Around the Garden

Spring is such a lovely time where everyone takes in the lush new growth and beauty of the garden. 

  A few, and I mean, a very few wisteria survived the cold freezing temperatures of a few weeks ago.  The vines were loaded with buds, but this is all there is now.  Each one is enjoyed all the more for beating the odds.

Normally my backyard smells like heaven this time of year when the wisteria, honeysuckle trees, and the lilac all bloom at the same time.  The bumblebees go into a frenzy over the wisteria blooms.  But this year, even the lilac blooms are sparse, but at least they survived the cold.

The girls are enjoying the lovely weather and being able to get out and forage around the yard.

Sometimes all you can see are their tails in the air as they  meander around the herb garden.

And they love getting into the compost bin, eating the bugs, and kicking out all the dirt.  

Home is my happy place, and there is no place I'd rather be than in my peaceful gardens with my girls.

Why Didn't I Think of This Before?

Do you ever buy herbs from the grocery store and while you only need a little bit, the rest of it goes bad in the refrigerator before you can use it again? Well - I don't know why I never thought of this before, but if you cut off the bottoms of the bunch of herbs and then put them in a glass of water, they will keep for a very long time.

My window sill isn't wide enough to set them on, but I can still set them near good light which they love and thrive in.

My kitchen is white and green, so they make the perfect addition to the cupboard under the window.

Now, the spring greens don't seem to respond to this method as well as the parsley, cilantro, and even spinach did, but I'll take 3 out of 4.

My girls are laying a fresh supply of eggs every day, more than I can eat, so it enables me to sell them to friends and relatives to help pay for their food and the treats I love to spoil them with.

They think everything and everyplace in my yard is especially for them and no place is sacred.  They will even sneak onto the screened porch if the wind blows the door open.

My little button fern is growing very well.  This pot originally had a beautiful topiary in it, but I killed it, and all that is left is the button fern they had planted as a ground cover.  But it makes me smile every time I look at it, and I'm glad it survived in my kitchen even if the topiary didn't.

All in all, the whole vignette of fresh greens makes me smile and feel like I have a little herb garden right in my kitchen.

Springfield Extravaganza

Our show was well over a month ago, and I have finally found the time to sit down and post some pictures from the show.  I must admit, I did not take any of these photos.  I was so stressed from getting everything ready to go and set up that I totally forgot to take my camera.  These few photos were taken by my daughter and are from her Facebook page, Rustic Market.   Here we go - I'll let the photos do the talking . . .   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  We sold about 95% of our merchandise, but have some beautiful things still left.  The smaller remaining items that can be shipped will be listed over time on my Etsy shop, which can be accessed at the top of my blog, just under the header.  My daughter is also listing some of the larger remaining items on her Facebook page. I'm also now making maps of states other than Ohio if anyone is interested.  If you don't see your state listed, please don't hesitate to ask.  They were big sellers at the show and make lovely gifts. Linking with ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday  

I Love Trays

I have a thing for trays.  Not sure why - I just love them.    My daughter and I are getting ready to do a show at the Vintage Market Place on May 15, 16 & 17 at the  Springfield Extravaganza, in Springfield, Ohio. So, I've been busy making trays and more trays.  I wanted to take 30 trays to the show.  And here are a few pics of what I've been creating.  

 

A lot of these trays have been made from wood pallets and leftover scrap wood that I've had in my garage.

My daughter likes the rustic, industrial look, so I've been trying to make trays along those lines.

 

Can you tell I also have acquired a "thing" for pulleys and metal wheels?  One just never knows what their tastes are going to turn to next.

New Girls

New girls are here!   

  I tragically lost the last of my two chickens last October and after mourning them all winter, I took the plunge and got six new chicks last week. This time I purchased three different hardier breeds and hopefully healthier.    

  They are so sweet and soft, and just what I needed to help me get through these last dreary weeks of winter and endless snow.  

  I'm still picking out names for them, but I'm thinking Bitsy for the small brown Speckled Sussex and Betty for her sister. Then for the Golden Comets, I think I'll go with Marigold and Merry Sunshine, which will probably end up as Goldie and Merry.  And lastly, for the Buff Orphingtons, they will be Sybil (Sibby) and Annie.  Did you notice that two of them are named after the children in Downton Abbey?  

  That is Betty standing so watchful and tall.  I think she looks like a meerkat in this picture.  

  Here's to hoping they bring a bit of spring to your day!  

   

Kitchen Updates

Two years ago I started remodeling my kitchen.  Now, finally it is finished.  I repainted, laid a new kitchen floor, installed new counter top and sink, repainted the cabinet bases, but never put on new cabinet doors.  Two years, I went without cabinet doors.  I got used to it that way and loved being able to reach right in for anything. Talk about being lazy.  Then one day a few months ago, I saw with new eyes how bad it looked, and realized how tired I was of it not being finished. So . . . I called my brother-in-law and told him I was really serious about making the new cabinet doors (he had bought the wood at least 8 months earlier).  On New Year's Day we went to work in his work shop and cranked out all the doors.  I have a very small kitchen, so it wasn't that many doors, but by the end of the day, thanks to his expertise and fabulous array of tools, we had all the doors glued and clamped. These first pictures were taken right after I hung the doors when they were still unfinished.  There was an immediate difference.  

  I only have a few cabinets along one wall and a tall cabinet on the opposite wall.   

  Here is a photo of one door painted and one still unfinished.  I used Caromel Colors Reclaim paint on my cabinets and rolled it on.  I was so surprised how quickly I could apply 3 coats of paint.  

 

  I painted the fronts of the doors while they were still hanging and then removed them a couple at a time to paint the backs. Finally - all done. Like I said, my kitchen is small.  These are the cabinets on one side of the sink.  

  And this is the other side of the sink.  

  There is nothing extravagant or fancy about my kitchen like the spacious grand ones in all the new builds.  But, it suits my needs and I absolutely love it and how much brighter the room is now. I keep only a few things on the counter tops since there isn't much space.  I love having my silverware on the counter top where I can reach it easily.  

  Here is the tall cabinet across the room.

In between, under the window, is a green free-standing cupboard that I use for extra storage and for displaying fun vignettes.

 

  Over the stove I display two sets of a plain white frame with a canvas print in the center.  The canvas is covered with paper napkins that were torn and laid in place, applied with Mod Podge.  Every few months, I change out the canvas to match the season - an inexpensive way to change my artwork and the mood of the room.  I got the idea from Stone Gable and Yvonne gives wonderful instructions on her lovely blog.  

  Rounding out the room is the door leading to the utility room where I made the door into a large chalk board for doodling.  

  And off to the right of the "Dream" sign is a peek into the dining room.  I told you it was a small kitchen.  

  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new kitchen and it makes me smile every time I walk into it.