Thriller, Filler, and Spiller Vintage Wicker Porch Basket

Hello my friends,

 

Spring has arrived and Easter will be here soon!

 

Hopping into Easter. . .

Hello my friends, and welcome spring!

 

Don't you just love this time of year?  Spring has always been my favorite season.  I think it has a lot to do with the awakening of so much beauty after a long cold winter.

 

 

 

Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home has been such a blessing in my life!  She has kept me blogging.  I often think I'll do a post, but then the lack of energy wins and it doesn't happen.  A big thank you to her for inviting me to participate in this Easter blog hop!

Playing with Green and Dreaming of Spring

 

 

 

Hello my friends,

March has arrived and although we got covered in snow again, spring is growing near!

 

 

Cloche Encounters of the Bird Kind. . .

Hello my friends,

 

Spring is very unpredictable in Utah.  One day will be warm and sunny and two days later we find ourselves waking up to snow.

 

But one thing that I've noticed is that the birds don't seem to mind.  They remain confident that spring will return.  They know that the snow won't last long and the sun will shine again soon.

 

 

I love walking outside to hear them chirping their merry tunes.

 

 

 

 

Out on the Porch for Spring.

 

Hello my friends,

Spring has arrived and it has finally been warm enough that I could decorate the front porch.

 

Treasures and Trinkets Tuesday. . .Easter Smalls in My Tiered Tray

 

Hello my friends and happy Spring!

 

Yup, according to the calendar; spring has arrived.

 

I'm looking forward to spending time in the garden doing clean spring up.  I just love getting down and dirty!!  :)

 

I know that I have shared my tiered tray with you before.  However, it remains to be one of my favorite pieces to style for holidays.

 

Playing with Plants and Purple Planters. . .

Hello my friends,

Happy St. Patty's Day!

We arrived home last Tuesday afternoon about 4:00 after our almost two week road trip to Texas.  Surprisingly,  we were greeted with lovely 60 degree weather.

Knowing that we would need to stop and buy milk I suggested we go to Wal-mart.

I had an alternative motive.  :)  They just happen to have a garden center as well.

The next day I found myself playing with plants and purple planters.  (Say that three times fast) lol!

Village Peeps. . .

Hello my friends,

Spring is only a week away and I wanted to share some of my new village peeps with you.

Last year I created three glitter Easter houses.  I've found a few new peeps that are now hanging around town. 

Peter Rabbit and Friends. . .

Hello my friends,

have you seen the new 'Peter Rabbit' movie?

We just got home from taking one of our granddaughters to see it.  A bit corny in places, but the kid in me loved it!



May Day Baskets. . .

Happy May Day my friends!

 

May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere

spring festival.

 

In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made for May Day, a celebration of Spring. May Day Baskets are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone’s doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away.

 

 

Believe it or not, last week I had to traipse out into the snow to cut these Lilacs for my May Day basket.

Today is a gorgeous sunny day and the Lilacs are still

 looking pretty.

 

 

This sweet May Day basket is a paper Mache floral container.  Both it and the hat box were created by my talented hairdresser.  I pull them out every year for May Day.

 

This morning I stepped outside to snap a photo of my

May Day bucket.

 

 

And look what greeted me on my front porch.

A darling bird planter!  Although it was left there anonymously I knew exactly who it was from.  My sweet friend, Karen has a tradition of delivering a May Day basket to many of her family and friends on the last night of April.

 

Last year she gifted us with something similar to this.

I was able to plant the flowers in my outdoor pots and they thrived.

 

 

 

I searched Pinterest and am sharing some of my favorite

May Day baskets.

 

 

 

 

Happy May Day!!

 

hugs,

Jann

Bad Hair Day

Every year for Easter I plant pots of grass. It helps to bring a bit of Spring into my home. This year they all seem to be having a ‘BAD HAIR DAY’! Every time I look at them they make me giggle just a little.

Bad hair day or not, they still managed to find a place among my Easter décor.

This one seems to be enjoying himself (hmm…maybe it’s a she) next to my cute little toad stools.

I’m sure that my chocolate bunny wishes that he could escape to that field of grass he spies just outside his window. So sorry Mr. bunny, not gonna happen!

This one has got to be the most hilarious of them all!

I planted this one to go outside on my porch. What happened to ‘WELCOME SPRING’? I’m sure that you couldn’t help but notice that snow in the background. That’s Utah for ya!

No matter what the weather my little pots of green grass bring me joy and make me smile!

Spring. . .

Is it Spring yet?

It certainly felt like it yesterday. So much so that I found myself pulling a few weeds that were sneaking their little heads out.

My hubby and I were taking the lights out of the trees and I just couldn’t resist.

Can’t wait to see the bees and the humming birds!

Don’t all of these little things make you anxious for Spring?

Let’s Get Organized

This time of year while waiting for Spring to arrive I get a bit antsy. Therefore I look for things to occupy my time.

I have always been a buy ahead kind of lady. Whenever I see a good sale or something that would work for a birthday or Christmas present for the upcoming year I pick it up.

Ever since we moved into our new home a year and a half ago I have been shoving these ‘bargain’ items onto a shelf area in the back of our walk-in closet.

I took a good look at it the other day and thought, ‘It’s time to get organized!

Is this a conglomerated mess or what?

I dug right in, picked up some baskets and ‘got organized’.

Does this look better or what?

I found the baskets at Costco. No great bargain, $20 for two, but they fit the space perfectly.

Snagged these cute little bird tags at ‘The Emporium’ salon where I get my hair cut, 50 cents each; can’t beat that! My bathroom has a bird theme so they worked great.

I labeled each basket with the names of my grandchildren.

I finished my give-away wreath so I will post a pic tomorrow with a couple of other projects I’ve been working on.

Until then, find some time and GET ORGANIZED!

Even if it’s just a little something – It feels great!

Found Treasures

Our Get Away to St. George was just what the Dr. ordered. It may have only been 51 degrees, but that was a heck of a lot warmer than here in Alpine. The only problem is, it felt like Spring and I came home with a bad case of Spring Fever!

Finding this turquoise rake at my favorite store “Urban Renewal” certainly got me yearning for some Spring clean-up. I also found this vintage sewing machine. It’s hard to tell, but it is chocolate brown. How SWEET is that? Can’t wait to display it in my sewing room!

‘Valentines’ décor finds at TJ Maxx and More. The BEST TJ store, I think!

How could I resist this darling turquoise polka-dot tiered dish? Look, it even matches my quilt on my table. No wonder I “had to have it!” They had lots of darling dishes that went with it. It was so hard to refrain myself from buying them. I am such a sucker for pretty dishes!

This pillow with garden sentiments knew that one look is all it took. It practically jumped into my cart all by itself.

Life back in the real COLD world isn’t quite the same. But until we run-a-way again or Spring arrives, looking at my found treasures will have to suffice.

R.I.P.

"Oh, what a difference a day can make!"

A week ago Monday I mowed the lawn. The next morning I woke up to a skiff of snow on the lawn. The following morning I woke up to a BLANKET of snow covering the lawn. Then this Monday I mowed the lawn again. All I can say is, 'welcome to FAll in Utah'. Definately, unpredictable and can change quickly from day to day. As I was pulling up annuals and squash vines I couldn't help but contemplate on the coming of Spring. Crazy I know, but as I began preparing the garden for the coming snow my mind seemed to wander. I found myself already contemplating the daily ritual I do every March and April. That is of strolling the garden to see which Spring bulbs and perennials have dared to poke their heads out first. Well, until that time arrives I know that they will be snuggled up underneath that blanket of snow. A blanket that will definately last for more than a day. Until Spring arrives one thing I would like to say to my sleeping plants is, 'may you REST in PEACE!'

Good Morning Vietnam!

Vuong Duc Binh and his wife

Their homeland

They call this fruit beautiful girl

flower of New Year

Angel Hair

This post is dedicated to one of my followers Vuong Duc Binh and his wife who live in Vietnam. I have no idea how he stumbled across my simple little blog, but I have enjoyed conversing with him from time to time. Last August he sent me some pictures of flowers and vines growing on his homeland. As I anxiously await the arrival of Spring, (I even have a count down on my chalkboard that I am marking off the days), I can't help think about him and his wife and wonder if flowers are still blooming there. Do they have a cold season, or is it always warm? The pictures that he sent reminded me of a tropical paradise. At times I have wished that I lived somewhere warm where I could garden all year long. But then every Fall I find myself a bit worn out and actually looking forward to putting the gardens to rest. I wonder, do they have to tend to their plants all year long or does mother nature do it for them. Just something to think about while I await the arrival of Spring. Daffodils are a comin!!

p.s. Don't forget to leave a comment on My "Luck of the Irish" post so that you will be included in my March 17th give-away!

Patience is a Virtue!

Growing up I always remember my mother saying "Patience is a virtue"whenever us girls became impatient. It's a quote that I found myself saying to my own children quite often. Now I am saying it to my grandchildren. This time of year I myself become very anxious for Spring and have to recite this quote in my mind periodically. As I thought about it this week my mind wandered to some of the things that I do to pass the time until Spring arrives. I thought I would share them with you.

1. Browse through garden books and get ideas of projects I might want to do in my yard. Being in a new house, there are many. Again, PATIENCE I know that I can only do a little at a time. Actually, that is half the fun. Contemplating the next project.

2.Order plants or seeds that are a bit unusual or different than what I normally have. I have my favorites that I have to plant every year. This year deer resistant plants are on the top of my list.

3. Occassionally I take a stroll around the yard to see what little plants have started to poke their heads out. Yesterday I noticed a few of my daffodils are coming up, YEAH!

4. Just getting out and raking or pulling a few little weeds seems to give me a lift. Ya, I know crazy! There's just something about getting my hands into that dirt that rejuvenates me. Blame it on my parents.

5. Decorate my home in Spring colors. This year I've done a green, black, yellow and pink thing. Each time I enter into my great room the colors seem to brighten my day. One of my dear friends brought me some pink tulips and I love them!

6. Take a mini trip to somewhere warm. Off to St. George for a few days. I definately think this will do the trick.

Where the Wild Things Roam

We are quickly learning to love our new home. The only problem is so are a few wild things. I have a feeling that they have lived in this area long before our arrival.
We discovered that a doe and a baby fawn live behind our side yard where it is just a patch of tall grass. I am posting a few pics but the fawn is a little hard to see because it stays hidden in the foilage. We have a three point and a four point buck that think our backyard is a regular trail to who knows where they are going. They cross through it almost daily. They certainly don't feel at all threatened by our existance. Maybe they don't realize that bow season is upon them. Then again, maybe they're just smart enough to know that there's no hunting inside city limits.
One of my friends sisters told me that someone that was looking at a house by ours wandered out into the tall grass and discovered cougar cubs. Luckily, we have seen no sign of them or their protective mother. A week or so ago we had a bunch of quail and their babies in our backyard. Right now I am loving the opportunity of sighting these magnificent creatures. Next spring however, I may not be so excited to see them munching on my newly planted trees and flowers. Oh well, as Scarlet said in 'Gone with the Wind'. "I don't want to think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow "(or next Spring) and just enjoy them for now.