Looking for Spring

trom Penny in S Africa

Hi! Happy Friday the 13th! The ''unlucky'' day has finally brought us a warmer and sunny day. Today I am sharing delightfully springy photos sent to me by friends here and family, folks who don't have blogs so these will be wonderfully new views for you all.

From Mel in Kansas:

Something to look forward to in May.

From Kel in Southern California. Tropical beauties!

From Penny is South Africa, below. I ignorantly had a vision of South Africa as a place of dry grasslands, but her area is said to have a "Mediterranean" climate. Of course it is late summer to her. So reminds me of my parents' home in Cape Cod, the lush maritime weather and flowers.



Additional info from Penny: "They're Japanese anemones (also called Windflowers). The most commonly grown here are the white and pink. They shoot up to well over a metre in Autumn and sometimes after heavy rain and Autumn winds they keel over. You also get dark pink/almost maroon ones with thin strip-like petals. 
The hydrangeas are the common white Madam Emile Moulliere (usually the cheapest white ones in the nursery). Our soil is fairly acid and they then become spotted with pink and a glorious green on the more shady side. These also dry beautifully. "

Her hydrangeas are the most perfect shade of pink.

From Cat in Scotland, a wonderful description: " As we drove home from England today, I spied from the passenger window, a carpet of snowdrops in the woods somewhere in the Scottish borders. The ground was covered in them, all lovely and white. On our way south last week, everything was covered in snow. What a difference a week makes."   Photos from Mel.  

And from my brother in the southwest. He has  a hummingbird nest in his courtyard tree! He said, "Two tiny eggs, the size of the tiny Jelly Beans." And yesterday I got a text that the eggs had hatched.  The babies must be impossibly small!

I was so wanting spring to arrive that I considered doing my main rooms in blue/ white/ daffodil yellow. [but no.]

 Flowers from Trader Joe's, tiny nosegays, including that misty grey seaside thistle.

And some local, uplifting news, Homeless Ospreys: Have a good weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...


Our roadside or "parkway" plantings:

From the weather bug, look at the City!

Then mainland here...

keep in mind it's at least 10-15* colder where I am on the water. Parka still in use.

Strawberries, Blueberries

Hi! I am adding new items [slowly, slowly] to my etsy shop. Would I rather be quilting? Or beach walking? Maybe but I do enjoy making pretty things to share with you all. And as the thrifting, flea-ing season begins, inspiration arrives too.

Sewing emeries, traditional strawberries filled with my white quartz beach sand:

sold ~ thank you!

available

This is how I package them.

Have a good week!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

Out and About ~ New! White Elephant Sale

Hello everyone! I'm late with my post today because we had a fun busy day out. New flea!? Maybe? Tag sale, white elephant sale?

My friend L and I went to a new-to-us thrifting sort of sale. It's been around for years but they finally put the sign where I could slow down while driving by, to read the details. It was at the beautiful small church near us. I find yard sales and fleas very inspiring for my etsy shop creations. I dragged L along, told her, You know how I love looking through other people's junk! Let's check this out! We had no idea if  this sale would be a couple of tables of granny's castoffs, or swap meet c.2005 electronics, or what.

But no! Their entire basketball court sized rec center was filled with treasures! This is, as mentioned, a charming church where I have attended a number of weddings; they do a huge San Gennaro Feast  in September, and seem to have a big contingent of busy and active church ladies.

The flyers are confusing. The sale is supposedly only Friday and Saturday, but they do a preview on Fridays  [and Mondays?]. We thought the preview was Just Looking, but no, you can buy. They had a big array of fun ''elephants".

Pretty things!
Quite a few bits of interesting Art Deco furniture. My ex DH collects Art Deco. This is a hall stand, I think.

Brown transferware, 20th century.

Pretty white porcelain cake or cupcake stand.

Beautiful raised flowers. I'd use it for birthday cakes and holiday cakes.

Of course seashelly stuff.

Cow. I always wanted a cow creamer.

$$$Vaseline hobnail glass.

This almost looks like a Clarice Cliff Art Deco "Wisteria" pattern. here

But is not.

Very cute Flower Power early 70s plates

This set was my fave. Tropical! Palm trees. Oddly stenciled. I love it , so Florida in the 50s. Can't you just see the ladies with their beehive hairdos, cigarettes, crinolines!--- playing mah-jongg, sipping coffee, and nibbling on pimento cheese finger sandwiches served on these plates! Made in New Jersey.

L got vintage German beer steins and newish wine glasses. I had no money at all, so I didn't buy anything. May go back for this beautiful white cotton crocheted bedspread. It was 45.oo though. I was happy to see such handwork draw a decent price but  too expensive for my current budget. I just picture it on my bed in the summer over a crisp white duvet cover and mounds of lace edged pillows.

The ladies wouldn't let me open the bag.

Did not get: there was a great brand new with its box unused Singer sewing machine c. 1990, maybe. $35.oo! It wasn't fancy but it had a nice array of zigzag and other stitches. It would be a great back up machine, too bad. I saw it across the room but as I hustled over, an aproned church lady boxed it up and was taking it away. I saw the price tag, but she mumbled "Sold!' and that was that. Also a lovely green glass candlestick that would have made a sweet base for a large tomato or strawberry pincushion. Darn. Quite a few bundles of linen napkins, not quite right. I'm looking for monogrammed in white or cream to dye in pretty colors.
.......
NO blue ''stuff'' [china etc]; no linens, no lace edged pillow cases, no fabric. But who knows, maybe next time? The sale is held weekends of and on through Labor Day. Exciting and much closer than the big flea..

...
On our way home we stopped at the good fruit market by the train tracks. Again, I had no cash on me so bought nothing. Took photos, just admiring the colors and fresh goodness:

What are these? They were each wrapped in a little white fabric  diaper!

 Big and little, good for soup.

So colorful. Kale, chard.

Cipollini onions, for stew or glazed or creamed.

At the regular grocery the cipollinis are 5 onions for $5.99!

Huge aloe leaves. What are they used for? They look like dinosaur scales.

Field greens. I've never seen dandelion greens to buy in bulk before.

Or field/ wild chicory. Fun salad?

 
Interesting array of condiments. BIG bags of pink salt.

Blocks and discs of dark brown cane sugar, again, how is this used?

...
When I got home Mo was sleeping under a cashmere sweater he found on my bed, in a mound of pillows.

The wind bothers him and the floors are cold or drafty. 40 MPH winds lately , all week. No snow yet though.

Mo and I scavenged more wind tossed twigs. Thrilled that this batch bloomed overnight. Hint of spring?

Have a good weekend!~

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...


NOT my photo, from local online news feed. You guys know how I 'm always saying we drove over the bridge to wherever. Here is one of those bridges from the air. Cool. Scary! ?