Spring is here....

Spring has arrived ... in Florida ....

My Meyer Lemon tree is in bloom again - hooray !!!!!

Even my purple potatoe vine is coming back.

Hope is eternal.

Carrot Patch

It's beginning to feel warmer and time to get outside again.

The rabbit family is beginning to get their gardens in order and frolick in the sun.

They are sitting reading a book and dancing on the grass.

Picking flowers and vegetable and loading them into the basket to take home.

Aren't the houses just purty in their spring colors ?

Happy spring !!!!!

Happy Mardi Gras everyone !!!!!!

My daughter just got back from New Orleans today and you have to see the pretty things she brought home to me.  I love her and boy does she know what her Mother likes.

First a little history on this carnival:

From Wikpidia:
The terms "Mardi Gras" (pronounced /ˈmɑrdi grɑː/, "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season",[1][2][3][4][5][6] in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday. Related popular practices were associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. Popular practices included wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition. In English, the day is called Shrove Tuesday, associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins.

This pretty (out of focus) mask is actually a thimble - how cute is she?

I am going to have to breakdown and buy a new camera. The detail on this thimble is impressive, too bad the picture isn't.

This cross is typical New Orleans - Fleur di Lis cross and typical of the Mardi Gras festival. Isn't it elegant and beautiful?

I refer to this wall (this is only a partial picture of the wall) as my alter.  I collect crosses and this new one has got to be a favorite for me !!!!!

Enjoy your Mardi Gras y'all.

Happy Valentine's Day

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  Please let me know you dropped in.

A couple of hearts to show you all how much I appreciate my friends,

Aren't they beautiful ? and practical, one wood and one stone with some imbedded fossils.

And a couple of modern hearts.

I never realized I had a collection until today, funny how that happens.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone !!!!

2 Tier White Platter

2 Tier White Platter

Visited Home Goods yesterday and saw so many pretty Valentine and Easter stuff but just didn't want to pay top dollar for any of it.  Found my way over to the sales isle and found some really pretty white dinner and salad plates on sale.  SCORE ! $3 for the dinner plate and $2 for the salad plate.  I knew I had to use these some how and some where.

You see the feminine flair of these plates?  Just had to have them and you can't see it in the photo but they are slightly distressed with a hand painting technique (it says so on the back of the plate).  I started looking for a crystal candlestick to put these two together to form a 2 Tier Platter but again the prices were $10 for almost every crystal candlestick.  One isle over found this salt shaker $1 another SCORE.

Couldn't wait to get home to see how these pretties fit together.  Glued the three pieces together using clear adhesive and Wa La ...

Another view:

She's sitting all pretty with a Valentine card and some sweet chocolates:

Linking up to:  White Wednesday at Faded Charm - visit Kathleen at her blog you will be happy you did.
and Thrify Thursdays at Tales from Bloggeritaville and Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Would love to have your comments and your friendship (follow me).

Magnetic Recipe Holder

This recipe holder, inspired by the talented girls at Shanty2Chic was a breeze to make. Shanty2Chic posted a detailed step by step tutorial on how they put theirs together and of course I'm not as savy as they are and forgot to take my step by step pictures.  They also cut their own wood pieces, I went another route and bought my pieces so I wouldn't have to pull out tools.

These are the materials I used along with the square wood plaque that is missing from the picture, heart pieces, magnetic paint and glue.

1-Took the square plaque and glued it to the cross piece.

2- Took the cross piece and glued it to the round base piece.

3- Took the finial and glued it to the top of the square plaque.

4- Painted with Magnetic paint, a square frame on the main piece.

5- Glued magnets to the red hearts.

Painted and distressed it and

Wa La ......

Linking up to : I Made it Without My Husband at Shanty2Chic

It's so very Cheri GIVEAWAY

You all have to check out this blog; It's So Very Cheri .  She is having a fabulous giveaway with so many opportunities to win.  Check out her blog as well - it is so creative !

Dollar Store Goodies

I was down in the dumps on Friday and what do I do when I get down in the dumps?  I go to Dollar Tree.  I don't know why it is but that is what I do.  Cheaper than therapy and I give myself a dollar limit as to what I can spend.  Friday's limit = $5.00 , tax doesn't count ;)

So cash in hand, smack dab in the middle of the day, I venture to the Dollar Tree and came back with these goodies:

1- Red Roses
2- Heart Picks
3- Package of Moss
4- White plain candle
5- Fleur de Lis ornament

So first the flowers, took the red roses and heart picks and made a mini bouquet and put it in a mercury glass urn I had.  Added the moss to anchor the arrangment.

Next the candle.  You've all seen this I'm sure, the plain white glass candle.  Added ornamentation by way of self adhesive decor I had in a scrapbooking kit.

Last, the fleur de lis ornament.  Bought it  in a dark and drab brownish color.   Painted it white and she was all pretty.

Here are my goodies, keeping each other company and putting a smile on my face.  Just what the doctor ordered (Dr. Dollar Tree).

Linking up to It's so Very Cheri and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

And the WINNER is.....

Jane, from Finding Fabulous !!!!!!

Congratulations Jane - send me your contact information so that I can ship this heart out to you.

And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU everyone for participating and for sharing your knowledge and friendship.