Bargains!!!

These are some of the bargains I found this week...

This morning at a tag sale I found the America's Best Recipes cookbook for $2.00.  The rest of the cookbooks were all $4.00 and the cow head was $2.00.

I got this little handmade plate at Home Goods for $.30 on Thursday.  Yep 30 cents.  The cloche $2.00 at a second hand shop.

The tall apothecary jar I got at Home Goods for $10.00 on Thursday.  All the pears are from Home Goods for $10.00 and the other two apothecary jars I got at Michael's for $9.00 (big one) and $2.00 (small one).

I could have gotten more at the tag sale but I made the mistake of taking Mr. Bird Nest Cottage along (with his truck), just in case I found any furniture to buy.  He can lift heavy stuff too.  Oh well. 

We went to buy a new TV for the kitchen after the tag sale.  The storm we had this week blew up our old TV and that's where I watch HGTV when I'm cooking.  OK...I might watch some Lifetime TV too.  Mr. Bird Nest thinks I'm plotting his murder because every movie on there seems to be about women killing their spouses.  He's too handy to get rid of.  He's my carpenter, plumber, electrician and pool man.  He's a keeper!

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Birdhouses...

These are a few of my birdhouses in our yard.  The one above I got at a flea market in PA.

My son Rick and his wife Noelle got me this one for my birthday a few years ago.

This bird house I got for Hud for our anniversary about 10 years ago.

This is another butterfly bush and my gazing ball.  It looks a little crooked, but it's just the mulch under it.  The gazing ball is stainless steel.  I figured with the grandchildren it was safer to have one that is unbreakable.  Pretty smart, huh?

This weekend we're going to be working on our TV's.  We have only had rain twice in the past two months and we're thankful for it but............

We had a bad thunderstorm on Wednesday night and it must have hit 2 of our TV's., the TV box and cable box.  I'm hoping not the big TV or I won't have it for Steeler football this fall.  About all Hud watches is Discovery or the History Channel and I watch HGTV all day, when I can.  When I was off work for 2 1/2 months this spring, I thought I should have qualified for a BA in Interior Design with all the hours I watched.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Danger Will Robinson! Danger!

Tonight I reached decorating and aging overload.

After a trip to COSTCO over the weekend and the purchase of powdered Metamucil, I realize not only am I old, but I'll try to decorate around anything.  To you youngsters out there in blogland, we elderly folks need Metamucil to maintain regularity.  I found myself searching the house and pantry for a pretty apothecary jar to put it in.

I know I need help!  My need to decorate is ever evolving and includes every item we need or have.  I'll call a counselor in the morning but meanwhile, I think I'll organize my kitchen utensils and iron some table linens.

 

P.S.     Maybe I can form a support group.  Anyone want to join?

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

My Garden...

Finally, I'm posting some pictures of my garden.  This is a little rabbit hosta bed in the front of the house.  My grandchildren wish they could catch the real bunnies in our yard as easily as they catch these.

This is a fairy in among my sedum plants and to the right of it is a little concrete curved bench.  As I age, I've found I need benches spaced out all over the yard so I have a place to drink a bottle of water and take a break when gardening.  The days of me spending 8 hours on a Saturday in my yard are over.  Now, two or three hours about does me in.

This is our garden shed that my husband designed and built about 10 years ago.  I'm proud to say it was my idea to put the sliding barn door on it, that is very easy to open.

These are my three butterfly bushes that screen the pool from the street.  (I've got lots more butterfly bushes.  Love them!) By the end of the summer they get huge.  I call this our "Redneck" pool.  I wanted to put one in ground but my husband wanted one we could get rid of easily when the grandchildren no longer want to use it.  He envisions his retirement wood shop being in this location and since I've had some time to think it over, it's a very good idea.  I can build lots of stuff there too! 

This is something I call bee balm.  It grows to be about 4 feet tall each year and it spreads as much or as little as you want it to.

Beside our sidewalk at the back of the house, we have a really little garden (the kind you can eat from).  We have 2 tomato plants, 2 pepper plants, summer squash and cucumbers.  Just enough for some great summer vegetables but not too much to water.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

After....

This is it!  My little dressing table and the bench.  The legs on both are about the same and they looked to me like they go together.

I'm soooo glad when a plan comes together.  Included is a picture of the bed because I used the same fabric for the cushion on the seat as the extra bed pillow. 

This is my grandson Nicholas who is six.  Since he was about two, he has loved to sit here and dry his hair.  Now he needs it for more than drying.  He has to sit here and work at getting his hair spiked on top.   

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

From old and dated......

This is a little bench that I got at a flea market a few weeks ago.  I loved the legs on it and knew I could use it somewhere.

Yesterday I was getting ready to paint it black and I had a brainstorm.  (At my advanced age that doesn't happen often.)

 

Wouldn't that little bench look cute with my little dressing table?  (Bought unfinished about 8 years ago for $15.00 at Garden Ridge.) 

What if I painted them both black and used them together? 

Tomorrow you will see my completed project.  Stay tuned...........

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen