Sun's out...time to get to work!

It's been raining the past few days but now that the sun's out I have laundry to get washed and hung out and a dozen more things to do!   I took recycling this morning, stopped and got a few groceries as I did NOT end up going to Wal-Mart yesterday and then I filled the SUV with gas.  I also picked up a few more plants.  They go fast around here.  I've learned to  "buy 'em when you see 'em" or forget it for the season!

Below was a Kodak "moment"!  I walked into my bedroom and what do I see but little Orphan Annie sleeping WITH Nitty in Nitty's bed.   Annie is pushy and needy and Nitty is oh so gentle and gracious!  That bed is small for Nitty much less when Annie barges in.  Look at the look in Nitty's eyes.  I've talked to her about setting boundaries with Annie and that she needs to stick up for herself but alas......she's a gentle soul and she's lets Annie push her around.  I think Annie uses the "victim" card with her telling her how she was orphaned and didn't have the love and upbringing that she thinks Nitty did.  Little does she know, Nitty was an orphan too just at a younger age.  Oh well, hopefully Annie will sleep in her own bed tonight and it was only a momentary lapse else I will have to interevene.  Nitty could eat Annie for lunch but unfortunately Annie knows she won't.  Who said animals don't have values?    Nitty's a saint in my book!

My tulips opened up!  Aren't they just so pretty with the orange and the yellow combo?

 

I started another crochet project last night as I realized I needed a place for all that yarn I ordered!

I found this free pattern at Chickpea Studio .  You;ll have to scroll down quite a bit to find it as it was not a recent post.

 

I also need to repot my poor spider plant and I've been waiting until the rains stopped so I could do it outside.  The poor thing is trying to make babies with little soil or nutrition.  She'll end up as 3 separate plants with fresh time release fertilizer.  It's the least I could do for her.

I hope you have a great weekend and tomorrow is my "R n' R" or so I keep telling myself! LOL!  I'll probably end up going to Wally World tomorrow and when I get home I will need "R n' R" for sure!

What a great week I'm having............

This has been a very enjoyable week so far.  I hope yours has been too...I'm off to Wally World today so I'll just get a quick post out before I leave.  This is what I've been up to...the fun stuff anyway! LOL!

I found a few new channels on the "telly" that have great shows on from when I was a child and my children were young.  I only have "local" channels so this was pretty exciting for me!  The Inspirational channel has The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie and Medicine Woman Quinn and others and then the Angel2 channel has shows from when I was young....Lassie and Sargent Preston of the Yukon with his trusty dog King plus Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...it was like going back in a time machine!  I loved it! 

I made some great "new" cookies too.  I went to the store and bought "real" sugar this time and I read on the Splenda package where your baked goods may not brown as much so there you go....you can't get "crispy" ever with the artificial stuff evidently.  I took my "Toll House Cookie" dough and instead of 1 cup of chocolate morsels I added 1 cup of Grape Nuts cereal plus my usual 1 cup of pecans and of course REAL butter and REAL sugar.  They were yummy and crispy and crunchy!
I also practiced my "ripple" blanket pattern some more and also started a practice swatch of the Granny stripe pattern both crochet patterns and tutorials from Attic24  I ordered yarn from a company in the U.K. that carries the yarn she used and in the same colors.  I got free shipping and it was cheaper than most of the yarn sites I visit here....crazy but true!  I'm so excited, it already shipped this morning and it will take longer, 10-14, days but heck...at least I know I will love it because I love the colors she uses.  Here are my swatches and these are the easiest and most T.V. friendly patterns....LOVE!!!!

Okay...I'm off to Wal-Mart and thank goodness I don't need too much this week.  I have bills to pay and some cleaning to do and ironing and then tonight is crochet and watch back-to-back episodes of Monk! 
I'm almost finished reading a wonderful book too which I will review this coming week sometime.  Have a GREAT Friday!

Working on "a little something"...............

This is a sample swatch of a "ripply" pattern that Attic24 had on her blog and on Ravelry

In case you haven't heard of either, Ravelry is a free site for knitters and crocheters with lots of wonderful patterns and designers.  It also has a place where you can post your projects, join forums for particular topics, keep a notebook of your "favs" and get help from others.  It is the most wonderful resource and that's where I found Attic24.  I was first attracted to her colors....gee, what else is new?  I love color and she has the most wonderful way of combining them in her gorgeous designs and creative projects.  If you like color, you will LOVE Attic24!  She's also from England and I've noticed how attracted I am to designers from overseas.  I don't know why but every time I find some project I adore it is usually from someone outside the U.S.  Maybe it's because they seem to always use high quality materials or because they learn these skills at a younger age and are just more proficient?  Another gal whose projects I adore is Esther from Happy in Red who crochets and sews the brightest, happiest creations befitting her blog name! 

Below is Lucy's (Attic24) ripple crocheted blanket and she has the most wonderful tutorials of all kinds of awesome projects!  I can't pick a favorite.  Her choice of colors and how they go together so beautifully is what I love about her.  I want to make every one of them!   

 Here's a real cutie!  I want these hanging in my windows!  Lots of them!

And if this isn't right up my alley for Spring.................

All of her patterns are free and she has tutorials for all of them and they are the clearest instructions with step-by-step pictures that even a beginner could follow.  She's an amazing designer!  Please visit her blog....you will NOT be disappointed!
Here are some samples of Esther's work at Happy in Red.  A tutorial for a reversible tote bag!  Too cute!

 
And how about some darling crocheted flowers to embellish it with?

Or you could make a garland of these for Spring! 
I hope you visit these marvelous bloggers/designers and tell them how much we appreciate them sharing their talents with us!  Have a great day and "make something" of it!

Storms, rain, warnings and a rough night.........

  I got up a little later than usual this morning as the weather radio kept going off all night.  Thank goodness I didn't have to go to the basement as it was flash flood warnings and river flood warnings but it kept waking me up until I just shut it off.  Quilt Guild was today but I didn't make it up in time and really don't want to go out in the pouring rain as I don't know where the floods are.  I'll stay cozy inside with my girls.  The only problem is they hate going out in the rain and when I opened the door this morning and they looked out they turned around and went back to bed! LOL!  Eventually they won't be able to hold it anymore and they'll go out regardless but begrudgingly.  I let them out on the back porch and leave the door open so they can go and come in when they're ready.....no fear of being trapped outside in the rain! LOL!  I have "camel" cloths which are super absorbent cloths that I dry them off with and then they get a special treat for going out in the bad weather.  It's been "coming down" since last night when I went to bed.  There was an hour we spent in the basement when there was a tornado warning but that was from 6-7 p.m. at least.  It seems ours usually come in the middle of the night so I was grateful I was awake for it.  The girls also hate going in the basement but it's like they sense something and when I call them because of a warning they come right down.
Anyway....."before the rains came" I went to town and got a few groceries and spotted some great flowers to put in my wheelbarrow that don't require  lots of sun. 

 

Aren't they just precious?  They almost look fake they're so perfect looking.  I think they're primroses but not sure and they're outside in the rain now so I won't go check.  I just set them in this wagon outside until I plant them in the wheelbarrow.

This is my parsley that came back.  I'm not sure if it was the warm winter or if it will always come back but I am grateful!

 Below is my rosemary and oregano which is going great guns this Spring.

And last but not least, I couldn't resist these beauties and what's nice is they can be "re-purposed" back into my yard when they're done blooming in the house.  Stay dry and safe where ever you are! 

 

Spring is busting out all over...wasn't there a song like that?

The smell around here is intoxicating especially when the wind dies down and there's just a faint breeze at night or early in the morning.  All the trees are in bloom and we have LOTS of them so the aroma is heavenly!  This is not just in people's yards, around here they grow wild in the woods and I have to admit, Springtime in the Ozarks is like nothing I've ever experienced before....it is truly magical.

 

I'm sure it's "magical" elsewhere too but you have to understand I came from the Midwest where Springtime was my least favorite season because it was always, wet, cold, REALLY windy and muddy and dirty as far as the eye could see with ugly mounds of dirty snow....it wasn't anything like down here!  No wonder some people like Spring....I could never understand that....they must have been from the South or someplace other than the Midwest! LOL!

These are the Redbuds that bloom all through the woods and give them a purplish haze and then pretty soon the Dogwoods will bloom white and they also grow wild in the woods.  At dusk you might think you see ghosts in the woods with all the white dogwoods blooming.

Below are not flowers but just buds on a tree but they look like flowers don't they?

Remember this tree from last week that I showed you with all the white blooms on it?  Yep, that is the Bradford Pear that WAS blooming and is now done and fully leafed out.  I tell you...down here when Spring arrives you had better pay attention or you'll miss it!

So, where ever you are, go outside (if it's not storming!) and watch Spring  unfold right before your very eyes!  It is magical!

Spend most of the day outside yesterday.....

I planted a few Gerbera Daisies on the front porch.  I noticed the sign is crooked and either I need to lower it or raise the plant up as it's not very balanced either but I had to get the daisies planted.  They have them in those peat pots now and I can't keep them moist enough once I get them home so I have to plant them right away.

 

The pansies are doing well and lots of blooms but if it gets any hotter they won't like it!

I planted this wheelbarrow on the N.E. side of my house after I finished painting that dark brown (3 coats and it could still use another!) on the shed which had been white.  It was Fall last year and I thought Mums would look great in there and they did and a few lived as you can see but when I read the tag this Spring I realized they are supposed to get full sun which is not available in this neck of the woods.  They will be getting transplanted soon and replaced with some gorgeous flower that doesn't require sun...hmmm...I'm thinking Impatients would look nice or some Wave Petunias that would flow over the side?

Remember when I showed you the rhubarb last week peeking through the soil?  Well, look at that baby now!  Growth Spurt!!!

I also planted some mint in a pot in the house.  Mint is very invasive so you never want to plant directly in the ground or you'll never get rid of it.  It doesn't like full sun either just indirect light so it will do fine in the house.

BELOW ==>  Truer words were never spoken!   Have a great Monday!