Back Again!

After a long break from blogging, I've returned. My summer was a difficult one as I lost my mother and spent the summer spending alot of my time caring for her during her last days.

Once you're out of the habit of blogging, it's very easy to just "not do it". I've missed doing it. I do have to say though that I continued to check out all the other blogs out there.

It's winter here in Kansas. We had our first big snow here today. We have accumulated 4 inches of snow. It has stopped but the cold will continue.

I find it hard to put all the Christmas decorations away completely so I usually don't and use "snow" for my theme. The mantle received the "tree" treatment along with some snow. It's been kind of fun to search out trees on clearance tables as well as pulling trees out from my Christmas decorations.

Enjoy pics of our Kansas snow and be glad you're not experiencing the temperatures! Glad to be back!

Rainy Spring Day

The salvia is starting to bloom - this one is a perennial and it will put out blooms all summer. I just deadhead as the blooms become spent. Nice, easy plant to have.

I love the dainty little bells on the Lily of the Valley. They are short-lived blooms but do well in shaded areas and spread well to make a pretty ground-cover.

I think the spirea is so pretty in the Spring and I like the way the branches seem to drape.

Here is more of my effort at planting bulbs last Fall. This allium is blooming and more are on their way.

I got the Solomon's Seal from a friend and have several little pockets of it. It's a great plant for the shade and a perennial. It too will spread.

The dainty little teardrop blossoms on it are likeable as well. The blossoms will disappear and the foliage will be a good feathery look all summer - resembles a big fern.

It's once again Fertilizer Friday over at Tootsie's so see how her greenhouse has exploded with plant material and see what everyone else is growing as well.

More Spring Blossoms

My four-year-old wisteria decided it was going to bloom - FINALLY! There aren't a ton of blossoms but there are several and I sure think they're pretty! My reward for watching and waiting for four years!

I have a crabapple that produced the most heavenly smell and absolutely beautiful blooms this Spring. It has lost them now and is all covered with green leaves.

It was a good couple of weeks though of gorgeous pink!

The pears in this part of the country have been really gorgeous - covered with white blossoms - their smell, however, is not so grand.

I love the Spring bulbs when they come up but in the Fall, I just have a hard time making myself go out and plant bulbs. Last Fall I did get some gumption and planted some new bulbs for me. Here are my huge hyacinths I planted. They have been so pretty!

I am a fan of the yellow one - I think it's a "she" - so dainty looking and so pretty!

Stop by Tootsie's to check on her greenhouse and to see what others have blooming! It's Fertilizer Friday!

Spring is a'poppin!

It's Fertilizer Friday over at Tootsie's today so stop by and see the beauty of Spring. It's been a'poppin here in the past week. We've had the temperature go up to 80 and the sun has been shining. Makes those buds burst forth! Tulips have a hard time in my yard because the deer love them and before they can bloom, the deer have chomped them off. Daffodils are a different story. So, I plant alot of those.

Forsythia suffers from the deer too. This is the first year that I've been able to get noticeable blooms. The deer sample it all winter but I think the bush has reached the stage that it will be successful despite the sampling during the winter.

Our weeping cherry out front is loaded and really showing off this week.

Different colors show-up in the daffodils.

The vinca has spread and has such pretty little blue blooms.

Easter Bunnies in the Spring

I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday this week. Be sure to drop by and see her lovely post and others who are sharing their favorite items.

I've been absent from blogging for the past two months and have nothing to blame it on except the "Winter blahs" which would be "lack of motivation". But, Spring has arrived and it is time for the world (at least here in Kansas) to revive itself and life to begin again. My bunnies are out in force.

I was excited a few years ago to find this reproduction chalkware bunny. My grandmother had lots of chalkware items - I wonder where they went!

This chick is a favorite of mine and I also like the chocolate egg shell that she's in.

This wheelbarrow I've had for years and it seems I always can find a use for it regardless of the season. It was a good "investment" as decorating items go. Miss Bunny is ready to deliver her eggs - I made those years ago when obviously I had more time (pre-retirement)!

Pussywillow and forsythia are sure signs of Spring. I love seeing forsythia bushes in the Spring. The yellow balls of blossoms pop out you as you drive through the city.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring to you all!

Happy Valentine's To All!

I'm linking to the Valentine Party over at Laurie's today. I've tried to keep my Valentine decorations to a minimum lest I acquire enough to constitute creating one more plastic tub of decorations to go in storage once February is over.

I'm a fan of cloches and have created them out of different pieces of glass I have around the house - now, that has created a storage tub of its own. I hope you have a great Valentine's Day and be sure to check on all those blogs celebrating today at Laurie's.

New and Refurbished

My new cabinet hanging on the wall is a Christmas gift that my DH built for me. I had seen one like it in a shop picture that a fellow blogger had posted and he crafted it for me from that picture. I knew I wanted it black and it was hung over a dry sink (another item DH built) that was originally stained. It just didn't look right so he painted the dry sink and now it fits perfectly. I'm liking the addition of black to my living room.

While he was building I had him build a little table stool for my kitchen table. I really like it too - and as long as he had the black paint out - he might as well use it again. DH is talented - can build almost anything and, so far, I haven't come-up short on ideas!

Step on over to Between Naps on the Porch and look at all the other metamorphosis that take place using new and old!