Backwoods Cottage

My New Roses!

2012-03-09T07:03:00.005-08:00

Yesterday was fabulously gorgeous! The temps reached near 60 here in the mountains and inside my greenhouse (where I spent a good portion of the afternoon) it was near 90. Woo hoo! Bring on the heat.

I did need to leave the door open to catch the nice breeze as I worked and it felt so good to be out in the sun.

My Heirloom roses arrived this week. I had them shipped to a friend that lives in a warmer zone (though it is a mere 15 minute drive from me) so I could get them sooner than the company would’ve shipped them to me. Since I pot them up and leave them in the greenhouse until they are bigger I do not worry about them surviving and flourishing.

Here are the 4 climbing roses I bought, all are very hardy, disease resistant, FRAGRANT and quite vigorous.

(click on the any of the rose photos to go to the site I purchased them from if you wish)

Kiss of Desire

Lavender Lassie

Portlandia

Viking Queen

They arrived packed snuggly in these pots.

Next to them you see some hollyhock seedlings that need potting up as well. Though our nights are still below freezing they shall do fine in the greenhouse despite my lack of supplemental heat.

Here they are all snug in their 2 gallon pots with fresh potting soil mixed with worm castings and a bit of perlite for good drainage. I water them in the a fungal mix that helps the roots develop.

Here is also an update of my English Delphiniums I started last Spring. They went dormant during the winter but with the warm of the past few weeks they have sprung up in their pots. I transplanted many to my garden last Fall but I had some left over in the greenhouse and they are doing beautifully. I started a new batch and so far they are doing great too but no where near as large as these yet.

I did splurge on some pansies yesterday, I just could not resist this fresh face of Spring. I will use these to gussie up my potting bench which I can view from my living room.

I love my greenhouse but it is in such disarray, I need to take a day and really get it organize to make the most of it. I really have greenhouse envy though when I see what Tootsie has, check out her greenhouse and all the plant starts she has going.

Seeing her fabulous planting space makes me want to dig in and get mine in tip top shape. I guess I should do a before and after post on my greenhouse, maybe that will help get me motivated to take the time to whip it into shape.

Another gorgeous day on tap today, so I shall endeavor to make the most of it. Next week is looking rather iffy as far as sunshine goes so I should take the time to enjoy it today.

my website

I can’t wait for WARMER weather!

2012-03-08T17:31:00.005-08:00

Ana's Adirondack Chair

I need a couple simple but stylish outdoor chairs for my back deck to lounge in, something quick and easy and these Adirondack Chairs fit the bill to a “T”.
I want to set up an outdoor room, lounging spot with some of my Front Porch art.

I know I have yet to finish my dining room buffet table but that is still in the works. The cold keeps me from getting much building done as I can’t stand getting chilled and the garage is where I have to do my cutting and sawing. I just don’t enjoy it when I get cold so why do it now? I can always wait and do it when it warms up enough to make it enjoyable.

So instead I keep busy painting signs in my cozy, heated studio. Here are a few I have completed in the past week or so.

Are you ready for a trip to the Beach House???

Maybe Nana needs a new sign for her special place! I actually left the roses off of this one. The Hydrangeas need no other adornment.

I used a crowing rooster in place of the & sign. Perfect for in the kitchen by the coffee pot!

Do you need a little therapy?

Here is a special order sign I have been working on. Can you see what I did wrong? It glares out at me.

Sigh! Some sanding and repainting is now on my list for tomorrow.

Enjoy your evening!

Front Porch Art (or Back Porch)

2012-03-06T07:21:00.015-08:00

I woke this morning to grey skies and rain. Yesterday was gorgeous and I was stuck at a desk doing taxes. But it is a relief to get the majority of that all off my list so I shall try not to complain.

I have been painting on special orders and this past year I have branched out into larger pieces which I choose to call Porch Art. I have seen porches, decks and verandas decorated as another room and they include artwork which seems to just pull the room together.

I paint mine on either cedar or redwood planks cleated together. Using those types of wood makes them more suitable for outdoor use and able to endure the elements better, though I have not had any trouble with the pine board signs outdoors as long as I protect them well with some exterior varathane.

Some of the wood is reclaimed and has nail holes and other marks that give each piece unique character.

This rose painting is the very first I one created and it has long since sold.

The second one has a Hydrangea as the motif. It has also sold.

This is my latest rose painting and is still available on my website. The two above were painted on redwood and cedar fence boards and this one was on reclaimed boards from a house remodel, you can see how rough around the edges it is, which I attempted to accentuate.

Now for my latest masterpiece! I realized I had leaned towards a lot of pink on the former paintings so I went with more grey,blues and a bit of lavender…this is also my largest one.

I spotted this saying somewhere on the internet and loved it immediately and knew I had to do a painting for it.

I took a photo further back in hopes of letting you get the scale of it. It is sitting beside my French Doors of my studio.

I need to stage my back deck like an outdoor room and set these up to really show how they should look. I will have to wait for fine weather as my back deck is not covered.

Today I have special order signs to paint and a few to add to my website. I enjoy the painting but the editing, resizing of photos and adding them to my website with descriptions is tedious and I have to discipline myself to get that done.

I hope everyone enjoys this lovely new day…the rain is trying to turn to snow here now but we have clear skies predicted for tomorrow so I can endure a day of rain and snow with relative cheer.

My Website

My Pet Project

2012-03-04T14:32:00.002-08:00

Spring definitely feels like it is on its way today. We have bright warm sunshine (which is swiftly melting the snow) and 60 degrees.
Spring (for me) means “chicks”!

I am always interested in the new and interesting when it comes to chickens, I had recently spotted a ‘new to me’ variety on the internet. They are called Swedish Flower hens and they just caught my eye. click here to see photos of them

This year I have invested in an incubator with high hopes of hatching the little darlings myself.

I started with a smaller incubator that will hold 7 chicken eggs. It will automatically turn the eggs for me so I don’t have to think about it.

The incubator arrived first, then a week or so later here came my box of eggs. It was so warm here when the order was placed, then what do you know, the first storm we have had in a long while is at the same time as the egg shipment.   I made sure to track them so I could rush to the Post Office and pick them up.

I was so excited to see this box when the Post Master handed it to me.

I am not the only one getting ready for Spring with chicks, I heard a lot of chirping in the background at the post office. Someone was getting some new babies.
When I opened my box the eggs were very well packed and not one broke.

So that is what I have in my incubator now, I just hope they did not get too chilled in transit. We are counting down. 19 more days to go.

You know I will share when (if) I get any to hatch. We’ll have a party!

March is National Crochet Month

2012-03-02T10:38:00.002-08:00

Did anyone else know that? I was clueless until I received a newsletter from Bernat via email with a photo of a gal sitting with a dog wearing a very cute crochet Bolero. I clicked thru as I would love to have the pattern for that but it did not link to the pattern at all, free or not.

I am sure it is in one of their pattern books but I wish they would always offer the name or pattern of items they show in their photos instead of having to search and search!

In my search (no success on the bolero I spoke of above) I found some other free patterns that are easy and cute like this one.

Bamboo - Shoulder Shrug (crochet)

I like the dress as much as the shrug…hmmm I may have to try to make one, it could even be a baby doll top I am not sure.

I received the pattern for this sweater via Lion Brand yarns newsletter. I love it and it is within my range of expertise too but when I priced how much for the yarn to do one I was taken aback….it would run about $50 to complete this, hmmm I may have to do something a bit different with the pattern…

Free Crochet Pattern: Driftwood Pullover

So many great patterns so little time!

Talca Lace Tunic

I thought this the cutest little thing though I have no idea what I would use it on.

from Love the Blue Bird

I am always checking out the blog Tangled Happy, she finds the best crochet bloggers! Lots of fun patterns!

Okay, I need to quit dinking around looking at all the crochet fliers I received this morning and get to work. I have a sign for a Goat Farm to paint today.
And another painting for a front porch. It has Iris’ on it and a garden saying. I will be sure to share soon.

My Website

An Easy Crochet Cardigan

2012-02-29T09:22:00.010-08:00

Good morning all. The predicted snowstorm has hit. The weatherman was right on with this one. We have been getting a steady onslaught of the white stuff and it continues to fall as we speak.

Here is a couple photos from yesterday morning..

And now this morning…I have to say my Potting Bench is holding up well in all types of weather!

If you want to see the post the building of our potting bench click on the photo above.

Now that the weather report is done I shall move on to what I really wanted to share today.

Not long ago I had happened on to this blog post The Green Dragonfly and read about this sweater she had made, I followed the links to this pattern Chevron Lace Cardigan.

It sounded like a fun project to work on in the evenings. I have enough scarves and I really wanted to branch out. It has been at least 20 years since I crocheted a sweater.

Here is how mine turned out…I took lots of photos but I am not adept at self photography without my tripod and a remote so forgive the less than stellar results.
Here is a shot with the flash…I tried to do some without but of course they have a bit more blur.

Ignore the fact I had not put on make up yet, my laziness outshines my vanity at this point in life.

Now without the flash

My intention in making this was to wear with a sleeveless linen dress I am sewing for myself, and though I am working with some dumbbells to improve the muscles in my upper arms my batwings are still unsightly. I figured this sweater would disguise the batwings without being too warm.

I fell in love, love, love with this yarn and I will definitely be getting more to do other projects and quite likely another sweater like this one in another color.

I bought this bamboo cotton blend yarn here..Deramores and the service was excellent. I received my order very swiftly and the shipping was free. Sign up for their newsletter and you get a 5% discount off your order.

Today I am going to sew some more. I borrowed a quilt from my mom that my grandmother had made for my dad and I wish to copy the pattern. It is a vintage butterfly pattern and I love the primitive quality of it. She made her quilts from their shirts and other clothing once they were no longer fit to be apparel.

And many times those shirts were made from feed sacks. Oh how I wish the feed suppliers would go back to fun cotton fabrics to package their feed in. It would be so much nicer to recycle the feed bags into quilts and clothing rather than tossing the plastic ones into landfills like we do now.

Enjoy your day wherever you may be.

February Goes Out in White Glory!

2012-02-27T18:48:00.002-08:00

Yes, winter is reminding us it is not done yet! We woke to a flurry of snowflakes coming down.

At times the snowflakes were quite large, nearly the size of the palm of my hand.

It did not take long for them to turn everything white. All construction next door is at a stand still.

My poor little chuck wagon raised bed is getting a good testing for snow stability.

And my studio in the background is where I spent a good portion of the day, painting on special orders. A nice day to spend doing something creative, at least the snow did not get too deep to trudge in and out through.

And though this storm is winding down another is right behind it with supposedly a lot more of the white stuff. Winter is making up for lost time I guess.

Just last week we were enjoying mid-60 degree temps. The ski resort up the hill a ways is more than likely jumping for joy. A lot of new snow will attract the skiers and snowboarders on Spring break which is coming up soon.

It is not unusual to get measurable snow here in March and even April so I will just ride it out.

Enjoy!

Seedling and cutting updates

2012-02-25T13:36:00.006-08:00

The past week has flown by. I have been busy working, painting, cleaning and hosting some delightful guests, my brother in law and his wife. They left earlier today and I will miss them, such refreshing company. I was so glad they came, it gave me incentive to dig in and clean out an area I have wanted to for a long time but something always seemed more important.

This afternoon I am trying to update my website and figure out how to add Linky Friends or whatever it is called to my blog. I have meant to check out Google + as well, I just have not had time so today is dedicated to online chores, so to speak.
My seedlings and cuttings on my plant rack are growing very well.
Here is my geraniums when I first potted them up on February 7th.

And here they are today.

The yellow paper is a sticky trap for the fungus gnats. They come in the potting soil but the yellow sticky traps work great for keeping them under control.

This is a gorgeous Trumpet Vine, I don’t seem to have great success in growing it up here but I am going to put one or two of these in large pots and move them into the greenhouse in winter and out to my back deck in summer so I can get it to bloom for me. Just down the hill half an hour these flourish and can even become invasive but up here the winters are just too cold for it I guess.

And if you remember my Christmas Cactus post.. here are a few photos of how they are coming along.

It went from 2 having new growth to all of them. They were so easy to start, I did not expect success with every cutting but every one of them has taken off.

I do believe I have plenty of cactus now. I have another tray full of these as well from other cuttings.

The past two days were so lovely and warm, mid 60’s for a high, feels like Spring. I am still working on filling my raised bed, it is deep! Once filled though it will be great.
Now I need to get back to my online chores. Enjoy your fabulous Saturday!

Signs of the Week.

2012-02-18T09:04:00.003-08:00

As promised here is the signs that have kept me busy this week. I had a few special orders come thru and some sales off my website so I was busy in the studio all week.

With the snow coming down it put a damper on my being able to fill my straw bale raised bed with first a bit of horse manure (12 inches deep) to compost and create heat beneath the finished compost I will fill the rest of the bed with. This next week is to heat up and I can once again work on that so I can start my lettuce and spinach seeds.

My first order of the week was for a cottage sign, the customer requested purple hydrangeas, at first I had them too dark but I was able to lighten them up easily.

Next was an order for two signs for to put on two garden gates. This is the larger one.

And this is the smaller of the two.

I had an order for the Garden Therapy sign on my website, it is a popular one and I am making a few more with different flowers on them. This one has the pink rosebuds.

My potting shed signs are popular and I thought to make one with some embellishments to go along with the ones that are just plain text. This of course is a pink rosebud one.

You can see my worktable is being put to good use. The shelf on the lower level is perfect for letting the paint dry on items leaving the top free for me to continue working.

I am putting a nice large shelf above the French Doors and will share a bit about that later.

Everything is Coming Up Roses!

2012-02-15T07:05:00.001-08:00

Good morning, more snow has come down, we heard it pelting our windows during the night.

I am content tending my seedlings on my rack in the living room and enjoying each and every sprout. To see my post on my plant rack go here My February Garden

The first photo is of Showy Milkweed (I wanted a host plant for Monarch Butterflies)

this next one is Trumpet Vine (I got the seeds from an acquaintance whose vine I admired)

A zonal geranium seedling beginning to bloom, this is one I started last year and overwintered inside, it is called Rosy Glow. it has been blooming and is beginning to fade, I should’ve photographed it sooner, but it will bloom again.

This is Gabrielle's Horn, a Sinnigia (sp), it has been here struggling but once I put it under my grow lights it went to town.

Before the snow began to fall I was able to get a bunch of rose cuttings put down to root. I nearly have my propagating tank filled so I need to start another. I have more cuttings I wish to get and try to root.

Without the top, you can see all the cuttings. The one in here that I am most anxious to get rooted is Madame Alfred Carriere. In the past I have had a very good success rate so I have high hopes of new roses.

Go here for a past post on how I root cuttings: Rooting cuttings It was a post on rooting some lilacs but it is the same for my roses.

I need to find someone who has an Albertine climbing rose to get cuttings from, I lost mine in my past move and I want to get another started!

My days this week have been spent painting, I have several special orders for signs to fulfill and I will share them one day soon.

Have a great day!

A Western Raised Bed

2012-02-13T09:56:00.001-08:00

Good morning all. With the wonderful weather we have been having I decided to get a raised bed built to start our lettuce and spinach in. I have a bed in back for that purpose but it does not get much sun right now.

So we are putting one on the South side of the house to capture what sun we can at this time of year. We eat tons of lettuce and it makes sense to grow it since it is so easy.

First off we need to consider snow, we have not had much this year, especially compared to the numerous feet of it we got last year but we can get a good amount up thru May. That being said we needed to build a cover for the bed to make it like a greenhouse that is strong enough to hold up to the heavy wet white stuff should we get it.

My husband rounded up the scraps of 2x4’s and some 3/4 inch plywood and made this gambrel shape. It is quite sturdy and he assures me it will take whatever the weather throws at it.

A few more angles.

We covered it with some clear plastic, 6 mil I do believe. Fastened it with staples but not all the way down so I can lift the sides to access the bed.

It reminds me of a covered wagon.

This should heat up whatever bed it sets on just fine and extend my season quite well.

We purchased some straw bales to set it up on, making a hot bed. First I will grow lettuce in it while the weather is on the cool side then use it for plants that like it hot, tomatoes, peppers etc. Maybe I can get some good home grown tomatoes to ripen for me much earlier!

Also this makes it easier on my back rather than stooping to the ground. Now to fill up the bed and plant my seeds. Not today though.

Winter is reminding us that it is still here!

My back deck yesterday..

And now today…

I need to head to my studio, I have sign orders to fulfill. A good day to spend indoors painting flowers!

Seed starting continued..

2012-02-09T09:06:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to last years post on my seed starting..

Snow Day Seed Starting

I was asked about some more particulars on the Christmas rope lights for bottom heat. You can barely make out the green rope lights in my last years post so I thought to mock up how it was done to get a bit better shot.

I snake the rope light (any color will work) along the rack shelf, and because they are so squirrely right out of the package you most likely need to fasten it to the rack with something, I use wire or bread bag twist ties. My rope lights have loosened up so they stayed down this time around with no ties.

If you are familiar with rope lights you know that several can be fastened together and you can continue to line several racks and only have the one end plugged in to an outlet.

You will note the rope chasing down the vertical leg of the rack in this shot from last year.

I hope this makes it easier to make your own bottom heat, the heat mats are so expensive and this has worked just as well for me.

I have tons more seeds that have popped up, and I have more to get started.
Enjoy starting your Spring!

More to come on kick starting SPRING!

Seed Starting Made Simple: Organic Gardening

2012-02-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

A great article on seed starting for those needing a bit more info!

Seed Starting Made Simple: Organic Gardening

My February Garden

2012-02-07T11:38:00.001-08:00

I have been busy, very busy outside and loving it. The weather has remained very mild and things are beginning to sprout.

I finally got in gear and had my hubby drag in my plant rack. This is a metal rack I got at Costco years ago and I think they still carry them. I have several of these and they are worth every dime we paid for them, very versatile.

I set it up with shop lights that have OTT grow light bulbs in them, I have some also that are Phillips Plant and Aquarium bulbs. Both seem to work. The rack resides behind my couch in the Bay window facing the South. With our wraparound porch shading our windows it does not get direct sun so no fear of cooking plants.

Since our living room has been so warm this winter I did not bother with the heat mats under the pots. Some of the seeds are sprouting already so I can see that was a good choice.

These Summer Carnival and Chamois Rose Hollyhocks have sprouted in less that 3 days.

I have a lot of specialty flowers I wanted to get started early. I have Apricot Gaillardia, Showy Milkweed (host plant for Monarch Butterflies), English Delphinium's, and Crazy Daisies.

I had some geranium seedlings that needed potting up so I got those done as well, now they can grow fat and sassy under the lights.

Next month I will start tomatoes, peppers and other more cold tender plants. These hardier ones can be put in the greenhouse when I need more room on my rack.
Playing with my seeds and watching them sprout makes me feel Spring is already here though we have several more weeks of cold weather to endure. I get a thrill each and every time something new pops out of the dirt!

Like I said before, my living room will not win any design awards or accolades but I love the greenhouse effect or should I call it a conservatory.

Come back soon and I will share something fun that my hubby just built me!

here is a link to a post I did last year that had a few more particulars on the seed starting.

Snowy day Seed starting

Pamela

Iris for Inspiration

2012-02-04T07:31:00.001-08:00

I have always been intrigued with how in the Victorian times, certain flowers had specific meanings. People then used more symbols and gestures to communicate than words, (I guess they preferred implication over certainty).
Iris means Inspiration..

I have to say Iris are one of my favorite flowers, they are tough, perform beautifully early in the season and propagate themselves.

I have purchased the majority of mine from Schreiners Iris Gardens online. I have gotten some iris from other vendors but have not been as impressed with the quality and size like I have with Schreiners. So far in my estimation they can’t be beat. I am not affiliated with them at all, I just have been well pleased with all iris I have purchased from them.

Here is my absolute favorite one called Starship Enterprise, it fairly glows while in bloom.

Another that never fails to get attention from visitors is Supreme Sultan, he blooms and blooms and blooms.

One of my favorite purples, I love the contrasting colors on Prince George.

I have some I have no idea what their names are, this one my cousin gave me, she had dug it up at an old homestead in Idaho. I think that is where she got this one. I will have to ask her.

A couple shots of many blooming together.

Last but not least a few photos of the next collection I have on my wish list. This is called the Tie-Dye collection from Schreiners.

Batik

Brindled Beauty

Gnus Flash

Gnu

Tiger Honey

I have been starting seeds and many are on the growing rack in my living room. The grow lights make for a bright living room. I love it bright!

I won’t win any accolades for style but my passion for plants supersedes my desire for a photo worthy living room.
Cheers!

A Short Walk in the Garden

2012-02-02T18:36:00.001-08:00

It is the first of the month and it is time to see what is happening (or not) in the garden.

Here we go…

First thing I spot is some Larkspur seedlings popping up, the ground is frosty from our 32 degree night, but they persist in coming up.

Some Blue Star Creeper Groundcover hiding beneath some pine needles.

Volunteer Shirley poppies taking over the Japanese Maple in this pot. I should separate them out…. or not…

This photo turned out so dark, not sure why but this is a climbing rose, Dream Weaver, I do believe, and it is budding very early. This is the warm side of the house. I just hope a hard freeze does not strike and burn the new growth.

My favorite Clematis at the moment, called Warsaw Nike, it is also sprouting new growth.

My Hydrangea is loaded with fat and sassy buds.

Meet one of my ladies, this is the lone Black Copper Maran hen I ended up with after adopting 5 straight run chicks (my hope was to end up with mostly hens). Yep I had to find homes for 4 Roosters, they were lovely but noisy.

Her name is Lady Maran, she thinks she is nobility, she expects preferential treatment and though one of the youngest of the hens does not let anyone push her around. She is a pretty girl.

I also need to announce my winner of the My Memories software. I totally forgot about it. Blame it on my total absorption in getting our tax documents sorted and paperwork filled out.

The winner is Bettie, she entered via email which is very convenient since that makes it easy to contact her!

Enjoy the visit to my garden this first week of February. I will do another in a couple weeks. We shall see how things have progressed.

I am joining a
Walk in the Gardens

A Bit of Sewing.

2012-01-31T18:30:00.001-08:00

Not long ago I mentioned being in the mood to sew.   I have a fancy dancy sewing machine, plenty of patterns from when my girls were little (I sewed all their dresses) and a stash of fabric that needs using up.

So one rainy day I spent some time in my sewing room.    I wanted to make something fast and easy so I chose 2 patterns I knew would fit the bill.

First was a pattern I had altered from a button down the front to an easy jumper that buttons at the shoulders and I added the ruffle at the bottom.

I used my easy ruffling trick of zig zagging over some crochet thread then pulling it up to ruffle the fabric, for me this is easier than the two rows of basting stitches.

The dress was done in a couple hours so I started on another.

I have a ton of white denim, I got it years ago for some project or other, I think I made some tote bags but found I just did not enjoy that much.   I thought it would be cute made up into this jumper pattern.

To add interest I just appliqued the large funky flowers on. The pattern came with the appliques. The pattern is by New Look and it is number 6578. A super fast and easy pattern, the most time consuming part is the embellishments, the rest whips up in no time.

While going thru my fabrics and sewing supplies (I was trying to organize my sewing space) I stumbled upon my silk ribbon embroidery stash. I started doing silk ribbon embroidery in the early 90’s, it was very easy to learn and the results are worth the small amount of effort you put into it.

I had some linen in my fabric stash and thought the little jumper dress would be lovely made from it with the silk ribbon embroidery along the neck line for the frou frou.

I mapped out my design with my water soluble pen…

Then I embroidered away. It took me a couple hours to do this design…

Here is the back..

To make sure the ends do not come loose when washing I seal it with fusible interfacing.

The interfacing will be hidden by the front facing.

And voila…a lovely little jumper dress that was quick and easy but with a special touch!

The silk ribbon embroidery holds up better than you would think in the wash.

Here are all three together..

Now I am in the mood to sew something for myself.. I loved working with this linen, actually it is a linen blend, 55% linen and 45% rayon, it is easy to work with and is less wrinkly when worn than 100% linen.

JoAnn’s has it on sale right now in stores at 30% off so I picked up some more.    Now to work on a dress for me.

This always makes me smile.

2012-01-30T08:22:00.001-08:00

Peoples ingenuity in making ends meet in this tough economy never fails to inspire me. Take a local builder. We all know that construction is not at it’s best right now so what is a contractor to do?

Create a whimsical village that people will want to buy.

Name the village Bent Twig..

with crooked little cottages with names like:

The Tree House. (built onto the stump of a tree, of course)

The Office (gotta love this guys sense of humor, the real roll of toilet paper is a nice touch!)

The Sugar Shack

I am still waiting for the name of this one, maybe we can dream one up.

I can just see these in a cottage garden with pathways leading to each one, some with roses rambling up the sides, lots of bright flowers planted at the doors…well, you get the picture.

The Burrow.

I am wishing I had started photographing when he first started to put these out. Some have sold and been hauled away by the new owners and so far no two have been exactly alike.

I hope to see many new ones. Driving by this each day brings a smile to my face and lifts my spirits. It is just so fun to see.

Each time I see someone pull up and load one in their truck I am filled with anticipation. I know a new one will soon take it’s place and you just never know what it will be.

Enjoy Bent Twig, and I will try to be more diligent any getting photos of new additions to share.

Chairs and Roses

2012-01-26T18:03:00.001-08:00

A few months back I started on these poor old things

And I did a post of chalk paint vs Rustoleum on them

Then I took it further and decided to paint a motif on the seats.

I did not care for it at all and I could not figure out why.

I know the rose on the back had to go, so I painted over it with the white. And I like it better. But still the seat was lacking.
I was just going to strip them down and reupholster it with some old ticking or something but have not been inspired at all to do a thing.

I have been using them as is in my sewing room and after awhile I started to like the roses on the seat but felt it was still missing something. Too bland or sedate..
So I took the other seat (still unpainted at this point) and put a little bit different design on it and added a bit more color.

I think it needs some daisies still but I know adding a bit of a darker pink and the lavender helped a lot, at least to my eyes.

To gussy this one up more I will add some other flowers and maybe go over a rose or two with the darker pink .

Here they are together in my sewing room, please forgive the less than stellar photographs, it was dark in my sewing area and I was in a hurry.

They already dress up my rather chaotic sewing space. I hope to get better shots of them once the sun shines again.

Not to shabby for a couple of thrift store cheapie finds.

9 Immune Boosting Foods

2012-01-26T06:30:00.001-08:00

I get a newsletter from Organic Gardening that always seems to have useful information for me and I thought to share one article I read yesterday.

I confess to being an iced tea addict. All day long I carry a glass with me to sip on, summer or winter, it does not matter.

I had read that black tea was very healthy years ago but here is an update on it’s immune boosting properties.

4. Tea

People who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink, in a Harvard study. The amino acid that's responsible for this immune boost, L-theanine, is abundant in both black and green tea—decaf versions have it, too.

Your optimal dose: Several cups daily. To get up to five times more antioxidants from your tea bags, bob them up and down while you brew.

Maybe my tea habit is why I did not get the cold we had this past week very bad, it was quite mild compared to what most folks had to deal with. I just felt tired and had a few sniffles. My husband got very sick, fever, body aches, night sweats….the whole Maryann, but not me. Phew!

I was also grateful to see there is some help if I do get down. Nothing like Chicken Soup. Weren’t our Grandma’s smart as they always prescribed chicken soup when we ailed.

5. Chicken Soup

When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells—an important finding, because cold symptoms are a response to the cells' accumulation in the bronchial tubes. The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, which may explain the results. The soup's salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do. Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase soup's immune-boosting power.

Your optimal dose: Have a bowl when feeling crummy.

The link to the entire article is here…if you wish to find out what the other immune boosting foods are…

9 Foods to Boost the Immune System
Adding these foods to your diet can help you stay healthy.

Keep healthy!

They’re Growing!

2012-01-25T06:26:00.001-08:00

Not long ago I posted about finding some exciting new colors (to me) of Christmas (and or Thanksgiving) Cactus and ordering some cuttings to start.
Here they are all snug in their new pots.

Yesterday I lifted their dome and was checking them to see if they needed any water and what did I find??? Some new growth, already! here is one…

And here is the other.

I had not anticipated such quick results! They must like it here.
I had mentioned our leaking roof, and here is the nasty looking ceiling the water coming thru made…

Actually, this type of bulging and damage spreads further but you get the picture. Sigh!

On an even happier note I have been slaving over a computer keyboard getting our accounts in order preparing to do our taxes. Now that is real fun! (read with dripping sarcasm)

I am still wanting to dig in and find my grow lights, I have got to get some seeds started! I have so many new plants I want to grow this year. New to me anyways.

To have a chance to win some scrapbooking software go to my giveaway!

67 Ways to Be Healthier in a Minute or Less! : Organic Gardening

2012-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Would you believe this is how I found our "green" drycleaners? I did a search for the local one and up popped the cleaners that delivers to our pharmacy. No more driving an hour to take our stuff to the cleaners plus I like that they are green, I hate the smell of dry cleaning chemicals!

67 Ways to Be Healthier in a Minute or Less! : Organic Gardening

What I have been working on!

2012-01-22T09:08:00.001-08:00

My Memories V3 Giveaway and Review

I have mentioned a couple times in the past week that I had been asked to do a review of a digital scrapbooking software called My Memories V3.

I admit to not being a scrap booker. My photos are not even filed very well much less put in fancy smancy books with bells, whistles or frills.

So that being said I plowed into this scrapbook software and gave it as good a working over as I could being a newbie. I have started on a couple scrapbooks.

One being the type that you just let the software put the photos in for you. You give it a file of photos and pick a template, push a button and voila, a scrapbook! You edit where it cuts off a head or has the subjects of the photo a bit askew but that is simply done.

You can also put in some journaling…here is a sample of my started but not completed instant scrapbook..

Then there are templates you can buy and many are quite inexpensive, this is one I bought that was well worth the prices of .99, yep, less than a buck! And it was exactly what I had in mind for this scrapbook of our 2004 trip to Paris.

I still need to add some journaling thus the bare spots but it gives you an idea.

You can easily have your books professionally printed, use them as a slideshow and other cool stuff.

I am currently trying out making a blog banner with it. But also I want to paint some designs to download and use for a custom look which is also a nice feature of this software, you can create your own templates.

So now when I come back from a trip or event I have a fast easy way to immediately scrapbook it!

So are you ready for a chance to win a personal copy of this software?
Okay here we go, just click on over to My Memories and check out their digital paper packs and layouts. Then come on back and leave me a comment or send me an email and let me know which one you like.

Also there is a discount code in my sidebar for anyone who just wants to get $10 off a purchase of the My Memories digital scrapbooking software.

For another chance to win post this to your Facebook page letting others know about it and then let me know either with a comment or an email. I will keep this open for a week so it will end next Sunday, January 28, 2012 at noon.

~Pamela~

disclosure
Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . I received the software to download. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .

A Quiet Moment

2012-01-21T07:23:00.001-08:00

A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life,
for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live. |
Bertrand Russell

I am listening to the rain be driven against the window panes as I sit in my dark, silent bedroom sipping a deliciously hot cup of coffee, trying for all the world to be as quiet as possible.

I must confess to being a snorer, a very loud snorer. It is very annoying to anyone trying to sleep in the same room as myself, so that is the reason my poor sleep deprived husband is even now sleeping on the couch in the living room and why I am trying desperately to keep as quiet as can be to let him catch up on his rest.

That being said, I love the quiet in the morning. When my 4 kids were little I would get up early, toss some laundry on and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee before anyone got up. It was my time to just be. Time to reflect on what to accomplish that day before the hustle and bustle began. Now they are grown and gone but I still like my morning reflection time, kind of like the quiet before a storm.

In the summer you will find me at first light out in my garden, sitting on my front steps just being. Sunday mornings are my favorite, as everyone in the neighborhood seems to be sleeping in so there is absolute silence except for the birds singing and a few squirrels bickering.

I just dwell on things I have to be thankful for. Like a lovely place to live, our house is humble but cozy, the roof leaks (as is attested by the bowl and pots catching drips as we speak) but only when it rains.

So I am thankful we did not go to the trouble of repairing the drywall where it leaked last year. We just did not find the time to pull it down and redo it. We did have the roof fixed (or so we thought) but now the true test as come with this downpour of a rainstorm and the roof failed. Ah well, we will give it another go when spring comes and I can cross off worrying about fixing the ceiling for now.

I see weak light coming thru the blinds now, I should open them up and welcome the new day. For some reason rainy days incite the desire to sew in me. I have loads of fabric stashes to work from even though I gave tons away already. I spent yesterday afternoon sewing a little jumper dress and had a grand ole time doing it. I will share a photo soon.

Enjoy your day.

~Pamela~

It works! Happy Days!

2012-01-19T07:10:00.001-08:00

On the 15th I wrote a blog post and mentioned that my DSLR camera stopped working out of the blue, taking photos one second then the next all I get is soft clicks when I depress the shutter button.

I researched it, looked up forums, recharged the battery (though I had just recharged it days before and normally it lasts for months) and did just about everything I could think of except take it apart. I figured I would just take it to a professional and see what was up.

All I could see was $$$$$ flying out the window but I figured it was less expensive than a new camera, though I am dying for my upgrade. I am being good and that is a future purchase, AFTER I replace some much needed things around here.

The camera sat on our kitchen table, taunting me in its deadness. My husband, in all his techno genius, suggested I pick it up and try it again. I do so but the the camera just made it’s sad clicking noise. My oh so brainy husband then tells me to hold it tight.

Clueless as to his intent I did so. He reaches out and gives it a good hard smack!

I was horrified to say the least. At first. Then I tried to take a photo and here is what I got.

Can you believe it?? I was so excited I ran and took some photos to see if it was a fluke or if it was going to continue working.

My Ladies enjoying their breakfast.

Tyler the cat posing on our garden bench.. I still need to paint those legs.

My wonderful worktable in use. See the legs of my buffet table on the bottom shelf. The more I use my table the more I love i!

I am so thrilled to have a working camera again.

don’t forget about the giveaway of this software I am doing soon!

I have been trying out its features and watching the Tutorials (a great aid).

Enjoy your day!

An eye opener for me!

2012-01-17T09:42:00.001-08:00

On the Clock, page 58
Vegetables tell time. Flowers follow a schedule. Tapping in to your garden’s circadian rhythms reveals the secret to knowing the best times to plant.
By Michele Owens

The article above from the February/March 2012 issue of Organic Gardening answered some questions that had bugged me for awhile.

Such as why will my Cilantro planted from seed in late winter thrive and produce (in the greenhouse) and what I plant later in the season just goes right to flowering and seed? Even though the temperature was not much different. (I had read earlier that cilantro was effected by temperature)
The opening line of the article:

“Like comedy, vegetable gardening is all about timing.”

I knew that day length affected plants like strawberries thus the different cultivars like “day neutral” or June bearing and everbearing but I was clueless that it also was responsible for other plants success or failures to produce.

Not only day length but the latitude can have a bearing on the success of production. Who knew?

I am always learning something new when it comes to gardening.

Pamela

MOMENT

2012-01-16T05:57:00.001-08:00

It is hard to pick a word for the year. A word to inspire, encourage and uplift. So I decided to go with the word that really is my life’s mantra:
MOMENT

Definition of mo·ment

/ˈmoʊmənt/ Show Spelled[moh-muhnt] Show IPA
noun
1. an indefinitely short period of time; instant: I'll be with you in a moment.
2. the present time or any other particular time (usually preceded by the ): He is busy at the moment.
3. a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture: at this moment in history.
4. importance or consequence: a decision of great moment.
5. a particular time or period of success, excellence, fame, etc.: His big moment came in the final game.

Yes, a few different meanings and they all fit.

For now I will focus on meaning 2

I choose to live and enjoy the moment.

I do not wait for circumstances to get better to be happy as in “when I get this or when we can do that” I will be happier.

Living in the moment is being content no matter the circumstances. Finding the joy in the here and now, not waiting for the ideal.

A few quotes I found that are fitting as well and probably say it better than I ever could.

"To finish the moment, to find the journey's end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom. It is not the part of men, but of fanatics, or of mathematicians, if you will, to say, that, the shortness of life considered, it is not worth caring whether for so short a duration we were sprawling in want, or sitting high. Since our office is with moments, let us husband them."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. Coria Kent

One should count each day a separate life. Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Dale Carnegie

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. Abraham Lincoln

When I spotted this necklace from the Rusted Chain I had to have it because it just fit..

Now to give an example, today I am suffering from a cold, my head hurts, my sinus’ are stuffy and I just generally have little oomph but a long list of things I would like to be doing.

Instead of lamenting not being up for my normal routine I will pamper myself, enjoy having an excuse to sit on my couch with a hot cup of tea and get some blog work done, some Pinterest surfing and other things that don’t take much physical energy but I normally would not have time to do, at least not guilt free.

Now everyone, enjoy the moment!

PS: for those interested in winning the scrap-booking software My Memories V3 just keep checking back here on my blog. I will soon be doing a post on my opinions of it after working with it for close to 2 weeks and I will be doing a giveaway for one.

January bloom day

2012-01-15T09:18:00.001-08:00

The sun is still prevailing on this 15th day of January but we hear that the weather pattern we have so enjoyed is to end in a few days.

This being Garden Bloggers Bloom day I am writing a post of my blooms I found on my way to the chicken house this morning, no matter how bedraggled and ratty looking.

A rose I have in a pot under the back deck. The rose is spent and I need to trim it off but the plant is not even dormant yet, unusual for this time of year.

We had a frosty 28 degrees here this morning, and the violas are curling up a bit, I would too.

Thankfully they will spring back up and be bright and cheerful again at the first hint of warmth!

In the greenhouse things are status quo, this tub of baby geraniums I started from seed needs to be potted up into individual pots and placed in a more insulated spot, like my studio or in the house, I should get to that before the real cold hits or they may well be toast! Since geraniums at the nursery run about $4 a pop in 4 inch pots I figure there is at least $40 worth in this little tub, well worth protecting!

Here is some butterfly bush seedlings, they will do fine in the cold, I think. Maybe I should bring them in as well. It wouldn’t hurt.

this black eyed Susie is a one tough cookie, it is trying to put on new flowers.

And this rose cutting start is putting on new growth as well.

The succulents on my back deck are doing great, I made sure to get hardy varieties and they sure are!

After a took a few shots this morning my DSLR camera DIED! Or at least it refuses to work. I still have my point and shoot I can make do with but it is just not the same.
I am not going to panic, just research online what it may be. I use this camera just about daily and was just now learning to use it better and to have it go belly up is just a bit overwhelming.

I do wish to upgrade and have my sights set on the one I would like to get but I am not able to lay out that kind of blunt yet.

Oh well it will work out one way or another. My hubby and I are fighting a cold this day, it is a nasty one so we will just take it easy, drink hot herb tea and let our bodies combat it.

Sigh! another Spring like day in January!

2012-01-11T15:50:00.001-08:00

I had to share this photo of my husband and I at lunch today. We sat outside of El Jardin and enjoyed sunny skies and warm temps. I was wishing I had on shorts, I could really have worked on my tan! It was a lovely 58 degrees but was so much warmer in the direct sun.

For a January day this is unreal.

I know we need rain and snow but since I have no control over the weather I will just enjoy what we get! And for your additional pleasure this is our view while we eat and what we hear!

Music of the creek.

Today I have been working away learning a new software program, at least new to me. I have avoided getting into scrapbooking because I am already spread thin on things I enjoy doing and I figured I would get hooked if I even tried it.

But I was offered the opportunity to test and review a Scrapbooking software and I thought “why not”. Maybe it would at least get some of our travel photographs organized and put into books or slide shows slicked up with pretty backgrounds and embellishments. I need something fast and easy as my time is limited to say the least.
The software is much more comprehensive than I had thought but not difficult. I also was asked to do a giveaway of this software and I will do that so keep an eye out. I wanted to do more than just a cursory test of it before writing my review and offering a chance for my readers to win one. So I will give it a good work out the next couple of weeks and give you an honest opinion of how well this software works for the complete newbie!

On another note. I never posted the finished signs I sent off just last week. Here is one for a beach house in Florida.

And this went to a repeat customer of mine in Canada. She never fails to stretch my talents with her ideas. The chickadees are a new one for me but fun.

Sign orders have waned for the moment, which is a relief. Now I can dig into my building projects I had on my back burner. My worktable is complete and I have already cut the legs and aprons for my dining room buffet table. I have a garden bench in the works as well so stay tuned for those to show up here.

In the evenings I still enjoy my crochet. This scarf I will finish up soon, it will be an infinity scarf and I made it out of Drops delight yarn in the purple turquoise mix.

Here is the pattern I made it from. Click on the photo to go to the pattern.

I am also trying my hand at some granny squares, I have seen them made into scarves and they are just fun! Once I get them attached into a scarf I will do a shell trim or something.

I also like the Flower Hexagon pattern and the full tutorial here is very easy to follow.

Yes, I normally have several projects going at once, it is they way things go around here. I have also been sifting thru my collection of seeds so when I get my metal rack and grow lights set up I can have them organized and ready to plant.

That is all for today….

Christmas Cactus cuttings

2012-01-08T14:29:00.001-08:00

This winter I have been noticing Christmas Cactus everywhere. Lush plants with vibrant blossoms brightening up whatever room they are in.

guide-to-houseplants.com

So I decided to scope out some cuttings. I hit up my mom for some from her plant and then I thought to look on eBay.

Did I get a shocker! Here I am thinking there is just the plain ol regular ones I have been seeing about and I learn there are all kinds of named varieties, new ones that are bred and sold at premium prices. (a new and rare one on eBay went for over $100 and it was just a itty bitty thing, cuttings went for $25)

I avoided the costlier ones and looked for unusual (to me) cuttings at a reasonable price. I found a seller that was in CA so there would not be any shipping issues (tough Calif import rules for plants) and purchased these cuttings:

Christin

Melissa

Nicole

Exotic Dancer

I can highly recommend this seller, she was conscientious, generous and the cuttings were top notch.

Here is her seller info on eBay if you wish some cuttings for yourself.

Seller information

Member id leftcoastphotos ( Feedback Score Of 401)
100% Positive feedback

As soon as my cuttings arrived I hurried to the garden center and picked up a package of cactus potting mix and potted them up.

The seller included the name tags to add to the pot which was an unexpected bonus that I appreciate. I placed two cuttings in each pot so when they take off I will have one plant to keep and one to share.

I placed them all on this tray and watered them in. Then I covered them to keep the humidity in.

Now they reside on a table by a window in my living room. I spritz them now and then and hold my breath. It will be awhile before I see new growth but time does fly by.

The past few days I have been prepping for tax time. My husband was gone on a business trip so I made the most of his absence by clearing out the home office we share and reorganizing the space. It is so much easier when he is not in it.

Then I tackled getting the accounts for our businesses updated, reconciled and ready for me to import to the tax software. It would not be so much work if I kept up with them better but the past few years I have been more into running out and painting signs and building stuff than keeping up with bookkeeping chores.

I spent a good portion of Saturday outside, reorganizing the greenhouse and searching high and low for my grow lights. It will soon be time to start my seeds for the garden. My husband cleaned the garage last and does not remember where he stashed the lights.

The weather has maintained status quo, dry, unseasonably warm, today in the 50’s and sunny. Now if it would just rain all night to bring on the water then be mild and sunny once the sun comes up, I could have my cake and eat it too.

Now to work on some plans for another table, but instead of a work table for the studio I am going to make one for a buffet in my dining room. Picture this narrower but the same length.

Now to decide if I want it to match my table in paint and stain colors (white with dark contrasting top) or what.

January Winter Walk!

2012-01-04T15:31:00.001-08:00

My day has been willy nilly. I had big plans for this day but all have gone awry. I will graciously concede defeat and enjoy what I did accomplish. Some much needed cleaning for one but that is just plain boring so I won’t go into details.

As in many other locales we have been enjoying unseasonably warm and sunny weather. Last year at this time the ground looked like this…not a lot of snow (much from the big Nov storm had melted) but it was still snow.

Whereas as right now this is what my front yard looks like. Not a lick of snow or any sign of any coming soon. (I am prepping this flower bed for all new plantings this Spring and Summer)

Yesterday we (my hubby and I) decided to take a walk, we really need to do this daily but life interferes or just our sheer laziness. We certainly cannot blame the weather, that would be an out and out lie!

I am not a winter person, I think it is the colorlessness of the season in general, if it is not white or dirty white (once the snow gets dirty) then it is the muted greys and browns of the landscape. So I must look hard for interesting things to photograph along the way. This is a neighbors Wisteria. It smothers this fence when in full bloom and it blooms sporadically all summer.

The creek is still rather low, no rain or snow up higher to feed it.

The moon was visible in a blue sky, now there was some color. And, of course, I must not forget that we live amongst evergreens so that is a plus.

As we walked down to the lake you could feel the temperature drop dramatically.

But because of the warmth of the past month we were surprised by the thin layer of ice on the lake. It did not cover the entire lake it was at either end, see how much brighter it is?

Here is the other end of the lake.

Oh and look its Bigfoot! Nah, that is just my handsome honey being goofy. He was trying to make this a very aerobic walk and I kept stopping to take photos. Instead of just walking on ahead and making me jog to catch up to him he would crisscross the road in front of me.

(the blurriness of the photo makes me think of all the supposed shots of the mysterious creature called Bigfoot thus my reference to him)

He can sure be a nut sometimes and make me laugh.

I liked this shot, the setting sun shining on his face. But it would’ve been better if I had videoed him, he was still being goofy and I could’ve use it for blackmail.
Though you would not know it from this photo, it looks sedate enough. Oh how very deceiving a mere photo can be!

I was still trying hard to get interesting shots and I was using just my point and shoot camera, my DSLR was still having its battery charged.

Cattails in winter…

Wild blackberries trying to clamber over the pathway.

The ice is actually much thicker than I had thought, some folks had tested it by tossing logs out onto it.

A shot of the bare Aspens against the sky. Dusk was starting to descend, the temperature drops swiftly when the sun goes behind the trees!

Oh, how I love where we live! I need to do a walking post at the first of each month to see how it changes, even if I have to do it in the cold snow. eek.

I did put the finishing coats of varathane on my new worktable today. After my hair appt. tomorrow I will see about starting on some new signs again. I can already tell the addition of my worktable is going to make it so much easier thus enjoyable for me to work in the studio!

Have a fabulous afternoon!

My Worktable!

2012-01-03T19:48:00.001-08:00

Back in October I did a post on my desire to build a new work table for my studio. I wanted it to be counter height to make is easier on my back.

click here to go to that post

I used this plan to work from, it is from Ana-White.com, click on photo to go to her site.

I made it to my own specs. I wanted it to measure the same as the distance between the outer edges of my studio windows.

I used as much scrap lumber around this house that I could scrounge up, I had enough scrap 4x4’s for 3 of the legs but had to invest in a new one for the fourth leg.
I painted them with the sky blue I used on my bookcase.

I had purchased a Kreg Jig kit just for this job but it will be handy for any other furniture projects I choose to do and after cutting my teeth on this table I am ready for more. Here I am attaching the side apron to the legs, you can see my Kreg jig joints. I pre-painted the outside of the apron.

I attached the second side apron and stood them up to realize I had put the Kreg Jig holes in the painted side, oh well, I am used to fixing my goof ups. It will be easy enough to paint this side later.

With this Kreg Jig kit there was an added attachment I just love. It is a little dealy bobber that lets me attach my vacuum hose to the Kreg Jig and as I drill the holes the sawdust is cleaned right up. Now I don’t have to worry about pesky sawdust flying all about my studio when I build things in its heated comfort.

I was doing something wrong and had to go get Mr Builder (aka: husband) to come and help me figure out why my screws just kept spinning instead of tightening up to the wood.

My Kreg Jig instruction book said to make sure the clutch on the screw gun was set very loosely and I thought I had but it was still too tight so hubby loosened it and voila, success in getting tight joints.

After the base was assembled I started the attach the supports for the shelf.

I was very precise on my measurements. I knew I wanted the basket I stash my brown paper for shipping in to fit under the shelf so I set it up against the legs, set a board on it to add an extra bit of space and used it to set the level. I know, very high tech. It worked just fine despite its being so humble a method.

Then I painted the shelf.

I placed the shelf on its support and worked on the top. I went for white for contrast. I am going to coat the shelf and top with varathane to make it easier to wipe down and it is all ready to use.

I forgot to mention we used 3/4 inch plywood we had left from another project for the top and shelf, this is a more utilitarian table than an aesthetically pleasing one and it was easier and faster than individual boards plus, it was free.

I calculated the total cost for this and it came to just under $30 to build so in this one project I more than paid for the cost of the Kreg Jig Kit!

The lower shelf will work great for freshly base painted boards to dry out of the way.

Earlier in the day I was attempting to reacquaint myself with my point and shoot camera. The battery in my DSLR died on me earlier in the day, I forget to check its level, though I use it nearly everyday it lasts for months.

The shots I got that show me from the waist down I will use to help convince myself to start my walking routine again. They will be very effective to keeping me motivated. Actually I was getting a before shot of my painting jeans, I am going to spruce them up by painting designs on them rather than just having paint spots and patches all over.

These are well worn jeans. After these shots my husband had no trouble convincing me to take a walk with him. I definitely need to shape up! I need all the motivation I can get so I will have to keep a photo log of myself.

I took photos of our walk. We have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and the lack of snow. I will share our bare ground in my next post!

Let me know how you like my work table!

How to Care for Christmas Cactus : Organic Gardening

2012-01-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

I got some new Schlumbergera x buckleyi cuttings from a generous lady on eBay. I was unaware of the named varieties of Christmas cactus and the new (to me) colors. I will share mine later but here is a great article from Organic Gardening on their care. It will certainly be helpful for me.

How to Care for Christmas Cactus : Organic Gardening

The Best of Backwoods 2011

2011-12-28T07:37:00.001-08:00

As this year is winding down to its final hurrah I am attempting to get a list compiled of what I need to accomplish (or would like to accomplish) in the coming months.
This month marked the 1st anniversary of this blog. My how time flies! And do you know the most popular post of all here?

The building of my studio..

It has been so popular that we posted the plans as others wish to build one for themselves. These are not your run of the mill plans but a step by step for the novice builder.

Plans

Many of you also enjoyed the inside look at my studio. This is the tidied up version. The before shot of this post is what it looks like a good portion of the time.

In third place was the building of the potting bench..

Not far behind was the transformation of a plain piece of linoleum into a Tuscan Floor cloth.

But my favorite (which did not make it even into the top ten of my readers picks) is my Pottery Barn Clock knockoff..

I am currently working on some Farmhouse sign designs, it seems Farmhouse style is all the rage this year. I have some vintage type fruit signs rattling around in my head and other farmhouse staples like Fresh Eggs, Farmers Market and all that..I need to get them painted up and listed on my website.

If you have any suggestions of what would you would like to see or may be a good one just let me know, I am all ears.

Until next time…ta ta

More of our trip.

2011-12-27T07:17:00.001-08:00

We are home refreshed and getting back into our regular routine. I have been painting signs and getting ready to ship them while catching up on cleaning and laundry.

I have more photos to share of the Conservatory and a few from the Academy of Sciences. It was difficult to get really good photos at the academy but it really needs to be visited in person to get the full benefit anyways.

In my last post I shared photos of the orchids primarily but the bromeliads were just as colorful and interesting. The room they are housed in has a large pond centered in it and filled with aquatic plants.

Bromeliads and carnivorous plants overflow tables, pots and hang from faux trees. Some have blooms and others have vivid foliage that is lovely.

A Pitcher plant..

Who needs flowers when you have fuchsia pink foliage…

Did you know that the Pineapple is a bromeliad? The first ever cultivated or so the docent said. If you look close you can see a pineapple growing in there.

So many interesting shapes of blooms.

And combination of colors

See the water held in the center? In the wild frogs place their babies in there along with some extra eggs for them to nosh on as they grow, high up in the rain forest canopy. The darker pink ring is actually the water line.

This lily pad hanging from the ceiling is a casting of the one they have in the pond normally, right now it is dormant but they said this past summer it bloomed a least 15 times. It is 8 feet across.

You see the pink flower beside it? When it first opens up it is white, then certain beetles land on it, it closes around them but does not harm them, and when it opens back up and lets them free it is then pink. They do not know why.

Some of the plants you may recognize as they are commonly as house plants.

I know, you have had enough of plants. Well, how about an albino alligator. This was one of the decent photos I got at the Academy. At first he just does not look real, you stare and stare at him until he moves. An interesting critter.

The waxy green frogs are aptly names, they remind you of silly putty.

Nice big rattlesnakes.

And lots of butterflies in the greenhouse dome.

You get the picture of how diverse the Academy is, an aquarium also filled with the most interesting creatures. I found the sea anemones much like under water flowers. so bright and colorful.

Well, that is all I have time to share this morning, time to get to work around here. More signs to paint and I am finally getting around to building my painting table! I hope. At least it is on my list today.

Have a great day!

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

2011-12-23T18:07:00.001-08:00

Hi all. Today my husband and I took off for SF to enjoy the fine weather and a lovely weekend away.

For those that do not know me well I am a plant nut. I love flowers, gardening and plants in general so a trip to the SF Conservatory of Flowers was first on the list.

The building is lovely on its own. The weather was sunny today, and when we arrived was the only time we used jackets, the rest of the day was warm enough to just go in long sleeve shirts. The tropical warmth inside the conservatories' Lowlands Gallery was heavenly. It is a treasure trove of plants, many which are over 100 years old.

This is Phil, a 100 plus year old Philodendron. He may not look impressive in the photo but that one elephant type ear leaf is nearly as big as my entire upper body.

They were transported in the Victorian era in glass boxes similar to this one below on ships. This glass part comes down and acts as a roof on the wooden box. Inside the box now is a sweetly scented orchid.

Tons of gorgeous orchids were around every corner.

In many shapes and sizes, they seem to grow effortlessly in here.

I was so interested in listening to the docent explain so many interesting facts and historical tidbits that I did not get names of several flowers and plants that I would love to know the names of.

This one took me by surprise, it is an impatien not an orchid. The flowers kind of reminded us of candy corn.

More orchids

A Victorian orchid case made from an unreal Brazilian hard wood that is 10 times denser than redwood and impervious to water damage and bugs. It is also so heavy that equipment is needed to move things made from it.

This pergola is made of it and had to be brought in with a forklift.

Another shot of the Orchid Cases

This is just a fraction of my photos today but I will try to break it up so as not to overwhelm you with it all. It was a very good day. We also went to the Japanese Tea Garden today and tried out a local brewery/restaurant. I do love a good brew. All was good.

Have a great evening…

My Wish List.

2011-12-22T19:53:00.001-08:00

Ooohh la la…winter solstice is here. Which means the longer days return and it is time to start planning next years garden, do my winter sowing of some annuals and perennial seeds and pick out the roses I wish to order.

This week has been sunny and bright. The skiers are not happy, no real snow to speak of and that hurts the economy in our resort town so in that light it is sad but I am still enjoying it.

I have painted on more signs this week but in the evening I have been crocheting on a few different projects and picking out roses.

I lost several roses 2 years back in an early hard freeze and I am going to start replacing them.

Albertine (antique climbing rose)

It used to grow up on my porch. It blooms early but only once, it is covered for several weeks.

I will plant another pink climber with it to fill in when this one is done. Planted and vining together it will look like one and bloom all summer long. I have a couple choices I am considering, one is called Collette and another is the Peggy rose.
Most of the roses I lost in that freeze were David Austin English roses, I had collected several over the years and they did fabulous here.

One of my favorites was Jubilee Celebration..it gave me bouquets all summer. This spray was on a single stem.

A newer variety I am eyeing is the Princess Alexandria, it is very hardy and an excellent bloomer.

I have never had a white one and I just fell in love this one. Susan Williams-Ellis.

A great red that I must get again..it looks more purple here but it really is a great red. William Shakespeare 2000

This one is called Hyde Hall, I had them growing along my back garden wall and it grew to nearly 6 feet the second year, it made a great hedge and bloomed non-stop all summer long.

This is just a start to my list and it may take a few years to replace what I lost but it will be fun. I hope you enjoy my garden dreams.

Here are a couple of the signs I have been working on.

I hope to get to start building my painting table next week, we shall see.
Enjoy your weekend, we sure will. We have special plans!

Unexpected pleasures!

2011-12-19T08:57:00.001-08:00

Good Monday morning to one and all! We had a busy weekend but fun. Friday we took a trip with the nephews to the San Francisco Zoo. I have photos of all sorts of critters but to my delight there were tons of plants blooming. I forget sometimes that San Francisco climate is so temperate especially this time of year. So when I am looking at this desolate garden at home..

San Francisco is a haven of blooms.

Wish I could name all the plants I photographed but I am rather ignorant of many of these plants. Some I do know but very few. To get to the zoo we drove thru a lovely old neighborhood with interesting homes perched on the hillside facing the ocean and there were an abundance of these bushes trained into trees just covered with these purple blossoms. A real visual treat.

See how bright and sunny it was Friday, it got into the upper 50’s and lower 60’s with little or no breeze. Perfect!

The landscaping all throughout the zoo was a feast for my eyes, waterfall and fountains tucked into all sorts of places.

Bursts of color around every corner.

I love Fuchsias..I can barely keep them alive here and this one was flourishing beside the building housing tropical critters.

They had some interesting rockeries filled with succulents. I have just in the past few years become interested in growing succulents, there is such an interesting variety and the fun planters you can make with them is boundless.

I have always loved Bougainvillea but have never lived where it would stay alive thru the winters.

I thought this little Iris type was eye catching.

I really wish they would label the plants.

There were some that were the most interesting shapes, no blooms were necessary for them to stand out.

These bushes were taller than I and covered with these delicate brightly colored blooms.

A bright orange..

The too bright sun blanched out the vibrancy of the orange but you get the idea.

And last the Statice outside the gate as we headed for the parking lot.

It was such a lovely day and we enjoyed it very much. Next weekend we are planning a little trip down again to go to the Conservatory of Flowers and the CA Academy of Sciences. Two places we have wanted to visit in a long time and the weather is supposed to be just as wonderful as this past weekend so it should be a fabulous trip. I will bore you with all the photos in coming posts.

And I will share some animal shots of the zoo next time. Now I must go paint some signs.

Enjoy your Monday!

A dusting of snow and one tough rose.

2011-12-15T18:01:00.001-08:00

We woke to about half an inch of snow. It was not a surprise as the weatherman had forewarned us but you never know when the weather will decide to do something other than what they predict.

I decided to take a cruise of my garden with camera in hand to see what may be blooming on this 15th day of December. The 32 degrees felt nearly balmy compared to the past few days that started around 26 degrees.

A snowy viola I have growing in a barrel on my back deck.

This is a Heritage rose from David Austin English roses..it has been a tough one. Roses blooming here in the Northern California Sierra Nevada mountains is unheard of this time of year, usually.

It resides beside my studio.

Its brother hovers at its feet, but the roses on this one are more desiccated though still rather lovely.

There are more things blooming in my Greenhouse. Some pelargoniums..

A Cappuccino Rudbeckia

A volunteer white petunia that came up in a pot with some boxwood.

And here are my ladies at breakfast.

I hope you enjoyed my little morning walk..

I am going to join Bloom Day over at May Dreams Garden

Another week gone by!

2011-12-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

Hello my friends. I have been neglectful of keeping in touch but so life goes. Instead of writing in the evening I have been indulging in back issues of my English Garden magazine.

In the Spring and Summer I am so busy in my garden that I barely skim the pictures found inside so this time of year I go back and read every article, make lists of new (to me) plants and a wish list of seeds and/or plants to purchase to test in my own cottage garden.

I would love to get myself or build myself a glass house like this.

(sigh) one can dream.

During the days I have been busy painting custom order signs. I know I said I would not accept any orders for Christmas after Thanksgiving but I caved on some that seemed easy enough. This one was especially enjoyable, it just seemed to flow.

This one was not so easy and I ended up painting over the design, it just was not right, I think when I changed the color of the water it changed the feel, the original color was a more blue green which fit rest of the scene better.

A winter scene painting/sign, it still needs the wording.

This one will get shipped out today.

I have also been working outside, cleaning up areas, adding chicken debris to flower beds and at the base of roses. Each day has started quite chilly, in the mid 20’s but the afternoons are quite mild for working outside in. The sun has been bright most days and I am thankful we are not covered in a blanket of snow yet. That will come soon enough but until then I will make the most of the bare ground and clear skies to get my garden areas ready for next Spring.

My husband and I enjoy cooking together and we have been testing new recipes to add to our repertoire. We made an awesome chili Verde this past week that was to die for, with it we made a Spanish rice with organic brown rice. It turned out quite tasty as well.

Last night we tested a meatless recipe. Now my husband is a self professed hardened CARNIVORE so going meatless is not something he is fond of, but he was game to try this.

Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

We had made a batch of homemade burger buns the day before (love the dough setting on my bread machine) and we used home cooked beans instead of canned (1 1/2 cups equals what is in the can).

The result was quite tasty though I think I would add more salt to the mixture and even my husband thought it satisfying enough. I look forward to the leftovers for lunch today.

I had better get off here and get to work. There is plenty on my plate today and I need to get crackin’.
Ta ta for now…

Life is Good!

2011-12-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

Good Wednesday morning to you! The sun is shining and though a tad chilly out at 26 degrees it is lovely none the less.

I even treated myself to some violas to put in pots on the deck to enjoy. The sweet scent of Spring they emit was a pleasure to savor on the drive home as they sat in the seat next to me.

This past week has been fun. Busy, busy but fun. We have enjoyed endless sunshine with cold temps but if you dress for it you can be outside comfortably. Which I have been outside quite a bit.

We have been getting things cleaned up after some windy weather last week that took down large trees around the county. Smashing houses, taking down power lines and causing havoc. Big Trees State park was hit hard. The ticket kiosk as you drive into the park gives a hint of damage done county wide.

I have been painting on signs as usual. The orders arrive in spurts. I had a lull in orders last week and used the time to organize in the studio again. When I am working I seem to toss things hither and thither rather than methodically put them where they belong.

A special order sign I completed.

Last Friday was a day of errand running and getting some shopping done. I am not a shopper, to me it is a waste of valuable time, it is a necessary evil only. But I was able to finally get my Kreg Jig kit. I have been drooling over it for months now and I patiently waited so that alone made my day of shopping seem worthwhile.

Now I can build my work table in the studio. I have the legs and support members cut, now I am putting the base coat of paint on before I assemble.

Today I will go buy the 2 x 6’s for the aprons. I am working on it as I paint signs so I must juggle things around in the studio. I am building it in the studio as it is heated, our garage is not. I will be sure to share photos of it when it is done.

I also worked on an easy fleece scarf. I crocheted some daisies to add to it. I call it my Crazy Daisy scarf. My husband says it looks more like something Kermit the Frog would wear. I like it, despite his humor, it is so toasty warm and the bright green with flowers make it Spring like!

I was going to sew on the flowers but decided to use a fabric glue instead, it worked really well. I should try to get a photo of it on me. Maybe I will soon. Too busy today! Until next time…

Decluttering my life.

2011-11-30T15:21:00.001-08:00

If you had missed me at all it is because I had taken a respite from the computer. Not entirely as I am completely addicted to online scrabble via email. But I did stop reading blogs, writing on mine or thinking of what next to write about.

Life has crept in. Real life. I love to log my activities but sometimes trying to photo journal them takes away from the speed in which you can get them done. Plus you really did not want a blow by blow of what I have been up to. So a synopsis will do with some flower photos.

Thanksgiving day I sewed, I had set aside that day as my own to dive into some projects at my sewing machine I had been dying to try. I promise to share what I made soon but not today.

By Friday I was ready to get back to putting the final touches on custom signs ordered from my website and get them ready to ship. It is so nice now not to have any special orders on the table, it gives me time to focus on some other things I really need to get done.

Like clearing out clutter. Getting unnecessary items cleared out is very freeing but it takes some focus, time and dedication to see it thru. Sometimes I can cling to non essential things that start piling up and eventually getting in the way. Especially when you live in a small cottage type home.

Saturday we enjoyed the fine weather. It reached 64 degrees here and was oh so sunny. Sunday was filled with family and friends, cooking, eating and just enjoying each others company.

Monday I spent the day clearing out clutter, all day and cleaning. I wrapped signs to ship then pasted the labels on. We took our walk to the lake to stretch our legs and to enjoy what was reportedly one of the last days of mild temps. The lake was placid, the ducks foraging madly and a few fish were jumping.

Tuesday, I had to take our truck to get smogged, chicken feed to pick up, signs to ship and boxes of stuff for the thrift shop (my decluttering). In the afternoon I had my nephews and spent the rest of the day entertaining and enjoying them.

Today has been spent trying to organize photos, get them backed up to an external drive and renamed. I cannot tell you how boring that is, no wonder I have put it off for so long but in the end they will be easily found (or so the theory goes) when and if I need them.

I need the taste of spring/summer the flowers of this post give, I have been freezing today. It is much colder out, the wind today is frigid but mostly it is just me, it is just one of those days when I am cold from the inside out.
Enjoy!

Mad for Crochet.

2011-11-24T18:35:00.001-08:00

For a link to the pattern just click the photo.
I have fallen back in love with crocheting. With all the fabulous blogs, free patterns and tutorials going on on the world wide web who could not. Here is just a few I have come across that impressed me.

iSleeve crochet tablet cozy

Too cute Hello kitty granny square scarf. This one is officially on my “to do list”!

"hooked and bound" hot pads. I need to make myself the granny square one, I like that these have the ‘insulbrite’ thermal protective inserts in them, which protect delicate surfaces or our hands much better than just the cotton batting or yarn alone.

Vertical Stripe Crochet Scarf (Unisex) My husband has yet to discover the added warmth of a scarf on a chill Fall or Winter day but maybe if I whipped one like this up for him he might find he can’t do without one. Though I think he would prefer shades of blue…hmmm, a new project on my list.

Oh, crochet flower love. Definitely on my list.
There is so much more out there but I will save that for another post.
Today I was able to spend time sewing, I did a bit of painting and now I am indulging in a bit of crochet. I will be glad to share my projects I completed another day.
enjoy!

Do you want to learn to crochet? This is a great site of step by step videos!

NEW STITCH A DAY

A frosty morn.

2011-11-22T08:13:00.001-08:00

How is everyone this cold frosty morning??? I am sure it is much colder in other regions than here in N. Calif. but at 30 degrees it is more than cold enough for me.

Frost has graced all my lovely garden plants with a touch of sparkle, when I went out to feed my chickens I snapped a few shots to share.

Hollyhock

Nearly Wild Rose

Strawberries

the frost accentuates the hairy leaves.

Creeping Chamomile

I love this plant, it is tough as nails and smells of green apples when trod upon. It grows between some of my stepping stones.

I still have some color too. The lobelia growing in the hanging pots along the eave are still an eye-catching blue.

Sad looking, aren’t they. But this is roses in winter…

Even the tough old black eye susans succumb to this kind of cold.

I am finishing up the last of the special order signs and at the same time painting an old trunk to use as side table. I mixed up a batch of DIY chalk paint to use on it and I am really enjoying it. It works much better than I had anticipated. I also picked up another type of crackle medium and it is interesting to work with as well. I just have to get the knack of it down. That is all for another post.

Time for me to get my day started. Au revoir.

Crackle away…

2011-11-17T21:03:00.001-08:00

After being under the weather I had some digging out to do. Cleaning, laundry, finish painting on custom orders and hauling my sewing “computer” to the shop to be set to rights. (I had knocked it out of time), then picking it back up.   It desperately needed a good cleaning and oiling anyways so this just forced me to get it done.   So you now know where I have been since Sunday.

I did do a comparison for you. Many customers who place special orders for signs want the crackled, distressed background. There are a few options as to how to accomplish this.

You can buy crackle medium or you can use white glue. The already formulated crackle medium is pricier than the glue, Elmer's works the best for me. I have tried other glues and they did not seem to work.

You can water down the glue but I have not found the correct ratio to get a decent effect. Straight out of the bottle the white glue is thicker than the crackle medium.

For this demo I used a roller to apply both. Nothing fancy, just a well used paint roller with a new cover. Later I will show you why I prefer using a roller for this.

With both the glue and medium I eyeballed it and poured out a puddle and quickly rolled it out as evenly as I could.

I worked on several boards.

I let the crackle and glue dry thoroughly, then I roll on a coat of white paint, working quickly so as not to pick up and remove the crackle as it returns to a liquid state when the paint soaks into it.

The crackle medium was easier to spread being less thick than the glue. The medium crackle effect on this board is finer but you can get the larger crackle if you leave the layer of medium thicker. If you look closely you note how the crackles are going all directions.

Since I can’t seem to figure out an effective way to thin the glue I get spots that are crackled rather than an overall crackle.

Here is the crackle effect using a brush to apply the medium and paint. The cracks go mostly in the direction of the strokes from right to left. I prefer using the roller but I do use a brush in a rush.

So truthfully I prefer the crackle medium over the glue even if the medium is more expensive. I have used the glue in a pinch and it will give you a crackle effect but the medium is easier for me to control.

So I hope this helps anyone wanting to use a crackle finish for anything.

Now on to more mundane things. I have nearly finished all my special order signs and I will most likely not take any new orders after Thanksgiving for signs wanted for Christmas presents. Orders after that date just put too much pressure on me.
We are expecting some cold weather again. Only a wee bit of snow to come but I have once again been spoiled by mild temps this entire week and am not really looking forward to freezing cold weather.  My husband and I even enjoyed lunch on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants this past Monday, the sunshine was so warm.

Ta ta all, until we meet again.