The past few days I have had my hands busy......

 with before and after projects that I have been working on.

Before

A customer from Virginia sent me this adorable vintage child's pillow case to restore with embroidery work.

 

After

Here it is.......restored!

 

 

Before

I have had this old chair, found at the dump, since last year............

 

After

Here it is, sanded, stained, and enhanced with my embroidered panel

 

 

Before

a blank canvas

 

After

wild rose embroidery

 

 

 

Before

If you remember, early in the spring, I decided to use my cherished light globes

as planters.

Before

Beautiful blue

After

perfect with light yellow rose moss planted in it.

Before

Hand painted and cute

After

Overflowing with dark pink rose moss

Before

delicate soft butter yellow with a scalloped edge

After

perfect with vibrant red rose moss planted inside

All three have done well

and help dress up the patio with the other rose moss and plants.

I love vintage looking containers for the garden.

How about you?

What before and after projects have you come across?

What kinds of containers do you like for your garden?

I would love to hear!



A tired and tattered scarecrow

faithfully guards over

my garden

which seems to be just as weary as she is.

I have only a handful of sad looking pumpkins this year........

however, the Brussels sprouts are showing promise.

I have never grown Brussels sprouts before............but it looks like I might have a good harvest of them soon!

The cantaloupes are doing well............

and sweet bell peppers are starting to form.

I am most excited about my zinnias.........which are almost in bloom.

I planted them late this year.........hoping for a fall showing.

the rose moss is blooming everywhere!

I am thinking about planting a late fall/winter garden...........

Gertrude might run away...............

How about you?

Has your garden produced well?

Do you plant a fall or winter garden?

I would love to hear!



It's rainy skies over

the Texas prairie. It stormed and rumbled all through the night...........................

and this is the first thing I saw when I stepped out into the morning.

Hope you are having a rainbow filled day with pleasant weather!

Old wooden cola cases have always been a favorite of mine to collect.

I have only a few.............

Royal Crown ( RC) is one brand that I have, in which I placed my various old soda pop bottles in.

The favorite Coca Cola case is another brand I have as well. I noticed how wonderful the little square opening are and realized that they could be used for my small collections...............

One I use for my small nature and

farm figures.

I love collecting miniature perfume bottles as well............

although, until recently, I have had them all stored in a box............

until I used this cola case as a wonderful way to display them all..........

and now I can enjoy looking at my perfume bottle collection.

I have another that I am going to store my thimbles and sewing collections in .............

How about you?

Do you have a favorite thing you like to collect?

Do you store them on shelves or in some other unique way?

I would love to hear!

I have an update on Cherry Divinity Candy

That I posted on my cooking blog. I had not yet made it, because I was out of corn syrup, but I wanted to share it anyhow. A few days later, I was contacted by one of my readers who stated that she had made it, and although it tasted good, it turned out flat.

So today I made it, after getting my missing corn syrup and ...........oh my.........

how wonderful it is!!

It held it's shape, was not too hard to make, and tastes wonderful.

I cannot think how much money I have spent over the years buying this wonderful treat and paying so much for it at craft shows. It only takes a handful of ingredients, and  a little patience in waiting for it to reach a certain temperature.

I can't wait till Christmas.............or Valentines day to make this for all of my special ones.

If you would like to make this, I posted the recipe, but also the update with helpful tips on how to make this come out light and fluffy.

Just click onto

My Country Kitchen

How about you?

Do you like to send cookies or candy at holiday time.........or do you like to receive cookies or candy at holiday time?

I would love to hear!

You never know what might "pop up" when you walk the grounds here at Pleasant Prairie..........

I was tending to the flowers in the early morning, and startled a rather large coach whip snake, hiding in the cool shade of the leaves.....................

It dashed away and darted into a hole, however, in just a few moments, I noticed what seemed to be a stick in the ground............

and realized it was the snake, coming out of the hole,

but keeping a good eye on me. Yes, I got very close for this photo.........and yes, I have been bitten by this kind of snake before.  A few years ago, I was trying to pull one away from my chickens, it swung back and popped me on the hand. They are not venomous, but can deliver a good wound.

One night, as Sophie and I went outside, I heard a crying, chirping sound. We apparently had scared a group of raccoons who were out at the feeders and a very small baby raccoon was left behind, calling out to it's mother. It ran up into the pickup tire and hid there until Sophie and I went inside.

If you remember the two little birds I named Twitter and Tweet?

They started flying and learned to eat on their own. I was able to release them into the wild and watched them fly away...........a bittersweet moment for me.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I will be able to show you my zinnia gardens in bloom. So far they are growing well.

]

I can't say as much for my pumpkins this year. I have a few miniature Jack Be Little's.

but the vines are starting to die away..............

and I have green pumpkins this year...........but not any golden ones as of yet. The vines are starting to look weary and worn and I don't expect a good harvest. I don't know exactly what it is going wrong with them...........a whole lot of work.........with much discouragement. Too much rain on some occasions and too much high heat play a large role in this.

I have been working away at embroidering roses for bathroom towels for the bathroom. I am getting to think I am better at stitching flowers and vegetables rather than growing them.

How about you?

Any creatures popping up and surprising you in your garden?

How is your garden growing ?

I would love to hear!