inspiration

I've been working diligently (mostly) on my house the past few weeks, in anticipation of my sister moving in. I've spent several weekends painting her room, and I'm still not happy with it. It will double as my craft room, and I've been dying to paint it orange. It did not turn out well. Twice. I've also been working on the bathroom, and I'm thisclose to finishing, but I just can't get my act together. I've also been scouring the web for sofas, headboards, and inspiration for my walls. I have a ton of photos to put up, but no "art." Just postcards from my travels and photos of the fam.














"Sprout," redbeandesigns

















"occie ocie 1.1," birdsandwings

and my favorite! "Flora in Blue," meArtDesign

sunset

No gardening or crafty photos today- no one wants to see pictures of the tons of mulch I've moved into my yard. And since pretty much nothing is blooming in my yard, no Gardener's Blog Blooming Day. Just a photo from my trip to Minneapolis last week. I love the colors:

sewing machines for sale!

"Drop Head Sewing Machine $8.75

If you are thinking of buying a sewing machine and want the best sewing machine made at less than one-third agent's or dealer's price, then WRITE TODAY FOR OUR BIG FREE SEWING MACHINE CATALOG. John M. Smyth Merchandise Co., 150-180 W. Madison Stret, Chicago."

Found in the ledger/scrapbook I was freecycled. I wonder if Lucy (her name is right behind the advertisement) ever got one?

fireworks

Some of my own fireworks...straight from the garden! Unlike the real ones, these last more than a few seconds, and are not loud and obnoxious (like my neighbors. right now).

freecycle rules

I occasionally read the local freecycle messages. I'm never fast enough to catch the good stuff- yarn, fabric, tables, etc. I was able to score some tomato cages a few weeks ago, which was pretty good luck. Last week someone posted two bags of ephemera. I emailed, and I won! I expected two bags of crap like old school papers, magazines and stuff. I was so so wrong. I hit the jackpot!

There was a pile of old family photos, several pamphlets and advertisements, some adorable greeting cards that I am going to decorate with on Valentine's and St. Patty's, and the greatest scrapbook ever.

It was originally an old ledger that a child reused as a sketchbook, then a scrapbook to save articles, poems, and recipes. I'll start posting scans of the old advertisements and recipes soon. Until then, here is some of the stuff I scored:


old family photos from around the Midwest


Several old pamplets and advertisements


Valentine's


the ledger...from 1833 through the early 1900s

Green Thumb Sunday

One of six lavender plants that I have purchased. It's blooming, but only becasue I bought it last week. Of the other five, one was also purchased last week, one is hanging in there, and three are long gone.



A lone bud on the dwarf coreopsis.



My dianthus, coming back. I bought these at annuals, pretty much killed the whole flat in one morning (no water + sun + heat = waste of money). I planted the few that still looked moderately green, and this one is coming back. I am hoping it will survive the winter and become a perennial for me.



I planted a whole packet of lobelia seeds, and this is the only one that grew.

Green Thumb Sunday



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another month

That I have not posted in. I wish I had terribly exciting garden pictures to post, but...my dog ran over all of my sunflowers, two lavender plants, and the rose in my backyard. My green beans have finally taken off, but my peas didn't even sprout. My zinnias look like crap, and only about half the seeds I sprouted planted. Maybe by the end of the weekend some will be blooming and I can grab a pic!