Sunday, February 28, 2010

Sunday Afternoon Tulips

When I began my post about a bouquet of tulips my husband brought me on Friday, I had no idea they would open so slowly. I'm glad they are taking their time, though, because they are absolutely flawless and we have enjoyed them all weekend.

When they open completely, I plan to put all the photos together in a post or slide show, but for now, here is the way they look this afternoon (Sunday).



The heart of a tulip ...

I'm still learning to use my new macro lens, and have lost count of how many pictures I had to take to get the ones I've posted. But if that old saying, "Practice makes perfect," is true, perhaps there is hope for me yet.

To be continued ...

Friday, February 26, 2010

A Bouquet of Sunshine

My sweet husband surprised me yesterday with this gorgeous bouquet of yellow tulips.

The florist told him they had been cut from a field in Holland two days ago, and that is mind-boggling to me.

Here are some closeup shots I took early this morning of the buds ...

I think I'll go give my sweet husband another hug. I don't know what I did to deserve him, but the day I met him was truly the most blessed day of my life.

Follow-up: Here are some pictures I took of the tulips a couple of days later, as the tulips were just beginning to open ...

The tulips never completely opened and we enjoyed them for almost a week. Here is a picture of the longer lasting buds ...

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Picket Fences

I don't know of anyone who doesn't love a picket fence. In fact, when we were young girls dreaming of the future, most of our dreams probably included images of a rose-covered cottage with a white picket fence surrounding it.

A white picket fence has become a symbol of "the American dream" of owning a nice house in which to raise your family and live "happily ever after."

I am always drawn to houses with picket fences. There's just something about them that says, "Welcome ... come on in!" They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and condition.

Some have tops like popsicle sticks ...

Some have pointed ones ...

Some are plain ...

Some are grand ...

Some are old ...

Photo courtesy of Phil Douglis. You can see more of his stunning photography at Phil Douglis's Photo Galleries

Some are new ...

Some are pink!

Some are blue ...

Some have roses of red ...

And yellow, too!

Some are small ...

And some are tall ...

And some are graced with splendor in the Fall ...

This was a fun post to do, and while gathering photos for it, I was surprised at how many "picket fence photos" I have taken in and around Vicksburg. Photos 3, 4, and 5 above are mine, and here are a few more:

I don't have a picket fence, but seeing these has inspired me to try to add a small one somewhere in our backyard landscaping. Hmmmm ... I wonder -- should it be white, pink, blue, or yellow? Or what about a rainbow fence?

Sounds like a fun project, doesn't it!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

As Tall as My Heart


She will be five in May, and stands almost as tall as my heart now.

She weighs 42 pounds and the days when I can pick her up and hold her close are numbered. Each time I see her I can tell she has grown, and can almost see her growing before my eyes.

Every once in a while I glimpse a trace of her "baby face," but most of the time she has the face of a little girl on the verge of leaving her baby and toddler days behind.

She is a little "girly-girl," whose favorite color is pink, who loves to wear dresses (even in January), and who is never quiet, always singing or talking or babbling. We tease her about looking for her "off button," but there's nothing sweeter to my ears than her little voice singing or talking to herself as she plays with her "babies," as she calls her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves to line them up (all nine of them) on her daybed in her room at our house, and play "school."

I think she would literally play all day long if her Great-Grandmother and I would sit and play with her. Her imagination just goes wild, as she "talks" for her dolls who are the "students" ... and we can get her to sing, count, do arithmetic, say the Pledge of Allegiance," and spell, as long as she's in her "school" mode.

I used to love the way she pronounced her "L's" as "W's," as in "wook," for look, and "yewwow," for yellow. It made me sad when she learned to pronounce her L's, but she still hasn't quite mastered the "th" sound and says "free" for the word three. I know that's going to change soon, too, but for now, it's precious and reminds me that she's still a baby in lots of ways.

One thing that hasn't changed, though, is her love for her "purple bwankie." It was made for her before she was born, by one of her mommy's friends, out of the softest yarn I've ever felt. I guess its softness is why she chose it as her "special" blanket.

It's never far away, except when her mommy or daddy literally sneaks it away to be washed. You can always tell when she's tired or feeling a little insecure by those little fingers gently kneading the blanket, with her mouth drawn up like a rosebud in that precious way she did when she was a baby. Oh, how my heart melts when she does that.

Through the years, and in hundreds of pictures, her "purple bwankie" was never far from her side. It rode in her lap in the car, but wasn't allowed to be taken inside a store or restaurant because of "germs."

It was on the kitchen counter when she helped me cook ...

Or in her hands while she watched tv ...

And even on Christmas morning ...

As time went by, the beloved blanket faded and started to unravel, its yarn becoming thinner and its crocheted holes bigger (this picture was taken last summer).

Her mommy tried to fix it ...

But it was beyond help, and even though it more closely resembles a tattered little ball of yarn now ... to her, it's still her "purple bwankie."

I snapped this picture while she was playing a game on my computer, and it's the most recent one I've taken of the blanket.

She doesn't keep it as close these days, but sometimes she will stop what she's doing and say, "Where's my purple bwankie?" (I love that she still pronounces the "l" as a "w" when it comes to her blanket) ... and off she goes to find it.

She sleeps with it balled up under her chin, and comes downstairs in the mornings carrying it and two or three of her "babies," ready to greet the day.

When the day comes that she's outgrown her "blanket," or it has dwindled to just a few strands of yarn, I hope to preserve it somehow for her to keep and carry on her wedding day as her "something old."

By the way, for those of you who don't know ... she is our granddaughter Avery Grace, and she is the sunshine of my life.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Spring Decorating Project

Although Spring hasn't quite arrived outside, I've been busy trying to create it inside. My first project was the old Welsh Dresser in our breakfast area. I love decorating it for the different seasons and here it is decked out for Fall and Christmas ...

It took me a while to get the look I wanted for Spring, and I tried several different vignettes before I decided, "Okay, enough!" Here is the finished dresser, and I hope you don't think, "Oh, bless her heart, she should have kept trying."

Our breakfast area and kitchen ...

This photo shows a glimpse of the
game table in the left corner ...

Close-up of the game table. I found the old school
bell at an estate auction in Vicksburg ...

And now back to the Dresser ...

I've had the bluebird pictures in my "decorating closet," for years, and, since I was trying to achieve a "garden look," I thought I would try them on the shelves. I was delighted with them, even with their "mauve" mattes.

I kept the top shelf pretty simple. I love the swan and use it for all the seasons. The tall bird house is new, and also the orchid plant. I liked the orchid so much that I bought one for the breakfast table, too. I think it gives sort of a "neutral" look, plus it's not overpowering, and I like that.


The birdcages on the bottom shelf were a gift from our daughter, Whitney, and I love their "light and airy look."

I added this little blue bird and nest.

I had fun decorating the dresser and have a few more projects I want to do, which I will probably share later. Until then, "Happy Spring Decorating!"