Sage striped slipcovers REALLY do cover

Here I go again, needing to redo two lawn chairs that have been around longer than most of us. The two chairs in question must have a couple of dozen layers of paint and I am not keen on paint removal, so.................... you know me, I do the next best option. Sew a slipcover for the chair. I was fortunate to find several yards of a very good 100% cotton fabric and the strip is so faint, you hardly notice it. Without too much fuss and not requiring a zipper nor Velcro, this project turned out pretty good. By Saturday, I will have the matching chair fully dressed out in its finest coat ever. No VOC issues and no messy paint to clean up. How good does it get?

Recent finds - lucky me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While out earlier this morning, I decided to take a quick run through our local DAV thrift store. I can't recall EVER stopping in and not finding something that perks my interest. When I spotted the worn and tarnished toast holder - it was $1 (I think it is English - not sure), I scratched it and figured it would come clean and shiny while using Soft Scrub with Lemon. This is a great product and it smells good. Took a little while to clean all the areas, but it is well worth my efforts. I can see toast awaiting a simple and tasty brunch. I was hoping that some of my small, dessert plates would fit in the slots, but they failed to make the grade. I had spotted the little, handmade pottery piece months ago and it was only .50. Today it was only a quarter and I felt it needed a home. It will be cute to use on the porch with a small, votive candle. Someone made it in 2004 and gave it to someone and it ended up in a thrift shop. Such a cute piece - I will enjoy it a lot. Loved the small needlework piece, depicting rabbit and several carrots. I like to take small pieces out of the frame, wash and dry them and make small door hanging pillows to greet guests. Such a cute addition to an entrance or to mask an ugly door knob. The cute, green trimmed plate with rose colored painted flower is by Homer Laughton - got this for $1.00. Last, but the best of all is the hand painted cute wall hanger from Italy for $2.50. What a haul - if you don't thrift shop - you should.

What drives and motivates you??????????

My cousin Patty recently gave this MADE IN THE USA sign to me. She knows how I am about MIC purchases and I love it. While visiting her last week and exploring a host of thrift shops - she did include a couple of great shops at Tyson's Corner. Have you seen different sizes and shapes of clear glass with wheat growing? One high end shop had these for sale to compliment your decor but they also had the wheat seed at $4 a cup. We both purchased a cup and Patty planted hers as soon as we returned home. By the time I department on Sunday, hers had sprouted up and watching this stuff grow is so fascinating. I planted mine on Tuesday and this is the height in five days. It is so neat - seeing the little hair like roots growing down into the soil and shallow rocks makes an interesting conversation piece any place in your home. Of course, you need to water and turn it each day - place in a sunny window, but not directly in the hot sun. Enjoy - and you can proudly say to your friends "This was Made in the USA"

Creating a new look for candles

Candles come in many styles, shapes, color and sizes. Jar candles hit the scene some years ago and will always be favorites. Recently my cousin Patty pulled out two clear glass votives which belonged to an old family friend who has passed away now. Needing to enhance two wall sconces, Patty recalled having the votives and retrieved them from her arsenal of candles and accessories. You would have to see her collection to believe it. I loved the effect of the clear glass votives and set out to locate a pair. Naturally I checked out the Goodwill thrift shop first and there they were, sitting idly on the shelf, trying to be noticed and they were. I snatched them up for .50 each, washed them and looked around to use them some place. Then I spotted these two old, HEAVY gears from old machine parts and you guess it - they fit perfectly and the look is modern and best of all - you know me - Made in the USA.

Second in line for blooming

Finally SPRING arrived bringing warm weather and longer days, especially after the time was moved up for one hour. I anxiously await the blooming of my two favorite bushes each year. These have been planted for over ten years but beautiful blooms as you see here don't come without a bit of planning and work. You have to be sure to prune just a little AFTER the blooming season is over. If you get busy and see a lot of green growth during the summer, don't think about pruning at that time. Buds have already set for the next blooming period and you will not have many or any if you prune. Just let the bush grow larger and larger - then enjoy the blooms the next time around. The white bush is a spirea - planted as a small one gallon plant, it takes up a huge section of the corner of our house. What a welcome this bush says to all who enters our driveway.
At the opposite end of the house sits my pride and joy - Lady Banks Rose which is simply gorgeous even without blooms. For those who have allergies to fragrances - this rose has NO SMELL and no thorns either, so it is a good choice for your yard. I've attempted to transplant a piece a couple of times, but no success.

Looking Forward to Summer

This past weekend Jim and I took a short trip to visit our daughter and our new grandson. They live about 5 minutes from the beach and being at the ocean really brought back some summer memories for me. Spring is my favorite season of all but I enjoy Summers too. Living in the South in August can be a bit challenging though, when the humidity will melt a person in a few minutes. But in spite of the sweltering heat I can still appreciate the anticipation of a fun-filled Summer that most children enjoy...what are you looking forward  to the most? Are you like me and looking forward to working in the garden early in the morning before the sun gets too hot and creating a colorful flower garden for all to enjoy or a veggie garden to enjoy eating the fruits of your labor?  One of my favorite things is to pick that first perfectly ripened red tomato and placing on the windowsill in my kitchen; and later devour on a perfect tomato sandwich that NO store-bought tomato can begin to rival.

Or do you look forward to lazy days of reading in a cozy area in your yard or perhaps taking an afternoon nap if a nice breeze is blowing?

Or perhaps you anticipate going on a hunt for that perfect treasure to add to your collection? If you love flea markets and finding unique bargains; you might want to check out this magazine for some ways to display your finds and seeing how others enjoy your passion as well.

What about sitting on a porch catching a cool breeze while sipping a glass of your favorite iced beverage or maybe licking on an ice cream cone? Or enjoying a great conversation with a trusted friend or just sitting and having a old-fashioned daydream.

A picnic is always fun and you can have one in a variety of settings such as a local park or even your own backyard...somehow food always tastes better when eaten outdoors and shared with ants and others!

Some people are fortunate and take a vacation (or more) each year. I plan to spend as much time as possible with my grandson Easton and hope to hear his gleeful sounds of putting his feet into the ocean for the first time and helping him build sandcastles on the beach...Hope you all take some time to really enjoy the upcoming Summer season and recall some of the feelings and experiences you enjoyed as a child as well. I enjoy weekend trips myself and quite often find that several weekend trips refresh me more than one long vacation does...Try and unclutter your schedule as much as possible so you're not stressed out this Summer...and rekindle some of those childhood feelings when Summer was something to anticpate vs something to endure.