Kitchen, Here We Come!

It has been a bit since I posted so I have a few things to share. Let's start back with our St. Pat's decor tour and head to the kitchen.

I had planned to hang my "shamrock envelope" from the cutting board but, it ended up in the dough bowl arrangement so I had this small shamrock wreath that I wasn't using this year and put it here in a pinch...but, I like it so it has found its home.

I have been finding lots of little, inexpensive pots of greenery that I am snatching up. It isn't because they look exactly like a real plant - although some do - but, I have so many little areas that just need the pop of life that a plant brings but that get no natural light, so I can't use a live plant. Since I love green and greenery so much, plants tend to be a large part of my "background" for all of the decorating that I do. Seems like I can never have enough.

I loaded up on lots of natural flower pots at Michaels last year so, if the little faux plant comes in a container that I'm not all that fond of, I just swap it out. I am always drawn to things that look like I just dragged them in from the garden. 

The shelf sitter found a new home here.

I think the last time I posted I mentioned that I would probably be spending the next number of days outside - and boy was I right! I started by cutting back some of the frost burned things, then moved on to weeding...why doesn't the frost seem to kill all of the weeds as quickly as it does the plants? But, I digress. Lol

Once I was done with all of that, I looked at the far side of my yard and spied my three crepe myrtles. Every year I have the debate with myself whether or not to trim them back. The master gardeners tell you they are crepe myrtle trees not bushes and should not be cut back. Apparently I have listened to them the last few years and now mine were literally shooting 30' into the air. Right now they don't have their leaves but thanks to my neighbors very large oak trees (we took all of ours down on this side of the yard to put in our pool), mine were now hung heavy with Spanish moss. I know I live in the south and I know most everyone loves that stuff but, I am not one of them. The only time I have any use for it is at Halloween. That is all I see when I look at it...it is creepy. And, with no leaves yet, those crepe myrtles looked just too sad!! And, as I often do, before my brain could process, I was out there lopping off those 30' branches.

Some of them were not difficult to handles-others were so thick that even with my almost brand new loppers, I was struggling. I'm just glad no one saw me because I was leveraging the lopper handle against anything I could and then going into them like I was trying to break down a steel door. Then, they were falling where they wanted and, most times, I was right under them as they were!

It took me forever, but I got it done...well, I got the branches all off. By then I was too tired...and sore...to do anything else so I left the yard looking like Paul Bunyan had just come through.

I had appointments on Monday and Tuesday so I just got back out there this morning. I can't believe how much more cutting it took to finally get the branches all contained! I have filled all 6 of my garbage cans and dragged them to the street...and I am done in the garden for a bit!

I also thought I would share a quick - or so it was supposed to be - craft that should be subtitled "I need to get a life". Lol You know I love to craft and I love to stay busy - or at least be busy with something I want to do. The windows, wash, etc. can wait until I'm in the mood. So any way, I saw a crafter do these cute carrots with little plastic carrots that are filled with that sugar powder candy. I do like the pop of orange that carrots give an Easter vignette so I thought "why not"?

I found the candy at $ Tree, emptied them out and gave them a quick wash. Then I got going.

My plan had been to wrap them in the yarn but it was just too thick for these little carrots and the hot glue got everywhere...including all over my fingers. Ouch! I quickly moved on to covering them with jute twine.

Then, I watered down some orange paint and gave them a quick coat that I was hoping would soak in and not be too bright.

It took over night to dry but then it was a simple matter of just hot gluing in some greenery at the top of the carrots. I put them in a bowl for the big reveal but I really don't have any idea where they are going to go. With all of the bunnies that I have, I'm sure I will have no trouble finding a home for them. Could I have lived without them? Definitely. But, they did fill some time...and, doesn't everyone need 8 LITTLE jute twine carrots? Lol

And one more thing to share before I call it a day. I was wondering why my yard smelled so yummy. The tea olives are just starting to bloom so I knew it wasn't them but the smell was faint but familiar...until, I walked to the other side of my pool. Oh my goodness. Look at this beauty.

My lemon tree is loaded with blooms with many more to come and the smell reminds me of growing up amongst the orange groves along the Indian River in south Florida. There is nothing like that smell! Stay safe and stay tuned.