Tuesday, May 31, 2011

NEW OLD PICTURES AND EXPLANATIONS
















THANKS FOR THE INQUIRY INTO WHAT'S IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE SECOND PICTURE ON THE LAST POST!



SINCE THE GARDEN IS NOWHERE NEAR AS NEAT AND PRETTY AS IN OTHER YEARS, I DECIDED TO DO WHAT I DID TWO POSTS AGO AND RUN MORE PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR FOR ALL YOU WHO ARE NEW TO FOLLOWING MY BLOG. IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE POST BEFORE LAST, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK FOR ANOTHER VIEW OF A CORNER OF THE GARDEN AND MY FAVORITE LITTLE GIRLS.



WHAT YOU WERE SEEING ON THE LAST POST IS AN OLD QUEEN SIZED IRON BED FRAME. I BOUGHT IT AT A GARAGE SALE AND USUALLY HANG A LACE TABLECLOTH OVER THE TOP AND CURTAINS AT THE CORNERS. THIS GIVES DIFFUSED LIGHT FOR READING OUT THERE. THE BED FRAME IS BURIED PART WAY IN THE SOIL AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR 5 YEARS OR SO NOW. IT'S LIKE A LITTLE GARDEN ROOM WITH CHAIRS AND A TABLE INSIDE!


AS FOR THE BOTTLE VASES, I SAW THE IDEA AND LOVED IT. I TOOK WIRE AND TWISTED IT AROUND THE NECK AS TIGHTLY AS I COULD--NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS--AND THEN AROUND THE POSTS. HOPE YOU ENJOYED TOURING MY LAST YEAR'S GARDEN!


I'VE BEEN 'CLOSING IN' ON BOOK THREE IN MY SERIES--I REALLY AM FINALLY ALMOST READY TO GO TO PRINT! PRAY FOR ME ON THIS! Blessings, LORI










Friday, May 27, 2011

MY LATEST RECLAIMED JUNK

HOW DO YOU LIKE MY NEWEST GARDEN JUNK?

Lo and behold, I found some bottles in a ravine where some junk had been dumped on our new property. I snatched these old glass bottles to use as garden vases.

I really like them and think they will add a bit of interest to the garden.

I have old plates that I usuallly bury halfway in the borders, so bottles seemed like an appropriate addition. I haven't gotten the plates out yet this year and might not. The garden is really at its peak right now and if last year was an indicator, it's all downhill from here. We'll see. Hope you enjoyed this garden update! Blessings, LORI




Sunday, May 22, 2011

A YEAR AGO...OR THE GIRLS I MISS SO MUCH!



I couldn't resist doing a post on what we were up to a year ago. Mother's Day Sunday last year was dedication day for my two granddaughters. Some of you who now follow my blog weren't with me last year and didn't see these. They are some of my favorite pictures of the girls.


I've been longing for my granddaughters so much lately. I suddenly realized that last year about this time (actually a few weeks ago) we were having a special Sunday--their dedication at church. I had spent lots of hours making them special dresses out of the same fabrics. Their "coats"--Emma's bolero and Sophie's long ruffled coat were made of flannel backed satin. Their main dresses were a rosy fabric covered with a sheer overlay and edged with lace. Emma's dress had an ornately decorated ribbon waistline. My dress was new too, one I had made from Folkwear's Afternoon Tea Dress Pattern representative of the early 1900's dresses.


There's nothing I love better than taking pictures by a fully blooming spirea bush (see my book, The Fields of May) and last year my spirea out by my English Garden was in full bloom two weeks earlier. It's just now starting since we've had such a cold spring!


It's amazing how much the girls grew and changed in just one year and how much gray-er Granny got and how much more the garden is out of control! Thanks for sharing these special moments with me once again! Blessings, LORI





Wednesday, May 18, 2011

ANOTHER BOUQUET

I'VE BEEN LONGING TO POST, BUT WAS GONE FOR FOUR DAYS THIS WEEK TO LIBRARY TRAINING WAY UP NORTH. THE LOVELY LODGE WE STAYED AT HAD NO PUBLIC COMPUTER, BUT THE VIEWS AND ACCOMMODATIONS WERE WONDERFUL. SO I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN CHECK MY EMAIL ALL WEEK. I WAS TAKING THE TRAINING FOR THE FIRST LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION. NOW, I SHOULD BE WAY SMARTER HERE AT THE END OF THE WEEK THAN I WAS AT THE FIRST! TRUTHFULLY, I DID LEARN SOME VALUABLE THINGS.

HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE OF A BOUQUET FROM OUR YARD AND GARDENS. WE ARE ENJOYING THE SPRING FLOWERS AFTER SUCH A LONG, COLD, DAMP, WINTER AND SPRING. WHEN I GOT HOME, I WAS AMAZED AT HOW THE TREES HAD LEAFED OUT AND FLOWERS POPPED OPEN IN JUST FOUR DAYS.

WHAT'S IN BLOOM IN THE GARDEN RIGHT NOW? SHASTA DAISIES, FORGET-ME-NOTS, LILY OF THE VALLEY, LILAC, HONEYSUCKLE, IRIS, SWEET WILLIAM, CANDYTUFT, AND DANDELIONS--WELL, I HAD TO INCLUDE THE HUMBLE DANDELION! Blessings, LORI

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A TRIBUTE TO THE DUTCH




I have been anxious to post some pictures of our "Dutch" items! Two days ago, Rhiannon and I went to the annual tulip festival in Holland, Michigan. This is now becoming a yearly event for us since we loved it so much last year.





The tulips we bought last year and waited with suspense to see are finally blooming--in fact, they're almost done! This bouquet is only IN my house because they were getting to the last stage. Doesn't the arrangement match the vase perfectly? The vase was a gift from Germany given to me by a good friend and exchange student from high school days. The bluebells were transplanted from Clint's grandma's last spring. The other flowers are ones that popped out in my garden just this week.



The other picture is my latest painting. It is a very amateur rendition of the almost 200 year old authentic Netherlands windmill on Windmill Island in Holland. This was done from a photograph we took last year. Artists were there this year doing beautiful work around the island. I watched a pastel drawing of the wonderful flowers and museum being done. Windmill Island is my favorite part of the tulip festival--except for the WONDERFUL costumes that people were wearing, each from a specific province of the Netherlands. I fell in love with the colorful dresses.

I purchased some patterns while there.....a seamstress can't resist. I was especially intrigued and tried to find a costume for one certain province since I learned that my 5th or 6th great grandfather was born in Holland--a fact I had absolutely no knowledge of and would have never guessed until Rhiannon did all the genealogy this past year! I am still searching for the costume from his native province. Hope you enjoyed this little visit of color--I hope to post more pictures from our trip soon. Blessings, LORI