Garden Jewels

My garden is coming on quickly. I have nourished the beds with the dark, sweet smelling, natural nutrients that result from my composting efforts. The perennials are pushing their heads up through the soil...already four inches high in some areas. The flowering trees are blooming.....cherry, peach and dogwood. New grass in that brilliant shade of "spring green" that falls somewhere between green and yellow, has replaced the brownish thatch of winter. Daffodils and hellebore are in full flower. All the springtime colors seem to jump right out at you, when viewed against a cloudless, brilliant blue sky. The garden is dressed and ready for her debut.....all she lacks are the beautiful bits of color that punctuate the green background like jewels...........I eagerly await.

I created this mosaic in Photoshop, from photos of my garden in 2008.

Kay

Embracing My Celtic Roots

And what a beautiful St. Patrick's Day it is. The sky is a perfect robin's egg blue...the birds are singing...the trees are covered in spring blooms in shades of pink ranging from the palest, almost white, to a vivid almost red. It's a warm day, but step into the shade and it feels a little nippy. A perfect day, if you ask me.

I decorated this wreath with ivy, white daisies, and a porcelain plaque with an Irish Blessing. The potatoes are a reference to the great potato famine, in Ireland, that caused my husband's ancestors to leave their homeland and immigrate to the United States.

This woolen wrap is perfect for a crisp spring day. It's made of the softest Irish wool. I love the Celtic knot design.................


And the colors are reversed on the other side. I have options!
Again, Celtic knots are a favorite of mine. Couldn't resist these earrings.


I've found a wonderful Irish fragrance called ...Innisfree.

The packaging describes the fragrance this way................

"The essence of Ireland. A celebration of femininity and nature. A magical fruit and floral fragrance including lavender oil distilled from our own fields in County Wicklow. Beneath the description, a quote:

"And I shall have some peace there,

for peace comes dropping slow......"

-W. B. Yeats 'The Lake Isle Of Innisfree'



It's always been a favorite of mine.



I'm dressed in the items that reflect my Celtic roots. After dinner, I have a date with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara as they navigate the obstacles that hamper their wedded bliss. No St. Patrick's Day is complete, until you've watched The Quiet Man...it's a tradition at my house.



I'll leave you with the Irish Blessing that hangs on my wreath.............

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

the rain fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Kay

Red Transferware and Crocheted Items

I’m always on the look out for red transferware. I’ve been collecting it for a while now, but haven’t had much luck finding new pieces lately. A couple of weeks ago I decided to spend the day at the Nashville Flea Market. I hadn’t been in several months so it seemed the perfect way to spend a cold, wet Saturday afternoon. You know how it is, “hit or miss” “feast or famine” sometimes you find more treasures than your budget can support, and sometimes you find nothing. I wondered if the flagging economy would translate into bargain prices, and I wondered if I would find any old salt shakers for dispensing glitter, since that was my objective for the day. After perusing only two booths, I knew it was going to be a fun day. I found a really good group of old photos at the first booth and some cute crocheted items at the second. The third and fourth booths each had red transferware items. “Wa Hoo”

The red transferware fairies were smiling on me.

The scene on this plate was reminiscent of a canal view in Venice……one of my favorite places. I also liked the ribbon floating above the structure. So I purchased it.

Imagine my surprise when later, upon closer inspection, I discovered that the plate was made for the John Ringling residence, in Sarasota, Florida.

I recognized the name John Ringling as the head of the famous group of brothers who, by merging their Ringling Brothers Circus with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, created a monopoly of traveling circuses…thus the name ”The Greatest Show On Earth.” I did a little research and discovered that the scene on the plate is an artist’s rendering of John Ringling’s mansion, Ca’ d Zan, in Sarasota, Florida.

The floating ribbon says: “Ca’ d Zan John Ringling Residence Sarasota Florida."

Other red transferware purchases include:

“Bristol”-Crown Ducal

“Avon Cottage”

“Memory Lane”

“Ragland Castle in 1792”

From the "Old Britian Castles" collection by Johnson Brothers, England

And two of these charming turkeys to hang for the holidays.

Here are some of the photos and crocheted items that I purchased. I love the pink pin cushion hat, and I just had to have the little crocheted “bag” for lack of a better description. It’s about 4 inches long and the stitches are so tiny and fine. I have no idea what it’s intended use could have been, but………………….

I’m using it for this!

Oh, by the way, I completely forgot to look for salt shakers!

Kay

Missing Their Faces

My grandchildren live in other states, so there are long intervals between visits. Children grow so quickly….I know that the next time I see them they will have changed. I hate missing out. I know that I’m not the only grandmother who doesn’t have ready access to her grandchildren, but that doesn’t make it any easier and I do envy those that do. When we are together, I take lots of photos. I can’t get enough of them. I made this collage from my photo stash. They are all older now, but I love these pictures of their little round faces.

Although three of my grandchildren are siblings, all four have their own personalities and traits.

Madison (top center photo) is the oldest, my first grandchild. She has dark brown hair, and wants to pursue a career in the performing arts, she sings like an angel and has performed in an impressive number of plays, for someone her age. She has wonderful negotiating skills. Her father (my son) once said “Madison, here’s the deal, I want you to………….” She looked him square in the face and said, “I don’t like that deal, I want another deal.” She was three!

Waverly (photo on the left) is my son’s second child. She has red hair, cute little freckles and a bubbly personality. Waverly is very sweet and kind. She genuinely cares for others. She decided, on her own, to grow her hair until it was long enough to donate to the “Locks Of Love” program for children on chemotherapy. This was a three year project, one that she was very dedicated to. I’m sure her lovely red tresses made some little girl very happy.

Molly (photo on the right) is my daughter’s child. She is our raven haired princess and she is a dancer. Molly feels the music in her soul and interprets what she feels through her movements. At age three we noticed that she could watch a dancer and recreate their complex moves from memory. Molly is an animal lover, as well. She cares about all living creatures. She is sweet and affectionate and loves family girl parties. Molly also likes to sew and create art pieces.

Bailey (bottom center photo) is my son’s third child. The photo was taken shortly after he was born. I love his little round face and innocent expression. Bailey has blonde hair and looks just like his father did at that age. He is a happy baby. I don’t know yet what Bailey’s interests will be, they will be revealed as he grows, which brings me back to my original point, I hate not being there for all the revelations!

Kay