My Weblog

Pretty Flowers and Happy Birthday, Pink Saturday!

 
There are so many awesome parties in the world of blog these days. The talent and inspiration found at each of these events is beyond wonderful. Wish there were enough hours in the day to participate much more often than I do. But today, for the first time, I'm joining the party over at A Rosy Note. Loads of inspiring photography each Friday!

 
I discovered this  beautiful blog and the party through the big dreamer, Connie! {Also a fun blog to visit!} Today's theme is flowers....something near and dear to my heart. {insert a sweet, contented sigh}

There is also a BIG PARTY about to take place at Pink Saturday. It's the three year anniversary of this event! As soon as my friend Beverly posts the gathering spot, I'll be updating to play in her event as well! Rumor has it that there are lots of giveaways happening during this celebration!

Update: click on the Big Party above and it will take you to the celebration!

 
And we all know, that without these scary little creatures, there wouldn't be flowers. Despite the fact that I am deathly afraid of bees, I still find them to be fascinating little fellas. So much so, that after trying unsuccessfully with my longer lenses [meaning: stay as far away as possible!] to get a good shot, I threw caution to the wind and slapped on my 50mm lens.

I am so brave. Half the battle is just facing our fears, isn't it? Moving forward despite how uncomfortable it happens to be.

 
Who knows? Maybe one day I won't search the web for ways to deter bees from messing with my space.

Here's a few of my favorite:

~Hang a fake hornet's nest in one of your trees. Hornets are territorial and once they see another colony has claimed this turf, they move on. One source even said a brown lunch bag stuffed with plastic would do the trick as the hornets won't come close enough to find out it isn't real!

~Wear light colors and smooth fabric. Bees are attracted to dark and texture. Wool and leather make them angry!

~If you kill a bee and the hive is nearby...watch out! They can smell the kill and will come and attack you.

~There are all kinds of non-toxic, homemade repellents plastered throughout the internet. I've seen ones with ingredients such as Ivory soap, tea tree oil, orange oil, etc.

~Also, if you're going to take a nest out at night {the recommended time for doing so} never shine a flash light into the nest. This will make them mad. Instead, cover the flashlight with red cellophane as bees can't see red light! 

~This one I learned from an exterminator after I had the misfortune of walking across a ground nest once...if you do come across a ground nest, before you move, stand and watch and observe the flight pattern the hornets use to enter the nest. They have a definite pattern for approaching and entering. If you cross the flight pattern line, you will get stung!

Then again, maybe you don't care about avoiding bees because you're REALLY brave like these young ladies:

 
{{source}}

Seriously. Who would do this? Don't do this. But do take a peek at all the participants in Pink Saturday and over at A Rosy Note!

Looking forward to browsing myself over the long three day weekend!

Xo, Sue

{p.s. several have commented that when I leave a comment on your blog using Typepad's Open ID credentials that it says: "no reply comment" in the from address line. But located right below that you will see my email address. Should you wish to respond via email to me, you need to hit "forward" instead of "reply" and then copy and paste my email address into the "send to:" line.

"No reply commenter" does not mean that I don't care to have you reply to me!!! It just means the address from Typepad that sends the message does not receive replies!}

Why God Made Mothers

 

...how time flies...blink, and we're now well into May.

My days have been jam packed with fun, and the not-so-fun...in other words, life. One of the funs is my continued love of taking photos.  Today, to wish my sweet bloggie friends a Happy Mother's Day, I'll share a few of those photos taken of my flowers.

But with a little humorous twist...

You've all probably seen this somewhere along life's path, but it's just too stinkin' cute not to share again. It's entitled: Why God Made Mothers. The answers were given by second graders. Enjoy...

 
WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

HOW DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger 
parts.

 
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE MOTHERS MADE OF?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean. ha ha ha
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use 
string, I think.

 

WHY DID GOD GIVE YOU YOUR MOTHER AND NOT SOME OTHER MOTHER?

 1. We're related.
 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

 
WHAT KIND OF LITTLE GIRL WAS YOUR MOM?

 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty 
bossy.
 3. They say she used to be nice.

 

 WHAT DID MOM NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DAD BEFORE SHE MARRIED HIM?

 1. His last name.
 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk 
on beer?
 3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to 
chores?
{{having been a former elementary school teacher in one of my lives, i can attest to the fact that these answers are mild compared to what many teachers hear!}}

 
WHY DID YOUR MOM MARRY YOUR DAD?

 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
 2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

 
WHO'S THE BOSS AT YOUR HOUSE?

 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof 
ball.
 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the 
bed.
 3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

 
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOMS AND DADS?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause 
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine..

 
WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO IN HER SPARE TIME?

 1. Mothers don't do spare time.
 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

 
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE YOUR MOM PERFECT?

 1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of 
plastic surgery.
 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

 
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR MOM, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid 
of that.
 2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did 
it not me.
 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of 
her head.

 
Here's sending out loads of gratitude to all the mothers of the world, and those who practice the gentle art of mothering {a trait found in many women who never had their own biological children}, the world is a sweeter place because of you.

And special hugs and whispered prayers for the precious hearts that for a number of reasons, find this day extra hard. May grace give you the strength you need...

Xo, Sue

p.s. Joining Miss Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday today!

Hippity Hoppity....

 
Sometimes a little whim has me chasing rabbits...

...or bunny ears...specifically felted bunny ears....

...with wires in them so they can bend!

 
...and might as well make a hat to stick them in....

...and don't forget to hand sew some vintage bias tape around the edges so you can tie it on to someone's head...and add some vintage pom pom balls too!

Easter's on its way you know....

 
...and he could sit on a glass jar filled with chocolate eggs covered in pretty pastel foiled wrappers! {or jelly beans!}

But don't buy them just yet because you know you'll eat too many of them...

 
Those little pom poms made from tulle would sure make a sweet bunny tail...

 
Another one of the dollies thought she should have a chance to have her picture taken in the new hat as well. Have you ever noticed the tendency in curly-haired folks to stir the pot of life just a tad more than straight-hair folks do? That's why I religiously take a flat iron to my curly hair...it improves your personality. Seriously.

Since this little hat I made reminded me of this Ralphie scene from A Christmas Story...

 
I'll leave you with one last picture of a "Ralphie" version of my new hat!

 
Just being silly today.

But also wanted to share the scrumptious ground cover phlox that is showing off in my flower beds right now. Wish it would bloom all summer, but it doesn't....such a hardy perennial to plant that will naturally spread over the years.  

Hope you're finding some time for silly too. It's important too you know!

Xo, Sue

p.s. AND speaking of time, And of PS {PINK SATURDAY} I'm linking to my fellow Duke Blue Devil's fan, Miss Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to play in her weekly Saturday event! Saturday's are typically not a good day for me to play on the computer so it's fun to HIPPITY HOP back aboard for today!

Party, Celebrate, and a Giveaway!

There's a two year birthday celebration going on in the land of Pink Saturday!

In fact, our dear hostess of this event, Beverly, was recently interviewed and a feature article on Pink Saturday appeared in the latest issue of ARTFUL BLOGGING. Squeals and clapping could be heard throughout the land of Pink Saturday participants. It is always fun to see wonderful things happen to nice people!

In honor of this big day, I made the digital card above combining a photo of flowers from my garden, several layers of digital onlays, a favorite old photograph, and a little bit of digital manipulation.

In addition, I've come to this birthday celebration with a present in hand and will be sending it to someone!

 
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered in the drawing for this giveaway gift. Pink Saturday gals {and the occasional gent} are a very inclusive group, therefore, you need not be a participant of Pink Saturday to throw your name in for the drawing. All comments rec'd before 11 PM, EST, on Wed., June 2nd will be entered in the drawing.

I love this book! Jo Packham and Jenny Doh did an amazing job...beautiful photography...a more personal glimpse into the lives {and studios!} of many artists I have long admired...and so much more!

A complete listing of all today's participants can be found on Beverly's blog. I'm looking forward to visiting as many as possible over the next few days to see how the rest of you will be celebrating this joyous occasion!

p.s. Wanted to mention an online class I spotted in learning the basics of Photoshop Elements for anyone who might want to check it out. Gail has a short video clip you can watch which gives a highlight of how she will be teaching. There's also a description listed here and she's offering a huge discount but the offer ends May 31st. It looks very interesting. I'm tempted....!  

Pink Saturday--Spring, Glorious Spring!

"Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the spring when it is gone."
-- Roy R. Gilson

Thank you for stopping by for Pink Saturday. As always, a warm round of applause for Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting. For a complete listing of today's participants, head over to Beverly's blog!

As much as I love summer, if it were up to me, I would have winter last about one month and then head straight for Spring! What a glorious time of the year. Seemingly overnight, the earth awakens from its slumber. Gray and gloomy gives way to color and cheer.

It is like watching nature dramatize the word "hope"...with each new bud, the emergence of green, eggs in nests, songbirds singing, roots shooting up their hidden secrets...

I love how hope looks, feels, and behaves in any setting, be it Spring or any slice of life.

Happy Spring all you pink ladies!

xo, sue

p.s. At the top of my page I'm having a giveaway for a wonderful cause. A cause that is helping to spread that word hope to many who so desperately need it. Everyone is welcome to play!

Pink Saturday!

 

First, I'd like to wish Beverly a speedy recovery on her recent surgery! 

A listing of all this week's participants can be found on her blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND. I haven't heard that there isn't a list, and knowing Beverly, if humanly possible, it is there waiting. If not, it wasn't humanly possible!

One thing I enjoy doing is making my own cards. If only the other demands of life didn't get in the way, I could have made many more than what I ended up making. But I'll share some photos I snapped along the way.

  Mother's always like to receive a little love note at Valentine's, don't they? 

  

This particular roll of vintage wallpaper was more fragile. In order to give it more stability, I first lined it with muslin. I've found the most economical [but very effective] method of adhering the fabric to the paper is using a glue stick. I buy them in bulk at Sam's Club as I go through a lot of them! 

 
I'm still having problems with Typepad freezing up on me and losing my work. Scream loud. So I'm going to stop while I'm ahead! I'll look forward to hopping around to see as many of you as I can. Due to a winter wonderland hitting the Atlanta area [a very rare event in these parts] a few things on our calendar were cancelled. More JAMMIE TIME...yeah! 

Wishing all you sweet pinkies a very special Valentine's day! 

Pink Roses

 

Timely words for me, indeed. You see, the first photo features a dozen beautiful pink roses I found at the grocery store on clearance. I look for them all the time in order to do this to them. But my time ran out as I was busily preparing to fly away for a week and visit my mother in another state. But wouldn't you know it...while I left these behind, I discovered these growing outside a restaurant back in the northern woods of Wisconsin where my mother lives.

 
  After I placed my take-out order, I asked the young gal helping me who planted all the beautiful roses outside. This look came across her face as if she were thinking, "Beautiful roses? I've never noticed any roses outside." Seriously. I kid you not. But she turns to this man sitting behind her who she identified as the owner of the place, and asked him my question. His whole body shifted and he visibly sat straighter as a huge smile crept across his face and he proudly announced, "I planted them." Well, I only further made his day when I asked him if I could take some photos of them. 

He might still be smiling for all I know. That would only be fair because everytime I look at these photos, they sure make my heart smile.

I hope you'll enjoy their little faces as much as I have...

   
 There's lots more pink to be seen by visiting Beverly at How Sweet the Sound where you will find a complete listing of all of today's participants in PINK SATURDAY! But before you do that, I wanted to share a blog I've enjoyed visiting of one of our newer Pink Saturday Ladies. Her name is Tammi and the name of her blog is Visions of Vintage. 

Thank you for stopping by! I always enjoy my visitors and your sweet comments.

xo Sue 
 

SPLASHES OF PINK

Welcome to another week of PINK SATURDAY.  Once again, I'm giving you a peek into my "a-work-in-progress" studio. Today's post will feature one of the alcoves I've been filling with little treasures and inspiration. 

Here's a quick look at the area with all its little inclusions and spashes of the color PINK.

There's still some work left to be completed, but a combination of having to travel and some "rain issues" that visited the Atlanta area, have put the project on hold for the time being.

Before I hurry away due to poor internet service, { I'm posting while traveling} I'd like to give special mention to a blog I so enjoyed visiting last week. Take a peek at Posted From Home. And for a listing of all the participants for this week's Pink Saturday, be sure and visit our hostess, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.  

The Last Time, I HOPE!

Welcome to Pink Saturday! Thank you for taking the time to visit.  Today we are  back in my studio. Slowly, but surely, the work continues of painting furniture, unpacking boxes, organizing  supplies.  I can't wait to have it all finished so I can spend time doing what I truly enjoy...creating.

I've sanded, stripped, painted, varnished, stained, etc. this table I bought for $15 more times than I care to remember. I hope this is the last time.  Just in case you think I change its appearance every other week, I should tell you I've dragged this table with me for the past 20+ years. It was an estate sale find, made of solid oak and very sturdy.

It's newest "redo" includes the carved onlay used to cover the gap from having inserted the table leaf . After a quick sanding, the table recieved a coat of primer, three coats of paint, and a little bit of glazing. And last, I pulled out the sewing machine and turned a king size sheet into a little dressing skirt for the table. Self-sticking velcro strips were used to attach the skirt to the table. It was the perfect solution for allowing me to store supplies underneath.

Hanging just above the table is this shelving unit I made over a year ago from an old picture frame. It too received several coats of new paint. If you look closely, you may notice that I painted the beadboard backing a shy hue of pink.

There are two shelves that will eventually find their way home to this unit. Right now they are drying. So I took the liberty to "fluff" up the table and shelf unit with some pinky items still waiting for a permanent home in my studio. But for now they all agreed to pose for Pink Saturday's post.

Before it slips my mind, for those who visited last week, I meant to tell you that the Sedum Autumn Joy plant is also a wonderful drying flower. Tucked in this old Victorian boot is a sampling of some that I plucked from my garden a week or so ago.

For a complete listing of all the participants in Pink Saturday, head over to Beverly's. She's the hostess who makes this happen each week.

xo

Sue

 

Pink Saturday...Autumn Joy

 Welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound. As an avid flower lover, I wanted to share my Sedum 'Autumn Joy' plants. From about late August and continuing through the next two months, the blooms on this succulent plant will go from green, to pink, to a coppery brown color. 

This is a wonderful perennial to add to your gardens if you like a hardy, dependable plant. They tend to tolerate drought conditions very well and will attract butterflies and bees to your garden. Plant them in large clumps for the most drama. I've had these in my garden when we lived in the Midwest and they also did very well in that cooler climate like they do here in Georgia.

In closing, I would like to introduce a new blog {to me} I paid a visit to last week. Hop over and visit Melony at Whimsy Daisy. She has this adorable craft cottage her husband built for her {we'll call him Mr. Wonderful} and it is decked out in a delightful vintage style. So much eye candy for the vintage lover.

Wishing you all a lovely day..