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This Week's Round up & I KNEW I should have built that ark years ago...

Remember the Robin eggs we found not too long ago?

Well it must have been a nest that was washed away in the Ohio monsoons since a rather determined mother robin has built another nest exactly where I thought one had been.

Now that the weeping cherry trees have filled out with their green coverage, her nest is much safer from the down pours.

We have had about 45 days out of 60 producing rain. I am not kidding when I say the garden looks like a beach where the tide had gone out. I can not retill being plants & seeds have already been sown and thanks to the moisture content, i have had to pull back all the black weed cloth to prevent anymore green mold growing underneath.

The rains have been so bad that our trip to the Backyard Mushroom grower has been put off for a few more weeks. The area where we would be standing is in about 1 foot of water! Although it may be entertaining to you, seeing me dog paddle through her backyard, I opted to move the visit for hopefully sunnier days.

I know they say the rains are good for the flowers & trees but with as much as we have had it looks like it is only good for drowning them...and preventing any road trip adventures. So frustrating that here we are almost to June and I have not been able to do any video destinations or projects.

The good news is that The Captain is almost done with all the posts for my garden fencing. The chicken pen has grass finally growing {well in most of the areas}.Plus I was able to swing for a new Sony Cyber shot 560 point & shoot after my 4 yr old digi dropped out of my garden basket,unbeknownst to me, and was destroyed in one of our hard rains. I'm still saving my pennies for that Nikon D3100 and am half way there. Just taking a little longer then I estimated.

Now I normally do not share much about my children's personal lives outside of our playing farmer but this time how could I not share? Little Miss Frog graduated Pre K Friday and during her graduation she was given an award. What award? For "Fashionista"! Thanks to all of her "original & colorful choice of outfits" she so often wears to school. THIS is one of my top favorites and will help give you an idea of why she was awarded "Fashionista" by her school:

The award, the above picture & her "diploma" will go into a Framed custom collage for hanging in her room. I hope she will always hold on to being independent in thought,behavior & hopefully...always remember to never fear standing out from the crowd.

The rains have really bummed me out so I best focus on getting some Mojo back to spice things up a bit. Maybe a trip to an estate sale or even a country market will get us back in touch.
Until next time...

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

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Interiors: Industrial Elements

My favorite spaces are those that combine elements from varying styles--a little bit farmhouse, a little bit Paris apartment and a dash of mid-century modern. But if someone forced me to choose only one style to live with, it would have to be industrial. There's nothing like an oversized steel workbench with a wood top that has been carved into so many times by daily use that it looks like a work of art. A giant store letter is all that I need to dress up my walls. A set of printers' drawers or a hardware cabinet with dozens of itemized slots would offer quirky storage. A few of my other industrial favorites: palette coffee tables, step ladders as side tables, hand trucks transformed into small bookshelves, and nautical spotlights. Maybe it's because I like a good mix of masculine and feminine in my decor (great linens and upholstery add the feminine touches) or perhaps it's the idea that these pieces were put through their paces before landing in my hands. No matter a piece's age, for me, industrial style never gets old.

Images: Living etc magazine, August 2010, April 2010, February 2010 issues. British Country Living, April 2010 issue. Simply Scandinavian by Sara Norrman, published by Ryland, Peters & Small, 2010. Country and Modern: Contemporary Interiors for Rural Settings by Dinah Hall, published by Soma Books, 1998.

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Filed Under: industrial decor

Foyer Shelf In Progress

Okay, I know I’m dragging this project out and trust me I am the first person that is dying to see it completed. I thought I would share to date where we are with this shelf.

It’s up, it has sheet rock on it, and it is mudded and sanded! It needs a coat of primer and possibly more joint compound after a finial inspection.

Oh, do see that small speck circled in pink, that is my genus father’s idea….. an outlet!!! Yes, I now have 5 outlets in this small foyer. Won’t this be great for decorating at Christmas time? I think I would have eventually thought of the outlet myself but it would have been at a much much later date. It was so easy to install too.

And because of the added recess lights and the outlet, I decided that I wanted them on a separate switch. We already had two switches for the over-head light and the outdoor lights. So I looked at the Hubs and said, “Just add another switch” {like it was no big deal}. Well, it wouldn’t have been if there hadn’t be a stud to the right of the switchbox and I didn’t want the new switch to be added to the left because I plan on removing that door casing and adding a much beefier moulding. That left no choice but to run all the wires through a hole in the stud and rewired on the right side. No big deal….. just another hole to patch! ick.

So what am I waiting on…….

This ceiling, which is the reason for the whole repainting process to start with. You can see the water spot by the return vent. There needs some patch work on the ceiling and I am not very good when working over my head so I recruited my Hubby. However, with him having a bad case of poison oak all over his body too, I am ~~patiently~~ waiting.

Then I will dust down all the walls and shelf, apply primer, and then I will get to paint with my new Sherwin Williams colors!!

It’s coming along, just not as fast as I would like.

ps. I made all the photos black and white because I did a patch test color of the color that we choose next to the door and I want my finial color choice to be a surprise!

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Filed Under: Foyer

Updates

This is a quick post to update on some of the crap happening in my life. I am going to say the word crap because let me start by telling you that the poison oak that I got into on Saturday had spread into my eyes by Monday morning. My face was swollen badly and I had trouble seeing out of my left eye. I thought I looked like the elephant man but my daughter kindly told me that I looked like Will Smith in the movie “Hitch”! She asked me if I wanted a straw for the Benadryl. Needless to say, a quick trip to the ER was unavoidable. I got a couple of shots and was sent home with a few prescriptions to take for about two weeks. My kiddos got a good laugh and told me that my face looked funny. I slept on and off for the rest of the day but I woke up one time only to see my youngest son starring at me……

Hunter, “Oh, Hi, Mom!”

Me, “Hi. What you have you been up to?”

Hunter, “Not much. Hey, uummm, did the Doctor mention when your face would be back to normal?”

Yes, I am so glad that I can amuse them!!! On the plus side of things, today’s weather is over cast and in the low 70’s, which if you have ever had any poison ivy, oak, or sumac then you know that the heat and humid can be painful and cruel to the itching.

{sorry no pictures to show of my contorted face}

On to other news….

Do you remember a few months back when we had a bit of septic problem? We had to pull up this little Crape Myrtle that sits just in front of the septic. I was hoping she would be fine…

Spring-Landscape-in-front-of-the-house

Well that lil’ tree didn’t make it. {Incase you are wondering what kind of Crape Myrtle that is, it is call “Acoma” and it only gets about 10 feet tall}

But I once heard a wise gardener say, “Create a “test garden” or a “back-up garden” . {I believe credit should go to Paul of Gardening By The Yard} So every now and then I will divide or root a plant to have a back up in waiting to replace if something happens to the mama plant. Pretty smart, huh? Well, I did just that with this lil’ Crape Myrtle. Now she’s not as big as the her mama but when the time is right, I will transplant her. The best part is…. she’s FREE! How can you not love that?

I’ve been outside a few times today {in between naps from all the meds that I have been taken}. Once to meet with the insurance adjustor to go over the damage to the house and our electronics and secondly to trim up this Crape Myrtle along with moving some Daylilies.

I wanted to add a little color to the side of the bed that faces the road. These Daylilies are called “Happy Return”. They are a very pretty yellow and continue to send up new blooms all summer long.

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Filed Under: Gardening

Amaze Me Monday #25

Hello my party friends!!

Thank you for coming over and partying with me! Each week I get so many wonderful ideas from each of you talented people. I never run out of ideas! If only I could say the same about the hours in a day!

This weekend I spend all my time and energy working outside in the “Operation Storm Clean-Up Rally”. Yes, we all gather together in effort to remove a lot of the derby that was left by the nasty storm that come through my town and left us without power for three days. The weather stayed nice and we were able to accomplish a lot. I even managed to get a really bad case of poison oak all over my face, neck, down both arms, and a small spot on my leg as well as my husband. I am happy to put an end to this week and look forward to a great (scratching. lol) week ahead. I will be traveling with my teenagers for two days to the next town over as they take some of their finial exams this week. Thank you for staying with me. I know I haven’t inspired anyone lately but I promise to have some new energy and some new projects to share (and hopefully to inspire).

I wish each of you a wonderful week and may it be filled with ideas and inspiration that you got from here!

What a breath of fresh air this DIY Spring Wreath and Mantel is by The Sweet Survival.

Totally love this Distressed Table shared by Girl In Air

This Keep Calm and Eat A Brownie Sign made my husband and I smile and giggle. (okay maybe I was the only one giggling). Thank you for sharing Rita of May Days.

Thank you to Cindy at Dwellings, I enjoyed my tour of the Historic King’s Daughters Inn.

Mexican Dorito Casserole by Jam Hands. Okay, so I just may have to try this recipe because an open bag of Doritos have about a .1 second shelf life in my home!

This French Farm Kitchen is AMAZING!! Doesn’t it look like it belongs in a magazine? Job well done, Shabby French Cottage.

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Filed Under: Amaze Me Monday

New Article from Momo Pics

Check out my latest little review on the bike tube wrist watch from Momo Pics. This girl is so nice. I think that makes us online friends:

http://momopics.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/friday-feature-7/

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Filed Under: blog, Brown, eco, feature, Friday, Lisa, Momo, online, Pics, press, reclaimed, recycled, retail, review, simple, watch, wreckage, Wrist

Garden Knee rails, coop peek & out smarting hungry chickens

One thing I dislike about the beginning of garden season is the bareness of it all. Which has brought problems with mysterious child like foot prints, appearing in all the newly sown beds. Of course no one knows where these prints come from and usually are accompanied by tiny paw prints as well.

My solution in hopes to curb the trampling is these rustic "knee rails" I whipped up the other day. I salvaged pieces from last years garden obelisks. The white Birch will look so nice when things have grown up and out a bit.

In the future I may need to add some "Chest rails" about 5 inches from the ground. ..to help with those tiny paw prints popping up as well.

I began my Long Pie pumpkins & various melon seeds far too early this year. The black cloth to the left in the above is their intended home, so remains bare for now. I am shocked at how quick they sprouted from seed this time around. I planted the seeds in the flat around dinner time 2 days ago. A few melons were already 2 inches tall just 24 hours later! I Kid you not!

I know it's been a while since I brought the new chicken coop home and although it is ALMOST in it's final state, I thought I would share a little peek. Not as Fancy as I had envisioned but FAR nicer then any coop I have had before:

See that dirt in the dutch door bottom? Yeah. Umm. That would be from the wood apparently swelling so we have had to kick it into the door frame when being closed. Gotta break out the jigsaw and take a little off the area. It will have to be on a day that someone else can entertain these chickens. They are like little kids, following me EVERYWHERE with their curiosity and of course determination I have food hiding somewhere on my person.

Why just the other morning I went to let them out of their coop but made the mistake of not bringing their food with me. I walk towards the gate. 17 chickens ~~walk~~ Run towards the gate. I stop. They stop. Feathered bodies between and under my feet all the way. So I make a mad dash back towards their coop, thinking I could shake them by going around the coop, after all they are not the best at taking corners ,then RUN for the gate. Slam! tiny little heads popping out the chain link. I could not help but laugh. Most people run from A mean rooster. Me? A mob of breakfast hungry chickens.

What makes it worse is when you go in the ....barefoot!

And gosh forbid your nails are painted {even as chipped and in need of refreshing as mine:

Oh! I forgot to mention, it's egg watching time! Coming up on 5 months in 2 weeks. I wonder who will be the first? Will I actually find the first few eggs in the coop or will they be in their yard wherever the "urge" hits them? Will it send them all into a clucking competition as they try to figure out what just happened? What about "Root Beer" the Rooster? Will he Crow for the first time or will he continue on with just sweet chatter to his ladies??

Silly chickens. They never cease to amuse me.

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie

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Istanbul, where oriental bazaars meet trendy design

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I am writing this on the plane, traveling back from a wonderful week with friends in Istanbul. This city was always on my 'to-go-list' and I am pleased to say: it was 100% worth it! Istanbul is surprisingly western; a big mediterrenean city interspersed with minarets. It feels modern and familiar, even though you can find plenty of more traditional neighbourhoods as well, with muslim women fully covered in long black dresses or at least wearing head scarves and long coats. We were staying in the Beyoglu part however, which is full of the young and trendy and saturated with buzzing cafes, original boutiques and yummy restaurants. A great area as starting point for your daily trips through the city.

Sure, we did all the usual touristy stuff including visits to Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace and Byzantine churches. We wandered endlessly through the grand bazaar, ancient tiny streets, snacked all Turkish street food under the sun and took a boat trip up the Bosporus lined by the most expensive villas and boulevards full of posh looking people with big designer sun glasses.

But we also ended up a bit 'off the beaten track' at Santral, a lovely art centre (with even lovelier museum shop ;-) in an impressive looking old electricity plant, on the university campus just outside busy Istanbul city centre. Changing art exhibitions in one part, a science museum in the other. The shop contained some great ceramics by Turkish designers as well as a rather cool chair made out of a suitcase.

If you rather buy some traditional Turkish style products, you'll find plenty of ceramics, kelims and decorative items in the Grand bazaar and around the tourist hot spots. I bought a designer necklace as well as some colourful blue tiles (to use as coasters or just as decoration). I also bought loads of Turkish delight and I doubt whether that will last the week!

Beyoglu, 'our neighbourhood', has some superb independent designer boutiques (mainly clothes and jewelry) and a couple of streets full of antiques. Great to see some beautiful old Turkish furniture, old maps, vases and textiles - different from styles in the UK. To further please my interior and vintage obsession, we were lucky to stay in a gorgeous loft-style apartment, tastefully decorated by the French owner in a mix of antiques and IKEA.

If you haven't been to Istanbul, put it on your list! It is a friendly, welcoming city that stimulates the senses: wonderful food, plenty to see. You'll come home recharged and inspired.

Photos top to bottom: antiques in Beyoglu, tiles in a mosque, interior shop in Beyoglu, more antiques in Beyoglu, shops, textiles and cafe in the Grand bazaar, suitcase chair and ceramics in Santral museum shop, a trendy cafe near Santral, detail in byzantine church, Turkish breakfast at garden cafe Limonlu bahce in Beyoglu, our apartment and the Blue mosque.

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Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Giveaways can be so much fun, even better when it's something that keeps on giving.Thank you to all who have entered. Comments are always a joy to read. Having an Unusual prize made this one rather exciting.

I wish I could give everyone of you a prize. To have your own mushrooms growing just outside your home. Truly I do. So easy, so delicious and rather "Unique" as our winner said in her comment for the contest.

Panda & I sat down before the school bus came so she could do the Randomizer, for a computer generated winner. So when the number came up, she counted down the entrants and announced "Sharon Lovejoy is the winner! Does she really live in a sunflower house?" Which made me laugh and I explained the meaning behind it.

Sharon Lovejoy is a wonderful Author & Illustrator. One can not help but be inspired not only by her words but the sight of her beautiful Art. The actual inspiration behind Panda's own Sunflower house many years ago before I "met" Sharon in Cyber world. My writing of her could never justify such a gift of a person she is to all us.

Rather fitting she has won, being she has given so much to many many families with her writings. An amazing & inspiring woman whom now can add Mushroom Gardener to her diverse activities.

Congratulations Sharon! May your adventure with Mushroom growing be as pleasurable as the moments you have inspired for so many.

And a thousand Thank You's to Field and Forest, Proud to be a part of this Rotting world! They so kindly sponsored this Unusual Giveaway. A true asset for Backyard & Larger scale Mushroom growers, coming highly recommended by many fungi growers I have spoken with.

Just because your number did not come up here does not mean you can't grow your own. Check out their informative & easily navigated site for your Backyard start up. For under $20, you could have your very own 2 pounds of Wine Cap Spore in sawdust delivered right to your door. Giving Many years of edible, delicious Adventures.

Sweetest dreams,

~Tammie

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"Her Royal Highness"

Photo 101woonideeen

Building up with matching sidetables. These little tables are often available in opshops, paint them white and create the contrast againts the dark wall. Use for storing decorative items, books, magazines etc.

Statement piece!

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Filed Under: DIY