Garden Goose

Here is what I won

2009-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know why the links would not work on my last post. I kept trying and trying to get them to work and made sure I typed them in properly, anyhow the name of the shop that I won this absolutely gorgeous necklace from is www.noblestudiosltd.etsy.com

Here is what I won from Violette's blog.It is a gorgeous locket with rhinestones around it, on a black glass bead necklace. Very pretty I think.:0)

Violette specializes in steampunk inspired jewelry and her creations are very pretty and one of a kind items.

Stop by and visit her shop.

~The Garden Goose!~

I won something fun...and..baby it's cold outside..and more

2009-12-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Brrrr it has been downright cold here lately. No, we don't have snow in North Florida, but we have had rain and very chilly days and nights. In fact we did have some sleet last night. Brrr. Yep, I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather.
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Oh, and look at what I won recently!
Yay!
www.noblestudiosltd.blogspot.com

For my win I have chosen a really pretty bird locket from the shop. Stop by this shop on etsy if you like unique one of a kind jewelry with a vintage look and feel to it, or if you are in to Steampunk accessories.
Really super cool items.
www.noblestudiosltd.etsy.com
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Here is another recipe to share with you.

Buttermilk Walnut Pie
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1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 nine inch pie crust
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Cream butter,sugar and vanilla together. Add eggs, flour and salt. Beat well. Sprinkle chopped walnuts into bottom of crust. Fold in buttermilk and pour mixture into crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until set.
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Enjoy!
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Well..the holiday season is underway...here's wishing you some warm cozy days, and may you enjoy the season.
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~The Garden Goose!~

Hi Friends...a recipe to share and more

2009-11-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

I trust that you all had a lovely Thanksgiving day. We had a few family members to visit and had a great time, eating and talking.:0)
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I have enjoyed the cooler weather, and it has finally been cold enough here to tentatively call it "winter"..at least for a couple of days...ha.
That is the funny thing about Florida living..our fall and winter weather is rather wacky at times. One thing that we can count on though in late November/December/January/February here is that usually rain will precede a cool spell..and this afternoon it has rained for a while so I expect by later tonight the weather will usher in a cool spell for us.
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Luckily all of my plants are still hanging in there and none as of yet have suffered any frost damage..knock on wood here.
I did move my prized jade plant indoors a few days ago and decided to try and start a few cuttings off of it. I have had the parent plant for about 5-6 yrs now and it is a lovely specimen.
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Oh! I wanted to tell you all to scoot on over to www.notquitejunecleaver.com and get your hands on a copy of Susan's first cookbook! It is a book devoted to everything "Pies"..good down home recipes you will want to add to your collection.
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Now here's a recipe I'd like to share.
This is so very easy, but oh so yummy. Give it a try the next time you want a fast, easy chicken meal.
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Baked Crispy Chicken
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8 boneless chicken breasts
1 stick of butter melted
1-2 cups Rice Krispies
Salt and Pepper to taste
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Dip chicken in melted butter, the roll in crushed Rice Krispies. Bake in shallow baking dish for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until brown and juices run clear.
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Enjoy!
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Here's wishing you all a very lovely week! Thanks for stopping by.
~The Garden Goose!~

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T10:26:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
May you have a lovely day!
~The Garden Goose!~

Small Town Living compilation CD's now available

2009-11-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Wanted to let you all know that we have revised the Small Town Living Compilation Cd's to encompass all issues of the magazine through to Aug/Sept. 2009! That means that you receive 18 issues of the magazine on a cd! Over 1,000 pages of information!
What a terrific gift for yourself, a friend, or family member!
Stop by the website at www.stliving.net to order your copy now!

The Compilation CD Includes:

18 Issues of Small Town Living

Over 1022 Pages of Small Town Living Articles,

Stories and Photos.

Searchable Content - Find the stories and articles

you want in seconds.

Practical Advice on:

Gardening

Livestock

Small Business Guidance

Herbs

Crafting
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Check out this interview

2009-11-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

Wanted to let you all know that my friend Susan posted a nice interview on her website with Ellyn Anne...the Apron Lady.
Check it out here:
www.notquitejunecleaver.com
Also Susan is having a lovely drawing to accompany the interview, don't miss that either.
So stop by and check it out, and find out what the "Tie One On Day" is all about too.
~The Garden Goose~

Hello there....

2009-11-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hi there folks..I hope that you all are having a lovely week thus far.i have spent my weekend and part of this week out in my garage going through boxes upon boxes of items that I had packed for the move...decided that there had to be more things that we could avoid moving and that we could live without..and boy was I right. Goodness gracious! I now have 1/3rd less boxes packed up and a huge pile of things gathered for a garage sale.

I still have a few boxes left to go through the remainder of this week, but what a relief to have cleared out a fair amount more of unwanted items.

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I've taken the blog here back to the original format with the hopes that I'll be able to actually get on here to post as normal. After trying to spruce things up a bit I was unable to post on here or anything with the blog..so maybe just maybe going back to the original format might fix that for me.

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The tropical storm that blew through here luckily did no damage, we simply received some much needed rain from it.

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Along with trying to clear out our garage, and to get some things accomplished on the home front...I have also been busy trying to get the next issue of "Small Town Living" together. Writing an article and then trying to get submitters coordinated to get their submissions in on time. Sometimes that part of things is very, very frustrating for a magazine publisher...the getting the submitters on board and in gear to get things in on time

..this month has been frustrating to say the least on it . Ahh well..I really hope though that this issue is enjoyed by our readers.I just hope that the next issue goes a bit smoother than this one has in getting things together for it.

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Here is a recipe to share this week:

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Lemon Pudding

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3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup light cream or half and half

1 cup whole milk

3 large egg yolks,lightly beaten

1 1/2 T. finely grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice,strained with pulp and seeds removed

2 T butter at room temperature

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In medium saucepan whisk together sugar,cornstarch to remove lumps.Add milk and cream,whisk til smooth.

Add egg yolks,lemon zest,and salt.

Cook over med.heat stirring frequently and then constantly.Until mixture coats the back of a spoon.(about 5 to 10 minutes)

Remove from heat,and stir in the lemon juice and butter.Position a mesh strainer over a heat proof glass bowl and pour pudding into strainer.. Use a spoon to push it through th strainer, sieving out the lemon zest.

Let cool to room temperature.Cover with plastic wrap and let chill at least 2 hours.

Serve chilled.6 servings.

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Have a great week!

~The Garden Goose!~

Good grief..technology can be a pain sometimes..

2009-10-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

GEE WHIZ..I have tried for the last week to get onto all of my blogs as well as the ning forums for our Small Town Living site with no luck..my computer went on a real wonky fritz. So I am currently on my hubby's laptop writing all of my posts and we will be getting an external harddrive for my computer and transferring all of my photos onto that and then deleting a lot of things off of my computer with the hopes that it will then run a bit better for me. but..ugh..technology can be aggravating at times.
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well, we took a trip to Ocala last weekend to put in our bid on a home, but that fell through at the last minute as we did not wish to get drug into a bidding war on the home. So we continue to look for a home. Ours is being listed with a new agent who is very nice and seems to definitely have her act in gear compared to the last agent..this gal is a dynamo and quite helpful with advice, and a "go getter", so we really are hoping that things go quickly once we have the new agent.
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Weather here today has started to cool down again after this mornings rain shower.We have had a rather odd bit of Fall weather here..it just can't seem to decide whether or not to remain summertime or to go ahead and embrace the changing season :0)
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On another note my husband is hosting a giveaway, all you have to do is visit his shop at www.wilsongraphics.etsy.com and email him and tell him what you think of his work..then leave your address and you will receive a nice vinyl decal from his overstocked items...his email is pauldavidwilson at gmail dot com.
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I do hope that you all are having a great weekend. Here's wishing you a Happy Halloween too.
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~the Garden Goose!~

Just a wee bit busy here lately..

2009-10-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Things around here have been a wee bit busy as of late.

I've been working on cleaning out our garage a bit more. Trying to get more things downsized and cleared out.

And am bartering a few of the items for things that I actually can use/need at a new house. Things like crocheted dishcloths, some heirloom seeds that I don't have in my stash, and some retro looking fabric fat quarters. So it is thinning out things I don't want to move and swapping them for things that take up a lot less space and that I can wind up putting to good use. It is a win-win situation for all involved.Plus bartering is just plain fun.

Then I worked on weeding my potted plants..yep..somehow my potted plants out back wound up with their fair share of weeds in amongst the pots/plants...gee weeds are persistent aren't they? Then I had to move a couple of heavy terra cotta pots in with the grouping..boy a terra cotta pot filled with plants and soil gets heavy quickly. Next time I will make sure I use a dolly to move heavy things like that.

Today I spent all afternoon getting my house whipped back into shape..vacuuming and mopping and boxing up all the barter items to gt them ready to ship out.

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed..I have created a blog for "Small Town Living" check the side bar on the left, and I hope you'll stop by the blog and become a follower.:0)

Fall weather has finally arrived here, and wow! I'm loving it!
So very nice to be able to open the back door and leave it open for the breeze to drift through the house.And to open the windows too. Actually love to see curtains lightly swaying in the breeze.Something so peaceful and homey about it.

Stop by the "Small Town Living" blog and check out the recipe I've posted there this evening for "Crockpot Apple Butter".

I'll be updating "The Victory Gardener" blog too this evening, so be sure and pick up the latest gardening tip over there.

Thanks so very much for stopping by!
I'd love to know that you visited so please feel free to leave me a comment.
~The Garden Goose!~

Fun blog give away

2009-10-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here is another great blog give away that you won't want to miss out on..trust me! :0)
Hurry on over and check it out.
You know you want to!
http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/2009/10/decal-giveaway.html

Have fun! ~The Garden Goose~!

Sewing Gadget Giveaway

2009-10-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you that like to sew I came across this neat giveaway today.

Check it out.

The Original "How Much Fabric" reference cards.

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-much-fabric-card-guest-giveaway.html

~The Garden Goose~

Homeschooling Helps

2009-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

My son and I recently completed a 155 page unit study on Dolphins.

I thought I'd share the link here to the unit study.

http://www.unitstudiesbygwen.com/

It had about 42 pages of printable worksheets to accompany the study.Approx. Grade 3-5 level.

We also visited the http://www.scholastic.com/winterstail/ website to watch the little video they have there about "Winter" a bottlenose dolphin who at age 3 months was caught in a crab trab and lost her tail...she is now 4 years old and resides at the Clearwater, FL. Marine Aquarium.A very inspiring little video about success despite the odds.

I think you and your child/children will enjoy both the unit study and the little video.

Have fun and Happy Homeschooling!

~The Garden Goose~

Dressing things up a bit...

2009-10-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

I had gotten a little bit bored with the looks of things on my blog here, and decided I'd like to gussy it up a bit, do you like the new look? I do, and I hope that you do too. Sometimes we just need to add a little bit of flair here and there to things huh?

I've created a new blog today also..one that ties in with our Small Town Living magazine. You can check it out here:

http://www.small-town-living.blogspot.com/

Weather here has been hot and humid again..I sure would like for Fall to decide to stick around for a little bit.

Hard to believe that in about 2 months Christmas will be here already! Wow! where did the year go?

I've been trying to think of things to create on my new sewing machine.

I'll be participating in a Christmas garland swap over at http://www.smalltownliving.ning.com/

Why don't you stop by and become a member of the site and join the fun too?

We are completing a pinkeep swap right now, and the gals that were involved with that swap had a lot of fun creating pinkeeps for their swap partners.

Here's wishing you all a most lovely weekend!

~The Garden Goose~

Check out this "sweet" giveaway

2009-10-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

This gal creates the sweetest items..trust me..definite "eye candy"! Check out her give away http://sweetbfolkart.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-annual-sweet-b-blog-buffet.html

~The Garden Goose~

New issue of Small Town living Online now!!

2009-10-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to let you know all know that

the new Oct./November 2009 issue of Small Town Living e-zine is now available online at:

http://www.stliving.net/

Featured in this issue:

Buckeye Chickens

What We Learned Through Our CSA Adventure

My Journey To Veganism

Soap Making 101

The Do's and Don't's Of Moving To A Small Town

Gifts From the Pantry
....and more.

Please feel free to share the e-zine with family and friends. Thank you and Happy Fall!

Loving Fall!...and a little visitor

2009-10-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

We finally have gorgeous Fall weather here in North Florida. The days have been at about the mid 70's and nights have been at about 54 degrees. Breezy, crisp clear air.

Love it!..and love the fact that I can now start throwing the windows open for fresh, crisp,cool air to breeze through my house. Yay!

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I was able to get some close up photos of a cardinal that makes our backyard his home turf...hubby used the bird sound application on his i-pod to attract the little guys attention..it did the trick. This little male cardinal came in quite closely and would land about 6 feet away from us, and sometimes even a little closer than that as the cardinal bird sounds played on the i-pod speaker.

I'm not sure if this little cardinal had mites on his head/beak area or if he is going through a molt, as he kept rubbing his beak against branches and the feathers around his beak area looked a wee scruffy..anyhow..I was delighted to be able to get a few close shots with the camera. Enjoy!

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I hope that you are enjoying Fall in your area too.

Thanks for stopping by!

~The Garden Goose!~

Awesome Garage Sale Finds

2009-09-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

It was a terrific garage saling day around here yesterday!..which to be honest with you is a very rare occurence in our area to be able to score such nice vintage finds. But score I did! I am still excited about the cute/fun finds I mananged to acquire yesterday. Here are photos of what I found.Ooops.... and I still forgot to get photos on here of the 2 vintage cameras I found..I'll add those in a next post....But here is everything except for the 2 awesome antique cameras I found.

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cake and pie keepers from 1970's.(cake keeper was $12.50 and pie keeper was $5)

chicken figurine and chicken candy holder... from late 40's and mid 50's. (Found for $1 each)

little pug dog figurine..unsure of age but it is old..and old dog print in frame..this was created by the Wilson Chemical Company around the 1930's-1940's they would sell these little prints to customers for 25 cents when the customers would buy their Cloverine Salve. I could not find much else in regards to info/value on this print other than the name being "The Last of the Litter" ..this print in very old frame too with wire wrapped hanger. (Got this picture for $1 /pug was $1)

wee dutch shoes/child sized were $1

little cherry embroidered doily /old on linen..was 25 cents

modern garden quotes book was 50 cents

Awesome vintage child's umbrella in excellent shape...scored this cute find for all of 50 cents!

And.... I scored 2 antique ladder back chairs in excellent condition with rush cane seats for $10 each!

Then this vintage wooden folding chair for $3 I'll need to repaint the yellow chair as I was unaware when I bought it that it had a fair amount of mildew on the underside of the chair and a strong musty/mildewy scent..so I will have to clean it with vinegar to kill the mildewy smells and probably sand and repaint..but I do like that cheery yellow color though..but may go with painting it a robin's egg bue..unsure of what color it will wind up....may keep it brilliant yellow, but it does have to be repainted as in currrent state the smell is a bit overpowering..so I'll have to scrub it and possibly have to sand it too.

then I found this little Chrysanthemum mug with underplate shaped like a flower. I'll be listing tis in my etsy shop as I already own a set of 4 of these... it is quite old..by the Ardalt company...this one still has the old foil label on the bottom of the mug.

I'll post my vintage camera finds later on this evening though.

I really had fun finding these treasures and am pleased with them..Hope you enjoyed my little "show and tell"

Thanks for stopping by and joining in my bit of "vintage finds" excitement!

~The Garden Goose!~

Wee sewing project...

2009-09-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun with my new sewing machine lately.... I had not sewn anything in about 9 years. Have not had a sewing machine for that long either, so hubby bought me a new sewing machine about a week and a half ago as an early birthday present...and I've been having fun getting back into sewing.
Here's a little Scotty dog mini pillow I made yesterday. Isn't it cute?

I really like it, and will probably find a way to add gusset to the belly area and make it a 4 legged version.

Thanks for stopping by . Really appreciate it when I have visitors, and love to read your comments too.

Hope that you have had a lovely Monday!

~The Garden Goose~

A little painting...and more..

2009-09-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Created this wee painting today..after about 5 years or so of having not dabbled in water color painting. I created this image..it is about 4 inches tall by about 4 inches wide.After I painted the image I added pen and ink details.

Just a wee something to try to get the creativity going again.:0)

Then I wanted to share with you another one of my vintage circus themed items.

That I'll be using in my new home..once we get to that point..ha.Anyhow..I like this little guy and can't wait to get him out to display him in a new home.

I'm not into those weird creepy/scary clowns..but I do like vintage, folksy clown and circus type things..ones that have a slightly European look to them like this one has..very hard to find them like this. Either the clowns are too cutesy-kiddy,or too creepy to suit the look I am wanting in the new home...so I was delighted to have been able to find this one a while back.Doesn't it look cheery? And I love the mix of yellow and blue.

Well, we have had a bit of rain here today and yesterday..which is good for the bean plants though..I have a few varieties of heirloom bean plants growing right now.(Jackson Wonder Butterbean, Queen Anne Blackeye Pea, Provider Bush Bean, and Royal Burgundy Bush Bean) Don't the little seedlings look great?

I hope you all have had a good weekend thus far!

Thanks for stopping by.

~The Garden Goose!~

Art Challenge...what I made...

2009-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I entered the art challenge over at http://www.mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/ but this month I decided to join in the fun again.

We are given an image each month to create whatever our little hearts desire, but we MUST use the image provided somewhere in our creation.

This month's creative challenge prompt was the word "Daughter" and this image.

To create my project I used the backing cardboard from a package of gourmet jelly beans I had received back around Easter time..yes I saved the cardboard backing as it was already cut into this scalloped type edging along 3 sides..creating a "perfect" framing.

I then found some patterned paper with a repeating crown design, a larger crown image that I cut out very carefully, then I cut the image of the little girl out of paper, found a architectural image of an old urn, and a vintage botanical rose image..cut both of those out very carefully from paper....and had fun combining all of these elements. Then I edged the entire image with a pretty lace and ribbon edging in a pale beige color, then up in the top corners of the lace edging I applied two very tiny aqua colored pom poms.

I think the crown theme is very fitting..as those of us that have daughters enjoy having our "little princesses" around.:0)

I made this image for my youngest daughter. It will be displayed on her dresser at a new home.She loves it!!

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Now...if you like this creation..or any of the other creations that will be posted on September 9th over at http://www.mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/

don't forget to vote for your favorite artist/creation. Winners of each month's challenge receive a $20 gift certificate towards the purchase of some nice art supplies....and maybe next month you'll join in the fun art challenge too.:0)

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~The Garden Goose!~

A little bit of Sewing...and more..

2009-09-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

So sorry that I am a few days late on finally posting my latest sewing project. These little pincushions are so fun to make. I did depart a little from the usual in the design of mine..as the 2nd "round" in the stack on my pincushion isn't actually "round" I created a small square and then tucked each corner inward as an added bit of interest. But when gathered with the threads it still winds up looking "round" even when it started out as a square...still cute..and still fun none the less.

And don't you just love the contrast with the little aqua polka dot ribbon? I do!

Anyhow..there you have it..my latest little sewing project. I'll be creating more of these for sure.

And...I am going to be creating a little scotty dog pillow too..I'll have to share photos of course.:0)

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I also found this rose growing in what remains of the cottage garden..I'll have to pot the rose plant up, as I love these roses and want to carry it with us to a new home.

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The bean seeds that my youngest daughter and I planted over a week ago have finally sprouted up..so I expect in about a month or so we will be harvesting beans..yay..I'll need to get photos of the plants too.

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope that you are having a lovely day!

~The Garden Goose!~

Designing a Princess Style Room

2009-09-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have a little "princess" that will soon have her own bedroom... So I've been looking around and planning out a few cute ideas for a room fit for a princess(once we get moved that is).

Here is some of what I have found that would create a gorgeous , yet whimsical room for a little girl.

Shoot..I even like the canopy myself... and may have one custom made for the master bedroom too. The canopies are available at very reasonable prices...and custom made at that!...by etsy seller http://www.sozoeyboutique.etsy.com/

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And for the little artist...fancy chalkboard vinyl decal available at http://www.wilsongraphics.etsy.com/

These are also terrifific for use in a kitchen area..I intend to have one of these inside my pantry door or in the kitchen itself.

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And to add a bit of that Cinderella fairytale feel to the room..what about some darling little birds flitting about near a window?

Decals available at http://www.wilsongraphics.etsy.com/

Maybe you'd like more of a garden theme to the princess room?

Aren't these cheery flowers just the ticket? Also available at http://www.wilsongraphics.etsy.com/

Oh!....and we cannot forget the most important feature of a Princess themed room...the castle!!!Wouldn't this be absolutely adorable centered in the middle of that canopy?? Right above a bed?? oh my Yes!!! (again available at www.wilsongraphics.etsy.com )

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my Princess theme room design.

~The Garden Goose!~

Fun, Fun, Fun!

2009-08-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

So.. I did some errand running this afternoon..not too much fun, but needful things that had to be attended to. The fun came along after all of the errand running this afternoon, when dear daughter requested a trip to Joann's Fabric Store...so there I was in Joann's when....what should I spy but a shelf full of sewing machines and all on sale at that!!

Now, I had been wanting a sewing machine for a little while, and had told my husband a few days ago that for my upcoming birthday (which is on the 17th of Sept.) that I would like to have a sewing machine...so...what was a gal to do...but hastily get on the cell phone and in a sweet voice say..."umm honey..hey there..umm I'm here at Joann's and they have their sewing machines on sale today...can I go ahead and get one for my birthday while I'm here?"...and that sweet man of mine..well...he said Yes!...so...wooohooo! I am now the proud owner of a little Singer sewing machine..now nothing super fancy smancy about it....but I'm a gal here that has not used a sewing machine in 10 years...and this is going to be totally new territory to me again. I am both nervous and excited.:0)
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I had no idea last night when I found some darling notions to sew with, that I would soon have a sewing machine to create with too...but..I went ahead and bought myself some awesomely sweet trims. Look at this CUUUUTE eye candy..aren't these trims just luscious??!

And yep..they are now mine..couldn't resist..and they are vintage trims too. Whoot! Whooot!

Now the aqua tassle and aqua square trimmings I intend to use to edge valances at my new home, and you can bet that if I tire of what the trim is attached to..ha..I am going to use a seam ripper to save the trim to use over again..yep..I like it "That much"..hee hee. But..anyhow let's take a look at the fun eye candy now shall we? I still have no idea what I will be creating with all of these gorgeous trims... but I'm sure the inspiration will hit me soon.:0)

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And..since I'm on the topic of "Vintage" I thought I'd share a few more of my Vintage treasures with you all..Items that are tucked away awaiting the new home.
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but first..take a look at this sweet, sweet, sweet "Bicycle Built For Two" that I will be using as a photo prop to create little images with?

It is a small bike only about 4 inches tall, but I intend to create images that can be converted to darling note cards...using flowers and such to create vintage looking scenes..fun!-fun!
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O.k.....now on to the Vintage Treasures.....
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I fell in love with this lamp shade..isn't it just awesome? I think it has the coolest design on it..and I'm going to use it on a lamp that my daughter and her grandfather made using a large gourd..I intend to paint the gourd base in a complementary color that will go with the lamp shade.But isn't this the neatest lamp shade? The lamp will most likely be included in my master bedroom decor.As the master bedroom will be a yellow color.---------
I have a few of these little enamelware European tea pots that will grace my 1950's themed kitchen..I have a collection of 1950's era chickens and roosters in bright reds and whites and yellows and blacks..and the little teapots complement the theme perfectly.
The kitchen will also have a red and white vintage potholder collection ..but anyhow..isn't the little teapot adorable? Such a cheery color!
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And..one cannot forget about decorating a laundry room now, can one? I found these darling chalkware placques a while back and they are perfect for decorating a laundry room ...I think. Aren't they just so sweet?

Now..only to sell the current house..so that I can bring out all of my fun treasures and get to decorating.:0)

--------We did have a house showing this past Saturday..but have not heard word back yet on how that went....sometimes the realtors are a bit slow to let us know the feedback whether good or bad on things..wish that wasn't the case..but such as it is in this process.

I hope that you have enjoyed your visit to my blog..and come back again real soon.

~The Garden Goose!~

My first art doll attempt..and more..

2009-08-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, things on the house selling front are going rather slow..drat it...sigh..we had a showing this past Thursday, but apparently the realtor that showed the house was NOT in touch with her clients needs/wants or either said client did not reveal his needs/wants adequately enough..needless to say it was another case of a waste of time on every one's part..the yard according to this person was "too big"..like umm... duhh..if you or your agent had actually taken the time to have read the listing you would have known that the yard was a little more than .33 of an acre..duhhh.

Anyhow..yeah..a bit of sarcasm and frustration in my writing there folks.O.k. rant over...but sigh...

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Well..I decided to give a bit of crafting a try..albeit all of about an hour and a half of crafting,but crafting none the less.

I wanted to see if I could create a small art doll of sorts. Of course I do not have much in the way of any craft supplies on hand, so I created with what I could. A leftover scrap of canvas, a tiny bit of stuffing, and some Prismacolor markers and...wallah!..this is what I came up with. My 5 year old really likes it, so that is what matters. A professional doll making career I'm afraid is NOT in my future..but it was fun none the less.:0) and funner still to see my little 5 year old happy to carry around this wee little "pocket pal",and to take it to bed with her at bed time.:0).

I must admit it turned out better than I expected.

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On the gardening front..I haven't done much at all in the way of gardening this year...most of everything that I am growing is in pots awaiting transfer to a new home. And I gave away a fair amount of plants recently to our lawn service folks.

I did receive 39 variety of bearded iris the other day, which I potted up in batches of 5 into 8 large pots..they were small rhizomes so they worked out well being planted into large pots . I expect that they won't produce anything until next year in the way of flowers.

I do have 2 totally cleared out 4 ft by 8 ft raised beds in my backyard, which I was not planning on putting anything in them , but have decided that since things are going a bit slowly on the house...that I might as well try to grow some beans that are the fast growing bush bean type...and if the house doesn't sell within the next 60 days...at least I will have some beans to freeze...if it does sell during that time then someone else can enjoy some fresh beans...either way...I'll be planting some beans in those raised beds...and getting a chance at least once more this year to do a little "playing in the dirt"

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Have you started your Fall garden?..or planned a Fall garden this year?There is still time to get some items in the ground. Things like greens (turnips, mustards, collards). And lettuces, radishes, endive,chard.This is also the time to plant garlic.

I have some of the items mentioned above available in my little garden shop online. Feel free to check it out. http://www.myvictorygarden.etsy.com/
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Wishing you all a lovely week, and thanks for stopping by. :0)

~The Garden Goose!~

In love With Irises

2009-08-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

So there I was last night sitting on the floor of my kitchen area with 11 big plastic pots surrounding me that had been filled with potting soil. Nearby was a large box I had received a few days earlier from Stoney Creek Iris (http://www.stoneycreekiris.com/) 39 varieties of beautiful iris rhizomes to get potted up.

What fun!

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I found the plastic pots at my local Kmart yesterday at 70 % off! Pots that were normally $9.99 were marked down to $3..I saved myself a whopping $77 on plant pots. Yay! I think every gal likes a nice bargain every now and again.

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But..back to the Irises. I am smitten..and my Irises haven't even bloomed yet..but..I know what they will look like when they do, and that is what excites me!

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Look at some of the varieties that I will be growing.What an amazing array of colors!

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If you love Irises I highly recommend dealing with "Stoney Creek Iris" next year . Get your order in early next year though(around the end of March/First of April, as lovely Irises like these ones sell out quickly.
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~The Garden Goose~