063013 Weekly Wrap-Up

New fridge!

Almost done with the ceiling paper and then the flooring...

GARDEN UPDATE:
Lamb's ears just getting started blooming.

Yucca

Ornamental grasses

Succulent groundcover

Mondo rose - not doing so well this year - needs a spray.

Stella D'Oro daylily (means Star of Gold)

Echinacea just beginning to bloom

No idea! MUST unearth (pun intended) my garden book!

Rusty bunny from Country Living fair in Columbus Ohio a few years ago

A gift from Jean, that has finally made it off my credenza & into the garden this year

 

Mallow

Campanula

Columbine

Ditch lilies

Raspberries - either we or the birds should have a feast this year!

Tallulah Tomato

Rusty bird mascot

Lincoln love - Peekaboo with Grampa

Bubble machine madness

Peter Pan moment - he was a wee bit freaked out!

Our buckethead boy

Boys will be boys :~)

Boon companion, complete with sawdust on her nose!

Oh, yes! And I have received quite an honor!

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Welcoming Our New Design Team!

Thrilled, humbled & delighted!

 

062413 CKC June Challenge #1

This month's blog hop challenge over at CKC was to be inspired by Farmer's Markets! 

We are fortunate to have a wonderful market nearby in Flint. 

I did this page back in October 2010:

 (Tried out my "new" Tim Holz rosette die, lol)

When I saw the prompt it immediately made me think of the rows & rows of produce, the stalls lined up 

one after the other, and I decided to go with a page of my daughter's bi-weekly pregnancy pictures. 

I have been wanting to get them down on a page but had no inspiration... until now!

This was one of my counterfeits in my kit this month. Added the flag, the little birdie stamp & the words.

Framed him up with those tiny hearts - a pretty good "harvest", huh?

Thanks for visiting with me - leave me a note to let me know you were here :~D

Make sure you hop on to visit Becca!

062213 Date Day Saturday

Pleasant surprise today that Greg was able to be home from work in time for a late lunch. 

It's been a long week for him with some extra things on the schedule.

He called on the way home to meet him at Home Depot to order the new fridge!

 

Have made good progress on the ceiling & hope to finish that up soon. It's great cover for the plaster issues.

Then we will do the floor, but are still undecided about the countertop/sink...

Off to lunch!

 Delish!

Came home to this pack of goodies from Paper Issues who are closing out their Etsy store... 

and hoping to photograph the "super-moon" tonite!

061513 Five Minute Friday: Listen…

I love to be home alone.

I love the quiet. I can hear the birds. I can hear my thoughts.

When the kids came over last week Chuck noticed right away how peaceful it was with no tv.

Lincoln is calm when he is here, in the quiet.

It’s refreshing to not have some kind of “music” blaring at me, unless I want it to be.

I think we have too much clamor – too much noise - and it makes us more aggressive & less kind.

When I get quiet enough to hear the dog’s tummy gurgle, I notice it.

I notice things when it’s quiet.

But it’s really not quiet. The icemaker drops it’s load with quite a racket.

Even the geese flying over make a cranky sound, although I find it delightful anyway.

The worst thing for me that breaks the quiet is the alarm clock – ugh.

This was written as a part of 5 minute Fridays over at Gypsy Mama Interested in linking up? Go over there for more information and to link up, but these are the rules: 
1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the word of the day – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. Hope to see you on the Linky!!

061513 Date Day - Antiquing in Ohio!

We needed a little road trip, so we headed south 

to Springfield, Ohio, for the Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market.

 The show was only about 1/3 as big as prior years :~(  

Close by is Heart of Ohio Antiques - 8 buildings all joined together. It never disappoints.

Although time didn't permit, another terrific place within just a few miles:

Springfield Antiques & Collectibles with over 450 dealers.

You can make a wonderful day of antiquing in Springfield!

Lunch was delicious barbeque at Rudy's Smokehouse - oh, my...

I brought home a few little goodies: an old packet of needles with a great graphic rocket & an old card of hooks & eyes - both slated for scrapbook page embellishments; a new but distressed doorknob escutcheon for a future altered project; a whimsical wooden bolt, and a lovely little charm bracelet (my latest collection item.) I haven't decided which of the charms will stay or go... 

This little guy came home to join my mom's collection of Pen Delfen figurines.

Greg found some more items for his ordnance collection. The larger is 7 inches tall!

 But these were the big score of the day. The box is 2 layers deep with

vintage blocks to add to the grandbaby toy stash - makes me happy.

And these appear to be the original "legos" - they latch together for building tall towers.

 

It's always good company when we can get away together.

060813 Let's Take a Little Tour...

I'm happy to report that we are back in the kitchen on the final phase of our rehab! 

More on that later, but the second piece of anagalypta paper is up on the ceiling and looks great.

It's that inimical season of the cottonwood seeds here.

As if we don't have enough snow during 1/2 of the year!!!

Please - not in June - even a counterfeit is an unwelcome reminder...

 

 Better late than never, the peonies are on the verge of a spectacular explosion 

of blowsy extravagance that may be unprecedented in the history of our garden.

 

 

Terrible photo, but the columbines are going to be yet another color this year!

Although on the wane, the forget-me-nots have crossed into new frontiers once again.

 Forgot again to get out early enough in the season to get unfurling fern photos 

(say that fast five times, lol)

This is another beautiful blooming fern - a gift from Alex's violin teacher

from her elementary years. Thanks, Micki! It's still thriving.

 

Without unearthing my garden notebook I can't name this plant 

but I love the spotlight effect of those chartreuse leaves.

Garlic chives - yummy...

It's obvious that I have an affinity for the cooler spectrum of color in my garden!

These were a gift from another dear friend many years ago.

As good as this all looks in photos, the beds are full of encroaching grass, my favorite lily-of-the-valleys actually went to mush from a frost just as they came into bloom, there are a few "volunteers" that may need an excavator to remove them if not dealt with soon, and at some point before July I would like to get some annuals in & the windowboxes planted!