A Patriotic Mantel

 

Howdy friends!

As we approach our July 4th holiday,

I decided that I needed to be more

patriotic than ever.

All because a few weeks ago I watched

a program where they asked folks on the streets

of New York City questions about our flag.

These were some of the questions,

along with the answers that were given.

1. How many stars are on our flag?

13, 51, 1 and 50

correct answer is 50

2. What do the stars represent?

I dont know, the 50 colonies, the states

Correct answer is the 50 states

3. How many stripes are on our flag?

50, I don't know.

Correct answer is 13

4. What do the stripes represent?

The states, the government, the first colonies. 

Correct answer is the first colonies.

I was shocked that so many folks

had no clue the answers about our flag.

All I could think is what are our forefathers

thinking about our country nowadays.

They fought to be a free nation,

and some don't even know what our flag stands for?

So very sad.

I consider this coverlet piece very patriotic.

As you can see this is my patriotic mantel display.

I also decided that all of my posts for July

will be different patriotic displays.

Hopefully our forefathers are looking down

into my house and are happy.

For my Canadian friends,

I wish you all a

Happy Canada Day! 

Thank you to those who sent birthday wishes to Tundra.

He is one spoiled doggie for sure!

Also Bob is still in pain with his gout,

but refuses to go to the doctor.

He can be a stubborn one.

Sometimes I just dont know about men.

Pre 4th of July Blessings To All!

Janice

Our Boy's Birthday

 Our baby Tundra is 2 today.

I lovingly call him puppy duppy.

Now he will be called doggie dog.

When he first arrived.

Letting us know he could bark.

Now he barks at lots of things...

even leaves and the wind.

The other day he would not stop barking.

Trying to make dinner, I quickly went outside.

I found him and a ribbon snake.

He kept barking and going after the snakes tail.

Thank goodness not poisonous.

I grabbed him by the collar and said it was ok.

We went inside.

His first day at the gift shop.

When he could hide from us under the couch.

This was his safe zone when he first came home.

His first time being the lookout at the store

before opening.

Here is was looking over my Christmas drawings.

Mikalya thought he looked like a polar bear.

His girlfriend Pebbles.

Also a Samoyed.

Now his favorite spot.

His lookout at home.

Mom stop working.

I want some attention.

His happy face.

He is now 32 pounds.

He will not get any bigger.

He was the runt of the litter.

Also his mom was small too.

Happy Birthday Tundra!

I do apologize for not commenting back to

everyone's comments from my last post.

 I so do appreciate them.

My uncle passed this past week and my

mom spent some time with us before and

after the funeral.

Then Bob came down with gout, so I had to 

take care of him as well.

It hurt him so bad, he could not even walk.

He even fell one night trying to go to the bathroom

while we were asleep.

He tried to do it on his own without waking me up....

but he woke both me and my mom.

He is finally getting better after five days. 

I hope everyone is having a great first

weekend of Summer.

Birthday Boy Blessings To All!

Janice 

Halloween Reveal

Hello friends!

 Six weeks from now I will be getting

our gift shop ready for the Halloween season.

I am so excited this year!

Started planning my theme out 

hard and heavy after Christmas last year.

When I was a teen my parents took

us to Disneyworld.

Gramma B went with us too!

My fondest memory of the park

was the haunted mansion.

I loved it!

Plus at the end of the ride,

we had a hitchhiker.

A ghost appeared in between

 my gramma and I in the car. 

We both were laughing so hard.

It was so much fun!

Now I could NEVER re-create

Disney's haunted mansion,

but what I do plan on doing is creating

my version of a haunted hotel.

Meet Spooks.

One of the ghostly temporary resident

of my upcoming haunted hotel.

Bob already made the concierge

 counter from wood.

An animated butler will be behind it.

My haunted hotel room will be full

 of ghosts and skeletons.

I will also have a Dead End Buffet.

I plan on creating a sign that reads~

All you can eat today.

Rest in peace by morning.

Prepared by Chef Cy-O-Nide

Since everything in my haunted hotel

 is dead, I just had to make these dead flowers.

Created from black suiting material

and wooly worms for leaves.

I found these tan wired stems at the local craft store.

That's where the idea came for these flowers.

For my buffet I have created lots

and lots of cookies.

Here is one I call "Bones".

Every haunted hotel has to have some cobwebs,

don't you think.

Now this one has yet to be blocked and starched,

so its a bit wonky.

But once finished,

will be a perfect candle mat for Halloween.

The colors this year will be purple and red.

I cannot WAIT to get the room decorated.

The countdown begins for me.

It will take me a week, so am taking vacation days.

The front of the store will have harvest and witches,

so a little bit for everyone.

Haunted Hotel Blessings To All!

Janice

Flag And Fireworks

I remembered my mom's saying:

A Day Late and a Dollar Short.

Well as I put this post together I realized

Flag Day was the 14th.

I was supposed to post this on that day.

 

I created this latest pillow tuck

for those who want to celebrate

Flag Day and July 4th.

I wanted to make this in patriotic colors.

The flowers centers are red glass beads.

This was my drawing.

Long May She Wave was my title.

Used wool for the entire project.

The back is the same background as the front.

With July 4th approaching fast,

I also created another cookie.

Our small town will host their

84th Pickerel Tournament Festival.

From June 30th thru July 4th.

Fireworks, parade, carnival.

Pickerel ( walleye fish) contest for adults

and one for kids.

Kayak race around the nearby islands.

4K foot race.

They will also have an antique boat show.

Chris Craft was founded here in our small town.

They created wood cruiser boats that were

sold all over the world.

Founded in 1874, the company was sold

by the family in 1960, but another company

still makes them...in another state now.

Then there will be a Beer tent, bingo tent,

with live bands each night.

Hot dog, pie and watermelon eating contest.

Oh yeah plus all of the carnival food.

Something for everyone!

I know we will be going.

Do you live in an area where 

you have festivals for July 4th?

Do you like going to fireworks?

Fireworks & Flag Blessings To All!

Janice

June CupboardScape

Hello friends!

I always associate June with Strawberries.

 When my kids were little we would trek to the

strawberry farm; take a hayride to the

strawberry fields and pick our own.

I always picked bushels for freezing.

The kids enjoyed themselves as they got

a ride twice, plus they were allowed to eat

some strawberries in the field.

For this cupboardscape I added

some of my original stawberries

I created years ago.

Placed them inside my cake crock.

I also added my teddy bears.

Not sure if in real life if bears like strawberries,

but mine do.

Heck they like to e the center of attention any time!

For those who have followed me now for awhile,

have seen this wood strawberry sign.

It is two sided with the original 

chains  on top to hang it.

Who knows, maybe it was from a strawberry farm

at one time.

The strawberry farm we used to go to,

is long gone now.

It was developed and many new homes

now replaced the strawberry fields.

The entrance sign to these homes

now reads

"Strawberry Knolls" 

I guess this is progress, but so glad my

kids got to experience where their

strawberries really came from...

and not a grocery store.

My favorite go to with strawberries 

is rhubarb.

I love making these pies!

Handmade strawberry shortcakes too!

Do you have a favorite recipe for strawberries.

Please share if you do.

Strawberry Blessings To All!

Janice

Uncle Sam

Hello friends.

With July 4th sneaking up upon us,

I thought I would share this Uncle Sam I created.

 

His scarf is red, off white and blue wool strips.

A gold star on his shirt.

I also gave him a flower boutonniere made from wool.

Am looking forward to decorating for this season!

Do you decorate for July 4th?

Any plans for your weekend?

Sam Blessings To All!

Janice

The Beast

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Saturday was nice for us here.

Sunday we had off and on rain, but we do need it.

Nights have been comfortable.

We sleep with the windows open.

Taking advantage before the humidity comes in.

Today I wanted to show you the incredible

work Bob did on transforming our front garden.

We had to redo this in its entirety since losing

many shrubs and our tree here. 

Now we have one row of birds nest yews.

Another row of bluebeard shrubs.

These will have purple flowers all Summer.

Plus a row of rocks we just purchased.

We have a rock quarry nearby, so we picked

our own.

I planted zinnias here in front.

Right behind the bunny is a red hydrangea.

The tiny grasses here grow each year.

In back is the one birds nest spruce we saved.

Here was the beast.

It kept multiplying...like a rabbit.

It was supposed to be a flowering red

shrub that smelled nice.

We never could smell anything even though

it did produce red flowers.

Bob started to remove the roots around the middle.

Bob was able to get rid of that beast.

He sawed it down.

Used out rotor tiller to ensure

the roots would no longer be there.

He left my butterfly bush that started to grow back.

We thought we had lost this one too.

By our sewer vent is another bluebeard shrub. 

Bob made out trellis from two old doors years ago.

The left side is our kiwi vine,

the right our honeysuckle.

Honeysuckle starting to bloom now.

Also saw my first hummingbird.

They love these flowers.

The kiwi vine is also starting to turn colors.

Each leaf will be pink, white and green.

New shrubs added in now.

Just hope these shrubs last now.

Along the house we planted three lilacs.

These are a new strain of Proven Winners.

They will bloom in May.

Then in July they will bloom again through frost.

We planted three in here as when they mature,

it will be filled completely.

Am loving our new garden.

We also purchased two red planters.

I have filled them with flowers now.

Red asters, pink and lemon petunias.

Finally I purchased these solar lights.

They are supposed to look like fireworks.

I bought three and placed them all

along the one side.

(placed the leaves on top of sensor to take this pic)

Once dark, they go on.

So cool! 

Well we are suppose to have rain for the next

three days, so I wont have to water.

Beast Blessings To All!

Janice