Treasure Box Wednesday: April Showers and Whatnot

April showers bring...

Er... bring.... (checks calendar)...


...Okay, so if you rely on proverbs, some flowers are just a wee bit ahead of their time.

But let's not tell 'em, shall we? Because we know a true lady likes to arrive just a teensy bit after the party has started, anyway.


As you can see, the daffs are dillies this year... Very lacy and bright. And those azaleas I was so worried about just a week or so ago?...


...Have never looked better! So vivid and pinkish-purple, you'd think they never felt a snowy crystal upon their petals.


And the Grape Hyacinth? Well, anyone who's watched "Keeping Up Appearances" knows a Hyacinth is one very resilient gal...


Why, look at that bouquet!


And then some treasures are promises to come. Like these bleeding hearts. You can just see the hearts beginning to take form there on the right...


And the first buds of the mossy phlox...


The front yard is just beginning to the bloom, and the backyard is color to come. In a few weeks, it'll be a dazzling display of pale blues, lavenders and pinks!

And then... then there are the ones that plant themselves.


Who is this bit of greenery with the pink buds? I have no idea. It was not planted by my hand. Perhaps Mother Nature would care to weigh in? Do the leaves look a bit like Verbena?

No idea. But I think I'll leave it as it's planted, at least for a while. Who am I, after all, to tell Lady Spring I know better than she does?

Before we go today-- if you haven't already left a comment on the giveaway post, don't miss out! I'm giving away two Nancy Drew journals to two lucky winners! The drawing winners will be announced Sunday.

• So click here to check out the post, leave a comment and enter. All are welcome!

Thanks muchly, and see you on Sunday!

Of Buds and Blogging Buddies

Long overdue is a post expressing my gratitude for the various blog awards recently passed along to me by a number of you, my fine "invisible friends" and fellow bloggers. So I thought today, as spring begins to show its fresh new colors, I would take a moment to share these awards with a few of you, as well as pass long a little of the beauty of season so far.

Thanks to SewDelish, for the "You Make My Day" award, and I apologize it's taken me this long to recognize it here. I figure if I've made anyone's day along the way, there's pretty much nothing better than that!


Thanks to Sindhoo of Under the Sun for conferring, wow, more blog awards at one time than I've ever seen. Makes a gal feel a bit like Kevin Costner when "Dances With Wolves" was up for the Oscars. :) Too many icons to even post here, but all very kind.

And thanks to Lidian of KitchenRetro for the "E for Excellence" award. She's a good egg, that Lidian-- and she can also tell you how that egg was used in about a million different retro cookbooks.


This leaves me to pass along the awards to some deserving bloggers myself. Following Lidian's example, I'm going to select ten folks who merit some attention. Of course, there are so many of you out there that deserve recognition for your blogging efforts and general camaraderie that frankly, I'd be here all day listing folks. So we're going with ten, and also, none of you need feel obligated to do anything regarding this-- just know you're appreciated.

• Greg of The Midnight Garden. For beautiful photos, general kindness, and a terrific sense of humor.

• Rosemary of Rose's Petite Maison. For adding sparkle (literally and metaphorically!) to vintage style crafting.

• Sher "Grinnin' Grandma" of OldTimeMeArtist. For approaching everything with a dash of humor and a grin.

• Ms. A over at LivingWithoutMoney. She works on a shoe-string budget, we cook with her, decorate with her and save money with her. And somehow she manages to have new posts daily.

• ChrisMiss at MacandChris.com. This lady rides around in a caravan and blogs about her travels. You'll find her posting on TheThriftshopper.com from where ever she roams. I've enjoyed her insights!

• Carrie at OakRiseCottage. She has such an eye for vintage needlework and art. It's always fun to see her most recent treasures.

• Sujatha at Fluff-n-Stuff. A bright, funny lady who has a lot of great stories to share.

• Lynn at the VintageNest for inspirational photography and great ideas.

• Pam at White o'Morn Cottage for sharing the beauty of Ireland with us all.

• Becca at Of Bluebirds and Roses for creating such an idyllic, almost storybook atmosphere with every photo.

Now-- as we move from the blogging buddies to plain old buds, I think we'll start here, with some recently-opened daffodils.



Here are a few of the grape hyacinth that have popped up. True to hyacinth fashion, there seem to be more each year and boss the daffodils around. :)


Here are just a few shots of the azaleas as they start to bloom. Another day or two, and these should be in full-force. The intense pinkish purple is an absolute joy to me.


Lastly, I noticed the bleeding heart seems to be leafing and happy. I can't wait until it starts putting out it's little pink garland of hearts. It's some much needed color in that part of the yard.


I hope spring is treating you all well, and I thank you all for being a part of this site, for the comments, the chuckles, the camaraderie-- everything. I love seeing what this spot has grown into-- it's a little bit like the spring garden, continually rewarding and so pleasing to see blossom.

• For those interested in last week's Treasure Box Wednesday on McCoy pottery, click here.
• Next Sunday, I may be a little late with my post-- I'm not sure how timing will be because I have a guest visiting. So just wanted to give you a heads-up. :)