~FAIRY GARDENS...a tiny place to hide..and reflect..

Sometimes you want to talk about something..but it's not possible.  I think I will just show you my Fairy garden and what it's doing at this time of year.

Such a sweet, tiny and simple place to garden and create.  I've made mine so that I can move them into shade in Southern California's blistering summers..I just roll them onto the patio where they add color and interest. 

I'm hooked.  It's really fun.  I am going to look for some very tiny miniature roses this year.

 All I had to do this year was cut back the dead button mum's and make way for the new growth..and here they came again.  I've added some of the tiny things back that I removed until I could cut away the dead growth and make way for the new..but I haven't really done anything to the little garden yet.  It needs tweaking but so far I've only pulled up a chair and snipped and trimmed.  Soon the plants will be higher than the house.  Lots to do yet...say...where's my tiny birdhouse??  It's so easy to lose things in the growth...

I put the little wheelbarrow back..added the tiny garden tools..replaced the stepping stones..

A tiny johnny jump up looks so big in this little garden..  Little stepping stones lead under the arbor to the front door of the cottage.  The inside has a mossy floor..

The little creeping fig is growing naturally over the arbor.  It's fun to keep it trimmed.  I have more snipping to do as you can see.  The miniature ground cover is doing beautifully and drapes gracefully over the sides of the wheelbarrow.  I feed it miracle grow from time to time.  

You can just catch a bit of the little Fairy kneeling there under the leaves.  As you can see, I am clearing a path for the stones..and for the little benches..

I do my gardens with a lot less miniatures  and pretty much stick to fewer items and more natural things like stones, potted miniature plants.  Mine are not quite so structured.  

This is the next little miniature garden I have to work on.  I need a Fairy house for this one.  I have a beautiful one with shutters that open and close etc..but...I fear water and outdoor elements will ruin it..but..I may give in and use it.

So...are any of you going to try a little Fairy garden this year?  :)  If you have one, how is it doing?  It would be easy to wheel them under shelter from the cold.  Right?  Yikes, I hope so.  I know nothing about really cold weather.  

They really are fun..and so versatile.  

I am sorry I haven't been blogging lately.  It's been a difficult month..and today is a day I need to keep busy..and think of my friends out there and thank God for all of you and my family.  I'm blessed. 

My love to you,

Mona

~HEARTACHES AND HEARTBREAKS AND LOVE...~

Sometimes it's the friends in ones life that brings ease to one's heart.  When this comes from a dear friend you have never met.. and you know she is having heartaches and stresses of her own,  you have to wonder that they think of others at such times.

Such is the case with Barbara@ One Crafty Lady.

 Never a day goes by that I don't thank God for the blessings of my dear blogger friends.

So many of you out there bless every day of  my life.  

 The hours tick toward the one year anniversary of my daughters death from breast cancer...

She didn't win her battle..but many of you out there have..

When these sweet little hearts arrived..it was a reminder of the love in this world.

The tiny silver heart has the word "friends" on it...

What a wonderful word:

~Friends~

Thank you  Barbara, I treasure them.  And to all of you who have given me your hearts in friendship, thank you!

Love,

Mona

~FOR MY SWEET FRIENDS HIP DEEP IN SNOW...~

I thought about doing a rain dance...but decided against it... well..I mean it was a thought..:)

Daughter, Dawn, wrote on facebook that they had RAIN in Santa Cruz...and she was overjoyed..I quickly wrote and told her to send RAIN to see us..we hadn't see her in a very long time!

This is for my sweet friends out there who are living through some serious cold and lots and lots of snow..taken late this afternoon.

A gentle reminder that flowers are blooming right now...somewhere out in California...and your turn will come...

...soon...very soon.

(tiny log cabin I set there for just a moment and forgot it.)

Mele out check out the yard..and no..these photo's have not been enhanced at all..

..Mele...my sweet girl.  I think she is bored with all my picture taking and no ball playing! :)

Patio is ...dry.  I finally remembered to water my plants..the poor things!

I think if it's winter they will be just fine!  *shaking head*  Plants do not water themselves.

...and then..

the sound of pitter patting on our skylight sent me to the window..and it was actually

RAINING!!

All that beautiful dampness is RAIN.  This is my plant hospital.  The winds blew so hard that we had to put the umbrella's down..and now they will get some rain water!  OH JOY!

..

Now if it will just keep coming down..softly..soaking into the earth, we will have a beautiful Spring.

And I will be grateful as all of us Californian's will.

Snow would be lovely (for awhile) but I will settle for this and the temp being at ..

... a perfect 50 degree's.  

Hang in there sweet people...you are going to have a beautiful Springtime..

It's now 5:42 pm...the it's still falling softly.  Just the kind we like. 

If we get too much too fast or if it lasts too long, we slip and slide away after all our fires.

My love to you..and thank you for all of those dear comments you left for me.

You never fail to amaze!  Never!

Love,

Mona

~DID YOU KNOW? (and a EARTHQUAKE) ~

It sounded like a huge explosion, then a jerk..and quiet!  I hate them and they never fail to unnerve me.
I shouted for PH..he shouted back.."I'm here!"  Mele barked and came running to me.  Quiet.
It was centered about 20 or so miles from us in Rancho Cucamonga.
So...
Did you know that some of us out here don't have dishwashers?  Or garbage disposals?

Or trash compactors?  I don't even have a laundry room.  That's right.  I do my washing and ironing in the garage.  It's a darn good thing I don't live on the East Coast..isn't it?  :)

I KNOW!  I tell myself that every day when I go into the garage for something.

Not only that!  I have no granite counter tops or hardwood floors.  We did finally install a new stainless sink and faucets and I do have Italian tile floors in my kitchen!  My son in law is fantastic.  It's great having craftsmen in the family.  So..I'm doing alright..don't you think?  Of course I am.

We are such lucky women to have so much!  

I had all of the other once.  But my husband died and I returned home to be near my family and left my home and my rose garden that I worked so hard to plant.  Most of those roses were gifts from my daughter, Erin.

I eventually remarried and this little home didn't have all of those pretty perks, but it was so sweet.  A totally clean, 1950's slate to play with.  It had been well taken care of.

I think...

IF I could have just one thing..I would have a pretty laundry room.  One with an ironing board in it that folds out of the wall..and a nice little counter for my sewing machine.  

But when you compare those  things that I DO have... I have a lot.

A WHOLE LOT!  

I don't have a big stove..or enough counter room..or my white glassed in cabinets I used to have, but not minding one bit.  I seldom think of it even when I see big lovely homes.  I used to think I wanted those things when I was younger and for a time, I did.   Now?  I just want HOME.  That feeling of safety.  Being loved.  Cozy and comfortable. Near most of my children.  That's what counts.

I love my tiny 1950's Tappan oven in butter yellow.  It's perfect!

I've had it all..it was nice..but this is nicer.  

Having a cozy little home and someone who cares and being retired is..amazing!

I have time to play and it's wonderful.

(I need to do a little more staging before I take my pictures!) Mercy, but that silver needs polishing.  Tomorrow!  For sure.  :)  Well, maybe.

Did you know that I found the teapot..and two of the cups and saucers?  Of course you didn't...well, you knew about the teapot.  I shared that part.  What a search it was.  I've shown the teapot..rather a picture of it from the ebay site where I found it.  My search is still on for the other two cups and saucers.  The teapot and cups were even more adorable than the picture.  Another cup I found in an online store and finally, with a bit of difficulty, was able to order.   When I got the invoice for 24.00, I supposed it was for the cup and saucer, plus shipping.  Wrong!!

I finally found out that it was for THREE cups and saucers of Mary Engelbreit's Comfort and Joy series.  And I found out they were based in New Zeeland and that's how far my china cups were traveling.  

Finally another invoice arrived with the amount of the shipping and a note saying that when they received the shipping payment, the cups would be on their way.    Another 36.00 or so, which I then debated about going further with the sale, but because these items are so rare...I jumped in and paid through Paypal.  I wrote a note telling them that I had only ordered the one but that I would take the three.  Not a word in reply.

Once again I wrote..then posted on facebook where they have a site..still nothing.  I asked for confirmation of shipping.  Nothing.  They also told me it would take three to four weeks for my order to arrive from New Zeeland.  That message came when they sent the shipping invoice  So...I have the two cups and saucers...so far.  From all that I have read about them they appear to be very reputable folks.  Mercy, but I hope so!

:)  

So...I wait.  Hopefully I have Paypal behind me.  But what a hassle if I have to go through all of that.

 Penny @ My Vintage Home is where I first spotted this adorable set.  Thank you, Penny!  I will keep on hoping I get a full set.  It's a Christmas line but I don't even care.  They have flowers and hearts and my colors....and I love them..

See what happens to you when you visit one of your blogger friends adorable homes and see something too darned cute for words and you FIXATE on it??!  I'm terrible about that!  Don't be like me, ok? :)

Much love,

Mona

P.S.  Just a note.  Nothing is ever perfect.  Ever.  We seldom put ourselves out there on our blogs.  We show the pretty..tell the good..put our best face forward..but don't kid yourself...we all have our ups and downs.  All of us!  Some of you are going through tough times.  Believe me, we all understand!

Just wanted to say that!  

~DID I HIT OR MISS ON THESE FINDS?~

Tomorrow...is another day...not sure if we will go out and look around.

Before I go on..I want to thank all of you who left the sweetest commentS on my post concerning my friend Nedra.  

I called her today and told her.  We had a great time remembering.  I'm trying to talk her into moving back to California..she and Mick have people here.  Their home is up for sale..so we shall see.  How I would love that!!  

So....on to my "hit or miss" post...

This red wooden picture frame..so sweet.  50 cents.

NOW..this really made me smile.

On a blanket with a bunch of junk half covered and dusty, was this was this sweet covered serving dish.

This is on the bottom of it.  It was 25 cents!!  

Yep..a quarter!

It is going to look so sweet on the table at Easter.  

This pretty mirror I found at the same Estate Sale as the other things..I should have dusted it before I took the pictures of it.  :(  It's extremely heavy)

 The frame seems to be of some sort of copper material.  The back is entirely hard covered.  No paper.

I was $30 at the sale..I came back on Sunday and bought it for $15.  Where will I hang it?  Who knows.  It's been sitting where you see it for the past week.  I have to do some..rearranging. 

The glass is perfect, it just needs cleaning.

So...what do you think?  A hit or a miss??

A round 50's style Christmas tablecloth.

Flawless.  The table clothes were expensive but half price when I bought them.

This one was $5 and the one below was $10.

A pretty white LARGE round Batten burg tablecloth.

I may take this cloth and have it done at a Laundry.  These are not easy to iron.  It's a really nice holiday tablecloth.  It may go to a daughter as they do more entertaining than I do...maybe..

Do you have a closet where you hang your table clothes?  I have discovered that it's a great way to store them. Hanging them in garment bags is nice.  The crocheted ones go in a long drawer, as do the doilies.

I have a large dresser for those.  

Everything is now washed, pressed and almost all put away.  That little embroidered cloth I said had stains?

The one I was worried about.  Every single stain came out.  

I filled the washer, spray the spots and carefully rubbed in the cleaner..working it into the fiber gently..then..and this always scares me...I quickly tipped the bleach bottle up on the spots..and threw them immediately into the washer and started it.  It works every time.  I know it will make some of you cringe..it does me too..but it works.  So far..I've lost nothing..or ruined nothing.  Amazing!

It turned out just gorgeous.  NO loss of color at all.

I've probably just been lucky.  A professional I'm sure would have a heart attack!  

:)

Sending love...

Mona

~GARAGE SALES ARE BOOMING ALREADY...

....which is just fine with me.  You just never know what is going to turn up..sometimes almost nothing..then the next time..the FIND of the year!

Our first garage sale stop I found this basket with liner in brand new condition!  

I put my large fruit bowl in so you can see how large it is.

Plus a large quilted heart ..I'll show you that tomorrow.

This big nice heavy basket was sitting in the kitchen at the Estate Sale and it was full of kitchen utensils.  So...I just emptied it and bought it for three dollars.  Totally worth it~ 

This pretty berry colored afghan was 50 cents at a garage sale we stopped at.

If you look carefully you can see that the edges are scalloped.

I bought another one for my neighbor who loves lavendar for just 25 cents.  No fringe..but so lovely..the softest lavendar color..no picture.  I forgot to take one.  

Here are two of the four doilies I bought at the Estate Sale.

I have put two of them in my hutch..

Yeah...I like it ...I do!  Oops..I forgot to move the little felt bag for granddaughter.  

 SO much work goes into these.  I know, I used to make them.

Ecru is not a favorite color of mine for doilies, but it was so pretty and round and....and all of it came to just $8.00.  Of course it was the following day Sunday) and everything was half price.  :)  

Daughter Maryalice, who was with us, called later and wanted me to go back and check on a green leather chair...LIGHT GREEN!  Yikes, but she loved it.  It would have been just $50.00 and I have to say it was sort of pretty.  However it had sold just an hour before I arrived...but I did get deals on all of the doilies.  I was so pleased! 

This pretty linen and crochet dresser scarf for a quarter at a garage sale.  I later found some tiny, tiny holes in on end.   Do I care..HEAVENS no!  It's on my ironing board ready to be pressed...and put with the rest of the crocheted things.  :)  Lots of pretty crocheted things...yes..that's security.  (ok..just kidding!)  But it is a nice feeling to go pick out fresh linens etc. when you are decorating..IF you are into that sort of thing of course.  

I was watching a program on TV called "Sell This Home" and a couple came in to look at the home that folks had up for sale.  The woman looked at the agent and said in a scathing tone, "It looks like DOILY CENTRAL  in here.  :)  Not everyone likes them.  That's just so sad ...but tastes in decor are very different.

Does this indicate OLD?  Heaven's, I hope not!

 Pretty glass heart with red ribbon to hang it with.  I think it was a quarter at another garage sale we stopped at.  Cute, isn't it?  

More tomorrow.  Really?  Yes... :) really!!  I told you we did good! Not much, just a few more things I think.

Stay warm, stay home and stay safe.  You are loved.

Love,

Mona

~MEET MY FRIEND..AND SEE SOME GARAGE SALE STUFF...

Okay?

This is Nedra and I taken about six years ago.  Yes, I know..I was still dying my hair!

We met in high school in our Home Ec. class.  We double dated.  We graduated high school together got married within six months of one another and had our babies and raised them together. Our husbands graduated together in the same class also and  became best friends.  Being in the Marine Corp gave us a slightly different life style but we managed to never be apart for long and there was always the phone, and letters.  We never lost one another.  At one time we both ended up in the San Francisco area.  Her husband, Mick, was in the Merchant Marines at the time.
She lived on one side of the San Francisco Bay bridge and I lived in the heart of the city.  We didn't have a quarter, either of us, to get across the bridge.
Honest!  We still laugh about that.  Actually, it wasn't very funny at the time.

When we were in our very early 20's and had our first two little boy, (she was slightly ahead of me but not by far) we were home all day long, no car, no money but we had our telephones.  I remember how we would just call and talk and lay the phones down, do our house work and now and then pick up the phone and say something.  We were not alone..someone was there... someone to talk to, compare notes with.  We were both seventeen when we married.  Our birthdays are one month apart.  

Anyway...that's my Ned.  Always there.  What would I ever do without her.
Please, God, never let me find out!

I just want to say one more thing..Nedra and Mick drove from Arkansas to Georgia when my Sandy passed away last February.  They were with me through it all.  I needed them and they were there.

Back when Pat died  in 1997,  Mick did the service, Nedra spoke about Pat, the brother she never had..then they had to leave and I went into full panic mode after not hearing from them for awhile.  They had bought a new motor home and were traveling.  They were as heart broken as I was...I know...but it was frightening.. and for a time it was the three of us.  A terrible and strange time.  How could it be??  I needed them and they were there.

In time I remarried another wonderful man.  I thought I would never, ever remarry, but I did.

Again, cancer took my loved one.

When Frank, my second husband passed away, Nedra took a plane and came out immediately and stayed with me for a month.  I needed her and she was there.  

It's called friendship.  

Two of my favorite people on earth.  

God blessed me.

If I could wish something for all of you out there..it would be to have friends like that in your life.

*************

Garage sales?  Saturday?  You BET!

 A stack of crocheted potholders were found at an Estate Sale.  I paid $8 for an entire bag of crocheted items..the beige one you see below was one of the doilies that was included.

 A heavy nice coffee scoop that is now hanging on the wall near my coffee maker in the kitchen.

Notice the sweet little heart shaped hanger that PH bolted to the wall with a screw that does NOT ever show!  LOVE that  man!
The words on it say "INSTANT HUMAN JUST ADD...COFFEE

This was bought at a garage sale for 50 cents.  It's a nice linen table topper.  It's in perfect condition exept for a coffee stain that I hope will come out.  Wish me luck! 

Nedra took me to my first Goodwill.  I wouldn't look at a thing.  :)  I mean everything was SECOND HAND!
:)

Heavens..this is getting long..and I am falling asleep at my computer and PH is already in bed an hour ago..so tomorrow I will show you the rest of the Estate and garage sale items I found Saturday.  It was a GOOD day.  This is just the beginning.

:)

Love,

Mona

~A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH TOO LONG POST...

I'm sorry, I get carried away so I shortened it.  A LOT!  

I actually took a photography class in high school, I did!  I learned how to develop film.  I just can't take pictures.  I cut the tops off things..my focus is terrible..but you can see the time on my..oops.. stopped clock!

We all have things in our homes that are special to us.  At least most of us do. :)  My mantel is an old corral post found on the ranch of my late husband's cousin.  It has been cut at both ends..by Frank and then lots and lots of sanding and a couple of coats of walnut stain..then buffed..sanded stained and buffed again.  

I love it.  Problem?  It isn't exactly flat and I have to be really careful of how I sit things on it.  The wall is solid used brick, not half bricks, and the bolts are very long and far into the brick and the wood.  It stays on the wall....but my things fall off, or they used to.  I use earthquake holding stuff now. Smart, huh? :)

I love decorating it.  

...and here is where I get serious!  Kinda.

What IS it that makes me crazy every holiday, that I think I have to decorate..and always think I have way more than I need..and then I go on a mad hunt for cute things.  I just have so much fun decorating things up..(fluffying the pillows!) and yes I get teased about my decorating from my family!  

I have to tell you this story about my sweet daughter Sandy who passed away from Cancer this past February 22.

She came to visit me one day and we were chatting away..and suddenly she threw up her hands in exasperation and said " Mom!  It's so HARD to talk to you when you have so many CENTERPIECES everywhere!"  

Centerpieces?  Me?  Where??

Another comment I get is that my home looks like a "store" and it DOES NOT!  Maybe a Goodwill store..but that's it!  

Michael's kraft store..is that the name (?), well, they DO get the cutest things sometimes.  It's the little things, isn't it? :)  That little wooden teddy bear that you see down in the right hand corner..has a little painted heart on him, and he was made for me by my dearest friend for the past 60 years.  We went to high school together, double dated together.  Her husband was my husband's best friends and  they graduated together too. We all had such wonderful times together.  Ten children between us, at first..then it later became 12! 

Once during a very difficult time for them, they came to live with us..with their five children (before we each had another baby)...and our 6!  Yep!  We did that.  We made the garage into a bedroom for the six boys.  There were three sets of bunk beds.  The floor was covered by big braided rugs.  Very cozy.  

The girls we put in one bedroom.  One was a baby (mine) still in a crib.  It worked.  Nedra and I did not have one problem with who did what!  We both cleaned, and we both cooked on alternate nights.  She kept me company or I kept her company..just chatting away.  I don't think we knew that what we were doing was impossible for most folks.  We had a wonderful time and we all have great memories of those days.  Finally they moved to a home next door to us that became vacant.  That lasted just a short time as we were all either at their house or at our house so they all moved back in!!!  LOL  It was a waste of money!  Their home was a rental and we owned ours.  And besides..it was too much trouble to keep running back and forth.  (I wonder now what the neighbors thought!)

What a great time of life it was!!  One of my favorite memories!!  When we tell that story to people...we get comments like, " I could NEVER do that!"  We know.  It was uncommon and it was just until they got on their feet.  We missed them when they finally moved into their own home for good.  If you think it was only for a very short time.  It wasn't.  Eight months the first time and I think just three or four when they moved back in.

Nedra is my earth angel.  Nedra was the sister Pat never had and Mick, her husband is like my brother.  Our lives changed so much after Pat passed away.  We all lost a best friend.

 My very favorite angels here were a gift!  A dear lady I knew long ago passed away and one day her son came to my door and gave them to me.  He said his mother would have wanted me to have them.  I was so surprised and pleased and very humbled.  One has a broken wing..which reminds me not to fly too high!

That's my grandmother you see in the background.  Her name was Lilly! 

Are you still with me?  :)

Big hugs and love,

Mona

P.S. Don't tell me you read ALL of the above!  I don't believe it!!  You wouldn't believe how much I just erased!

~I BELIEVE IN ANGELS, do you?~

Of course you do.
Have you ever seen one?
I'm teasing..but on a serious note...I DO believe in angels..
One doesn't have to give a reason...and not even a season..
but..I do love having them around.  I have some I will try and show you tomorrow.  I could not get them to download.
Some years ago we lived in Santa Maria California and they had a little 5 & 10 store.  I loved it.  It had these big squares made of old wood with things piled  in for sale...especially at Easter, Christmas, Valentines Day etc.

One day I was in browsing  around and an entire bin was filled with these little angels.  I put them out every year..this year I stuck them in my spooners with the silverware.  

I say why not.. :)

Not so sure she is comfy sitting in with the forks without a stitch on..but..she looks cute there.

They all have tiny pink hinney's...and each angel is just a bit different.  I only bought five or six of them, I think, at 99cents each.  I wish I had bought more.  I've really enjoyed decorating with them.  I use them for Christmas too..not this year though...I mean..did I?  I forget. 

*************

Blogger troubles tonight.  I'm having trouble downloading pictures..and I am not even using AOL.
Besides, two pictures are enough.
Especially when they are SO racy!  :)
Luv'n hugs,
Mona