New Camera for Love Bunny

Last weekend hubby had a model train open house at his club. It's a "once-in-a-lifetime" event, he said. Riiiiiiiiight, but no matter. He took some pictures during it and wanted to include them in a press release he'd written for our local paper. When he downloaded them the next day, he walked into the family room and asked me to come see and I knew something was wrong. The pix were there but they were blank. I thought at first the lighting was bad but editing them produced no results and he assured me the lights were all on for the crowd that attended. There were no pix. He was devastated. I truly hate to see him so disappointed but there was nothing I could do to salvage anything. Soooo last night we went to WM and bought him a new camera. We always have 2 of cameras, computers, that kind of thing in this house! Mainly because he uses one sometimes and I'm using mine just about every single day and I don't share!! ;-) Anyway, I gave him the old camera bag, which I had made and made myself a new one. Thought you'd like to see the results. I've lovin' it......that quilted roses fabric is my favorite "thick quilted" fabric. Plus it stores my 2 extra batteries, the instruction booklet and an extra memory card - just in case. All contained in about 7" x 6". But it sure made a cute camera bag instead of one of those black bags on the market. I live my life beautifully in all ways, chicks.

Greenhurst Nursery #1

Greenhurst Nursery is a wonderful nursery on Happy Valley Road (yep, truly is the name of the road) in our town and I have to say it's one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I'm going to take you on a tour of it in the next several weeks - with other posts thrown in, but this is definitely worth the tour. You'll see things in this nursery that you've probably never seen in another nursery. They have a website now if you'd like to visit it: Greenhurst Nursery.

I love going to this place, and it's where we buy all our plants and trees and a few other things as you'll see over the course of the next several weeks.

A week ago today - saturday - Love Bunny and I went there to buy a gardenia plant and they were readying the store for Christmas. I thought why not ask them if I can photograph the inside of this wonderful place. I asked one of the women there who I think is a manager or at least someone who would have the authority to "yea or nay" me and after a look of several seconds passing she said "yes"!! I was thrilled. So during the week I decided that friday next would be the best time for me. I wanted to look like I hadn't just stepped out of the mud in the yard, which is generally the way I travel to the nursery, my sweet cherubs!! So I went in and asked another person or two who looked to be "in charge" and again the permission was given. I thank them profusely for giving me the permission to share this wonderful place with you. No rock music at this place; it's mostly classical or at least soothing music for the plants. That in itself draws me to this peaceful haven.

I took 225 photos friday and will only share a few at a time because it would take forever to load my page if I did that. So sit back and enjoy the tour. I can promise you that you won't be disappointed at the end. This ain't your mother's old time nursery, chicks! :-) Bear in mind I had no control over the lighting of the place - just control of my camera as much as I could adjust to lighting of various sorts: incandescent, florescent and lamps and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. In other words, I did the best I could, my little chicks! (Ooooh, and of course, you get my whimsical and witty descriptions of the place!)

The first place I headed was the conservatory. It was a cold day with bright sunshine but in the conservatory it was toasty warm and filtered light though the "walls" and top.

It has a pond as you walk in so I got it from 2 different vantage points. You really need to click to enlarge the photos for them to see the pennies little kids must have thrown into the pond, but also to see this place in all its glory. Every plant in here is live. In no other part of the nursery store is anything "live"; it's all fake or as I prefer to call them: faux. Keep that in mind; it's very important. Live here only; rest fake! Outside all the plants are alive obviously! Get it???? *Sigh*............. LOL

Next 2 photos are orchids.

This little spot is where we found our gardenia plant also. Some are gardenias here and some are azaleas I believe.

Don't you just love that little shabby plant stand?!?! Squeeeeeeal......... Ya think they'd notice me carrying it out on my back? Hmmmmmm. I'd leave the plants there, of course. ;-)

Tropical plants remind me of when we lived in San Diego and went to Old Town to a mexican restaurant and ate out among the banana trees. Truly a special time for us.

Introducing Mr. Frog..........

Are these the 2 resident mascots??? I don't know. Maybe. I asked for their names but the lady told me she didn't think they had names. I call them Mr. Blue and Mr. Yellow. Not sure if they guys or chicks though!! Hah..........

Bonsai plant/trees

And this is just a "tease" of what's to come in the next weeks ahead. You'll be surprised at all you'll see, my sweet chicks. "Wink"!!...........

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Now for something different. A little hanging wall pocket
A new little pocket I have for sale on my selling blog: La Maison Rose

Random Thought on Sunday Night

I've been a bit sad lately. I'm truly a happy and upbeat kinda gal, but some circumstances this past week have just beaten me into the ground. It's my own fault for being so outspoken, never one to be timid in sharing my beliefs or opinions on something. Yesssss, I do try to hold my tongue and thought I'd turned over a new leaf when we moved here 3 years ago, but as fate would have it I stuck foot in mouth trying to make way for the other foot in there also! Has anyone ever suffered this malady besides me? Hmmmmm? I wonder not to assuage my "guilt" because I don't believe I'm guilty of some heinous crime. I simply stuck up for a belief that is near and dear to my heart. Can you identify with this? I'm not known for my timidity, but rather known for my temerity. And temerity is the right word here. Hubs said to stop agonizing over it but that's easier said than done. I'm simply not sure what to do but it's more than I want to cope with at this time in my life.
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A few weeks ago I won a blog giveaway and received a book about Christmas containing several short stories about the religious significance of the holiday. I hadn't read it until this afternoon when I picked it up and read the preface and the author's notes in the back. Then I started reading.

The first story was about a woman who had lost her husband and was now spending her first Christmas without him. They had decided to have no children so she was quite alone and feeling very lonely and melancholy.

While plucking at the pages I noticed my finger nails needed a bit of tending, which is oft the case with these nails. My hands are working hands, not hands of leisure. They take a daily beating while keyboarding, washing pots, scrubbing paint off of them, washing clothes and ironing, sewing, gluing, crafting in some fashion or simply making beds. They aren't idle very often.

I looked at them as I was filing what's left of the chipped nails to get them to some semblance of "beauty" and wondered if my hubby would look at them when I'm preparing to leave this world and think they were beautiful. I'm truly not into beauty but try to be as attractive as possible for the man I absolutely adore more than life itself. I looked at the age spots that I'm trying diligently to bleach out with some product that promises to make them look as though no one can tell my age by looking at them. Well, they can see the wrinkles that have been accumulating for almost 70 years now! So why do I care about my hands so much??? I don't know; it just made me weep to think of what he'll remember when I'm gone. My clear green eyes, my wrinkled face, my slowly graying hair, my brown spots or my struggling nails or the fact that I'm no longer here to talk to him. Will he miss me terribly and weep as that woman did in the story? I think he would; he's a very emotional guy and not at all afraid to show emotion to me or our kids.

This is one of the photos I took at the nursery and that is my hand. I noticed it while perusing the photos and editing them. That's another reason I thought of my hands today while primping them. Oh, well, I'd better get to bed and muse some more tomorrow.

Vignettes Can Be a Lot of Different Things

People think vignettes have to be a book and a vase of roses or something similar. Not necessarily true, chicks, although that can be quite stunning and original if taken the time to think it out "creatively." It can be anything you want it to be as long as you assemble items in one particular space - a little space with items that evoke emotion is what works best for me. Something pleasing to the eye. I've gone around my home and just photographed some little descriptive vignettes to show as examples.

A pedestal rose plate with bars of fragrant soaps - some hand painted - and some little fizzie bath hearts given to me. They are absolutely sweet smelling and fragrance my guest bathroom.

A stack of white towels in a little pink wire basket. They are in there for guest's immediate pleasure and convenience so as not to have to go rummaging around underneath the cabinets. Just a thought to the comfort of my guests and family. ;-) I have a friend with a teenage boy who is meticulous in his personal grooming and will not use a towel after someone else. So I decided to do this with him in mind. Always a fresh and scented one for that young man. He steals my heart with being so well groomed.

Some little birdhouses on my mantel - one I made and three my friend, Rhea, made. Hers are stunning and I have a lot of items from her - so many, in fact, that I may have to dedicate a room to her! ;-)

Some old vintage rusty finials on my mantel also. I love the patina and rust of these old iron objects. These don't have much verdigris on them but I especially love the verdigris on old copper objects. And, of course, the proverbial "rose" to add to their beauty. If you knew how many roses I have in this house you'd faint. I have several hundred ribbon roses, many silk roses, dozens of paper roses, millinery roses and porcelain roses. I should call this the Rose House. Well, actually some of my friends do call it that.

Starfish that I spray painted pink and sprinkled on german glass glitter. I just love the look of them on the mantle. I love "fluff" everywhere I can arrange to have it.

Even my craft paints and paint swatches from a paint store can be a vignette when arranged on a vintage old shelf with snippets of leftover lace tacked on the shelf. I think you'll have to agree it adds "color" to the place!

As simple as some vintage salt and pepper shakers painted pink and set on the shelf with paints.

Even little sachets scented with fragrance oils lined along another shelf can add not only beauty but a wonderful scent to enjoy in any room. Yes, I actually do this in every single room - living room, family room, baths, office, bedroom......every room. And these certainly add beauty to the room.

And then there are the tops of book cases that aren't really conducive to hold actual book on the top so I just put some vintage sewing drawers with CDs or DVDs in them and little boxes I've tried selling but didn't. So buyers loss is my room's gain! LOL

One of my favorite vignettes is artist paint brushes. I just love seeing all the brushes in a pretty vase or container. These are mine and I would NOT call my self an artist. I call myself a BEGINNER!! ;-)

I have a bowl on my coffee table that has some pink sea shells (I painted them pink) and I love the juxtaposition of them with the roses and faux desserts I have on there. This one below is not in my home but I think it's stunning. Just simple everyday things gathered together in one spot for a lovely vignette. Rocks in a vintage yellow bowl, starfish and old ephemera.

The roses, sea shells, starfish, a wicker basket leaning against a wall, attractive statues, a container of nails and a plate of fruit.

I liked this room when I first saw it and was drawn back to it because of the table vignette near the dormer. I also stack pictures on the floor leaning up against a baseboard. I just love the look of "high" and "low" pictures. Most people hang their pictures too high on a wall. That's fine if there are other pictures below it but the room looks out of whack if all pictures are at one level in a room and that level is 6 feet up the wall. Lower your pictures so that the lowest part of the frame is no more than 46 - 48" from the floor. It will make quite a cozy difference in the look.

Cath Kidston Fabric Boxes for Pink Saturday

Eye candy for ya, chicks!! Aren't these little shabby roses fabric boxes the cutest?!?!? Squeeeeeallll........ I just love them and one is a gift for someone in a swap but she doesn't blog so I don't have to worry about her seeing them! LOL

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Another gorgeous shabby chic country bedroom! I would love to have that striped and floral chair. :-)