Roses and fabric and spring...

HELLO ALL~

I have been on a much needed vacation...I think I was suffering from burn out...I was so tired.  My job is ending here in two weeks and wow...I am so glad! This has been the longest three months of my life...there has been a few things going on here as spring approaches!  My ducks have started laying eggs again...YAAAY! Duck eggs are wonderful! AND LARGE!

For some reason, most that ask about them seem to think they will have a way different taste than a chicken egg...but they are pretty much exactly the same...maybe a wee bit thicker but that is it...and of course, much larger...one duck egg to every two or three chicken eggs....

I found a Co-op in my town! They are willing to purchase all the eggs I can get to them PLUS all my produce! No more outside jobs for this girl! Hopefully this place, as small as it is, will start paying for itself...I am sure on my way to find out!

Last week, I started 100 seedlings with the plan to have a spring plant sale...there is not much of a selection up here in the way of nursery plants...most of what you can glean is offered by Walmart and Kmart...I am going to try and change that and make a small name for myself...

I grew Artichokes last summer...that is completely unheard of up here or anywhere with a short growing season, that is...but it can be done and I really want people to know that...they are so conditioned to rules that they think they have such a small selection to choose from...

I was talking to some folks at work and have garnered much support and tons of questions! I am going to try to have a small class on gardening for the home school group in my area that want to grow their own food...I already have two families that want to know and with their help maybe our town will start growing and eating locally!  I was also invited to Chicago, expenses paid, to do a presentation to a garden club! Isn't that something?  Seems to be a little over my head though...I am just a cowboy gardener...trial and error...I do exactly what I want regardless of anyone else's rules...I was reading all sorts of garden blogs...I was disheartened...confused...and ready to throw in the towel...and then? I just put what I wanted in the dirt...and by July I had a basket of artichokes...(much to my complete delight and surprise!)

During my hiatus in the last couple of weeks, I did manage to get some decorating done...small things, but things that really make me smile!

I dug a lamp out of the garbage a few years ago...it is a candle stick lamp with a silk shade...I tore the fabric off, it was so dirty but I kept the frame...I am glad I did...

I was so consumed with spring fever...I want flowers and greenery so bad! so I played with some of the drop cloth left overs from Miss 1982...while I was lolling on the couch watching movies...and this is what I came up with...a big..fat...squishy...flower....and a ruffled slip cover for the lampshade frame...it has been dubbed "the fishing hat" lamp shade...it seems to remind me of an old floppy fishing hat...

OOOH! and Roses...I was so dying for some flowers...I even went to BUY flowers....something so not in character for me...DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WANT FOR A COUPLE ROSES? WOW...

I came home very bent out of shape....and without any flowers...

Soooo...what do you think of that pretty rose at the top of this post? Well...it is paper...a paper rose...that I made...and painted....and I can make and paint...75 flowers if I want to...and the cost?  6 BUCKS!

I was so enthralled with them I have been making them for a week now! The three in the little vase by my fishing hat lampshade are the first ones I made...I haven't put the leaves or anything on them yet..but I will...they are gorgeous and this is how I found out about them...

I surfed the net for fabric flowers...cuz I have tons of fabric...none looked authentic...but there were a lot of very pretty ones...I came across a video from Martha Stewart that teaches you how to make paper roses.....they are made out of COFFEE FILTERS! HEE HEE!

You all have to try this...they are incredible and very REAL looking...the web site is http://www.mommymakesroses.com/

Just peruse her site...drool...and then click on the "as seen on Martha Stewart" button and awaaay you will go.....WARNING....they are very addictive...and the more you make the better they get...I have ventured into carnations as well...

The lady that thought these up is an artist...she paints hers with watercolors...I didn't have any...sooo...I watered down my favorite primer and added food coloring...it worked beautifully...and the latex...although messy, gave them a beautiful, soft texture...I HEART them! I LUH HUV them! I hope you do too! With some dried fern and baby's breath a dozen long stem roses in the color of your choice for under  $4.00? Don't worry about them looking real...I took these to work with me and had several people try to smell them and get poked in the nose with paper! LOL!

I acquired two new items for the living room...large items....here is a sneak peek...