IN THE GARDEN!

It's time to check out what's happening in the garden this week!
I finally found the flowers that I was looking for to plant in my little galoshes: pink begonias and blue lobelia. That blue butterfly is a light that was in our daughter's room when she was a little girl, and now it's a "night light" by the back door.

This chair was all chippy and in desperate need of a new paint job.

Now it's RED!

And it holds an old enamel bowl full of a variety of sedum.

And the frame surrounding the sign that certifies our backyard as a wildlife habitat got a whitewashing.

Tulips surrounding the mailbox.

The garden out on the corner of our yard. This garden is full of tulips and grape hyacinths.

Lovely red tulips.

The Bleeding Heart, or Dicentra, is finally starting to bloom.

So are the Virginia Bluebells.

These pink hyacinths that I found at Lowes for 99 cents will go in The Lamppost Garden. Yes, I have a name for every one of the gardens! And I have alot of gardens. By the end of the summer, you will think I'm either crazy for having so many gardens, or you will feel sorry for me and come help me weed!!!
NEXT WEEK: Weather permitting, two RED things go in The Lamppost Garden!

REDNESDAY

My REDnesday entry this week is a tribute to the Royal Wedding happening this week!

Isn't Kate Middleton beautiful? I can't wait to see her wedding dress!

Here is my humble little collection. I wish I had more, as England is the place that I want to visit most in the world!

At one time, when our daughter Elizabeth was little, I thought it would be fun to collect Queen Elizabeth memorabilia, especially since her initials are E. R. as well. She didn't share my enthusiasm, so this is the only Queen Elizabeth thing that I have.

It's a souvenir of her coronation, and there was once toffee in the box.

I had to do a bit of research on my little Union Jack flag. It doesn't look like the ones you see today, and when I landed on the blog The Anglophile, I learned that it's the flag from 1606, when England and Scotland joined as one country.
And also on that same blog, I saw this picture. I LOVE IT, and I bet Sue, our hostess will too. Over the weekend I was hoping to find some fabric with the Union Jack on it, so that I could make a little bunting, but there is none to be found anywhere. The ten-years-younger ME would be getting up at 3AM so that I could watch the wedding live, but the 50 year-old ME will sleep through it all and watch every news program on it later! I wish Kate & William all the best!
If you would like to see more reds, visit It's A Very Cherry World!

IN THE GARDEN

Since it's that time of the year where I spend so much time in the gardens, I thought I would share with you each Friday what's blooming. Or what I'm working on, or even where I've put some fabulous garden ornament I might have found. Join me as I play in the dirt!
First up is Hellebore, or Lenten Rose. I love this plant, because it blooms for months.

Daffodils.

Siberian Squill. This stuff is really starting to naturalize, and has spread throughout the rock garden this year.

I got a new camera for my birthday, so I'm slowly learning how to use it. Shouldn't have taken this shot of the hyacinths in the sun. I see that there's another patch of poison ivy to deal with. I don't know where it came from, but I really need to proceed with caution now in this area!

Mini daffodils.

I planted some pansies in one of my favorite planters.

I swear, robins are the worst nest builders. Every time they build in the pine tree by the back door, it's a disaster. I guess it's another addition to my ever-growing nest collection.

NEXT WEEK:
I hope to find something to plant in those little boots. And I think the Virgina Bluebells might be in bloom. And the Bleeding Hearts won't be far behind. It's the most wonderful time of the year for me, but it takes alot of work.............I'm so sore!

REDNESDAY

Just when I think I'm all out of reds to share for REDnesday, somehow I always manage to find more!

I got two of those cherry trays at an estate sale for $1, and the red and white rooster napkins sitting on the scale are from Deb.

Even the bag that the napkins came in is cute and cherrylicious!

The little crocheted heart to the left is also from Deb, and the old Santa snowglobe was a 50 cent estate sale find.

Two more things from Deb! You probably already saw the BINGO card that she made for my birthday, but hey, I'm celebrating my birthday month over here! She also sent me that vintage coffee bag. It's so patriotic! Thanks Deb, for making it possible for me to be able to do a REDnesday post today!
If you would like to see more reds, go to It's A Very Cherry World. Sue would love for you to drop by!

And The Winner Is........

Have you heard the news? The winner of my birthday/blogiversary giveaway is.......


Congratulations Holly! Please e-mail me your address, and I'll send your package out to you. And thank you to everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes!

MY WEEKEND FINDS, BIRTHDAY GIFTS AND MORE!

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of My Weekend Finds, the continuing saga of one girl's quest for more junk!

I went to the flea market for the first time this season! It was a glorious morning, with red-winged blackbirds singing in the marshes surrounding the market, and the temperature was in the 60s. Perfect! All I got was this old bird cage, and I'm OK with that!

This little tin was in the cage. Does anyone know what it's for?

The pink tray came from an estate sale. I already have one just like it in the bathroom, but this one is now sitting on the coffee table in the living room. The sweet girl planter came from my sister, for my birthday. Thanks Mary!

I also received the blue picnic basket on the left. Actually it's an old tobacco tin, and when you were all done with the tobacco, you were supposed to use it as a lunch box.

Mr. Old Glory made that trellis/arbor for my birthday, to replace the one that broke in a wind storm. By the end of summer, it will be covered in Sweet Autumn Clematis. And it's going to look very nice back there in the secret garden when the neighbors are finished putting up their 6' fence! I'm so excited about that fence, because it will give us more privacy, and the secret garden will become even more secret!

I was lucky to win a giveaway from Laura & Michele at Vintage Bettys, and this is how the outside of the package looked when I received it. Isn't that cute?

And inside was all of this Springtime goodness. I forgot to include a picture of that plaque hanging by the back door. It looks so cute! Thank you so much Laura & Michele!

And if you would like to enter my giveaway, there's still time. You have until midnight Monday, April 11th, and you can enter HERE.
So, did you find anything interesting over the weekend?

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Guess what? Today is my birthday, and I'm turning the big 5-0! Deb made that card for me. Thanks Deb!

And my blog is 2 years old today. BUT YOU GET ALL THE PRESENTS!!!

The winner will receive everything shown here.

You will receive this bunting or banner that I made with my own two hands and the help of a sewing machine!

You'll also receive an assortment of vintage cards, for all your crafting needs.

Also included is that cute Cath Kidston-ish teacup on canvas, a pink eyeglass case, a pretty pad of paper to make a list of all the junk you hope to find at the flea market this summer, and that black thing is a chalkboard tag, in the shape of a flower.

So while I'm blowing out the candles on my cake.........

and generally having a big wing-ding of a party, just leave a comment on this post if you would like to win. This giveaway is open until midnight April 11th. So good luck, and the Conga Line forms behind ME!