Day trip

Went for a day trip yesterday with friends to Rhode Island. There's a favorite restaurant in Wakefield called Muse which boost having 68 different beers on draft. So of course the guys were happy. We decided that we would stop in Wickford along the way. George and I had found the town by accident 18 yrs ago while driving around southern R.I. It's a cute picturesque town with shops lining main street. It hadn't changed that much except it was much quieter since it was February and during the week, but that made it even better. Of course we made some stops at a few antique shops and these are some of my finds. The old ledger pages are my favorite along with some almanacs, silver forks,brooches, doll shoes, lint brush and small doll dress. The yarn was from this great yarn shop that I could have spent all day looking at their made up samples. Always amazed how different the yarn looks when knit up. Then I cheated and bought a scarf at dress shop. Can't see much of it in this picture but it's really soft and I love it. I also bought a shelf from all places a used book store. It was in the window with plants all on it. It was this weird 50's green but I liked it. Thinking the color was wrong I remembered it would look good in the dining room. My new pastel vintage look. Something about that look just makes me happy....not sure why?

Tinsel Trading

I get so excited when I get a shipment from Tinsel Trading. It's really like Christmas....or maybe like Christmas from long ago...when things were made with more care and it wasn't about abundance but quality. When I got the box I immediately wanted to take it home where I could sit down and enjoy every bit of the joyous unwrapping. Most of the items are vintage. The word vintage lately has taken on a new meaning. Everything seem to be called vintage but to Tinsel Trading it really means antique. They soon will be repackaging their products with the word "Antique" so people have a better understanding of what they are buying. I wish every box I received was as yummy as this one.....

Enjoy

The Cool Lover!!!

Here's bit of color in the middle of winter. Some of the perennials are getting a little ahead of themselves. OOPs! I'll have to take the primroses out in one the unheated houses before they bloom out. Another year has gone by without me planting any in my garden. I've been telling myself that for too many years. I guess I'm going to have to do it in the Spring instead of putting it off til Fall (when I put everything off to). By Fall they just don't look that great.....They always look a little pooped out but as soon as it really gets cold they look great again. I have memories of my Mother having them in our garden along a walkway. They were always so cheerful looking in the Spring. You could see the flowers popping thru the snow when we'd have a late storm......nothing seemed to stop them.

Arctotis in Red

Meyers Lemons that I've been hoarding. Have them on order so I'm crossing my fingers they get here...

Phormium-but can't remember what kind?????





Hens and Chicken's in George's old workboots.

Rosemary of course

Trying some succulants in hangingbaskets... at this rate this one will be huge by Spring

Pansies and Vinca Vine

Charlotte

As many of our customers know this is Charlotte. Everyone loves her. She's a little grey fur ball that our oil man from across the street brought us about 4 years ago. She was probably less than a year then and we thought she would do a lot more growing put she's still a peanut compared to our others. She's very loving when she wants to be but she's no lap cat. In the Spring she sleeping in a basket in the back of the greenhouse. Some mornings when I'm watering she comes up to me and gently leans on me to pick her up. I stop and cuddle with her for a minute and then put her down in a comfy spot. She always accepts the short time we have together as if to say "I know your busy so I'll let you get back to work" Little does she realize that is one of the highlights of my day.

A little glitzy

Don't we all just love a little glitzy every now and then. These are some shoe clips I got few months ago. I had all intentions of decorating with them but I just love seeing them all together in this box.

This is a choker necklace made by Victoria and Richard Mckenzie-Childs.

A little messy. I'll straighten it out someday...

Lamp shade I made out of old wallpaper.

All dressed up!

This was our first project we worked on for our altered class. We all got a paper mache dress form to work on at home as we wished. Will show some of the other girls dolls on a future posting. The bodice is made of wired ribbon I had used on a Christmas wreath for myself. It had gotten oxidized since it was originally copper. Held on to it cause I thought it was so cool and finally found a purpose for it.

Ok, I know what your thinking ...why is her head so small...and I'm not sure. I've been meaning to change that. Actually I'd like her w/o a head but then what would I do with her hat????

One more from Deb

This one was made with separate pieces of fabric with a background of gessoed paper. The simplicity of just the dress on an old page was stunning. She debated adding more but we all agreed it was perfect the way it was.

My talented friend Deb!

Do you recognize this women....of course it's Martha!!!! Deb went to her show and got this photograph. Came out great. I think Martha would approve. It's a GOOD THING!!!!

Love this one. The composition is perfect.

This is my friend Deb's work। She's one of our new recruits in our altered and arty class that we have at the Scrapbook Clubhouse in Westbrook, Ct. Sharon has been nice enough to let us meet there once a month at no cost.

Deb is not only talented but one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She has so much energy and is always ready to try anything. I love that kind of enthusiasm about things. Gets me re-energized. Exactly what I need...

Rosemary

Rosemary....everyones favorite herb. Wish everyone could see how beautiful the flowers are in the winter in this greenhouse. Temperature in here is only at 40 yet it always does well. The trick to keeping it in your house in the winter is to give it plenty of light but not too much heat. The roots always go straight down like it's digging to China for it's water source. It can be a very aggressive plant and can get pot bound quickly with roots coming out the bottom. Planting it in a plastic pot can help. Rosemary represents remembrance so it makes a great gift for many occasions.

Some new and old

Love these... what they now call "permanent botanicals"