Sweet Lantana

Early spring

I planted in a large pot,

a Camellia plant

and surrounded it with

 pink Lantanas.

The Lantana flourished

 along with the

Camellia plant

in the lovely cool weather.

Then,

summer's hot sun

and heat came and

the plants struggled

to survive.....

I kept them watered,

and wondered that the Lantana

no longer bloomed,

yet confident that

the "green leafed" Camellia would

bloom again come spring.

The warm rains came,

almost daily, the

lovely tropical rains

bringing  nutrients

needed to sustain plant life.

The Lantanas began to bloom

dappled by sunlight and

silhouetted against greenery

again they  flourished

beneath Florida's

beautiful summer skies.

Have a blessed day!  Dee Dee

Suggested Great Summer Read

I'm a true fan of

Masterpiece Theater's

Downton Abbey....

and so looking forward to

season three beginning

January 3, 2013

(mark on your calendars )

In the meantime, I'm whiling

away the hot summer days

reading books that

"point below

stairs in this sort of nostalgically

romanticized world."

I believe the ladies at the library

think I am considering "service"

as a "later in life career."

In l928, Rosina Harrison

arrived at the Astor household

to take up her new position as

personal maid to Lady Nancy Astor.

American-born, Lady Astor sat in

Parliament, entertained royalty, and

traveled the world.

An iron-willed woman, she met

her match in the no-nonsense,

wryly humorous, and whip-smart

girl from England's countryside.

Deliciously readable,

Rose will win your heart as

she tells her "life in service

to Lady Astor" story.

Have a beautiful week!  Dee Dee

A Single Stem Of Crape Myrtle Blossoms

I've watched them bloom

all summer long.....

The colors of this Myrtle are

my favorite and why would

they not be?

A sweet  combination 

for our cottage decor.

One stem of lavender Myrtle blossoms

completes this romantic space.

Have a wonderful Lord's day, everyone!  Dee Dee

Morning Garden

One can never be too

careful with the Florida sun's

harmful rays. Large brimmed hats are

recommended and I for one

take no chances.

Some of my best photos

of the garden are taken

in the early morning hours.

On this day, I've noticed

the  red Hibiscus

plants are now taller than me.....

And, they are  producing lots of  blooms.....some

partially hidden.

I sprayed them for Aphids today.....those little

critters were back again.

Are you tired of the summer heat?

I'm trying not to rush the

season,

but I can't help

looking at the calendar and

thinking how

 deliciously cool

and wonderful

 the winter is going to be.

  

Have a beautiful weekend.....Dee Dee

Caladium

Each spring

we select a pretty

Caladium for the porch.....

I happen to like them.....all colors

and varieties. Last year we had

a white and green one, that grew

to massive proportions.

The Caladium is one of the Mister's

favorite plants.....

I'm just saying.......sigh......

This pretty ole' thing gets the

morning sun and

 all day it long it thrives

in Florida's heat and humidity.

A good watering 

every other day,

has made the Caladium

 healthy and respond  with

absolutely gorgeous and colorful leaves.

I'm  lovin' the pinks and green....

Have a blessed day, everyone!  Dee Dee

High Humidity And Lots Of Rain

Our summer here on

the Gulf Coast of Florida

has been hot, humid and rainy.

Each day we awaken to sunshine,

around mid-day the temps are in

the 90s and by afternoon we are

blessed with rain.

Therefore, our tropical

plants are

growing at an alarming rate,

crowding into the small space

that is our garden.

I for one am pleased,

but the Mister can see

trimming work somewhere

in the immediate future.

A White Bird of Paradise

having  grown to extreme heights

 must come down, to make room

for smaller and younger plants.

It looks fabulous, but a good

storm just might topple it into

the pool.  I'm reminded

the lushness of the garden has

been made possible by nature,

doing it's thing......all summer long.

Have a beautiful day everyone!  Dee Dee

Pin Cushions

These days, most folks

I know are using good

common sense when it

comes to saving money.

All of us have been affected

by the economy, 

in  more ways than one.

Therefore, I've been

using my sewing machine

a lot.....for making gifts.

I search for ideas in books

and magazines. Here lately,

I've looked for new and

fun ideas on Etsy.

What a grand place for

 inspiration!

And...... I have truly been

inspired to create. 

Give me beautiful fabrics  and I

will make something useful.

The children/girls/ladies in my life

will receive

handmade things, from me,

 for those

special occasions.......

or just because I love you gifts.

My first indeavor, as you can see,

are pretty "pin cushions."

A "just because I love you" kind of gift.

I'll be sending a few of these

out, and real soon.....

Have a sweet ole' day!  Dee Dee

Sewing For Babies

I've been sewing

 most of the day

for two sweet babies.....

I'll tuck a few outfits in the

package , size 6-9 mos.

He weighed 8lbs 3oz

a big boy

a G Grandson,

 who looks like his father.

He'll stay warm lying beneath

a blanket covered with all sorts

of funny elephants....made by his

G Grandmother, who loves him very much

sigh.......

I've  made a beautiful pink

quilt for a sweet

granddaughter, not yet born,

but soon.....

The pink tulle fabric has

adorable nursery rhymes.....

My generation grew up hearing

them....

I used another fabric with tiny

hearts splashed all over.

I'm thinkin'  she already has

a special place in my heart,

and one day soon I'll hold

her in my arms,

and tell her just that.

Have a wonderful day everyone!  Dee Dee

Enjoying Good Reading

Often I post of lovely discoveries

and today you will find me quite

happy with a table covered over

with old issues of Victoria magazines.

I'm completely delighted,

having found them in our library

re-sale store, in flawless

like-new condition, clearly

marked with a tiny sticker price

of  25cents.

A kindred spirit, had saved her

beloved Victoria's for some time, for

they date back to 1989.

How sad she must have been to

part with her treasures,

but surely found peace in

 contributing to a good cause...... our town  library.

While spending hours at a time,

comfortably seated for good reading,

I'm finding wonderful  stories and

features that are timeless.

-

"Symphony in White"

James McNeill Whisler's

painting titled

"The White Girl"

I pondered on this page,

thinking her quite lovely.

 

The covers of Victoria are

always lovely to see, and

reveal much of the magazine's contents .....

"Crisp White Linens....Romantic Picnics"

-

1996 Victoria's article .....

Emma Thompson's

Labor of Love:

"Sense and Sensibility

and others.....

Spreading Your Wings....Beautiful Discoveries

-

A Smiling Summer

"There is a smiling summer here,

which causes birds to sing, and

sets the bees in motion, " writes

Emily Dickinson in 1858......

I'm enjoying promised good reading,

 as you can see,

 all the while,

 beating the summer heat.....

Have a beautiful week, everyone!  Dee Dee

Book Marked To Re-Read

In Jan Karon's book

"A New Song"

I'm  finding places I've

book-marked  to re-read

from time to time.

Page 158, bottom of page.....

"We are, finally, all wanderers in search of

knowledge. Most of us hold the dream of

becoming something better than we are,

something larger, richer, in some way more

important to the world and ourselves.

Too often, the way taken is the wrong way,

with too much emphasis on what we want

to have, rather than what we wish to become.'"

~Louis L'Amour

Have a wonderful Lord's day, everyone! Dee Dee

Nothing Prettier

Folks young and old gravitate

to Honeymoon Island, Florida,

 right around sunset.

We've gone to the same location

on the island to watch the sunset,

for a number of years.

It is there we get the best views

of the sun dropping into

the Gulf Of Mexico.

I took this photo a while back,

asking the couple's permission

 to photograph them.

They happily obliged.......

More often than not, the

sunset photos I take

will have something of

interest between me and the sunset.

Such is the case in both photos

seen here.

There is nothing any

prettier than a Florida sunset

seen from Honeymoon Island.

Have a beautiful weekend......Dee Dee

The Dog Days Of Summer

Several weeks ago,

I planted this beautiful

Mandevilla.....

It was early morning and

the weather cooler and

almost perfect for gardening.

Since then, the rains have

come,  along with the high heat

extremes and humidity.

The Mandevilla has thrived

under these conditions,

and I have taken to mostly

indoor activities.

I come outside for short

periods at a time....to hang laundry,

water the plants

or go for  short swims in the pool.

The garden has, more or less,

been given over to the elements.

These are indeed  the

"dog-days" of summer.....

Sweet blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Christie's Hercule Poirot

I've been a big fan of Agatha Christie

for many years, loving a good mystery

read now and then.  When I discovered

Hercule Poirot on Masterpiece Theater,

Christie's character came to life for me.

I found the book in our library

re-sale book store....loved

the copyright was dated l934.

Inside the front cover ,

written in her best penmanship

was the owner's name, date and address.

Mrs Durward E. Smith

649 So Main St

Georgetown, Ill. Oct. l956

I find it interesting as I

read along, I not only see him

in my mind's eyes, I hear his voice

quite clearly as he is in

Masterpiece.

A. B. C. MURDERS

Page 3....

He came slowly across to me, an open

letter in his hand. He read it through

himself, then passed it to me.

"Tell me, mon ami," he said. "What

do you make of this?"

I took it from him, with some interest.

It was written on thickish white notepaper

in printed characters;

MR HERCULE POIROT,-

You fancy yourself, don't you, at

solving mysteries that are too difficult for our

poor thick-headed British police? Let us

see, Mr. Clever Poirot, just how clever

you can be. Perhaps you'll find this not too hard

to crack. Look out for Andover on the 21st

of the month.

Yours, etc.,

A.B.C.

And so it begins......another great summer read.

Have a beautiful day.....Dee Dee

IKEA Floor Lamp

Most of the cottage is

decorated with a more feminine

touch...more to my taste.

The Mister has always

been gracious, allowing me

the "lady of the house"

to do the decorating.

I'm not so sure one would

call our family room the

"man room"

but the decor is indeed more

to his style and  liking.

It is a no frills kind of place,

simply decorated  for

relaxation and entertainment.

More recently, I've

added a simple IKEA

floor lamp to the room

for his reclining, reading

pleasure.

I'm pleased that he's pleased.....Dee Dee

Discovery

I stopped in Michael's

Art and Craft store a few

days ago, looking for

information on

"cold porcelain clay."

I've been inspired while

looking at lovely  clay jewelry

on Etsy.

 

Michael's had  what I was looking for

and I hope to use the clay, for making

 unique and one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts.

The craft store was abuzz with folks,

many hanging out

in the bead and jewelry section.

The Susan Lenart Kazmer "Chic"

jewelry making packets and charms

seemed to be getting lots of

attention.  I bought those

seen here, came home and

spent much of the afternoon

looking at tutorials on

"Chic" jewelry making by Susan on the

Internet. I love her vintage, industrial and rustic

styles and hope to come up with

some ideas of my own.

Have a beautiful day!  Dee Dee

Dusting Off My Watercolors and Pencils

I've been so busy lately

with sewing, and  making baby things,

that my watercolors and pencils

have gathered a good bit of dust on them.

This afternoon, with

a steady soft rain outdoors, and

a lovely quiet home inside,

I've felt a nice tug on my

creative juices.

Sitting down to draw, I'm

more often than not, inspired

to illustrate the young children

in my life.

This very happy four year old,

opening his present

rather quickly, has expressions

in his eyes and in his smile,

that say it all.

I've  chosen to surround him with the

color he likes best....orange.

And yes....his summer shoes are

of the same color.

Have a beautiful day, everyone!  Dee Dee

God's Great Love

Then the Lord looked upon the earth

and filled it with His blessings.....

Have a beautiful Lord's day!  Dee Dee

Burberry Style For Baby Girl

It's a mother's prerogative

to select colors and designs

for her new baby.

And so it was on a recent

shopping trip for fabrics, that

she selected something unusual and quite lovely

for her baby girl's cradle.

"I love these fabrics Mom,

they remind me of Burberry.

And so it turns out, that I too love the colors she put together,

and we're both pleased with the results.

Being a grandmother awaiting new

birth is heavenly.  Only a few weeks

left now, and I still have stacks of

precious baby fabrics to work with......sigh.....

Enjoying these sweet times.....Dee Dee

Art Deco

I suppose I have a fondness for

"art deco" going way back to my youth.

Growing up, our home decor

was unique in just about every way

possible.

My mother looked at the magazines

and tried to imitate what she liked best.

I think maybe she was  a frustrated  decorator......

and so it was  that our family sat on

 one of the first white

sectional sofas,  in our

otherwise traditional neighborhood.

I would now describe the style as

Scandinavian, or contemporary.

Today, bits of that style and nostalgic

reminders, are

scattered  throughout my cottage.

A small art deco style clock sits on a

desk in a guest room.......

and a  white/glass  art deco

style lamp illuminates the same room.

It's interesting  how one's

first decorative impressions,

follow them all through life.

Enjoying the memories.....Dee Dee

The Planting Will Have To Wait

Earlier in the week,

I brought home a tray

of beautiful pink

Penta plants.

Then the rains came,

followed by extreme

humidity and heat.......

I would wait for

the planting a few days.....

In the meantime, I'm

enjoying .....

beautiful pink Pentas on the porch......

Not a bad thing, the

waiting to plant

has given us a garden

in close proximity.

Sigh.........I fear I'm looking

forward to cooler weather

with great anticipation.

Have a beautiful day......Dee Dee