Window Dilemma...

I am in need of a little advice so I am throwing it out there in hopes that someone will come to
my rescue.  This is my kitchen window. My only kitchen window. No , it is not above
the sink where I would like it, but nevertheless it is a window amd I am very thankful for it.

I have had this vintage shutter up along with these curtains for several years because I love
the look so much...however...that being said it is time for a change. I still LOVE the shutter
there, but think I want different curtains. I would love NO CURTAINS at all, but I really don't
have a choice because the afternoon sun really shines in this room.

Question: Leave the shutter, curtains...take it all down? Sill length curtains,
floor length, what kind of fabric?? HELP please!! I have even considered
leaving the shutter up , but adding brackets so it is slanted down like an
awning and adding some chippy , shappy posts or half posts
to the sides.

The ideal solution is in a couple years to tear the whole kitchen apart, put in a new
window and on and on, but I just don't know if I have the umph for that at my age.
We do all of our projects ourselves and I am just getting tired. :)


So glad my herbs were on their best behavior the day I took these photos. Sometimes
they don't get the attention that they deserve and they get kinda droopy looking. :)

Artisan Fair creations...looking for more vendors

I have been working on a few items for an Artisan Fair that will be held at my cousins B and B.
{The Kimmell  House Inn bed and breakfast}
When they asked me to participate in it, my answer was YES, YES, YES. I haven't done that for a
long time and have been kinda tossing around the idea of getting back into it so what better
  time than now to jump in with both feet! ha!

I embellished a few candles with french style goodies...

....then moved on to a few bottles...

...I loved adding these vintage house numbers that I picked up one day when I went junking.

Yes , once again I got carried away taking photos. :)

This is their first year to host this fair and they are looking for more vendors. If anyone out
there in blogland is interested,  shoot me an email and I will give you their phone number.
The address is Kimmell, Indiana and it will be held on August 11. If you think you might
be interested you need to get ahold of them before July if you want to be included in their
advertisement.

{it will be part of the 2012 Buy way...click here to check it out}

I need to make lots more goodies, but at least I have a start. :)

Bottles, mini cloches and other white treasures is what I will be taking.

Happy little candles all hanging out together. 

Happy weekend everyone and enjoy the days...make the moments count!!!!

It's almost time...plus giveaway ends June 25

Time is counting down to the fairy party that I am having for my granddaughters.
It is getting closer and closer and it will be here before we know it!
Many ideas, planning and let's not forget $$$  {lol}  went into this so I hope it goes off without
 a hitch. I also hope that I haven't *oversold* it and that they are disappointed.
Most of all right now I hope the weather cooperates! We have been having sweltering hot
days {96 degrees} and that would not be good come fairy party time.

I made up a cute little poem to put on the invitations and sent them off to my sweeties...

...along with some fairy dust to sprinkle the night before.

A sneak peak of a banner I made just for the day.

I think we will have fun no matter what...kids don't expect everything to be perfect like us
adults do so I am sure I have nothing to worry about. The fairy clothes, shoes and wings
are just waiting for that special day!

If you haven't entered my giveaway for free stickers 
that you get to design yourself, please do so asap 
because it ends on June 25. Not very many are 
entered yet so your chances of winning are very 
good. You can click here to get to that post. 
Good luck!!

{I do want to add that I found the fairy silhouette image on google and credit goes to
 The Homeless Poet }

Fun with herbs and Invincible Spirit hydrangea

Do you remember your mother using this type of contraption...a vintage colander??  Mine did and I
even did a couple times or so, but I haven't in many years so I decided to put it to better use!

I think it turned out so cute that I wish I had a zillion more of these colanders because then I would
 plant them all up and have a sale!! How cute is this??!! This one is planted with spearmint.

L.O.V.E. this one as well. I found this cutie while antiquing last week. In the same mall I saw a few of these
little strainers that ran the gamet from $4 to $14!  Bet you can't guess what one I purchased!! lol

I also wanted to show you my new hydrangeas that are called *Invincible Spirit*. I purchased two of
these plants last year at the end of the season for $5 each instead of $24 each and I am amazed by how
many flowers on on them already this year! They were certainly named appropiately! Makes me wish
 I had purchased every single plant that they had!! 

These are much more tinier and more delicate petals than any hydrangeas I have had before,
but I just love them. 

Just look at the hundreds of tiny petals.

Yes, I got carried away taking photos again, but hey...what is a camera for right? *giggle*

Oh yes, did you notice my new blog header??  I just made that today and I am having fun making some
more so I can switch them out. Thanks so much to June of Laughing with Angels for giving me the
link to the tutorial!!

We are also thanking the Lord today for the much needed rain that we received yesterday!! I wanted
to dance around and play in the puddles, but we were on the road so I didn't really think it would
be too appropriate to jump out of the car in traffic and do that. I may have just been a *splat* on
the road then. yikes!!! Just kidding...we are trusting Him for more rain soon.

Lavender's blue,dilly dilly...

...lavender's green... do you remember that song?  I don't remember all of it , but that song is
always running through my head whenever I see lavender.

I decided to take a few photos when my lavender was in bloom a week or so ago.
I didn't pick it because my plant really isn't large enough yet, but I still wanted to share
it with you.

It has the most fragrant scent when it first buds out and that is the perfect time for picking.
{before it actually flowers} 

I love it in any form...flowering or not! :)

For some reason it looks more blue in this photo than lavender, but that's okay. :)

Praying you have a wonderful Sunday and a Happy Fathers Day to all the amazing
Fathers out there...you know who you are!! :)
Blessings~

Creating a fairy garden

I have had fairies on the brain lately as it is getting closer and closer to the fairy
 party that I am having for my granddaughters.  I decided a couple days ago that I
wanted to make a fairy garden so I rounded up some plants, got up this morning
and my little fairy and I did just that.

She wanted to use a small rusty wagon that has been sitting around  for her new home.
We measured it and found that it was approx. 20 inches long x 10 inches wide and
she determined that it would be just right!

She also asked if she could use the wee rakes that are just perfect for her size and I
told her that would be okay so she got busy and went right to work and was done
in no time at all!

That much work tires a fairy out very fast so she decided she needed to take a break
and sit on her beautiful twig chair.

Just look at all the work she did!

A perfect home for a beautiful fairy don't you agree?

While she was getting her home ready she took a tumble more than once! She fell while
 adding the slate path and then again a couple times while planting her flowers.  She sure
 is a clumsy fairy! The first fall blunted off her nose and subsequent tumbles made her
 wings fall off, but her fairy godmother {moi} glued them back on and she is
*practically perfect*. No repairing her nose though. lol.

{truthfully her nose and wings were mishaps quite some time ago}

The best thing about her home is that when it rains her fairy godmother can pull her
home inside the garage so she doesn't drown!

Yep...I think my little fairy is very satisfied with her new home!
Happy Wednesday!!

{Please ignore all the shadows. It is very sunny here today and I did the best I could.
I have also rearranged the slate path a few times and I am still not totally happy with it
 so it may get another makeover...or two.  lol. }

Weekend finds...including a german watering can and vintage english clay pots

Hubby and I worked our little buns off this past Friday prying up our very heavy deck and working
 under it to level out the ground. Over the years it had settled and become uneven and was really rather
unsightly.  I am soooo happy with the results! That was hard work, but we did get it done and I am a
happy camper.  In the process we realized we need to totally replace the smallest part , but that
will happen another day. We also put up some new fencing to replace what was rotten. After all
  that work we took  Saturday off and went on a mini getaway.
{truly *mini* as it was just for the day}

We headed out to Findlay, Ohio where there is a huge antique mall that we haven't been to
in  a long time. I will be honest and tell you that I whined half the way there because our GPS
 was not taking us the usual route and I do not like change so much. I finally calmed down and just
 enjoyed the drive. Seriously?? What GPS would take you on the back roads. *smile* We even
 checked the settings. Oh well...turned out AOK and  I even thought about doing that more often...
just wandering the back roads and see what that brings.

I found these amazing vintage pots at the antique mall along with the German watering can!!
I fell in love the moment I saw them. Those were my only two purchases there, but I was
one happy camper.

While wandering the back roads we ended up at an estate sale in a little town. I found several goodies there
including these three clay pots in the drawer.

Isn't the patina on this little chest/cupboard amazing?? {sorry for jumping all around in this post
...hee hee}  I got this years ago when my mom and dad were cleaning out my great aunt's place.
 It was outside in a run down shed and I spotted it right away. My dad {you know the
NEW cabinet builder?} thought I was cracked for even taking a second look at this, but I didn't
waver so he put it in his truck and hauled it home for me. I have loved it ever since. This year
 I decided to enjoy it on my deck. I need to get the handles back on  {glass ones} , but I think
 I am short one so I will have to figure something out.

Perfect for outside on my deck.

I also found all these hangers at the estate sale! I just love old wooden hangers! I especially love the ones
that have advertisement on them. 

Now , what can you tell me about these? I have never seen hangers shaped like this before, but
thought they were so unique.

Last , but not least at the same sale I found two suitcases and a wooden ironing board. Haven't a clue
what I will do with the ironing board, but it was calling my name for a dollar.   I spent a whopping $3.25
total at the estate sale. I also got a wooden spice rack, but somehow it did not get in the photo.
Everything was half off ...the sale had been going on for  three days so I can't even imagine what
 they had to start with.  I made another round when I realized it was half off day and landed
 this little gray suitcase above for 25 cents!!
{I guess taking the back roads isn't so bad after all!! :}

{I wanted to get a vintage wooden step ladder that was only $1.00, but hubby told me he has one
like it..same size and all so I will be investigating today to find it...I KNOW I should have bought
it anyways.  He brought home two HUGE {taller than we are} pepsi stand up advertisements
with star wars characters on them. He just couldn't pass them up, but somehow they don't
fit in with my decor. ha!! I have a feeling they will end up in hubbys shop or our sons man cave.
  He has already told us that he would love to have them. }

Happy Monday everyone and enjoy the week ahead!!