Growing Flowers in a Basket...

Sometimes using the ordinary in unexpected ways

ends up being pretty cool.

I had this idea for this old gate.

I wanted something to pretty it up...

something flowing, colorful, and unexpected.

My first thought was to use one of those old mailboxes.  You know, the vintage metal ones that would hang by the door.  I had it all planed out in my head.  I would spray paint it aqua and plant pretty white flowers in it that would grow and spread and drape so pretty.  It was going to be eye catching.

But I searched and searched and a pretty vintage mailbox was not to be found.  At least not locally.  I could have bought one from Etsy I suppose, but who has time to wait for shipping when all these wonderful ideas are bouncing around in my head needing to be done?  

.  

So I used what I had.
 I had baskets.  Lots of baskets.

I chose one and got busy.  No spray painting needed.
Baskets are already pretty in their natural state.

I lined it with a plastic grocery store bag.  I simply poked a few holes through the bottom with my finger for drainage.  I then carefully added the potting soil and arranged the flowers just the way I wanted them.  A few patriotic touches to make it homey and welcoming doesn't hurt either.

In this picture below I spot a little bit of the plastic peeking through the flowers.  No worries.  Nothing a little bit of tucking can't solve.  The plants will be growing and spreading and it will all be hidden in time.  

To be perfectly honest these flowers have been in this basket a few weeks now but I waited to photograph them to give them a chance to fill in.  They still have lots of spreading to do.   The growing season is still young.

I rather love having this on my porch.  It's one of  my favorite things out there.

There's a saying that goes Surround yourself with beautiful things.  I totally believe that and I've tried to live my life that way.  We don't have to have a lot of money to have pretty surroundings.  We don't have to have fancy material things.  We just need the will and a little creativity to turn our homes into a place of refuge and beauty.

Wishing you lots of sunshine and beauty.

Thank you for your comments.  They make my day.
If you leave me a note you stopped by I'll pay you a visit.
Happy blogging!

Treasure Hunting #1

I don't go thrifting these days as much as I would like.  I've trained myself to go less often and when I do go, to only buy what I really love.  A few years back I would go more regularly.  I would hit the yard sales too and bring home everything that tickled my fancy.  It was fun but back then we had a bigger house and more money.  Once we moved to New Mexico all that had to stop.  Clutter is not your friend when you live in a small house with five people.

My shopping trip this week was a little unintentional.  I went by our local charity shop to drop off  some food for their food pantry and couldn't walk out without taking a quick look.  My favorite place to go is the linens department.  There's a soft place in my heart for vintage linens.  More specifically, the hand made kind.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted so much patchwork perfection on the rack.

Fabulous find number one:
this wonderful vintage quilt for only 6 dollars.

Some of you spied this quilt in my previous post.  I used it for a backdrop.  It's tattered around the edges but that didn't keep me from buying it.  It's very clean.  No stains.  I thought I could fix it somehow.

I draped it over the back of this love seat out on our porch.  I like the way it looks there so that's where it will stay for now.

Next up:
these three vintage quilt tops.

I am not the best seamstress in the world but I've had success finishing a quilt top in the past.  It looks like I have my work cut out for me as I already have a few of these in storage.  I have a hard time passing these up if I like the print.

I bought them because of the straight lines.  I can sew a straight line so I feel like I could finish quilting these following the straight seams.   There was another quilt top that I didn't buy.  The piecing was rounder and the edges were curved.  I thought with my limited sewing skills that it would be too much of a challenge but these, I think I can handle.  I may not get to them for a while though but one of these days they will be finished quilts...
hopefully.

The two quilt tops above were 8 dollars each and the one below was 16 because it's applique.  Considering how much quilts go for I thought even at 16 dollars it was still reasonable.
Someone's already done all the hard work piecing these together.

And now, the only non linen find:
this pretty tole tray for only 3 dollars.

It has a few dings and scratches but that's ok.  I don't need it to be perfect.
 I'm not looking for fancy things.  I don't mind the imperfections at all.  I think it just adds character.
It fit nicely above my stove.

Have you been bargain hunting lately?

Thank you for reading and commenting.  I respond to comments by visiting your blogs and leaving a comment for you.  If you stop by let me know and I'll come by and visit you.
♥♥♥♥♥

Repurposing

Once a handy gardening tool,
now a graceful planter...

It was time to retire this old watering can.  I went to fill it one morning and was disappointed to see water gushing out through the bottom.

 A hole had worn through the thin plastic and could no longer retain water. 

Oh my!

This had been my nifty little helper for years.  It's survived a couple of moves and has been a constant  presence on my patio helping me nurture my plants year after year.

I started to throw it away but then hesitated.  I couldn't ditch my faithful friend simply because it had become tired and worn.  I needed to find it a new purpose.  I needed to give it new life.

And so it begins it's new role as a planter.

And while this may not be the most original idea, 

it's the most practical one for me.

I love the color and whimsy it adds to my patio.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Everything is not trash.
We just have to look at things a different way, that's all.

I think Rocky gives his approval.  He jumped in on the photo op.
He didn't want to be left out so of course I had to include this photo of my handsome little furry friend.

What is your favorite container in your garden?  

I'd like to know.

Until next time!

Linking with: Cooking and Crafting with J & J

June

Well the month of May came and went with a hoopla of hustle and bustle.  May is always a terribly busy month and this year we had a few extra activities squeezed in which made it even crazier.  But it all came and went and looking back now I can say that May, even though it was a whirlwind, was a fun month.

We have entered a new month now and life has settled into a more enjoyable pace.  School is out, the town seems quieter, and there just doesn't seem to be a whole lot going on.  Sometimes it feels good to stay home and not have anywhere to go or anything to do.  It's nice to be able to catch up on chores and do housework.  I don't know about you but I am a home body.  I love being at home and doing my thing.  It's relaxing to me and seems to be just what I need right now.

Even though it seems like Mothers Day was a long time ago, I wanted to share with you what my kids and hubby gave me.  I received a gift certificate to a local garden source.  Oh let me tell you the store was a treat.  The biggest and most beautiful flower pots and the cutest yard decorations.  I could have spent a whole afternoon walking through that store taking in all the eye candy. 

One of my selections was this String of Pearls.  It came already planted in this pot and macrame hanger.  It was like a little package ready to be taken home. I fancied this plant the minute I saw it.  I've never owned a String of Pearls before and it was so different than any of the other house plants I already own. 

We lost a few of the "pearls" on the way home.  It is a bit delicate but once we hung it up and didn't handle it anymore it was fine.

They also gave me this ceramic turtle planter.  I had spied it at Hobby Lobby earlier this Spring and mentioned to my oldest daughter how much I loved it.  She must have remembered and went back for it.  

And I also picked up this terracotta hen from the local garden source with the gift certificate.  Isn't it adorable?  I bought that little plant there too but I'm  not sure what it is.  It didn't have a label and I didn't think to ask the lady.  I suppose it doesn't matter.  It looks good together and that's all that matters.

In my last post I wrote about a wedding our church was hosting.  Well I ended up being more involved than I intended.  Apparently, by their own admission, the grooms mom and the bride's mom didn't enjoy decorating so the bride depended on me quite a bit for a lot of things.  Anyway, her mom made me this beautiful pottery as a gift.  She did an amazing job.  It looks like something you could buy in one of those upscale boutiques in downtown Santa Fe.  I know I say this all the time but I really do love handmade gifts and this one is really special. ♥

I've been spending some time outdoors sprucing up our front patio.  It feels good to be outside this time of year.  I've been doing some planting along with trying to clean up the yard.  We don't get much grass growing in this part of New Mexico so we don't have a green yard, but we do what we can with what does grow here.  It's more of a rustic landscape that we've gotten used to and come to appreciate. 

I hope you're all enjoying good weather and sunny days wherever you find yourself.  I hope you get to spend plenty of time outdoors.  These summer days tend to go by way too fast and before we know it summer will be over and school will be starting up again so let's enjoy it while we can.

Until next time,

A Shower for a Soon to be Bride...

A new month is upon us...

Here we are already in the fifth month of the year.  And like always,  May seems to bring with it a whirlwind of activity.  It's always a busy month with school wrapping up and all that comes with it.  Track season it at it's peak.  Youngest daughter has two meets left.  One this week and one next week for the state meet.

I always look forward to this time of year, and then I remember that Spring weather isn't all that great.  It's been windy, blustery and dry.  We carry a big duffel bag with us to track meets.  We pack it full of everything from hats to sweatshirts to blankets.  It can be really hot when the sun is up but once it goes down the blankets come out as it can get really cold with the wind blowing.  All that aside, we really enjoy track season and watching our youngest compete.  I think I'll miss all of this when we're empty nesters so we're trying to take it all in now that we still can.

Something else that's been taking up my time is an upcoming wedding for a young couple from our church.  They are two very sweet and kind people and the groom also happens to be my husband's nephew.  My husband will be marrying them later this month, and as you can imagine, there hasn't been a shortage of things to do and plan for.  

A couple of the church ladies and I hosted a shower for them this past weekend.  I spent several days last week setting up.  I don't know if you can tell but I went with a lovebird theme since it's Spring.

Has anyone noticed how hard it is to get people to come to showers?  Women don't get excited for that kind of stuff anymore.  I think it's become too easy to buy a gift online and not have to show up for a party. In past years women were more eager to participate in that type of thing but it's not that way anymore.  Even within church circles it's hard to bring them in.  The digital age has definitely changed the way people "socialize" anymore.  But maybe that's a topic for another day.

We had a pretty good turnout in spite of all that.  I think there were about twenty women and a few children.  We served a light luncheon that consisted of chicken salad sandwiches on croissants with fruits and veggies on the side.   I made a fancy pink pineapple lemonade instead of the traditional punch and also set out a dispenser of water with lemon.

Regrettably I did not get a picture of the food.  Once the people started arriving I forgot all about my camera.  That's the way it goes I guess.

I wasn't going to do any table decorations to keep costs down but I found these Pansies at WM for fifty cents each and thought they'd be perfect.  A brown paper bag and some string finished them off nicely and they also went well with my Spring theme.

As you can see the bride received several gifts.  Most of them were kitchen stuff for cooking and baking but there were a few other things in there for other rooms of the house.  I think the funniest gift she opened was toilet bowl cleaner.  It was thrown in with a stack of bath towels.  It was a cute idea.  The bride got a good laugh about it.

I have missed you all and I am looking forward to slower days ahead.  In the mean time, I'll just check in as time allows. 

xxxooo

Better

 It was alright to begin with, but now it's better.

I picked up this nifty little plant hanger at Burlington one afternoon while I was in the big city getting my six month mammogram done.  I had been wanting to hang a plant in this nook for a while.

I planned on making a plant hanger out of  yarn.  Ravelry has several cute patterns for crochet hangers.  But when I saw this one at the store I bought it knowing it would save me the trouble of making one myself.

Besides it was only seven dollars which is only a couple dollars more than what crochet patterns cost these days.  And it was cute so I went with it knowing I could tweak it once I got it home to make it more "me".

The cord holding the bowl was just knotted here and there which made it hang crooked.  It came apart really easy and in the trash it went.  I only saved the wooden beads.  Three simple chains holds everything in place.

I think Mr. Fox approves.

And I do too. 

 I know it's not a masterpiece but not everything has to be. 

 Simple is good too.  

I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend.

Happy new month of April!

Story of a Happy Green Tray...

I was only going to look.  

I promise!

I made a stop at our local charity shop yesterday to drop off a bag of food.  They have a food pantry there and about once a month I go in there to drop off a small bag of  groceries.  

Well you know I can't leave without making a quick round.  I spotted this vintage tray in the kitchen aisle.  It was in the corner under a few other plates but I have a trained eye.  I know to look beyond what's on the surface.

It was a little scuffed and scraped but in all fairness, it has been around a long time.  We all tend to get a few love lines on us when we've been around a while, right?  So I wasn't going to hold that against it.  Besides, it was marked 99 cents.  How can you walk away from a bargain like that? 

I payed the pretty girl at the counter (my daughter...yeah, she works there) and happily brought it home with me.

I think it fits right in.

I think it fills this little corner with the right amount of Spring cheer.  It reminds me somewhat of my moms kitchen of days gone by.

Retro vibes,

White and yellow daisies,

and on the first day of Spring...

Oh no, I could not resist it's charm...

So now it's mine...

And I am happy.

:)

Work Spaces...

When you share your small home with four other people,
your work space is anywhere and everywhere. 

At my house you'll find baskets of works in progress
tucked away in various corners around our home.

Many things started.
 None of them finished.

These things take time don't ya know.

Leaning towers of yarn stacked against a wall.

An array of grannies spread out on my desk.

Odds and ends everywhere.

Full skeins, loose ends, hooks, scissors...

I have to keep close what I might need.

 Messes tend to happen when something creative is in the works.

But even in this sometimes crowded house, no one seems to mind.  They're used to mom having her yarn all over the house.

Although it's not all messy.  Most of my stuff is neatly put away in plastic drawers and tubs in one of my closets.  But when I'm working on something I like to grab what I need and keep it out until I'm finished with it.

 Sometimes it's days. 

Sometimes those days turn into weeks.

 That's when a craft room would come in handy. But it's not to be.  Not for me anyway.  At least not right now.  Every room in this house is taken.  This little abode is completely full.  One of these days I will have my craft room.  One of these days...
 when this nest is empty.

 In the mean time I will do my best to be content with the small spaces I have.  Because as much as I love my yarn, I love my humans more.

Including this little fur ball.