Saturday is Yard Sale Day! Yahoo!

I like going to yard sales to find treasures. As soon as the economy turned, I noticed that everyone started having them. And, so far I have found some great things, including this sweet little shoe.

A spa sign now hanging in one of my bathrooms....$1.00 & the perfect color!

A lenox christmas china bowl...$2.00 & perfect for the holidays!

An avocado green glass canister...50 cents, perfect for when you're missing the 70s.

After shopping, I stop at the local Costco for a hot dog... still only $1.49. While I was there, they were unloading the chicken rotisserie. I can't believe these made me hungry cause I had just eaten!

Speaking of chickens, I have always collected them. I have several in my home, and as I unpack them I will try to take pictures of them. This is my Fitz & Floyd Rooster and my favorite. I unpacked him first!

That was a before and after, but it was unintentional! I hope Saturday is fun...thanks for visiting,

Liz

Everyone keeps asking...

Courtesy Paris Home

People who read my blog...the people I work with, my family, my neighbors keep asking me where I get the ideas for my tables. I really don't know, but I think my blog buddies will agree, it's like a painting...it's a creation that comes together as it goes along!

I could not create a table this week, because my house is being painted. So, I posting some of my favorite inspiration photos instead.

Australian Home and Garden

This is my favorite colorful table...isn't it cute. I wish I could find these dishes!

And last but not least, a white garden table. When all else fails, you have an event, or you just want a beautiful table, white never fails. Clean, crisp, white!

Thanks for visiting,

Liz

The Arrival Of The Long Stemmed Roses!

If you are looking to grow your own roses for a wedding, or similar event, if you plan ahead you can grow a huge bouquet of long stemmed roses. Prune your rose to about 14- 16 inches in the early spring before the leaves sprout, it will force the plant to "grow" and put out more roses and longer stems.

Here is a picture of what the rose looked like before the buds appeared.

Here is a picture after...you can see how long the stems have grown.

I have done this trick with many different rose bushes and it always works. The rose should be well established, over 2 years old. This bush has 122 buds, which is a lot for a tea rose. If you do a floribunda, you will get tons of clusters. This rose at bloom time was 55" high, so it grew from 16 to 55. If you don't prune that drastically you will get half the buds and half the growth. People who have seen me prune this way, think I am killing the rose, but trust me, it works.

If want the stems to be extra sturdy, feed them organically during the growing season with chopped up banana peels, coffee grounds and fine crushed egg shells.

Thanks for visiting, I hope you had a great long weekend!

Liz

Happy Memorial Day 09

Wow it's memorial day weekend, and for me it's all about the food. Here's a few pictures celebrating this great day in our nation's history when we sit down to eat. Let us remember those we miss!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, thanks for visiting!

Albuquerque Botanical Garden

Yesterday, I took a visit a visit to the local Botanical Garden, and want to share it with you. Here is the building size watering can. Isn't it cute!

Here are the jumbo carrots in the children's garden.

I love the lilly pads. Since water is such a premium here... I was suprised to see they had a pond.

Here is the Rose Garden, with a large variety of roses. I think they are still beautiful, but I will have to come back next spring to see their full beauty.

The most recent edition is a Japenese garden. For those of you who have seen the Japenese Tea Garden at Gold Gate Park in San Francisco, will recognize our garden. It is very similar.

Such a beautiful day to spend the day. If you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend it. Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

Thanks for visiting.

Liz

Tablescape Thursday

Thanks to Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, for hosting this event. I love getting ready for Thursday!

I set up a Mother's Day tea with the flowers I was given, so I decided to post these pictures instead of a tablescape. It was hard to me to do this week, because I have been painting walls and projects!

I am using the tea pot my husband gave me for my birthday...I was very happy with it, cause I usually get appliances!

I have collected several card table size hem-stitched tablecloths over the years. Before TV, I think people played cards, so there is a lot of this size out there.

This is my oversize english tea cup, made by Roy Kirkland. He makes very thin cups, but the are durable too. I put mine in the dishwasher and they are fine. I purchased this one at Marshall's. I have several different designs, even one with teddy bears.

Please visit Susan's blog to look at the other entries. There are so many creative tables that just have to get viewed! You can get some great ideas, especially if you are having some summer get-togethers!

This week has been hard to get a table together because I have been painting my urns and a desk. I'll post pictures soon. Thanks for stopping by,

I should never go shopping.

I was at Dillard's yesterday looking for clearance towels for my quest bathroom, when I wandered into the china department (in case my husband's reading this) and came a upon this set of Ralph Lauren China and Glassware.

I'm normally attracted to vintage items, but this pattern has that look. It is meant to match an oriental pattern called "mandarin", and each piece retails for $40...too steep for my pocketboot. Isn't it cute? It matches something else I collect, which is cambridge glass.

This goblet is about 70 years old and is half the price of the Ralph Lauren Goblet. Go figure. My absolute favorite piece of glass is the "BOOPIE" I have them in every size. They were made by Libby from 1940s thur the 1970s, they look vintage and they are indestructible. I even put them in the dishwasher.

You see them at the thrift store for $1 or less each. They are very common in the smaller sizes...and harder to find in the Iced Tea size. Here is one holding sugar cubes.

And...I couldn't leave the mall without a cupcake!!! Doesn't it look chocolaty!

Have a great Tuesday!

Garden Update

I spent the weekend in my garden, and want to update with a few photos. I woke up very early, before the heat, and spotted a few balloons floating above. You can see the Rockie Mountains in the background.

This one was above my neighbor's house. If you live in my area of Albuquerque, you see these daily.

I also promised a picture of my neighbor's sedum lawn when it turned green. The hill part of the lawn is made up of the ground cover. Doesn't it look great, it can stand the heat, and you don't have to mow!!!

Here is a photo of my ground cover transplants. All the pots came from the largest pot. Soon all the pots will be full and ready for the lawn.

My large yellow rose bush is still mostly buds, and it's after Mother's Day...it's a late bloomer.

And, the last mystery rose has opened...it's red. I wanted a white...I guess I be planting roses soon.

I started to plant my annual pots, and picked up a flat of purple trailing lobelia at Lowes. These do really well at high altitude, and bloom all summer.

Just a little update,