Too Neutral

With apologies to everyone who loves Oil Rubbed Bronze and/or Rust--they have their place but I'm finding they just don't show up in my garden.

Like this adorable dog planter. He's lived at our house for years and no one ever notices him. Doesn't matter whether he's inside or out--he's basically invisible.

 

Poor little guy.

I decided it was time for a drastic change. Spray paint to the rescue.

 

(Look! He's started smiling. I think he approves.)

No more Mr. Invisible.

 

He's got personality now!

He shows up anywhere I put him.

 

I'm pondering giving the white a bit of Zsa-Zsa treatment. Any suggestions? Polka dots? Colored trim?

As long as I had the paint out...

 

I thought my little rust birds deserved some attention too.

A few coats of Ivory craft acrylic instead of spray paint (just in case I decide to revert to rust, all I'll have to do is scrub them in hot water) while I was watching the Espana take on Portugal in the World Cup and whoo-hoo!

 

Rosemary and Basil Fawlty aren't shy anymore.

A paint convert,


I don't know why it took me so long to find some other cherry-red loving bloggers but I'm joining the REDnesday party!

Rose Babies

It's mini-rose season! Ya gotta love roses that come from the grocery store, get plunked carelessly in the yard, and are trouble-free compared to regular roses. Cold can't touch them. They bloom wildly. They're so little and cute I want to pinch their little baby cheeks!

Spunky orange

Soft apricot

Soft, soft pink

Glowing orange

Cheerful yellow

Even our cool Spring and delayed Summer can't slow down the mini roses. Thank heavens!


Come check out more fleurs and potagers here.

My Guideposts - Week25

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

~Buddha

LAX during a holiday season, arrived only an hour ahead, incredibly long check-in line, missed our original flight.  What could have been a rocky ending to our trip ended up being a memorable sunset dinner with a scenic waterfront view during our layover at the Oakland Airport.  Just thinking about that meal makes me smile and relax.

Sometimes those irritating roadbumps turn out to be unasked blessings if you go with the flow!

Sunny Sunday Smiles from


Join me in visiting Notes from A Cottage Industry for other inspirational quotes.

Glued To My TV

Every four years my schedule revolves around World Cup TV coverage. I can recite the schedule for ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ABC by heart. (I know, I know, I could be doing other things but I'd rather watch soccer.)

The U.S. is seriously taking years off my life by giving up early goals.  I've been a soccer mom/coach/ref/fan for too long to forgive "silly mistakes".

Still, they do have their moments.  If there were style points in soccer, I'd award some to this goal.
Love his field vision and the way he buried the ball in the top of the net.


I just about died through ninety-one frustrating minutes of missed chances against Algeria.

Saturday morning I'm going to be riding that roller coaster every soccer fan knows about, the one that jerks emotions and plays with a country's hopes.  It doesn't matter if you cheer for soccer powers like Brasil and Italia or upstarts like the USA and New Zealand, apparently the roller coaster comes free of charge.

Offering sacrifices to the Soccer gods,

Celebrating Summer

Summer means Queen Elizabeth roses and pink petunias, home-grown cherry tomatoes and green filet beans, al fresco breakfasts and barbecued dinners, long days and warm nights, crickets and ladybugs, no school bells and no paychecks, walks with Kharma and hikes with friends, strawberries and blueberries from Costco, books from the Paperback Exchange and Saturday morning yard sales, seven summer birthdays to celebrate, two-liter bottles of Diet Mountain Dew and pitchers of lemon water, family visits, naps in the hammock, and five gazillion projects to choose from each day.

It's anticipation rather than an alarm clock that wakes me each morning.  I love-love-love creating my own schedule!  I focus on three daily goals--time for exercise, good healthy food choices, and a solid achievement of some sort.  Some days I'm so energized that my feet don't stop from the time they hit the floor in the morning till I put my jammies on at bedtime.  I become a multi-tasking whirlwind--juggling garden chores, livestock, craft projects, sewing, housework and home repair and still working in some "me" time.

I want to look back with satisfaction at summer's end and know I filled it with enough good memories to last until the next summer vacation rolls around.

I love summer.

My Guideposts - Week24

Manual labor to my father was not only good and decent for it's own sake but, as he was given to saying, it straightened out one's thoughts.

~Mary Ellen Chase

My father and I had bedtime stories and games, holidays and camping expeditions--but to this day I think of my dad with gratitude when I grab a tool.  I can feel him looking calmly over my shoulder reminding me by example not to get impatient.  And when the job is finally done, I know the credit is his not mine.

Wishing you a Father's Day filled with warm memories,

Silver Spoons and More Creamy Whites

You know how you see something and get seriously tempted?  I was browsing at my favorite vintage store here in The Biggest Little City and became enamored by a display of silverware. "Only a dollar each", I thought to myself, "so worth it!"  

Then I realized that somewhere at home I already possessed silver teaspoons handed down from various elders.   (I'm a softy for old laces and linens, embroidered tea towels, the odd china plate and silverware.  I guess it's nice for grandparents and great-aunts to know someone will cherish their treasures no matter if it's bent, scratched, stained or cracked--just adds character--or mint perfect.)  Somehow I'd put away my vintage silverware and forgotten about it.

So I went "shopping" in my china cabinet and came up with a nice selection of silver-plated spoons. So far I've discovered that Cheerios taste better eaten from a silver spoon as do strawberries.  I suspect peach cobbler and ice cream are going to be a bit more special this summer as well.

 

Adding to our dining pleasure, my last foray at the nearest thrift store turned up another white salad plate for the lovingly-mismatched collection accidentally started by Mrs. Santa.  I love the perfect amount of embossing on this plate.  Some have so much relief that they're more decorative than useful.  And the fruit theme is so perfect for summertime!

What do you do to turn an ordinary day into something magical?  Do tell!

With a smile,


Come visit the party--so much creativity!