the sad saga of our hydrangeas

In 2007, we bought 3 hydrangeas and planted them in our front yard.

They are all still living but have not bloomed much.  

Manuela 

has been so kind and given me lots of advice on what she does for her hydrangeas.

Water them lots.

Feed them lots.

Don't prune them. 

Mulch them.  

I've consistently done all that.  I was even able to start 6 new plants from the store bought plants.  

I started looking for buds early this spring,  there were lots of nice green leaves but.......

only 2 buds!

total --- 

on 9 plants!  

Both buds turned into healthy looking flowers and I finally cut them to bring them inside to enjoy.  

 I am taking care of the plants all summer and I think maybe last year's hottest summer ever could be to blame for the lack of buds.  

But if you guys don't bloom in 2013,  I am going to dig you up and move you somewhere else!  

Easy plants to grow

Zinnias that are from seeds harvested from last year's zinnias

more zinnias

red and white petunnias
portulacca
and an aspargus fern that has really grown a lot

portulacca,  also called moss rose or dessert rose,  in a strawberry pot.

Betsy's mani-pedi party link up

Betsy,  when I saw baby Andie with this polish,  I knew it was perfect for your party!  

My granddaughter Andie and her first time to get her nails done.  

Not sure I completely approve but I do think Andie looks adorable.  

Andie spends a lot of time at a beauty salon,  because her mom owns and works at a big salon.  

Her dad does all the handy man stuff at the salon and he makes sure Andie is all dressed up when they visit the salon as the clients just love to ooh and aah over sweet little Andie. 

I guess most babies don't get their nails done.  

But I've been told that the nail girl used an almost dry brush to color Andie's nails and  that it only took seconds to apply it.  

betsys-mani-pedi-party-2-and-giveaway

Head over to Betsy's really quick if you want to enter

or just go visit Betsy, if you don't know her yet.  

Betsy is a real sweetheart,  a creative mom with 4 wonderful sons,  just go visit and read a few of her posts. 

I promise you will enjoy her great photography and just marvel at all she does.  

Quilts - older and newer

Old

I made this blue jean cathedral window quilt years ago.  I put it one the beds this week and like the way it looks.
But it is very heavy - was very tiresome to sew once it got big.
I don't know how comfortable it would be sleep under either because it is so heavy.

But I do like how it looks on this bed and I see it whenever I walk past this room.  

the back
You cut big denim circles and cotton print squares.  Then they get sewn together
and all the curves get zig-zagged.  

NEW

I finished this one on Wednesday,  a strip quilt for John  and Nina's June Birthday gift.  

It is all machine done and just tied

most of this pretty blue and green fabric was from another blogger,  Jill.
 Thank you, Jill.
 John and Nina are very happy with this quilt.

NEW

this pretty quilt was a Mothers Day gift from Sheena and Bobby.
One of Sheena's clients made it,  I think the quilting is done with a longarm machine.
isn't it pretty?  

embroidered message on the quilt
so sweet!

NEW

Table runner that I just finished on Saturday.
I printed off an internet picture in 2008 of a similar one,  and I think I cut out the pieces for it then too.
just took me 4 years to make it!

Clever Flip Flops and update on Theo

I thought my DIL was a genius when I saw this pair of flip flops that Gavin was wearing.
They have a strap of black elastic attached to the front part,  very simple, and Gavin can keep these on his feet much better than he could if he was just wearing regular flip flops.

But Amanda told me she did not come up with this idea,  that the shoes came with the elastic already on them.  

The elastic just goes around the heel
then lapped over for a loop and machine sewn with a very narrow zig zag.

So even though this idea is from a shoe company,  I am showing it in case anyone  has some toddler shoes that need to stay on better.

Theo is doing OK. ( he was diagnosed with Addisons about a month ago)
He does not have as much energy as he used to and has weaker muscles, especially in his back legs.
He sleeps a lot, even for a dog in the summer.
But he is happy and not in any pain.
 He watched  the grand children play in a wading pool for a little while.
Theo made sure to find the shade and you can see he was panting a little, even though it was not a very hot day.
For now,  we are thankful he is home and still having a good dog's life.

How to downsize a t-shirt

The big story in Oklahoma right now is that our basketball team, The Thunder,  is playing in the NBA finals right now.  

My brother from Texas visited us over the weekend.  

He bought himself a Thunder shirt and also bought shirts for Gavin and Elizabeth.  

but we have a little problem......

the Thunder shirt on the left is the size my brother bought.
the shirt on the right is the size shirt that Gavin and Elizabeth currently wear.

So,  I got busy with a little alteration, it really was easy and quick.
and successful.  

first I laid the smaller shirt (with the sleeves folded under) on top of the bigger shirt.
then just cut off the bottom, sides and sleeves.
I left about an inch on the sides,
2 inches on the bottom.
The neck of the shirt was not changed in any way!

I did this with the Thunder shirt turned wrong side out.
Make sure to check your design, so you don't cut into it if you try this.  

then I cut the sleeves off and open at the sides so I can cut them smaller. 

For size,  I used the smaller shirt as a guide.  I cut off the bottom -seam of the sleeve...

then cut off more at the top  

then just pinned the cut down sleeve back into place.
See - the sleeve hem never changed.
Just machine sew the sleeve back to the shirt.
I also added some zig-zag to finish off the seam but that is optional.

After the sleeves are sewn in,  pin the sides together and machine sew them .  

now,  just turn up the bottom hem
and machine sew it about 1 inch from the bottom and then again at 3/4 inch from the bottom .

close up of the altered sleeve  

20 minutes later
the finished shirt!  

Gavin modeling his Thunder shirt.

it is still a little big but I think it will be a little smaller after a laundry.
the original shirt was a 10-12 youth
Gavin and Elizabeth both are 3T size


Now,  I need to size down Elizabeth's.  Her mom asked me try to make hers into a t-shirt dress.
I'll let you know how it goes.  

Andie is 3 months old today

Baby Andie
she's come a long way from that tiny 5 pounds that she started out as-   she is so sweet and  cute, I can hardly stand it.  

some cleaning tips and a use what you have

I've been spring cleaning and am happy to brag a little that I've got a lot of it done.  

One tip to share is those Mr Clean sponges work great at getting marks off tile floors.  

Another tip is for cleaning ceiling fans blades - use a pillow case,  just slip the dirty fan blade into a pillow case, then run your hands down both sides and off.  All the fan blade dirt and dust just goes right into the pillow case.    I  did not come up with trick,  I read it somewhere but don't know where to give them credit.  

It is the only way I will ever clean my 5 ceiling fans in the future.  

my other tip,    don't buy a house with these crazy high ceilings!  
 If  we ever move,  we will not buy another house  like this,
regular 8 foot ceilings will be just fine.
If you do have high ceilings and want clean ceiling fans,  you will need a giant ladder.
yikes!

 What do you think of this easel at our front door?

My daughter bought it off a swap list but it takes up so much room, so she sent it to my house.  

At first I had it in the house,  then moved it to the front entry.

There is a roof over it so it is mostly protected from the weather.  

I need to get a good package of dry erase markers and some real plants to put in the little pots
but I did not want to go to the store yesterday.  

I will go to the store today,  Theo is out of dog food after his breakfast.
So maybe I will find some little plants to put in the little pots and they will look better than the hand-scribbled flowers currently in them.


I know my family is all shocked when they read this, that Theo is eating dog food.
He really is!
I think this gland condition has been affecting him for so long and dog food just never tasted good before.
Anyway,  he likes dry Beneful food just fine now,
 He has finished off 2 of the smaller bags since his doggie hospital stay.  

The camouflage project

the camouflage project - finished!


Can you tell what it is?
it is a formal vest like men wear with tuxedos - camouflage with black satin lapels and pockets.
Son Bobby asked me sew it for him.
If I got the story right,  Bobby and Sheena are hosting a party with a 1980's prom theme for the workers at Sheena's salon.
Bobby wanted this vest to wear for that event.

Bobby is not a hunter and is not military but he has always liked camouflage.

It is not the first camoflage I've sewn for Bobby.  

I think these camouflage shorts were the first clothes I ever sewed for Bobby.
They were made from one of his dad's unserviceable  blouses (that is USMC lingo for a  worn out  uniform shirt)

Bobby is sitting on a kitchen cabinet in our base home aboard Camp Pendleton, 1982.
The housing area is built on the side of Wire Mountain.
Because we were up high enough,  we could see the Pacific Ocean from this side of that little home and the sunsets were just so wonderful to enjoy every evening.  

another sewing project for Bobby,  in 1999, was this Hawaiian print vest  that he wore to prom.
He picked out the fabric and I sewed it.

Nobody else there was dressed the same as Bobby!


Anyway,  the vests sew up pretty fast and I think could be made by anyone with basic sewing skills.
I used a McCalls pattern for the latest one.
You might choose different fabric for yours though.

Hello-------

Hello, hope all of you are good.  

Here are few recent scenes from my home 

Crinum lilies in bloom 

lots of blooms - 5 different rose bushes, the big Rose of Sharon and the crinums.
in the ground,  the zinnia seeds mostly sprouted and should be blooming soon.
There are also some little moss rose plants and impatiens that are not yet big enough to bloom.

 Lately,  I have not done a very good job of meal planning ahead.  I do just fine when we have company but when it is just my husband and me here,  I've lately not  planned ahead much.
So,  yesterday,  I organized my recipes and planned out about 8 meals - all using ingredients we already had or bought yesterday.

There are a couple of quarts of homemade chicken broth in the fridge so I  put chicken and noodles as one of the meals.  Then I made the noodles last night so they could dry.  

Other meals on my plan

crockpot chicken and veggies

pinto beans and cornbread

Barbecue chicken sandwiches with pickled onions on jalapeno cheese buns

salmon patties

rice taco salad

fiesta chicken and rice

catfish and hush puppies

This is probably close to 2 weeks worth of meals for us as most of these recipes make more than 2 servings.  We both like leftovers and will happily eat the extras for both lunches or suppers, however it works out.  

I hear so many people say they don't like leftovers.  

That seems so silly and wasteful to me.  

Most foods that were good the first time they were served,  are just as good the second time.  

There are a few exceptions but for the most part,  we enjoy leftovers.  

I also hope to do some cleaning projects this week - 

like the dusty ceiling fans and all the windows.

I've also got a sewing project involving woodland camouflage fabric - the things we do for our sons!

Pie with Uncle Rex

This is Uncle Rex,  one of my mom's brothers.  He is 90 years old and makes the best pie.  We went to Enid OK to visit him today and we ate lunch in the cafeteria of his retirement home. 

Then after lunch,  we went to his apartment to visit and he treated us to his homemade coconut meringue pie. 

It tasted just as yummy as it looks!



After we all ate our coconut pie slices,  Uncle Rex got out a cranberry apple pie he made yesterday. 
We were all too full to have another slice of pie,  but we all tasted it anyway. 
Elizabeth liked it,  can you tell? 



See the ribbons on the wall behind my dad?
Uncle Rex won them on his pies at the last Garfield County Fair, 
the purple ribbon is for Grand Champion. 

I think I have a family full of amazing members. 

Mothers Day Surprise

My children completely surprised me on Mothers day with professional photos made to them as a group.  

Aren't they just beautiful?  

little Andie, Gavin and Elizabeth

Jimmy, John, Bobby and Clint standing up
Nina, Elizabeth, Sheena, Andie, Amanda and Gavin sitting.  

Theo

Sweet Theo

see the shaved spots on both front legs where his IV's were?  

Our dog Theo is almost 9 years old and for several months  has not been feeling as good as he used to.
He drinks lots more water,  has weakness in his back legs,  small shakes and tremors when he lays down and sleeps.
Mostly we thought it was just signs of aging.
Then about 2 weeks ago,  he quit eating.  He has always been a quirky eater so at first we thought he was just not liking what was served to him.

He was just getting worse so we took him to our vet on Friday.  They did tests and found some weird levels in his blood but all his other signs were good.  They wanted to start him on IV treatments to flush his kidneys so Theo had to stay there Friday,  then all weekend and all day Monday getting round the clock IVs.
At first the 2 vets thought he had kidney failure,  then maybe cancer but neither diagnosis seemed quite right.
After consulting with 2 other vets,  our vets diagnosed Theo with Addisons disease. 
It is rare and hard to diagnose Addisons but is easy to treat with shots and pills.

The vets gave him a cortisol shot and sent him home with us some more pills to take twice a day.  Theo improved immediately.  He came home Monday and finally wanted to eat!
Theo is just about back to normal happy self.  We are very thankful for our veterinarians who worked hard to save our sweet puppy.

Honor World War II Veterans today

Fly your flag today
to remember that this is V-E Day,
or the victory in Europe part of WWII.


Today I am thinking about 4 of my uncles - Rex, Cecil, Jarvis and Jr - who all fought  during WWII .

Yard sale....

Our neighborhood is hosting our annual yard sale this weekend.   Usually I just shop but this year,  we will be selling.

 It is usually in very hot July so I am really glad it is earlier this year and it should be cool enough to not be miserable.  No rain in the forecast either.

My junk pile is growing and I found much more stuff in the attic than I expected that should be sold.  Our children have added stuff.  What I thought would be just a little stuff is turning in to a big amount of stuff.

So I am going to be busy pricing and sorting and dusting......

be back soon!

Pinterest milk jug watering can

Have you all seen the watering cans made from milk jugs?  

They are quick, thrifty and easy to make.

Just rinse out your finished milk jug.  Heat up a big needle or nail with a candle or lighter and melt holes in the milk cap.  

It pours out a fine stream that won't damage tiny plants.  

And children just love refilling it and watering anything they can with it.  

I used a gallon jug but when it is full,  it is too heavy for 2 and 3 year olds.  I am going to save my current 1/2 gallon jug to make a smaller one.  

April Thrift Store Finds

Yard sales are getting started in my town but I have not been to any  for  this season just yet.
you know I will though!
I shopped at my favorite thrift store this morning and am very happy with my purchases.
this first picture is a stack of play clothes tops and dresses for Elizabeth

play shorts for Elizabeth

shorts and swimsuits for Gavin
if you can see the price tags, most of the childrens clothes  were 50 cents.

and 2 shirts for Gavin

Gavin picked out the baby board book -
I got the Wee Sing book, it is popular poems and songs with  motions for toddlers.  

4 Aunt Chick cookie cutters in a big bag full of assorted cutters, this set sell for $20 on one site that sells Aunt Chick.

Aunt Chicks has a really fun company history if you want to read about an Oklahoma homemaker and food columnist and her cookie cutter business.

 many of the cutters will  be used with  play dough.
I'm putting some in my with my collection - can you see the little Scottie dog and duck?
There is also a smaller doughnut cutter,  several biscuit cutters and the 4 card suit emblems.

I got all the cutters for $2.50.
and now I want to bake some cut out cookies.  

8 cloth napkins in red and aqua gingham checks
$2 for all 

Gavin wearing his 25 cent Texas Rangers batting helmet.  

It was a very good thrift store visit!

Have you been thrifting or to yard sales this month?

linking up with Rhoda's party 
Southern Hospitality - Thrifty Treasures