Sunday, August 30, 2015

I sing the praises of Mason Jars...

I have to admit, It has been a long time since I have been this darn tired.
 
Middle Tennessee went from a typical asphalt melting Southern heat to almost idyllic days in the 80's and nights in the 50's. Now another front is moving in and the beginning of September looks like it will be a hot one.
 
What is the point of my weather report? None except to explain that swings in the weather like this kill my sinus's for some reason. I have spent the last three days with a constant sinus headache that even my allergy pills can't knock out. Finally on Friday night, I crashed. Too busy at work and home, not enough down time or sleep and my nagging headache finally wore me down and I crashed.
 
The result of my crash? Take out food for dinner the last three nights and no time spent on my projects. Not exactly earth shattering I know. Believe me I am not complaining, just explaining why I don't have my Creative Village project done yet. But I am getting there.
 
Yesterday crabby and tired as I was, I dragged my daughter out to Hobby Lobby to pick up a couple things we needed for our various projects. The Hobby Lobby we go to is right next to a Goodwill so we made a quick stop in. I did not find much but squeeled in delight when I spotted a bunch of the shorter wide mouth mason jars that had just been put out on the shelf.
 
Did I mention I am usually late to pick up on a trend? But, no, I am not using these for projects or decoration I love to actually use them and the wide mouth are my favorite.
 
 
 These things are great for homemade salsas, quick pickles and such, but what I use them for the most is for carrying my lunch!
 
I am sure you have seen the pins on Pinterest, how to layer them for the perfect salad that lasts all week long, and I use them for green salads as well, but they are great for much more! Soups, the smaller jam jars are the perfect one serving size for lunch they heat up much better in the microwave than Tupperware and don't spill in your lunch bag like Tupperware can. Is it just me? But I do not love eating out of plastic, and I don't like using plastic in the microwave either, so being a soup addict, the mason jars are the only way to go. And pasta salads or fruit for your mid morning snack? Perfect size. Breakfast? yogurt parfaits are perfect in the smaller size. And drinks, I don't buy the individual orange or tomato juice cans, just a little too small of a serving size for me, I will pour my  juice in a small mason jar. And I love the plastic screw on tops you can buy for them now, so much better than the metal when you are using it for lunches.
 
Yes, they are a little bulky, but not much more than the tupperware. I laugh at the looks I sometime get when I am heating up my mason jar full of soup at lunch.
 


 
So my side trip to the Goodwill was well worth the stop in! Now I am heading to the kitchen to make some creamy garlic salad dressing for my mason jar salads this week. Then, back to my Creative Village project...I am almost finished with the first one, and very pleased with how it is shaping up! I should be able to show you the finished project next weekend for sure!
 
 
Hope you are having had a great weekend!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

At long last..

I have waited for months, and finally...finally the heirloom feather morning glory bloomed! I keep calling it a fern...its a feather morning glory, getting my facts right.
 
This tiny flower was well worth the wait.
 


And they are tiny! About the size of a dime. They remind me of tiny Christmas flowers.


 
I think they are the so cool! They are definitely going on my "grow again" list, the vibrant red of these petite flowers just pop in the sea of green foliage.
 
 
I have not noticed if the hummingbirds liked them. But the butterflies do!


Beautiful little Christmas stars in the height of summer!
 
I love trying out different seeds from baker creek each year, seeing what works well and what does not. Because the '"works well", are really worth the time!
 
Hope your week is going well so far!
 
 
 



Sunday, August 23, 2015

It's great to have a handy husband.....

Well, as much as I was enjoying teaching myself how to build some planter boxes, lets be honest, I am just learning, I am slow, klutzy , power saws make me nervous and I am also on a bit of a deadline.
 
So I recruited my husband. What would have taken me a few weeks, dedicating all my free time, took him a few hours on a Saturday.
 
He pretty much rocked it.
 


Eleven planter boxes and a really cool tray/box for me to use with my outdoor pallet living room. Perfect size to load up with my iPad, tea, books, note pads and all the other things I drag out to my
"couch"' under the willow tree with me. I will have to go shopping for some really cool rustic handles to add on the sides. This may even end up a painting project...speaking of stencils...I may have to make myself a fun stenciled sign while I have all this wood and am experimenting, branching out and trying out new ideas is really fun!
 
 
 
But first, I have to sand, wash,  stain or seal and maybe do a stencil or two before I fill them.
 
What am I filling them with?
 
Hopefully I will be able to show you at least one completed box next week!
 
This is still officially a project for Creative Village, but I plan to have a couple available for sale at the Farmisan market in September. It is a gamble, but I hope people like them!
 
I am still stalking my Goldfinches, Love them, still not satisfied that I got the best picture I can get. So, I continue to hide behind the morning glory's like a creepy stalker snapping away.
 
 
I love how these flying saucer morning glory's are popping up all over the bank of morning glory's. I am really enjoying the mix! So glad I planted them!

 
Hope you are enjoying the last of the summer heat, only one more week left in August and we will start to notice fall sneaking in.
 
I love summer, but then again I love all the seasons so I am not sad to see Summer melt into Fall. Fall brings open windows, cooler nights scented with wood
smoke, fire's in the fire pit, hoodies, sweaters and baking, baking and more baking!
 
But until then...I am going to go melt into the pool for a couple hours and soak up the sun!
 
Hope you are having a great weekend!
 

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Surprise!

I had a little surprise last weekend when I walked outside with Bruno Saturday morning to sit and drink my Diet Coke and listen to the birds.
 

Heirloom Morning Glory Flying Saucers! I  totally forgot that I even planted this variety!  I am sure glad that I planted a mix this year!
 

It had rained on Saturday morning, I think I have mentioned a few thousand times how much I love raindrops on Morning Glory's.
 
Heck, I just love raindrops!
 
 
My Black Cherry's are cranking, but again...I think my soil needs desperately to be amended, they just do not taste as good as they should and the vines are being destroyed by the dang bugs again this year. I will have to get serious about it next year.
 
 
But they sure are pretty!
 
I had another surprise this morning, my heirloom Fern Morning glories FINALLY bloomed. Oh my gosh! They were totally worth the wait! I will get pictures this weekend for sure.
 
Almost the weekend, I think I may have to wander out to the Nashville Flea Market, the weather is going to be gorgeous, perfect for a early morning stroll looking for vintage treasures.
 
Hope your week is going well!

Saturday, August 15, 2015

What am I up to?

This week, I was talking with the artist group at Creative Village about a possible opportunity for all of the artists to take advantage of, not another craft show, something a little different! I am not going to divulge what it is yet, just in case if falls through. But I am getting ready for it anyway. I figure, if the plan does not come to fruition, well, then I will have a couple new pieces to sell at the Farmisan and at Creative Village. So..whatever happens I see it as a win/win.
 
So, I have been brainstorming all week, and I think I have come up with a pretty good idea and started working on it today. I am pretty enthusiastic with the results so far!
 


Trying my hand at building, brand new experience for me usually I leave this to my husband. But so far I think it is kind of fun!
 
 
This entire project is an experiment, I am really excited to finish the first one and see how it comes together! Kind of cool to see your ideas become a reality.
 
 
Punches, they are not just for paper you know!
 
 
Playing around with flowers that never fade.
 
 
Hopefully by next weekend I will have at least one finished product to show you!
 
It has been nice flexing my creative muscles again. I ended up taking the summer off of crafting, I just did not feel like it. I guess I was just having a creative dry spell and needed the excitement of a possible new opportunity to get my creative juices and enthusiasm flowing again!
 
Now hopefully my creative dry spell as well as my thrifting dry spell is over for a while at least!
 
Hope you are having a great weekend!!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Trendy

I never seem to be in step with trends, I usually start to take interest or notice a trend right about the time it is no longer trendy. But this time, this one time, I am right on trend!
 
With coloring books!
 
I can finally come out of the closet and stop snagging my kids coloring books! They make them for grownups now and it is finally socially acceptable for adults to color! I actually make sure I take time to color, sitting outside on my couch under the tree or for an hour or so before bed, I love it. It is a great way to relax at the end of a long day or on a pretty weekend afternoon.
 
 
I spent some time coloring on Sunday afternoon after I climbed out of the pool ,I sat down under the tree to color for a little while, it was a very pleasant way to wrap up the weekend.
 
I really like the "grown up" coloring books...I was so over the Disney princesses.
 
I also managed to get a couple pictures of the Goldfinches that have been eating my sunflowers seeds and the cute fat squirrel that has been raiding my crabapple tree.
 
Is he not gorgeous?
 

I am still going to try to get a better picture of these beautiful finches. I spent a couple hours waiting in the pool hoping they would come, it would be a perfect angle and a great shot, but they did not show up until later so I had to hide behind my morning glory's. Decent shot, but want a better one.

 
And this cute guy, still not the best shot, but I think he will keep coming back as long as the crabapples hold out...and they will...for awhile yet.
 
So back to stalking the finches and the squirrel again this weekend!
 
Hope you are having a great week!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Retail therapy

It is "Tax Free Tennessee" weekend and the malls are mobbed with people doing their back to school shopping tax free. Pretty good deal, but I am not into mob scenes to save a couple bucks so I passed. For me, unless I am buying a computer the savings are not worth the log lines at check out or the crowds of extremely rude people.
 
As I was laying in bed on Friday night, making out my weekend "to do" list I decided I needed a little retail therapy, after a very frustrating, busy week at work, it was just what I needed to unwind. But there was no way I was going anywhere near a mall this weekend.
 
Unless of course it was an Antique mall! Now that is my kind of retail therapy.
 
I realized it had probably been about six weeks or so since I have been to my favorite indoor flea market. Just had not been having the best of luck there lately, but, lets just be honest here, after skipping the July Nashville flea market,  I needed a fix.
 
And a fix I got!
 
Like this cute Hazel Atlas Fridgie.
 

 
What, another cream and sugar set? Yes, you would think I drank a lot of coffee...I don't.


Fun shaving cup for my son, I am lucky to have kids that appreciate and enjoy vintage items almost as much as I do.
 

Yes, more Libby bowls. Yes I have a ton, but five for three bucks I could not pass on.


And some fun aluminum duck coasters, again for my son who collects Fire King game bird dishes, these compliment his ever growing set perfectly.
 


Not from this trip, but I did not think I ever posted about this Glasbake fridgie. I use this thing constantly. Perfect size and shape.
 

And how could I pass up a cute Pyrex bowl for 4.00? I like the smaller bowls and with that price there was no way I would not bring it home with me.
 
 
Can you stand another sunflower picture? I am crushing hard on my sunflowers this year.
 


My daughter the baker, she was excited to use the small vintage pie tin for her muffins this morning. She named this the morning mega muffin.
 
 
I plan to spend a couple hours in the pool this afternoon, not so much to float but so I can stalk the very large fat squirrel that has taken to eating the crab apples in my tree and the gorgeous gold finch couple that are slowly nibbling away at the sunflower seed in their centers, and lets not forget the hummingbird's. They were late this year, but they are making up for it now. I almost lost an eye last night while out taking pictures near the feeder. they have no fear. But I will literally crouch in my pool with the camera resting on the edge being as quiet as I can so they don't notice me and I can hopefully get a good shot.
 
The things I will do for a good picture.
But it is worth it I think.
Wish me luck.
 
 

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

100 blog posts

Wow...100 posts.
 
Until I realized that I had hit the 90's a couple weeks ago, I had not given any thought to hitting that 100 post milestone. I am kind of shocked I actually had 100 blog posts in me! I thought it would be hard to hit 100 posts, I thought I would run out of topics, I thought I would get bored. But I keep plugging along and just when I think I have hit the wall an idea comes to me and I run with it. So, I guess I will keep rolling until the ideas run out.
 
But I think it will take awhile before I run out of ideas for arranging flowers.
 
 
I think it will be awhile before I get tired of vintage glassware.
 
 
I know it will be awhile before I get tired of heirloom veggies.
 
 
Or heirloom flowers.
 
 
 
I cannot imagine getting tired of taking pictures of bees.
 
 
Or birds
 
 
 
 
 
I think it will be awhile before I get tired of flea marketing.

 
And finding new things to collect.
 
 
 
Or trying new crafting projects.
 
 
 
It will definitely be a long time before I get tired of taking pictures.
 




 
So, I guess what I am trying to say is I think I will keep at this blogging thing for a little while longer, see where it goes and what it inspires me to do.
 
I hope you enjoy coming along with me to see what I do next!
 
Happy Wednesday! Hope you are having a great week! 
 

Sunday, August 2, 2015

The Pallet Table

I am very lucky to have a "handy" husband. He does not have a lot of time to build, and it takes a lot of "convincing" but once he finally gets around to it, he does a great job. I have been trying to talk him into making us a pallet table for about a year. Finally found the right pallets for it and got it built this weekend.

 I LOVE IT!


Long enough to fit at least six, maybe eight. It is the perfect size for a group or just for two. We love to eat outside all summer long and into the fall so we will use it often. We still plan to stain it, but it did not stop us from giving it a test run for dinner last night. 


A pretty table cloth, some favorite dishes and flowers are all you need to set the scene.


 So beautiful and cool under the late evening shade of the trees.





Dinner itself was simple. Summertime heirloom tomatoes were the star of the show.


Delicious fresh bread, smoked mozzarella make the best open faced sandwiches! 


Shrimp cocktail with spicy cocktail sauce as well....


Too hot to bake so dessert came from Publix, I love their bakery!


All together it made for a beautiful late evening dinner under the trees. Better than any restaurant if you ask me. The evening was so cool and comfortable after the heat of the day, we sat outside for a couple hours, eating, sipping lemonade and just chatting. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday night after a day spend floating in the pool.


Bruno enjoyed having dinner outside as well.

I almost have my entire outside living room set completed! Just a few small touches and it will be finished, just in time for the cooler fall evenings spent watching movies on the projector or around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and eating popcorn.

Hope you are enjoying these beautiful summer evenings!