IN THE GARDEN

Let's take a peek at what's happening in the garden this week!

Something BAD happened in the garden yesterday. I had Petunia Pearl and Viola Rose out there with me while I gardened. They love being out there, and they chirp up a storm! I don't know how it happened, but somehow they got out of the cage. Thankfully Viola's wings had been clipped, so she can't fly and I was able to get her back in the cage. Last time I saw Petunia, she flew up into a tree. Viola sat outside in her cage for hours, awaiting Petunia's return, but she never came home. I miss her!

So here's what's blooming this week. Garden Loosestrife.


A lovely pink lacecap hydrangea.


Sizzlin' hot orange lilies!

And white lilies.

Several years ago I made a bunch of these cast cement leaf birdbaths. They aren't perfect like the ones you can buy, but the birds and squirrels and cats don't mind at all taking a sip of water from them!

I used big rhubarb leaves to make them.

A variety of sedum has even taken root inside one!

So that's what's blooming in the garden this week. I guess Viola and I will sit on the porch again tomorrow and wait some more......

4th of July Decorations For REDNESDAY!

I just love this graphic that Sue made last year, don't you?!
Well, I thought that I'd share some of my 4th of July decorations. I've gotten a really late start, because of vacation and the gardens.

But wait. WHERE DID I PUT THE 4TH OF JULY DECORATIONS LAST YEAR?!?!?! That looked just like me, for about 20 minutes, while I looked high and low, trying to remember what I must have been thinking when I put everything away. I knew that I wanted to put them somewhere safe, and apart from all of the other decorations. After some hyperventilating and counting to 100, I was able to remember!

I haven't gotten very much done, but that's OK, because it all stays up until after 9/11, so I've got time. The garland was super duper easy. I used coasters from the $$$ section at Michaels and cupcake liners from Hobby Lobby! Also up there is my Statue of Liberty collection, a Lincoln bust and an old bank.

Here's the top of the bookcase that I always decorate.

July birthday angels.

An old lunchbox.

A vintage Uncle Sam bank.

An old S&P set. Betsy Ross and the Bill of Rights guy.

Old postcards. The Statue of Liberty one in the upper row is my favorite!

Some of you probably already saw this Old Glory print from my vacation finds, but.......it's OLD GLORY!!!!

I got these vintage corsage bows from Joan last year. They need to go in a frame, and I could say that I've been looking for one for a solid year, but that would be a lie! Do you do that too? Pack stuff away, knowing that something needs to be fixed or changed? I hate when I do that!

American flags, Made In Japan. I always have a problem with things that are so obviously American being made in other countries. But these are vintage, and like alot of my favorite things, they are also MIJ, so I can make an exception!
If you would like to see lots more reds, and I'm betting some white and blue too, go visit Sue, our hostess for REDnesday, over at It's A Very Cherry World. I need to get off the computer and go decorate some more!

MY WEEKEND FINDS

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of My Weekend Finds, the continuing saga of one girl's quest for more junk!
I finally hit a pretty decent estate sale. I was #23 on the list, which didn't please me very much, but I got in with the first herd of people, so I was happy!
An old McCoy planter. For 50 Cents!


Two boxes of Santa mugs, $1 a box.

These ornaments are by no means old, but they're still pretty and I'm determined that THIS is the year that I will make an ornament wreath!

Lots of old Halloween and Thanksgiving diecuts.

I don't get along with real squirrels, but these diecuts are pretty darn cute.

50 cents for a bag full of these old valentines.

Lots and lots of vintage Dennison seals.

I think this sweet little witch diecut is my favorite find. When I found her in the Halloween box, I didn't even bother trying not to squeal with delight. I held her up for all to see and said, "Isn't she SO cute?!". All of the dudes checking out the fishing poles did not share my enthusiasm!

Some vintage Avon goodies that I remember from my childhood.

I've come to a conclusion that I know alot of you have also come to. That you can't possibly keep all of the great things that you find at sales, and have to start selling it. So starting very soon, I'm going to do some major decluttering, via Ebay. I'll put a link on my sidebar when I get started. It's going to feel so good to be unburdened by so much stuff!

My other favorite find. A Fortune Telling Birthday Book.

It was published in 1938, and if your birthday is June 27th, here is your fortune.
I hope fortune smiled on you over the weekend, and you found some treasures too!

IN THE GARDEN-PINK!

Let's take a peek at what's happening in the garden this week!

I finally got the garage windowbox planted. It used to be red like the shutters, but I'm tired of so much red. REDnesday friends, please pick yourselves up off the floor! You know I do love red, but I like other colors too! So I painted it white and I hated it for a while but now it's starting to grow on me.

Pink Astilbe and some Hostas.

I dug up some suckers from my Grandma's rosebush many years ago, and it's just starting to bloom.

A Duchess of Albany Clematis. I have never known a Clematis to be invasive, but this thing comes up in places besides where I planted it every year.

It was my late father-in-law's, and it is pretty darn cute, so I guess it can stay.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed, trying to keep up with the gardens. It's a never-ending battle with Mother Nature, and she kicks my butt every time! Some days I just want to drop my pruning shears and my Deep Woods OFF and head for the beach.

I sure could use a crew like this! They don't look like they would be paralyzed with fear by the little patch of poison ivy I spotted yesterday.....

REDNESDAY-Vacation Finds

Happy First Day Of Summer! I don't know what it's like by you, but here it's a balmy 86. Definitely summer weather, although a perfect summer day to me is no hotter than 75!

I thought I'd share more finds from our vacation. At one garage sale, on every table there was a beautiful vintage tablecloth, underneath all of the things for sale. Unfortunately the seller wouldn't part with any of them, but as luck would have it, at the very next sale, I found this beauty with the red border and pink flowers for 75 cents!

My grandparents always had a can of hard candy sitting out at Christmastime, and this one was in the free box, so I figured it needed to come home with me. Love the sweet old Ten Commandments book too.

It was pretty obvious to me, if not to Mr. Old Glory, that this vintage print just had to make the trip back to Old Glory Cottage!

This canisters are in pretty sad shape, but they have RED GINGHAM BOWS on them! I'll probably just use them for storage. If you'd like to see a set in lots better shape, check out Mecky's!

And if you'd like to see more red things, head over to It's A Very Cherry World, where Sue hosts Rednesday every week. Oh, and have a great First Day Of Summer!