Help in the garden...

The kids went snow boarding this weekend and dropped Lola off to stay with us...we are always happy to have her here...she is such a sweetie! We needed to do a few things in the back yard and of course Lola was ready to help! Her favorite past time though is stalking the birds...Lola...I think they can see you there...I don't think you're fooling anyone!
One of the big jobs we have every January is trimming the apple tree...we have only had a professional trim it back hard once...we try and take care of it ourselves...but it is a very big tree and it takes a few weeks to accomplish because we only have a 90 gallon recycling can that is picked up once a week...and there is far more to trim than that. Last week, we managed about 1/3 of the tree...this week 1/3 more...

but then...look! This is not supposed to be happening so soon!

All this crazy warm weather we have been having has had an effect on so many plants...and the apple tree too! We have to get this done this week for sure, because we can't trim to much after the blooms start...

Don is trimming all the long ones that stick up everywhere...our apple tree gets those suckers like crazy!

Then up top to get it thinned out a bit...

I thought I'd mow the lawn...it is still pretty dormant in the back, and we only mow it about once a month in the winter...I had help with this...

Lola decided that the mower was trouble and tried biting the wheels as I mowed...it was hard going...because she's very strong and actually pulled the mower by the wheel!

She decided Don could use some help with the blower too...

Here...I think you missed a spot!

We tried to wear her out a bit by playing ball...but I think I'm the one who got worn out...that is one of those Tuff balls and it is heavy...can you say sore shoulder...

Lola decided to rest a bit before she was off smelling everything in the yard...

The weather decided to change again...no surprise here and it is raining now...I'm glad we got out and got everything done before the rain came...

Thanks, Lola for all your help and love you gave us this weekend...we love when you stay with us...now did I hear someone say nap...

Enjoy the day, my friends, and remember to cherish the simple things in your life!

These hearts are for you...

I'm not really a big Valentine's person...it's not that I don't feel all the love and such...I just feel that it is over commercialized...and that's not what I remember about the day from my youth...but after visiting so many blogs with home made Valentine decorations...I feel a little differently...so I made a whole basket of love for my kitchen table...


These remind me of when I was small...and even when my boys were younger and we'd sit at the kitchen table with construction paper and doilies in hand and make Valentine cards...now that was fun!! So I got out some of the wool clothes that I picked up at the thrift shops, some floss, a little stuffing and the love of those little candy hearts just popped into my head...I don't really like the taste of the hearts any more...just the feeling...the memory of making our paper bags into beautiful card holders in school and the anticipation of how many cards we would get...and sometimes...a few candy hearts in the envelope! Now those were fun times!
Of course I must admit..February is a LOVE month to me anyway, because that is the month I married my wonderful husband...so, Don...all these hearts are for you!!
Enjoy the day, my friends and think back to simpler times and let me know your favorite Valentine's story...

Outdoor Wednesday...veggie style...

A few years ago, I read an interesting article about pre-Victorian gardens...back then, gardens were not so structured...they were a bit more free...sort of like a cottage garden but even more so...in a small yard, vegetables were mixed in where ever there was room...I like that idea. I live in the suburbs, so I don't have a huge yard and like all of you who like to have veggies in the garden...I do too. But the problem I faced was this big blank spot in the yard when nothing was growing...when the yard rested. Sure it was glorious all summer long, but then what? So I decided to change my thinking...go back to the old thinking and scatter my veggies all over the yard...it works for me. Here on the side of my house where I don't get a ton of sun...peas are growing...and yes...if you look closely...there is a pea! In January...a delicious...or so I hope...sugar snap pea! This was another experiment...I had seeds...plenty I might add..and it was warm in early December...and now there are peas!
Here on the same side in a very small spot I planted lettuce. I just planted it last week, so it is still struggling a bit. I planted seeds in December as well...but the lettuce didn't like all the rain and so the first batch didn't make it. I have hope for this batch...no rain in the forecast, so maybe it will take until the rain returns...oh and I hope we do get some more!

Artichokes are a favorite in our house and 3 years ago I planted these...they are doing pretty well I think. They are on the south side of my house in a small area under the windows, but it is the perfect size for them. They share the space with roses and black eyed Susans.

Strawberries...can you say yummy! Well...these strawberries are good, but they are very tiny...so I usually just leave them to the birds or munch a bit when I am gardening. These are volunteers...I think the birds had something to do with them...in fact...I have strawberries plants popping up in all kinds of places in my yard...but I don't mind...I'm not very structured when it comes to my garden...in fact sometimes it gets a little wild out there...but I like it like that!

I also noticed this weekend when I was gardening that there are flowers starting on our apple tree...it seems a bit early, but that's the thing about Southern California...the weather is never very predictable...and the plants as well as us have learned to adapt to the yo-yo weather...it has been warm for a couple weeks...but who knows what tomorrow will bring...

Enjoy the day, my friends and enjoy the small discoveries in your yard as well!

Oh..and go over to Susan's post and you can visit more Outdoor Wednesday!

A finished project...

I finished the pillow project I have been working on...it is going on my bed, but I had better lighting in another room, so I took the picture there.I have had this long pillow on my bed for some time and I thought it needed another cover. This one is split in the back and will come off when I want to change it. I make all my covers that way now. The blue print on the sides match the bed skirt I made for my bed a couple years ago...I thought it would be nice to bring more of that into the room.

It's another nice day here in Southern California, so I'm going out to garden for a few hours...

Have a wonderful day, my friends!!

More of Road to California...

As I promised...I'm back to show more of the wonderful quilts from Road to California...this is one of the judges Choice Award winners...I feel like I am looking out a window to a snowy landscape looking at this one...so perfect!
Another judges Choice Award winner...I loved this mosaic about her dog...

This one just made me smile...it's called Maynard...

I thought this one was incredible...imagine laying out all those tiny squares! Well...I can't!

This was simple but very pretty...

here is a close up of one of the stars...I love it!

I really like the look and colors of this one...it is so early American looking I think.

Of course we had to eat...I was starving by the time lunch came...California Pizza kitchen...Yummy!

What a cute boxed lunch...don't you think...it was a chopped barbecue chicken salad...and I know what you're thinking...that's a HUGE cookie...yes it was...but it made it's way to my husband's lunch...I could never eat all that chocolate...

I really liked this booth...everything was so pretty...even the sign...

she had all theses lovely romantic fabrics...

and the quilts...oh my...never in my wildest dreams could I make these...but I love them!

Look at the pink poodle in the corner...reminds me of when I was a little girl...

Even the Halloween quilt was pretty...such soft colors...

Heart to Hand is one of my favorites too...Here is last year's BOM...she was selling the patterns.

This is a new BOM...I really like this one too.

This is a quilt from Primitive Gatherings...this one I could try one day...because it is wool applique...we'll see...her booth was so crowded...it was hard to see everything and shop...

but look at all the luscious wool...kind of makes me drool...

This one I am going to have to make...I love everything about it...it is simple, yet colorful and happy...it will look perfect on my kitchen table. I had a great time...kept in my budget and came home with some great patterns and even a velveteen rabbit for Spring...I am finishing up a project for my bed that I will show you next time...until then...

enjoy the day, my friends!!

Road to California

It turned out to be a beautiful day yesterday...when I left my house I was a bit worried because it was windy...very windy...we had winds at 35 mph with 85mph gusts...it's miserable when it's like that...but as is often the case...I can drive a few miles and the wind is still...I think my house sits in a wind tunnel! Any way...here is the sky in front of the Ontario Convention Center...blue and very still...
Here's everyone waiting to get in...oh when will they open those doors...The show started promptly at 9:30 AM and there was so much to see. the vendors were down the two sides of two huge rooms with the quilts on display down the centers...we opted to look at the vendor booths first, but I'm going to show those photos in my next post...I wanted to just show some of the gorgeous quilts first...after all...these women put so much of their lives into these beauties...it's only fair...here are a few that amazed me...there are many more for another post...I will show you those later...here are just a few to start...


This quilt sort of spoke my language...normally I don't care so much for batik quilts...but this one would look perfect on the large wall above my sofa in the living room...it is very beautiful and of course you know how much I love flowers...

This very patriotic one was stunning. I tried to get a good photo of the hand quilting but my flash washed it out...it is incredible...but then I was in awe of so many...

This one was called "A not so plain Jane"...It reminded me of the quilts of the 1700's...it was 5000 pieces and all hand stitched and hand quilted...like I said...I'm in awe!

I smiled a lot while viewing this one...this couple is so funny...he is playing with his camera and she is applying lipstick...it looks more like a painting than fabrics...

This one too...it is made from a photograph taken in Italy...

Isn't this guy the cutest thing...

And of course...Mother Theresa...the quilting makes her face look so real...

Being so close to Mexico...there was quite a display of Dias de los muertas...Day of the dead...they are fascinating...this was a little display set up...with quilts and quilted pillows...

Here is one from that display...I thought it was cute...

This one was made from a photo taken in Mexico of a young girl playing in a box...the quilter said the little girl touched her, so she needed to make this...look at the ribbon she won!

Those are just a few for today...I will post more about the Road to California Quilt Show later...it was a fun day...but the crowds and slow walking all day long wore me out...all in all a wonderful experience...I met some nice ladies, ran into some gals I knew...and spent a great day with my sister...Thanks, Debbie...it was fun!

Enjoy the day, my friends...there is beauty all around around us!!