Veggies and Flowers...

My tomato plant has little tomatoes,I'm so excited!My squash has gotten blooms,can't wait till I can get a zucchini for zucchini bread and fry some slices of squash covered in corn meal,mm,mm.I'll take pics of those later.I also took a pic of my marigolds,seems the one I put on my tomato plant pot is keeping bugs away,hm.I love the colors of these Sweet William flowers.

Rearranging Living Room...

I had a crazy cleaning and rearranging fit this week.I just got this burst of energy like out of the blue and yesterday every muscle in my body ached from moving stuff and cleaning.I don't know what got into me,but I'm glad today.My husband said I must have been watching HGTV and yeah,that did inspire me somewhat,but you know how you just get bored and tired of the same old look?Well,I'll do that,it will just come over me,I'll start looking around and picturing it all in my head.I never really know how it will end up till I'm in the middle of it and it starts to come together.Here's a couple of pics:

Baking Soda,Peroxide and Vinegar uses...

My kids would be stung by bees every so often and the best thing I ever used was a Baking Soda/Vinegar paste.First,make sure the stinger isn't still in,scrap it off with a credit card or fingernail.Add a little vinegar to the baking soda for a paste,mostly baking soda,spread it on sting and leave it till it's dry.You can reapply if it still is itching.Ofcourse if your kids are alergic to bees or having a bad alergic reaction call 911,like you didn't know that.Had to say that,don't want anyone saying the paste is a miracle cure all.EEK!But for normal stings,it's great.

I spread a baking soda paste of a little water and baking soda to pans,leave on for awhile and scrub.I do the same for my stainless steel sink.

Before washing clothes with bloodstain,I pour on peroxide and let set for awhile.

Put baking soda opened box in frig to soak up odors and for a cleaner smelling carpet,sprinkle baking soda,let sit and vaccuum.Do not let kids or animals get into the baking soda(another just for the record statement).I also clean my frig on the inside with baking soda and water,cleans great and is safe.

I pour baking soda down drain and garbage disposal if it starts to smell yucky and pour hot water down it after the soda sits in drain for awhile.

I scrub around the burners on the stove with baking soda.I used to use comet,but now baking soda.

I soak tarnished silverware with baking soda, in a pan with hot water and a piece of tin foil (the foil + soda react to pull tarnish off silver.

I put vinegar in coffeemaker,run it through to clean it,then run water through to get out the vinegar.

Do not mix vinegar and bleach,it puts off fumes,I hear.Do not use white vinegar on marble.

Vinegar water is a handy nontoxic solution to cleaning any glass. If your glass is a bit streaky, it's because of the products you've used before. Add a drop of dish soap to the vinegar mixture the first time; you shouldn't need to again.

Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3 and a half minutes.After mixture cools enough,pull out mixture and wipe microwave clean.

After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria and rinse peroxide off with water.

There are several credible references about the use of hydrogen peroxide on fruits or vegetables. Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli.Rinse very well with water after,do not ingest peroxide ever,it can be fatal.

Drying Roses...

Well,roses are everywhere now and I love drying them like I've said.I just hang them up,but some for bowls,I just lay on top of napkins for a few days to dry out.You can also use old books,I save my old phonebooks for drying flowers.They're heavy and big.I just place the flowers on a napkin and place a napkin over top and you can put many in a big book like that.

Sunny Day Turned To...

Started out beautiful today...took pics of my beautiful Hibiscus...Then,thunderstorming again.I had already moved my swing to the table,took off my flowers to one side of deck and check out this hail.This pic looks like just some rain with some hail,but it was pouring and this hail was pounding the windows like little rocks.Took this pic from upstairs...

Summer Evening...

Well,Summer's here and Summer evenings,I love them.It's fun to be out enjoying the evenings when it's warm,not so hot,which was our weather last Friday.

The sky looked so beautiful and I got a good shot of the Narnia Lamp on and off.These daisies all coming out was a great treat,I love daisies.Summer's here!!!

In Memory of Tasha...

June 18th,last week,all on the Tasha Tudor email list,got the news that Tasha had passed away quietly surrounded by her family that day.She was 92 years young.It was so sad to so many of us,I didn't want to post about it,but she deserves all the blogs in her memory this last week.Tasha lived the life she wanted,on her beautiful little farm in Vermont,surrounded by the beauty of her flowers and beloved animals.She lived her life to the fullest in her way,a moment out of time in the world she created for herself,family and us.She took us into that world for so many years and has influenced thousands of women from all over the world.Her beautiful artwork,in hundreds of prints,cards and books,since the 30's.Now in stores,you can see her art on the cover of The Secret Garden and Little Princess,but her works have been treasured in homes,too numerous to mention them all here.Her art is beautiful,but it is her way of life,crafts and love of the way of life that has inspired and influenced thousands of us and she will live on for generations.

My Tasha Mood Tonight...

I picked some of my daisies today and felt in a Tasha Tudor mood tonight.I love her,so I made some rose tea,a piece of cinnamon raisin toast and thought how cool and colorful it all looked.So,I gathered it all up for a pic.The roses are a mix of my petals I've been collecting.Guess I was celebrating not having rain and storms tonight,it's almost a miracle.Be praying for all those who are enduring these storms,God Bless them.

Another...

For some reason,blogger only enlarges one pic to a post.These pics look cool when you push on them and they enlarge,so I'm making two post for these pics.

Good grief!!!

Here we go again tonight.The sky was pitchblack and storming...again...,but this is a pic of the lightning.I just kept taking pics till I got one that lit up.

Molly the Courageous...

No,she's not courageous,she's a big chicken.She freaks out when it thunders,everytime she hears it,she starts barking her little head off and especially with sirens blaring with the thunder.So this was her day today when she couldn't take it anymore,she hid and closed her eyes.

First she...

then she..

yes,this is her backside,the big sissy...

Finally,it was all over,she came out and slept like a baby...

What I'm Reading...

Mistmantle is my Wednesday Family Reading Night book,look how beautiful it is,one of my favorites.This is the third in the series. Also below,is my next book I'll be reading,it's the new Peter Pan series.I haven't read any yet,but they look interesting.

Rose bud Bloomed..

Earlier I had shown the pic of this rose in bud,look at it today.

I hang roses everywhere and this is over my sink.

Trixie Belden...

One of my favorite series of books has been Trixie Belden,I've loved her forever.Here are some of my hardback and paperback,with some other series I've collected for years.Above is some pics of Trixie and Honey.