26 April 2019

Feline Friday: Outdoor Lily

 This girl. 

She was born and raised in a vet's office. Although her mama was a farm kitty, Lily never had the opportunity to learn All the Outdoor Things. She doesn't know what trees are and certainly wouldn't know how to climb one (unless that instinct thing kicks in...). And she absolutely won't walk in grass.

When placed in grass, she lifts one paw at a time. She doesn't like the feel of it on her little toesies.

Like a school bus in rainy weather, Lily is a "hard surfaces only" kind of cat. Until Lily, I had never actually met such a cat. 

She'll go on the sidewalk and the driveway.
 

 She's happy to rest near the gnomes on the warm patio bricks.
 

 And she especially loves the limestone edging we put around the garden areas a few years ago. It's the perfect "cat path". She can survey the yard without actually having to walk in it.
 

Ahhh, yes! The great outdoors...kind of.
 
 Happy Feline Friday!
jp



25 April 2019

Curbside Treasures: Clean-Up

 The best things in life are old, loved, and rescued.
Author unknown

 -------------------------

We had a beautiful Easter weekend, so I decided to take some time to clean up the garden items I found on the curb last week.

First up: The iron bird bath/bird feeder. As you can see, it had a pretty thick coating of rust. 

I may end up having it sandblasted but for now, I thought I'd try a home remedy I found online: Cream of tartar mixed with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste.

This is one home remedy that actually WORKS! As I scrubbed, the rust literally rolled off the surface. I went through two containers of cream of tartar before running out. By that point, I could see a design on the feeder which wasn't visible before.

 Since I was out of cream of tartar (and time), I decided to stop and come back to this project at a later date -- and with a stockpile of cream of tartar. So I rinsed it thoroughly and let it dry in the sun.
 

 Now this little piece looks really sweet in the front garden area! For now, I have filled it with bird seed but that may change to water.

 Next I tackled the baker's rack. I used a wire brush to scrub off the loose paint. I hosed it down and let it dry in the sun.

Then I took it out in the yard and applied a few coats of black spray paint.

 I painted the little finials silver. I think it turned out really nicely and will be cute with a few shade plants in this little corner by the garage.
 
Next up: This short trellis. First I brushed it to remove all the loose paint and rust. The previous owner had left some fishing line tied to it so perhaps it was once a support for clematis or another climbing vine. It's a very sturdy little piece.

I initially painted it a bronze color to (sort of) match the original shade, but it was too bright. Since I decided to stand it up against our house, I opted for black to match our other metal accents. I like the way it turned out!
 

This taller trellis was in serious need of clean-up. The paint had faded to a sort of pink color, and it was covered with rust. 

 But with a few coats of black paint, it looks good as new!

  I really like the way it looks behind my grandma's tiger lilies. The motif on this trellis is a fleur-de-lis, which is perfect for me since I love all things French.

 I'm excited to have a few "new to me" ornaments in the garden...each one with its own story! 
Thanks for stopping by!
jp



22 April 2019

Curbside Treasures Galore!

 
Each April, our city has a clean-up day. On this day, residents can put large items out on the curb to be picked up by the garbage hauler. Our normal garbage day is Tuesday, but neighbors start putting "junk" out on Sunday, as long as the weather is nice. By the time Tuesday has rolled around, most of the stuff has been picked up by "junkers" who cruise around the neighborhood with trucks and trailers...

followed by me. 😎 Yes, that's me driving around in my SUV, scouting for curbside treasures.

When it comes to snagging stuff off the curb, I have no shame. None whatsoever. People put some pretty amazing things out on the curb. This upsets me greatly, because if those awesome things don't get picked up, they absolutely will end up in the landfill. But clean-up day is actually a GOOD thing because it results in many items being salvaged instead.

This year, there was SO MUCH STUFF on the curb that the garbage guys didn't make it all the way around town until THURSDAY. In the meantime, people kept dragging more and more stuff to the curb. 

Long story short: It was a banner year for curbside treasures!

Now mind you, you HAVE to be selective when looking for curbside treasures. There's a lot of not-so-great stuff on the curb -- stuff that should be recycled or truly thrown in the trash. But if you're willing to put in a bit of time and effort, you're sure to find some good stuff. 

The stuff you see on the curb seems to vary by year. One year, there were fire pits on every curb. Recliners, mattresses, and office furniture are always common. When flat screen TVs became the norm, older models were at the end of every driveway. This year it was artificial Christmas trees.

This clean-up day, I was looking for two kinds of items: Things to sell in my case at the antique mall and larger decorative pieces for my garden. Remember the bird bath I found a few years ago?

On my first trip around the neighborhood, I stopped quickly to inspect some trellises. They weren't in good condition so I turned to head back to my SUV when suddenly, behind some old office furniture, I spotted this sweet bird bath. I mean SERIOUSLY! There is nothing at all wrong with it other than rust -- which I actually find rather charming. The base, however, weighs about 200 pounds. But when curbside thrifting you develop SUPER HUMAN STRENGTH, so I hoisted it into the back of my SUV. I absolutely love it!

Near our house, I picked up the stack of tall metal buckets you see in the photo above. They have been painted, but galvanized tin (even in poor condition) sells very well, so I grabbed them. I've since learned that they're actually vintage sap buckets but can also be used for flowers. Crossing my fingers that they'll sell quickly!

I also found a box labeled "old trophies". A quick peek inside confirmed that they are mostly from the 50s and 60s. They're  in good shape with dates and, thankfully, no names. Believe it or not, there's a good market for old trophies, so we'll see if I can sell them!

Nearby, I found a box of old school papers from the 60s. Peeking quickly, I could see several interesting vintage items such as books, chemistry charts, sketch books, and more -- in short, a few older pieces that could be sold. Going through this box actually made me rather sad as it contained a number of report cards and photos that would have been lovely in a scrapbook...sigh. I recycled most everything in the box with the exception of non-personal items such as books to sell. More on this in another post.


In that same box was a goofy purple rabbit. I've been known to rescue stuffed animals, so I dropped this one off at Goodwill on one of my trips there. I could not stand the idea of him sitting out on the curb. Hopefully he found a home in time for Easter!

I also found this baker's rack which, other than a bit of chipped paint, is in really good condition and would be nice outside for smaller pots of plants.

As it got dark, I went a bit further from our immediate neighborhood and made a great find: A huge pile of trellises and garden ornaments. I had to turn my vehicle toward the pile and shine my headlights on it to inspect the loot! The trellises were all tangled up with fishing line and a garden hose, but I was undaunted and finally reached the two I wanted which were (naturally) at the bottom of the pile. They'll be perfect in my garden!
 

While I was working on the pile of trellises, a truck pulled up and the driver hopped out to take a look. After I left, she must have come back to take the entire rest of the pile because when I circled back around to grab one more item, everything was completely gone. When scoping for curbside treasure, if you see something you like, you must act immediately!😉

But with all of these great finds, the best was yet to come!

By the time Thursday rolled around, I could still see piles of junk out on the curbs. So on a whim, I decided to make one more trip around the neighborhood. Suddenly, I spotted two urns sitting at the end of a driveway.

  I was sure they were plastic but just to be on the safe side, I turned around and went back to take a look. Lo and behold, they are CEMENT and look as if they've never been used! Aside from a chip on the corner of one pedestal, they are in perfect condition. They only weigh 400 pounds each but I managed to hoist them into the SUV. I knew if I didn't take them immediately, the next person would!

This was the best find of my entire curbside operation. These urns will be beautiful in the garden, on the patio, or on the front porch. I seriously can't believe how lucky I was to have found them!

I spent some time over the weekend cleaning up the pieces I plan to keep for the garden and will share some pictures in a future post. I'm thrilled to be giving these curbside treasures a new life -- outside of the landfill!
jp


 

19 April 2019

Feline Friday: Spa Day!

Cousin Rory in Texas goes to a wonderful vet clinic, Longview Animal Hospital. The staff has been nothing short of fantastic and of course, they always enjoy seeing Rory for her annual checkups. Last April, I went along for her wellness visit and, suffice it to say, Rory was the life of the party! 😄

This year, our daughter's April schedule was tight so she took advantage of the clinic's drop-off service. She dropped off Rory first thing in the morning on her way to work then picked her up at the end of the day. In the meantime, Rory had her exam, shots, and no doubt an abundance of snuggles. Had there been any problems, the clinic staff would have contacted Rory's meowmy. But Rory was deemed PURR-fect in every way!

At the end of the day, Bailey stopped in to pick up Rory (who I expected would be running the front desk by then) and found Rory sporting a neckerchief! 

 What a fun spa day for Cousin Rory!
 
 Happy Feline Friday, everyone!
jp


14 April 2019

A Wee Bit Irish

Awhile back, I learned through Ancestry DNA testing that I'm a little bit Irish. Given my red hair, I don't know why this was such a surprise to me. But when I first received my results indicating 21% Irish/Scottish/Welsh, I was pretty excited!

Then on the next Ancestry DNA update, my results were revised -- resulting in a decrease in my Irish roots. Now I'm only 8% Irish/Scottish. RATS! 😉 And I still haven't figured out which ancestor(s) to thank for my sprinkling of Irish heritage.


 But even though I'm not very Irish, 8% still seems like enough to justify putting out a few St. Patrick's Day decorations!

 So back in March, I went through my stash of way-too-much stuff and pulled out my green items. To my surprise, I had enough to make a little vignette on the shelf in our entryway. This little shelf/bookcase belonged to my parents, and I'm really glad I brought it home from their house as it has been a nice addition to our entryway.
 

 The great thing is that almost everything I arranged on the shelf for St. Patrick's Day has significance to me! I love decorating with meaningful items. Let's have a quick tour!

 
The little girl at the left is a Lefton music box given to me by my grandma when I was a child. I'm always afraid to display it out of fear she'll get broken, but this year I decided to take a chance...and I'm glad I did as it was fun to see her again. Now that I think about it, it's quite possible that my Irish roots come via that particular Grandma, as her maiden name was McClelland which has origins in both Scotland and Ireland. I just haven't traced her line back that far yet!

 The tea cup and saucer also belonged to Grandma and are part of a set of dishes she often used for Sunday lunch. I have since learned that this pattern is called "Sandwich Glass". The dishes have an embossed leaf/flower design and are among my favorites. The pattern is a little more visible here:

The green vase belonged to my mom who had several pieces of emerald-colored glass. I suspect that she started collecting it in part because it matched Grandma's Sandwich Glass. I kept quite a lot of Mom's green glass and enjoy using it.

The Irish blessing hung in my bedroom throughout my adolescence and was a gift from my cousin.This sentiment has always been one of my favorites:

The only object which doesn't have family significance is the little domed pedestal which I found at a thrift shop. I suspect that the dome was added later to the base, making it a "marriage" (two pieces that didn't originally go together). Still, I just love this piece and use it often. For this holiday, I added a few gold Mercury glass balls from my Christmas stash just for color.

On the middle shelf, the nest of tiny eggs is something my mom picked up for Bailey when she was a little girl. It used to be tucked into a ficus tree along with a mama and baby bird. I remember that Bailey enjoyed taking the bird and the tiny plastic eggs down from the tree to inspect them from time to time. Such a sweet and happy memory.


On the bottom shelf is an awesome mid-century Haeger planter I picked up for next to nothing at an antique store because it has a hairline crack (barely visible, if you ask me). I love the shape and matte finish and keep it out almost year round. Next to it is a little bronze fairy which was a gift from my mom.

 Just for fun, I decided to make a little tag featuring a sweet vintage image of an Irish girl. I put the tag on a small easel next to the bird nest. Now I have something handmade for St. Patrick's Day to go with all of my sentimental pieces.

So even though I'm only a WEE bit Irish, it was kind of fun to have a little Irish display during the month of March. I think I'll do it again next year...regardless of what Ancestry DNA says!
jp



From Christmas to Easter Decor

TRUE CONFESSION:  I'm STILL in the process of packing up some of my Christmas decorations. (I KNOW....it's terrible!) I'm trying to re-organize as I put stuff away so it's taking FOREVER. Still, I really should be done by now!

Anyway, as I was sorting through Christmas decor,  I ran across this small tree and decided NOT to put it away quite yet!
 

You might remember that a few years ago, I found this little tree -- still with the tag! -- on the curb in a "natural" shade of hot pink. It only took 100 cans of spray paint to cover the pink!
 

This curbside tree turned out to be a great little find! I've used it every year since then, decorating it in a variety of different ways at Christmas. 

So since I still hadn't put it away for the season, I thought I might try using it for Easter. And I like how it turned out!

 Tree in hand, I dug around in my holiday boxes for suitable decor. I found a set of eggs I purchased a few years ago. At the time, I added ribbon to each egg by attaching it with a pin. The eggs had been tucked away unused, so I decided to hang them on the tree.

Then I discovered a set of ceramic birds I'd totally forgotten! I bought them to match the eggs, but they had also been stored away for many moons.

So with the eggs and birds in place, I'm happy with how my little Easter tree looks! It's just the right amount of Easter decor for me.

And as a bonus, I've now justified my extreme tardiness in putting away my Christmas decorations! 😉
jp

12 April 2019

Feline Friday

There was a mysterious BREAK-IN at our house this week -- in the Tupperware cupboard, of all places!

This is a terribly messy and neglected cupboard, so it's a surprise that our furry Tupperware Bandit even attempted entry. 

But she did...and luckily, she was caught on camera!

In Exhibit A, we see a clear picture of the suspect's back side, but we can't be QUITE SURE who she is. Based on those white socks, we had our suspicions...
 

 This furry bandit was obviously on the hunt for snacks! After finding none, she made a quick turnaround next to the Popsicle molds and headed for the exit. At this point, our camera caught a better photo which enabled us to definitively identify the culprit:
 
LILY!
 

 You'll be relieved to know that this extra cute suspect was immediately apprehended in a blankie and scooped up for snuggles as she contemplated her Tupperware transgression. 😉

Happy Feline Friday!
jp



05 April 2019

Feline Friday: Lily Recommends...

Lily has the very best taste in baked goods....

or maybe she just thinks baked goods all taste the very best!

We recently had loaf of pancake bread from Trader Joe's at our house. It was a special treat that we'd never tasted. And oh, my goodness...this bread has the texture of coffee cake but TASTES LIKE PANCAKES. It's amazingly good and perfect with coffee.

Well, as one might expect, Lily went into high alert mode as soon as the package was opened. She jumped onto my lap and zeroed in on her target.

With stealth-like speed, she reached in and swiped a crumb off the edge of my plate, then into her mouth it went!

Even though she only tasted one tiny crumb (or maybe three), Lily can recommend Trader Joe's pancake bread with utmost confidence! And we all know that she's an EXPERT in baked goods! 😻

Happy Feline Friday, everyone!
jp