Odds and Ends.

Today for Show and Tell I'm showing some items I've found at sales recently.
I'm pretty sure I have some of these in my Christmas stuff but you can never have too many carolers!This small planter caught my eye for some reason. I think I need to get a small ivy to plant in it.

I have also been drawn to brown pieces lately so I just pick up odds and ends when I like them. The sugar bowl works great for flowers.

I love this tiny piece. I'm not sure what it is but appears to be about the size to hold a pat of butter.

For more Show and Tell posts go to Kelli's House.

Too cute!

This is one of Jerzie's cousins at her birthday party. Jerzie gave out bags of favors and these sunglasses were in the bag. The shirt says it all! I smiled every time I saw her.

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome!Today it's all about the cone flowers. I really love them and pick one up every time I find a new color. I moved several of the colors last year and hopefully they will have a chance to spread now.
I love the 'sunset' colors. It is just beautiful and the name matches it perfectly.
I've had these for a long time and don't know the name. They are a little more purple than pink and I love the dark purple stems.

I found this 'green envy' on a clearance rack at Lowe's this year. It was pretty droopy but perked up great once I watered and planted it. I love the green tips!

This yellow bloom has a few problems
but I'm still happy with it.

I also have a few white ones. I think they are all striking no matter what the color.

These are my original cone flowers. They just keep on spreading and blooming, the blooms are huge on these.

I hope you enjoyed my cone flowers. Do you have any colors I don't have?

If you'd like to join Bloomin' Tuesday just add your name and permalink to Mr Linky. Please, add a link to this post on your blog and tell your friends about our garden tour.

Have a happy Bloomin' Tuesday!

Guest photographer

I found Jerzie a kids digital camera for her birthday. They are quite expensive but I found one for thirty dollars at Tuesday Morning and decided that would be good enough for her to learn on.We went for a walk and she asked me to take her picture standing on a rock.
Space alien? No, just Payton in her stroller with the shadow from mesh on her face!

Pot of flowers.

More pots.

Orange lilies.

Hydrangea.

Trumpet vine on my deck.

This is Jerzie's best sunflower she grew.

Just look how tall it is!

(This one also taken by Gramma.)

All and all not too bad for the first time.

Sweetie Sleepover!

MMMMMM Yummy watermelon!
A princess building her castle.
Sister love!
Tired Gramma!

Show and Tell

I should worry that this post is going to date me but since you all know I just turned 60, there is no point worrying about that! I found these 2 Beauty Books of Knowledge at a household sale and couldn't resist them. They are updates for 1965 and 1967, the year I graduated from high school.
They show every thing from razor cuts (Yes, they have been around that long and were the main cuts I did when I first started!) to rollers and pincurls.
I actually took the first state board that included rollers.
This is something I didn't learn, leg waxing. I did do facials, manicures and eyebrows. There was also information about running a beauty shop and even signing a lease.

Small hair pieces or wiglets were very popular back then often used to add curls to the top of your head. Some people with thin hair used more than one.

I'd guess at least half of the yearbook pictures from this era had a version of this do. Every single hair had to be in place and the hair spray business was booming! Fess up, do you remember?
For more Show and Tell posts go over to Kelli's House.

Centerpiece

Click on the pictures and you can see the screening in the bottom of the gravel sifter.

Gravel sifter-.75

Vintage garden tool-$5.00

Tin round-$3.00

Flowers-Free

Deck table centerpiece-Priceless!

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome! One of my favorite shade plants for adding a real pop of color is astilbe. The blooms are beautiful even from far off and they come in lots of different colors and heights.

I got this lovely pink one this year. It's about 18 inches and bloomed a little before the others but it was close to blooming when I bought it.

This more purple with red stems is about the same height as the last one. It is also a very striking color.
This is a close up of a light pink. As you can see it is really a variegated pink and white. It is actually even shorter than the other 2, about 12 inches.
The tallest astilbe I have is the white. It is about two and a half to three feet tall. It really adds a bright spot to the darkest area of the shade garden.

The last 3 I have had for a few years and are in the older part of the shady area. They remind me of cotton candy. I will definitely get more colors as I find them.

So what's bloomin' where you are planted? If you'd like to join the tour just add your name and permalink to Mr Linky and add a link to this post on your blog. Everyone is welcome, weather you grew them or not.

Have fun on the walk thru the gardens. You won't even get tired out!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jerzie Shea!

Jerzie Shea,
I enjoy every minute I spend with you! Even when you are a little stinker, you make me smile (mostly because Daddy so deserves you!). I laugh every time I tell you not to do something or ask why you are doing something and you tell me 'People do that, Gramma!'

You are funny, helpful, lovable and caring. You tell me to be careful when you think I am doing something dangerous and remind me not to eat the 'crust' on my watermellon. You are loving to your little sister and miss her when you are apart even tho she took away some of your attention. You always make sure she has her toys and just by talking to her you change her tears to smiles.

It means so much to me that you enjoy working in the garden with me. You are always the first to remind me the plants on the deck need watered and tell me to listen when you hear a bird sing. You love animals, birds, bugs and flowers and listen when I tell you about them.
I knew being a Gramma was going to be fun, but I had no idea the joy you would give us all! I'm fascinated watching you grow into the person you are destined to be and I plan to enjoy the ride. I'm so thankful for the time we can spend together. Thanks for being you!
Love, Gramma

Food for Thought

What if the little rain should say,

'As small a drop as I

Can never refresh a drooping earth,

I'll tarry in the sky.'

Interesting...

I found a couple interesting blooms in my garden I thought you might enjoy.I guess you could call this a piggyback bee balm. I've never noticed this before, have you?
I can't wait to see what this cone flower ends up looking like. It is supposed to be the same as the other 2 in the picture. I'll keep you posted!

Lighted Branch

A girlfriend gave me this lighted 'branch' for my birthday. It has tiny LED lights on the tips of the short stems and it has a very long thin cord so it's versatile. I decided to put it in a sewing machine drawer with a bird and some dried hydrangea. It will be fun to see what other uses I can find for it.
She found it at a small shop owned by a family member.
They are made by The Light Garden and if you click on 'contact us' you can find out who sells them near you.
For more Show and Tell posts go visit Kelli's House.

The Ballroom

Upstairs over the antique shop we visited is a huge ballroom. It is used for dances, receptions, etc. There is an entrance from the back of the store with a very wide, steep stairway.At one end is the bar area and the other end has a corner stage. There is a tiny kitchen behind the bar.

You can tell by this picture how huge this room is. There were regular size banquet tables all around the room the day we were there. Above the windows, all the way around the room are old lighted beer signs. I would love to see them all lit up!

The wood ceiling was amazing!

My memory was sure jogged when I saw the bread advertising on these old screen doors hanging on the walls. Every store in my small hometown had these doors.

I can just imagine a square dance like I went to with my Gramma and Grampa at the local Legion, in this awesome ballroom!

I want it all!

Today I thought I'd show you some shots from the wonderful old store where I found my unique window.I love the lightening rods (the white ball in the middle of the pic)and they had several. Too expensive for me tho.
Beautiful wood pieces and lots of pottery and vases.

A window frame and a cute display of potato mashers.

A lovely ornate bedroom complete with beautiful linens, shoes and hats.

All kinds of spice and kitchen product tins.

There were darling vignettes every where you looked. Almost too much to take in on one trip. I love the idea of a window 'valance' of kitchen tools.

A beautiful wicker sled. The detail was amazing!

This red child's metal chair was a favorite, rust and all!

I will definitely be going back there (If I can find it again!) It is located in a very tiny little town in Pennsylvania called Wrightsville. Totally my kind of store!

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome!
Today I'm showing some random pictures taken this year.Yellow loosestrife and fever few.

Daisies, buttercups and hosta.

Jupiters beard and loosestrife.

Toadflax (Must have gotten it's name because it hops everywhere!)

Husker red beard tongue.

I'm not sure what this is but the yellow blooms are sun drops. I thought it was a centaurea but the leaves are different.

Geranium pratense and loosestrife.

Raspberry colored yarrow and toadflax.
As you can see the yellow loosestrife is a great plant that looks good with just about everything.

If you would like to join our tour just add your name and permalink to Mr Linky and add a link to this post on your blog. Sit back, relax and check out some beautiful blooms!

Just the two of us.

Jerzie spent the night with me so we could have some time, just the 2 of us. We went to the Audubon again but went to the inside exhibits this time.

First we stopped to see Liberty, a permanent resident because of damaged wing muscles.
Once inside we saw several kinds of live turtles and frogs. We also saw a snake, fish and a live bee hive. Jerzie took lots of pictures but apparently pushed too many buttons and deleted them all. On our way home we stopped at the vegetable stand and saw some bunnies in cages.
Mommy brought Payton over this morning and after her morning nap we headed for the playground. This deer family was walking down the middle of the road.
All and all we've had a great time. Both girls will be waking up from their naps soon so we'll see what's in store this afternoon!


Now here's a kid that likes her dinner!

Food for Thought

He is happiest who finds his peace in his home.

Unique!

While visiting a wonderful antique store in Wrightsville, Pa I found a truly unique old window I just had to have. Behind the middle bar are hinges and the while window folds in half, I have no idea where it was originally. All I did was scrub it and add the iron garden piece.
For now, I have it on my deck over another one of a kind piece I found at a household sale. It is a crudely made box if drawers. It is obviously made from scrap materials. Some of the drawer bottoms are linoleum and some drawers are heavier than others. I have added labels to the handles for all my garden areas and have the tags for the plants in that garden in the drawers.
I think together these pieces make a very interesting, rustic vignette.

For more Show and Tell posts go visit Kelli's House.

More cuties!

A couple more pictures of some favorites at Findley Lake (You were right Dawn!).This cute ladybug house used to be a lunch restaurant and small gift shop. Fits right in with my present theme, doesn't it?
I love this saying and just may have to use it somewhere. It was painted on a door in a shop.

This is on the bottom of the same door. It describes how I feel about all my blogging buddies!

You all know I would SO do this if I had an extra dryer chair! The color is perfect!

Ideas

I saw a couple items at a shop I visited I thought some of you might be interested in. The first was this hanging light. As you can see, it appears to be a round doily of some sort. That's just what it is. It is draped over a wire frame with a florescent bulb. Too cute!
I also loved this fencing around this table. It was also available in a shorter size.

This corner piece was my favorite. They were all pretty pricey so I didn't get any.

Lastly they had these great trellises in three different sizes. They would add great height and interest to any less formal garden.

I would get some fencing and a trellis or 2 if I found them reasonable. How about you?

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome!Today I'm going to show you my latest project. I decided I needed more color on the right side of my house. The area directly in front of the house has an azalea and a holly bush and nothing blooming after the azalea is done. I also have my rocking chair in that area and I have to keep moving it so the grass doesn't die.
There is a narrow sidewalk that goes to the beauty shop in front of the bushes and I realized if I added a garden to the other side people would be walking in it helping some of my older clients. I bought some brick and gray pavers that I thought would look good with the concrete.
Then I cut back the lilies of the valley on one side and grass on the other and laid the pavers.

I love the way this sidewalk came out!

The garden originally ended at the patch of purple in the back.

The pavers were about 40 dollars and I got 2 bags of mulch and some top soil so it was really an inexpensive project.

I moved plants from other areas . Now I've decided to remove the old rotting railroad ties on the sides of the gravel walk and add the pavers. I also want to change the path to the driveway on the other side from a rock path to pavers. This will help tie the whole yard together. One change always leads to several more!Thanks for stopping by for Bloomin' Tuesday! I'll have some blooms to show next week. If you would like to join the fun just add your name and permalink to Mr Linky. Remember to add a link to this post on your blog. Enjoy the tour!

A Day with 'The Sweeties'!

Payton spent most of the morning in bed because she didn't feel like sleeping last night.

Now she's down for her afternoon nap. Jerzie and I spent the morning outside. First she played in the neighbor's new sandbox. The girls are just getting to know each other. Even tho she's a year younger than Jerzie they do enjoy each other.

Then she helped me with a new project I am working on.

She's getting to be quite the little gardener. No shoes, no gloves and actually sitting in the dirt!

She's digging holes while I dig up plants. We had a great morning and Jerzie is sleeping from all the hard work she did.

'Food' for Thought

I saw these in a cute shop I visited and I loved them. They are as pretty as any plant and useful too!
The tall plant is a tomato plant.

This is my favorite!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you and yours will have a wonderful day filled with family, good food and great friends!
Click here for my tribute to our great country and my wish for you.

For the birds

Many of you know of my obsession love of birds. I found this super iron tree at Big Lots and just had to have it. It came with the 4 larger birds (click on picture to enlarge). I had some vintage birds and some reproduction birds that I put on my Christmas tree and thought it would be fun to display them all the time.

I had also found this large bird and the delightful humming bird at a household sale recently.
Right now I have this on my dining room table and I'm glad I splurged to get it!
For more Show and Tell posts, go visit Kelli's House.

A new use for.....

...but first, I need to wish my son, Kim a Happy Birthday!He's playing with one of his presents. Love you!
My neighbor has become interested in gardening. We often meet early in the morning working outside. She told me a few weeks ago that she had an experiment she would like to show me. She had accidentally broken off one of her lilies. Her solution was to hold it together with...

...duct tape!

I can't believe it but it actually worked! See the tape at the bottom of the plant?

It's a lovely orange color and is full of blooms.

So there you have it, a new use for duct tape!

Changeable!

I realized when I did my birthday post that I had never posted the changeable purse that Kim and Tabatha gave me as a thank you/Mother's Day gift for watching the girls. It's strange to be thanked for something I look at as a pleasure. I couldn't believe I couldn't find the post since I had written it in my head!This is a very nice quality black purse. It comes with short handles but you can get long ones that actually clip on.
My son picked this cover to go with the purse when I got it.

The purse and cover have magnets so all you do is stick it on. As you can see by this picture, each cover has feet on the bottom.

These are the pretty summery covers I got for my birthday. This is such a clever idea! I love it!

I don't want to check it out online because it was a gift and I like being surprised by the covers I get but the name on the purse is 'Miche'. I assume you can find it by googling the name.