Thank You, Walter!

I am thanking Walter publically for putting up with my hair brained schemes for all of the years that we have been married...

This one  may be the straw that broke the camel's back...

We talked it over and since the big, no name tree in the back yard was pretty much dead, we decided to cut it down... that's not the hair brained part...

All that was left was the stump at the right of the photo...

By the time I thought to take the photo, most of the limbs that he cut off were out of the picture.

We are going to have a lot of little branches to get rid of. This is the last of the bunch.

I think that I scared the poor kumquat tree into staying green and growing.  It is out there trembling and trying as hard as it can to put out new leaves...

Poor kumquat...

This is the part that Walter hasn't seen yet.  I saved some of the branches from the old, no name tree and am going to use them for a couple of projects that I have in mind.

He pretty much ignores my hair brained schemes because it is easier to just stand back. Let me have at it.  If it works, it usually turns out pretty good. If it doesn't, all I have wasted is a couple of days and a few pages in a sketch pad.

Anyway, this is going to turn into a fairy forest or Tessie will grab it and turn it into an outdoor get away for herself... I don't think that she is going to win this one. I am on the side of the fairies.

Wish me luck in the argument.  back to picking up twigs.

See you tomorrow.

Rya Rug and Back to the Conservatory...

We got a new cat bed for Kota a few days ago... He was not adapting to it... The weather is too hot. 

This morning I washed the sheets and while that was going on, I put the bed on our bed and threw his favorite throw over it... That did the trick.  He has been in it all afternoon.

He kept me company whilst I worked on the Rya Rug. 

 It is coming along nicely.  I am up to the part where the other end design starts.  I am already on the third row or that.

I am starting to see the finish line on this one.

 I finally gave up on the dragon on the roof of the conservatory.  Every time I would lift the lid, something would break off of him and I would have to repair. 

So yesterday morning I took him off and re-did the ends of the roof. Now all I have to do is paint those and put a door on the interior side of the right wall and it will be pretty much finished. 

Granted, it still needs some paint and I have to clean up the windows, but I can see the finish coming.

I stopped into Mesquite Valley Growers here in town and picked up a several plants. 

I think that the pups off of this one are going in tiny pots and will be the first real plants for the conservatory.

I am going to put it out on the porch and see if I can get anything small to grow in there.

There are several small plants growing around the base of this one too, so I will have some starter plants. 

I would like to see if I can grow a lot of small plants in the Edwardian Case.

When Joan gave this thing to me, she started trouble.  I am determined to fill it with mini plants.

We shall see what happens.

Back to the rug.

See you tomorrow.

Running Away From Home...

You would run too, if you opened your workroom door and saw this! 

I decided that Tessie and I both needed a day off!

We went shopping... People do look at you funny when you wander around talking to an open purse...

I kept shoving Tessie back in the bag.  She kept pointing to things that I should buy...

For example, at Dollar Tree, they have all kinds of things for a fairy garden.  I was good.  I only bought one to mess with. 

They all needed repainting.  This was the best of the lot.

They even had an OUT HOUSE for the fairies!  I am still shaking my head at that idea!  It even had the required moon shaped hole in the door!

Anyway, if you are close to a Dollar Tree, go look.  There are even some gnomes and fairies.  I think that all could use repainting, but the sculpting in not bad.

While we were there, Tessie grabbed this hummingbird feeder.  I don't think that she wanted to feed the hummingbirds.  She just likes to swing on it. Not bad for a buck.

My favorite is going to Goodwill.  I found some clay pots for next to nothing and the glass jar that Tessie is standing in... Another possible swing?  She noticed that it had little hanger rings on two sides.  We will have to think of something to do with it.  It has chicken wire around the outside.

The four plants, I found at Walmart.  I like buying the tiny pots and watching them grow into something gigantic.  I have a couple of rubber plants that started out this size that are huge.

 This is what was in Tessie's glass jar.  Yup.  Goodwill sells sea shells and glass pebbles...

Our back yard is scattered with the glass pebbles, of all colors and several sizes.  Amare likes to look for them and has a treasure box that he puts them in... This will add to his stash.

Now I am wondering if I could talk him into looking for sea shells... Convince him that the ocean was once here and left them?

Anyway, reality is slowly creeping in and I should go back to the icky workroom... Should... Maybe..........  As they say, Reality Bites!

See you tomorrow.

Another Sunny Sunday...

And another fairy house.  I found this one at Goodwill this morning... It is really an incense burner. I am sure that the fairies can do something to clean it out and furnish it.  It is about 5" high, not including the tower, and ready for someone to move in.  Hand made.  One of a kind as far as I can tell.  It has some initials on the bottom and no other identifying marks.

Anyway, I think that the fairies will be pleased.

Behind the curved wall on the right side in front of the tower, It is open to put the incense inside.  Other than that, it is enclosed and looks like a real cottage.

I found another rug to finish.  My friend, Judy wanted to borrow a book on Chinese rugs that I had... I opened it and found the rug on the right.  Oops.  It's not good to store rugs you are working on inside the book with the pattern.  They come as a big surprise if you haven't opened the book for a while...

I did some more on the Russian rug.  The border is almost finished.

Tessie came through her antics yesterday without a single scratch.  That's because I finally relieved her of the skateboard after and hour of listening to the zipping, clunking and banging of her trying to ruin my stove top.

She grabbed the skateboard back and demanded that I build her a rack in the weaving studio for her to store it on... Oh goody!  Another job to add to my list. 

She refuses to help me with anything else until she gets her storage unit... Hey!  Maybe it is going to take longer than I thought to get around to making one!  Let's see... First I add it to the very bottom of my list of things to do.  Then I just never get to the bottom of the list.

Yeah.  That will work.  Until she thinks of a way to get around it.

I am off to try one of the banana muffins I just made.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  It was labeled Best Ever Banana Muffins.  So I had to try it. They must be pretty good.  This is the second batch I have made.

Back to the kitchen.

See you tomorrow.

Still Celebrating...

We almost stopped the party and then April and Amare arrived.  More celebrating.

Amare brought me a dragon to protect the fairy garden.  I will show you the piece that April brought me as soon as I decide where it is going to stay for good.  It is wandering from place to place right now. 

Meanwhile, the Terrible two are trying to get my attention.  They want me back on the job NOW!

They want the Weaver's Workshop finished.  But the problem there is they don't want to move out of the upstairs portion so that I can work on the downstairs.  The woodworking shop may have to wait.

They are also fussing about me not finishing Daisy's kitchen.  Daisy doesn't care.  She is still at the party at the Clockwork Trailer.  It still seems to be going strong.

Zar and Tessie were measuring in the kitchen the last time I looked.  I can't figure out why they are so interested... Maybe because Daisy refuses to take anybody for a ride in the time machine until I finish her house.

I think that Spike has the right idea.  He has his eye on Daisy's favorite sign.  That seems to me a better idea than the usual "Keep calm and carry on!"

Walter, April and Amare went to the park and to pick up lunch.  I guess I should get to work and do something before they get back... Maybe I will install a sink or stove. Or maybe, just for fun, I will "Freak Out and Throw Stuff!"

See you tomorrow.

It's a Great Day!

Well.  Maybe not for the Terrible Two.  They still haven't found the missing door...

But as for me, I get to do other things until they find it.

I'm going double time... I am working on the Russian rug and watching tutorials on wire wrapping jewelry.  Two for the price of one. 

I love being able to transfer You Tube videos from my I pad to the Apple TV.  Great for doing two things at once.

I may have to stop and go outside for  while...

The desert mallow the I put into the fairy garden is blooming... And one of the squirrels was brave enough to sit on top of the fence and watch me take photos.

He's the small creature that you can just barely see to the right, on top of the wall. Granted, it's not the best photo, but it is proof that this year's squirrels are braver than in previous years.

Here's a better photo of the mallow and I have ONE bloom on the French lavender, behind the house.

I need to redo the front walk of the house.  It has kind of melted because of the rains that we have had for the past month or so. 

That's a good excuse to go outside for a bit.  I wouldn't want any fairies tripping on the misplaced stones!

I'm off to repair the walkway. Then back to the rug.

See you tomorrow.

Sunday Playday....

 I found a bunch of place mats and balsa wood this morning.

That led to playing.  I have been wanting to make some fairy doors for trees.

So.....

I started with a cardboard base and built a frame, with a door inside.  The frame was balsa and the door was bamboo place mats...

It turned out to be very boring and unsatisfactory. Just plain blah...

I am going to have to do a lot to make it fairy like!

I went back in the workroom and found some left over window frames and more balsa.

I decided to give the balsa a try.

I have a whole bag that I got a year or so ago from a friend...

I am off to a good start... It may take a little time to get what is in my head onto the balsa, but I am having fun doing it. 

Balsa is so soft, after being used to carving on walnut and cherry.  I do think that it will make great rock structures and after I put a finish on them, they will work well attached to a tree. 

Anyway, I am having fun now.  I will let you know what happens.

See you tomorrow.

Just a Little Side Tracked...

I stopped at Civano Nursery this morning on the way home from town.  That put me off on another tangent...

That's easy to do.  I like tangents... I purchased this pot because it was French.  Provincial Lavender.  OK... I was a little swayed by the fact that the dirt was covered with the same moss that they were selling for the same price as the lavender and there is also a small plant coming up in the foreground.  I have no idea what that one is, but it was like getting three for the price of one!  I like free...

 I also got the plants on the top left for free also... I asked the owner if it was marjoram like the single plant on the right.  He told me that it was a kind of mini mint.  And sure enough, it smells great. 

Then he said, "That's the last one left and one of the holes is empty so I can't sell it... I'll throw that in for free..."  I didn't argue!

All together, I think that I got enough to do what I want to do... Fairy Garden!  I am going to put it in the livestock watering tank, that Seth and April got me last Christmas.  Then when spring comes, I will plant everything elsewhere.

Walter was kind enough to drag home a 64 quart bag of potting soil last week.  I have to top off the soil in the tank before I can start planting.

Walter carried the bag in from the car.  I will be doing the moving a little bit at a time.  He is much stronger than I am.

 Between the plants that I bought this morning and the ones that I have in pots on the patio, I should have enough to fill the tank.

I want to do my own buildings for it, so I am going to finish the tree house as fast as I can. 

I have been looking on Pinterest for ideas.  If you just put Fairy Gardens in their search, you get hundreds of ideas...

And most important of all, I will have a place for my Mesquite tree to live. 

Walter just got home from golf.  Time for lunch and then back to work on the Forest Fantasy Cottage.

See you tomorrow.