The Season of Flowers

Don't you just love Spring and then Summer when all the flowers just
come alive?! Our Heavenly Father sure knows how to put on a show!!

 I usually buy quite a few flowers, but this year I have cut
back because my old body just can't handle it all anymore.
I have been having pain in my arms and hands and that doesn't help either.
So it may become weed heaven around here this year. lol.


Isn't this color gorgeous!!??
This is one of the lilac trees that is growing in my yard. We purchased and planted this a
 few years ago and thank God it is still alive. We seem to have an issue with trees living that
we plant so I am counting my blessings. 

It seems to me that she blooms profusely about every other year and the years in between
it has a very few blooms. Do most lilacs do this or maybe just until they get established well?
I don't know, but I am thankful this is a good year.

This is one of my columbines. I also have one that is called:
Grandmothers Bonnet 
that looks exactly like a bonnet, but that one is not blooming yet.
I promise to share when it does.

We planted a small hydrangea plant in this spot that was sent by my sister and her family for Eden's
 funeral last year and now I have an angel and a stone to stand beside it. My daughter gifted the angel
stone to me and I think it is so pretty.  I hope the hydrangea lives! Sometimes I have plants
  that do wonderful for a couple years and for no reason they just don't come back.
 It is weird. Praying that this one survives!

Speaking of...please remember our family next Sunday. {May 21}. It will be one year on that date
since Eden went to heaven and it will be a hard day. I have some simple things planned such
as balloon release etc., but we miss her so very much and so wish she were here. In some ways
it seems like forever ago and others it seems like just yesterday.
She is our beautiful angel Eden Rain.

Isn't this handmade stump neat? I don't remember what the process is called, but I guess you
use rags to make it? Not sure, but I love it.

LOVE this container that my violas are planted in. I purchased this container with the plant in it
at a Spring Show and it is doing wonderful.

This is our second lilac tree/bush. Actually, I have two this color. Isn't it such a soft color?
 I just dug up "starts" from around another bush and replanted and they are doing every bit
as well as the large ones I purchase in a greenhouse.

Some pretty lilacs I brought inside a few weeks ago.
I just can't get enough of them!

What flowers are out at your house? Do you have a green thumb? I would
love to hear about it.
Until next time...Blessings!

North Carolina Vacation...Part 2

We continue this post with our trip to North Carolina. If you have never been to
The Arboretum of Hanover County you are missing a gem. This place is so gorgeous!

This is the Children's Garden.

I just adore this little house and fence.

This is the beautiful Rose Garden that is just loaded with different kinds of roses.

The building above houses the Gift Shop and restrooms. It was hot, hot, hot this day so we all
took advantage of the cool air inside.

Love the tables and chairs. Just perfect for a picnic.

They had bright painted objects throughout the garden. Usually I am not drawn to bright colors,
but they fit in just right here.

Entrance to the Rose Garden that our two granddaughters are walking through.

My hubby loved this dragon. I think he would have pulled it home if he could. lol
Notice the GREEN water. Seemed to be that way a lot of places. Not sure why.

Feeding the fish. These fish were HUGE and there were a lot of them!

Perfect walk for a Children's Garden.

I hope you enjoyed your tour though this amazing place. They also had a Japanese Garden, but
those photos didn't turn out too great. It was a very sunny and bright day. Just right for
wandering through unknown paths and enjoying all of God's beautiful creation!

Blessings~

New peg rack...

I have had this peg rack laying around for a few months trying to decide where
to put it. Today I decided enough was enough. I hung it on a wall between our
kitchen and bathroom and love it.

I added a few french style muslin aprons and a burlap tote...

...along with a sweet little creamer...

...a vintage flower corsage and some old crochet lace.

L.O.V.E. the look!
What do you think?

Booth beauty, a MOUSE and a brownie!

Just to put your minds at ease,  the mouse did not eat the brownie, but we will get to that
 later. lol

A few weeks ago when we visited my daughter and her family,  I stopped at the Memories
antique mall by Fenton, Michigan again. I always love to visit there because there are a couple
booths that I just love and these first few photos are from one of them.

Can you believe that I walked out of there and didn't purchase one thing?? I KNOW!
 I had just purchased several items at the Peacock Park sale and I had to be good.

The lady who has this booth always has such wonderful items and displays so I had
to capture it in pictures once again.

Just look at all the amazing and lovely white treasures!

She sure has a knack for displaying her items beautifully!

Love this olive oil soap and the dish it sets in.

A neat way to display old linens. I love old hangers and I have several in my stash.
I need to get them out and do this. :)

Okay...now we are to the brownie part...I made these brownies a week or two ago and they
were sooooooo yummy!! I just mix up a regular brownie mix , put it in the pan and add
dollops of peanut butter and then bake it. We love them this way and if you like peanut
butter and chocolate I think you will too!

I have been busy , busy, busy trying to get things made for a craft show that I am going to be in
and although things are not moving along at warp speed I am getting some treasures finished.

I found these nests  with the eggs inside on clearance after Easter. They were brown and of course
 I sprayed them white and added some Martha Stewart Tinsel glitter. Love how they turned out!!

Now on to the story about the MOUSE.  Our two granddaughters Annika and Ainsley
 {little gal in these pics}were at our house last week and we were in the living room playing
with toys when we saw a mouse run around the room. Of course it startled me so
 I screeched...well kinda...ha ha!

Of course that got the girls all excited and Ainsley wanted to literally jump in my arms so I
rescued her and we tip-toed into the dining room and watched the mouse run into the kitchen
and then on into the bathroom.  Ainsleys eyes were wide and she kept saying, *BUG ,BUG*
and pointing. It was just too cute!

These pictures are her trying to tell her gpa all about it when he got in the house. It was so
precious!! She got her face so close to his and kept whispering about the mouse. I told him
to keep her talking while I ran and got the camera and thankfully it worked!!!!! She just
went on and on. I just love her facial expressions that I captured! The above photo almost
looks like she is kissing him, but she isn't...she is just whispering. :)

"oh , paw paw we saw a mouse"...
don't you just love her little hands on his face. :)

Then she had to point and show him where it ran off to. So glad I got these special
moments to keep!

Last , but not least...my little vase of violas. I was outside this past week cleaning up
my gardens and found a few of these flowers still blooming so I had to pick them.

I sure hope I can keep in touch. I think my computer is on it's last breath, but I am
praying that it limps along for another year...think that will happen?? ha!!

Happy weekend everyone!!!!