Glammin' Up the Backyard for Pink Saturday

Thank you for visiting today. Be sure and visit Beverly at howsweetthesound for more participants in Pink Saturday.
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Our son and grandsons were here for a couple of days this past week. The 2 on the right are our grandsons, 20 and 11, and the young man on the left, 13, is a "sort of adopted" child. He takes him whenever he and his wife can because his mother isn't a good influence on him and he loves our son and boys. He is treated just like his sons in everything: trips, cruises, punishments and college when he is ready. His mother won't give him up because......well, just because. He is a sweetie though. Keith is doing much better but, of course, he will have to repeat the surgery on his leg that the gang injured when they beat him. He is very optimistic about everything though.

Here is hubs planting 2 grape plants for us. I suggested we use this metal arbor since the clematis' have all, but one, died. He transplanted the clematis. We'll have a lovely place to view from our patio door and have the grapes to eat. The arbor will definitely hold them.

I have looked at every garden and hardware store in town trying to find a window box I thought was pretty enough. There was nothing available and then "POOF" an epiphany! I had two french vintage wire window boxes in the house—one in the living room and one in the family room under the faux mantel. Another "duh" moment for me. *Sigh*.........

Anyway, out it came from the wall and I put it under the window in my office with the faux ferns (I can't grow any other kind). Then...........

We went out to Michaels and Joanns and found some lovely silk peonies and roses and I stuck them in there with the ferns. I absolutely love looking at it from the front of the house and I can see it out my window seat.

The peonies are really very pink. I took this picture just after a rain storm and it was a bit dark but you can see underneath how the water stayed out from the box a bit. (Notice the rock underneath in the above photo.)

Here are the other faux roses and dahlias I purchased today at Michaels and Joanns. They are truly lovely and 60% off!

While I was out there I snapped more photos of the new crop of roses in the rose garden. Aren't they lovely? I have finally succeeded in growing something!

Just absolutely stunning to me, chicks!

Have you ever seen anything as gorgeous as a rose except for a newborn baby? I think not!

Ooooh, I almost forgot to mention th' thumb! This is what happens when hubby and son take me and grandsons target practice at the local shooting range and they neglect to tell me my thumb is in the wrong position on the semi-automatic handgun for the sliiiiIIIIiiiide (slide)! These are 2 Marines who know and taught Marines how to shoot but neglect to tell th' wife and mom. They're just lucky they weren't standing in front of me after I dropped the gun. *Sigh*........it hurts!!!!

And...........*sigh*........the fluorescent ear plugs you wear when shooting???? Well, I tried one pair and they fell out of my ears so I tried the 2nd pair and they got stuck in my ear! I tell ya, it was not a good day for me, bloggerettes. Thank goodness my son is a nurse. Hubs tried to get them out. I finally got the right one out and I couldn't hear out of my right ear. It was strange because it seemed that I could hear out of my right ear through my left ear. Then Keith tried pulling the left one out and he couldn't get a hold on it. He said, "Mom, why did you put them in so far?" I said that they kept falling out. He used his fingernails to grab the very edge and started pulling and boy, did it hurt. Felt like he was sucking my ear drums out! I had to tell him twice to stop as he was pulling. Well, I can hear out of the left ear but the right one is still plugged up badly. I can hear it trying to pop but I've been going around for 3 days "yawning" to pop it but so far nothing. I think I'll give up shooting.........unless it's a hubby and son! Target practice just could be hazardous to their health, ya know. :-)

Stained Glass Window and Some Happenings

For those of you who have emailed me and asked about the tissue paper flower pom poms, the tissue paper was 20" x 30" long and about 12 sheets per flower. I accordion pleated them, tied them with yarn in the middle and then just carefully—VERY CAREFULLY—pulled the sheets of tissue paper apart. You can cut scallops, points or just leave them plain because they'll be beautiful even plain. Here are all seven I made yesterday. In that middle one I put in one sheet of the darker pink with the lighter pink.
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Yesterday was quite a day. My son, my son-in-law and grandson-in-law all had surgery the same day. What a day!

Son had surgery on his knee that has been operated on about 5 times already on his meniscus. It was supposed to be arthroscopy but got in there and decided me needed more extensive work on his knee.

My son-in-law is on dialysis and had to have his right shoulder replaced. The surgeon said he gets the award for "Most uncomplaining patient ever" because his shoulder was shot and they can't believe he never complained. Nothing was there and one tiny bump would have destroyed it. So that has been replaced and he's at this minute tonight taking morphine every 6 minutes. They will replace his fistula on his left arm this year sometime with a cow vein. (I asked daughter if this means he'll be able to "MOOOOO" then. She said no.) LOL Anyway, then when that heals on his left arm they will replace that shoulder also. Here's his picture from last Thanksgiving.
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Then while all this was happening my granddaughter's hubby had some bad pressure in his tummy area last night so this morning when the pain got real bad they rushed him to hospital and did an emergency appendectomy! Then when granddaughter went home to get his cell phone and laptop and came out of the house in Washington state it was snowing a "whiteout"! She narrowly avoided crashing into 2 cars coming down the hill from their house. She then turned right around and went home, gunning her car all the way up the hill to get it GOING up the hill, called her hubby and said I'm staying home. Being from California she is not used to driving in snow.

It's been an extremely busy day around this household trying to get information from all 3 people in 3 different places: northern Calif., southern Calif., and Washington state. We do things in a big way in this family!! *Wink*......... We are truly blessed in this family because everyone is well today! I told you we're an optimistic family and I wasn't kidding. No big deal tonight on any of this. Everyone has been truly blessed to come through this day fine.
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I was blessed to have been given this window by a sweet lady. I don't know what I did to deserve this leaded glass window but it must have been something good. Could it be my sunny personality??? Hmmmmm?!?!?! Anyway, if one of you chicks lived nearby you could have it. But it is monstrously heavy! So I'm not shipping it anywhere. I simply do not have room for it anymore so I'll probably put it on Craigs List and sell it for a few dollars. Breaks my heart.

Pink Saturday 10/4/08 - Curtains, Window Seat Cover

I spent the morning a few days ago determining what this room needed. I'm a big advocate of fabric on windows. I know some of you aren't because you love openness but I LOVE texture on my windows. So I ran out and bought these. (I know!! I could have made them but I'm soooooo into instant gratification!! LOL) So I fan pleated them together just with my hands and tied a ribbon around them and hung them on a picture hanger to the side of the window. I don't want to obscure the pretty white woodwork. I'm also a tad "different" when it comes to decorating. I do my own "style", but it works for me and my family. All in all about 5 minutes from start to finish.......after buying them, of course.

Okay........on to the next thing on the list of getting this room "up and running"!! The border of ivy has come down and the painting of the room pink will begin maybe next week. Then a frieze of roses will go around the top of the room. I've put a pink toile cover on the window seat cushion and some pillows that I made and never sold. But they look beautiful there. I'm thinking of a small table in front of the window. Can't you just imagine sitting here and watching the first snow fall of the winter while sipping a cup of hot chocolate, my favorite winter time drink?!? Sigh..........

Then I must get busy and make a cover for the printer stand (just out of view and on the left of window), which is actually a microwave stand doing double duty! Never throw anything away; it can be used in some other way almost every time. LOL I'm jazzed and on a roll now, chicks!! Still needs a few more details though.

Pretty Doors and Peace and Calm

For First Friday, I recommend you go to my selling blog, La Maison Rose, and look at a few new things I've put on there recently. And to learn more about First Fridays, go to Rhea's blog at sweetnshabbyroses.
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Now for some tranquility in lieu of the past week and all the worldly problems confronting you. Peace, my sweet friends.......

These doors look European or South American to me. They came from a calendar of this year. I only buy beautiful calendars to hang on my fridge so Love Bunny can keep me informed of his activities. One month at a time is placed on the fridge with beautiful magnets to hold them. I walk the walk when I talk the talk, chicks.

Hubs and I have been to Mexico and England and Ireland and simply loved visiting those countries, but we'll never go again. (I ain't flying, chicks!! Never ever again.) But the beauty of the flowers and the doors is astounding. The doors and windows in Ireland impressed me the most. So today I thought I'd just share with you these vintage looking entrances with the roses and foliage around them. Aren't they gorgeous? I also love the cobblestones pathways or streets you see in some of them.

Imagine climbing these stone steps worn with a smoothness and age from years of the pattering of feet running up and down them after a day of shopping or coming home from work. Beautiful in their simplicity. Window boxes abundant with flowers vining down the wall and shutters to keep the hot sun at bay during the day.

This one reminds me of a "secret" little street off the beaten path. Shrubs and flowers in pots and cascading down the balcony and over the window boxes again. Tile roofs to add to the mystique and ambiance. Notice also the vivid sun-drenched colors of the walls. Magnifiquè! Vintage lanterns lining the street and dripping with the patina of centuries gone past.

A secret entrance perhaps? Hmmmmm. More lush foliage to secret the owners from passersby. Hubs and I have rented a condo in Puerto Vallarta that reminds us of this patio. It was gorgeous.

Look at those magnificent doors! Very regal. And the stone step worn away from centuries of use. Can you imagine living here? The scent of geraniums wafting through the window spilling their spicy scent up to you. What a treat that would be.....:-)

This one reminds me of where Jesus the Christ might have lived. I can't explain why but it is just reminiscent of the cave where the stone was rolled away and He was set free for eternity. Even the light on the wall reminds me of His light to the world. Stone steps luxuriant in so many flowers one can barely find purchase for the feet. I weep.

May you have His peace and comfort in the days to come. Times will be hard but with Him you will at least have comfort.

Dieu soit avec vous. Au revoir jusqu'à la fois prochaine, mes amis doux.

Treasures I Found Today!! :-)

I went shopppppinnng today!!!!!! Take a look at just some of the neat things I got.

I saw these green glass stones in a mesh bag and then in a pretty container at the store and knew I had to have them. I love the sea green glass color. Jack said, "You're going to buy those rocks?" Yes, Love Bunny, I am and don't even ask why because I haven't thought on it yet, but they'll be gorgeous no matter where I, your wife, puts them. Well, then that necessitated a stop at Home Depot for some things he needed - screws, straps, pieces of this and that and some such stuff that definitely isn't as wonderful as MY stuff. I waited in the car and listened to the radio while he shopped. Of course I lost my cell phone in the car and couldn't find it but Jack did when he came out. Sigh............

Then I found this darling little birdbath with the little birds on it in this gorgeous verdigris color. That is one of my favorite colors. It looks like your outside copper hose outlet that has turned a tad green/blue and rusty. I know you've seen it but this is darling with some roses I put in it to photograph. I may add something else or maybe more roses.

This is a closer shot of it from higher.

Oh be still my reckless heart!!!! I love this little "window" and I got it for 1/2 off!! What an unexpected pleasure. Jack is hanging it in our living room over the couch in the morning. It's wood and metal with a verdigri medallion in the middle and looks so pretty with the metal scrollwork. Tomorrow more treasures!