New in the Guest Room.....

I was having thoughts of needing to look for a new bedspread for my tiny guest room. It was not so much of wanting a different look as wanting a bedspread that could be left on the bed and be used when the room is being used. The two I had before were so very heavy and needed to be removed when the bed was being used. The room is so tiny that there was no good place to put the rolled up spread. And, with all closets filled to the top, I don't have any place to tuck another thing out of sight! So, one day as I walked through K-Mart, not looking for a bedspread (who would there?) there it was!  I knew I needed to have a white one, light weight and inexpensive.  I liked what I was seeing but since changing the spread wasn't an urgent need I left the store without it. A few weeks went by but, my thoughts kept returning to that spread I had seen. After all, it really did fit the requirements.

 

Heading out to the store I had decided if they still have one in the size I need, I am getting it!! They had just a few of them left and at first I thought the queen size was all gone but, did find one. I like the old style chenille look and it's simple design.  It was not a package deal - only the spread.

 

 

I am still using the shams and pillows and throw ( at bottom) that I had with the old spread.

 

I like the combination just fine.  The shams still work partly because of the pictures just above the bed and the white spread works because of the white curtains on the one window. I did bring the crocheted pillow out of storage to add. My sister made it years ago and I am glad to put it on display again.

 

 

How do you like my red shoes parked by the bed?  I think they will stay here until the rare occasion that I might wear them or a guest needs the room.

 

 

 

This is the top of a chest of drawers, with a red runner. This is sitting at the foot of the bed.  It is so difficult to get any good pictures in this room because of lighting, mirror reflections and lack of room. Of course, there is just one light sitting here. I always question what different viewers see in the pictures, using various electronics, some probably quite small,  to look at the blog.  

 

 

A little whimsy never hurts, and the picture puts a touch of red on this wall. The doll is reading a good-night story to the bear. As you can easily tell, I am not using current, trendy things.  I use mismatched things I like and have.  There is not a speck of Annie Sloan paint to be found anywhere in my house. Although I wouldn't be against using it and I do have painted wood pieces, here and there.

 

 

 

Nothing but mirrors on this wall. I decided to show the other things in the room even though some of you have seen them a few times before. You may see a shot of this again later after it gets a sprig or two of Christmas greenery.

 

 

On the dresser to the left side of the old suitcase is this early picture of my mom and dad and a ribbon embroidered velvet bag.

 

I don't know what the intended purpose was for this brass stand, but it seemed like the logical thing to help show some of my small glove collection.

 

 

 

A folded throw, a baby dress and an old hand mirror - inside the suitcase.

 

 

 

On the back of the open suitcase, an old gown with a pretty crocheted bodice and a plain cotton bottom.

 

 

 The other reason I chose the subject for this particular post is the other new thing that none of you have seen. I needed another clock like a dog needs ticks!!! But, I didn't walk away from this oval black and red clock while browsing at Home Goods one day. I didn't even think of using it in this room when I purchased it but this seems to be the best place for it. 

 I pulled the chair out from under the sewing machine cabinet so you can see that the bottom has a needlepoint covered cushion that blends with the other reds.

 

 

 

The picture makes the red here look a little lighter and brighter than it looks in the room. I love the side to side oval shape and of course, the colors.

 

 

Finally, a velvet heart pillow hanging on the welcoming door. Now, all that is needed is an overnight guest(s) to be put on the schedule!  First come - first served!

 

Great Rewards After Hard Work

I can hardly believe it myself - the hours of hard work I have done in the yard for the last three weeks. 

 Most of the work was done in the back yard where, much of the summer was too wet to work in, or the mosquitoes were so bad I couldn't stand to be out, not to even mention the heat! Then it became such a jungle, just the thoughts of "taking it on" kept me from even starting. Oh, I was doing a lot of yard work but always choosing other, less challenging, areas. Yesterday, I was so happy with the progress I had finally made that I took my breakfast out..........

 

 

in the cool of early morning, to enjoy just surveying the neatness and change.  Nothing fancy on the table, just my usual cereal and a glass of juice.  This might be a good time to show what I mix together to put in my cereal bowl every morning.

 

 

I put all the contents of the two cereals, all the yogurt covered raisins, a few of the cranberries and an ample amount of the sliced almonds.

 

 

This adds up to my favorite cereal mix to date! Each of these cereals have quite a few good ingredients on their own so I am actually eating a lot of different things.  Recently adding the yogurt raisins really stepped up the taste!!!  Now, back to the garden..........

 

 

Until the day before, the rustic patio down here in this corner could not be seen.  The stepping stones making up the patio are in a low area and because of flooding and soil erosion, the stones had disappeared from sight with basket grass growing on them.  There is still what I call fine tuning work to be done but at least it is now usable!

 

 

 

This path had  been covered up with the Macho ferns. Thank heavens they are fairly easy to pull up. If you walk down the path it leads you to this area......

 

 

 

.....I wanted to show because of how it was highlighted by the sun. The little tea party fairies and ...... 

 

this angel occupy the area.  What you see on the ground here is the very low lying weed called basket grass I mentioned.  I love it for certain areas even though it is very invasive. It can be controlled and even edged.  It is better than having assorted other weeds or worse yet, just sand, where grass won't grow because of too much shade and occasional flooding.

 

 

 

 

 

I put a few sprigs of this Wandering Jew in the adjoining area and it has filled in another big area - also a good look back here.

 

 

 

 

 

And now you see the table in the distance looking back from the fairy and angel spot.

 

Along in the afternoon I took advantage of the little table again with a tea break and read a few pages in my book club selection for this month. I am enjoying this book and look forward to our lunch and discussion next week.

 

 

I even took a little time to do a few words in my crossword book. By now the "cool of the morning" has long disappeared and I am wringing wet!

 

 

 

There are always little rewards to be found as I put in the hard hours, here one bell-shaped blossom. I never can remember the name of this plant. The color is a vivid purple and the throat of the "bell" is very yellow.

 

 

A pretty collection of color here in an area that gets more sun.

 

 

 

At the end of the day as I was sitting at my computer in front of the window, trying to get my breath and wondering if I had "done myself in" working all day in the heat, I looked out and saw this swallowtail. It stayed still just long enough for me to get outside and take this one picture.  I felt so blessed to be able at my age (74) to put in day after day of hard work and reap such beautiful rewards!

 

 

EXCITEMENT: worm castings, Hickory nut shells, an unearthed bottle etc.

I will quickly admit that I wasn't feeling too excited as I drove to the Rose Society meeting today, knowing the topic of discussion would be worm castings. In fact, my main reason for going at all was to see the friends I have made in this great group of people. But, by the time the lady from the Black Star Earthworm Castings company was finished with her presentation, I was counting out my money and hoping to be among the first in line at her truck as soon as the meeting adjourned! She had me convinced it was just the thing I needed for my two raised beds. She said she brought about 20 bags and looking around it seemed like we had about 40 people present. Ummmm - I don't want to be the last one out of the door. I was able to get two bags and at $5 a bag it was a good deal.

 

I had already planned to take everything in my raised beds out and start over, adding new soil and some fertilizer. As you see from the above picture I will be cooking collards tomorrow. We are getting very close to our best growing season. I am excited to choose some new plants, mostly herbs, and watch them develop. I will let you know after a few weeks how things are progressing

  here. If I am lucky I will have gotten a few worms in the mix and a chance to have many more calling my two raised beds home - a good thing!

 

 

Now, on to the next excitement and pretty picture! NOT!  These are just a few of the hickory nuts (in their several forms) that I have been rocking and rolling over when I mow the grass in the back corner.

 

 

I decided to rake them all around the three trees they came from and use them like mulch. It is actually a fairly neat look back here at the back of my lot. The squirrels can continue to crack and eat.

 

 

 

Just two or three steps away from the last picture is this scene. The Excitement involved with this subject came several years ago when I first saw about a quarter size piece of glass showing here. After close inspection I could tell there was a bottle under the dirt and I thought, Oh, an antique bottle here! I wonder how long it has been buried? Should I dig it up? I decided to leave it and see what emerges. Just recently a lot more dirt has disappeared and I am thinking it is just a soda bottle or possibly a wine bottle. At least it is glass and not plastic. That is a root you see grown across it. I may just dig it on up this week and have the big reveal here soon!  I tell you, it doesn't take much to entertain me!

 

 

I wish I could wrap this post up with some very pretty flowers but, after a summer of high heat the blossoms are a bit scarce right now.  The above plant is my newest - a salvia.  It is a pretty dark pink and the humming birds like it.

 

 

The clerodendren is almost always blooming.

 

 

 

Also, some good color here on this angel wing begonia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can always depend on miss Clair Matin - almost year round.

 

 

Four beauty berry bushes adds some color in the late summer garden.

 

 

A good substitute for blossoms is the colorful coleus. This one and the following pictures show my seven different types.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know you all are just holding your breath to see how the worm casting works but in the meantime I will be back with other posts of my crazy life!

~~~~~

By the way, for you local growers, Lukas Nursery, South Seminole Farm and Nursery, Blodgett Garden and Nursery and Palmers Garden all carry the Black Star Earthworm Castings.