Saturday, March 31, 2012

Cute Critter for Camera Critters

 

Chippy in the tray 2 for web

It has been quite a while since the last time I did Camera Critters.   Over the winter the Chipmunks have a big nap and in spring begin their antics in the Sandbox.   You can often find them scurrying back and forth from under the deck to the back of the garden and they always seem to be in a hurry.   This one was cleaning out the birdfood tray on the deck. 

 

Chippy in the tray

Here he is again looking so cute but we know he is a little imp who gets into lots of trouble over the summer. 

I am joining Camera Critters today.    Valerie

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Spring Flowers for Mosaic Monday


spring flowers mosaic
Everyday lately there has been something new pop up in the garden. The tulip and daffodil leaves have really burst out of the soil.  Last year I planted a new Hellibore and I have a flower on it.  The tiny little Muscari ‘neglectum’  is such a pretty blue. The red tulips have heads but have not opened and another miniature that that grows in the grass called  Storksbill with showy little pink flowers in the spring.  You never know what you are going to find tomorrow.
I will be joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.  Have a wonderful week. Valerie

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Gardening is a Form of Hunger

pansies colour board

Darcy at My3Boybarians has for this week’s Project 52 challenge this week the theme
“Hunger”.  I thought about food but in the end I thought that after a long winter most of us that love to garden will have a hunger to get back out to the garden. Due to the weird temperatures we have been having I have been out in the garden all this week.  We are far ahead of schedule for all our plants and I am a bit pessimistic that we will pay for it in the end.  Today I went to my favourite nursery and purchased some pansies and a few perennials.  I know you can download many wonderful collages from the web but I made this one myself just because I could.  Hope you have a great day.   Valerie

 

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sandbox Firsts for Mosaic Monday


2012 Sandbox firsts
We have had the most perfect weekend weather wise. Today I decided to get after the scourge of my front garden…the Vinca Minor or Periwinkle.  It has taken over the front bed and it has sunk it’s little tentacles into all the plants until nothing else can grow.  So, I went out with my favourite tool the copra head and dug as much out as I could until my back gave out.  I did manage to fill one of the large paper garden waste bags with it and some honeysuckle branches that was also taking over.  There is a lot more to do but I if the weather holds it will give me endless hours of play in the Sandbox. I am so glad to be finally able to get outside again.
My mosaic reflects more firsts.  The Hellebore Niger is beginning to bloom and so is the little Primula. The fish have appeared from the bottom of the pond and out came one frog to sun himself on the rocks.
I will be joining Mary for Mosaic Monday. I hope you have a great week. Valerie

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

March is Daffodil Month

 

bi-colour-daff-with-logolr

 

 

Canadian Cancer Society kicks off Daffodil Campaign at Canada Blooms

On March 16, Canada Blooms will kick-off the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month by presenting the iconic yellow flower as the official flower of this year’s largest home and garden festival.

All flowers hold symbolic meanings.  From love, to strength to fertility, flowers tell a story greater than themselves. Each year, Canada Blooms chooses a flower as the symbol of the festival.  This year, Canada Blooms has partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society to feature the daffodil. Synonymous with spring, the daffodil symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings, heralding the arrival of the life and better time ahead.

“The daffodil is the flower of spring, but more than that the daffodil is a symbol of hope.  We are proud to partner with the Canadian Cancer Society and to launch their daffodil campaign to bring promises of a better tomorrow for all of those affected by cancer,” Gerry Ginsberg, General Manager of Canada Blooms stated. 

Every three minutes, another Canadian is faced with fighting cancer. In April, Canadians across the country fight back. Thousands of volunteers across Ontario will work together to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society by selling fresh daffodil pins, and knocking on doors in their community to collect donations.

To highlight the campaign, the Canadian Cancer Society has joined with the award-winning firm Miyabi Landscape Design & Construction to showcase why the yellow daffodil is more than just a flower.

“The daffodil is more than a beautiful flower to us. The daffodil is a symbol of strength and courage, a symbol of life. It says we will fight back. It says we will beat cancer,” explained Martin Kabat, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society.“We are thrilled to be able to launch the campaign at Canada Blooms, and we hope our garden helps spread the message of hope and recruits more people to join the fight against cancer.”

Visitors to the Canadian Cancer Society Fight for Life garden will have the opportunity to join the fight against cancer and purchase a daffodil pin to wear throughout April as a show of support for people living with cancer.

NEW! Get your daffodil pin from a local celebrity at Canada Blooms!

Marjorie Harris, garden writer, blogger, Globe and Mail and House & Home

Friday, March 16 at 2:00-2:30 p.m.

Sonia Day, gardening columnist, Toronto Star

Saturday, March 17

Jane Lockhart of Jane Lockhart Interior Design and host of W Network’s Colour Confidential

Tuesday, March 20 at 11:00 a.m. to noon & 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 22.

yellow daffs for the web

I am going to be at Canada Blooms on Saturday March 17 for a Garden Writers lunch and have volunteered to escort a tour on the March 21st.   It will be interesting to see how the two shows, Canada Blooms and the Home Show, can enchant the garden lovers and the DIYers among us.   It is ten days this year.  Many of the plants and flowers will not be able to survive for that long as the trees, shrubs etc are forced out of dormancy.  The various flowers shows will have trouble keeping their prized specimens in prime form. 

Valerie

Monday, March 12, 2012

A Bit of Green

 

violet leaves with green border

This week the Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  Today I thought I would add my own bit of green with a photo of one of my violet plants.  The green border and little bit of embellishment was from Betty Jo Martin.  Betty Jo was a scrapper but I do not know if she blogs anymore.   The texture I used on the leaves is a Kim Klassen Café texture called teastained linen. 

I will be joining Kim Klassen Café for Texture Tuesday and Lisa Gordon for The Creative Exchange.   You can feel spring in the air here this week.    You only need a sweater today.  Valerie

Friday, March 9, 2012

Still for Project 52

 

 

jug with Georgianna texture for web

In my studio which consists of a dining chair with a white board on the bottom and a fake cloud background on the back I placed the last of the Valentine’s day mums in a white jug.   The texture I used was a new one by Georgianna Lane Photography.

Project 52 themes this week is “Still”.    Have a great weekend.   It is the start of March break here so there will be lots of people on the move.    Valerie

 

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Showing off my Winnings

 

my winnings

Recently Lady Pondside of the blog Pondside held a contest in which she offered to give away a book called Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle.   All you had to do was leave a comment.    I became a big fan of Downton  Abbey this year and tried never to miss an episode so I just had to enter the contest.

note and teabox with logo

I was just thrilled when Lady Pondside emailed to tell me that I won.   Last week in the post I received my winnings.   A lovely handwritten note, a box of Library blend tea from Murchie”s, a tea importer in Richmond, British Columbia and the book.  Such a lovely gift.

Book cover with logo

I look forward to reading this book in the next few weeks.  My husband starts radiation and chemotherapy next week and I will be spending my time sitting in the waiting room for him.

Valerie

Monday, March 5, 2012

Mason Jars

 

Mason Jars for web

Seems that Mason Jars or canning jars in general have made a resurgence in the last little while.  I have seen on Pinterest and other cooking blogs food items not usually placed in a canning jars like a cake or even a pie are appearing as an idea to try when trying to impress family and friends.   The Toronto Star this morning had a item in the Life and Entertainment section siting that Mason Jars are not just for grandma’s raspberry jam anymore.  They are appearing in bars across Toronto apparently following a trend according to Bon Appetit. 

The Mason Jar was patented by New Yorker John L. Mason in the mid 1800s as a screw top “fruit jar” for preserving foods such as strawberries, green beans and peaches for over the winter. During the prohibition years the Mason Jar was used to carry moonshine through back alleys to thirsty patrons across North America.   Three featured bars in Toronto came up with their own version of a cool drink such as the Collins McMacintosh, the Bungalow Island Caesar and Sours all served in a Mason Jar.  

So, in keeping the thought alive I brought out one of my own Crown brand of Mason Jar and stuck in stem of daisies for Texture Tuesday Challenge.   This week we were to use the texture “happyheart” by Kim Klassen Café.  It gives the Mason Jar arrangement a little vintage feel with two layers of the texture.

I will also be joining with Lisa Gordon of the The Creative Exchange.  Have a great day.   Valerie

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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Thinking of Gardening with a Teacup

 

Teacup mosaic

We still have snow on the ground but my heart wants to get out into the garden and start playing in the Sandbox.   I see some of the gardening blogs I follow have flowers already appearing and I am envious.   In a couple of weeks Canada Blooms, the large gardening venue in Toronto begins where and I will be among the many people taking in all the different senses of flowers, trees and shrubs. This year for the first time Canada Blooms and the Home Show will be sharing the same venue so for one ticket you can see gardens and  get home decorating ideas at the same time.   I am looking forward to it.

My Mosaic for Mosaic Monday came about when I noticed the cobwebs up in the corners where I have a display of plates on a plate rack.   Time to get up there and get them down to clean them up.   I still have a few flowers left from Valentine’s Day and so one thing lead to another and here you go a combination of teacups and flowers.

Have a great week.  Valerie

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A Leap of Faith for Project 52

 

16-Frozen-Grackles-for-web

 

I had trouble trying to find a photo for todays Project 52 challenge.  The theme was Leap of Faith.    In searching through my recent pictures I came across a photo I had taken during a snow storm of at least 16 Grackles sitting on the telephone lines outside the house.   These guys are a might early for a return to this area.  They may have been here all winter but we don’t see many of them.  There were robins and cedar waxwings mixed up in the bunch but this group stayed together.  It was miserable and I don’t know what food they thought they might find.   So, with that I thought they were making a leap of faith to find food and shelter on a stormy day.

Project 52 is hosted by Darcy at My3Boybarians.com.  Come over to see what other leaps of faith are on her website.   Valerie

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Hoping You Have a Blessed Easter