little table and chairs belonged to my daughters as children.

Some of you may remember pine furniture with a clear finish and cut-out hearts was very popular during the 80s. (uh oh, telling my age.)

Now that I have grandchildren, I decided to recreate this little dining set for them.

Since my kitchen cabinets were recently painted and distressed, I decided on the same finish for this little table and chairs, but with a twist.

First I sanded the wood finish and then painted everything but the top with SW Kilim Beige (just because I had it handy.) It happened to be the paint I used on my kitchen ceiling, but any soft ivory color would work for this effect.

As you can see, I painted the top with a primer. You’ll find out why a few photos down.

On everything else, painted beige, I brushed on a mocha glaze and wiped it off till I got the effect I wanted.

I also sanded a few areas that would have been worn naturally over the years.

And here’s the surprise!

I painted the top with chalkboard paint so my grandchildren can draw, erase, and draw again.

I also made chair covers out of a taupe and brown tiny check cotton fabric and added piping…

appliquéing their initials on the back.

Their table is now ready for Thanksgiving Day and for many fun times ahead.

Sharing with others at Boring to Better, Transformation Thursday,

and The DIY Project Party and

Funky Junk Interiors’ Sat. Nite Special

Sunday Eve ~ birds of the air

2010-11-13T19:13:00.001-06:00

Cooler days,

colder nights,

amber leaves are scarce,

branches will soon be bare.

The birds of the air instinctively know this, but they don’t hurry or stress. Why?

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” ~Matthew 6:26

That’s why.

Oh, what lessons we could learn from the birds of the air.

Sharing with Spiritual Sunday.

Honoring our Veterans

2010-11-11T07:26:00.001-06:00

When an American says that he loves his country,

he means not only that he loves the New England hills,

the prairies glistening in the sun,

the wide and rising plains,

the great mountains, and the sea.

He means that he loves an inner air,

an inner light in which freedom lives

and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.

~Adlai Stevenson

~flowers in the fall~

2010-11-09T15:18:00.001-06:00

Days and nights are getting cooler here in the Mid-South,

but that doesn’t mean you can’t still play in the dirt.

Don’t be fooled by the dainty look of these tiny little blooms.

Pansies are very hardy and love the cool weather.

Through the years, we tried planting just about everything around our patio,

but the ground was so hard and shallow, nothing would flourish.

So, Cigar Man and I decided to build a border around the patio

and fill in with a foot or so of good rich dirt.

We decided on these rock pavers we picked up at a local “rock” store

(for lack of a better word). HA!

The temp got down to 29 degrees the other night and these little guys are still standing!

I’m looking forward to holding a cup of warm tea in my cold hands

and gazing out my window at these cheery pansies all the cold winter long.

Sharing with Before and After and Outdoor Wednesday.

~distressed frames & a lil’ chalkboard paint too~

2010-11-07T17:11:00.001-06:00

We’ve been doing a lot of sprucing up lately;

remodeling, painting the walls and changing decor around.

After doing some major changes to our kitchen,

we painted several rooms including the dining room,

foyer, and great room.

After painting the foyer walls in Sherwin Williams Latte,

I wanted something different above our bench.

I loved this painting above the bench, but not the frame.

We’ll fix that later in the post.

But first…

I had this mirror stored in the attic.

(Sorry, I didn’t take an original photo.)

I taped down the frame and sprayed the mirror portion with chalkboard paint.

(I know! I’m probably the last one in blogland to explore this project.)

The green paint on the frame didn’t work for me anymore

so I painted over it with one of the samples from painting the walls.

(Sample paints work great for projects like this one.)

Next, I rubbed a dark stain on the painted portion and wipe it off with a soft cloth.

Now I can greet guests to our home with a personal welcome message or dinner menu…

or for everyday just a quote that makes me happy.

Now, let’s talk about that painting in the first photo of this post.

Remember that ugly gold striped frame?

Go ahead – scroll up and check it out.

Take a look now.

I sanded it lightly and then painted with a dark brown color.

Next, I dry brushed it lightly here and there with different tones of gold, rust, and beige paints,

wiping the paint off with a soft cloth to get the effect I wanted.

I love this kind of distressing because you can’t make a mistake.

I just played with it till I got the look I loved.

While I was having so much fun, I also painted an old plaque to tie in with my wall theme.

(Sorry again; didn’t take a before photo of this.)

I used the same process as the frame on this plaque,

but also sanded the edges to distress a little more and stenciled it with the letters “HOME”.

I began to notice a while back that I have collected quite a few houses through the years.

So I decided to group several of them together.

All of these represent a personal memory to our family which makes this collage extra special.

Sharing with other changes and redos at

Met Monday, Before and After, DIY Showoff Project

Transformation Thursday , Make it 4 Monday

& Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Sunday Eve ~ Chile Miners

2010-11-06T16:50:00.001-05:00

The message on this video made such an impression on me,

I wanted to share it with you on my weekly Sunday Eve post.

There is nothing I can say that says more than this video so I’m not.

It’s a short listen and you will be so glad that you watched it!

Sharing with Spiritual Sunday and Sunday Song.

~a little boy’s party ideas~

2010-11-04T10:40:00.001-05:00

Our first grandson is TWO YEARS OLD!

So, of course, we had to make his second birthday an extra special day.

His mom and dad gave him a construction birthday party with lots of

Trucks, Construction, and DEMOLITION too!

So I made him this card to go along with the theme.

(front of card is above and inside below)

His mom asked me to help with his party. Of course, I was more than happy to assist!

Above is his party invite with a ~~construction~~, uh, demolition theme.

For Jack’s party favors,

we bagged little toys with a construction theme in orange netting.

We thought the orange netting resembled the orange border

usually draped around construction areas for security.

I made these little tags to attach to the party favors.

I was lucky enough to find some fabric at JoAnn’s with “construction” things on it,

and then appliquéd the 2 motif on a tee shirt, cutting the truck out of the short’s fabric.

Jack’s friends were welcomed with construction signs and orange cones galore!

Each child received a hard hat when they arrived.

My daughter set up fun play zones around the yard.

This was the demolition zone.

We wrapped empty boxes of different sizes with red wrapping paper and then marked them to resemble bricks. My daughter wrapped a beach ball with black fabric and tied it from a tree for the demolition ball. The children loved swinging the ball and knocking down the blocks.

My daughter filled balloons with water.

You can see the children loved throwing the “dynamite” in the wading pool!

What’s for dessert? Cupcakes…

and Dirt Cake, of course!

I think he liked it!

Even little brother had a good time.

And, yes, I had to make him an outfit too!

Linking my party ideas to others great little boy ideas at

“What are little Boys Made of”

and

“Show off your Stuff”.

(P.S. I love to create party invites and favors for parties of all ages.

If you don’t want to do your own, email me and we can discuss creating

a custom party for you or your child.)

~dining room re-do~

2010-11-02T10:01:00.001-05:00

Hi, my dear blogging friends! Thanks so much for the kind comments on my kitchen redo.

After finishing our kitchen, we, uh, I decided to paint the dining room.

Cigar Man thought it looked just fine the way it was, but reluctantly went along.

Can anybody relate?

Here’s our dining room before.

Limey green walls which I lived with for seven years, but now I can admit, I never really liked.

Can anybody relate?

I stenciled the border myself which I did like, but covered it up anyway.

Change is Good! In this before photo, you can see a little of the valance I made for the bay window.

Again, Change is Good.

I stripped it away. In this next photo, you will see I don’t have anything on our bay window yet.

I’m thinking of Plantation Shutters though. What do ya think?

The new wall color is Sherwin Williams’ Oyster Bay.

Let me tell you, I love the $4.99 samples that Sherwin Williams’ offers.

I painted roughly 2’ x 2’ squares on the wall of 4 different samples

before deciding on the color that I loved.

Previously, I painted the ceiling inset brown with some gold swirls.

Again, Change is Good! J

Now, our ceiling inset is the same color as the wall, Oyster Bay.

The perimeter of the ceiling is Sherwin Williams, Kilim Beige.

I painted our kitchen ceiling in Kilim Beige also for consistency.

Yes, the rug is gone too. I may replace with another at some point,

if I can find the “perfect” compliment.

Now for the fun part!

The little touches!

Replaced light switch plates…

and even air vents!

I found these plates at a local antique mall.

I fell in love, especially since they were only $36 for 6 plates!

The pattern is Wellesley by Wedgwood, Made in England.

I treasure this antique pitcher, I‘ve had for many years.

I’ve set it in my bay window for now.

Thanks for letting me share my dining room changes at Kim’s Before and After

and Transformation Thursdays and Show and Tell Friday

and Feathered Nest Friday.

and now I’m skipping over to check yours out!.

and I approve this message…

2010-11-01T08:21:00.001-05:00

If you are an AMERICAN,

you have a RIGHT!

You have a PRIVILEDGE!

You have a DUTY!

VOTE!

Our children…

are counting on it!

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”

~ George Jean Nathan

sunday eve ~ an autumn blessing

2010-10-30T08:19:00.001-05:00

Wishing my blog friends an

autumn weekend

full of

beauty, bliss,

and blessings!

{sunday eve…a harvest moon}

2010-10-23T11:45:00.001-05:00

Late yesterday afternoon, I started out for a walk,

camera in hand and a photography project in mind,

when I saw THIS and my direction changed instantly.

What wonders God has blessed us with if we only stop to look.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands”

Psalm 19:1

sharing with Spiritual Sunday.

{Change…}

2010-10-22T09:43:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Razmataz’s Red Challenge for the inspiration of my post!

Looking up into the maple tree, I’m struck by these two leaves, side by side.

One green ~ hanging on to summer hues.

One red ~ proud to have changed to autumn’s splendor.

Both beautiful in their own way.

People are like leaves.

Which are you?

Hanging on to yesterday’s hues or…

Reaching for tomorrow’s changes?

“The summer fades and passes and October comes.

We’ll smell smoke then,

and feel an unexpected sharpness,

a thrill of nervousness,

swift elation,

a sense of sadness and departure.”

~Thomas Wolfe

{front porches in autumn}

2010-10-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

On such a crisp sunny day in Tennessee…

what better way to spend your time

than go for a walk

through the autumn leaves?

Want you come and join us?

It’s our version of…

“trick or treat”.

You see, children “trick or treat” by gathering candy.

Those of us that blog, “trick or treat” by gathering

“eye candy”!

We have the most beautiful historic homes in our little town.

Let’s see how they decorate their porches for Fall.

Don’t you love the red door?!

Isn’t this a sweet little cottage in the backyard of a larger home?

Now they have the Halloween spirit!

Love this door too and the wreath hung below the window.

That window is way too beautiful to hide!

hmmm… don’t know if the shoes fit,

but the porch sure does!

Love to sit here a while and watch life pass by.

Notice the oval window around the door.

How unique!

Do you have a favorite?

stop and smell the zinnias

2010-10-19T18:55:00.001-05:00

This week Cigar Man and I are working on building a rock wall around our patio. I’ll show you some pics if it turns out. If I don’t, you will know it didn’t! ;=)

We took a break yesterday to walk a two mile path along some lovely historic homes. I love to see the homes decorated for autumn and Halloween. I took lots of photos which I’ll display later in the week. It was kind of our version of “trick or treating”. You see, instead of walking up to the porch and knocking on the door for treats, I just took photos from the street. The photos are my treats, for sure!

On the way, we found a patch of beautiful red zinnias,

but not before these delicate Monarchs found them.

I couldn’t help but stop and take some shots.

They won’t be around much longer, you know.

And then, of course, I couldn’t help but play with my photos a little.

Hope you’re making time to stop and enjoy!

Sunday Eve

2010-10-16T15:36:00.001-05:00

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...

It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

C. S. Lewis

Sharing with Spiritual Sunday.

My Soap Box

2010-10-14T14:54:00.002-05:00

If you saw my last post, you know that Cigar Man and I

just made some changes to our kitchen.

If you’ve haven’t seen the outcome, please do come in by clicking here.

But the one thing I could never change is my

“Good-Will Soap Box”.

I found my box at a local antique mall 30 years ago.

It was love at first sight!

As a stay-at-home mom, I didn’t have a lot of extra money

to “throw away” on this homemade box with a price tag of $115

so I put it on lay away until I could bring it home.

I loved and still do the

patina of the wood,

the crude handles,

and the wording stamped on the side.

What do I use my box for?

Well, for recipes, of course!

For 30 years, my box has held main course recipes in the top left drawer,

and vegetable recipes in the drawer to the right, cookies a few drawers down and so on.

Maybe you’ve got a treasure in your home that you could never do without?

Sharing my treasure in

My Romantic Home’s Show and Tell Friday

and

Common Ground’s Vintage Inspiration.

Our Kitchen Redo

2010-10-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted! Days led into weeks before I knew it. Just like you, I’m sure, I’ve been busy with life and my kitchen redo has filled all my days recently. But I have missed everyone and can’t wait to catch up.

Sheila’s Heart of the Home Party was just what I needed to get back in the swing of it. Sheila, I can’t believe how timely your blog party is for me! Thanks for pulling me back in. :)

One of the advantages of having an interior designer for a daughter is just this – a kitchen we love! My daughter, LDS Design, held our hands and guided us through the whole make-over. A big thank you goes to her!!

The first thing we did was have a local carpenter extend our existing island adding the bookcase you see. He also added bead board on three sides of the island. Doing this instead of installing a new island was extremely cost effective!

Then we had it painted black and distressed.

The perimeter cabinets were painted ivory and distressed also.

New wall paint is Sherwin Williams Latte.

Here’s our kitchen before. You can see a little of the island.

Below is our island in the making.

Love the distressed detail!

Notice the cook top below is renewed from the before pic above?

Electrolux chose us as a test kitchen and installed this wonderful cook top…

and a double oven.

Thanks Electrolux! We love them both!

We replaced our Corian with a granite called Persian Cream.

We also replaced our knobs and handles with old style cup drawer pulls

and knobs in oil rubbed bronze.

New Delta faucet in the same oil rubbed bronze finish.

On our desk area, baskets serve to hold bills, stamps, etc.

For our backsplash, we chose a Travertine tumbled tile

accented with a tiny bronze tone marble inset.

Before pic…

and after.

We also changed our breakfast room chandelier

and installed a pendant light over the sink.

We love our new kitchen.

There are still many things I want to add or change, but there always is, isn’t there?

Also linking to Shabby Chic's Cottage on Transformation Thursday.

Sunday Eve

2010-08-28T12:05:00.001-05:00

photo taken at Ave Marie Grotto ~ Cullman, Alabama

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

scorning its shame,

and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

~sunset...skywatch friday~

2010-08-26T08:37:00.005-05:00

I watched from my covered balcony as it sprinkled rain throughout the afternoon.

When I saw the vacationers start to slowly wander out, I knew the rain was over.

First we saw the rainbow.

Little did we know it was only a glimpse of the beauty to come.

photos taken at Sand Destin, Florida beach

“If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman,

I feel that I have worked with God.” ~G. K. Chesterton

Linking to Sky watch Friday and Sky Friday.

~taking detours off that long paved road called an interstate~

2010-08-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

On the road to Destin, Cigar Man and I decided to take our time, make some stops and smell the roses along the way. You know, there are some interesting places to see off that long dull paved road called an interstate!

One of the most interesting stops we took was in Cullman, Alabama at St. Bernard’s Abbey. I’ll have to say, a monk’s abbey is not a typical stop for us and may not be for you either, but it was well worth the visit!

Walking through this miniature village called the Ave Maria Grotto, we couldn’t keep our jaws from dropping to the ground! The Grotto, stretching across a two-block pathway, consists of a landscaped hillside of 125 small stone and cement structures built over a lifetime by Brother Joseph Zoetl, affectionately called “Brother Joe” by the clerk at the visitors center. I can truly say, I’ve never seen anything like it!

We were told the story of “Brother Joe” by a friendly man at the visitor’s center. It seems he came to America to be a monk at the newly founded St. Bernard Abbey from Landshut, Bavaria in 1892. Soon after arriving, he was in an accident that resulted in existing in an iron cast. He lived in pain much of the rest of his life, but was still able to create all of these elaborate replicas from all over the world.

With the calico cat and me in the pic,

you can get an idea of the actual size of the structures.

(After seeing this pic, these are not my favorite pants - just saying.)

I would really recommend this hidden treasure

off that long dull paved road called an interstate any day!

The friendly man I mentioned also told us about a restaurant in Cullman called

All Steak.

The story goes, at its origin in 1934, it was supposed to be called

All Steak Hamburgers but the owner ran out of money.

(You can’t make this stuff up.)

Good thing we were hungry and just had to stop cause it was southerly divine!

(Well, we were pretty much hungry through the whole trip. LOL! )

Doesn’t this look delicious?!

Fried tilapia, fresh squash, and purple hull peas! YUM!

Their specialty?

Orange rolls!

They’re brought to you at the end of your meal.

As you can see, we tore into ours!

Going on down the road, one more stop I want to tell you about is…

They have peaches, of course, and all kinds of locally grown veggies and fruits and the best country kitchen with all kinds of “tried and true” goodies.

What do we stop for?
FRIED PEACH PIES!
They are to die for!
In fact, we stopped on the way back and brought a couple home.
Listen…I think I hear one calling me from the frig now.
Stop by later. I’ve got more pics and tales from our ROAD TRIP.

Linking to Susan’s Outdoor Wednesday.

wish you were here!

2010-08-23T19:07:00.002-05:00

and the “white stuff under my feet” WAS…

YOU GUESSED IT!

Well, some of you did.

I’ll have to say it was fun to read who guessed sand and who guessed snow. I can tell you right now. I’m not a snow person. If I can go where the sun is warm on my face and the sand tickles my toes that’s where I’m heading.

We drove south to Destin, Florida, a beautiful resort town established in 1984 and from the beginning grew faster than the sea oats below ever did.

No oil either! But as you can see from the tee shirt below, the Destin natives are not too happy with BP.

I’m told the oil never made it to Destin, unfortunately not the case for Gulf Shores, but many of the businesses in Destin suffered a slow summer anyway.

Cigar Man and I relaxed in the sun…

(loved these pink chairs and umbrellas)

Enjoyed delicious seafood…

(Cigar Man eats oysters on the half shell, NOT ME!)

and beautiful views!

Just wanted to let you know I’m back.

I have much more to show and tell about our road trip.

Catch you later.

~road trip~

2010-08-18T12:38:00.001-05:00

Packing for a road trip!

Where am I going?

Shhh…It’s a secret.

oh..okay…I’ll give you a hint.

White stuff under my feet

I’ll be back soon and tell you all about it!

ahhh…rain showers at last

2010-08-17T16:09:00.001-05:00

All was silent as before -
All silent save the dripping rain.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Rain showers my spirit
and waters my soul.
~Terri Guillemets

~repurposed old frame~

2010-08-16T14:46:00.002-05:00

I have a new collage

in my bedroom.

Come on in ~

I’ll show you!

But first let me show you the original frame.

Picked this up at a garage sale for a mere couple of bucks. It actually was in worse shape before I took this photo. It was literally falling apart, but Cigar Man was able to tack and glue it back in one piece.

Next step was to paint it. I used Rust-oleum Universal Metallic spray paint in “oil rubbed bronze”.

I liked the new color but it was a little flat so I touched it up with FolkArt acrylic paint in Metallic Antique Copper.

My 60% off custom framing coupon from JoAnn’s came in handy. I took my $2 frame that I’d applied $6 paint and had a mat cut for my grandbabies pics.

Their photos were taken in our back gardens; so I love that the collage is hanging by the window with a view of just that.

Linking to Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

and

Southern Hospitality’s Thrifty Treasures.

~sunday eve~

2010-08-15T07:46:00.001-05:00

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

~Lamentations 3:22-23

moon plants (garden stars)

2010-08-13T15:54:00.001-05:00

While watering what’s left of my flowers this morning (the heat has scorched so much of my garden), I was thrilled to see these white beauties peeking out. They must have bloomed overnight since this is the first day of the summer, I’ve noticed their delicate graceful blossoms. Aren’t they gorgeous!

This is one of those old fashioned plants you don’t usually find at a nursery. We got ours started from seed given to us by Cigar Man’s mother many years ago. We have transplanted these seeds at several homes since we planted them the very first time. So as we moved from house to house, we’ve left a little beauty along the way and still been able to take it with us too. Like having your cake and eating it too!

Even the buds have a distinct beauty all their own.

Uniquely, they open at night and close in the daylight. Thus, the name Moon plants.

Even as I was taking these photos, they delicately began to close.

Each bud only lasts a night. After closing, it will die and fall off the vine.

They are so heavenly!

Named for blooming under the moon

and appearing as stars in an earthly garden.

Sharing with other beautiful gardens at Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday

~mr. baby bird~

2010-08-12T11:00:00.002-05:00

My usual walk was abruptly halted this morning. I hadn’t got any further than my front yard when I noticed two tiny baby birds lying face up, itsy bitsy claws pointing to the sky. That’s right - deceased, bless their tiny lil hearts. (I’ll spare you photos.) I sighed and walked another step when I saw their lil brother struggling beside the sidewalk in the grass.

OH NO, I thought!

What to do?

Do I leave him alone?

Do I rescue him?

Is his mommy near by?

Can he fly?

And then I did what any good blogger would do. I took pictures! J

To my surprise, as I was taking photos of this lil cutie, he wobbly staggers toward me!

HEY WAIT! I’m not your mother!

Go on back now! Really now!

I don’t know how to take care of baby birds!

But he just kept moving toward me!

Well, I couldn’t leave him there in the middle of the sidewalk, deserted, without his mommy.

So my mind starts racing. Okay, maybe he’s hungry or thirsty, so I sprinkle bird food down in front of him and some water. I know. You’re laughing aren’t you? Yea, I think mr. baby bird laughed at me too. He’s beginning to realize I have NO idea what I’m doing.

Next, I find a cardboard box and fill it with grass, leaves, and soft things that belong in a nest. I gently scoop him into the box. He does NOT like it. He sputters around, spreading his wings as if to say “Get me OUT of here!” I decide I’ve got to get some advice from an intelligent source, but the internet is all I have so I Google. I learn the best thing to do is put him back in the tree in a makeshift nest and hope that his mommy comes back to rescue him.

I find a plastic tray, punch holes in it and fill it with nesting materials.

And then gentle move Mr. Baby Bird once again from his box to his new home.

It’s hard to get a good shot of mr. baby bird with the leaves around and I don’t want to bother him any more than I have to just in case his mommy is near by waiting for me to get the heck out of here.

You can only see a little of his wing in this photo. I know it’s hard to tell, but he’s very comfortable here. He closes his little eyes and goes to sleep.

Ahh…I’m finally feeling pretty good about this situation.

Calming down after my valiant rescue of mr. baby bird, I start to look for a nest he and his brothers could have fallen from. Look closely and you can see it in the top center of this photo. But what’s interesting is the bird barely visible in the lower left of the photo. Do you see her?

Is this his mommy??

Has she been watching me through this whole ordeal?

Is this another brother or sister??

I guess we’ll never know.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a happy ending to my morning adventure.

Later, I go out to check on mr. baby bird. Sadly, he’s fallen out of his makeshift nest.

You know the rest of the story. L

I’m linking to Simple Pleasures at Dayle’s “A Collection of this and that”.

~real food~

2010-08-11T17:32:00.002-05:00

This time of year, a true southern girl loves her fresh veggies. We have a farmer’s market every Saturday in my little town. Local farmers fill their pick-up truck beds with whatever they grow and head for the market. You can usually find me there, bright and early looking for a few of my favorite foods.

MMMMMM…Tomatoes, but not just any ole tomatoes.

Bradley Tomatoes

They are not the prettiest tomatoes, mind ya, but they make up for that in taste.

Slap some slices between two pieces of bread,

add bacon, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

OH baby!

MMMMMMM…corn, but not just any ole corn,

“Silver Queen” or “Peaches and Cream”

Here’s a photo of one of each. Silver Queen is a white corn while Peaches and Cream is yellow and white mixed. I really can’t decide which one I love best.

I posted a good ole southern “fried corn” recipe a while back and if you missed it take a look here. You’ll love it!

( Hmm..what a coincidence. While I’m typing this, I’m also listening to Oprah talk about “real” food verses “junk” food. Her guest is saying things like “eat real foods and you don’t have to worry about getting enough nutrients…and only eat food that will ROT.” Her guest says that many of the products in our grocery stores aren’t really foods at all! I don’t always agree with Oprah, but I’ll have to give her an AMEN on this one.)

Okay…moving on now.

Don’t want to get too serious about food since I still love my curly cheetos!

(and even though the bag has an expiration date,

I KNOW they wouldn’t ROT for about 100 years.)

Talking about simple country food makes me want to set a simple country table!

No fuss. No gush.

just an old blue canning jar filled with black-eyed susans from the yard

a farmer

a farmer’s wife

and their farm animals

And you’re set!

sharing with Susan’s Tablescape Thursdays

~just old attic finds~

2010-08-09T13:41:00.002-05:00

Since pretty boy and blue eyes left, I’ve been pulling my “stuff” out of the attic where it was stored while they were living here. (Just wasn’t room for “decor” AND playpens, highchairs, riding toys and such.

Pulling it all out again has been kinda of like when you move and unpack. You know the feeling? Lamps, books, and old collectibles look new and fresh again. You have a whole new prospective on arranging them!

I get such pleasure out of “decorating”. I never leave anything the same for too long. Tabletops at my house are like the weather in Tennessee. If you don’t like it today then stick around, it’ll change soon.

Love this apothecary jar. She is so versatile.

You can fill her with all kinds of things.

After being filled with natural items like moss, pinecones, seed pods, and even a glittered starfish or two, she's found a home on my sofa table.

I have a small collection of mallards. Love to decorate with them, especially in the fall. Their colors go so well with autumn decor. Some of mine are carved from wood, but this one’s special. She’s an old decoy.

On the other side of the room, I pulled an old table back out of the attic. Oh, I love the patina of this old table. You never have to worry about damaging the surface. The harder you are on it, the more handsome it gets. You gotta love that!

I save all my wine corks cause you never know when you’ll need them. They provide an inexpensive way to add some color and texture to the room.

The pillow was made from an old coffee sack. I made three pillows out of the same sack and if you're interested in doing something like this, check my previous post out HERE.

Let me show you one more thing before I go pulling more “stuff” out of the attic.

On my coffee table, a little birdie perches on her nest full of eggs with her log cabin birdhouse close by.

By the way, speaking of coffee tables, I have a question for you.

See the coffee table? Years ago, my dad cut the legs off an old pedestal dining table and created this coffee table for our home.

I’ve always loved the look of the rich oak, but, now, I’m thinking I want to paint it an off-white shabby chic. I think it would really POP on my rug. What do you think? Really, I would love to know!

Sharing with others at my friend, Marty’s for Tabletop Tuesday.

Sunday Eve – peaceful moments

2010-08-07T14:02:00.004-05:00

(Photo taken off the waters of the Dominican Republic)

Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation.
- Stephen C. Paul

(Caribbean waters)

When we are present in each moment,

the past gently rolls up behind us

and the future slowly unravels before us.

- Rev Richard Levy

(Blue Mountain close to Destin, Florida)

Set peace of mind as your highest goal,

and organize your life around it.

- Brian Tracy

“the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace." Numbers 6:26

Are you feeling it yet?

May you enjoy Rest and Peace this week.

sharing with Spiritual Sunday.

~beauty on a morning walk~

2010-08-05T13:55:00.001-05:00

The weather lady said 80 degrees at 7am and rising quickly. So I’m thinking better stop drinking this coffee, get out of this chair and out for my morning walk or it won’t get done.

Crepe Myrtles are in full bloom here in Tennessee. I love what Popso said a post or two ago. “Crepe Myrtles are a graceful “compensation package” for us having to endure our hot summers here in the south.” So true!

So I got to looking around at all the lovely crepes draping from yard to yard in an array of various colors. Before you know it, I’m heading back home to get my camera. Yep, done that before.

Here’s the beauty I enjoyed on my morning walk.

I think this color’s my favorite!

~just saying~

2010-08-04T07:32:00.001-05:00

I’m here to tell you,

LOVE

Krispy Kreme doughnuts,

but here’s a combination ~

well ~ uh

~just saying ~

1000 calories and 45 fat grams.

Would you eat it?

~old baluster lamp with a burlap shade – INSPIRATION!

2010-08-03T10:54:00.001-05:00

Wish I could tell you I found an old baluster

and transformed it into this really cool lamp.

NOT!

Can you believe I bought this lamp with the chipped paint and the burlap shade??

Oh, can you LOVE a lamp?

I DO!

Something new (especially something new that looks OLD) inspires me to

DECORATE!

How about you?

My old gate-leg table is a little beat up which, by the way,

doesn’t bother me in the least,

but I decided to drape some burlap over the top anyway. I just cut some burlap in a square, frayed the edge,

and layered it in a diagonal across the table.

Through the years,

I’ve enjoyed this old wooden bowl in many places in our home

and its served all kinds of purposes,

except for its original purpose that is,

kneading dough!

Only wish it could talk. Wouldn’t it have stories to tell!

Now it works great for storing current magazines and reading material.

The cherished jewelry box, a gift from my dad to my mom,

secures an embroidered hanky.

Nestled in between it all is a dainty Waterford clock, a gift also.

Add a comfy chair, fluffy pillows, and a window with morning light

and you have a cozy place to settle.

And since this is a tabletop in my little “cottage”, I’d thought I share with others over at

Cielo and Marty’s place.

Sunday Eve

2010-07-31T21:59:00.001-05:00

~Food for thought ~

So long as we judge ourselves by human comparisons, there is plenty of room for self-satisfaction, and self-satisfaction kills faith, for faith is born of the sense of need. But when we compare ourselves with Jesus Christ, and through Him, with God, we are humbled to the dust, and then faith is born, for there is nothing left to do but to trust to the mercy of God. ~William Barclay

sharing with others at Spiritual Sundays.

lasting souvenir idea

2010-07-30T13:35:00.003-05:00

Want a keepsake from your vacation that’s not a cheap cheesy souvenir that you’ll toss out soon?

Let me tell you about something I tried the other day you might like.

It all started when I rearranged my bookcases on each side of my entertainment area and it got my creative juices to flowing. On one of my shelves sets a souvenir from a recent Alaskan trip that Cigar Man and I took. This adorable little bear was crafted by a local Alaskan artist who fishes in the summer and creates during the long winter months. I fell in love with him. Isn’t he adorable! The platform he’s standing on is fashioned from stone from the area and his rust color goes so well in my room.

I had an idea to place a picture of Alaska in a frame behind it. You know the kind where you’re smiling real big and a majestic snowy mountain juts out of your head. Yea, you’ve been in those. J

So I went to my computer reminiscing over our vacation pics and playing around with ideas. I ran across a postcard texture from Shadowhouse Creations and the wheels started turning.

Over my scenic photo, I layered Shadowhouse Creations’ Texture ABT2 at 35%. Next, I layered the postcard also at 35% and then placed the photos of Cigar Man and I in digital frames with Photoshop Elements. Lastly, I wrote a message and the date and place the photo was taken, printed and placed it in a frame.

I know. You’re thinking that’s not such a big deal. And it’s not. Just a simple idea to make a vacation souvenir a little unique and something you can display and enjoy for a long time.

Sharing this decor idea with some other great ideas at Funky Junk Interiors, SNS.

im-per-fect (adjective) 1. having a fault or defect 2. being real

2010-07-27T09:16:00.001-05:00

Such a gorgeous herb, the Purple Coneflower,

which is what I prefer to call her.

You may know her as Echinacea,

attributed to all sorts of remedies and cures for what ails you.

I just like her beauty (and the fact that she’s drought tolerant!)

I gave this photo a little pop of color, blurred it a bit for a dreamy look.

Then I began to “fix” that flawed petal…but…wait…

Life isn’t perfect, why should this photo be?

Keep it real.

What’s the best part of a birthday bash?

2010-07-26T10:17:00.002-05:00

(A) good food?

(B) cool drinks?

entertainment?

or (D) family and friends?

(Answer) all of the above!

“We are always the same age inside.”
- Gertrude Stein

Hope your weekend was filled with “all of the above” !

Sunday Eve ~ Lessons in gardening and life

2010-07-24T09:25:00.001-05:00

Just a few weeks back, pink roses scrambled up my trellis in abundance.

But lately, the lavish blooms have dwindled.

So….to the “accurate source of all information” I go,

the internet, of course, {cough}

to discover what I can do to renew my lush roses.

What I learned among other laborious feats was to deadhead the spent roses.

So up the step ladder I go with my garden clippers,

snipping and snapping away!

While balancing on the ladder, it occurred to me that life needs deadheading too.

When the blooming season in your life is stagnant, deadhead and move on.

Whether it’s work, play, or relationships, when it’s not blooming anymore,

clip off the ugly deadheads and amazing things happen.

Just like the fresh beautiful blooms that reappear on the branch,

a renewing of your spirit

will well up within you and bring you

happiness and joy.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will.” ~ Romans 12:2

Sharing with others at Spiritual Sundays.

Home at Last!

2010-07-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

Where do you start when you’ve been gone so long?

Well, how about a coming home party! Yea! That’ll do!

Did you notice what’s missing on the side bar?

Here’s a reminder.

I promised to keep this little guy adorned with his yellow ribbon posted on my side bar until his daddy came home. He’s been posted there since a cold winter day in December when our soldier boy left home to serve his country in Iraq.

Do you see him over there? NOPE? Guess that can only mean one thing…

He’s HOME!

What a sweet day it was!

Here comes the bus! And I was so excited, my daughter had to tell me to get out of the road!

Families and friends eagerly waited to embrace their soldier.

There he is, scanning the crowd……Where are you?

Ahh!

There you are!

I ask you, is there a happier site?

(watch out..baby blue-eyes will have to breathe soon!)

And it didn’t take long for this family to get reacquainted.

We are so happy to have our son-in-law home and their family united again.

Thanks so much to many of you who prayed and showed care and concern for our loved ones and all the soldiers sacrificing and serving our great land!

Let’s don’t forget them!

The Moon…

2010-05-27T13:48:00.001-05:00

is a silver pin-head vast,

That holds the heaven's tent-hangings fast.
William R. Alger

You know what they say about a full moon don’t you?

Babies are born.

Emergency rooms are full.

Werewolves come out to play!

Well, I’m not sure of the validity of the 3rd one, but I believe the first two are true.

This one thing I know for sure. It’s crazy at my house!

So crazy, I’m sorry to say I may not be posting as often as before.

I’ll be reading your blogs with delight as before, but I may not always comment.

So please don’t hold that against me. J

I should be back in the swing of things soon,

but for now “Goodbye? OH NO!

just “Farewell”!

Sunday Eve

2010-05-22T11:14:00.002-05:00

Let the sea resound,

and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant,

and everything in them!

1 Chronicles 16:32

If you’re interested, the effect above was achieved in PSE.

I first applied Gaussian Blur at 20% and then applied the texture “Swirls” at 33% Opacity.

You can find the texture “Swirls” at Shadowhouse Creations.

They have some awesome free downloads.

front porches

2010-05-20T06:28:00.001-05:00

When it’s a beautiful day like yesterday, we load up the SUV stroller (that’s what I call our two-seater stroller) and go for a long walk.

I say a long walk since it wouldn’t be worth loading up this thing for a short one!

Actually, this pic was taken on another day. Notice the parade in the background which by the way is for a future post. I’m just showing this pic now so you can see this humongous stroller!

One of my favorite walks in our quaint little town is right down Main Street past historic homes oozing with character centuries old. Today, I focused on front porches.

Love this RED Door!

And what about the vintage rocking horse?

I could while away the day on this charming white trimmed porch

or maybe just half a day…

and the other half on this one.

After spending a beautiful morning strolling, playing, and picnicking, we arrived on this front porch. It’s not historic or characteristic, but as you can see, it’s pretty boy’s favorite.

There’s just no place like

home sweet home!

a fresh breeze

2010-05-19T07:07:00.000-05:00

Today was overcast and a wee bit chilly in my neck of the woods so cleaning out my closet was the ~~chore~~ chosen sport of the day. I do this at the start of every season and I always dread it for several days before I finally get on it. My self-made rule is to weed out anything I didn’t wear last season and give it to Goodwill.

I think what prompted me this season was watching the television show “Hoarders”. Have any of you seen this show? If you have, you know that seeing the homes in this show will make anybody start weeding out! I know I’m not a hoarder, really I do, but while watching these poor people climb over trash to get to their own beds (some can’t even get in their own beds for the junk), I start wondering how their homes got to this extreme chaos. And then I start wondering if my practice of keeping little items that other people would probably throw away because I just might use it in one of my craft projects one day could ever grow into not being able to walk to my bed over heaps of trash and junk! YIKES! It’s kinda like when you watch Dr. Oz and worry you have the disease of the day. Can anybody relate?? (I sure hope so.)

Anyway, it’s always a GOOD feeling when I’m done. It’s a feeling like you’re sitting in an adirondack chair on a brisk day drinking a glass of lemonade with a fresh breeze blowing through your hair. Hmmm…I think I’ve been watching too many TV commercials. I’ve got to get out of the house more!

just doing a little catching up

2010-05-18T07:15:00.002-05:00

And speaking of catching up, these little goslings aren’t so little anymore. They’ve really grown since I first discovered them residing in our neighborhood pond. There were four goslings originally and there are still four I’m happy to say, but they had migrated from one pond to another about a mile away. I was surprised they had traveled this far since they don’t have wings to fly yet. I would have loved to have seen them waddling down paved streets and through manicured yards to reach their destination. What a sight that would have been!

These little guys really love to eat. Speaking of that, so do I, eat that is. A while back, I was telling you about our household doing the South Beach diet. Well, I hate to admit defeat, but our daughter won the contest of losing the biggest percentage of weight after the first month. That’s okay since she got a well-deserved day off all to herself without the babies.

Although, we’re still watching what we eat, we’re not strict about sticking to the South Beach diet. We rarely eat breads any more and we’re exercising everyday.

Honestly, what works best for me is to count my calories. Eat less calories than I burn. Did you know that a pound is roughly 3500 calories? So, if you eat 500 calories less a day than you burn, you should lose about a pound a week. Theoretically, of course. Which means, in theory, if you eat a dozen HOT ones from Krispy Kreme, you have to work out at the gym from dusk to dawn to burn them off. J

Sunday Eve

2010-05-15T17:00:00.002-05:00

I haven’t thought too much about the destructive relationship between man and the earth. I guess I thought it was an exaggeration by some with political motives and I’m not discounting that completely with this post, mind you. But when one is affected personally, it becomes real, doesn’t it?

The recent oil spill in my own backyard,

the beautiful place we love to enjoy our family vacations,

brings home the realization that man is ruining…

not just a vacation spot, but sweet family memories for years to come,

not just a vacation spot, but the beauty of the sea and shore,

not just a vacation spot, but life itself.

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters." Psalm 24:1-2

"You shall not pollute the land in which you live....

You shall not defile the land in which you live…”

Numbers 35:33

Sharing with others at Spiritual Sunday.

handmade with love

2010-05-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

Many of my friends are having their first grandchildren and so the case this week when a dear friend had her first grandson.

There is just something special about a handmade gift. Special for the one who receives, but even more special for the one who gives. Just something about putting your hands to work for someone else’s pleasure.

Satisfying to imagine your friend’s response…

which is why I love to craft my own gifts…

and wrap especially for them.

I sharing with others at "What are little boys made of" at 733's blog.

Be sure and check her out!

a place in the sun

2010-05-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

We had a place in the sun reserved on the beach this summer.

We were dreaming of lazy days reading novels under bright blue umbrellas.

Letting the tide tickle our toes as we walk barefoot along the sand.

But then came the oil spill and ruined our plans.

So in lieu of our summer vacation, I set a beachy tablescape.

(Can you blame me if my heart’s just not in it?)

Yes, we’ll get over it. There will be other vacations.

But what happens to the vegetation?

And what happens to the wild life?

I’m sharing with some beautiful tablescapes over at Susan’s

Tablescape Thursday.

Win a $550,000 home!

2010-05-09T15:29:00.002-05:00

Wouldn’t you like to win this beautiful home?

As you stroll through the pics below just imagine yourself in them!

Preparing dinners in this gourmet kitchen.

Hosting parties from your butler’s pantry.

Pampering yourself in the master bath.

Love this tile floor made to look like wood planks!

Relaxing in your master bedroom.

Love the carpet!

The other day, my daughter and I drove over to Westhaven in Franklin, Tennessee to see the house she (LDS Designs) did for Southern Land Homes. You see, with a ticket of $100, you could win this beautiful home and all donations go to a wonderful cause, the St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

It’s not been cleaned up or furnished yet, but I knew you wouldn’t mind getting a sneak peek!

Gotta go now! Off to buy my ticket! Wish me luck!

Simple Pleasures

2010-05-07T07:53:00.002-05:00

How could you not love this season of the year?

What’s one of my favorite pleasures during this season?

To walk out my back door, pluck a handful of fresh flowers, and bring them indoors.

What simple pleasures!

But aren’t they the best kind?

Love my pink garage sale pitcher.

It’s perfect for doing just that!

A heartfelt wish to all of you for a very happy Mother’s Day!

Sharing with Fertilizer Friday and Show and Tell.

What a difference a day makes!

2010-05-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

The last two days were filled with torrential rains playing havoc with people’s property and lives, but today the sun came out and made all the difference.

Since we’d been cooped up indoors for the last two days, pretty boy and I got up early and went for a stroll in the sunshine. Our resident geese were happy to be enjoying the sunshine too. And what a surprise for pretty boy and I to discover four little newly born goslings following mama goose!

Can you believe I didn’t have my camera with me?

Can you believe I ran three blocks home to get it?

After two days of record breaking storms

causing devastating loss of property and lives,

it’s so comforting to see new precious life.

After every storm the sun will smile;

for every problem there is a solution,

and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.
William R. Alger

SHARING WITH OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY.

when it rains it pours!

2010-05-02T15:14:00.001-05:00

We’ve had a “little” rain in middle Tennessee this weekend. Yeah, that’s an understatement!

Except for a leaky ceiling around a bay window and a toddler afraid of thunder, we are high and dry. Unfortunately, many cannot say that. Several lives have been taken by the flooding and many have been evacuated from their homes.

Shhh…don’t tell our local police, but Cigar Man drove around our little town to capture some of the devastation. We were told not to get out on the roads. Before I go to his pics, I thought this would be a good opportunity to show you our dry creek bed that’s not dry anymore. As you can see, it does the job it’s designed to do.

I’ve lived in this area all my life and I’ve never seen this much flooding so widely spread.

Need a boat to cross this intersection!

car lot under water

Sure hope this guy decided to turn around.

our community park with floating picnic tables

We’re hoping for sunshine tomorrow.

Sunday Eve

2010-05-01T14:56:00.001-05:00

As the National Day of Prayer approaches and the controversy over its existence accelerates, I’m reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:1.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

We need HIM to hear from heaven.

We need HIM to forgive our sins.

We need healing in our land.

PRAY!

Sharing with Spiritual Sunday.

a labor of love (or) backyard magic

2010-04-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

Our backyard has a long way to go, but it’s come a long way too. While looking at old photos, I realized how much it has evolved over the seven years we lived in our current home.

I think I’ve told you before, Cigar Man loves to work in his garden so a barren yard was a real playground for him. We had somewhat of a plan. I say somewhat since the plan was and is altered often. I think a garden like a home will lead you in the direction it wants and if you follow, the result will always be desirable.

Here’s a few of the original photos and those changes made.

The patio and evergreen trees were the only originals to the yard.

Here our neighbors have built a fence and we’ve built our pergola, but no more improvements have been made.

Cigar Man created a berm beside the evergreen trees and a walkway from the front driveway to the patio. Later Cigar Man constructed a dry creek bed to remedy the standing water you can see at the left corner of the photo.

Our dry creek bed not only adds a little character to the yard, but it also serves to drain water off our yard during rains. Some time in the near future, I’m going to sweet talk Cigar Man into writing a tutorial on creating a dry creek bed.

Later we added the fountain surrounded by a rock path and perenials along the fence row.

At the back of the yard along one portion of the fence, we’ve made several changes along the way from wild flowers to perenials…

…to leyland pines. We’re still working to perfect that area.

This was the patio and pergola as it looked last April. We had just restained the pergola from all grey to a taupe floor with white walls.

In the seven years we’ve been in our present home, we’ve ~~worked~~ played in the yard and made many changes.

I’m sure we will continue to as long the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise.

I’m sharing with others at Fertilizer Friday and Met. Monday

rain rain..

2010-04-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

go away.

come again another day.

But if I can’t go out and play

I’ll play with nature…

in other ways.

beautiful brown eggs make for a yummy frittata

2010-04-26T08:59:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, a citified college professor left his blackboard behind, walked out of his Delaware classroom and headed for the hills of Tennessee. He and his lovely bride bought a little farm, built a chicken coop and raised some cute chubby hens.

As you can imagine, those cute chubby hens laid the most beautiful beige and brown eggs.

All the while, there was a citified houdy toudy lady who always bought white eggs at the grocery store. One day the citified college professor turned Tennessee farmer gave the citified houdy toudy lady a dozen organic fresh brown eggs.

So the houdy toudy lady scrambled her an egg. WOW, her taste buds exclaimed! They’re so rich and flavorful!

So the houdy toudy lady tried something new with her organic fresh brown eggs.

First she sautéed some fresh veggies.

Next, she added her precious eggs.

And what did appear before her houdy toudy eyes, but a delicious vegetarian frittata topped with gooey cheddar cheese!

P.S. Yes, I have been called houdy toudy and yes, it hurt a little to type it. Oh well. J

Vegetarian Frittata

3 eggs

6 egg whites

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbs minced fresh basil

2 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 zucchini, sliced

2 cups spinach, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 ounce cheddar cheese (or feta cheese if you wish)

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Whisk eggs, egg whites, black pepper and basil in a medium bowl until frothy; set aside.

Preheat the oven broiler.

Heat olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and onion and sauté until softened.

Add bell pepper and zucchini and sauté until softened.

Add spinach and fold until wilted.

Pour the eggs over the sauté and fold to combine.

Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring until the eggs are mostly set.

Sprinkle cheese over the frittata and broil until the cheese melts.

Garnish with tomatoes.

It’s supposed to make 4 servings, but it made 2 for us. Oooops!

~Sharing with other great recipes at

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

and

Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays.~

Sunday Eve

2010-04-24T18:45:00.001-05:00

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

sharing with Spiritual Sunday

Walking…

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is one exercise that I enjoy doing so I do. Lately, I try to remember to bring my camera along. I don’t always see sights worthy of clicking, but you can bet if I don’t bring my camera, I will see a dozen picturesque moments I wish I could have captured. It must be kind of like being a fisherman. The fish that “got away” is always the BEST!

Then at times, I see sights like this. To most people, this scene probably seems ordinary, but not to me.

Such a tranquil, peaceful sight in a busy world while I’m walking and thinking about what I need to do when I get home.

OH, the stories it could tell. OH, the memories it holds.

just old friends getting together

2010-04-20T19:55:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was our monthly supper club date. We got together with old friends.

You’ve heard about supper clubs and maybe you belong to one? I know some are fancy and

try new recipes and have theme nights. Ours is not, just old friends getting together.

Usually, we just have, what you’d call, comfort food.

Our gracious hostess for the evening loves gardening. We have that in common.

I’m always anxious to see what she’s planted. We share plantings too. Last fall, she gave us slips from her hummingbird vine. Unfortunately, our resident rabbit ate mine. L I was so disappointed, but I’m going to try again next fall. Any suggestions on keeping rabbits from eating your plants? They also ate a blueberry bush. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d just ate the blueberries, but no, the whole bush, leaves, stems, trunk and all!

Well, it was a perfect evening to dine outside.

Dessert was my contribution to the evening. After browsing through cookbooks and recipes files, I couldn’t decide what to prepare. Peered in my pantry to see what I already had since I wasn’t in the mood to grocery shop. Much rather be in the garden this time of the year. Oh wow! There’s two cans of peaches!

Peach Cobbler it will be! Remember, what I said?

We’re not a fancy supper club, just old friends getting together.

So I:

Preheated my oven to 350 degrees.
Melted two sticks of butter in a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish.
(I always use real butter! Trust me. It makes all the difference in the world.)
Mixed:
2 cups of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of milk
Poured batter over butter. Did not stir.
Poured 2 cups of fruit (I used canned peaches, undrained) over batter. Did not stir.
Baked for 45 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Everyone loved it cause remember what I said? We’re not a fancy supper club,

just old friends getting together.

I’m sharing with others at Outdoor Wednesday.

Let me tell you about my designing daughter

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I call her that since her trade is interior design. She was previously employed by a home construction company until the bottom fell out of the economy and she and most of the company were put on the unemployment line. You might say, she made lemonade out of lemons by starting her own consultant company, LDS Designs.

She still works with her previous employer and other builders to design their homes, meaning everything from the exterior brick and paint selections…

to the kitchen cabinets, backsplash, counter-tops, faucets,

bathroom tub and shower designs,

flooring, trim, and EVEN THE DOOR KNOBS!

She stages homes too. I helped her load the car for this staging.

Of course, I had to take a few pics.

I couldn’t help but think what fun it was to shop and get paid for it!!

She’s also had the opportunity to redo rooms for individual clients like the one shown below.

Before:

After

Before:

After:

More projects are on the horizon including the St. Jude House at the Westhaven community in Franklin, Tennessee to be given away to benefit St. Jude Hospital. You can count on me being there to take pics and share them with you. A LDS Designs blog is a work-in-progress and I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s here. In the meantime, Lindsay has some of her work in her personal blog, Peacock Blu.

Sharing with other designs and projects at:

Met. Monday

Woo Hoo Wednesday

Do it Yourself Day

Do it Yourself Showoff

Sunday Eve

2010-04-17T15:18:00.001-05:00

  There was a man all alone;
       he had neither son nor brother.
       There was no end to his toil,
       yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
       "For whom am I toiling," he asked,
       "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
       This too is meaningless—
       a miserable business!

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
      and has no one to help him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:8-10

I’m sharing with others at Spiritual Sunday.

My bleeding heart…

2010-04-16T18:15:00.002-05:00

…is blooming in my garden now. What a sweet sweet flower with its heart shaped blossoms hanging delicately from it’s willowy stems.

Cigar man and I ~~worked~~ played in the garden today. For garden work is play.

Early this morning, we headed to the cow manure store. (So romantic!) On the way back, we were to stop at a nearby flower stand to pick out our plantings. When I noticed we were passing it by, I asked, “Weren’t we going to stop at the flower stand?”

Cigar man: “Well, cigar man has to pick up cigars first.”

(Hmmm…he’s been reading my blog. J)

“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth,
no culture comparable to that of the garden ...
But though an old man, I am but a young gardener.”
~ Thomas Jefferson, Garden Book, 1811

Linking to My favorite things Saturday.

if you could only smell the fragrance!

2010-04-15T16:23:00.001-05:00

I’m joining some pretty fine gardeners at Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday and the Inspired Room.

Wisteria blooms have taken over my pergola in the last couple of days with the most stunning lilac colored blossoms. The abundance of the color in my garden now is amazing. It’s like someone takes a paint brush and hurls brilliant hues here and there at night while I’m sleeping. When I awake I find new splashes of color where dull brown used to be.

Speaking of paint, I played around with textures on this photo and the effect reminded me of a water color painting. I layered a texture found at Shadowhouse Creations resembling a blue cracked paper called PG2 at 60% over the first photo to get this look.

Oh, how I wish you could take in the fragrance that envelopes me when I open my back door, but, sadly, I know you can’t. I can only send you pictures and so that’s what I’ll do. J

green thumbs to the rescue!

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This pair of planters rest on my pergola.

Of course, these photos were taken last summer.

We did a redo of the pergola last year.

You can see our garden and pergola here and here if interested.

Well, now it’s planting time again.

And my problem is what would grow best and look great in my planters this year?

I know there’s some FINE gardeners out there cause I’ve seen the evidence.

Green Thumbs, come to my rescue and give me suggestions on what to plant!!!

(hmmm…I think I’ll check in on Outdoor Wednesday,

cause I know there’s more than a few gardening experts there!)

Love it when a plan (TING) comes together!

2010-04-11T16:40:00.002-05:00

Yep, they’re UP!

Last fall, cigar man and I planted 90 tulip bulbs!

Well, I mostly took pics of him planting, but I guess you could say I helped.

This week we reaped the rewards of (our) labor.

Aren’t they beautiful?

Certainly worth the effort!

Changed the look of the mosaic below by using an off white texture layered on top of the mosaic above and changing the setting of the texture to Saturation.

Love playing around with these layers! You can find the texture I used at Flickr. It’s by Cosi.

I’m sharing with some beautiful mosaics at Mary’s Mosaic Monday and amazing transformations at Susan’s Met. Monday; although, I’ll have to give God the credit for this metamorphosis!! J

Sunday Eve

2010-04-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

Those who sow in tears

will reap with songs of joy.

Psalms 126:5

Sharing with others at Spiritual Sunday.