Blooms Are Bustin' Out All Over!

As I looked around my yard I couldn't help but marvel at the flower show happening.  I don't know if it is because we have had a warm spring or because I happened to take the time to look around but I was amazed at the beauty that the earth has to offer.

 These iris's just started blooming yesterday.

 

 I have meant to buy zinnia's for a few years now but never seem to remember to pick them up.  I am so glad I remembered to get them, they are so perky.

 

 

Here are some pansies and dianthus that are coming back from last year.

 I caught this busy bumble bee working over the hardy geranium blossoms.

 

 

 Of course pansies are a springtime must.

 

 

 This lovely begonia was bought at the local Farmers Market.  I need to go back and get a couple more, the are so pretty.

 

 

 The hosta's are really doing well this year, some are needing to be divided but that will have to wait until the fall.

 

 

 This is the first peony to bloom so far, they are one of my top ten most loved flowers.

 

 

 The window box on the shed has been planted with things also bought at Farmers Market.

 

 There were several azaleas here when we bought our home, they always put on such a good show.

 

 

 One of the Rhododendron's is bursting forth with blossoms.

 

 

 This poor clematis is not in the best spot nor is it the best soil but it is giving it all it has this year.

 

 These two Rhododendrons are almost as tall as the house.  The robins like to build nests in them.

 

 I am not sure what this plant is, I planted it last year and can't remember the name of it.

 Not sure of the name of this one either.

 

 This is columbine, another one of my fav's.

 

Our cat loves this plant, can you guess what it is?

Summertime Flower Wreath

I was asked to teach a class in Relief Society (women's organization in my church) on how to make a fun summer wreath.  After searching around on Pinterest I found a simple one made out of fabric strips (she used vintage sheets) and fabric flowers.  The picture and link are at the bottom of this post.

 

Here is my version. 

 

If you follow my blog at all you know I have been on a crazy sewing kick so I had lots of fabric to choose from.

 

Five of the six flowers are made with different techniques that I plan on teaching.  Hopefully everyone will learn a new skill and go away with something pretty to put on their door.

 

Here is basically how I made it:

1-12 inch Styrofoam wreath (I got mine at Jo Ann's, reg $4.99 with a 40% off coupon for $3.00.)

5-6 strips fabric 1.2"x24"  (I just ripped the fabric into strips, no need to cut or hem.)

6 fabric flowers I made  (You can go to Youtube and type in 'fabric flower tutorials' and they show step by step how to make all kinds of fabric flowers.)

Miscellaneous buttons and beads for flower centers.

Straight pins.

 

Wrap wreath entirely with fabric strips using small straight pins to secure it to the wreath form, placing pins on the back so they don't show on the front.

After making as many flowers as you want you just push straight pin into the flowers and shove them into the covered wreath.  That's it!  Another great thing about this wreath is that you can change out the fabric and flowers for each season or holiday because nothing is glued down.

 

 

 

Here is the link to the inspiration wreath.  She does a really nice tutorial if you want to hop on over to her blog.

 

 

Garage Sale Tray Makeover

 

A few weeks back I bought this white wooden tray at a garage sale for $1 and thought I might be able to do something with it. 

You can't tell by the photo but it was pretty dingy and had seen better days.

 

 

 

 

I decided that a new spray coat of paint would be all it needed to breathe some life into it.

 

I painted it a soft yellow which is probably pretty hard to see in this picture, trust me though it is MUCHO improved.

This is the first vignette I tried in it but wasn't really sold on it. 

I loved the bird but the other things, not so much.

This is what I ended up with.  It is kind of springy and will take me into summer just fine I think.

I just love it when something comes together even if I had to steal items from around the house.

Has anyone else been doing any garage sale shopping?  It's that time of year to roll out of bed on a Friday or Saturday morning and hit them early to get in on all the good stuff.

More Purse Projects

 

I have been encouraged by friends to make more purses, their comments and positive responses have given me the confidence to branch out and make small coin purses and electronic devise bags and holders too.

I have really been bitten by the possibilities of what can be made with fabric.  There are some really beautiful fabrics to choose from as well as patterns, tutorials from blogs and video's from youtube.

 

 This purse was made from 5 fat quarters.  These can be picked up at most fabric stores and quilt shops already cut for you and run about $1 - $3 per piece.

 

 

 These simple little coin purses were made with scraps, very simple to make.  You can whip one up in about 15-20 minutes.

 

 

 This electronic device bag was made form McCall's pattern #M6477.

 

 

 

 Another simple tutorial from a blog.  Lovin' the colors in this.

 

 

 

 Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles, you just can't go wrong when adding those to a bag as you can see in the next photo.

 

 

This bag was also a blog tutorial.  It almost looks like a little skirt.

 

This is a Kindle/Nook tri-fold carrier.  I still need to work on the techniques involved in this on.  Oh ya, I just noticed the picture is upside down.

 



Spring Break Trip To Utah

Hubby and I had the great opportunity to have our two oldest grandsons, Matthew and Logan, accompany us to Utah for General Conference (a semi-annual conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).  We spent a week in Salt Lake City taking in some sights and culminating with attending the fifth and final session of conference.  What a wonderful time we had.

 

 

This is the Salt Lake Temple where hubby and I were sealed together for time and all eternity in 1978.

 

 On Thursday evenings you can watch and listen as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practices for their Sunday performances, what a sweet experience to hear such angelic music.

 

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 The mountains are so beautiful in Utah.

 

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 Touring a candy factory is one activity you can take kids on and there are literally no complaints to be heard.  We toured Mrs. Cavanaugh's candy factory in N. Salt Lake City.

 This is a shot looking down on the floor where the candy making magic happens.

 

Watching the hand dipper was fun, can't you just smell that ooey, gooey chocolate?  I am sure both the boys would have loved to get their hands in it but unfortunately that is not allowed, darn it, but they were offered free samples so that was pretty good too.

 

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 We also went on a tour of some historic areas where the Mormon pioneers first settled in SLC.  This is a statue depicting the Pony Express and how important it was for communications outside of Utah for the early Saints.

 

 Depiction of the Huntsman Hotel

 

This guy was one of the tour guides, he was hilarious.

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 A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without a trip to the great Salt Lake.  Here are the boys standing on the lakes edge. (They said it had kind of a nasty smell.)

All in all it was a fun time with two great boys, they were so well behaved and had such great attitudes the whole time.  (Although if I never hear the words toots and farts again it will be too soon, they are at the age where they think this subject is HILARIOUS.)