The most amazing thing happened to my little Etsy shop today. I got an email this morning stating I was on the Etsy front page.  Are you kidding me?  I thought for sure it was some type of advertisement scam.  I clicked on it just in case and it was legitimate!  I can not tell you how loud I squeeled.  Two years I have had my shop open and never once had I ever been on their front page.  Not that I ever thought I would be, there are a TON of sellers with awesome creative items, but it has always been a secret dream to be on there.

I took a screen shot since I knew it would be gone in a couple of hours.  I wanted to savor it for as long as I could

Mine is the third picture on the left, the white and green ranuncula flowers.  It just made my day.

I also sent out my second international order today, {my first being to Japan} to the country of Azerbaijan.  Never heard of it, have you?  Here is where it is located.

So all in all, today was a GREAT day.  I am still floating from it all.

Are you kidding me? is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Luckily I went out in my yard before it got too hot and picked some flowers to put in my newly purchased Kaiser white bisque porcelain vases.

I found them this weekend for 60% off at an antique store. It was a steal of a deal that I couldn’t pass up.

In case you don’t know where this tiny mantle is, it is in my office.  I love decorating this mantle because I am in my office so much I really get enjoy what ever I put up there.

I put some of my alstroemeria in them, but I think the season for my alstroemerias are coming to an end, darn it!  They are such a long lasting flower, I am going to miss them.

Aren’t the vases so pretty?  They are white porcelain bisque with beautiful raised relief on the outside.  Perfect size for my mantle.  I just love the artistry of them.

Here is a close up of my terracotta birds.  Found these at an Estate sale a while back. Kinda quirky but I love them.

And another shot of them on my teeny tiny mantle

I also have a rose garden,  a pathetic rose garden.  It really should be a show stopper but I just don’t give it the tender loving care it needs, and it shows.  But I did find a couple of little roses that were decent to cut. I put them in a vase on my coffee table.

I also noticed when I was out in my yard that my lilac bush was trying to bloom.  I say “trying” because I planted it in the most stupidest place in my yard.  Bad soil, bad location and very unaccessable.  I had to stand on a chair and climb over a wall just to cut these two sprigs.  And that is all I ever get on it, two measly little sprigs.

But oh my gosh, they smell so good!  I just might plant some more in a better location down the road, I love the smell of lilac.

I just noticed how the lid from the vase looks like the bird is admiring the flowers.

Any steal of a deal come your way lately?  Got any green thumb tips on how to grow lilacs or roses?

Steal of deal is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Blue skies, birds and beautiful pink flowers growing on the tree.  This is California living in the middle of winter, the reason I love living here.  I decided to take a Sunday  stroll around my yard today and was surprised on how many flowers were in bloom.  I went and grabbed my scissors (now that is a real gardener huh?) and started cutting.  And this is what I came in with

Calli lilies, sweet peas, hydrangeas, alstroemerias, and some daffodils.

Can you believe it?  It was as if I went to the flower market, I was shocked!  I made a couple of arrangements with them and set them around the house

I was pleasantly surprised to see those yellow daffodils in bloom, they are so fragrant!

I love alstroemeria flowers, they really last a long time as a cut flower.

That picture is of me and my daughter Shannon.  It was taken at her 70′s themed birthday party a couple of years ago, the one and only time I have been a blond.

Fresh Flower Shopping From Home is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

These are their engagement Pictures.  They met at college, he playing baseball, her playing soccer.The ceremony and the “dog of honor” Details of the reception

The Wedding Cake

The movie stars…yep they got published in a magazine.  Recognize the bathrooms? Yep those I designed and so I guess I was published to!  Happy anniversary Shannon and Nate, I love you.

My Daughter’s Wedding is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

But as I was taking the pictures, I noticed something.  Most of my pots and urns had dead plants in them or none at all.

Now as you can see from this last picture, we get A LOT of wind where we are.  Look at the rug, that is the wind blowing the rug around as I was taking the picture.  Even though I have most of the pots hooked up to a drip system, the wind and our well water just reek havoc on anything I plant in a container.

So this is what I am waiting for in the mail.

Self watering conversion kits for pots.  I ordered them from Gardener’s Supply Company.

Wish me luck! I will keep you posted as to the success or failure of my new find.

A solution for my pots and urns is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

I purchased the train case off of ebay, $15,  and the garden tools at an estate sale for $1. I dressed up the tools with fabric and a little bit of antiquing spray to give them a vintage look.  All the rest of the accessories I already had laying around in my stash.

Since I was on a roll sprucing up my garden space, I also re-purposed this silver platter I found at the thrift shop into a sign for my garden.  I taped off the outside of the tray and painted the middle with chalkboard paint.

If you are wondering about all the green plastic netting…well where I live we call it “wild kingdom”.  Rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, gophers, birds, and deer all want to feast on my garden, the green plastic netting helps to keep the critters out.  Which by the way isn’t 100% full proof, they have chewed through it, dug underneath it,  whatever they can do to get in and feast.   It is an on going battle that they seem to be winning.

I am linking this up to A Soft Place to Land DIY with The Pleated Poppy

Train Case Planter & Garden Sign is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Flower Finds – Ikea Decor is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Crocheted Sunflower Baby Booties

Sunflower Rosette Wreath

Birds

Teacup Ring Alice in Wonderland

Field of Sunshine Print

Sunflower Felt Pillow

Fabric Flower Bouquet

3 Little Sunflowers Pillow

Sunflower Summers is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Handmade Etsy Plates:
MarciG
hopejohnson
dgordon
firecat
pastanaut
whitneysmith

Flower Finds: Handmade Plates is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Clockwise from top left:
Flower Tealight Holder – La Bella Candela
Flower Topped Pens – Banana Tree Art
Colorful Flower Cookies – Holiday Candy Lane
Pink Flower Soap – Satina and Birch

Flower Finds – Gifts for the Gals is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.