...BRITE, Sunshiny Day!

When a Monday morning starts with Sunshine and your first cactus blossom of the year, it can't be a bad 'week'... right?!!?

As for my weekend... let me sum it up in three photos...

Hit a few sales. My 'mojo' just wasn't ON.

Only ONE purchase for 25cents.

I think my mind was racing with thoughts of other things I 'should' and would 'rather' be doing!

... like arranging multiple bouquets of fresh garden flowers, and gathering the mulberries for baking, and gathering fresh herbs for appetizers, and..., and..., and...

for our Sunday SMITH FAMILY REUNION / DAD'S 80th BIRTHDAY PARTY

((sigh))

This was my first attempt at planning /organizing / hosting an event of this size. THANK GOODNESS the weather cooperated, and with my entire 'immediate' family in attendance it went off smoothly and was a huge success, with cousins coming in from as far away as NC and Minnesota! THANKS everyone!!

NOW, ALL THE PLANNING IS OVER. IT IS TIME TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY SUMMER 8-) IT IS A BRITE! SUN-SHINY! DAY!

**WARNING: When attending a special event, make sure your camera batteries are CHARGED! Or, You TOO will find yourself, on a Sunday morning, out in the middle of no-where, at the mercy of the nearest store, paying TWELVE FREAKIN' DOLLARS for four AA batteries!! ...just sayin... Check your batteries and keep them charged 8-)!

...will this be enough to save her?

I adore our Tulip Tree!

My parents have always had tons of Tulip trees!

... straight, and perfectly shaped,

...blossom every year on Father's Day,

MANY, MANY years ago, I took one of their babies for my very own...

She is now taller than our three story house...

and rapidly outgrowing our 'city lot'

and Wikipedia says she'll average out at about 100' tall.

She is also HEAVY in Nectar ~ ie: drops sap allover the ground, making a sticky mess & attracting bees!!

To top it off, in the MANY years that we've had her... she's never produced a flower...

So I finally conceded that it would be best to 'do away with her'.

She wasn't in our 'pruning budget' this year.

Guess what she did this year?!

...The.longest.day

With the coming of the Summer Solstice, equilibrium has almost been regained in my world.

((sigh!))

and hopefully, with it, so shall my regularly-sporatic postings!

HAPPY SUMMER!

...it's true what they say!

The work really does wait for you!

As 'unglamorous' of a photo as this is, this is the reality of our 'Holiday' weekend... and the payoff of a spending a glorious week and a half away! Back to reality. The reality that next week we are hosting a family garage sale, the flower beds are all in desperate need of attention, the vegetable garden is on a time schedule, etc... and no magical little fairy came and waved her little wand while we were gone.

Despite a time crunch, when I 'should' be cleaning, weeding, and preparing food for guests... I got the 'brilliant' idea ( ignoring the sound advice I'd recently given a good friend advising AGAINST the difficulty in building raised beds) to build a raised bed... Some people will do just about anything to avoid the inevitable tasks at hand.

Basil was bought and planted in preparation for PESTO!!

Just one quick stop at an 'INSIDE' sale... just because J & I really wanted to check out the house - it was an AMAZING old house! I was openly drooling - and that was before J spotted this HAEGER Tall Pitcher Vase - 'antique 1957 - 58 playful, polka dots of green & brown blend' $5 2011 #6

I have been eyeing some of the lovely terra cotta 'head' planters, but just haven't been able to justify the cost for another of my 'whims'.

(http://www.ballarddesigns.com/terra-cotta-lady-planter/outdoor-living/outdoor-planters/13078)

Then, I got the inspiration for this coverless McCoy cookie jar that I haven't had any luck selling on Etsy. I added some chives ( so I can give him 'stylin' haircuts on a regular basis!!), and Voila'!

HAVE A HAPPY DAY!

...WHERE have I been?!!

J & I 'permanently' left our MOSAIC MARK in seaglass/concrete in Bermuda!

Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no 'JUNK' or 'STUFF' to be found in this blog entry... only 'Fun in the Sun' and an 'OVERLOAD of SEAGLASS', so if you aren't into that, you might as well click ((EXIT)) right now!!

(just as a wave came crashing from behind over the rocks!!)

Mosaiced fence at a local home.

J had read about a 'too good to be true' hidden section of beach in Bermuda where the seaglass was 4" - 6" deep. We didn't believe it, until we saw it!

Our 'home away from home' for a week.

street festival

LOTS of these in the waters!

'GOOD-BYE' too soon.

onto the next portion of our journey

*

*

*

*

How's this for a complete change in latitude?!!

Yep! A final two days in The Big Apple to round out the journey.

(Yes Andy, I was checking out all of the 'cupcakes'!!)

*

*
*
*
BUT

*
*
*

I can't leave you with those images,

*
*
*
*

...when these beautiful, serene & warm places are still so close to my heart.

...HAPPY! ...HAPPY! ...HAPPY!

"Unseasonably Mild"
When the weather station gives this report for Central NY, it is definitely cause for celebration! Every second of it has been maximized!!!!

Street sales are happening again!

(recently found the 3 NEW bottles of 'Happy' at an upscale street Sale for 25¢ ea.)

The trees are finally blossoming!
No 'stellar' finds while 'saling', but small finds ~ like this wreath tote, which is a perfect fit for my ornament heart wreath for $2, made my day 8-) ! (Made J's day too ~ now it will F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. come down off the wall, since it can be packed away safely!!)

J's little tomato & pepper seedlings have found their way into the garden

('grow babies', 'PLEASE GROW')

Evening walks are producing some fun 'curbside pickings'

AND

THE SPRING RUMMAGE SALE SEASON IS UPON US!!!!

Can you say VERA?

This week produced 2011 #10 - 16 (at an avg. of 25¢ ea.!!)

Okay, that last photo was a whole slew of ECHO, PAOLI and other misc. that I just couldn't leave behind... (YES, I KNOW I HAVE a Serious Problem!!)

Just so that you don't think that I have forgone buying anything other than scarves, here are a few of my other recent 'pickings'... PYREX w/lid & stand, copper bucket, feng shui books, hankies, 'that other Vera' purse, (4) Portmeirion Pottery ~ Susan Williams Ellis Cups & Saucers, Oneida seafood forks & Lobster cracker (got to grab them when I can for our summer party!), stray cat salt shaker, Onion River Pottery covered bowl, bakelite bobbin holder. How's that for all over the spectrum?!

...cinco!

HAPPY CINCO de MAYO !!!**So what if I'm 50% English and 50% German = a pasty white, 6' blonde... I can still celebrate Cinco de Mayo ~ and hold my tequila!!

I think ALL of us have had enough Spring Rain and are ready for any reason for Celebration! (I did gladly pick up this vintage umbrella with a bakelite handle last weekend at a rummage sale for $1 and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to coax it open the full way without it splitting!!)

So just for the day, practice your Spanish...... grab your best buds

... be they 'Don Julio'

or 'Anejo Patron'

and

HAPPY CINCO de MAYO!!