“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Barefoot Days


Hello friends! I know I have been in and out of blog land for a few weeks now.  I am trying to find time to enjoy all of the beautiful joys of summer while I can.  In this part of the country our summers are fleeting and will be just a memory in a few short weeks!

I hope you took a moment to read the poem above, it is from my favorite vintage book Poems for Boys and Girls, illustrated by Lois Maloy.  I think the poem Barefoot Days above, sums up my thoughts about this full and lush season, even the roses, which are beyond beautiful, are adorned with bees!




I thought I would share a few garden pictures with you today. My daylilies are really starting to take off!  The one above is a favorite called Orchid Corsage.



This peachy-pink one is called Pink Monday. I am happy to report that this year our bees have been returning and I've even seen a few more honeybees mixed in with the dependable bumblebees!



If you look closely in the middle of the image, you will see a small bumblebee on this vervain plant.












The vervain (tall plants in back) and catmint (forground) are loving the abundant rain we've had.  The bees have been covering them for weeks now!







 Another of my favorite day-lilies called appropriately, Summer Wine!






This is another favorite (OK they are all my favorites), called Lemon Custard! I love the color and the frilly ruffled edges.




A blue clematis adorns a trellis next to the house. I've forgotten the name of this one.





This daylily is called Grape Ripples and has stunning dark purple blooms! Well that is the end of my garden tour, except for an update on my two year old cat, Guy Noir.





Guy has become afflicted with a condition I'm sure many of you who have dogs and cats have heard of. 

It is called
 Chipmunk Fever!





Symptoms may include: Inability to focus on anything other than chipmunks, severe agitation, yowling at the door to go outside, ears twirling in various directions while listening for chipmunks, unable to eat or sleep without thinking of chipmunks, thinking that any moving object is a chipmunk. Unable to sit still for photographs and of course.....
Dreaming of chipmunks....







Pleas share any anecdotes you have of your encounters with chipmunks in the comment section!! I would love to hear them.

I will be taking a few weeks off from blog land to enjoy the summer and take care of some projects, but if I have time I will stop in and visit.  I will be trying to organize my disaster of an office and get all sorts of goodies photographed and ready to list in my Etsy shop.
And remember this summer to go out early in the morning, barefoot where the ferns grow curly, to feel the cool grass between your toes!!

~~Diane~~




Monday, July 14, 2014

FAPCO Pottery and a Fuzzy Bear

My house-guests are on a plane back home, so it's back to business as usual!
I would like to revisit a couple of items that made a brief appearance on my blog a few weeks ago. The first is an adorable little vintage Aqua Deer Planter by Fredericksburg Art Pottery Company, or FAPCO for short.

I learned some interesting information about this company from the Collectors Weekly site and a FAPCO Facebook page. The FAPCO factory burned down in the early 1960's, much of the history has been lost. One interesting bit of information for you fellow collectors, is that much of the Disney marked pottery was distributed by the Leeds company but in fact was made at the FAPCO plant. I don't believe that any of the FAPCO items were marked, instead they used paper labels which of course usually fall off over time. This only makes identification more complicated and confusing!


Here is a little fantasy picture of the Deer Planter.....


and below a practical use for this little cutie!



This little Deer Planter has a heavy base and wide opening, making it perfect for holding pencils, paintbrushes etc.



 Cute as can be, just sitting on a shelf!




My second and last subject is a sweet little vintage book called "Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear". This book was printed in 1949 and is still in remarkable shape for being over 50 years old!  There were several Fuzzy Wuzzy books printed during the 1940's and 1950's and featured a variety of cute animals. The fuzziness came from adding flocking to the main character's image. 

The book is a cautionary tale about what happens to Fuzzy little bears who refuse to hibernate for the winter and instead eat all the honey and acorns they have stored up in their Fuzzy Bear Store House!





















Poor Fuzzy Wuzzy, his buttons are ready to pop off and he can't even get through his front door!!







Fuzzy Wuzzy thinks that if he turns sideways, he will surely be able to slide through the door. No such luck and in fact a pesky bee decides to sting him on his nose as he is stuck in the doorway!



Fuzzy has had enough and goes back to bed as his nose heals.

As Fuzzy Wuzzy sleeps, he gets thinner every day and when he wakes is able to fit through the front door. He decides that hibernating in the winter is actually and excellent idea!




I know how you feel Fuzzy Wuzzy, some winters I think it would be best to hibernate!! And who hasn't put on a pair of summer pants, that just don't quite fit after a long winter!! Ugh!

Both of these cute items will be in my shop soon! 

Let's have a very happy and fun-filled week! 
~~ Diane ~~



Friday, July 11, 2014

Nature in Glass

Summer in the Arboretum Garden ...

My house-guests are away visiting other relatives for a few days but will return on Saturday. I thought I would write a quick post on one of our activities that I had been looking forward to for a few weeks.

We spent several hours at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum where we toured the grounds and checked out one of the summer exhibits. This is the largest public garden in the upper Midwest and is over 1,000 acres (4.60 km2).

The arboretum features unusual art works every year and this one is quite stunning!  It is called Nature in Glass and features the work of Craig Mitchell Smith.  The exhibit contains 32 unique and stunning glass sculptures that adorn the Arboretum outdoor gardens and collections.

Mr. Smith designed large iridescent, fused-glass sculptures that were created specifically for the Arboretum's unique outdoor setting. This is one of the best exhibits I have seen at the Arb. and I was very happy to find several of the pieces of art and photograph them.  I missed a few, and will return later on a less hot and stifling day! 



"Fireball"















I love the roses! The scent was amazing too!













"The Grape Arbor"



"The Hollyhocks"




"The Hydrangea"




"The Poppies of Oz"





"The Road to Provence"




"The Rose Blossom"




"The Water Garden"



"The Wisteria"


I hope you enjoyed this little tour. I'll be back here again before you know it, but right now I need to start getting ready for my guests return! Please have a lovely weekend! ~ Diane