Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Mass Destruction


There's a takeover going on in our garden.



Our passionflower vine is being decimated.


It's not the colder temperatures or lack of water that's causing this destruction.


We are being inundated by these critters,
who feast on this delicate vining plant.


While some of you have welcomed your first frost or snowfall,
we are being visited by a storm of another kind.


The voracious gulf fritillary caterpillars
have descended like a squall.


 Noticing how peaked the plant looked,
I had a feeling that they were very busy out there.
I wasn't disappointed.
Having hosted these caterpillars for quite a few years now,
I can't recall ever seeing so many at one time in our garden.



They start out small enough...


but with each bite, they grow exponentially.
And the passionflower disappears before our eyes.


When they've achieved the right size,
they look for a place to hang out and cocoon.


 Up the walls they go,
looking for the perfect spot to work their magic.


 Here's one that has already transformed
and moved on to greener pastures.



 What a blessing to be able to witness their metamorphosis,
especially during this week of Thanksgiving.
Here's hoping that today you are able to experience
the wonder of the natural world around you.

rip
mimi


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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Sweet Sixteen




Happy Birthday to you, C!
You're an amazing boy with so many gifts.
We are SO glad that you were born.
Love,
Momma & Dad

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Carolina Bound






We are off on a little road trip this week.
It's the perfect time of year for a long weekend,
with fall colors displaying their magnificence.
We hope to visit some of our favorite places,
as well as discover a few new treasures.
We'll try to check in later in the week.
Enjoy this beautiful autumnal season!







Friday, November 11, 2016

Veteran's Day 2016

God bless our Veterans
and their loved ones
today and every day.

 


 





Thursday, November 10, 2016

Thrifty Thursday-Recent Finds


It's been a busy fall so far,
what with putting the house back on the market,
and Sister Deb coming for a week-long visit.
She had all kinds of ideas about staging the house
and worked non-stop while she was here
to help us get ready for our new listing.



We actually had an offer on the house a few months ago,
but the folks changed their minds when they learned about the HOA,
so we took the listing off market for the rest of the summer.
When Sister came to visit a couple of weeks ago,
she was set on staging our home with lots of little projects.
Some of our belongings are already packed and stored in the garage,
so we are as decluttered as we are gonna get.
We just rearranged some of the things we have for a fresh look.


She cleaned and removed a lot of practical items from the back porch
and we picked up this cute lil' table and chairs from a Craig's List ad.
Instant extra living area.
Of course, I had to find a few flowers for the new hangout.



This pot was found at a recent community-wide yard sale.
Love the blue and white combination.


I got the placemats from the same seller.
We paid $1 for four of them.
The other three are used on the kitchen table and work well with our color scheme.
The funny thing is that the lady I bought them from
is the person who bought the house from a neighbor of mine,
who has since moved to Sarasota.
Wait until I tell her I bought something at her old house.


A thrift store find keeps the sage green theme going.


These two brand new pillows were found at an estate sale two weeks ago.
I like the way they add a pop of color to the hall tree
 that Deb painted on her first day here.
I paid just a few dollars for them both.
They had so many goodies there.



This vintage basket was one of the items picked up at the
39-mile yard sale last weekend.
What a treasure for $5!
I'm sure I'll find some way to repurpose it for something practical.



At the same event, this stool was picked up for $10.
It's large enough to place a book and a cup of coffee on
for those times when I can notch out a bit of reading time in our master bedroom corner.



I was thinking of painting over the patriotic, 
as it doesn't match our color scheme,
but perhaps a cover will do for now
until I find another place for it in our new home.
It would serve us well on a patio or front porch.


Just this week, we had to leave the house for a showing,
so that's always a great excuse for us to go thrifting.
This basket, in perfect condition, was marked at $8,
and the clerk thought the price was too high, 
and sold it to us for $5.
C has needed a new hamper for a while.
This bin holds more than a week's worth of clothes,
in case he forgets to do his wash on Wednesdays.
I like that it's open on the sides too,
so that the clothes can breathe between washings.
For now, it works well here,
but it's another item that can be repurposed in the future.

It feels good to have a fresh, new look to the house,
and hopefully, it appeals to buyers too.
We've gotten really good feedback so far,
so I think we're on the right track.
We'll keep you posted!