Irish Spring

Hello, Dear Friends, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, 

and the first day of spring, I have put away 

the roses of Valentine's Day in favor of 

a little 'Irish Spring'.

It's also a special anniversary for me. 

March 18th I will celebrate the start

 of my 7th year of blogging.  

Where does the time go? 

I feel so fortunate to have 'met' the sweetest, most 

creative and wonderfully interesting people through blogging. 

I've learned so many things, but most importantly

I feel privileged to share so much friendship 

with some of the kindest people on the planet. 

I've hung my banner to celebrate :) 

I've always loved the color green. 

It's such a hopeful, soothing color. 

The color of spring. 

Every year I find some new green treasures to add to my collection. 

This year I found a green glass luncheon set for four, 

complete with plates, saucers and tea-cups

in perfect condition. 

I found this Staffordshire creamer and sugar bowl, too. 

The goblets were last year's find. 

I also found these St. George, bone china mugs from England.

I found these at The Pink Rose Cottage. 

They fit perfectly here...... 

and work so well with my everyday china. 

This vintage needlework hangs above my coffee pot. 

It states, 'Glory in each morning'.

I painted the ugly, brown frame, green. 

I was with my dear Mother when I found this
many years ago. 

We loved to go to flea markets together. 

I had no idea the day that I started my blog, that my 

Mother would never get to read it. 

She passed away suddenly just a week later. 

My dear Father left us a year after that

after battling Alzheimer's for nearly a decade. 

Some days it was the kind encouragement of my readers 

that kept me going........

xoxo

I crocheted the shamrocks a few years ago. 

I wish I had used a brighter green. 

Oh, well! 

I painted and stenciled the rolling kitchen cart 

last spring. 

This vase reminds me of my Grandmother,
Beatrice Euphemie.

It would be something she might like, I think.
It was certainly her era - 1940's, when
she was a young wife and mother.

Maybe she would keep it full of flowers from her garden.
Perhaps lilac, gladiola or geranium;
 flowers that I remember in her gardens when I was a little girl.

I can still hear her yelling down to me and my sister from the front porch,
"You can play where you like as long as you stay out of my flowers!"

Do you have childhood memories of a loved one's special garden?

I love vintage crochet pot-holders, especially in green :)

This vintage runner has a sweet, crocheted edge. 

I found it at Pam's Etsy shop.
You can find her shop on her lovely blog, Virginia Retro.

More vintage potholders hang out by the stove. 

My daughter, Jennie made the shelf with drawers 

in a school wood-working shop. 

Not bad for a girl who was afraid of power tools! 

I love its charming imperfections. 

Ramblin' Man gifted me with the pale green tea-kettle 

for Christmas. 

Tiny landscape paintings and vintage cooking untensils

bring in a wee more green :) 

The solid green teapot was a gift from my sweet Sis-in-law. 

xoxo

The tiny drawers hold tea and spices. 

A painting with a cottage scene. 

Irish lace. 

Simple vintage stitching with its original 1940's 'blonde' frame.

Speaking of dogs.....

Whitey Bear looks out at the thin spring sunshine. 

Kai prances by. 

A 'garden folly' that I found at the 

Northwest Flower and Garden Show. 

Don't even ask me what it is.....

I just knew it would be perfect right here :)

You can see that the wild plum is starting to bloom,

(on the left) 

while we still have snow in the mountains.

The bears are coming out of hibernation. 

They announced it on the local news, 

complete with video of a big, black bear 

walking through someone's pretty back yard

to get to the bird feeder. 

One of the reasons I stopped feeding the birds. 

*-*

 0 

We are flirting with warmer temperatures,

 in the 50's and 60's during the day now, 

but the nights remain cold - near freezing. 

So while I wait for things to 'green up' outside, 

I will have to be content with a bit of 'Irish Spring' inside. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day, dear Friends!
And Happy Spring!  

An Irish Blessing for you! 

xoxo