Let's Celebrate!!!

It's a double header holiday weekend!  We celebrate Memorial Day by remembering all of the brave men and women who have served our country so willingly to protect our freedom.  May we never take our freedom for granted.  Many have paid the price to allow us to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave!

In addition to our national celebration, we "pink bloggers" are celebrating the third birthday of  Happy Pink Saturday.  Our hostess Beverly is one awesome lady who welcomes us to share our love of pink each week through her blog, How Sweet the Sound.  Thank you so much, Beverly, for the many, many Saturdays of pointing us to the pink posts!  All different kinds of pinks await us each week as we visit your site and follow the links.  There are cottage pinks, Victorian pinks, baby pinks, "bling" pinks, and many shades in between.

To celebrate this weekend of remembrances, I decided to "gussy up" a sweet "pink patriot" birdhouse.  Birds are a symbol of freedom to me.  Their abodes are simple, peaceful cottages. So it is with this patriotic nesting place.  Enjoy and  have a blessed weekend!

Shakespeare's Vase

Yes, I am a country girl by good fortune, and I cherish the simple country life-- even in the suburbs of a large Southern city.  Country hearts like to "make do" and make it our own.   My all time favorite site for  inspiration is Country Living.  The site just added new decorating ideas for June.  I didn't have to look very long at the  pics to find  a glass vase, decorated with butterflies.  After checking out an online retailer a bit further, I found this one with an awesome owl for $34.95.  But, I need to be frugal these days! What a great afternoon craft!   I remember seeing an undecorated glass vase at the dollar store.   I'll  click over to ETSY to check out some decals.   I love the owl, but who knows what I might find at ETSY!  It gives me such pleasure to take an idea which I can't afford and turn it into my own.  The vase will become a keepsake that will remind me of a late May afternoon, with raindrops falling softly outside the screened porch.  What about you?  Have you been inspired to create today?  (Photo of Owl Vase from Gifts of Style)

From this.....$1 Vase!

To THIS!!!  Shakespeare's Vase!

Blackberry Winter

blackberry winter:  a term used in the South to describe a brief period of cold weather in early to mid-May which just happens to be when blackberries bloom

We have had a blackberry winter for the last several days, and it will continue through most of the week.  I have to admit that I  LOVE  it.  Since our temps hit the low 90's a few days last week, blackberry winter is a welcome reprieve.  Speaking of blackberries,  here's a great recipe to celebrate these cold days!  Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and "shiver" through the last hurrah of cold weather!  Mmmm...good!
(Recipe from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
2. Bake at 425 degree F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. 

It's about time to get the garden gloves on and plant a feast of peppers, squash, and okra.  Add a few beans and you have what we Southerners call a mighty fine meal in the summer.  Are you planting a vegetable garden this year?

Of course, if vegetable gardening just isn't your fare, find a quiet little corner in your yard where the delphiniums, daffodils, and honeysuckle can grow.  Add a small table, the shabbier the better, and a comfortable chair. Invite a few feathered friends by adding a small bird feeder.  Wind chimes are so soothing as you sip tea, chat with a friend, write in your journal, or just dream.

Gardens are magical!

To My Mother

"Children and mother never really part-
bound in the beating of each other's heart."
 ~~Charlotte  Gray

Only One Mother

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,

Hundreds of shells on the shore together,

Hundreds of birds that go singing by,

Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather,

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the world wide over!
(Image from The Vintage Moth)

Mama's Handkerchief

A vintage Luray favorite

This, I LOVE!  The umbrellas make it SO special!

 
On this Mother's Day weekend, there are so many great things that I remember about my precious mama. There were teacakes and homemade "crop tops" made just for me.  There were starched pinafores and Sunday dinners....fried chicken or a wonderful pot roast.  I loved summers because Mama made the best lemonade around!  She and my Aunt Ella loved to take off  "downtown" after lunch to go to Klein's Creamery for some lemon ice cream!  No matter the hour or the day, Mama ALWAYS had a handerchief nearby to wipe tears from a little girl's eyes or ice cream from her cheeks.  I salute you, Mama. You were always quick with that hanky!  I'm the one who is always borrowing a Kleenex from the lady next to me at the wedding or funeral!  I think that I need to invest in some hankies, especially after finding these beauties!  Rest well, Mama!  Your little girl is still learning from you and all of your wonderful "traditions."  
(Photos from Flickr)

Happy Pink Saturday on this Mother's Day weekend!  Thanks, Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound, for this gathering of pinks for this special Saturday.  If you would like to celebrate PINK by visiting other cottages, just click here!

I ❤ Garden Gnomes!

Garden gnomes always bring a smile to my face!  Each one seems to have a little bit of good-natured mischief about them.  After doing a little online research, I discovered that gnomes are part of German folklore.  They are symbols of integrity, honesty, and hard work.  The whimsical creatures are said to guard hidden treasures in the earth. I found the hard working garden gnome in the picture at Kimmel Gnomes. Kimmel's has a great vintage collection to browse.