Okay, yes Spring is here folks…at least it is here in Texas and unfortunately I know that it won’t be around long because our Spring will soon turn into Summer with temperatures in the high 90′s and low 100′s!

I thought I would try something different in this post today because I’m not feeling the love so this is an experiment and whether you are a follower or not and/or maybe you just stumbled upon this blog of mine by accident or for the first time, this conversation will remain open forever so it doesn’t matter if it is 2 weeks from now, 2 months from now or the dead of winter when you find me. I hope that you will join me and leave a comment at the bottom of this post. And while we converse I will share some Texas Spring Beauty with y’all.

The topics are Spring Cleaning, Forgetfulness and List or no List??? For me Spring Cleaning as I am sure for most of us can be overwhelming. So I would like to here your take on this subject. Most all the time I have this list in my head of what needs to be done around here. As I stroll from room to room in my home I see all the things I would like to do and make a mental note of it, for instance I walk into my kitchen and looking up I see a few cobwebs in the corners and on those tacky fake plants, LOL I see what appears to be dead bugs that have collected in the light fixtures, and what looks like fur growing on the top of my ceiling fan blades. Then as I look lower I notice smudges on the glass cabinet doors and windows. And greasy fur growing on the lip of the vent hood. EOOH YUK! Looking even lower I notice tiny food splatters on my lower cabinets, and I remember it’s time to re-seal those granite countertops again! What’s worse is if I open the drawers and cabinets I can see and feel tiny dust particles and can’t find anything in my unorganized pantry.

Most people who walk through my home may not notice these disgusting little things that annoy me. But I do and they will annoy me until I do something about them. I know I am not the only one who cannot afford a maid to come in and take care of all these things that annoy me. This is only one room in my home, what about the Bathroom and the Living Room and the Bedroom etc.

Oh and because it is so beautiful outside, the birds are singing, the trees are sporting  thier new duds for the season and rustling in the wind and the warm air and sun feel magnificent! Oh I just want to be OUTSIDE!  To get those annoying task done, sometimes I will sit and write myself a list of all the things I need to do for each room and slowing cross them off the list while I tend to them but sometimes I figure I could get them done quicker if I just DO IT! I think I need the list cuz sometimes I will forget, you know it comes with age, we get forgetful and I’m afraid I’ll miss something, I also think without the list I’ll get the most important things done and if I forget something well I guess it must not be important and let it go and figure I will eventually get around to it! Sometimes when I clean I get bored if I stay in one room until it is done and because we, as women are naturally multi-taskers, though some folks may call it scatterbrained,  I’ll do this, I’ll clean the ceiling fan and lights in the Kitchen then I’ll wander into the Living Room and I’ll vacuum the rug, then I’ll mozy over to the Bedroom and I’ll fetch a load of  laundry and I’ll step outside and sweep the porch etc..and before you know it not one room gets completed. So here’s my questions for you, Do you write List or do you just DO IT and trust your mental list? Are you forgetful and/or scatterbrained? Or do you stay focused and complete one room at a time? Do you have a maid? How do you attack the Spring Cleaning  around your home? Or maybe , you are one of those special ladies how don’t have Spring Cleaning chores cuz you know how to stay on top of everything throughout the year.  I’m not hatein’ just sayin’…To be honest, I’ve just touched on my Spring Cleaning because I have been busy getting my Spring Garden going instead. I do Love being Outside!!! Working on my Farmers tan. Gotta Get TO IT!

Okay, show some Love

I can’t wait to see your answers and I will respond to you. If you like this post I hope you will follow me through email so you won’t miss out on future post and please visit  and follow on Pinterest and Hometalk or join me on Facebook!! Just click on those baby blue buttons above my forehead or at the bottom of this post.

I am sharing this with these fine ladies, please take time to visit them

Becca@Diy Vintage Chic

Andrea@The Cottage Market

Wendy@The Shabby Nest

Gail@My Repurposed Life

Allison@Nancherro

Karen@Redoux Interiors

Becky@Beyond the Picket Fence

Suzanne@Pieced Pastimes

Vanessa@NiftyThrifty Things

Marie@Interior Frugalista

Tammy@One More Time Events

 Kathy@The Chicken Chick

Roeshel@The DIY Showoff

Mandy@The Hankful House

Cindy@Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home

Kathryn@The Dedicted House

Brenda@Cozy Little House

Stacy@Not Just A Housewife

 Kim@Savvy Southern Style

Hi y’all, with Spring on the way I will soon be planting again so today I wanted to share with you the results of my first Fall Garden if you missed the post at the beginning of the season and you’re in need of a short story I hope you will take a few minutes and read up here. I promise this post is not so long-winded.

Anyways, I am very pleased with the results, I planted  Broccoli, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Celery, Asparagus, Carrots, Onions, Garlic, Strawberries, and Blueberries. And a few herbs (thyme,oregano, parsley, cilantro, and sage) Once the weather cooled off and the bugs gone, things got so much better.

 Did you know that the part of the broccoli we eat is actually the flower of the plant? And once you cut the main head off of the Broccoli if you let the plant continue to grow you will get baby broccoli (not the same as broccolini)?  This pic is the baby broccoli, I forgot to get a pic of the main head.

Aint this the cutest head of cabbage you have ever seen? Our chickens have put out larger eggs than this!!!

Now the only thing is the Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Cabbage grew very small. I’m thinking maybe not enough fertilizer or soil amendments, although I read that organic produce is often not as large as non-organic produce because of the lack of chemicals. However the smaller produce is more tender and sweet.  It takes awhile to perfect the soil. I will work more organic matter in the garden soil before planting and see how my spring/summer harvest turns out.

The Asparagus seeds didn’t make it, the Carrots are still very small but hopeful, the Onions, Celery, Garlic, Strawberries and Blueberries are all doing well. The Lettuce, Swiss Chard and Spinach are still producing! I gave the Cauliflower to our neighbor and we ate ALL of the Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage. I have never tasted better veggies in my life!

I plan on planting Tomatoes, Green Beans, Corn, Okra, Cucumbers, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant and Peppers. Wish me luck!

Ps… to see more post on the garden just click on the Garden listed under Categories in the sidebar

Sharing with these sweet ladies

Deb@Lavender Garden Cottage

Hey everyone, welcome to our home, I am so pleased to have many new readers, FB and Pinterest followers! Thank you all!

Here to let you in on a new series I am beginning. Now that I have completed painting all of the windows and doors we had to decide on which room next? The choices? Either Den/Office/Guest Room, the Bedroom or the Living Room.

The decision has been made to complete the Living Room ~whisper~I think Gary just wants to kick me out of his den… See the den has been used as our living room for quite some time, ever since we moved everything out of there to refinish the floors. ~whisper~Don’t tell him but I was hoping he would pick this room next, I am looking forward to this room being done especially now that we have our wood burning stove in there.

[click to continue…]

BRING ON THE RAIN!

So we have well water, it is great to not have that monthly bill those city folks get. It is an artesian well, which means the water is constantly under pressure it forces its’ way up and out of the ground. And because of this it has to have a way to run continually to relieve that pressure. The water has been feeding our creek for years. What a waste! We thought the runoff would be perfect to use to water our new garden. [click to continue…]

Okay, you thought I was done painting the windows, and I am. Woo Hoo!!! Do a little dance around the room!! Yee Haa!! This is a post about how I did them and just never shared with you but “What about the fourth door ? you ask” . Well I got er done. Yes!! Do another little dance around the room!! I just didn’t see the point in writing another post on how I paint doors, if you missed that post, just click here for a lesson learned and step by step process including 6 tips on how to get a professional looking paint job using a brush (no brush marks)…more on doors here, and a tutorial on a chemical free way to remove paint from door hardware here. [click to continue…]

Some of you may have seen these quick and inexpensive window coverings, they have been around for many years. Those of you who haven’t, this post is for you. They are basically paper which has been perfectly folded (accordion style). Read More

Hi y’all! Hope you had a Very Merry Christmas and an Awesome Happy New Year!! First I would like to blab about our new grandson, his name is Derrick, he was born on January 2nd at 2:55 pm, he was 6lbs, 6ozs, and 19 1/4  inches! And he is the sweetest, most precious gift, what a way to celebrate the new year!

I thought it would be neat for him to read the details someday so for the record, this is how his birth went. His doctor scheduled the day, Christina would come in at 3:00 am to have meds administered to start the labor, and she should deliver by 8:00 am, as most deliveries go it didn’t quite go that way. I arrived at 4:15 am and the nurse said the doctor wouldn’t be in until 8:00 to start meds so I asked for a blanket and pillow and laid down on the sofa next to her bed and we took a nap to the rhythmic sound of his little heartbeat thump thump, thump thump, thump thump. Read More

Hey y’all, I sure hope you had a Blessed and Awesome Thanksgiving filled with all your favorite foods and family!

 This year, we are having Christmas at my sister in-laws, whom always does an awesome job of decorating her home for Christmas, she actually sets up two trees each different and both beautiful!!! Very warm and inviting ooh, I can’t wait! I love Christmas!

 Since we will be enjoying hers on Christmas Day and we do not have children at home or even visiting for Christmas this year, I thought to myself…”Why go out and spend money on a tree?” It’s just Gary and I tho I still wanted a tree. It was a cold and rainy day and  I was feeling a little crafty so I  gathered these five old rusty bed springs I had set aside for a crafty mood kinda day.

Read More

Hey y’all! I’m back  ;)  I’ve missed y’all!  I’m so thankful that you have taken the time to stop by! I gotta warn ya, this is a very long-winded post, you may even call it a short story. I just have so much information to share with you about our garden!

Here’s a quick little run down on what has gone on since my last post. My oldest grandson just turned 6, I helped my Daughter and Junior get moved, we celebrated Gary’s 50th birthday with both of our closest families, we’ve been doing a little FunkyJunkin collecting and decorating and I got to go to Antiques week in RoundTop and visited the Junk Gypsy’s new shop!

Woohoo! All pretty cool! Life is good, God is Great! [click to continue…]

Oh my gosh, I thought I’d never get done with this door! I gotta tell ya, this is not the way you should do this project.

First I took a long look at this thing and knowing what a job it was to strip the old paint off, I really didn’t want to do it. So I procrastinated a little but I knew I had to strip it, the finish was just sooo awful! [click to continue…]

Is that a fire? Quick!.. call 911!!! Relax, it’s just the wood burning in our new woodstove… in our living room!

WHAT? It’s 93 degrees outside??

Just Kidding… no, we are not burning a fire quite yet, but as soon as it gets below 50, or maybe 40, we can’t wait to smell that smokey goodness, wood… burning in our home!

 I am so looking forward to some cooler weather! [click to continue…]

Hey y’all, first, if you missed my post on the Gardening Project, please check it out here, now we decided to implement Paul’s Back to Eden way of gardening, and I am happy to say, we have successfully killed off all the Bermuda grass in the garden area! But there is one weed we cannot get rid of, it’s Nutgrass or Nutsedge. [click to continue…]

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by, We’ve been so busy, as I know many of you are as well, there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, I honestly don’t know how y’all keep up! What a summer it has been around here! [click to continue…]

I’m talking about  the “vintage door hardware”,  jewelry for your doors(if you will) which had been painted over?!!

WoW!! Never knew how Beautiful it was or how easy it would be to clean up!

Ok, here goes a tutorial on “How To Restore Vintage Door Hardware” [click to continue…]

Just a little update  on the “to do” list for ya, I chose to work on the doors, if you visited Our Incomplete Home Tour,

and I know you did, if not I hope you will take a few minutes and visit, you may remember I mentioned only three doors, [click to continue…]

Now, you know my man just can’t sit still on his break from the “To do”  list, he was so anxious to create something from those pallets,

and of course he was thinking of me (lucky me)

and decided to build me a potting table( I’m the happiest girl…in the whole USA) a little Donna Fargo there for ya…

for those who didn’t grow up with this music, what can I say, you missed out on some good ole’ country classics!  [click to continue…]

Well, just wanted to brag a little lot about my Absolutely Awesome, Amazing, Handsome husband, Gary. He is the true bones (if you will) of this home, he structurally maintains our home, without him my dream of completing the restorations to this old house would not become a reality.

He has a never-ending ” honey-do” list, which I know there are many, many men with these list, I think his, must be the largest in the world! [click to continue…]

After completing the Front Porch, I took a little break from “the house” and worked on a couple of “fun” items

A toy box for my grandson! [click to continue…]

OK, you have seen the Reality Check photos and you have seen the Bathroom, the Kitchen, the Dining Room, and the Front Porch Renovations,

 if you haven’t, please check them out.

Everything from here on out is incomplete!

Today, I will take you on a tour of the incompleted rooms, just to bring you up to date on where we stand now. [click to continue…]

Karen at “Into My Window”  has nominated me for this award, THANK YOU  ;)  Karen, I was first drawn to this lady when I read, “Hi Honey, I’m Home“, I felt so connected with her writing, as if I had known her forever. [click to continue…]

That’s right! We are making Hay (coastal bermuda hay, that is). Fortunately our property came with 12 acres of beautiful coastal bermuda hay, which we support and sell to the local cattle ranchers and horse owners. [click to continue…]

Stickers, Sandspurs, Sticky Sandspurs, tough little suckers, and painful, oh my goodness, we have created a war zone.

We first started seeing stickers in and around our yard several years ago when the draught began. These little suckers love dry sandy soil, they thrive in sunny areas and bermuda grass. We have it all. We have a very large yard and area we have to maintain to help keep out snakes, rodents etc…(about 2 acres). [click to continue…]

Whats new? I should be so used to this by now…after 10+ years…yet it sometimes seems so unsettling…as if I can’t get comfortable. [click to continue…]

RED, it’s the first thing you will notice in my Dining Room. I love all colors, red is a classic color for a traditional Dining Room. The color red is a warm, passionate and energetic color. It stimulates hunger and conversation (which is exactly what you want in a dining room). When deciding on a color for the Dining Room, I tested several on the wall before I ultimately decided on ” Merlot Red” by Benjamin Moore and I just Love It! [click to continue…]

Referring to my Spring Fever is Here…post, I’ve been working on our front porch and I can’t just show you the end results without showing you where we started with this project 10 years ago. [click to continue…]

10 years ago when we began working on the house, we were so excited that we were finally in the country and we had plenty of space for a garden, chickens, horses etc. Gary bought a Troy Bilt tiller and he tilled up a space, we amended the soil and planted a variety of vegetables. [click to continue…]

Spring is here in Texas, Gary and I have been busy working outside, taking advantage of the mild weather to get some ongoing projects completed, started and hopefully completed, because here in Texas, summer will be here before you know it and it will be purgatory time (100+ degree) until October. We have worked on the chicken coop, the garden, and now doing some painting and staining on the exterior of the house. Yes, it seems we always have at least 3 or 4 projects going on at the same time… And did I mention we picked up over 100 pallets this morning for some future projects. Yay, really excited about this :D. [click to continue…]

This is a special post due to a comment I received from Carol at http://cas-anoasisinthedesert.blogspot.com/ She asked,” What is the cupboard/doorway above the pantry?” in my latest post, And then there was a kitchen…Well this was a great idea my husband had when we knew we would be replacing the back door leading to the porch. It was damaged and I wanted a french door, so we salvaged the old door (lower section) using it for a new storage area in the top section of the pantry. The original corner pantry had a ceiling of 11’2″ and was not accessable, so it was wasted space. In these old houses there is never enough storage space, so a hole had to be cut in the wall above the pantry, he installed a light , floor and the modified door and “voila!”, additional storage. He is a very clever man. [click to continue…]

Whoa, Not so fast, It wasn’t that easy…Here are the before pictures;
[click to continue…]

For this post I just wanted to share a little more about my family and pets; This is my Absolutely Amazing Husband ( Gary )

I could not make up my mind on which photo, so I added them all. [click to continue…]

 The complete floor was removed and replaced with new, but I distressed the new flooring with a hammer, chains and an awl (crazy? no I think not, it had to look more like the original) then I decided to paint the floor (made of yellow pine, not oak). I wanted it to have a design, something classic, something french inspired, so I came up with this harlequin pattern with the blue, grey and black color. I thought it would make the room feel larger and special. [click to continue…]

WOO HOOO!! The Bathroom is done so we can move in! It had to be the first room completed because ya just can’t live without it, although my husband still likes to pee off the front porch and just about anywhere on the property(ya think he’s marking his territory?) Ha! Boys will be boys! I’ll admit I would love an outdoor shower. [click to continue…]

10 MONTHS, It took us 10 MONTHS to get the Bedroom, and Bathroom in a livable condition to move in. Notice something missing? Yes, we moved in without a kitchen but I’ll get to that in a later post… The bathroom had the most horrible smell and the floor made crunching sounds when you walked on them. [click to continue…]

Once we had removed the back section of the house, we needed to get it level and raise it up. The house had got water in it many years earlier when the nearby creek flooded, so as a precaution, we raised it another foot higher. I will say, I never intended to write a blog, therefore I don’t have many detailed pictures and these older pictures are not taken with a digital camera, I scanned these from prints.

And this is what the back of the house looked like…

The Cortez brothers did a great job at raising and leveling our home, they are actually the same guys, along with their father, that cut it in half, removed the roof, moved it, put it back together and installed the original foundation in the 70′s.

Yes! We can do this! Turns out my husband was so excited, he began cleaning up around the property before it officially belonged to us. It also turned out , there is nothing he can’t do! After a much anticipated wait, this DIY project was ours to do what we wanted, so, we dove, head-first, into demo mode right away! Before long, we had filled two dumpsters and our house was wide open to the elements. [click to continue…]

As we looked closer, first at the exterior, then walked inside we were immediately overwhelmed with a horrible smell (sewage? turned out to be sulfur). I saw the possibilities of what it could be, but I could also see a lot of Blood, Sweat, and Tears ahead. [click to continue…]

We drove for what it seemed like forever, as we began down the farm to market road,to our left,beyond a small hay-field and a thick grove of trees, we spotted a glimpse of what we had searched for, a Beautiful, Historic, Victorian Farmhouse in the country.

As we approached, my heart began to pound with excitement, it was then, before we ever stepped foot on the property, I knew this was the dream, this was our future, I was in love at FIRST SIGHT!!

If you want to watch the progress on this Home Restoration, so as not to miss a thing, sign up to follow me!

Sharing with these fine folks;

The Vintage Farmhouse

Ivy and Elephants