Summer Solarium

I realize that I haven't shown any of the adjustments I made to the décor post July 4th. After I packed away the majority of the red, white and blue pieces, I decided to highlight birds in the solarium. Since hummingbirds are exciting feathered friends of the warm months, I pulled out this pillow.

When a freebie calendar came in the mail, I flipped through the monthly bird prints before recycling it. I thought this close-up hummingbird print was lovely so I cut it out and framed it. 

Would you care to work on the bird puzzle that's on the table?

Of course, the birdhouses are always on display.

We always enjoy watching the hummingbirds in our yard and I am sure you do, too.

Sorry about the unforgiving glare!

The ruby-throated hummingbird...

                          is scarcely bigger than the word!

Before and After

We had some exterior work done after a hail storm ruined our roof, gutters, a garage door and some siding. Although the new doors have been installed for several months, I've never shared them. I had always felt this was one boring site and knew carriage house doors would spruce up things.

You will see where the workers began pulling off the siding right beside the double garage door. 

It just took an act of God to make us switch! Although only the single door was damaged, we opted to take this opportunity to upgrade and I am glad we did!

Have a happy day!

Tuesday's Tablescape

I have a quick tablescape just in time for dinner on the patio. It's my husband's birthday, so I wanted something with more of a masculine touch for his special day.

I decided to use (Great) Aunt Helen and Uncle Vernon's china. Handed down through the family, this pretty set hosts different patterns on the plates. These two with the clipper ship design seemed to fit the bill for today!

I quickly snipped some flowers from the yard for the centerpiece.

Now we're all set to enjoy a birthday dinner! Whatever you're doing this evening, I hope it's enjoyable for you.

Windmills

It seems that most of the United States is in the midst of a heatwave.  Hot and dry plants are thirsting for water and, for us today, that means just turning a faucet handle. Did you ever stop to think about the difficulty associated with watering in the bygone days? Imagine tending to farm field crops withering in 100 degree heat without the convenience of an irrigation system. When you picture those olden-day farms, do you think of a windmill? I do! Windmills similar to this one from Sauder Village in Ohio come to my mind. Often, their purpose was to pump water.

Windmills were first invented in 1854 by Daniel Halladay and were used to lift water from wells.

This windmill stands at the entrance to Sauder Village in Archbold, OH.

This authentic windmill is part of the Ford Museum collection and is housed in the building for all to enjoy.

I, for one, am smitten with windmills. I think they represent an interesting era and I love to imagine the lives and people associated with those times.

 Guests enjoy this windmill as they stroll down the streets of Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.

Farris Windmill is thought to the oldest surviving windmill in the US and was build in the mid-1600s. It, too, is part of the Ford collection and is displayed in Greenfield Village.

Did you know that there is a museum dedicated to windmills? 

For the purpose of preserving these stately machines, the museum is located in Kendallville, IN and is closed on Mondays. Regrettably, that's the day we were in town so we couldn't tour it. It's definitely on our list of things to do the next time we're in the area, however! 

Even though many people enjoy ornamental windmills, we still have functional ones today. Wind turbines, similar to this one,  generate electricity.

As you can see, I had a tendency to snap a few pictures on this topic during one of our recent trips. I could go on an on...but will stop here so as not to get too windy!! 😉

Blackberries!

Two summers ago, a friend shared some blackberry canes with us and this year they have matured to the point that we have been enjoying the fruit. I've been delighted with their ripening process because they can literally turn their black hue in a few hours. I was encouraged when our two plants were loaded with blossoms earlier in the season and thrilled when the fruit began maturing.

With this fresh fruit on my hands, I needed a good way to use it. I whipped-up some blackberry bread for the freezer. It's a lovely purple color and tastes fine, but nothing special. Then I decided to make a cobbler with the remainder of the fruit. This recipe is a less complicated version than many, so I am sharing it. We enjoyed a piece warm from the oven and then froze the other pieces.

Blackberry Cobbler

2  1/2 cups fresh blackberries 

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

In a medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Lightly mash blackberries. Let stand 20 minutes until syrup forms. 

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in an ungreased 8 inch pan. Spoon blackberries over batter. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with whipped cream on top. 

I know this is the third week in a row that I have happened to post a dessert recipe! With this being blackberry season, it seemed timely to let you know about this one. I promise to offer something other than a sweet treat for next week's recipe! 😊

A Hot Garden Stroll

It's St.Louis hot here! Actual temperatures have been flirting with the 100 degree mark and will now exceed that beginning today (102 expected). I think by Saturday it's to be 105, but will feel much worse. The heat is tough for everyone and everything, but I was able to take a few garden pictures before it was too sweltering! 

Here's the buzz...even when it's hot, it's nice to take time for a little stroll.

Yard Sale Haul

I've picked up some good deals the past few weeks and thought I would share. As I have mentioned before, I am constantly on the lookout for winter coats, hats and stuffed animals at yard sales because  I collect all of those items for various organizations. I won't consider purchasing anything unless it's in pristine condition and cheap affordable. 😊

I now have 11 more coats to donate. All are in perfect condition. I paid $1.50 for each adult coat and 50 cents for each child's. Our church has a drive in September, so I stockpile in anticipation.

I have three more hats for the drive (25 cents each)...

and two more pair of children's boots (50 cents a pair).

I found this picture frame (for a quarter) and this tin container (for a dime). I can use both things for crafting.

A few more stuffed animals came home with me (regular ones were a dime and the 36 inch duck was a buck).

Last, but not least, is my biggie. Pet strollers are becoming more and more popular for animals with arthritis and other health impairments. Last year at our annual pet walk for charity, I noticed several and so I sort of considered investigating them since one of my own cuties has arthritis and does not walk distances too well (let's be honest---she doesn't walk long distances at all...and it's not all about the leg stiffness!😉). Pet strollers are expensive, though, and  start at $45. When I spotted this one at a sale, I checked it out. It had been only lightly used, in excellent condition and I paid $6!

She's not sure she likes it, so I am slowly introducing her to it. Her sister prefers walking, so she won't ride in it.

Have you found any good bargains lately?

A Pleasant Sight and Unpleasant Scent

Garden of Glass is currently on display at MO Botanical Garden and it's a spectacular experience. I haven't yet seen the display at nighttime, but my parents and I went by day and loved it! Seeing the brilliant glass flowers, plants and insects sparkle in the sun is thrilling.

Although the fountain has always been there, the muses (goddesses) are part of the glass collection.

It's a little tough to make it out in this picture, but this giant dandelion stands next to the sidewalk.

Craig Mitchell Smith is a glass artist from Lansing, MI. About ten years ago, he discovered his interest in this art and, over time, his work became known. Creating nature in glass, he now does work and exhibits across the United States and has taught his fused glass technique worldwide. He spent two years designing and creating the pieces which are gracing our gardens. St. Louis is fortunate to be hosting his glass nature through August 13. Visitors may see Garden in Glass during regular daily business hours or have the option of seeing it all aglow Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. 

As a bonus, we were able to see the rare corpse flower while we were at MO Botanical Garden. This large and unusual plant doesn't blossom too often, so it's a big deal when it does. The horrible odor is likened to rotting meat. The bloom doesn't last long and, in fact, was already on the decline when we were there. It was interesting to be able to see, though!

If you have the opportunity to visit MO Botanical Garden before August 13, I think you would truly enjoy seeing Garden of Glass.