French Wire Flower Baskets

Spring is popping at all over in Oklahoma.  We've had warmer temperatures a little sooner this year 
(well we are the Sooner State) and the

 trees are already blooming

 and leafing out.

Redbuds are in bloom everywhere and I enjoy walking through the garden to see what is emerging from a winter's sleep.  I still have leaves to remove from my flowers beds.  I'll add some  amendments and  then I'll finish with a nice layer of  mulch in preparation of spring plantings.  ( I find it easier to mulch large areas first and then plant)

  

My flowering kale has grown tall and is almost in flower.  I love the color!! We've had a mild winter and some my annuals are coming back too, a nice bonus for a gardener!

The pansies and violas I planted in my french wire baskets survived beautifully but I needed to add a few more plants to replace some of the annuals.   I can view these from my kitchen window so I love keeping them full of color!

My neighbor and  I went to a seminar at one of our favorite garden centers yesterday and of course I couldn't leave without purchasing a few plants.  The magenta geranium gave the basket just the pop of color it needed.

The baskets last spring...

last fall...

and finally this weekend

I love changing them out for the seasons!

At the seminar we attended they suggested mixing osmocote into

 the soil when planting containers in spring.  Another tip was using soil moisture additives to help keep  containers from drying out too fast.  I did try them last year and they were

 a great help during

 our record heat wave.

I've also been landscaping around my new patio and I'm almost finished.  Still more leaves to remove ( we have  eight mature oak trees) 

 and then a nice layer of mulch. 

 I'll save the patio pictures for another post when things are looking a bit more settled. 

I was sore today from all the bending and stooping yesterday, but I love every minute I spend digging

 in my garden..well except maybe the moment I dug up a frog!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

I'm linking with:

 Show off your Cottage Monday
Metamorphosis Monday 

and 
Tootsie's Flaunt Your Flowers

Country French Breakfast Table

The sun has been shining in Oklahoma this past week and is coaxing our flowers to bloom.  The grass is turning that beautiful shade of spring green that I welcome after a drab winter.   My daffodils are blooming but not as vigorous as in past years but I'm happy to welcome them back.  
I cut a few to make a fragrant little bouquet for my table. 
 Yellow is my happy color!

All the sunshine inspired me to set our little breakfast table.  I found this wonderful french tablecloth at Whittaker's (one of my favorite shops in Carmel) on our recent trip.  I was so excited to find this pattern as I had already purchased the coordinating napkins and placemats several years ago while shopping in Wimberly Texas.   That's the fun of collecting things you love...finding a few coordinating pieces here and there, in little antique shops or while traveling instead of trying to purchase or find everything all at once!   

The tablecloth pattern is Blue Monaco and I just love the extra stripe of yellow flowers that runs through the pattern.   This fabric has a protective  finish and just cleans up with a damp rag.   It has a less glossy finish as an alternative to the traditional heavier oil cloths.  

I found these Wedgwood Etruria plates at a going-out of business sale at little consignment shop a couple years ago.  The pattern is Ranunculus and there were an odd number of nine plates (3 of each size) for less than $20!!   I just love the floral pattern and the textured edge on the plates.   I don't have the matching cups but used my transferware pieces from the Liberty Blue set.   

The egg holders were purchased in Solvang, California  and they are Delft Blue from Holland.  I think they are the cutest! 

The store only had two...wish they would have had
 a set of six!  I think they would be perfect for
 an Easter table too.

 

The coffee/tea server was a find at a local antique mall...and was on sale.  I really like the pretty floral pattern and shape.  
The pattern is from England and is Avondale,
 Royal Staffordshire.     

I collect little honeypots and found this sweet set in a gift shop near Solvang....I had purchased the tea bag
 holder in Carmel earlier in the week because of it's
 honeypot shape.  Such a nice surprise to find
 the matching honeypot and creamer! 














My little baby chicks are right at home on the table.  

The napkin holders are ceramic and I found a set of four at a charity thrift store. 

This is my favorite color combination for a tablescape.  
Hope you are enjoying sunshine and 
getting ready for spring!









I'm linking with 


House of Roses Show off your Cottage Monday
Smiling Sally's Blue Monday
Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays
Tea Time Tuesdays
Susan's BNOTP Tablescape Thursdays
Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday
Fresh Cut Friday at Rose Vignettes
and 
Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays


Go join in the parties!

Christmas Tea Time

 I brewed a pot of chai spice tea today since I was feeling a little under the weather and realized it had been a while since I shared a tea table. 

After enjoying my second cup I took a few photos of my newest Mud Pie pieces.  The mugs are nice and big and hold a lot of tea! 

Last week I found Christmas Mud Pie ornaments at a darling children's store and was fortunate to find more Mud Pie items on sale at the hospital gift shop where I work.  I couldn't pass them up since I get an employee

 discount too!

The colors are so festive and I love the mix of colors and patterns...polka dots, stripes and checks...oh my!

This teapot is one of my favorites and I found "her" in a antique store last year.  She's not from Mud Pie but I thought she looked right at home with my Christmas mugs. 

I like to call her Mrs. Potts!

The cake stand is from Pier One and I love the fluted edge.  I've been admiring these cake stands for awhile and they come in different sizes and look great stacked.  Hope Santa heard me...I don't have the other sizes.   Cake stands  make perfect teapot stands 

as well.

Don't you love the loaf pans?  

Merry and FaLaLa! 

The snack/cheese plate is my favorite piece from the collection.  I will be using this on my buffet table for Christmas.  The black and white check adds a touch of whimsy.

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy a Christmas tea and set a pretty tray all for yourself or better yet to share with family or friends. 

Fa La La La La!!!


I'm linking with:
Show off your Cottage Monday
Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays and 
Susan's Tablescape Thursdays

Birdies & Bunnies & Frogs..Oh My!!

Spring is on the way! My daffys are blooming and our fescue grass is starting to grow!  Of course with the changing of the seasons I had to change out the dishes and vignettes in my favorite little hutch.   I have collected birds and bunnies for years and due to my intense fear of frogs my friends and family have also given me "fake" frogs for fun. ( or maybe they are trying to cure me)  Aren't they nice?  I love to display all these little favorites along with my cabbage plates from Portugal for spring.    

My little hutch goes through a metamorphosis 3-4 times a year..sometimes I don't completely change it again in the summer unless I get really ambitious.  

Last Christmas..

Bare bones....

 Spring hutch full of favorites ...

I started collecting cloches about 2 years ago and love finding different shapes and sizes.  Some of mine are just lighting globes turned upside down...I found quite a few for $1 or less at thrift shops and just paired them with candle holders.. This is an example and holds robin eggs.   

I also have a collection of

 topiaries  that bring a little of the garden indoors.

These little bunnies are so fun..climbing in and out of pots and watering cans! 

And who can forget to put out their bunny on a stick?  Mine is nestled in with my dried hydrangeas from last year..I used these in Christmas arrangements too!  

I purchased this terra cotta pot in Napa .  I love how the date is stamped in the clay.  

My Fitz and Floyd bunny teapot..

a special gift from a friend. 

Funny little frogs displayed  in cloches.  Mama frog and baby frog...

Wonder if Marty has ever seen that? 

Don't forget to join in the cloche party next Friday March 11th!  Should be so much fun to see what everyone comes up with.

A collection of honeypots

My favorite Victorian birdhouse

and a bird filled cloche

complete my hutch's transformation.

Spring brings welcome changes..the garden comes alive, windows get washed, closets get cleaned and the grass turns the prettiest color of green.

Have a wonderful week!  I'm linking with

Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

Cielo's Show off your Cottage Monday
Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays / Cloche Party
Cindy's Show and Tell Friday

and

Laurie's A Few of my Favorite Things Saturday