Touching Up Metal Yard Art

When I go to Hobby Lobby and I actually find something I want enough to put in my cart, I want to plan to keep it awhile. Inevitably though, the piece starts to look terrible after a few seasons.

I bought this little Autumn themed girl holding a pumpkin and thought it was cute. I really like it and I wanted to put it back out this Fall.

Here is what it was looking like before I gave it a touch up with an enamel paint kit from Hobby Lobby.

And here is what it looks like after. I’m no artist but I’m at least not ashamed of it now.

From Drab to Fab - Metal Yard Art Upgrade

Nothing that a little enamel paint set from Hobby Lobby can't fix!

Homemade Dog Bed From Old Bedding- When you Don't Feel Like Paying Petco $80.00

I needed to repurpose two king size pillows and their matching sheet set when it was time to get new sheets. I placed the two pillows side by side over the flat sheet that I had folded in half long-ways. I then carefully rolled up the pillows with the flat sheet keeping them side by side. I then placed the fitted sheet over the pillow and flat sheets then rolled and tucked the fitted sheet in. I used a few safety pins to hold it all in place.

That cow dog loves it!

Callie Mae.

Do You Think I Have a Chive Issue??

I've had these chives for about 12 years, they've always been in the same two pots.

When we moved out here, I put the two plants in my woodland garden.

Now they've gone rouge!

Here are the two pots that have been their home for so long.

But look, they're going crazy! I need to pot all these puppies and sell them!

As Summer in Oklahoma Comes to an End!

I may FINALLY get my hands on some juicy Fall tomatoes. This plant was a volunteer from my compost pile last year. It came back out this Spring but never produced so I cut it back in Summer.

To my surprise as I was going out to pull the monster plant up, I found these. I believe them to be heirlooms. I hope there is enough time before the first frost to harvest them!

Here is one of the last harvests from my one grape tomato plant. This sucker was covered with these little guys. I am not good at growing tomatoes at all! None of the other plants produced except the one heirloom plant noted above and this one.

We can always tell when Fall is near because the grasses start to grow their tassels.

And the American Beautyberries show their colors.

Summer in Southeastern Oklahoma 2018

Summer 2018 Young Sumac Trees

NO this is not the poisonous sumac. This tree or bush will eventually produce red cones which some use to make Sumac Koolaid or ground up sumac spice. Poisonous sumac has white berries, that is the one you need to stay away from!

Non-Poisonous Sumac Trees

Spider Lily

The Last Small Handful

Home Grown Blueberries

Decorated In-Ground Cellar

Spring is Sprung in Oklahoma!

I'm attaching some photos I took as I walked around our acre and our neighborhood. We are proud of our Dogwoods. Everyone here has a pact to not take out too many trees as the lots are being sold out and constructed on, especially trying to preserve all the precious Dogwoods and Redbud trees. Many cars tour our neighborhood in late March / early April just to see the beautiful trees.

The Lovely Bridal Wreath Spirea

Hot Pink Creeping Phlox - Lowe's

Dogwoods in Bloom in the Hood!

Dogwoods in Bloom in the Hood!

Dogwoods in Bloom at Home

Azalea Encore Autumn Bonfire - Lowe's. This one is sure pretty.
I plan to fill this whole area with the same color of Azaleas.

Lavender Creeping Phlox - Lowe's. My goat is eating the plants!
The Hydrangea at the front entrance is coming to life. Our house came
with some of this purple phlox so I added to it along the walkway coming
up to the front door.

Pink Flags (Iris)

An Oklahoma Gardening Blog - Pre Spring 2018 Garden Update

Spring is Sprung here in Oklahoma!!!!!

Daffodils

Azaleas

Grape Hyacinth

Chinese Fringe

White Astilbe

Chives

Ajuga

New Man Cave Construction Update - December 2017

We're getting there. It's been a few months since I provided the last update so here we go. We are DIY'ing this project as funds provide so this is slow going but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

We've begun to put the siding on, purchased from Lowe's (8.25" x 12" wood grain hardiboard) just this past week. This is cemented that has been primed and is not supposed to rot. We will paint the siding once it's in place and we decide on a color. We also added the short overhang on the front of the building and bought composite shingles to match the house. These are Tamko shingles in Weatherwood.

The highlight is the cedar shakers and the functioning window just above the overhang. For cost purposes we decided to only put the shakers on the front of the man cave and not the back. We also purchased the shakers from Lowe's, they were about $20.00 a bundle. We originally figured on 6 bundles but had to go back and get 5 more!

This is where we stand on December 7th, 2017. Cold, windy weather is moving in, we're getting our first hard freeze of the season. We will get back after this when weather allows.

Southwest Design - Painted Cow Skulls

I thought I would share these. Before we decided to rent our childhood home out, we were cleaning out the garage out back and I found these. They were painted by my mother back in the 1990's. She was an artist who loved to paint.

This was her motto and a saying she had hanging in her kitchen:

I digress.

On to the cow skulls. These skulls were covered in dust and filth from just having been hung up in the shop. I took them down and carefully washed them in the sink. I let them dry and sprayed a little clear top coat on each one to help preserve her painting.

She was big into Southwest decor in the 90's before she passed away. Everything in our house was the trend at the time!