Bloggers Gather for Luncheon.

Last weekend I was invited to a bloggers' luncheon hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Jann Olson of Have a Daily Cup.

She set a lovely table with so many points of charmed interest we were absolutely entertained! 

The table was divine and the food was delicious. 

Did you notice the sweet soft linen table cloth or the scrabble tile place cards? 

I loved the punch cup vignettes which hung from the chandelier on lengths of lace. 

The tiered centerpiece was darling... 

... and these sweet vintage birds were a favorite detail! 

It was fun to meet good friends like Joanne, next to me and our hostess, Jann, second from the right. Jo and Trina are also bloggers and shared great stories. Now I have two fun new blogs to follow! This is Trina's blog.  This is Jo's blog. 

Trina even brought each of us a patriotic pie, which Mr P greatly appreciates!! 

It was also fun to wander around Jann's amazing decor!  

Such a sweet room.  ... 

I was smitten by her red transfer ware collection, as I've collected it for years myself.  Her display is just perfect!! 

I was just awestruck by this fun chair. It is so inviting!! 

I'm just so glad that Jann was so kind and shared her over flowing cup, I had such a lovely afternoon!! Thanks Jamn!! 

Charming Older Homes!

I've been having fun the last few weeks on my Instagram account; flea.o.logy, putting up pictures of old houses around where I live. 

This is the first one, it's the former antique store here in town. 

This cute house has had some neglect. It was tricky to find an angle that showed its charm without its issues. 

This nice old church is in the town south of ours and is now the city library. I love that . 

I adore this one, it was redone 20 years ago and the current residents have kept it up. 

Love, love, love this wonderful porch. 

This wonderful house is owned by people who love to garden, can you tell.  

These are pictures I expect to post soon.  

I love the Hollyhocks at this pioneer era home.   I love old houses, so living here in this charming old town has been super fun. Most of these pictures were taken early in the morning while I'm walking with my friend Ginny.  Hey, my girls had a doll by that name!!

Historic Fourth of July Pennant Banner.

It's almost July, so of course, I'm in the mood to make banners!!

I started by cutting American history pictures from a coffee table Americana  book I'd was ready to get rid of. 

I mounted them on card stock and trimmed them festively. 

Adding old book paper lollies with stick on letters and tiny flags ... 

When I got home I painted the letters and used glittered fingernail polish to finish them off. 

Here it is hung in my dining room window!!  Happy fourth everyone. 

Patriotic Burlap Banner

Great busywork project today. A patriotic burlap Garland. 

This is the basic basting stitch back and forth in diagonal waves ... That are then gathered.   Then I tied bunches of torn fabric, ribbons, poms and rick rack. 

Here's the finished Garland on a display at the antique mall. 

I love the fluffy floral look of the gathering. 

Fixing Up My Garden.

This morning I knew I needed to blog, I checked out several things on Pinterest I had saved and plan to do, but something kept nagging me.    My garden needed help. So, instead of crafting on this beautiful June day, I worked on garden projects, and thought I share some solutions. 

This is my garden entrance. I've been thrilled with how happy my planters are, owing to a wet spring. (The same wet spring that rained out Fleaology twice!!  So you see, there is a silver lining) 

Just thought I'd share this sweet bird sculpture by my cherry tomato plant, (that will give me my first and earliest ever tomato on June 13th!! )

My Jupiter's Beard was falling down, I'd already attempted to wire it to a bird stake, but that clumped the flowers unattractively. Then I saw this fence section in my garage ... And voila!! 

This is sad, 3/4 of my wisteria vine died. It was alive in early May, then the leaves shriveled and died. Fortunately one section lived, but I do see some serious pruning in my near future!! 

This herb bed has been bothering me for a couple of years. It's become mainly a mint bed, along with its cousin, lemon balm. I love herb tea, but who needs that much mint? The two herbs have crowded out everything except a sage plant in the far corner.  I've considered killing it all and starting over, but decided to try adding a couple of herbs, and then trying to protect them from the bully herbs. 

I cut the bottom out of this large plastic pot, to use as a barrier for ...

a lavendar plant. (At the tea house in the

 Japanese  tea gardens in San Antonio last month I tried a blend of peppermint, rose petals, lavendar and chamomile, it was so fragrant!) then I pulled out mint from around the sage plant. Now I have a camomile plant, my friend Ginny shared from her garden and will put it in the last corner of the bed as soon as I can find a square pot to sink in as a barrier for it! 

The letters on my Chawton cottage sign had mostly fallen off.  Unfortunately the a was missing.  So today I took it down, painted the signboard and traced around the metal letters before painting new letters on the sign. This is the 3rd year for my garden house and it's third sign.  I hope this one is more durable. 

       Thanks for visiting my garden!! 

A Fiesta Wedding Shower

This week I made tissue paper roses, a puff ball banner, food markers and checked out the dollar store!

Because on Saturday we had a wedding shower for my soon to be daughter-in-law, Hannah, shown above with her niece

                       Food markers

                   Time to decorate!

 My puff ball banner and dollar store trays. 

The sweet floral crown I bought in Texas, along with the papel picado (tissue pennant banners) I found there as well.

       Hannah with  two soon to be sisters.

Let the taco buffet and salsa bar begin!   Great menu choices compliments of our hostess, my daughter Becca.

Our token game included fun wedding movies guessed from still shots.

Time for gifts!! Becca writes down gift givers while Hanna checks out what Briahnna made, a folded money flower bouquet!

              Time to say goodbye.  

               Bye Aunt Dianne, far right. 

              And here are my girls!!

And my bachelor boy too, at least for now!!