my pretty little rose... 'homere'

Well, it's been pretty hot here lately in Aussie Land.. and even though today was cloudy and looked like it could just about rain at any minute, it didn't. I think if I start crying (which I feel like doing if we don't get rain soon) there would be more water on the ground than the spattering we got yesterday.
Anyhow after reading this inspirational post by White Lace Cottage.. I thought I would have a go at making a dried rose heart wreath for myself.
So I went into my garden to see what roses I could use and there she was.. my 'homere' such a pretty dainty rose she is and just perfect for my project.

she is so very vintage looking and beautiful in all of it'stages.. I just love the frilly ruffled way it opens..

I tied them into 3 bunches and hung them to dry on my firescreen.. hopefully she will dry just as pretty..

'Homere' is one of my newest roses and it didn't disappoint.

I do hope it turns out just as nice as the one Anne has created at White Lace Cottage..as soon as it's done I'll post more pics...

take care, Maryann

veggie patch 'garden arch' inspiration..2014

Does anyone else like looking at photos of veggie patch gardens.. I do! Well I got this idea from pinterest to create an arch where I can let my beans and cucumbers climb up and over and where I can walk through the centre in between the rows. I'll show you the inspiration photos first...

Well mine isn't as pretty as these but it will do the job. The frame was originally an (el cheapo) greenhouse with very thin plastic. Just 2 days after we set it up we had strong winds here and ripped all the plastic off! (which I somehow just KNEW would happen), and so it sat like that for a while 'till I thought to use it as the arch for my veggie patch.

I got hubby to help me attach  chicken wire to it .. ofcourse he ended up doing most of the work!

I'm so glad I didn't throw this frame away..

.

beans starting to climb up already.. can't wait till they reach the top..

This is the view from the back of the veggie patch.. it looks more like a jungle right now..which I love.

 

The pumpkin, which self seeds every year from my compost heap..is feeling the heat..

I have an abundance of tomatoes this year.. so lot's of pasta sauce to come..!

and meet the girls... i have 5 in all, the white one is a chinese silkie and is just like a ball of fluff walking around. They belonged to a friend who was down sizing and I was more than happy to take them off her hands.. 

loving the fresh eggs!

take care, 

Maryann xxx

another wardrobe for Lisa..

I  have been a little preoccupied lately working on a new wardrobe for Lisa. The one she had was way too small so I managed to pick one up on ebay (that wasn't too far for Fred to fetch for me) not long ago. It's still not finished but here is a peek...

since painting it the doors have sagged a little and now won't shut properly! So I have to wait for Fred to take them off and shave a bit off the bottoms.. 

fabric paneled inside doors .. 

and no these are not cookies.. they're furniture appliques I had been waiting on from the U.S They were 50% off so I went a little overboard and bought enough to embellish a lot of my furniture!!

Here is the before..

and what about Christmas you might say.. well I still have to do my shopping ..yeah I'm a leave it 'till the last minute kinda gal.. and decorations are kept to the minimum this year.. I did put the tree up though which is something. 

and I couldn't resist showing you my Flamingo rose... so if I don't post again  before Christmas I will leave you now with the warmest wishes for the holiday season and please stay safe!

take care, Maryann

farmhouse cabinet redo.. redone ...

Well sometimes, most of the time really, when I'm not 100% happy with something I will keep changing it and changing it around 'till I am. As is the case with this cabinet. I first blogged about it here and was quite happy with it but got sick of looking at my tablecloths through the wire doors as they weren't always this nice and tidy.



So here it is as it sits today and have had it like this for a while 'cause now I'm happy with it. (for now)

I have this lovely cotton lace panel that I tried to attach to the inside of the doors but you think I could get a nail or screw into that wood?? NO WAY.. it's as hard as a rock, hubby couldn't even do it, it took him an hour to get of those teeny tiny screw hooks in and with 7 more to go I told him to forget it!

So for now the lace panel just sits gathered on top of the closed doors...

I added some porcelain floral handles I already had and to the top, vintage salt and pepper shakers and a butter dish along with a metal wire dome I bought a while ago.

Filled the inside with some of my favourite vintage dishes and bowls...

I thought after a few posts of boring you with my garden I'd show you what I've been up to inside!

as always take care,

Maryann

time to smell the roses..

I don't know why but for the last few months I have been TOTALLY obsessed with roses... first buying them, then planting them and now finally watching them bloom. I felt like a mom waiting for her babies to be born. It has also been quite hot lately and I've been putting in a lot of energy just to keep them alive... but thankfully the weather has turned and it's been raining for the last 2 days.

Anyway here are some pics if you are into roses like me..

I just adore my climbing Jasmina...

 

 

and these are just a few ....
bye for now and take care,.. Maryann