War

Dear Ants:

You have forced us to declare war.  And while you may have won a few battles, please know that we will win the war.  Consider this your notice and move out of my kitchen....ASAP.  If you do not, we will take whatever means necessary to remove you from our beloved home.

Sincerely,

~M and Faith Anne~

Wishing You a Pest Free Home~

~M and Faith Anne~

Monday Memories

The Memory:

**Now, this was taken AFTER I pressure washed the driveway and all the dirt ended up all over the pots...come on!  You didn't think it was THAT bad did you!?!?**

I don't have an explanation for the leaves though.

And what will hopefully not become a memory:

Don't you think that is soooo much better!? 

It was my sister's suggestion to take out some of the pots and use them in other areas of the yard. 

I think she was....errr...not wrong. :)! 

And for goodness sake, don't tell her that.  We would hate for her to think she was "not wrong" too often....it might go to her head!

More before and afters comin' your way in the comin' weeks!

Wishing you FUNTASTIC FLOWERS~

~M and Faith Anne~

A "HouseLift"

Well friends, after a few weeks of no internet...something about the incorrect IP address (whatever that means)....I have much to blog about!

Faith Anne and I weren't the only ones who needed Spring to hurry and get here.  The Little Red Cottage desperately needed some refreshing...a HouseLift if you will....

Here is the before shot.  I am a little embarrassed....but what can I say...during the winter months (except Christmastime)...I do little to cozy up the outside of my little home.

Please take time to notice my poor poor pots to the far left of the picture.

Aren't they so sad?!?

You can also notice Faith Anne sticking her head between the rails on the left of the porch.  I think she enjoys doing that because she knows that it freaks me out!

Before I show you an after shot...I should tell you that I have a new found love.  Maybe a new career.  We shall see where it leads....here's a hint....

Yes!  I am in love with pressure washing!  LOVE LOVE LOVE! 

(My neighbor actually wrote my name...my handwriting is not that good on paper...let alone with a pressure washer.)

So if you need something pressure washed...I am your gal!

Anyhoo, back to the after shot.

Are you ready...

It is a little bit of a shocker....

Here we go....

Isn't it FANTASTIC?!?! 

I do love the yellow door and the ferns, and the flowers...most of which I have managed to keep alive and even thriving :)!

I will post more "close ups" of particular areas in the coming weeks.

That's what Faith Anne and I have been up to in the past month....

What have you been up too?!?

Wishing you a "Happy HouseLift"~

~M and Faith Anne~

Wednesday's Simple Joys

Well Hello Mid March!!!  What did you do with February and the first half of March?!?

Goodness, how time flies!

This Week's Simple Joy: 

Spring Is In The Air!!!

I cannot tell you how excited I was to see these GORGEOUS BLOOMS

on the Maple Tree in my front yard!!!

It is a sure sign that Spring is coming!!! 

And if you ask me...it is about damn time!!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend of planting Beautiful Blooms~

~M and Faith Anne~

A New View

Do you notice anything?

YEP!

That is a wooden swing hanging on a rope.  From a tree limb.

It is delightful. And charming.

Oh! How I Love A Swing, Hanging On A Rope, From a Tree Limb.

So here is the story about how this came to be...

Momma and Daddy asked for my Christmas List.

I included a wooden swing hanging on a rope, to hang from the tree in my backyard.  (I also included in the list that I would like labor to be included~pretty smart heh?)

Christmas Morning, I found said swing in with some other gifts.

One Very Cold.  Let me say that again.  VERY COLD. day in January, Momma and Daddy came to hang the swing.  That method didn't work.  So we tried again, this past Saturday (you know before we were almost all flooded by all the rain on Sunday) with the blue straps you see in the picture above-ordered from E-Bay.  And my sweet Daddy, who is afraid of heights, climbed the ladder, again.  And my sweet Momma helped him by making common sense suggestions from below.  God Bless Her and My Daddy.  I honestly don't know how they would have made it without each other.  So we they did it.  They hung my swing. 
Here are some pictures to show you how good of a job they did...

Oh! How I Love A Swing, Hanging On A Rope, From a Tree Limb.

How Delightful.  And Charming.

And WHAT A VIEW!

Wishing you a lovely new view~

~M~

Monday Memories

This is was the the view of my backyard from my bedroom window.
(Yes, I am aware that my backyard needs lots of work.  What can I say?  I am a social worker, who works for the state, who is furloughed...yep I would say it is going to take a few years :))

Tune in tomorrow for the reason it's not anymore...

And...here's a hint....

Wishing you a Merry Monday~
~M~

Nap Time

Wishing you Restful Weekend~

~M and Faith Anne~

Winter Weather

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

~John Ruskin~

Wishing you and yours a warm night in~

~M~

Wedneday's Simple Joys

Oh how I wish computers were

"scratch and sniff!"

I have three Tea Olive bushes beside my front porch...

And oh my, the wonderful aroma that greets me when they are in bloom!!

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

(and to make it even better...they are very low maintainence. I haven't done a thing to them-except cut off blooms to put in mason jars :)!-in over three years...and they are still alive and kickin'...pretty cool eh?)

May I also suggest...

This is a really simple way to bring joy to a neighbor.

Go out to your yard, find a shrub with blooms, some flowers, anything, and cut a few blooms.

(people, if I have living beautiful plants in my yard...

all of you do too :))

Put them in a mason jar or old can.

Take them to someone you love.

It is simple.

And brings joy.

And if you do it on a Wednesday...you will be providing a "Wednesday's Simple Joy" for someone...ring a bell?!?

And as a bonus...

Just because she is so stinkin' cute....

A picture of Faith Anne....

Wishing you the simple joy of a Tea Olive in a Mason Jar

(and a cute Faith Anne too!)~

~M~

Rain Rain, Went Away!

After nearly an entire week of this....

And yes, even more of this....

Faith Anne and I looked out of our kitchen window today...

and found the most AMAZING THING....

THE SUN!!!!
(and on Sunday...how appropriate)

We rejoiced! And went outside! And enjoyed...

Our Flowers...at least the ones we haven't killed yet!

And we basked in the sun! And Faith Anne posed for this picture...



I think the sign suits her well...don't you?

And as we were going inside we saw the most amazing sunshine rays...

and we noticed something in the upper right hand corner...so we zoomed in...and

saw the most beautiful spider web...

Don't you agree that it is a beautiful spider web?

Then we came in a took a nap.

What did you do today?

Wishing you a Sunny Sunday!~

~M and Faith Anne~

OH NO!!! IT'S AN INVASION!!!

It seems that mine and Faith Anne's backyard has been invaded! By these....

You Guessed it!!!

MUSHROOMS!!!!

See....

I think they are beautiful....

And if you must experience a backyard invasion....

I am

Wishing you one as peaceful as this one!

~M~

Monday Memories

I'm Back! My computer had some difficulties last week but we are up and running again!

Hannah and Me!

Early Spring 2006

My House!

The day I signed a contract....

See how much it has changed in three years!!

I will be posting before and after pictures in the coming weeks!

Wishing you the joy of making a house a home-

~M~

Scary!

Dear Auntie Katie,

I have a bone to pick with you!

THIS

IS SCARY!!!!

Please do not let Mommy borrow it...EVER AGAIN!!!

I do not like it!

Wishing you would come get this monster from my house-

Faith Anne

P.S. Tell Mrs. Reynolds and Nobby that I said hello!

House Guests

I figure that you have read the "About Me" and will get to know me better as I post so I will just jump right in!

Faith Anne and I have house guests. They are camped out literally on our front door. . .and it looks like they are going to be here all Spring.

That's right, a little bird couple has made their home in my metal hanging basket on my front door. And as you can tell by the pictures below the metal basket is not empty at all. These birds have made a pretty impressive nest by bending my red flowers down a bit and building on the back of them. I think I should also mention that my sweet neighbor has counted 4-5 eggs in the bottom of the nest. Yes friends, we have house guests for the next few months at least.

So if you happen to be dropping in for a visit. . .don't use the front door. . .use the door on the side of the house. . .an adjustment we are still getting used to!

Wishing you many house guests this Spring and Summer-

M.