Winter Has Arrived!

It's here. It's been snowing the last few days in this normally mild-winter climate Washington state. It's beautiful, but I wish it wouldn't snow on the streets. It's cramping my style. I drove downtown yesterday....very carefully. Haven't ventured out at all today, but I did tromp through the snow long enough to get a few photos.

This is our Witch Hazel in full bloom. I love the winter blooming plants and shrubs.

Close up shot of the Witch Hazel blossoms.

Winter Jasmine. I want one of these on each side of the house, one near the dining room window.

I like the black and white appearance of this Japanese Maple photo.

And one more across our back yard and the city property across the fence.

Pertaining to Pedestals

I'm having so much fun with my new craft items...cake and dessert pedestals, soap dishes, candy dishes. The process is the same as creating the garden art, but it gives me a new slant on the same type of craft. Of course, the most fun is in the hunt for pieces to form the finished product.

When I saw this plate I knew I had to have it. I searched through my stash at home and thought I had found the perfect pieces for the pedestal.

Then I saw this candle holder in a thrift store. I knew for sure that it was going on the plate. What do you think?

Moody Monday

We've been having some gray, dark days in our neck of the woods. I guess I shouldn't complain. It's January and no snow yet. Actually the temperatures have been rather mild.

It's been a good time to stay inside and work on my garden art and home decor. I have several new listings on etsy, but hope to get a lot more done before the end of the week. I also have been wanting to branch out into another type of craft as well as what I'm doing now, but don't seem to have the time. Too many family health issues. Too may dust bunnies!!!

Check out my latest etsy listings. I've added more glass plate flowers. The inventory was getting very low.

Happy crafting to all of you in 2012!!!

Almost 2012!!

Where did December go? I've been so busy I hardly remember the last few weeks. I have been creating new items to list on etsy as well as trying to get ready for Christmas with family, which by the way hasn't happened yet. Hubby had surgery on December 19th. Can you imagine a surgeon scheduling a surgery six days before Christmas? So we're celebrating Christmas and New Year together this weekend.

I'm expanding my glass garden art hobby to include more home decor items. I've been making candle holders for battery operated candles; also dessert and cake plates. You can see them in my etsy shop and I'll be listing more soon. It's so much fun to search for items to create something a little different than what I've made previously.

I'm still into garden art. The photo of the garden lady shown below could be used outside or inside as home decor. I just love creating a little whimsy now and then.

Oh, Deer! Where's my dinner?

We had visitors in our yard...a doe and her fawn. They acted like they belonged there and they were happy to pose for me. When the doe climbed the tree with her front paws to dine from the bird feeder I was stunned, but not for long. I managed to get a couple good shots.

Hey, you weren't invited!

Where did the apples go?

OK. I'm ready for my after dinner portrait.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING......

......TO ALL OF YOU!!

Trip Trivia

I can hardly believe it's been over a month since I posted here. It seems like yesterday. A lot has happened during that time, including a trip to Oklahoma to visit family members. Had a great visit, in spite of the earthquake, horrendous rain, thunder and lightning storm, tornado watch and an accident which put my brother in the hospital.

I flew into Wichita, Kansas, then rented a car to drive to my hometown in Oklahoma. The trip on the road to Oklahoma was.....mmmmm...eventful. I had reserved an economy car. It was $20 more than when I first started checking the internet, so I called the rental car company and asked for a discount. The agent couldn't get me anything less than what I was quoted on the web. When I told him I was a Costco member he told me to call them for a better price. No luck, but then I was told to take my Costco card with me and I might be able to get a discount in Wichita. Well, I forgot to take my card, but there was a cute young guy at the counter and he gave it to me anyway. Must like older women. Then he told me he was going to do something for me that would make me really love him. I could hardly wait! I had reserved an economy. He upgraded me to a Malibu ltz.

I looked over the dashboard to see what I needed to know before I started. Then I tried to put the car into gear with the lever at the right side of the steering wheel just like my Ford. The wind shield wipers went on. So I used the gear shift on the floor! When I left the airport I turned on the street I needed to be on, but in the wrong direction so I turned around and went back. In the meantime the car was getting hotter and hotter inside. I couldn't figure out how to turn the heater off in traffic so I turned down an exit and parked. There was a thermometer that showed it was 83 degrees inside the car and a blue 'down' arrow. I turned that sucker down to 60!

Finally left Wichita and headed for Oklahoma, all relaxed and cool. I got to a toll booth, rolled the window down, grabbed the ticket and put the pedal to the metal. Then I couldn't get the window rolled up. I thought if I pushed one side of the button it would go down. If I pushed the other side it would go up. Wrong! Then I accidentally pushed the wrong button and the back window went down. I couldn't look down to push buttons and look at the road, too. I soon had all the windows down. So here was this little old lady driving down the highway at 75 miles an hour with the Kansas wind whippin' through her hair. I finally found an exit where I could pull off and, hopefully, pull into the advertised gas station to park and figure all this out. No gas station in sight...just another toll booth so I pulled off the side and found that if I pushed down the windows went down. If I pulled up they went up. DUH! There were no cars coming so I decided it was a good time to just make a u turn and head back to the highway.

So I turned on the windshield wipers.

By that time I was laughing so hard tears were coming into my eyes. I went rolling down the highway laughing all by myself like a crazy woman. (no comment, please). Next time I'll tell the agent to just give me a car that isn't smarter than I am.