just a look at the planter garden this year...

since our garden is STILL up for debate
(i say flowers and picnic table - hubs says mostly garden)
our little planter garden on the deck will have to do for now. and i might just stick with this forever since it requires no weeding. yup you heard right, NO WEEDING! ain't that the tops?


last year i did similar groupings of pretty plants and veggies.


this year i've got green onions going next to cantaloupe! crazy right? well, i'll probably have to do some switching once things get bigger but it's working out great so far. hopefully i'll be growing the melons down the side of the deck... i'll let you know how that works out.


here's some sweet peas ready to climb up my brightly colored cages!


and you can't forget the herbs!

out in the non-garden i got a blueberry bush popping.
let's hope the birds don't get them before i do!


plus, i was really lucky this winter keeping all my house plants alive indoors! FINALLY!
in the past i've killed so many plants just a few months after bringing them in. i think i'd over water and then under water - which made them very sad. plus i don't think they ever had enough light. this time i managed to water appropriately (less at first and then progressively more) and get them enough sun so only just a few were lost.

here's a few beauties...


plump jade!


happy cacti!


and super potent citronella that loved the big pot i put it in last year.
perfect deck buddy when the bugs come out - just pick and rub all over!

also, last year on my walk i found wild chamomile and brought it home.
it loves our red rock driveway and has been spreading everywhere.


here it is getting ready to bud!
plus some other pretties from around the yard...





whew, ok that's it for now. i'll update the progress!



back again with the artstar details!
as usual, the 8th annual artstar craft bazaar was amazing. all the great philly folk came out in the rain on saturday – skipping around in their golashes – and we got so lucky with sun all day on sunday, hooray! this is by far my most favorite craft show. the girls who run it are soooo awesome and there's always such a nice, friendly vibe. people help each other and happy volunteers are always there to truck your stuff back and forth. plus pina coladas and fantastic oatmeal/cranberry cookies... what could be better!?
here's some pics from the iphone.



my lovely booth partner in crime – kimberly, of chez sucre chez – just stitching away.



customers shopping her fantastic wares.



here's my side getting shopped upon.



i tried a new set-up with posters pinned up between twine
and only one framed wall this year for more of a consolidated pack job.



thanks to all the friends who helped me get ready or stopped out to see the booth. i'll definitely be back next year! and thanks again artstar – you guys rock!

wow-wee it's been a while!
sorry for my little disappearance over the last week –
a lot has been going on and i can barely keep up...

first off, we got our bees!
2 sundays ago we picked up our order at the LCCC campus. it was really awesome to see all the bees that came up from georgia in a little horse trailer...


with about 20 bees on the outside of the box keegan asked me to hold them for the trip back home and my eyes must've shown my utter fear.
i get crazy when there is one little bee buzzing around in the car, let alone 20-30!
luckily he brushed off the excess girls and let me drive while he kept them safe.


when we got home HM came over and helped him insert the queen and release the rest into the hive. my heart raced while they did their thing. (sorry for the blown-out photos. i could barely get a good shot since i still can't seem to figure out this white balance on a super sunny day.)


here's the queen in her little chamber! (she's the big one with the white dot)
over the next few days her servants take care of her as they eat their way out to be greeted by the rest of the hive...

kritter was really inquisitive and would occasionally snap around the air trying to get them in her teeth. i stayed back and watched through the lens mostly.


after a couple days they seem to be hard at work and happy.
queen bee is out of her box and the hive is at a light hum all day long.
so, after all that it wasn't so bad.
no jumping in the pond... yet!

with all the things that can go wrong like mites and mold
we need all the luck we can get for this new hive.
go little bees – i would surely like to eat your honey!

at least for now i know they have
a happy home – just like us.

more tomorrow on art star and my perky little planter garden!
xoxoxoxox 'til then.



new items - new treasuries!
most of all i'm proud of how different each one is and yet
somehow i fit...



thanks everyone who included me!
happy rainy wednesday...
xoxoxoxoxo
happy friday!
everything's a poppin at my house!
just in the last week every tree in the yard has bloomed in full force. the smells are like a punch in the face and glowing in the sunshine it all feels so amazing. wow, i am so thankful for my home and yard in the springtime!





and so not to forget upcoming mother's day -
this beautiful treasury by snookumsandme...


xoxoxoxoxox



yipee! just a minute ago i got my 1000th sale!

AND a frontpage listing...


thank you so much to etsy and everyone who participates -
go happy products made in the USA!
hooray for friday!
check this wedding awesomeness...






melssia of fresh in love photography asked for a few of my pieces to sprinkle into her amazing wedding shots and the results are so wonderful! so much thanks, melissa!
{featured: owl always love you postcard + balloon postcard + each day calendar}

+ find all the nitty gritty on this beautiful wedding at the collection event studio.

happy weekend!
x•o•x•o•x•o•x•o•x

all of these things are inspiring me today...


as always, a little bit o' pa german art.
more wedding banners in the works and coming soon!



vampire weekend.
i must admit it makes me feel old and a little and silly – but boy does that white sky song have something special to it. also, have a new respect after seeing them on an hbo special performing it live. wow, that high pitch yodel is no joke.



lenni lenape
i really just like to think about them in this area. we've read records that said there were many indians around when our house was built - along with many black bear. here's hoping the family that built this house were friends with both –



paul simon.
especially those lyrics: losing love is like a window in your heart.
everybody sees you're blown apart. everybody sees the wind blow.
any many others. special thanks to christin kelley –

happy friday people!
xoxoxoxox

here's a long post to catch up in the mid week...

first, come find me!
chez sucre chez and myself will be at art star again this year!
so, if you're in philly on may 15th and 16th and looking for a great time – hop down to penn's landing and find us along with hundreds of awesome artists, live music, and outstanding scenery!

+ this year i will have some secret items that won't be for sale anywhere else and i'll be handing out coupons to all my happy visitors.
hope to see you there!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

also, i wanted to include some great inspiration from the weekend...
saturday we bummed around shopping for parts for the john deer and stopped in at a little antique shop. first, i found this crazy awesome needle point that exemplifies all my stitching dreams.


i love how it's half realistic and half folk style.


then i found some great books illustrated by walter seaton.
love, love, love, his style!



and lastly i really like the idea of these...

half wood carving, half painting. so nice!

afterwards we went down to the bowers supply shop and had 50 cent hot dogs. what a saturday, right!? ahhhhh berks county, i love you.
happy wednesday everyone!
xoxoxoxoxo