More Spring Decorating with Painted Terra-cotta

Hello, Friends! I hope that you had a lovely weekend. 

We had very wet and windy weather,

so while the rain beat down and the wind howled, 

I did some redecorating :) 

I gathered all things gray for my mantel, 

a reflection of these late winter/early spring skies. 

These little angels are painted terra-cotta. 

A brief moment of sunshine captured in my living room. 

In an instant it was gone. 

I painted the basket on the tall cabinet with chalk paint. 

The bleached hydrangeas are from my garden.

The cabinet holds the television and stereo. 

My simple wood-stove mantel. 

A stone bird, favorite books, painted terra-cotta basket and frame 

with a beloved photo of my Dad.

You can see how I painted these Here.
This was one of the first crafts I posted
on my blog back in 2011.

Another painted frame holds a favorite photo of my dear Mom,
contemplating her birthday cake.

I miss them both every day.

The Moroccan style lantern was a recent purchase.

The velvet pansies were from a blog give-away a couple of years
 ago from Lin's blog - A Tiny Cottage in the Woods.

They were wrapped around the sweetest package.......

.......A tiny framed needlepoint.

I love displaying them every spring.

A hand-painted bunny rock keeps company
with speckled eggs in a tart tin, a stone bird,
and painted urn
in a galvanized tray on my coffee table.

The view from there.

Can you tell where Ramblin' man sits?
Clue: where the slippers and remotes reside :)

This is where I sit.
(When we're not sitting together :)
My treadle sewing machine 'desk' with my laptop
sits behind. This is Ling-Ling's favorite perch.

As I sit on the computer, I enjoy the light from
this large window.

My vintage bible.

The hand-painted plate mirrors my paper roses.

Something we all need to keep.

My gardens wait for me.

A hummingbird stops by.

You can see Ramblin' Man's path to the woodpile....

Looking straight ahead.

Flopsy carries a basket of hydrangeas on my settee.

She has on a sweet Easter bonnet.

Some apple tree trimmings have bloomed
inside.

Ling-Ling enjoys the lovely fragrance.
(The flowers, not my feet!)

Back at the computer.
My constant companion.

That stare is penetrating - I think that means, 'Feed me'.

The solid gray skies have lifted a bit to reveal fresh snow
in the Cascades.

Mt. Rainier remains hidden.

We have had a series of storms bringing high winds and rain. 

This large hemlock blew over in the last storm

and was hung up in the trees. 

You can see the open door of the lawn equipment shed below. 

 On Sunday, we had another big storm which brought it down.

I can tell you that you CAN hear a tree fall in the forest!

The lawn equipment shed was spared, thank goodness.

We are glad that it has fallen, as it was very dangerous.

Now for the clean-up....

This is the view of the fallen tree from my bedroom window
through the arbor.

Things could have gone the other way!

Small blessings.....

Another true blessing, my daughter, Heather.
She stopped by with flowers and her new pup, 'Jimmy'.

Jimmy is a Labradoodle - bred for its hypoallergenic fur.
My daughter has adult-onset cystic fibrosis and
is very sensitive to pet dander.

Her disease is under control with the help
of an excellent specialist and she is doing very well.
An answer to our prayers.

Jimmy has the intelligence of the Standard Poodle,
and the even temperament of the Black Labrador.

But the fur is pure 'doodle'! Lol!

He's only 5 mos. old, but knows how to ring a bell
when he wants to 'go out', sit, lie down, shake, and stay.

Did you hear that, Whitey Bear and Kai?

Whitey Bear asks, 'But can he talk like me?'

We are trying to introduce him to my two American Eskimos,
but it is going to take a few visits for them to accept him.
We had to keep them separated, as they are all males.

Jimmy did enjoy romping in the yard, though!

And I enjoyed visiting with my precious daughter.

So as we move into a new week, I am waiting for the
weather to clear (the forecast is for sunshine later in the week),
I'm continuing to decorate for Easter, doing a bit of sewing
that I will show you soon, and preparing to celebrate
Ramblin' Man's birthday with the family this weekend!

I hope all is well with you, Dear Friends,
and that you have some small blessings
to brighten up your week!

xoxo

"It's a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate
gratitude with moderation."

- Roberto Benigni -
actor and director

Today I am linking with:

Roses of Inspiration

Cooking and Crafting with J & J