Can you say "Kalanchoe"

Can you say "Kalanchoe" !! LOL.... 

I picked these up during out Easter visit at the local nursery that I have to always visit when we go home to Rochester.

 I was smitten with them the minute I saw them at the nursery.  I just transplanted them into the cute pottery pieces I got there too.

 They are a type of succulent and popular because of their long lasting flowers.  These look the same as they did when I got them a few weeks ago.

 The Christmas Cactus is still blooming and I need to transplant it too.  I gave the Baby Tears plant a severe haircut recently.  I plan to split it up into several plants when I take it outside for the summer.  I'll take the Cyclamen outside too and see how it does!

 My daffodils along the path to the back patio are blooming.  We had rain all night which will perk everything up!

 These Jack Frost Brunnera are blooming now and I love them because they bloom for a very long time and the plant continues to grow so you get a great display!  Mine lasted a month last year!  

I swear I got all the oak leaves out and yet I see more that I missed! You can see some of the Hosta coming up in the background.  

This Sweet Woodruff has flowers and should be making a nice display soon.  It's been bitten a bit from the frosts too.

These violas are so sweet. They pop up every so often in a new place like this one did!  I just looked at some photo's from last year and I was at this point with plants in the middle of May!  We are definitely ahead of our normal growing season!

We haven't started the fountain yet or even uncovered the garden benches.  I spent yesterday cleaning up some of the beds and bringing out some of my pottery and garden ornamentation.

It's a bit chilly today so I think I'll stay indoors!  

Hope you are having a great day!

I'm joining Tootsie Time for
Fertilizer Friday
 Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Bedroom Tweaking

I've been working at blending in the new night stand with the guest bedroom.

With it's gold decal decoration on it and the shiny metal finish on the bed set I knew I needed to bridge the look in some way.

I stopped in at Kohls and was checking out their pictures frames and I found myself looking at their wall decorations.  I stood there staring at this metal piece and I struck me that the tones in it were a perfect pick up to the night stand!  

I also have a new basket from 
Pottery Barn 
(they call it a shelf basket-narrow and wide) 
that I put the books in and it had a nice warm tone to it that goes well with the piece.  

 I liked the movement of the piece and after I stared at this picture I realized it's overall shape was an excellent pickup to the design on the pillows.

 I recently ordered this pillow from One King's Lane because I was smitten with the design and I liked the texture and color of the burlap.  Again I wanted to bring a little warmer tone in to help the nightstand fit in even more.

I picked up this glass vase with the woven jute design at T.J. Maxx a while back.  After I ordered the burlap pillow I realized that this would be a nice addition to this vignette and add some more texture. 

Realistically the candles make no sense at such a high location but I liked the look they brought to the design.  I've seen some remote controlled flame less candles I'm thinking about using but I want them in white.  So far I haven't found them in white!

I kept staring at this bird cage and it dawned on me that it would be far more whimsical to put the cat inside the cage!  I was tempted to put feathers in there too but I figured that might get too corny looking!

 I need to finish the top of the new night stand.  I know it's look is not complete yet, but overall I'm pleased with the look of the room.  This bedding from P.B. is great but it tends to have a frumpy look!  If you are a neat nick it would probably drive you bonkers!  I also discovered that P.B. has draperies in the fabric of my two accent pillows and it's been on my mind to get them but I don't like the price.  I'll watch for some kind of sale before I take the plunge or at least get free shipping!

I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for
Table Top Tuesday 

Thanks for visiting!

Hoppin around.....

Good Wednesday morning!

I was having my morning coffee and enjoying the sights of the birds flying in and out from the feeders, the squirrels playfully chasing each other and the chipmunks zooming around checking for food everywhere! 

This rabbit joined the outdoor party so I grabbed a few pictures.    

This is a cottontail rabbit.   

Of course they don't stay in one place very long!  I hope he/she isn't eating too many of my plants!  I'll have to do some inspecting!

Spring started out with a bang in March with the very unusual warm up we had. Then it cooled off again and the plants continued to grow but at a very slow rate.  We're still getting frosts at night so it's slow going here!

  We have a new tree out back that fell over after some winds.  Dan will cut it down the rest of the way and make more firewood!

It's a beautiful spring morning and I intend to get outside and continue with cleaning up the beds and getting after some weeds!  

Hope you are having a great week!

Smell-a-licious!

I came across a new candle company

 called Milkhouse Candles with the most 

delicious scented frangrances! 

 I'm a geek for buying scented candles but this one  initially attracted me because of the adorable milk bottle shape it came in! 

(Do any of you remember getting milk at school in bottles shaped like this?

I do and I also remember when the moved off to the paper ones and I knew even then that something unique had been taken away)

These candles are soy based infused with natural beeswax, cotton wicks (no lead) and true fragrances.

I copied this from their web site:

 If you have allergies or know someone with allergies and environmental sensitivities, then you are in the right place. Milkhouse Candle Creamery's rich blend of natural soy wax and pure beeswax is so pure, a whole new world of home fragrance has been opened for people everywhere who have been unable to burn candles in their homes!

(I am not being compensated, I'm just enthusiastic about this product)

I'm impressed with the different glass and crockery styled candle holders they offer.  You not only get a great fragrance but a usable product in the end!

While looking on their web site to see if there was a closer store to where I live to buy their product, I discovered their Facebook page.  Then I discovered a give-a-way that I wanted to share!

 Hanging off the Wire- Milkhouse Giveaway 

The giveaway item is a $50 value!

I wish you could scratch and sniff my picture-

it smells so good!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy smells to you!!

Tulips...tulips...tulips...

Happy Earth Day!
 
Yesterday I posted the tulips in the morning with frost on them.....

Well of course after it warmed up and they opened their pretty little faces up to soak up some sunshine!

 I snapped a bunch of pictures off..I'm finally getting some enthusiasm for spring! I need to dress this area out yet with mulch.  I created it last fall in a typical rush...I seem to do everything in a rush!  I've got more in back but they aren't ready to bloom yet.

I bought tulips from a big box store last fall and I'm thrilled they came up but they are not all exactly the colors they were supposed to be. From now on though I'm going to stick to ordering from the best company I've gotten tulips from which is Dutch Gardens (and I've tried a few others).  I've always gotten top size bulbs and they come up beautifully and grow for years to come! 

These did pretty well for the first year.   I think I will add some grape hyacinths this fall in the foreground to get more impact! 

Frosted tulips!

It seems like these frosts will never end!

I planted these last fall so it's their first time up in my garden.  They've had numerous hits by frosts and have trouped on through it all.

The daffodil heads are bowed down, but they will soon perk up- once again!

I planted three lilacs last fall too...I hope to see them flower soon! You can see two of them here...

I'll take a picture in a few hours when these guys are standing tall again!

 I hope to get outside and work some more on cleaning up my garden beds- but I'll have to wait until after noon when hopefully it will feel warmer-It will be about 

48 degrees today. 

Hope your Saturday is going well! 

Little Red...

I guess I forgot to show you my

new little red garden scoot!

Yep...

I asked for it and I got it!

I plan on riding it around the back patio when I'm planting all my flats of flowers!

Okay it's not a sports car- but hopefully it will save my back a few aches and pains!

The back sports a "removable" basket for a bucket and under the "swivel" and "adjustable height" seat is a tray for tools or whatever you like!

It has an adjustable length handle with a little built in stop so it won't crash to the ground!  P.S. it holds up to 400 lbs! I think I'm ok yet!!  

I think it's a very well thought out product!

Just in case you are wondering where this "rare" find came from here is the link !

Yesterday we had warm temps but

threatening rain.

One of my garden areas heavily laden with oak leaves and compressed mulch...

I raked and raked and raked and

got it cleaned up...and the sun came out!

(I used my iPhone for the pictures so they are good but not great)

This is my pile and my first efforts

outdoors with my gardens.

This was my 2nd target area but it

wasn't nearly as bad.  My new boxwoods

I planted last spring are doing great!

There are hostas coming up, tulips, daffodils,

coral bells and before long the topiary lilac will be blooming!

This is my my other workhorse...

our GardenWay cart (probably 25 years old now) that company doesn't sell them by themselves any longer but now you can order from the same place we got the garden scoot from and get the new version 
I loaded up the pile to take out back.

The sun disappeared quickly and I barely got my tools put away and it was raining.

We need it so no complaints!

I need to take some pictures of the

tulips!  It's tulip time!!

Speaking of that- we are going to 

head to Holland, Michigan for the

tulip festival soon!

Lemon drooling!

Yep

This one got to me!

I have to make these!

I just got an e-mail from 

Betty Crocker

and this was included!

Here's the recipe in case you desire!

Lemon Champagne Cupcakes 

Wouldn't they be lovely for a 

luncheon or any small dinner

engagement! 

I'm joining Rattlebridge Farms
for Foodie Friday

Connecticut connection!

Well, I went looking for a night stand at a local re-sale/consignment shop called 

Classic Consignment

Of course I had to find something!  

The coloring is what struck me for my

guest room- it's a blue/green shade

that I hoped would work with the new

colors in the guest room.

 It's a piece made by  

L. Hitchcock in Hitchcocksville, CT

(I guess they changed the name of the town to Riverton)

I've never purchased 2nd hand furniture

(I know-I'm terrible) 

It's a bit colonial in styling but I hoped 

it would lend a little eclectic nature

to the room!

It has some age showing with some paint

worn and a few small marks on it, but all

the stenciling is perfect and it has the 

original handles that have an eagle on them.

I believe it's known as the "Harvest" design.

The drawers have a printed finish inside

of them like a newspaper article

The drawers have dovetail joints and

are made of solid wood with the exception

of the bottom of the drawer which is a type

of particle board.  

I took the drawer out and flipped it over

and it has 10-1 on the bottom.... now I'm 

imagining it was made in 10- of 2001??

Darn...thought maybe it was from the

50's!!  Well I paid $125 for it so I think

I did okay- especially when I look at

the cost of quality furniture and or the

cheaper imports.  It's a solid little piece

and none of the wood has cracked or

separated.

I tried to learn a bit about the history

of the company and what the age

of my piece is, but it's very confusing

to say the least.

I wrote to Scott at 

Used Hitchcock Furniture 

who has an incredible amount of this 

brand of furniture that he sells.

He says it could have been built anywhere

from the late 1950's through 2006.

Hitchcock furniture closed in 2006-

Another company that was unable to

compete with the demand for low prices

because of competition with the 

overseas manufacturers.

One of the things this company was 

known for was the stenciling. It was 

more affordable than hand painting

the designs.

 Their chairs are probably the best known

and most familiar to people.  The 

originator of the company started back 

in 1825 with only chairs.  

So that's my show and tell!

Hope you enjoyed and let me know

what you think of it!

Please join me and others for
Table Top Tuesday
with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life