Monday, April 30, 2012

Celebrations: mother’s day centerpiece

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I found these sweet pink birds at the local dollar store. I was at the checkout and had already paid for my items when I saw a box of these by the register. Yup – I was that person – I held up the line so I could buy some of these birds.


I wanted to make a topiary birdcage like the one above but ended up creating a simpler project that I can use as a centerpiece for Mother’s Day.


Since I already had an ivy plant in a pot, I decided to make a scaled down version of my tomato plant cage. You can see that post here.


Once the cage was constructed out of twigs, I gave it a light coat of white spray paint.


I love how the natural wood still shows through but the twigs are now lighter and brighter.


Since I may want to reuse the birds, I used a little dab of Quake Hold to secure them. Quake Hold or Collector’s Hold is a putty that secures items but is removable. It’s great for plates or décor items that are breakable – especially if you live in a quake zone like I do.


A little piece of vintage ribbon softens everything up.


Once the ivy starts growing up and into the cage, I think it will look even prettier.





Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and
UndertheTableandDreaming Tip Junkie handmade projects Photobucket  Childmade   Photobucket

Friday, April 27, 2012

The Inspiration Board: link party spotlight ~47~


Once again, there was a abundance of creativity on this week’s inspiration board. Thank you so much to everyone who came by and shared their hard work. I know how much work goes into a project – from a small craft project to a complete room renovation. Thank you – thank you for sharing!

If you came by but didn’t have a project to share, I hope you enjoyed visiting the sites and checking out the projects.



Here are the projects in the spotlight this week.

 
spring bedroom 3
A spring bedroom makeover by Meeha Meeha. I love that she used items on hand to completely give her bedroom a color makeover. This is definitely bright and cheery and puts me in the mood for spring.


Ironing Mat 13
You know when you have one little thing to iron and have to drag out the ironing board – I know, I hate that. This ironing mat by Thrifty Crafty via The Crafty Scientist is brilliant. Designed to lay across the top of your dryer for that quick touch up! Another item for my to-do list.


old_fashion_sugar_cookies
There’s something about a simple old fashioned sugar cookie that’s irresistible. These cookies by Cookies Crumbs and Sawdust look perfect. Slightly crispy and soft on the inside with a light sprinkling of sugar. Perfect!


021
You still have time to whip up a batch of these beautiful lavender soaps for Mother’s Day. . Homespun with Love shows you how to make these homemade lavender soaps. They’re so pretty you’ll want to make extra for yourself and year round gift giving.


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Although it’s spring, some evenings are still cold and begging for a warm and hearty dish. This Quinoa Chicken Sweet Potato Stew by Joyful Homemaking would be a perfect cozy comfort dish.

 

Gorgeous! Grow Creative used some of her watercolor paintings and punched out butterflies. The result is a perfect combination of watercolor dreamy and spring color cheery.


mother 6
More great party theme ideas from Jacolyn Murphy. A mother’s day brunch complete with a mother nature salad, these mother of pearl brownie bites and more.


seed-bombs-cover
Seed bombs are the bomb! Cookin Up Good Times shows us how to make seed bombs out dirt, clay and seeds. What a fun project for kids to make {fun and messy} and use as a gift.


Winnie the Pooh1
Who can resist Winnie the Pooh? These vintage Winnie cookies by Bringing Beauty are darling. He really is a silly old bear…


IMG_0394
Paper Vine always makes beautiful paper projects and this one especially caught my eye. Not until I clicked over did I realize that it was a Memory Book for someone special who had lost their fight with cancer. The pages are brimming with memories and messages – a very, very special project by Paper Vine.



…………………………………………………………………………….
This week on the Inspiration Pinboard
{color pop}

Red
Features 47_collage-001
1. Burgundy Organza Flower – One Perfect Day
2. Chile Pepper Party Pom – Oh My Creative
3. PB Inspired Coral Pillow – Sew Passionate
4. Dresser Update – Stardust Décor & Style
5. Spoon Mirror – Creative Mind
6. Painted Utility Rug – Vixen Made



If you were in the spotlight, please feel free to grab a button.
homework

Thank you again to everyone who linked a project and to everyone who came to visit. I loved looking at all the projects and visiting your sites.

Please come back next week for another link party.
Link parties are held every Tuesday.




Carolyn


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Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Dirt: dollar store steamer to flower basket


 
Here’s a fun and budget friendly idea for a Mother’s Day gift {or any occasion gift}. 




I found this wire steamer basket at the dollar store. You could do so many things with this basket. Hang several for kitchen storage, use them for ribbons or scraps of fabric, or actually use it to steam vegetables.



I decided to use mine as a planter for a Mother’s Day gift.



I lined the basket with moss and gave it a good soaking. 



The steamer basket handles double as legs. Or, you could hang the basket using the handles. 



Once filled with potting soil, I planted Forget Me Not seeds. 



Forget Me Not flowers are so pretty and delicate. I love the gorgeous blue color and the cheery yellow center. Here’s how legend says the flower got it’s name.

According to Wildflower Information.org, legend says that the forget me not received its name when a medieval German knight picnicking with his true love along the banks of a river decided to gather some blue flowers at the water's edge. As a flash flood appeared and swept him away, he threw the bouquet to his lover and cried, "Forget me not!"

 
blue-chatham-island-flower
I can’t wait for my basket to start growing and I’m envisioning an abundance of pretty blue flowers like the ones above. Fingers crossed!




In the meantime, this dragonfly plant stick will stand guard over my seeds. 


P.S.
{One week later...}
 



Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and
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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Dirt: gardening for dessert

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This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.


If you follow my blog, you may have noticed a lot of posts about my garden lately. My new tomatoes {above}, herbs and strawberries are doing nicely and I’ve weeded and prepped my flower beds for spring. Now it’s time to take care of the plants until the harvest is ready in the summer.


One of my existing and neglected plants is a dwarf lemon tree. It’s been in a pot for years and I think in all that time it’s yielded one sad lemon. I recently moved the pot to a better location and was so surprised to see tons of lemon buds on the tree. Check it out - look at all those buds.


I would be thrilled if my tree actually produced lemons this year. I’m going to really take care of it {uh, watering it regularly might help} and give it proper plant food. Hooray for Whitney Farms®. They sent me two bags of their Plant Food and Tomato and Vegetable Food. It’s 100% natural organic plant food containing only ingredients from the Earth. I like that it’s natural with low to no dust and no manure odor.





I added the recommended amount of the plant food to my potted tree, mixed the food into the soil and watered it.



It’s nice to know that my produce will be naturally grown in organic soil. Especially since I want to make some of my favorite desserts - like these lemon bars.


Or, if I really get a great crop, some preserved lemons.

So hopefully, my little lemon buds will go from these
to...
these!

Thank you Whitney Farms(R).
I can't wait to make lemon bars with my home grown organic lemons.

If you want to try out Whitney Farms® click on the link for a $3.00 coupon.

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Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

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