Summer Dawn

I've been keeping tabs on our tree tenant.  I can peek out my bedroom window, and when the wind blows just right, I can catch a glimpse of the nest. Sure enough every time I looked, I could see the mother bird (I think) devotedly sitting there, guarding those perfectly blue eggs.

Wierdly enough, early this morning, I was awaken from a dream.  In my dream I was trying to take a picture of a nest that was in a tree, and when I got close enough, I could see two little birds and an angry mother bird with her wings spread out as if protecting her young. It was chirping as if yelling and warning me,  it proceeded to fly straight toward me, and I woke up. I am not making this up, this was seriously my dream this morning!

I think it had been about a week since I peeked out my bedroom window.  So after that strange dream I had to look. I noticed the mother bird was no longer just nesting, but it was standing on the edge of the nest.  I had to clear up my suspicions, so here's the update:

As for the mother bird, this is she. She did fly back and forth a couple of times from the fence to the roof, she almost flew toward me, and warned me, enough to make me silently scream  a couple of times.

I didn't want to label this post "When Mother Bird Attacks!", So I let the little family be.

Vintage Spring Blues

I've been craving to make a Spring throw out of my stash of vintage fabrics. It was just a matter of designing a pattern, and choosing a color scheme. Inspired by this teacup and plate I rescued,

it was now time to cut, and sew.

Here it is ready for some stippling fun!

After a few hours of free motion bliss . . .

It just needed a little something more . . . Inspired by our very own morning visitors,

I came up with this.

My Vintage Spring Vision has become reality!

Summer may be just around the corner, but Spring is still in the air! A feathered friend has made a home in our backyard. Littlest girl can't get enough of our little tree tenant!

I tried to get as close as I could to take a picture, and our friend flew away. I was curious . . . So while our friend was gone, I took a peek.

(They're not the best pictures, but it was too high to reach without a ladder, and it started to rain)

Luckily our friend returned and has been there since!  So even though my Vintage Spring Blue color scheme was sparked by merely a plate and a cup, I can't get over how perfectly blue those eggs are!

Confessions Of A Chocoholic

Days ago, I wasn't exactly having the best of days . . . Okay,  I was having an absolutely sad, down in the dumps, or as Anne Shirley puts it, I was "in the depths of despair" . . . While expressing my frustrations, and dealing with my own emotions, hubby asked me, "What do you need?" "CHOCOLATE", I responded. I wasn't entirely serious. After all, I'm not one that fills my emotional voids with food, or chocolate (since it's not technically food, but more of it's own food group).  Usually, I just need to vent, sort out my feelings, and move on. Sarcasm or not, I don't think hubby was taking any chances. In an attempt to soothe my blues,  after a trip to the local home improvement store, hubby took a slight detour. He not only came home with four of these:

(Might I add they're the king size)
But also with a dozen chocolate, chocolate glazed doughnuts! I must have been quite an emotionally unstable sad case! It's nice to have a hubby who cares, and knows me so well. None of that milk chocolate for me!
I did share.
A while back at the library, this children's book caught my eye. I had to check it out.

Except I would title mine, "I love Dark chocolate"

Speaking of chocolate . . .
Here's the chocolate layered cake filled with chocolate whipped cream, covered in chocolate frosting, surrounded by chocolate sprinkles, and topped with dark chocolate shavings, I made for my mom's birthday. After all, I do believe this addiction runs in the genes!

(The sugar daisies were left over flowers I made for littlest girl's birthday cake).

Not that I don't appreciate or savor chocolate-free treats, but in my world, chocolate does make everything better, even bad days!

Bijou Box - 5th Edition

This one was the most expensive of my thrifty box finds.

Here is the $4 find before:

Behind one of the drawers I found a newspaper clipping with a birth announcement from the same hospital where hubby was born. Judging by the lining, I'm guessing it's probably from his era too.

I also found this surprise inside!

The melody is just like a music toy camera I had when I was little (I still have it).

Now in Antique White.

I loved the little handles! Especially that I didn't even have to paint them!

It was hard to decide on what paper to use.

This was the winner!

Fifth Box done!

Would you believe there's a 6th Edition in the works?!

As I said before, I have issues...

Twin Bijou Box

Several months ago, I thrifted another jewelry box just like the one I made-over for Oldest Daughter. For a look back, click here . I've made them matching clothes in the past, they have the same style of dressers and desks that I refinished a couple of years ago, so it was only fitting that Littlest Girl have a jewelry box too!

Here it is before surgery:

This is it now:

My work here is done!

Until the next box! (Which is in the works . . . so stayed tuned! I know, I have OCD issues with the wierdest things.)

T is for Turtle

Years and years ago, my mom got this A-Z Betty Crocker Cook Book for kids.  I was thinking about T- for Turtle Bread, and remember making it when I was a kid myself. I wanted to bake some homemade rolls for dinner, but decided it was going to take too long. This bread is super quick to make and I thought my kids would get a kick out of it!

I had the recipe in my recipe box, but here's the online link : Turtle Bread.

No actual turtles were used or harmed during the baking of this bread.

It was tail, for Littlest Girl, and head for Youngest Boy!

It almost seemed wrong to cut it! Almost . . . cause  we ate it all up!

Doodle Pillow

I decided I needed to work on a quick, yet relaxing craft project. About a year or so ago I attempted the art of free motion quilting. It turns out it's much like doodling on paper, but using fabric and thread as the medium. So, to break up the monotony of everyday cleaning, and other art forms of my typical stay at home canvas, I doodled up a little throw pillow.

I chose this pretty spring floral, with the perfect tranquil blue backround. It was hanging out in my stash since last summer. One of those clearance $2 per yard deal I couldn't pass up! Teamed up with some left-over quilting cotton/poly fill, and part of a vintage sheet, I was ready to doodle.

A few minutes later...

                                Quick project indeed!

 Besides, it's great practice for the bigger size quilt project I intend to sew in the not so distant future!