An old mailbox

A few years ago, while shopping with my sister (antiquing and flea markets), I found this mosaic mailbox in a coffee shop gift shop. I loved it and thought it would look great on the front door of our house. I think I had it on the front door maybe a week and decided I didn't like it there and stored it away in the attic.

Well, I brought it down this week and decided to use it on the back porch. I've always loved the color of it and just wanted to have it out. So, it is now hanging on the screen door and I'm using it for my garden tools. In it I put my pruners and garden gloves.

Great idea, huh?! And it adds a little bit of cottage charm to the old back porch.

Rain

We've been having downpours the last couple of days and our back yard has gotten water-logged. When I walked out this morning to see what damage had been done, I found instead, beautiful silver droplets of rain everywhere.

Tell me how many beads there are

In a silver chain

Of evening rain,

Unravelled from the tumbling main...~Thomas Lovell Beddoes

A package, for me!

Sitting right there on the doorstep was a box addressed to me, and guess who it's from?

Rosie, at rosieswhimsy! I was so excited!!! Rosie is a very special person and one of my daily visits. She has a wonderful blog about her home and garden and a great etsy shop! Be sure to take some time to visit her.

I wanted to tear right into the box, but first I went and got my camera.

I opened the box and there was pretty red tissue paper...

I opened the card and there was a sweet note from Rosie...

She sent me this for no reason other than to say "I'm special". A random act of kindness from dear Rosie.

And here is the surprise ~ a beautiful handsewn bag in a soft green fabric with white roses! It's beautiful!

I love it!

Look at all the detail! I love the accent rose! And there's a pocket inside with a zipper!

And that's not all...

She also sent me a lovely handsewn apron in more beautiful fabric, and it has a big pocket in the front!

Thank you, Rosie, for your sweet act of kindness and your thoughtfulness. You made my day!

A day of gardening

I'm finally getting around to planting the garden and today was a beautiful day to plant it!

I put in lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, carrots...

tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, eggplant, cantelope...

sweet basil...

and cherry tomatoes.

Riley watched me from under the picnic table.

Our strawberries are coming up nicely! Yum!





Otis decided to take a nap.




Here I have oregano, chives and some lemon thyme growing. They're doing very well and it's probably because of all the rain we've been having.



Lemon balm ~ smells so good.





In this pot is more lemon thyme, flat leaf parsley and cilantro.

A few geraniums to plant, and I'm finished!

It's been a very productive gardening day!

Morning walk

Otis and Riley and I love our morning walks. A walk is always good for the mind body and soul.

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Have a great weekend!

Blogland fun

Tagged for: Ten reasons I like to blog.


I've been tagged by Karen at ascrapbookofinspiration. Karen has the most beautiful blog, so be sure to take some time and visit her!


When I first started blogging I knew very little about it. I started out hoping to sell some of my art and to get some exposure, and now I'm finding that some days I would rather visit all the wonderful people from far and near that I've met instead of painting.

I have found so much inspiration in many of your blogs, not only in a creative sense, but in a spiritual way. I will find just the right words or verses or quotes or songs on your blogs that really speak to me, and it's just what I need to hear that day or that moment.

I like blogging because it lets me be creative, using photos, colors, art and stories. It's like keeping a journal with all of your special treasures inside.

I have met so many friends, I never would have imagined!

I like the comments I get from each one of you and look forward to them every day. They encourage me to do more.

Last but not least, blogging is fun and it's usually the first thing I do in the morning with my cup of coffee in hand, and the last thing I do at night, popping my head into a few new places, before going to bed.

So consider yourself tagged if you've read this and have fun playing along!

~~~

I've also been awarded the Arte Y Pico Award from Penny at lavenderhillstudio. Thank you, Penny! Penny creates the most beautiful mosaic pieces, so be sure to visit her, and see her lovely work.

The rules for this award are:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award itself.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico’ blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.


5. To show these rules.

I'm passing this award on to:


Suzanne at painterofthepast for her beautiful primitive and vintage style paintings and artwork.

Deb at postedfromhome for her wonderful quotes and verses and beautiful photos of nature.

Linda at abbycreekart for her amazing paintings of dogs, still lifes and abstracts.

Rosie at rosieswhimsy for a wonderful blog on her home and garden and also her beautiful handmade sewn items.

Rhondi at rosecoloredglasses for her lovely quilts and her wonderful inspirational blog.



So take some time and visit all of these very talented bloggers, and enjoy!

The butterfly

Beautiful and graceful,

varied and enchanting,

small but approachable,

butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.

And everyone deserves a little sunshine.

~Jeffrey Glassberg

This is my newly painted butterfly paperweight. A pretty white cabbage butterfly, not too big, not too small, just the right size.

~add a little sunshine to your life~

You can find this on my etsy shop!

New Bern, NC

Galen and I spent the day in New Bern, NC yesterday. If you've never been there, you're in for a treat. It's a beautiful coastal town steeped in history and southern tradition. The second oldest town in NC, founded in 1710. See more here. The Tryon Palace is the first state capital building and is located in the heart of this historical town. New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.


Come on a walking tour with me.

We had lunch at "The Chelsea" restaurant. The historic building was built in 1912 and first used by the local pharmacist Caleb Bradham, inventor of Pepsi Cola, as his second drug store. Completely renovated. (below)

Of course, we had to stop later for coffee at the "Trent River Coffee Co."

Across the street from the coffee house is "Mitchell's Hardware". I love old hardware stores!

I couldn't resist buying this little flower pot made out of concrete and painted a soft blue, it will go great on the back porch.

After leaving New Bern, we traveled some back roads and stopped at "Yoders", an old country store. It's in a Mennonite community and run by Mennonites. After some browsing, I found some netting for over our strawberry patch to keep the hungry birds out.

Then it was back on the road again to home. I caught this picture of a colorful red field along the way.