Bird Cages Before and After...

 
This is what they looked like when I bought them.

 
This is the after.

 

The grandchildren thought I might be getting birds for them.  Ugh....No.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Yard Update...

 
The Bird Nest Cottage sign needs a roof painting and my flag needs painted before Memorial Day.

 
You can see my garden is growing every day. 

 
This is my gardenia beside the back walk-way to the screened porch.  The smell just can't be captured.

 
I just planted these around the light post a week ago.

 
This my hydrangea that was in the same place for 3 years and never bloomed.  I moved it to the front yard by the porch.

 
Look.......it has blooms starting.  I'm so excited.

 
I dug up this butterfly bush from the back yard and Mr. Bird Nest was sure I had killed it.  New growth tells me it's here for good.

 
Close-ups of the gardenias.

 
Yes, these are my favorite flowers.  I was thrilled when we moved to SC and I found out I could grow these here.

 
I painted these little trellis' red to accent the star on the pool door.

Chloe is spending the day with me today.  It is Nicholas' last day of school and Noelle is helping to chaperon a field-trip to the Greenville Science Center.

Thanks for reading,

I wish I had smellavision.

Gretchen

Antiques and Fun...

 
These pictures are from Sweeten Creek Antiques & Collectibles, 115 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC.

 
I thought this buffet, table and china were just beautiful.

I love looking at chandeliers and this booth had lots.

 
Isn't this the most beautiful hutch?  I could fill it over and over.

 

These pictures are from the Antique Tobacco Barn, 75 Swannanoa River Road, Asheville, NC.

Check out the carts they give you.

 I could have spent a week in here.  It's a little dusty in here but lots of fun to search through too. 
 

You could even buy a horse.  My grandchildren would have loved this.

If you love outdoor metal works they had it all.
 
 

Check out these arbors.

 
I was dying of thirst when we left the Tobacco Barn and Penny suggested we stop at the fanciest McDonalds I've ever been to.

You notice the fireplace.

 

 
A player piano.

 
A waterfall on the wall.

I hope you enjoyed my mini-tour.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

The Goodies I Had to Buy...

 
I'm off this morning to get my Remicaid infusion but I had to show you a few more goodies from my shopping trip with Penny yesterday.  I'm really exhausted today so I can sleep during the 3 1/2 hours it takes the I.V. to run.

Penny had birdhouses on one of her hutches at her house, so we found three for me to use to decorate.  I'm going to paint them all different colors.  I'm thinking one red, one black and one white.

I got these little roosters at different shops.  Penny had a cute display of little roosters on her kitchen counter...........so of course I had to get some.

 
This will need to be primed and painted and of course I'm thinking RED!

This tray is huge and I don't know where I'll put it but it was too cute not to get.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

A Day with Penny...

 
I was lucky enough to be invited to spend a day shopping in NC with Penny Carlson of http://lavenderhillstudio.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default and

http://thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default . 

I got to see her new house, which is just fabulous.  Every room has that special touch that only Penny could give it and her studio looks like a great place to work.  You can't imagine the work Penny and her husband have done on in such a very short time.  I didn't take pictures because I know Penny will want to show it all to you herself.  I was memorizing everything I saw to try to work in some of the ideas at my house.

We had a wonderful lunch at Chelseas at Biltmore Village right across the street from where President Obama ate a week or so ago.

 
  
This was my biggest antique purchase of the day.  It's a white tureen from Italy that we found at the Antique Tobacco Barn.

For anyone visiting that area you have to go to the Tobacco Barn.  It's 70,000 square feet of fun.  I'll show you some pictures of the goodies they have tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Garden...

 
This is my tiny garden.  Let's hope the production isn't tiny.  I have 2 Big Boy tomato plants, about 10 red and green pepper plants, Burpee burpless cucumbers and lots of thumbelina zinnia's.

 
 Since I took these pictures I've had to tie everything up. 

 
My little lattice pieces we put together with cedar .

 
I already have tomatoes on the two plants.

 
Thanks for reading,

Gretchen