Stop and smell the roses...

 As I was trimming and cleaning one of the beds in my yard to day...I noticed all the roses in full bloom...they are so pretty and many of them smell just so darn good!

 As I've said in past posts...I know very little about roses...just that I like them...and they seem to like me!

 My roses don't have fancy names or pedigrees...most of them came from Trader Joes or Home Depot...

 Many are miniature...some are big...I have many shades of pink...

 And I do enjoy them so much...I hope you enjoyed them too! These are not all of them...but I din't venture out of the back yard...

No...this is not a rose...but when I was snapping close ups...I looked up and took in the beauty of our birch trees...these give my yard so much shade...and I love them too!! We have six birch trees in our back and side yard...they are glorious trees...they blow gently in the wind...which we get a LOT of...give privacy to our back and side yards...and make us feel like we're in our own secret garden. 

I hope you have something in your own yard that makes you feel as happy as I do...I adore being outside...and gardening is what I do...some people think I work all the time in my yard...but its not work to me...its pure joy!!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Something new...and a bunch of blah, blah, blah...

 I took a class at a quilt shop the last couple of Mondays...we made this bag...its called a Boston Bag. I wanted to try something outside of my normal totes and purses I design myself...this class was interesting...but it made me do things completely different than I normally do...

 I chose a bold fabric...the teacher said it looks best that way...

 I decided once I got home to add a fabric flower to it...it need something...

 It's the first time I used store bought straps...I changed the tabs when I got home too...I wasn't thrilled with how we made them...so mine are a little bigger and I sewed an X for extra strength...

 Here's a peek at the inside...there's no pockets...I wanted to add them but the instructor didn't have them on her pattern...so by the time I wanted to add them...it was too late...but that's alright...this is a very large bag...more like an overnight...or carry on bag...I can just use some zipper bags inside for small items...I do that a lot anyway...I have been trying to think of ways to make this using a different way...I have it figured out except for one part...I need to think more about it...I'd like to make it again...For gifts...to sell...not sure...but I will have to do it my way...their way took way too long....... 

 Don's been busy too...he added this aqua color to his colors...this particular bird hook has been a very popular one for him...he bought quite a few hooks and has made them in a few different colors...funny thing is...he went to get paint to expand his colors...liked this one and then this month when we got both Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living magazines...this color was the "Hot" color...who knew??? It looks kind of baby blue here...but its got more green in it...its a really pretty color...

 Another first this week...I made a different back pack...this one is going to my next door neighbor's Grandson...I am changing the straps next time though...I decided to make some of these for both boys and girls to add to my Etsy shop...it was fun...and the first time I have used grommets...lots of firsts this week!!

 Something else new this week...these are polka dot plants...I bought them last Fall to add some extra color to the garden for the wedding reception...and since it was so late in the year...I couldn't be picky...I thought they were very pretty too. Anyway...they were listed as an annual...you never know in my area if things are a true annual or not...they died back in about December...and this week they started coming back up...

Here's another one! They are each a little different...they will end up about 12-15 inches tall I think...and add color to a shady area. I think some people use them as house plants.

School is going well...we had to take a test to advance in both Math and Reading...I think I was supposed to take it at the beginning and never did...Don and I both scored very high...I didn't really think there would be a problem...but one never knows...so we are ready to move to the next class. We sort of go at our own pace...I like that. In other news...we finally got Office 2013 added to my laptop...so glad about that...I was working off a 2003 program...my laptop is only a few months old but I didn't want to buy a new office suite...but after taking the computer class...I realized I needed too. I know...I know...you're thinking...Gee they lead an exciting life! So with that...I will stop my blabbering...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Lots of veggies and Coral Bells too...

Look!! We have our first tomatoes of the year growing...these are from a new type we tried this year...Amish tomatoes. They are supposed to be a little oblong salad tomato...I can't wait to try them!

 Peppers too...although they are quite tiny now...but soon...very soon...

 We have been eating red leaf lettuce everyday...

 along with curly kale...

 and romaine...yummy! These loose leaf guys have been on countless sandwiches, burgers and salads...Don says I do like my salad and he's right...I love salad!

I know these aren't veggies...but I wanted to show you a close up of the Coral Bells that are blooming. They are a bit more coral than this picture shows...but they are so delicate and pretty!

I've been pretty busy here...gardening, sewing...and school. I am also taking a class at a quilt shop...I hope to get my project finished at tomorrow's class...then I'll show you what I'm making. I spent two days this week re-organizing and cleaning up my sewing area...I am trying to make it so I don't mess up the entire house when I am in the middle of a project! I have a small house...so that's easy to do! Don has been making  lots of new succulent boxes...I am trying to get as many as I can planted...I have been rooting so many babies...since we sold so many at our last show...we decided to make a lot more this time. We added some new colors too...yellow, orange and pink...I think they will be very nice once the succulents are planted and fill in...OK...OK...I know I'm just blabbering now...so...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Some wonderful visitors...

It is a hub of activity in my neck of the woods these days....lots of friends have stopped by for a visit...some stay for a treat...some for a day or two...some for months and then there are those who are here year round...this is a Grosbeak...he will just stay a short time...maybe a week or two... 

 They are pretty much just passing through...I read that they like a more wooded area...they pass through every year about this time...migrating to the north I suppose...or maybe just to the local mountains...I'm not sure...but I enjoy watching them while they visit...they are always welcome! Such beauties!!

 This isn't a very good picture...sorry...this is a Scrub Jay...they are my permanent guests...here all year long...they feast on peanuts in the shell and sunflower seeds...some fruit too. I think we have about 8 regular jays that are here every day...They love hiding peanuts everywhere...and we like watching them...they each have such different personalities...I sometimes think we can tell them apart! I can't tell the difference from the male and female...like the Mourning Doves...they both look the same to me...they are characters though and I can get very close...they wait on the branch by the feeder each morning for a treat! 

 This tiny little guy is a finch...we have red, yellow and orange ones here...they are so noisy! They stay all year long and live in a very big bush right off our back porch...sometimes I think they are getting used to me...then the next day...they fly away the minute I open the back door! 

 And now for my favorite...yet the most shy of all...the Hooded Orioles...or as Don calls them...Mr. and Mrs. Cal...you will get that if you are a baseball fan! This is Mrs. Cal...a pretty yellow with gray...they feast on sugar water...like the hummingbirds...and oranges and grape jelly...this is a special feeder I got for them a few years ago when I first spotted them hanging off the hummingbird feeders! The finches have a fondness for grape jelly and oranges too...come to think of it the finches like everyone's treats!

 Mrs. Cal doesn't mind sharing...

 But she prefers to eat alone...the orioles take turns at the feeder...I never see the make and female together...someone needs to watch their nest I suppose! They nest in fan palm trees...and weave their nests from part of the dried up frond...their nest sort of hang from the trees...they stay here from about April through late July...they come all the way from South America to winter here...

This is Cal...isn't he wonderful! I am always amazed by the colors of these guys...there is a very large stand of palm trees a block or so away from here...so I think that's their home...I always make sure they have plenty to snack on! These are all the friends that would be still enough for pictures...I hope you enjoyed my friends!

I would like to take a moment to mention the tragedy in Texas...I understand that Law Enforcement has no clue yet to what caused the explosion...they are in my prayers...it is a horrible situation coming so soon after the Boston Bombing. Please keep the victims of both tragedies in your prayers...and if you able too...help them out.

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

A little front yard gardening...

 Today I was a busy little bee in the front flower beds...

 My lavender bush was buzzing with friends...they were nice enough to move as I trimmed...lavender is calming...do you think it calms the bees too?? I wonder.....

 This time of year everything is growing so fast...I have pretty much a cottage type garden yard...where everything kind of goes where it wants...but sometimes things get a bit crazy out here...

 Some of the plants get a bit too aggressive and crowd others out...so I mediate...and trim...everyone needs a bit more elbow room...

 Poor St. Francis...he was getting swallowed up by the lamb's ear...this happens every year...it is getting ready to bloom...soon the bees will move over here....

 I like a colorful yard...so I just plant everything...and some things just plant themselves...I'm not picky...I just don't go for tropical...in my yard...many things that are considered annuals just come back by themselves...or stay...they do not read the package that says they are just here for the season...and I am a big seed collector too...I just scatter everywhere...and take what I get!

 The hummingbirds and carpenter bees love this red sage...I have a bunch of these...they are very drought tolerant...like most things here...they have to be...

 This rose bush if full of buds...

 And this is growing everywhere! It is one of those aggressive ladies...they range from this light color to a very dark blue....

 The larger white flowers are sun Runuculas...I don't know if I spelled that right...they like the sun and bloom much later than the other ones...I planted these bulbs about 3 years ago...they bloom like crazy...the smaller ones are mums...snow carpet or something like that...I'm terrible at remembering all these gals names...they come back year after year...everywhere there's a patch of dirt!

 They are crowing out this pink lady...but she doesn't seem to mind...

Here's my favorite part of the front...my red Japanese Maple...isn't she stunning!! I have another in the back...they were a very big splurge several years ago...and I couldn't be happier ...unless of course I had more!!She's in a happy mood right now since all her leaves are new and pretty...

It's hard to come inside after spending all day out here...but...other things need to be done...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Little Golden Memories...

 Funny how when we get to a certain age...things from our past flood back so many memories. I found this Little Golden Book at the flea market on Sunday...I had to buy it. It was printed in 1942...well before my birth...but the memory of reading these to my boys when they were small just made me smile and want this book...

 I love this boy and girl...so wholesome...

 His little face reminds me of my oldest son at that age...funny how sometimes we have to have something because of the emotion attached to it!

 The pages of the book are filled with wonderful illustrations...

 And all our favorite Nursery Rhymes...

At the bottom of all the nursery rhymes are black and white illustrations...so sweet!

I just had to share this sweet find with you...it only cost a couple dollars...less than a brand new one I think...I actually haven't opened one of these little books in years...my sons are in their 30's...no Grand children yet...but I think I need to share this with a special child sitting in my lap...singing the songs and having some fun together. 

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!