Tuesday Tidbits

This book will hold your interest from the beginning to the very last page.

Once you start it, it will be hard to put down.

I have a thing for birds. Fake ones are decorative inside, and real ones thrive outside.  

Art journal page, featuring a cutout bird

It is nearing my bedtime, but wanted to jump on here and share this quick post.

Green is a happy color

Whether I'm outside or inside, green is very visible these days. 

My husband enjoys mowing, and I enjoy gardening. He is outside far more than me. Today I delighted in seeing these:

 pretty pink primroses                                                         peonies about to open

                                                        

another iris

Oreo was also checking out the garden.

Hopefully I can fill a few more containers on the porch and patio.

But with prices being what they are, it's doubtful.

Since the large furniture around here stays in place, I content myself with moving smaller objects. You will recognize some of these dear old pieces, and 

a few happen to be green.

Bottles, flower frogs, and oil  paintings remain favorite things.

 My paternal grandmother gave me the cobalt blue vase when I was a little girl. I have it displayed in my guest bedroom where there is more green than blue. The butterfly was a piece my brother gave me years ago(back in the time period of hippies). Later I added the chain.

 One day when I wore the necklace, Ron was amazed that I had managed to hang onto that butterfly. On that particular day we had been visiting Mother and sharing sibling memories of the past. We talked about the items we save and the stories behind them. 

While looking through a Somerset Studio art magazine, I ran across this message on a piece of artwork -

l i v e 

h a p p i l y

Whether inside or outside, I'm going to try to do just that.

Can't Believe It's Already April

As I did some spring cleaning today, I changed out a few decorations. Three marble eggs nestle up against this rather distinguished rabbit. 

 

 

Scoops in the kitchen windowsill house rabbits and eggs.  

Grapevine wreath shelters these eggs that were blown out, decorated, and saved from previous years.   

 



 Treasured egg collection...how it brings  

back dear memories from past Easters 

 

 

It's getting late, and my rigorous cleaning day is catching up with me.

 

Sweet Dreams 

Looking Around

Two gardenia blooms greeted me in the garden today. I held them up to my nose and inhaled, recalling this same scent from my childhood days in Louisiana. In fact, this gardenia bush was bought several years ago when I was visiting my birth state.

As I was cleaning and filling the birdbath, I noticed the smaller bloom.

Another white surprise was a hollyhock. So far I have had only pink ones blooming.

 

This was my first summer to place this birdhouse outside on the patio. It got some attention right away. 

These geraniums on the patio table are favorites because you can see their bright colors from my kitchen window.

 

This vignette honors my mother who loved to garden. Under the larger cloche is one of her McCoy flowerpots.

 

 

The E for her given first name - Essie

 

Because her last name was Barnes before she married, she acquired the nickname Barney that was used much more than Essie.

 

 

flower frogs

 

 

This "heart" flower frog is a little something I almost passed up on one of my antiquing days. Sometimes the littlest things provide the most joy. 

 

 

Speaking of Mother, I'm so glad the view from her room is of a courtyard with flowers, trees, and birdfeeder. She and I have spent peaceful times together watching squirrels and birds. This past week Mother's sweet roommate moved to another facility. Ms. Staggs will be dearly missed. She tried to watch out for Mother and help when she could. Maybe in the years to come there will be medical advances to end this heartbreaking disease.

 

 

Until next time,

xo

Decorating Pleasures

Last  year this toy cabinet was on the mantel. This year it's  resting on a small desk in the guest bedroom. I tend to use special pieces from year to year but in different locations.

The cloche is filled with green, blue, and gold ornaments. These are colors in the guest bedroom.


On a side table is the Skating Santa, sleigh, and collection of trees.

This treasured nativity is on the seat of the hall tree. The star I found this year.

This hutch in the hallway always get decorated with Christmasy items. Filling bowls with ornaments is almost as much fun as hanging them on the tree.     

From my house to yours

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I wanted to share a few decorative touches around my house. So this post is Merry Christmas from my house to yours.

 

A Few Favorites

Ornaments

Cards

Cloches

Garlands

Fondness for Birds

These two keep each other company on an end table in the living room.

This birdhouse is also in the living room.

This green pair is in the guest bedroom on the dresser.

I change what sits on the gold trunk in the den quite often. . . for now the wooden box with a birdnest and tiny bird on top.

This arrangement under the cloche has three items that are special to me. . . there's a picture of the place where my husband and I met . . . there's a tiny church like the one where we married . . . and the frame ( with a bird on top) has this poem

And in his heart

My heart is locked,

And in his life,

My life.

-Christina Rossetti

This last picture shows one of my favorites . . . a small iron bird. I moved the grayish urn from the living room to this counter in the bath. I never tire of those golden eggs in that ornament nest.

Because of the cold temperatures, I'm staying in our nest, that wonderful place called home.