Pier One Imports Tray

 

I totally did not need another serving tray.  But I bought it anyway.  It’s from Pier One Imports and I haven’t shopped in there since before the holidays.  Wow, they had so many new things for Spring and Summer.  Put me right in the mood for warm weather and sunshine.  But this tray made me feel like I was shopping in Anthropology for a few seconds there.

  Impulse buy. 

Took it home and pulled out the camera.  How’s that for an amateur photo?  I love the shadows that the evening light made through the blinds on the window.

Yes, I do like it very much. I think I’ll keep it.  Not sure where I’ll put it…but I think I’ll keep it. :)

The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle has landed.  No, really.  So it’s 7:00 AM and the dog won’t stop barking.  I go out to check on the reason why and see that she is pacing her Invisible Fence line and barking her Golden Retriever Head off at something big and brown with a white head in the neighbor’s front yard.  Well, darn if that doesn’t look like a Bald Eagle!  Where are the binoculars?????  OMG!  It really is a Bald Eagle!  

So after my husband and son confirm that I am not having a hallucination I start to worry about said Bald Eagle.  I mean why is he sitting in the wide open in my neighbor’s yard?  Shouldn’t he be up in some huge tree in the forest or on a mountain somewhere?  So in between making the morning coffee, packing my son’s lunch and putting some breakfast together I keep checking the window to see if he was still there.   My husband takes the camera and says he’ll get some photos as he is driving out to work.

My son was right when he said that’s not normal behavior for a bird that big to be just sitting on the ground like that.  Do you think he escaped from somewhere and is lost???  Maybe he escaped from the Natural Science Center?  Good idea.  So I called them.  Of course at 7:30 AM no one is there to answer the phone so I leave a message.  “Yes, Um…..there is a Bald Eagle in my neighbor’s front yard just sitting on the ground and we were wondering if A: you even have Bald Eagles and B: if you were missing yours?  Please call me back when you get this.”

And then shortly after 8:00AM, my son shouts down that he was flying away. He said the wing span on it had to be more than five feet across.  That huge bird sat on the ground for almost an hour!  I guess he was just resting.  So I am guessing he wasn’t hurt if he was able to fly away….and you know…the Science Center never called me back.  I guess they must get calls like that all the time and since it wasn’t the tiger that got loose…why bother? 

Re-Cycled and Numbered Flower Pots

Yes, I came up with another way to incorporate my infatuation with numbers and the colors of Black and White into my home! And when I come across an idea I like…I tend to beat it with a stick!

We continued to work on the small garden area off our deck that we mulched last weekend. Today, we went over to New Garden Nursery here in Greensboro and picked out 3 Boxwoods to plant. After my husband got them in the ground I decided to try and recycle the plastic pots they came in. So I took one of my many cans of Rust-o-leum Black Spray Paint and I painted them, careful to cover up the “Monrovia” logo on them. Two coats later I was ready to start stenciling. I used Folk Art Acrylic Paint and the color was #515 “Vintage White”. The stencils that I used came from www.maisondestencils.com.

These pots turned out so much better than I had expected! While we were shopping at the nursery I also picked up three pots of Lavender that I was going to plant near my garage. Well these re-cycled pots turned out so cute I decided that I would plant my Lavender in them and see how they do. If they get too big for these pots later I will simply re-plant them.

My potting bench needs some attention this year. The sun has baked it over the past few summers and the paint is starting to lift off. We painted it black for a big party we had a couple of summers ago and used it as a bar and drink area. Usually in the Spring I use it for what it was intended…potting plants. Then after that re-potting is all done we scrub it down and then use it for serving food and drinks when we are out on the deck. (See my bright orange garden shoes…me and Mario Batalli baby!)

So what do you think about my little re-cycling project?

You just know I’ll be making more of these. :)

After re-potting the Lavender into the new pots I moved them out to the front porch steps. It gets lot’s of sun in the late afternoons and evenings.

Can you see the “Bienvenue” (Welcome) stone I made peeking out by my garden frog? I am sure you will see that one again too. :)

Like I said before…when I come up with an idea I like….I run with it.

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch.

And I am linking up to the DIYShow Off.

I am linking up to Tales From Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday as well.

I Love the Weekend and It’s Only Half Over

I love the weekends and so does the dog.  (Yes another photo of Oakley…couldn’t resist this one.)  She’s too cute.

We started off on Friday night watching our son’s Lacrosse game against a rival team who beat them pretty badly the last time they played.  This time they still got beat but not nearly as bad. 

Then on Saturday, we dusted off this beast.  And I do mean beast.  My husband bought this for me a few years ago when we saw it sitting at the end of someone’s driveway with a “For Sale” sign on it.  The intention was to help me with my vegetable garden.  This thing is so heavy and powerful that I can’t manage it.  And my husband who is a big strong guy gets a huge work out when he chooses to battle it. 

The weeds and especially the Bermuda Grass are overwhelming.  I HATE BERMUDA GRASS!

  

While he battled with the Tiller Beast, the dog and I surveyed the other gardens.  I love these white Bleeding Hearts.

  

Everything is coming up nicely.  We moved 5 clumps of yellow Lilies from the first garden here off of the deck out to the area under the bird feeder.  I haven’t had much luck getting much to grow there because it gets so much shade.  But I am hoping these super hearty Lilies do well there.  There were getting to big for the first spot we had them in so a move was made.  A good friend of mine dug up them up from her yard for me a few years ago when they moved to a new house closer to town.  She wanted to make sure they went to a good home.

Have you ever moved and dug up plants from your gardens to take with you???

It’s Friday!!

   

I love Fridays!  After I got home from work, I took Oakley the dog for a walk through the woods.

And I do believe this is a mini wild Violet.  I mistakenly called some Vinca I saw the other day violets and now I know the difference!

We are lucky enough to live near a trail through the woods and it is a favorite place to walk the dog.

There is a creek that runs along parts of the path.  You have to carefully ease yourself down the banks…it’s quite a drop.

But so pretty and there is nothing like the sound of the moving water.

Today, Oakley decided to take a dip….   

She loves to lay down in the water and splash around.

I wish I could trust her off of her leash.  She flunked  the “Oakley Come!”  command at puppy school and now she’s hopeless.

Once her nose hits the ground she is off.  Yes, a leash is VERY necessary.

The wild dogwoods are starting to bloom.  Which means the one in my yard should start any day now.  Today was a beautiful day and so much cooler than the crazy warm temperatures we have had most of this week.  I am talking 80’s and 90’s and I am sorry but that is just too warm for early April!  Today was a more seasonable 68 degrees.  I like to ease into my air-conditioned days.  :)  Have a Great Weekend!!

More Garden Stones. Yes, I know…I’m Obsessed.

Now these were quick, cheap, fun, and easy! I made these address stones for a couple of my friends.

These paver stones are so cheap. I got them at Lowe’s for only $1.12 each!!! Unbelievably cheap.

Black spray paint, vanilla colored acrylic craft paint and some stencils is all you need!

I love these. I made one for myself too. And wouldn’t these make a nice Housewarming gift?

I am linking up to Tales From Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday. Come say Hi to Leigh and checkout some more "thrify-ness".

Cupcakes

   

How cute are these cupcakes?  I did not bake them but my daughter did.  She baked them up for a friend’s birthday and took them back to school with her.  She’ll be making friends in her dorm with these.  :)

So cute and easy.  She used a “Funfetti” cake mix and frosting.  Baked them up and frosted them.  Then added some sprinkles and used a “Gummi Saver” candy and stuck the birthday candle in the middle.  (She found the idea on the box.)

Too cute!!