Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lord Forgive Me!!

I know, I know, we are in the throws of summer, but I already have two holiday presentations on the calendar! So I just have to start getting things ready, and searching for new ideas! I can tell by the other blogs that I follow, they are gearing up for the fall and winter holidays too! What is with the time?? School starts back in three weeks! My Grandson Evan will be a Senior!! My Grandaughter Kingsley will be a Sophomore! So I figure in about 6 weeks and it will be Christmas!!
I have just finished the redesign of the arrangement on my kitchen buffet, I have a wonderful collection of vintage beaded grapes that I love to include. I love the weight of them and the colors are exactly what matches my decor. I started with an old shopping basket that my Mom and I bought in Maidstone Kent England in 1959! We took that basket everyday to the meat market, vegetable market, flower market and the bakery. Talk about putting your memories in a basket.
I have started by putting three vine orbs inside to be used as the anchor for all the decorations, I don't want to poke any holes in the antique basket. Now the fun can begin! Adding my grapes and other beaded fruits, I love the way they add just the right amount of glitz. I have the cutest pitcher and cups that my Italian landlady, Mrs Ierna gave me in 1969, I just love the soft colors, sooo next to the arrangement they go!
I found this wonderful handmade tea pot at a craft fair, "Hand Built Pottery by Jacque". Just the colors that I love, just can't have too much of the terracotta look! It's all gnarly, don't cha love it? Well I will add to the other side of the arrangement!
It is filling out nicely, Oh can you see the mini jello mold ?, that was my Moms, I also have others that I tie with ribbons at Christmas to decorate my cabinets in the kitchen. I am also a hoarder of broken things, I just can't seem to throw them out, I always know I will  find a way to use it. My pots all have bird heads, or cat heads sticking out of the plants, the remnants of things long gone. I have also saved (now don't get upset) the eggs that my parakeet, Miss Birdy (passed) laid. They are like a wisp of air, and are hollow inside, I just couldn't bring myself to toss them! So now I am putting them in a little nest, and putting a butterfly on it that I found on the driveway.
Alright it's a broken rooster..Hey I have also added some little leather books that I used at school in England, French/English, Spanish/English and a Webster. I was 14 years old when I used them, see... hoarder.
Well I have tweaked it enough, and after adding a cute bird with a sweeping feather tail, and some seed pods. I am "Fini" Tres Bonne!





Monday, July 23, 2012

Summer is Definitely Here!

Whew the heat has been upon us! I am missing the color in the yard, everything left is green, with just a few pops of color. Nothing has survived this heat, all the Petunias, Zinnias, and Impatiens are all gone, my Glads didn't even bloom this year, I guess it just got too hot too soon. Just recently my Mexican Fire bush has just started to bloom for the summer, I have three in the yard. I just love the whispy looking red flowers.
I have also found one bloom on my Princess plant, I did have a 6' tree of this, but a couple of years ago the freeze knocked it down. The purple flower is just the perfect shade. Normally My Cannas are about 5 or 6 feet tall, but this year only about 3 feet, and only one bloom! But hey after all this heat I appreciate any blooms at all!  But there is the saving grace of Crepe Myrtles, mine are all blooming, Watermelon, White and Lavender, The Lavender Crepe Myrtle is on the corner of our front yard, and this tree is huge.

We are also recovering from a sinkhole in our front yard! My Wayne went out in the yard and while walking around his leg sank up to his thigh! I can't believe he didn't break it. This hole ended up being 5 feet deep and six feet long! it was totally hollowed out under the grass so you couldn't see it. Come to find out it was a sewer line from the house to the street. The city came out and fixed it all! Praise the Lord it was on the 15 foot easement! It didn't cost us a thing!! Thank you City of  Neptune Beach!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Fourth of July! and Other Things

You know how I have a passion for decorating Mantels, so I couldn't leave mine plain for the Fourth! I have a box of  Red White and Blue decor, but couldn't find it, so I made do with things I found on a scavenger hunt around my house and garage! I used the flowers that I made out of coke cans, quick trip to the Dollar Tree,and I got two of their balloon weights that had stars on them , and two paper lanterns in the holiday pattern, (they were already out of almost everything Red White and Blue!) and used the silver and red star garland I had on one of the workbenches in the garage, put some of the flags that I normally use in the yard and Voila and Star Spangled Mantel! Enjoy this Fourth of July, almost too hot to fire up the barbie, but I know we will!  Also thinking of all those suffering from the loss of their homes in the wildfires, that are plaguing so many States, and to our Military, past and present, that have sacrificed so much for us to even have this Holiday! Hooray for our Freedom!

Just a Pinch recipe site posted "Lemon Ice Cream and No Ice Cream Maker Needed"! Well I just had to
try this oh so easy recipe.

1 pint 1/2 and 1/2
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ( I could only get 2 1/4 juice out of my lemon so I used that)
2 teaspoons lemon zest ( I had to zest whole lemon to get this)
2/3 cup sugar
mix all together by hand until sugar dissolved, and pour into a glass pie plate or other glass container, and freeze for at least 3 hours.
This was a deelish and refreshing surprise! We Loved it! This could be the perfect cool ending to a hot day!