Welcome Wagon Friday 10/15/10

It's that time again. The day we welcome new bloggers. 

Up for you this week, I've found:

Boston Bee is Alyssa's blog. (Isn't that the prettiest name?) She lives in Massachusetts. She is an educator, a writer and an artist. She is also a flea market decorating flipper. She loves cottage, select primitive style, and the simple things. Her motto: Free and Frugal Forever!

All About Jane's Ranch is about awakening the country girl within. Jane is an award-winning poet, radio journalist and educator. She is fluent in Spanish. She covered politics and the arts in Mexico for public radio's bilingual program. She and her husband recently retired and moved to a fifty-acre horse ranch in Miramonte in California's Sierra Mountains.

House Of Hawthornes is Pam's blog. She lives in Ohio. She loves gardening, vintage items and furniture refinishing. She also loves a good garage sale. 

You've got quite a bit of ground to cover visiting these gals. So get the Welcome Wagon going and head out visiting when you can!

Pond Transformation

Monday my pond turned into this pondless waterfall. Low maintenance. Easy to take care of. 

Sunday I spent chiseling mortared stone and tearing the walls down. I'm not a spring chicken, so I didn't get it as far down as I'd wanted to. But FNC Ponds came in Monday and finished that part for me. And created what you see above. 

Here is what it looked like before:

A word of advice: Let a carpenter do what he does best. But don't have him build a pond. I had a wonderful guy do some phenomenal things to my house. He built my pavilion and fence. But he was out of his element with the pond. It just never had the natural look I yearned for.

So I found these guys, FNC Ponds of Tyler, to transform it. And what a job they did!

They were a bit surprised when, after lifting some of the flagstone up, they happened upon a giant frog living underneath my pond. They said it was about a foot tall. I wish they'd yelled at me to come see it. I assume now it's hiding in my yard, burrowed underneath another moist spot.

In five hours time, I had exactly what I wanted. A natural-appearing woodland area with planting space.

By the end of the following day, yesterday, it looked like this after I'd planted some things.

I love the roaring sound of the water. I eat my meals out here.

I may be missing from reading your blogs for a few more days. I'm banged up from falling twice over stuff while out there working. I've laid some of the path with the heavy flagstone left over. I may need a few days to recover in my recliner. 

Seeking Inspiration

It's quiet, dark outside. I'm sitting here trying to summon up the energy to get some projects started.

But I should know by now that when I'm tired, I'm sucked dry of the kindling of inspiration.

I've learned that I must strike while the iron is hot. Because once it's cold, there's no turning up the heat.

Yet oftentimes ideas dawn on me when it's late and I'm ready for sleep. Or sitting in traffic. Or in the midst of raking leaves.

And then when I'm done with chores, the ideas have been swept away like cobwebs with a broom. All I feel is empty at that time. Starting a project is just not in the cards.

I'm at my most exuberant when the day yawns and stretches ahead of me. And I've had a good nights sleep.

And so I shall go take my shower. Grab some magazines and flip through them before bed. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day the ideas will flow from my brain into my fingertips.

When the muse will grab hold of me and shake me with new and exciting ideas.

Unfortunately, I can see that today is just not that day.

What do you do to get the creative juices flowing?

Seasonal Sundays With The Tablescaper

The leaves are falling, falling. Steadily floating to the ground.

Now it's time for Halloween decorations. Pulling out jeans and sweat shirts. Blankets and quilts. 

 

Ornamental kale is on sale at the nurseries. Spider lilies have made their brief but resplendent appearance.

 Our vegetable plants have all but withered away.

Pretty pansies are looking perky.

 

We pull out the recipes for fall. Sip coffee and tea throughout the day to warm our bodies and souls.

Time to snuggle up and watch old movies, catch up on new TV shows.

 

I'm linking to The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. Please go visit the other participants on this fine fall day.

An Early Welcome Wagon Friday 11/26/10

Here we are the day before Thanksgiving. Seems like it was just summer yesterday. Which it is here, sort of. The weather has been in the eighties. But that's supposed to change for us tomorrow.

I FINALLY got my creative mojo flowing. And I've got the mess all around me to prove it.

So for the sake of the holiday weekend, I'm putting this WWF post up today. I know you'll be busy with company and will only get to check in with blogs when you have a few minutes.

And I'm stoked on coffee and have to get back to my glue and scissors and such!

This week I've got for you:

Buckets Of Burlap. Blogger Becky has a heart for the simple life in the country. And BURLAP! Need I say more? We're all a bit crazed right now for that simple nubby fabric, aren't we?

Along A Widowed Road is Viola's blog. She is a South California widowed mom. Her new reality has become learning to tackle life as a single parent, finances, and the prospect of dating on down the road.

And now I'm going to get you started in that vein of Christmas spirit with some holiday crafting.

Dreaming Of Vintage is a blogger from Plainfield, Illinois. She lives with her husband and two fur children. She will show you some lovely altered Christmas bottles.

The Rehab Boutique is Bridget's blog. She lives in New Hampshire. Her real passion is taking discarded pieces and making them into something that can be loved once again. She will show you how to making darling vintage tags for your Christmas presents.

Daydream Designs is Kristin's blog. She happened upon wedding blogs whilst planning her recent nuptials. From those blogs she discovered crafty/design blogs and was immediately in love. She says: "I'm talking...you had me at hello." You'll love her yarn Christmas tree topiaries and the Pottery Barn star knock-off she made.

Shabby, Chic & Charming is Renee's blog. She loves all things French Country and Shabby Cottage. She will show you how to print lovelies on fabric and make burlap bird ornaments for your tree. She will also show you how to make those cute French script candles using a rubber stamp. What fun!

Oh boy, lots more projects to get started. These gals have me buzzed now!

Have a wonderful weekend. And when you're beyond stuffed with turkey and have things cleaned up a bit, stroll on over and meet these ladies. I would bet they'll have you humming while you get out materials and start in on the Christmas decorating we know is coming big-time to Blog Land!

Tell them the Welcome Wagon sent you and that we proudly and merrily run on holidays!

Few More Bumps In The Road

Or perhaps more accurately, I should have titled this post: A Few More Bumps In The Sewer, Etc. 

Yep, within five days of the plumbers coming out last Friday night at 9 p.m., we had to call them back out Wednesday night at 8 p.m. I'm beginning to think outdoor toilets may have to come back in vogue at my house.

I had to also call the electricians back one more time this week. Thankfully, that was just a tripped whatever- they're-called that I wasn't here for them to explain to me the first time round last week. Because I had to leave to get my broken glasses fixed at the optical shop.

Monday is the day they have to come tear into my pond. It has been sitting with mucky water in it for a week. I can't pump it out because the back-wash on the filter trips the GFI on the new electrical fixtures they brought up to code last week. 

So after ten days of giving Charlie meds for Montezuma's Revenge for drinking in the pond, I woke up to dog diarrhea again this morning. And he was doing so well!

I figure while I was outside working all morning yesterday tugging annual steroidal sweet potato vines out of the garden, he must have sneaked another sip or two while my back was turned. Sigh.

 

On a lighter note, look at the lovely tablecloth Celia from Adventures Of The Striped Stockings sent me weeks ago. I'm just getting around to showing it off. And guess what? She sent two different tablecloths! I will show the other one off later. What a dear she is.

So after yet another week of household calamities, I'm wanting to just snooze in the chair with Abi. 

Yes, that is indeed where you are accustomed to seeing my couch. 

I have probably committed the most egregious of decorating errors. By sending my couch and red chair down the street to the consignment shop. 

And buying two recliners. I know recliners will never be in decorating vogue. Yes, I do know this.

I doubt there's one recliner in my vast collection of decorating books. Nary a one. 

But you know what? My poor back isn't getting any younger. Sometimes you have to commit a decorating faux pas, and just flat out own up to it and go on. 

 We are looking at the prospect of possibly having our lawn torn up for a new sewer system. Cha-ching. This thought makes me very tired. 

Decorating etiquette cannot dictate all of life, can it? 

And the chairs are so heavenly to sit in. I get a Somerset magazine to read, kick back in my recliner with the dogs, and see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Even though I may be written up for a shameful violation in the blogging decorating community.

Welcome Wagon Friday 10/8/10

Welcome Wagon Friday has rolled its wheels around again. Up for you this week, I've got: 

Antique Chase is Marcy's blog. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two kids and a golden retriever. She loves to decorate with vintage and antique treasures. Marcy is an avid gardener and loves photography.

Val So Cal is another blogger from Southern California. She posts lots of yummy recipes, and loves her some coffee. She adores caramel, so look for lots of caramel recipes to drool over. She says if there was a Target anonymous group, she'd undoubtedly have to join it.

Touch Of Nostalgia is a blogger with three kids and a grandmother to five. She loves anything worn and well-loved. She enjoys flower and vegetable gardening. And recently tried her hand at canning. 

Okay, please send the weekly Welcome Wagon to town. Tell them "how do you do?" and "pleased to meet you" and all that jazz. Maybe take over a pot of coffee and some banana bread or muffins. Might swing by a nursery and hand them a pot of mums to celebrate their new home in a brand new season.