Yard pretties!

Things are just bustin' out all over in our yard!  We've had a bit of a cool snap this weekend and Larry and I worked outside all day today, he, cleaning out the backyard shed and me, planting flowers and cleaning flower beds.

Here's what's growing around here! 

This is a little arrangement of begonias, petunias and ivy that I did by the front door.

 Day lilies blooming in the front yard

 The roses by the mailbox have really loved all the rain we've gotten lately!

 

I repotted my poor pot-bound aloe vera plant today.  It's much happier now!

My little garden is coming along, too.  I've had to put stakes in for the tomatoes already!

To me, this is definitely a yard pretty!  Vintage sheets that we picked up at an estate sale yesterday drying in the sunshine.

And this one.  This one is the prettiest yard pretty we have!  He LOVES being outside and would just stay out there if we'd let him.  Unless, of course, he hears neighbors talking or an airplane flying over.  He's such a joy.  Banjo, too.  We have quite a happy life, the four of us.

We had some thrasher eggs in a nest in one of our ferns and the other night before the weather got bad, Larry secured the fern's hook with wire so that the wind wouldn't blow it down.  We thought they'd be okay but the clips broke instead and the pot still fell and the eggs bounced out.  They'd been in the nest for eight days but were still nothing but yolk so they more than likely would not have hatched anyway.  We were both very sad but have hope that a mama bird will try again this spring and we'll have some babies.  I've been feeding them premium seed and suet with mealworms all year to try to help the mamas have healthy babies.  Spring is still early and I still hope!!

My Birthday Tea Cart update, some vintage love and a turkey!

Ten more days till my birthday!  Here's my tea cart today.

Some of the things I've added are a vintage white beaded cake plate that I picked up for two dollars at a moving sale; my favorite book from my childhood, Peggy and Me, that my daddy used to read to me; a very old (1948!) birthday rhyme book that I also got for two dollars at an estate sale; a vintage 1970's Florida Bird Orange Bank that replaced the one I had as a child (I found it on eBay months ago) and a birthday clown that Larry and I found at Smiley's last weekend.

And these two little girl figurines.  The one of the right holding the presents is the most darling little thing!!  I got her at an estate sale along with her sister who's holding a broom, both of them for $4.  They were made in Japan by Ucagco in the 1950's.

Here's her sister.  I put her in the window sill over the kitchen sink.  She reminds me of me, always cleaning something.  She looks happy about it, though!  :)

I finally, finally, finally got me a vintage granny square afghan to go on the back of my sofa.  My life is complete now.  Can you believe $10 at an estate sale??  Sho' was!  It's a beaut, too.  I think it was made and then just placed in a closet for 40 years because it's perfect.

I picked up this vintage GE hand mixer at that same moving sale for SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS.  It's avocado green, my favorite vintage color.  Avocado green draws me like a moth to a flame every time.  This mixer was a wedding gift for the couple having the sale and they've been married 39 years.  It's in excellent condition and every single speed works beautifully.  I still can't believe it.  

I got this pretty trivet at a yard sale/estate sale/cleaning out Grandma's house sale basically for free.  The grandson let me have this trivet, a beautiful vintage yellow floral sheet and two pillowcases, two precious Cannon honest-to-goodness MADE IN THE USA towels and two wash cloths, a Napco milk glass candy dish and a Japanese Satsuma vase, all for $2.  TWO DOLLA.

 

Here's one of the towels!  Soooo pretty.  You just can't find towels like this anymore.  Unless you go to somebody's grandma's house.

 

And here are the two wash cloths.  I always squeal when I see Cannon on a tag!!  That's that pretty yellow flowered sheet hanging in the background.

 

We got this giant blow-up turkey at that same moving sale for $8!  I'm so glad Larry saw it because I had walked right on past him, headed to the kitchen stuff.  I cannot wait to put this thing in the yard.  As soon as the Halloween stuff comes down, Tom is going up!

I think Larry's glad he saw Tom, too!

Estate sale goodies!

We went to a couple of estate sales this morning and I found a treasure trove of sheets and pillowcases!  It's been a while since I found any and I was in love.  

 I got a sheet and two pillowcases in this beautiful bluebell print.

I think these pillowcases look even sweeter blowing in the wind on the clothesline.

I just love this pretty comforter and it was only $5!

 Tabbie Hoffman wanted to help me organize the sheets and pillowcases. 

I found this adorable vintage hugging boy and girl planter for 75 cents!

This is my favorite of the day!  A Josef Originals Birthday Angel from the 70's and it's her first birthday!  I just love her precious little face.  I got her for a steal for $2.  

 

And Larry found this rubber clown that plays the circus song and his nose lights up.  I told him he can keep it in the garage but it's kinda growing on me.  :)

'Round here this weekend

Yesterday was a day full of storms -- thunder, lightning, wind, hail, heavy rain, no satellite signal, you name it, we had it.  Today, it was like it never happened (except for all the mess left behind on the deck).  I've been sick all weekend, starting with a bad sore throat on Friday.  We went to see "Little Boy" Friday afternoon and enjoyed it so much!!  We both cried like our hearts were broken.  So if you go see it (and I hope you do!), take some tissue with you.  It's a wonderful story of a little boy who will do anything to bring his daddy home from the war.  The faith of a mustard seed.  That's all it takes.

Since I was sick, Larry went shopping on his own this weekend and he picked up some treasures for me Friday.  A Copper Filigree platter, an Old Town Blue butter dish and a blue striped bowl.  We'd never even seen a Pyrex platter before and I was so happy to get it!
  

And he got me this sweet vintage Indian doll at an estate sale today.  I had one very much like her when I was a kid. 

At that same estate sale today, there was this thing and Larry had no idea what it was, he just knew he liked it.  It was kinda like a bandana, kinda like a wrap but it was very small.  There was a very nice tag sewn inside that read "Corky Gauger Original".  He got it and brought it home.  I couldn't figure it out either.  So I Googled "Corky Gauger" and found out she was a local lady from Perry who was an AKC Dog Show judge for many years.  And she made clothes for dogs!  So here's Banjo modeling the thing.  Ha!  I loved it a whole lot more than Banjo did.

Larry wasn't satisfied with the first clothesline he made so he built me another one on the opposite side of the backyard.  Weather-treated wood, posts in the ground, four lines across.  He was not playing.  :)  I just love it.  With all that blue and green, you'd never know we had such bad weather yesterday!

 My big pot of calendula is coming along!

Our sweet Tabbie Hoffman enjoying the shade of the palm tree.  

We found this toady frog in our garden shed. 

Larry put him in the bird bath.  He seemed to like it.  :)

Our little garden is growing!

The cherry tomatoes and basil have a little catching up to do!

Larry ran out in the cold rain yesterday afternoon and moved all my flower pots closer to the house where they'd be safe from the wind.  This morning, while I slept, he put them all back, setting my pot of daisies right outside the kitchen window.  I can't think of a more perfect spot.

It is well with my soul

Winter came back this weekend but we didn't let it stop us!  It was 37 degrees and very windy yesterday morning when we loaded up a dresser that my sweet friend, Stacy, gave us for Baby Charlotte, and headed up to Atlanta to deliver it so Rhiana could paint it and get it ready for tiny pink clothes.  Larry sanded it down last week so all she'd have to do is paint it.  It's beautiful, solid wood and very old. The date on the mirror is 1958. Rhiana loved it.  And she's already painted it white.  It's going to be so beautiful in the baby's room.  We stopped on the way in Juliette to have lunch at The Whistle Stop Cafe, one of my very favorite places to be!  I posted on Facebook that I was going to see Idgie and Ruth and I sure did!  I even have photographic proof.  :)   I love these sweet girls!!

After we had a plate of those famous tomatoes, we had a pulled pork (or is it??) dinner plate with sides, cornbread and sweet tea.
  

We got there about an hour and a half after they opened and they were sooooo busy!  They always are, though.  We ate at the counter rather than wait for a booth and I'm so glad we did.  I'd never eaten at the counter before, in all the times I've been to The Whistle Stop, and I found that I actually preferred it.  The atmosphere is so much better.  

This plaque was right where we sat.  I'd never even seen it before and I've been up there at least a dozen times.  The tea was sweeter and the tomatoes were the best they have EVER been.  I took a few to Rhiana and Baby Charlotte.  They enjoyed them, too.  :)

I took a few pictures of Larry while we walked around.  This was his first trip to The Whistle Stop and I tried to show him everything.  Here he is at Big George's smoker grill.  I love how they're trying to keep everything the same.  It's been 24 years since the movie crew left and so much of McCrackin Street is exactly the same.

Here's Big George doin' his thang back then.

 This is how he does it now.  :)

We stopped by to see old Smokey Lonesome, too.

Larry tried to see whose mouth was bigger. The donkey barely won.

We took back roads into Atlanta since we had the dresser on the back of the truck and that was soooo nice.  The sun was shining, we had a beautiful view of blue sky and green everything around us and we just enjoyed the drive.  It took a little longer and the girls were getting antsy by the time we finally got there.  We had a great visit full of hugs and giggles, got home late so we've had a very lazy day today.  Unmade bed, pancakes for breakfast, pajamas until the afternoon, a pretty relaxed, awesome day.  :)

We hit a few yard sales on our way out of town here yesterday and I stayed in the truck while Larry checked them out.  We struck gold at one of them!  Literal Pyrex Gold for a DOLLAR.  75+ old rock and country albums for $12 and a 1964 Milton Bradley Password game for two dollars.  This casserole is a pattern I'd never seen before!  Golden Honeysuckle.  Just in time for summer!  Pyrex made this beauty sometime between 1962-63.  It's older than me!  (Oh yeah, Larry put me up a clothesline, too!!  Yay!!)

We put this up over our back door today.  I just love it.

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know

It is well, it is well with my soul

(Horatio Spafford)