Pink Saturday…A Recycling Project Several years ago I made a purchase at a craft mall…it was a recycled vegetable can that had been painted and embellished to hold a pencil and notepad…cute idea, but the John Deer green paint and obvious crimping with a pair of pliers detracted from the presentation…I bought one and took it to Hubby. “How can I make this look better?” I asked. He suggested crimping with a vice instead of pliers. “We have a vice, don’t we?” I asked knowing full well that if Sears or Harbor Freight made them, we had at least one…turns out we have two…and that’s how I started making gift pockets out of recycled cans. Over the last seven or eight years, I’ve made hundreds. They are big sellers at craft fairs and one was my very first sale in my Etsy store…I start by removing the bottom of the can and crimping a narrow seam around the bottom…

 

Then it gets a coat of paint or a decopauged layer of  colored tissue…today I’m showing a PINK one,

The bottom seam is hidden under strips of vintage paper or scrapbook paper trimmings. Old catalogues, maps, children’s books, stamps, buttons, jewelry pieces, well, you name it, and it just might show up to decorate one of these recycled and repurposed pockets.  They are the perfect size to hold a gift card, a lottery ticket, movie passes, tea bags, a perfect bite of chocolate, a decorated cookie…you get the picture. Each one has a theme, this one celebrates HOME. Maybe you can read the words and sing along with Steven Foster’s song lyrics pasted down behind the old folks…

And you might recognize the bits and pieces of ephemera that have been gathered and gleaned to decorate these humble little works. Vintage wall paper really set off these pockets made for a Red Hat group.

And wrapping paper furnished lots of images for these spring gardening cans…

I like treating the Earth kindly by reusing…I think it’s a PINK attitude…and speaking of PINK, stop by Beverly’s blog http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

to see who’s posting Pink beauties for you to admire this weekend. Thanks for stopping by. Leave a note so I can pay you a call. My next post is going to be a thank you note for an amazing giveaway I won…but more about that later…

I’m Dreaming of a Pink Christmas…

Maybe it’s only November at your house, but in New Braunfels we’re already shopping for Christmas at our annual Weihnachtsmarkt which is a German style Christmas gift market…and what a Pretty in Pink event it is…

This booth specializes in cute expressions on primarily pink shirts…”What happens at Nana’s  stays at Nana’s” is a big favorite. As is, “He hunts, I shop.”

Of course, little girl’s clothes in pink are everywhere…

This little cupcake shirt has a fluffy pink tulle skirt…my goddaughter’s new baby needs one of these for Christmas.  Or one of these…

Lots of these booths feature items actually made be the vendors. This shop is owned by stay at home moms who make the most amazing clothes for children…Other shops display imported items brought directly from Europe. And one of my favorite vendors, a German import shop brought this…

It’s an antique puppet stage…look at that pink tree in the back…and these old hat pins…

Look at the beautiful display vase…I may have to go back and buy that beauty! Hope your area has lots of lovely pink shopping for you this season…if not, come to New Braunfels to join us. In the meantime, stop by Beverly’s  How Sweet the Sound to get the Pink Saturday list this week.  I’ll make my rounds later since I’m working at Weihnachtsmarkt all weekend…but don’t let that stop you…and thanks for stopping by.

Pink Saturday Morning Walk to the River

This morning I want to share my morning walk…It’s a sunny day and there’s still lots of pink to be seen even though it’s November. So come along with me…the flowers we’ll we admiring are not exactly wildflowers but naturalized volunteers that have just appeared along side the fence.

First there’s this sweet pink vine, my mother calls it “That pink vine that we had by the carport in McAllen; you know, coral vine.”  Most of our plants have a family association and every thing is called by its common name not the Latin proper name…

It looks so pretty against the morning sky…

This is an old favorite in Texas and is frequently found thriving around abandoned  home sites. It will provide splashes of pink until the first frost. As we walk along the fence, there’s a Lantana with a cluster of pastel flowers. This one just showed up one spring…probably a gift from a visiting bird.

Lantana is native to Texas and it grows wild along roadsides and in pastures and meadows. It’s one flowering shrub that the deer generally won’t eat. When we are in a deep drought, they will browse on the tender new growth -if there is any. The pink Salvia has naturalized from the flower beds up by the house. How it got down here is anyone’s guess.

The hummingbirds and the bees are happy to have it. There’s a little breeze moving the flowers in and out of focus…they are going to seed, so there will be even more next year.  Same thing with the Rock Rose…it just volunteered and started to bloom. The flowers close at night and this one’s not fully awake yet, but come back in the early afternoon, and it will be showing off.

I don’t know if you can see the seed pod between the flowers at top, but they pop out like the bluebonnet seeds do  and so this group should be joined by lots of little seedlings in the spring.

The Four O’ Clocks are not fully awake either…but they are prolific re-seeders so I’m not surprised to find them along the way…

And now the best part, the Guadalupe River as it meanders through New Braunfels…the Cypress are wearing their fall colors…sort of pinkish wouldn’t you say?

I love the way the river looks in fall and admiring  it is such a peaceful way to spend a morning. Last night the sunset was a perfect pink, but we were not at home for me to come down here to capture the sky and river together. Look up river toward the Common Street bridge…

  Yes, it’s my favorite time of the year…a slower time, perfect for a dose of Pink…so stop by Beverly’s to see who’s posting this Saturday. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Have a Pink Week…I’ll be busy here in town as we get ready to host Weihnachtsmarkt, a wonderful German Christmas shopping event…75 different booths,  with everything from handmade German ornaments, wine and gift food baskets, rhinestone cowgirl glitz, monogramming while you wait, delicious lunches and our famous bread pudding with warm vanilla sauce, Christmas wreaths, clothing for young and old, custom made tailored menswear, pet gifts , pictures with Santa in an antique sleigh…it really is an amazing event. If you live in central Texas, it’s worth the trip. Bring your Christmas list and your appetite!

 http://www.sophienburg.com/weihnachtsmarkt.html

See you next Saturday! LaVerne

Pink Saturday for the Birds

It’s Wimberley Market Day again and my hubby made the cutest new bird feeders for me to peddle . One is this Mary Engelbreit cup paired with a thrift store plate…

Isn’t that just the most clever feeder ever?  I find the dishes (Gatherer) and He goes through his drill bits, his nuts and bolts, and he figures  out how to make it work (Hunter)…

Now isn’t that a happy way to greet the birdies on Pink Saturday?  And speaking of pink, as we always do on Saturday, look at this creation…

It’s a dinner plate with a happy turtle holding the birdseed…You can’t see them, but there are holes drilled in the bottom of the planter which allow the seeds to spill out onto the plate.

And my personal favorite is this blue willow set…

   Can’t you just picture a bright red Cardinal perched on the cup? And one more before I run to Wimberley…

Yes, I know it’s a little out of season, but the pretty pink just had to be included. Hubby and I have such fun finding odd bowls and plates to pair up. And they are so popular with  shoppers…Well, I guess!!! They are so dang cute, if I do say so myself and WHERE can you find such an unusual gift for only $15.00? That’s right! And I throw in a bag of birdseed!  If you’re around Wimberley this Saturday, stop in at Booth 375…say “Hi”. We always have a  glass of iced tea for company.  While you are making the rounds, check out Sue, a fellow Texas gal,  http://www.collectintexasgal.blogspot.com/ She has great posts and wonderful music, too.

And don’t forget to thank our hostess, Beverly at   http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

And say a little Grandmother-to-Be prayer for Lady Jane who won the Little Golden Book last week.

And pray for our troops…all of them…and their loving families.

A Wonderful Giveaway!!!

My first ever blog giveaway was won by the most perfect entrant…I was so pleased…if you visit her, you’ll see what I mean.

She is a Grandmother-in-Waiting for her own  little Baby Dear! So you see, it couldn’t have turned out better. Read her lovely post as she anticipates a wonderful fall miracle.

http://ladyjanesemporium.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Beverly for hosting and  thanks to all those who visited.  Have a pink week and see you next Saturday…LaVerne in Central Texas where the skies have been blue and the temps have been cool all weekend…Yahoo!