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.
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.
There is 3 1/2 weeks difference in these pictures.
It is truly amazing how fast petunias grow.
I spent a lot of time making my huge planter and painting it with the metallic paints only to realize a few weeks later the pot does not even show anymore lol.
A good rule of thumb when it comes to finding the perfect place for your petunias is the lighter colors need filtered sun rather than full sun and brighter or darker colors can handle the sun better.
If you can find the perfect spot for your petunias they will really put on a show with lots of blooms every day to brighten up your yard.
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.
For several months my right side of my jaw would pop every time I chewed something.
One day the popping stopped and I was so relieved. However only to have it come back a few days later with extreme pain on the left side.
I could not even open my mouth wide enough to eat a sandwich or open half an inch at that.
I immediately started looking for a dentist in my area to see. I contacted Manvel Dental and Implant center and made an appointment to see Dr. Collins.
I was able to get an appointment quickly. I explained to Dr. Collins about the extreme pain I was experiencing and that it felt like I was being socked in the face really hard in my jaw.
I was educated on TMD (temporomandibular disorder) which causes pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.
Dr. Collins extensively talked to me about how he can possibly relieve me of pain with Platelet Rich Therapy. Since I wanted relief NOW I agreed to do it.
After I was given the therapy within 30 minutes or so I could open my mouth a bit more and the pain was gone. However, the pain came back about 10 days later.
Dr. Collins advised me that it could take up to 3 treatment of therapy to resolve the issue.
I just completed my second session and I am able to open my jaw even further. I am ecstatic at the progress I am getting with this therapy.
My jaw movement has improved and the pain is very minimal.
I have scheduled my third session of therapy and love being part of a new medical breakthrough that I believe can help so many people with a variety of jaw problems.
I want to personally thank Dr. Collins and his team for helping me to resolve my TMD jaw pain.
I edited this since I had the terminology wrong.
Manvel Dental and Implant Center
