My Sister's Garden

Or should I say my brother-in-law's garden--he is the gardener, she is the garden appreciator and flower arranger--a match made in heaven!






This is my dear sister and brother-in-law's house as seen from the pergola. The house sits at a right angle from the road and faces the garden. I should have taken a couple of photos of the garden from the upstairs window so you could see how it is layed out.






This is the pergola as seen from two different angles. The wisteria smells divine! My DBIL made the structure out of osage orange cleaned off of some land--so I guess it could be called garden junk--salvaged wood! They have plans to lay pavers under this so that they can put tables and chairs there for parties. There is even electricity to the pergola and it looks beautiful with little white lights on it at Christmas.





This is an aisle made from osage orange. They are going to put cross pieces so the sweet autumn clematis can form a canopy overhead. My daughter says she wants to walk down this aisle to the pergola to be married.






I don't know the name of these ramblers, but aren't they beautiful? They grow along the drive.

School Desk Planter

Well, I am ever on the hunt for neat junk used in the garden and I saw some today. A friend had these in her garden and was nice enough to let me take pics. One, the little wagon, is pretty common but still a great idea. The other I had never seen before. She took the top off of an old school desk and planted it up with snapdragons and petunias. I think it will look especially smashing when the snaps are blooming and the petunias trailing--I'll take another pic then, but I thought it was an idea someone might be able to use right away.

French Toast Girl rocks!

I have recently had a wonderful time exploring the site of Élena Nazzaro -she has inspiring art and an inspiring spirit. I am going to start chalking early in the morning in a nearby park due to her inspiration. If you would like to ckeck out her site go here:
http://frenchtoastgirl.com/

Flower Cart

This is once again not my work, but something I want to make and have collected all the parts to make. Are you detecting a trend here? This was sitting outside an antique shop in Michigan and the owner gave me permission to photograph it.
This flower cart is made from bicycle parts and scrap wood. Last year I picked up some old bikes during spring clean up days in our town. Now I just need to get myself out there and see if I can do it!

My Dream Treehouse

I have always loved little hidey holes. When I was a kid I used to make a nest in a closet and read or sometimes I used my Granddad's old boat that had a little cabin. I have always wanted a tree house--and at 42 years old I still do! I am actually afraid of heights but a treehouse seems like it would be sturdy enough that I could get into it. When I was a kid I sometimes climbed trees in spite of my fear because I loved to sit up there hidden in the leaves.

My dream grown up treehouse would have:

• a non-scarey way to get up there
• screens to keep the mosquitos out
• a hammock to read in
• I could use an oil lamp, but electricty would be the berries (for dark rainy day's)
• tin roof over part of it--for rainy days-love that sound

Unfortunately, most of the trees around our house are on city property. The couple in our yard would not make good treehouse hosts. My aunt has a farm near here that probably has some possibilities. I'll have to scout that out. Her grandkids would love it if we made one!

100 Things About Me

I have heard that this is something bloggers do alot and since I am just starting this blog, it seemed a good way to introduce myself.

1. I have too great teenagers-a boy and a girl
2. I am married to J who I met when I was 14!
3. I love art!
4. I love gardening!
5. We live in a 100 year old house that we are slowly fixing up.
6. J and I (and the kids) love to ride our bicycles.
7. I love dogs.
8. I was born in Hawaii.
9. I try to be organized but find it hard.
10. My favorite color is red.
11. I drink Diet Coke.
12. Growing up, I spent summers at my grandpa's lake cottage.
13. I still go there as much as possible.
14. I cannot play any musical instrument.
15. I wish I could.
16. I am addicted to decorating magazines.
17. I love chocolate!
18. Chicago is my favorite big city.
19. Red is my favorite color.
20. I am a Christian.
21. I walk every day for exercise.
22. I used to be skinny.
23. Now I am not.
24. I have short hair.
25. My eyes are dark brown.
26. I am interested in history.
27. I am interested in preserving older buildings.
28. I like to go fishing.
29. I don't like to clean fish.
30. Books....can't have too many.
31. I recycle.
32. My favorite way to recycle is to make something over.
33. I am an antique dealer.
34. I stop for garage sales.
35. I think you can tell a lot about a person from their home.
36. Nature inspires me.
37. I go hiking whenever possible.
38. I went to a Big 10 university.
39. I accumulated a lot of credits but no diploma.
40. I think most parents need to pay more attention to being good parents.
41. Basketball is my favorite sport to watch.
42. I used to swim on a team.
43. I worry too much.
44. The porch is my favorite part of the house.
45. Soups are my speciality.
46. I like music from the late 1970's.
47. I like music from the 50s and jazz too.
48. I love it when it snows.
49. I like to go fishing.
50. I like target shooting.
51. I know how to knit and crochet.
52. I don't mind doing laundry.
53. I don't like to put away laundry.
54. It always amazes me when people are mean.
55. I have a fire in the fireplace most days in the winter.
56. Chicago is my favorite big city.
57. I have never traveled to another country,
58. but I would like to someday.
59. I am trying to get into shape.
60. Making stuff is such great fun for me!
62. I make scrapbooks.
63. I don't care for Sinatra's singing.
64. I do like Dean Martin's singing.
65. I like romantic comedies--even though the critics rarely do.
66. I don't watch daytime soaps.
67. I do watch Desperate Housewives.
68. I always buy used cars.
69. I have a room that I use for artwork and sewing projects.
70. I used to have studio outside of our house but found I didn't use it because I like to be at home.
71. Someday I would like to build a treehouse.
72. I do not like shopping for clothes.
73. My favorite type of garden is the cottage garden.
74. I just love to shop in office supply stores.
75. I love to be near the water.
76. We love to take backroads when we travel.
77. I want more roses in our yard.
78. I want less grass in our yard.
79. I like trees.
80. I like to be around positive people.
81. I avoid negative people.
82. I get really excited when I receive something personal in the mail instead of just bills.
83. My sisters and my mom are my best friends.
84. I am kind of scatterbrained.
85. I used to work as photographer for a newspaper.
86. I now think 100 is a very large number!
87. I have painted some very large murals.
88. Little kids make me smile.
89. Someday I'd like to live on the water.
90. Log cabins....I am very attracted to log cabins.
91. I am still in love with my husband after 23 years of marriage.
92. My kids are great people that I love to be around.
93. I like to find ways to save money
94. and still have great quality stuff.
95. I think it is important to volunteer
96. so I have in the schools, at church and on community committees.
97. I have an aquarium.
98. I like to go to museums.
99. I love chocolate ice cream.
100. I love to laugh and to make others laugh too.

This is a birdbath that I mosaiced. I used my old birdbath which had a hairline crack and so had a slow leak. I am such a chicken sometimes about finishing a project. I put the pieces on this three summers ago but was just chicken to grout it. Finally this winter I put the grout on and sealed it. I really like the way it turned out and my husband says that the birds are using it all the time--but I haven't seen a bird in it yet.

Pretty Fountain from Garden Show

This is a fountain that I did not make, but purchased at a garden show. It is something that I would love to learn how to put together if I can get J to help me learn how to do the metal work. Since I am an antique dealer and attend alot of garage sales and auctions I come across lots of old silver and such that would make great fountains!

This is my first post!

Ok, I don't really know why I am doing a blog---except that I am always looking for garden junk stuff on the web. Now I will be adding a little garden junk info to the little that is out there.

I am a gardener.
I am a junker.
I love garage sales.
I love to make junk into something usefull or beautiful or fun.