Treasure Box Wednesday: Quacking Up With Spwing Fever

The daffodils have sprung up in the yard, and I admit-- I'm feeling a bit daffy! The fever has crept in, and I find the sunshine distracts... the warm wind whispers in my ear of antiquing roadtrips westward. But alas-- practicality wins out. Weekends await.

And I was, at least, very practical about the cost of these pretty aqua and pink placemats from Big Lots...

At $1 a piece, you can't really go wrong. I like them very much with the current diningroom theme. Just about the right shade with the McCoy planter and the glass on the mantle, I think.


Can I offer you a cup of tea?

I found another thing I thought you all might get a kick out of. Is it a Nancy Drew book?...


Nope! It's a nice lined notebook, precisely novel-sized. And look at the attention to detail with this. The inside cover is a replica of the endpapers in the original 50s book...


And then the nicely lined pages are filled with little illustrations from the novel...


I do so much writing, this just seemed like it would be really handy.

At the St. Vincent de Paul in Monroeville, I found this large Imperial Harvest centerpiece bowl in amber carnival glass...

My friend Scoobie had gotten me one for my birthday a year or so ago-- and I love it-- so I was thinking when Fall rolls around, it might be nice to have this second one. At $5, the price was right.

And so, I bet you're wondering... what's all this about quacking up?

Well, I was rooting around in one of my cabinets and I found a few of my feathered friends for Easter. How cute are these little ducklings? So realistically painted and whimsical, right now they're hanging out on my entryway lamp table, but we'll see where they turn up for the holiday.

They're there with these little ladies...


You may remember, they're the chicks I'd dubbed "the MacGuire Sisters" last year. They make me smile, too. Hey, would now be a good time to mention, I'm on Twitter?

Oh, and I found a little freebie for you folks, for this Treasure Box!...

You can download some public domain audiobooks for free-- one of which is a favorite of mine:

The humor story Right Ho, Jeeves, by PG Wodehouse. If you click here, you can download all or part of the MP3 files of this book. I actually ride around to this version on my commute sometimes.

Listen as Bertie Wooster and his brainbox of a butler, Jeeves, twist and turn in a hilariously confusing plot of angry aunts, wishy-washy chums in love, Mephistopholes costumes, Market Snodsbury Grammar School prize-givings, inebriation, and 18 mile bike rides.

Or, if you didn't get a chance to check out Sunday's post, Some of Your Favorite Things, click here.

Guess I'd better waddle on out of here! Take care!

Treasure Box Wednesday: The Best Things in Life Are Free

This is my absolute favorite time of year. The world has gone bright with blooms, showcasing some of the treasures in life you just can't buy.

Well, okay, yes, sometimes you have to buy them to plant them. But not always! Like these little fellows in my neighbor's yard...


I don't know what they are (anyone know? Greg?), but I love how they've just nestled themselves in her grass and then run rampant. The reason she hasn't mowed the grass yet is because of an attachment to these free-roaming little purple and white lovelies...


And who can blame her? When nature puts on a display like this, forcing it into submission just seems wrong somehow.


And here are some more rogue flowers. Little violas that have infiltrated the neighborhood, and have embedded themselves wherever there's dirt and a drink of water-- even between the cracks in my driveway...


I just can't move myself to root them out. It's so cheery to come home to a driveway populated with little purple blossoms. :) As you're probably already getting the impression, I try to roll with nature's whims a bit; I like to think we're both happier that way.

The backyard has also given forth a pretty amazing display of mossy phlox. Here they are after some morning rain, dripping down my back wall onto the plaster seat. I wish they stayed this vibrant all summer long.


Also, the bleeding heart this year has gotten large, and is loaded with hearts. No Victorian garden is complete without one!



And lastly, here you can see the front yard, filled to bursting with more mossy phlox-- and the infamous mosaiced stepping stones.


Well, I hope you enjoyed this somewhat different Treasure Box Wednesday. I think it's nice to take a step back and appreciate all the natural beauty around us now and then. It's not all about the thrift store. (Though that's fun, too!)

Oh- for those who have children of your own, or who just remember being a kid, I thought you might enjoy a post this week on my humor blog entitled, "Stealth Mom and the Mayonnaise Infiltration of 82."

• If you've ever tried to make your kid eat something he or she didn't like-- or if you were that kid (pick me, pick me!)-- I believe you'll be able to identify. Click here to check it out.

• Also, if you didn't get a chance to see Sunday's post on the Cottage Living forum's spring swap, you might find something of interest by clicking here.
  

May there be an excellent day ahead of you!

The Big Easter Lambie Whammy

Sheep happens.

It started with one planter, in a display cabinet at the Good Samaritan thrift store in North Versailles. The sheep's funny, smiling face and pink color cheered me instantly. I bought it and took it home.



The next time I visited the store, there were more sheep prancing on the shelves. In different styles and colors... All from around the 50s and 60s... And all in nursery room pinks and blues. I chose two. The nice lady behind the counter smiled as I presented my wooly friends for payment.


Over this last year, it seems more and more sheep have trailed back to my place-- like I was Mary of "Had a Little Lamb" fame, and these fine fellows were sure to go if I were. I have since become well-known at the Good Samaritan for my regular lamb procurement. I have rounded up sheep from the L&L Fleatique. I have shepherded them from the Salvation Army. I have gotten them by-hook-and-by-crook at Junk for Joy. But I hadn't quite realized just how many sheep there were until I opened my plastic tub of Easter goodies and let loose the flock.

So there are sheep on the mantle...

Sheep on the table...

Sheep carting eggs...

And sheep chaufferring chicks...


One year of thrifting, and I'm knee-deep in sheep!

And for folks who were asking how the varnished Marshmallow Peep garland fared from last year, I have to say, it's held up fairly nicely. The topcoat may have yellowed slightly, but the Peeps are all still in good shape and are currently decorating the mirror over the sheep-ladened mantle.


Next week, I hope to be finished with a brand new Peep Project I want to share with you-- one with a bit of a trash-t0-treasure spin. (No, really, it will all make sense when you finally see it...

Maybe... :)

Well, I'd probably best be off. With all this Easter decorating and sheep counting, I SERIOUSLY could use a nap. Hope you see you back here on the Blogspot for Treasure Box Wednesday. (If you missed last week's linens, lamps and lambs, click here.) And if not, then I do hope you'll be baaaaack again soon.

Decorating for Denial: Beating the Winter Doldrums

I don't mind struggling through drifts of snow. I can't feel the icy winds on my face. I'm blind to those grim, gray skies. And why?

Welcome to Winter Denial!-- Aloha! And surrounding yourself in an atmosphere of blissful winter ignorance can be quick and easy! Let me tell you how.

First: engage a dumptruck to pour one ton of clean sandbox sand in your front door. Spread it around to all your rooms. Mmmm... soft! (No, don't worry-- that expensive wall-to-wall carpeting will be just fine.)

Now purchase and strategically-arrange sunlamps-- one sunlamp per 3 square yards -- to give your living quarters that all-over Jamaican beach glow.

Next, engage two handsome lifeguards to patrol your beach and...

Okay-- yes, yes, I am kidding you. Don't call the dumptruck company just yet. (Though I'm starting to like that lifeguard idea...)

Still, today, I thought it would be fun to come up with a few more... er, realistic... ways to fight the Winter Blues and spread a little spring cheer around the house. Y'know, without causing our loved ones to engage a comfy spot for us in the local booby-hatch.

So how about:

• Wafting a few fresh scents around the rooms? A tartwarmer or scented candle in a clean, fresh scent can do wonders to make a house seem inviting, and lift the spirits. I currently have a Yankee Candle Company "Country Linen" in my tartwarmer, but lilacs, lavender, and ocean breezes can help make the spring season feel like it's right around the corner, too.

• Giving a nod toward spring colors a little early? Changing table cloths, place mats, or even place settings for a pastel or bold color scheme is a fun way to brighten up day-to-day living.

• Bouncing a bit of mirrored light?-- Reflective objects help take advantage of the light we have in our homes, can make spaces seem more open. So things like little mirrors, lusterware, and shiny fabrics, might just do the trick to chase away those final days of winter darkness.

• Investing in a few flowers? Whether it's an inexpensive fresh-cut bouquet or potted plant from the supermarket-- or even a snappy silk selection from Michael's-- flowers are a great reminder of warmer, brighter days. These were the cheery tulips I'd won as a result of the "Go! Smell the Flowers" blog's caption contest. It's been so nice to see bulb plants blooming inside while it snows outside.

• Bringing outdoor items in? Gazing balls on small stands, mossy-look statuary, and tiny topiaries are all nice ways to make it feel outdoorsy inside. And no, I'm really NOT recommending that earlier sand-and-sunlamps scenario. I just figure when you like vintage, romantic decor, a few cleverly-placed tasteful garden ornaments do help carry on that quirky, spring feel.

• Swapping in that spring wreath now? Say "Begone!" to red winter berries, pine and holly, and say "Ho-do!" to ivy, flowers, and whatever says "spring" to your taste. Will the neighbors wonder what's up? Hey, not as much as if you brought in that dumptruck of sand. Anyway, you're a confident decorator. You can handle it.

• Picking up a few gardening magazines? Nothing like thinking ahead. Seeing all the horticultural eye-candy in gardening magazines, seed catalogues and your favorite outdoor coffeetable books really can warm the heart, can't it? Why not get excited about summer plans now?

• Planning for Easter decor or craft projects? Due to the Retail Timewarp in stores like Target, Michaels and Wal-mart, Easter's been in full-swing since about... oh... New Year's. There are a number of cute and inexpensive items to create a cheerful Easter table. And it's not a bad idea to act fast, since those stores should be passing Easter and heading on to the Fourth of July any day now. Securing what you might want to use for this favorite of Spring holidays might just prevent regrets later. Plus, lookit the little chicks and bunnies!

Do you have any special things you do to say "hello" to the spring season? It would be great to hear from you about it!

And speaking of Easter craft projects, next Sunday, time permitting, I hope to share with you one rather amusing little craft piece I've been working on. I'll give you a hint as to what it might be: it's a sequel to last year's Peep Project. (Click here to read about THAT particular insanity in sugar form.)

Also, this coming Wednesday, we'll take a look at a few recently-discovered thrifted treasures. For one, you'll meet "Henry" and find out just what this talented septagenarian was able to do with a needle and thread. (If you missed last week's Treasure Box Wednesday feature and the Vignettes o' Thrift, click here.)

Until then, my friends, have some happy ones! I'm going to go grab the Yellow Pages and see if there are any Lifeguard Rental services out there. :)