Texas style, words and photography.
Monday morning after the rain storms I spotted these two cotton tail bunnies in the front yard.
I went to get the camera and they were actually still in the same place when I got back. They do not look very old to me.
This was a great way to start off my week with wildlife in the front yard.
Life is good!
Everyday gives us the opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest.
Open your eyes to see nature and your ears to hear it.
Look around at the flowers, trees, grass, and the sky.
Listen to the birds sing.
Tune into to nature her beauty is wonderful.
I have been making concrete and hypertufa items for about the last year and half.
The Hypertufa has the look of aged concrete with dips & cracks and I love that look.
When I do a craft such as this it takes awhile to complete because it has to cure in a plastic bag for two days, then two days in the sun, then two days in a water bath then back in the sun to dry. That is when it can be completed with paint, stones or mirrors.
Normally it can take 8 – 9 days to complete one bird bath. Most of this time your waiting for each of the processes in the curing time. You have to be patient to do this.
Creating things with my hands and adding my own personal touch to them is something I love to do. I want each item I create to be unique.
These three birdbaths were created for our bird bath hill in the backyard. I will be working on a fourth this week. The pedestals came from broken bird baths or gazing ball holders.
I prefer the black metal stands I just need to find someone to make me some. These need to be repainted I noticed that in my pictures.
I just made my first hypertufa pedestal it is square and it will be for the fourth bird bath. Now I have to figure out the next paint scheme and accents.
Two of the bird baths I sealed the (outside only) with Marine Spar and one I did not but I think I will go back and do that one. I sort of the like the glazed pottery look that has a deeper contrast look to it.
These bird baths are deep and all will have something added to them to help the birds feel secure.
All the processes are very important and if not followed correctly the pots, or birdbaths will crack. When I first started making these I had many cracked pots I think this boiled down to finding what worked best in our Texas climate.
Creativity helps me clear my mind and rejuvenate for another day.
Everyday is a beautiful day make sure you spend it doing something you truly enjoy.
Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads out there I hope you all have a wonderful day.
My Dad passed away 5 years ago this September and I miss him so much.
We loved talking about all the wildlife in our yards. He would feed the raccoons and the birds and just laugh telling me the funny stuff the animals did.
He would think it is funny I have 9 bird feeders, 2 hummingbird feeders and 6 birdbaths. When I feed the birds I can not help but think about my dad.
I think he would get a kick out of knowing I am making birdbaths and he would probably put in his own order for a few.
I have three I have made in the last month the fourth is curing. I love painting them all different. I will be posting some pictures soon.
He would love the fact that I have the black-bellied whistling ducks coming by several times a day to grab a bite.
Happy Fathers day to my dad in heaven I will never forget the impact you had on my life. Love you always & forever.
In Texas, the Coral Trumpet vine grows wild it is beautiful but it can be very invasive.
My husband found some small plants at work about 6 years ago and brought them home. Now, these vines take up about 10ft length and 8 ft height in our backyard on a lattice fence that is for privacy.
They would bloom more if we would remove some of the canopies of trees and bushes they are planted under.
This color is amazing and the way the vine grows allows this plant to put on quite a show.
Spending time outside in our yard and taking in the beauty all around us is one of my favorite things to do.
The smell of a rose is like no other.
The beauty these flowers show each and every day is amazing that is why we love the knockout roses.
This was an early morning low light picture of a rose with morning dew.
My favorite pictures to take are early in the morning the light is magical and you can do so much with it.
Sometimes beauty is all around us we just have to open our eyes to see it.
Thriller, Spiller, and Filler is a term used when you are planting plants in a container or a pot. This is the designer way to make a beautiful planter.
They say if you follow these simple rules you will not be disappointed in the way it turns out.
There are times I just want flowers or vines but I have learned to appreciate this method of planting.
This container was older & rusted metal I painted it with copper spray paint. It was meant to be used for a water hose storage & it had a hole we plugged up with a plastic cap using silicone.
In this metal tub, there is green and purple sweet potato vine for my spiller, pink polka dot plant, sword fern for my thriller, wandering jew, and vinca vine for my filler. I think I went a bit overboard but I love how it looks.
Try some designer planting in a container you want to repurpose & you will be surprised at the beauty you can create.
Happy Birthday to my little sister Sheri who is 57 years old today.
I made her a few Hypertufa pots for her birthday & filled them with plants.
We both love our plants and planters & we both love being creative.
Here is a picture of the largest planter with succulents and sedum. This pot is 20″ across and 10 ” deep. It is a bowl type planter and I love the look of them.
Every planter I make has slight imperfections in it but that is what makes them so unique.
Do something creative today that can bring joy to someone else.
You realize as you get older things are harder to do, you tire out easier and need more breaks. Honestly, that is okay because at least you are able to to do something you truly enjoy.
Listening to the birds sing early in the mornings is one of my favorite things to do.
I was talking to my mother n law and she told me she loves that too and she sits outside early in the morning waiting on her ride to mass.
The sun on your skin a fresh breeze in the air & being surrounded by nature is such a beautiful feeling.
Nature has a way of making you feel alive.
