A May Day basket for you

Spring Bling and Things

There were splashes of color everywhere I turned this weekend. The trees seem to be exploding with blooms. I took time to cut some lilacs, crabapple blossoms, tulips and daffodil to bring inside. A large pitcher does double duty as a vase for my fragrant and cheery centerpiece.

A trip to Canal Street Gallery in Winona Lake produced a little baggy of goodies (bottom photo). It's almost like going to the candy store...and much less fattening! Owner Merna Eisenbraun had just gotten a new shipment of interesting Mother-of-Pearl beads in, so I brought home a few to make earrings. I made two pair for myself and another five pairs for my Etsy shop. So it seems like I got a lot out of my little stash, and I still have enough left to make a bracelet out of the black and white and red ones. But try as I might tonight, I just couldn't come up with the sequence that interested me. Next time. I'm offering free shipping in the US on the new earrings in my Etsy shop, so check them out.

A couple of hours wandering the antique mall in North Webster, IN produced only one little treasure- this frozen Charlotte/Kewpie type doll for $5.00. She stands six inches and aside from a little dirt, she's in great shape, frozen though she is, except for arms that move. Although that was the only thing I bought, I always have a great time looking at all the old stuff, hoping for that bargain, searching for that "thing" I will know when I see it- something strange to use in my altered art or just another thing. Period.

(Spr)ing it On!

Finally! A blast of color for the property and some evidence we might actually be crawling out from winter afterall. Even with some kind of wacky sleeting hail balls hitting my car Tuesday morning, I still managed to find my garden spirit, apron and trowel by Saturday. I LOVE my pineapple plant! I've never seen one before. Supposedly, with lots of sun and water it can be harvested off later this summer.

The rest of the pics are just a few vignettes around my house. My solar lights worked like a charm the first night, and the landscaping looks light an enchanted fairyland at night. The grass is green and freshly striped by mowing. The trees are blooming. The cats have the crazies. I feel inspired. Yep, it must finally be spring.

Scenes from a Spring

You know it is Memorial Day in Indiana when the peonies are as big as your head. And even though Memorial Day has passed, the peonies were looking great on this warm sunny day. I stopped at the local public garden on the way home from the dentist to take some pictures. The garden smelled great, too, and the pond sound was refreshing.

The other items are some treasures I got this weekend. I found two great porcelain doll heads-the larged one in Schoolcraft, MI for $40 and the blond doll head in Nappanee, IN for $20. I now have six dollheads and can't decide if I want to display them or make altered art with them. I picture one under a glass garden cloche or 'bell jar.' The books are a couple I have ordered and hope to review for http://www.vintageindie.com.

The print is a lovely gift I received from ZNE's Chrysti of http://chrysti.wordpress.com for entering her caption contest. Chrysti also sells altered art supplies at http://www.alteredabbey.com and has fantastic outdoor photos on Flickr. She does it all. My caption was hardly worthy of a print, but you can check it out here http://chrysti.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/are-you-one-of-the-10-winners/. I also won a digital collage sheet of vintage doll parts from Kat at Altered Kat and Great Musings on etsy and http://alteredkat.blogspot.com. I must be living right!

Look Who Just Popped In! Make that Out!

The sparrows who were just white-grey eggs Friday decided to hatch today. There was a flurry around the front door where they are parked. Three adult sparrows-two with red heads-so I am not sure what kind of menage-a-trois we have. In fact, I guess I am not even 100% sure they are sparrows. I know they are not robins. This nest is built (for the second year in a row), in the grapevine wreath I have hanging on the outside (obviously) of the front door. It is so funny, because there was already a nicely-done fake nest and fake eggs on the wreath. Hope these guys don't get confused when they start to fly.
We removed the nest last year after they all flew away because with five baby birds and their parents, there was quite a lot of poo on the door and wreath and nest-not really what you want people to see when they ring. I had no idea someone would build a nest this year. I really don't think it is the same bird; she looks too small. But who knows? Maybe we got a 5-star rating last year, and the news spread like wild bird seed.
It's going to be cold tonight-40s-and colder still next week. Now, I will have to be a worry-wart.

It's A Beautiful Day! Cue Up U2

Which scene do you like best? I will take either one! But, it is always good to see the blooms on my Dwarf Japanese Cherry Blossom come back each year, since it started life like a sickly preemie. Hallllo tree.
I've been trying to take a picture of it in every season. Two down; two to go. No rush on my part! We've barely had any spring in the Midwest this year. I wanted to get a picture before the wind or rain blow the pretty pinkish white blossoms off!
I always worry about this tree, but I guess I should have been more worried about the skinny 20' maple in the front yard. It split straight up the trunk over the winter. The nursery person said, "uh, I dunno what ya do." They should be closed down by the Tree Authority or something. The local Extension Office (does the entire US have extension offices? If not, I should explain what that is.) said, "Do nothing. Watch and wait. Too late to wrap it back together." But, they did say filling the crack with tar is a myth, a very bad myth. So we shall see. Yes, I am a tree hugger.

Here are a few of my favorite pages. Larry the Cat was posted on Two Peas in a Bucket recently.