A copy cat bird house

I have always liked "MacKenzie-Childs" things.  While looking through the catalog the other day I saw these really cute bird houses.  Whimsical and fun!  The only problem is the bird house in the catalog costs $200.  Since this is a little more than I normally spend on a bird house, I had an idea to make my own.

I found a $6.00 wooden bird house at Hobby Lobby.  I started with three coats of white paint for the base and then using a ruler I figured out my black and white squares evenly the whole way around.  After that I added color, and to top it off, I hung a crystal on the bottom of the bird house for some bling!

 

And this is how mine turned out.  It's not exactly like the MacKenzie-Childs bird houses, but close enough for me! 

 

My copy cat bird house.

 

  

May baskets

Welcome May!  Do you remember May baskets?  

May Day, the first day of May, was celebrated by making up small baskets filled with flowers and then left at someone's door.  Have you ever done that?  
When I was young I took a piece of colored construction paper, made a cone, and filled it with flowers that I picked from my Mom's garden.  I left it on the door knob of a neighbor lady named Mrs. Bankus.  I knocked on her door and then ran home.  I remember her as the lady with the beautiful flower garden and sometimes I would sneak in her back garden and smell the flowers.   

We also celebrated May Day at school with a dance around the Maypole and crowning a May Queen from the May Court.  

all images from Google images

May is one of my favorite months, as it is the time when spring peaks and everywhere gardens are filled with color.  

Happy May!  

Home and garden ideas and inspiration

Paging through "The Gardener's Idea Book" that Lowe's puts out for the Proven Winners Plant Brand, (a small catalog that comes in the mail), I was delighted to find so many great ideas and inspiration for the home and garden....

 just had to share these lovely pictures!    

Notice the colorful pillows and accessories.  

Flowers on the front steps or near the front door says "welcome".

The garden shed  ~  not just a place to store those garden tools, hoses and fertilizers, but a friendly spot to work and sit a spell.  

Have you noticed all the different containers you can plant flowers in?  

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of spring garden inspiration!

Painting

"Glossy Colonial Red" is now the color of my old gray blue wicker table that stands beside my art table.  It needed an uplift and what better color than cheery red (quick and easy with spray paint).  I think this is actually a sewing table but I use it for my art supplies.  Works great.  

And on my art table is a 36 x 24 canvas that I am painting for my sister and brother-in-law.  They want something for their new home in Arizona which will hang in their guest house.  A western scene.

 These past few weeks have been crazy.  We had two commissioned wooden toy marble rollers, one purple "Carnival", and the other a blue "Sea Shell" which had deadlines and are now packed and shipped.  The marble rollers are fun to paint because I can use bright happy colors for kids.

One more paint project is a hanging plant holder for herbs or flowers.  A "barn red" color with a little purple flower on each side.  We just had a request for a black one, so that will be next.  You can find these in our shop, or if we are sold out just let us know what color you would like and we will be happy to make one for you.

  Lots of painting, lots of colors and lots of different projects.  I am thankful I have these to work on during the long cold gray days we've been having lately.  It seems winter has returned.  Time goes faster when you're busy, right?  And I can hardly wait for spring!
 

Painting a mail box

Our black mail box hanging on the front door in the full sun for many years had faded to a gray.  It was definitely time for some paint (or a new mail box). I opted for the paint.  

  I always seem to have a selection of spray paint on hand, doesn't everybody?   

This was my inspiration (below).  I found it in one of my English Home magazines.  What caught my eye was the fact that the colors were almost the same as our house.  

Here is our front door with the newly painted mail box.  An easy project, and it didn't cost a penny!  

  

Color

You know how much I love color, right?  
This is why I had so much fun putting together a 750 piece puzzle recently, with the help of Galen of course.  Isn't it great?  
Love, love, love the color!  

And speaking of color, 
let's take a walk around the garden to see the last of the season's color.  

And I am enjoying the color of the leaves as we travel the long distance each day to and from the hospital for radiation.  

This time of year is a beautiful sight!