Lily Has a New Outfit!

In spite of the fact that Lily has been rained on every night this week, she's still looking poised and beautiful in her new outfit.  One thing I have learned from shopping for her, if you wear small or extra small you can find some great clothes at Goodwill.  Her jacket is Jones of New York and the fabric is mostly silk.   It was $8 and reduced to $4.   

                                          

And look who else showed up in the garden after all the rain.  I spotted this mushroom and had to run and find a small gnome to put under it.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

New Corgi Puppy!

My friend, Donna, at Brynwoodneedleworks has a precious new corgi puppy.  His name is Tag and he joined her family on July 4th.  Read all about him and see lots more pictures on her blog.

Don't you just love this little freckled tummy?

Bird's Nest Giveaway

My one year blogiversary is coming up soon and I'm giving away one bird's nest pendant like the ones in the picture.  I also make a nest that has blue/green eggs like robin's eggs.  This pendant is made of silver wire (not sterling) and looks great on a silver chain or a black necklace cord.

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post. Of course, I'd be thrilled if you mentioned it on your blog so more people could participate, but that's optional.  July 19 will be the last day to comment and I'll post the winner on July 20.

Happy 4th of July!

Lily (the garden lady)

Please Help!

I am reposting this from  Annesphamily blog.  This is such a great way to help!  

Please help out.

Box top drive to rebuild our schools!!!

Location: Nationwide for Minot ND All you have to do is MAIL THEM!! 15 Vista Dr. Minot, ND 58703

Minot has had six schools destroyed by flooding. This is the simplest and easiest way to help out. Thank you for sharing with everyone you know.

Arabelle



Miss Arabelle all dressed up in her red bandana!



I decided this week to take Arabelle to the assisted living center to visit our friend.  She hasn't had training to be a therapy dog, but she is very sociable.  The plan was to have a short visit with our friend and deliver the candy sundae I made for her.   However, when we arrived, most of the residents were outside for an ice cream social and  Arabelle got to visit with lots of folks.  She did quite well!  Maybe because Hanna is so much older, she's willing to sit for a while and visit with each person.  Not Arabelle, she wanted to say "hi" and "goodbye" in the same sentence, but they loved her anyway.

This was made with buttermints I found at Michael's.

We had a great visit and I'm sure I'll be taking Arabelle again.  Also, I'm sure Heidi won't be going.  She hates wheels and bites the lawnmower when it's running.  Needless to say, I don't trust her around wheelchairs!

Meet Miss Minerva and I Love Small Towns!

One of my favorite things to do is explore small towns!  Today I spent the day in Culpeper, Virginia, and want to share some pictures of things I saw.  One of my favorite shops was this tea shop and I fell in love with Miss Minerva having her afternoon tea at a sidewalk table.  She was so lifelike and just adorable.  I wanted to bring her home and put her in the garden with "Lily"!

This doll in the window display was the owner's when she was a child. (Sorry the building across the street reflected in the glass).

Clarke Hardware opened in Culpeper in 1909.  I met the couple who owns it today and enjoyed chatting with them.  They have a wonderful website that tells all about the history of the store, the hard-to-find items they carry today, and helpful garden tips.

Downtown was decorated for the holidays and the flowers were beautiful.  I commented several times on how spotless and well maintained the entire town was.

And last, my single purchase for the day was this tin J & P Coats caddy for storing some of my sewing accessories.  It's, of course, a reproduction but it is so cute.