Prims By the Water

Thursday, June 30, 2022

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







Sunday, June 26, 2022

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 






Monday, June 20, 2022

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











Saturday, June 18, 2022

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


Tuesday, June 14, 2022

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







Friday, June 10, 2022

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



Monday, June 6, 2022

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