Birthday Girl

 

Look who's celebrating her 10th birthday today!

I snuck up on this sweet little girl while she was napping

on her favorite Sherpa dog pad. If you notice, there are

little treat crumbs lying around her (it's surprising that

her sister didn't eat up those crumbs!). What better way

to spend your special day than to munch on

your favorite snacks and relax!

 

 

Vintage PIllowcases

We have some of Grandma's pillowcases. Years ago, she made them with beautiful pink roses stitched along the edges. Look at the hand crocheted edges. Lovely! My parents have some that Great Grandma made! We all enjoy using them. They fit today's puffy pillows better than those which come in the sheet sets and they represent a lot of loving work. Over the years, our set has developed a few loose spots and I have had to repair the lace edge, but I think it's better to use and enjoy something rather than store it away and have it be forgotten. 

 

 A friend of mine recently inspired me to try making my own and she got me started on the project yesterday. Hobby Lobby sells a double-pack of white pillowcases which are stamped and ready to do. Here are mine. They are not nearly as elaborate as the vintage ones. The instruction sheet behind it shows how one's monogram goes above the butterflies and flowers (the sample has a "B"). It will be a lot of work and a long time before I ever even finish one because I'm rusty. I haven't had the opportunity to needlepoint or cross-stitch for a long time, but perhaps I can do a little now and again.

While we were working on it yesterday, I lamented to Wendy that the backside isn't very pretty. It shows random threads, occasional knots and tucked ends. She agreed, but went on to tell me what someone told her. The back of a needlepoint or cross-stitch can be likened to how we see ourselves---full of imperfections. God, however, sees us as the front of the project--perfect and complete.

Teacher Pin Wreath

Much of my jewelry chest is full of pins which are organized by themes. In the  80s and 90s when pins were highly popular, I acquired them for every unit I taught at school. I have everything from clowns to fish. On top of that, I  have many seasonal pins (some from my childhood). Then there are teacher pins. I possess a variety of school houses, bells, buses and apples. All of them were student gifts which were lovingly given and proudly worn. As pins lost popularity, they spent more time in the jewelry drawers and less time on lapels and sweaters. (Seasonal pins have their own drawers which are not shown here.)

In this close-up, you can see the pile of teacher pins in their half of the drawer.

 

 

About the time I retired, I thought it would be neat to do something with them to represent  the good times and memories. Years ago, I made this jewelry tree with family pins (some of which are my mother's from her teacher days).

 

 

That didn't seem quite right for these more whimsical pieces, though. Then it hit me. What not a teacher pin wreath?

 

 

 

When I first assembled it, I attached the pins to a 10 inch styrofoam wreath which I had lightly spray-painted gold. While I was OK with the way it looked, it lacked dimension and needed something along the edges. So, I tried again. This time I went to the dollar store and bought a few spools of tulle and tied it on the same wreath. Then I attached the pins again. I am going to tweak a few things, but then I need to add spots of glue to secure them. Until then I can't actually hang it yet, but you get the idea.

 

 

 

 

 

This was fun! I fondly thought of the children who had given me the pins as I  created. It seemed a timely project, too. It's completed just in time because had I not retired, I'd already be working in my room and would be preparing for six days of contracted work sessions, meetings and professional development beginning next Monday. Instead, I will reflect upon the past and admire my wreath.  All of my pins are costume jewelry and while not a one has a high dollar value, they and the memories are priceless...

 

 

 

Tuesday's Tablescape

Last week the UPS man brought a box for me. Inside it I found eight glass bowls from my cousin, Kara. I love their vibrant colors and square shape. As I carefully unwrapped them, my mind immediately began planning tablescapes!

 

 

Using plates and placemats I already had, I used red as the accent color to make the floral bowls pop.

 

 

Not only are they beautiful bowls, but they are dishwasher safe!

 

 

I didn't want to upstage the bowls, so I used a simple pot of (faux) succulents for the centerpiece.

 

Are you ready for dinner?

 

 



Waterlogue Art

Do you know about Waterlogue? It's an app you can purchase for your iPhone or iPad and it enables you to turn one of your own photos into a piece of artwork.

Here is my picture taken to show the bees "working" the tardiva hydrangea (hmmm...the bees are not as visible as I had hoped, but there are two on the left).

This is the same image after using the Waterlogue application.

When I retired, the PTO gave me this lovely orchid plant. Don't you love its

light creamy color?

Now you can see it after the app is used.

It's a lot of fun to play with Waterlogue and experiment with their different settings.

Your work could easily become suitable for copying and framing. We've had the app

for a couple of years and paid $2.50. I looked it up and it appears that it's gone up a little

bit to $2.99, but still a bargain! I've used it for people, animals, buildings and plants.

Granddad's Fishing Flies

My granddad was a fly fisherman. He used to enjoy this pastime in the coves at their lake home. Since Granddad died when I was quite young, I never fished with him. My dad, however,  has shown me the spots at the lake where he and his dad fly fished. I got some of the fishing flies from my dad and created this shadow box yesterday.

 

It's tough to get a good close-up because I kept

getting a glare from the glass. The individual flies

are hooked through a backing I made of padding and burlap.

 

Did you know?

Did you know the reason a pineapple is used as the symbol of hospitality? One of the legends is that sea captains would sail to the Caribbean and bring home spices and exotic fruit. Upon their return, they would spear a pineapple with a sword and place it outside their door as a signal to family and friends to come visit. Once the guests arrived, the sea captains would serve fruit and drink and then share  stories of their travels. I have been drawn to the pineapple symbol since seeing it all over the eastern states when we honeymooned in that region (a long time ago!). A few years ago we replaced our dining room light with this pineapple fixture.

 

 

The picture also happens to show our new dining room chairs. We got them this past spring to replace the wooden ones and to give a fresh look. They are taupe microfiber.

Fresh Blackberries

Look at these beautiful blackberries! Our friends grow them and gave us three plants from their garden. I love to look at the clusters of berries and they taste so sweet.

                                                        See the progression of ripening?

 

Maybe next year I will have enough fruit to make some

blackberry jam.  :)

.

Tuesday's Tablescape

This is a simple tablescape with everyday dishes. The glasses are the focus, though. In our family for many years, we've always referred to them as the "pinochle glasses". Mother, Dad, Grandmother and Granddad used to play pinochle together and always used these glasses during their games.

 

There are seven glasses. Although I am sure there were originally eight, we've only had these seven as long as I can remember. They are thin, tall and frosted and I have never

seen any others like them. Each depicts a different carousel animal.

                                                             Each animal is in a different color.

 

I placed the four I used at the place settings on their

sides to take this picture so that you can see the

designs.

 

Then I used the remaining three for a centerpiece with fresh

backyard flowers.

When we built this house, my parents gave them to me

and I have them displayed with the other good glassware in

the butler's pantry.

 

Pinochle anyone?!

 

 

Blooms

The rain prevented my being able to work on my furniture today. I need to strip a piece and I can't do it inside due to the fumes. No working outside in the showers, so I rearranged my plans. The sun just popped out a minute ago, so I zipped outside to take a few shots of some summer blooms.

The bluebirds actually reside in this house. The babies hatched and, I believe,

have flown away. It was fun watching them. 

Even though this isn't a bloom, I included our crane. He was a Christmas

gift, a few years ago, from my parents. I didn't mean to cut-off the tip of

his head or his feet. :)

 

 

Enjoy Coca Cola! Go Cards!

I love seeing vintage Coke cases used for decoration and I sort of remembered our family having one when I was growing up, so I asked my parents about it. Thankfully, they still had it downstairs! I envision using it as a tray in the future, but for now it's the  perfect focal point in the office! I put everything on the flat file that my dad handmade for Randy many Christmases ago.

 

 

 

I "shopped" the office shelves and our pantry

for everything I used. A friend had given Randy the bottles of Cardinal Coke

and I'd forgotten they were on display in the office, so I

was thrilled to find them. Perfect!

 

 

Coke and Coke glasses are on the top shelf.

Cardinal baseball snacks are on the bottom and

the canvas (sponsored by Coke, ironically) was a game giveaway a few summers

ago. Although not visible in this picture, I have

a stack of three Cardinal baseball books off to the side.

 Enjoy Coca Cola! Go Cards!

Another Touch of Sunflowers...

I wanted a little touch of sunflowers out in the solarium, so I used this tin as the base. It was a gift from a student years ago. I have a lot of birdhouses out there so I just grabbed a few.

Sunny Sunflowers

We have this cute little rocker in our great room. It belonged to my great aunt and I always like to throw a small pillow on it for seasonal decoration. I had a patriotic lighthouse pillow there for earlier this summer, but wished for something else summery when I took care of the red, white and blue things. I thought a bright sunflower would be fun so I decided I would make what I had in mind. I found this beige pillow (it looks more green in this light) on clearance for $4. I poked through the floral department and found a couple of sunflowers, but they were not the right size. I happened to glance over and spotted a large yellow daisy that seemed like it would work. It was $2, so the price was right! I decided I could easily convert it into a sunflower by painting its center chocolate brown when I got home. That's what I did and then assembled this pillow. I love sunflowers. We had one (a miniature variety) that was just about to bloom when the rabbits took it down to the ground. :( At least I can enjoy this one...

Tuesday's Tablescape

As part of the "famers' market", I set this cobalt table with fruit accents.

 

 

Here is an close-up of a place setting. I used my white plates

with some cobalt and yellow salad plates. Please excuse the

crooked knife!

 

 

Here is the centerpiece. Peaches are fresh right now and we love eating them, but

these are not real! Aren't they realistic? They even have fuzz and small blemishes.

 They are Mother's, but I borrowed them. :)

 

 

 

What about this vintage tea towel? Isn't it gorgeous? My aunt found it

in her thrift shop and gifted me with it. I couldn't wait to use it for

a tablescape.

 

New Steps

Friday we had our front steps redone. When we built the house, we had the base pillars and steps done in brick.

Over time, the brick treads began to crack and chip. Randy epoxied them, but it became apparent that it was time to have a professional repair.

 

We decided to have limestone treads this time for a fresh new look. By the way, I know it looks like a crack on the right side of the bottom step, but it's not. :)

 

 

 

We are quite pleased with the way they turned out!

 

 

 

 

Farmers' Market Vignettes

For the "farmers' market" theme, I have a few more vignettes to share. In one of the kitchen counter corners, I have these items (all of which I already had). The honey bear is filled with "home grown" honey from my friend's apiary. Angie keeps me supplied with it and it is delicious!

 

This closer shot allows you to see the clear glass jelly jar which was my grandma's. Now we enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The marble top has an old milk glass, butter keeper and a pie pan from my childhood. My grandmother gave it to me when I was four (I think) and I still remember not only receiving it, but making a pie in it on Thanksgiving when she came to visit us in Indianapolis that year. The pie pan belonged to Dad when he was a child as he and my aunt would work with their mother when she was in the kitchen baking.

 

 

The butler's pantry is set-up for dessert. Too bad the pie isn't real! Mother and family friend, Karen, made it from scratch---down to the little blueberries! It's on loan for the season.

 

 

Does this make your mouth water?!