*Garden Charms*

I've been creating these "things" and wasn't sure what to call them. When I talked about them to my husband I called them "hangy thingys" (not a great name) .... He came up with a few ideas for names that were completely ridiculous (he meant to be ridiculous) so yesterday I was thinking about what to call them and I came up with *garden charms*. I'm still not completely satisfied with that, but it's the best I can do. (If anyone has suggestions please leave a comment!!) I had to call them something because I plan to make some more and take them to a couple of nurseries around town to see if they can sell them for me. I think they'll sell. At least my friend, Julie, said she thought they would... but she's my friend so maybe she's a little biased.

Anyway.... I think they would be cute hanging from a tree, from a porch, in a window, maybe even as a fan pull.... the possibilities are endless! Okay, maybe not endless.

I just love them and enjoy making them. I want to keep about half of them for myself, but I'm not :O)

{Getting a good picture of the charms hanging was not going well. Some things are just difficult to photograph. I decided to take a close up shot too for more detail}

{The backdrop for the "hanging" pictures is my front door... it's shabby chic}

{hey.. wait a minute... let me see if I can find a picture of my front door... I know I have one somewhere in my files...}

..............found it!

In My Kitchen

Have a wonderful day~

Wishing for Spring~*~

It's been so cold and dreary. I'm SO ready for Spring!

I thought I'd post some pictures from my last 2 springs. Maybe it will make me feel better (or worse.)

This picture was taken around May of '09. Everything is so GREEN. This is my front porch. When I walk out there now, it looks pretty pitiful and dreary.

Back yard . . .

I'm hoping to do a lot of work to the back yard this spring. I'd like to put in some raised flower beds and plant flowers for cutting and some veggies and I want to try to grow some strawberries...yum.

Bathing suit time is always a little scary, ok, a lot scary!

Fruit salad.... yum~

~painted toenails with cutesy flowers

{notice my flip flop tan line :O) }

~baby kittens... maybe we'll have some more this spring...

i hope so!!

~another cutie

wild flowers I picked while taking a walk on our land

... can't wait to take my shoes off and enjoy the green grass

of

spring!

Praline-Apple Bread

I made this today. YUM. It's from a Southern Living Magazine.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 8 oz. container sour cream

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingred. at low speed with an electric mixer 2 min or until blended.

3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingred. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup roasted pecans. Spoon batter into greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. After 50 minutes cover with foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan or a wire rack 10 min; remove from pan to wire rack.

5. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a heavy sauce pan over med heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool about 1 hour.

~hope you like!