My Outdoor reds...

Not exactly sure of the name of this plant .  I found it sitting all by itself at Wal-Mart.  It was marked $6.00. I was told that the price was really $13.00 but since it was miss marked I could have it for the marked price, $6.00.  The cashier in the home and garden dept. told me it was a double bloom Hibiscus.
I'm not that familiar with Hibiscus but I love the blooms.  Does anyone out there know if in fact I have a Hibiscus?  Here are some pictures of the blooms...

My plans are to move it onto the porch when cold weather sets in and then next spring plant some sort of vine plant or flowering vine in the bottom portion of the concrete planter.  Kinda looks naked right now.


Anyways, moving along, more reds in my back yard and on my porch...

I found this old red cane bottom chair at a flea market in Germany for about $2.00.  Should have seen the movers face when they came to move it from Germany, Virginia, Korea(where one mover just set it by the dumpster in our cul-de-sac)and then Arizona.  Does no one understand the potential of such a beauty??

Moving along...

 My newest treasure.  A gift from my parents, who couldn't understand why I would want such a worn out old thing, for my birthday last week.  I'm in such love with it I find myself just sitting on it and talking sweet nothings to it!!

Finally, one of my flags...one that says it all for me...

I feel your wet shifting sand, taste your sweet salty air and I am renewed again with the joy of living.

I'm linking up to Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for her fun meme, Rednesday.  Come on it's fun lets looks at lots of red today!!

Fondly,
Ann

The Miracle Party

Hello Friends and Family,

I am asking each of you to head over to Kelee Kattilac's blog, The Kattilac Shack  for The Miracle Party.  You can view an amazing video and read about a great opportunity for each of you to help those in need just by leaving comments.  Kelee is a true design angel.  Please go and have a look AND leave a comment.  You will feel Gods amazing love!

Fondly,
Ann

Lazy Dog Days of Summer...

Hope everyone is getting as much rest in this insufferable heat as we are...woof! woof!

Fondly,
Chui and Oliver

My Summer's Thrifty Finds...

Since we made our big cross country move in June I have been completely and utterly overwhelmed.  Moving is hard business.  Not to mention I'm trying to squeeze all my worldly treasures into a much smaller home, which makes moving harder.  Then I gotta get the kids settled into their new home which means, school registration, which means doctors visits, school shopping, sports registration, and so and so on.

So, a paragraph later, what I'm trying to say is that I haven't been doing much thrifting, yard saling, auctions, or estate saling this summer.  But a couple of weeks ago I ventured out and found a few items I'd like to share.

I just adore this little "fruit stand."  I'm not sure but I believe the handles on the forks are bakelite.  Does anyone out there know??

Love this $12.00 vintage print.  It came in a nice wooden frame with many layers of nasty brown paint on it.  I'm in the process of stripping the frame and too my surprise the frame is oak. I'm thinking about the same age as the print.  Lovely old seasoned oak!  I'm thrilled.  The print, which I am sure that is what it is, is marked: Copyright 1895 By Muller Luchsinger & Co New York "Prime Fruit" and is signed J.R. Smith.

Oh how I wish that there had been four of these sweet little beauties.  But that's OK...I can still do some mean decorating with the three of these linen and rick rack trimmed napkins.  Love them, too!!


And finally, any lantern collectors out there??  A cute little glass and metal candy container...

This little candy container stands 4 1/2 inches high and is marked: USA 4oz. Candy Pellets Victory Glass Inc Jeannette, PA

Total cost for each item:
fruit stand .99
fruit print $12.00
linen napkins $1.50
candy lantern $2.00

So there you have it, the spoils of my summer!!

For those of you reading this long post that know me, just go ahead and close your mouths. Four little items is hard for me to comprehend too!   I told you it has been a busy summer and I just haven't been able to thrift like I would like to...but things are starting to settle down and fall into place(so is the dust in this house, gotta get that house cleaner situation under control) and I hope to be back out and amongst the thrifters real soon!!

I'm linking this post up to to several great blogs.  Please go and check out the fun parties and wonderful pictures.

Sue@It's A Very Cherry World for Rednesday
Leigh@ Tales From Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday
Suzanne @ The Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday


Fondly,
Ann

A Good Meal

I'm not food designer nor am I a very good photographer.

Today I decided to take pictures of our meal and share with everyone.  Why??  Because it was good!

Pulled Pork(slow roasted for 5 hours)
fried corn
green beans
mac and cheese
deviled eggs
buttermilk biscuits
blackberry cobbler

My family enjoyed it and that made my day of cooking worth it!

I got the picture...

Yesterday afternoon hubby and I were on the back porch rearranging, decorating and cleaning.  Another hummingbird flew onto the porch. She quickly became confused and kept hitting the screen trying in vain to get back outside.  The other birds were flying on the outside of screen upsetting her even more. So I had to preform another rescue!  This time hubby had the camera nearby and was able to snap a picture...

I know, I know it looks as if I am squeezing her but let me assure you I was barely holding on and just as soon as the picture was snapped she was flying free with her family and neighbors.

 I have 3 hummingbird feeders and use a 2 to 1 sugar mixture.  One of the feeders is a small feeder that suctions to the kitchen window.  The kitchen table is beside this window.  This is my favorite feeder and favorite spot to watch these sweet little birds.  Everyday more hummingbird families move into our backyard!!
I love it. :o)

Now if I could just get the songbirds to come.  I have tried so hard.  I have a running water source, special and expensive colorful songbird food, shade....still no luck.  What am I doing wrong??

Have a wonderful weekend! 

PS-Those curtains that you see behind my hand are soon to be used as drop cloths for a painting project.  They will NOT be staying!!

Chore with Love

I really do not enjoy cleaning my house.  Anyone who reads this blog and has been to my home know this fact.  I am on the hunt for a good house cleaner and have narrowed down my choices but haven't made that final call...that means less money for me to spend on treasures.  It will happen soon though, I can't take much more of the dirt, dishes and laundry.  In the long run it is worth it for me to have a little help and do without a treasure or two for the sake of my sanity.

Anyways, this morning I was changing the sheets on our bed.  While doing this little chore I thought...wonder how many folks spray linen spray on their sheets?  I love to climb into bed at night and smell the clean smell of linen spray.  I spray my sheets and then wonder if hubby will notice??  This is a little chore I do with love. 

When this bottle runs out I plan to purchase a lavender scented linen spray.  I think that I prefer that scent over Italian Linen but gotta use up what I have first.

Oh, please ignore the wrinkles on the sheets.  No, I do not iron my sheets!  And to answer my own question....I do not believe hubby notices the Italian Linen smell.  Nope not one bit!

Fondly,
Ann

I wish I had a picture...

It all happened so fast this morning.  I didn't have time to grab my camera but do want to share with everyone my experience.

 This morning my momma, sister and I had stepped out into the hot, humid morning.  We were standing on my screened porch.  We leave the door to the porch and the back patio cracked so that the dogs and the cat can come and go freely.  Soon hubby has planned to install a pet door.  Anyways, because the door to the outside was cracked a baby hummingbird had flown onto the porch and could not find it's way back outside.  I can't tell you how long it had been trying in vain to escape but I can tell you he or she was exhausted.  I was able to pick her(lets call it a her cause we could use another girl around here)up and walk out back and let her have her freedom.  Her mother came flying down instantly, begin chatting with her.  The two of them flew around the back yard for a good 5 minutes or so before stopping to take a drink at one of the three feeders I have out back.

What an experience!  Quickly before I picked her up I thought to myself...this is one of those life moments.  How many people will get to be able to hold a hummingbird in their lifetime?  While we were stationed at Fort Huachuca(home to thousands and thousands of hummingbirds)there was a banding program on Sunday mornings during the summer.  If one wanted to, you could go and watch the catch process(net over the feeders), banding process and then were able to hold the birds before they were released.  Well, life just seemed to get in the way and next thing I knew my 3 years were up and I had missed my opportunity.  This morning I had my opportunity!!

For the record, I was very gentle while holding the bird for less than 10 seconds. 

Thanks for reading and sorry I didn't have time to get a photo.   

OBI

Do you own an Obi?  I do.  I own three. What is an Obi, you say? An Obi is a wide sash fastened in the back with a large flat bow, worn by women in Japan as a part of the traditional dress. While we were stationed in Korea I was very fortunate to make two trips to Japan.  I wish it could have been more but the stories that you have heard about Japan being expensive are so true!!  So, two it was and I was pleased. : o )  I didn't make many purchases while visiting Tokyo in the fall of 2007 but I did purchase these 3 Obi's.  

This one is my favorite.  It is from the turn of the 20th century, or at least that is what I was told from the vendor.  I do believe it is old but either way old or new, it is so pretty.  I love it! 

In the last house we called home, there were 3 large fireplaces with deep mantles.  I was able to use them as decorative runners across the mantles.  But in this house, one that we are paying for, we are down to a single small fireplace mantle that isn't very deep.  So I've had to be creative.  My Obi's are displayed at the top of our stairs over the bannister.  Hubby frequently knocks them off, gotta have something to hold on to as he walks down the stairs.  What???  Use the railing on the other side!!

Please join Sue and others for some lovely reds at her blog, It's A Very Cherry World.

Fondly,

Ann

Little White Hen and Rooster

Oh, little white hen and rooster salt and pepper set, how cute you are.  However you looked so lonely sitting on the shelf at Kmart.  I knew that I needed to make you mine, bring you home and give you both some love.

Much, much better!!
I'm linking up to White Wednesday and Rednesday for this weeks Wednesday parties.
Thank you ladies for hosting. : )

Fondly,
Ann