Last July I moved from a 1/4-acre yard to a 7-acre yard and a house under additions/renovations. So, needless to say, I have spent a lot of time outdoors during the past 10 months. I'm also having menopausal hot flashes/sweats so I even spent the winter piddling out there during the daylight hours.
I am currently obsessed with yard art (which I like to call YaRd ArT). While I realize some folks may call this tacky, I am in love with it and can't seem to get enough. Having a few acres sure helps to fuel my fire too. I dream of it looking like a page in Southern Living, but since I am a self-employed small business owner, that's probably not gonna happen - unless I'm fortunate enough to win some $1 million dollar sweepstakes and take early retirement. In the meantime, I'll just keep obsessing and repurposing 'junk' to some 'treasures' to others and spreading it around my yard!

This is 'Harold' (yes, I named him)!

Repurposed lamp outside my studio.

Old trumpet case & camping coffee pot.

One of my toolboxes turned planter.

Starting a succulent garden. I was given a lot of shells so I used them!



Pitcher repurposed with old metal table - these are 'spiderweb' hens & chickens. Love the touch of white!

Old cast iron kettle.



One of my favorites (besides Harold) - this is a large vintage light cover
 and a little stool I had to make a mushroom base!

Moss garden resting on bicycle seat.

Love this one :)







I adore ferns so anytime I get one to grow makes me smile!

Galvanized bucket used as planter.

 





My mother, who is a retired school teacher, once said "I wish they would have known about ADHD when you were in school, because I'm sure that was why you had so many issues." ha! Well, they didn't and I'm not too sure I would have wanted to be on the medicine. I'm not sure if it's ADHD or just creativity plus the innate feeling that I should be doing something which I'm sure came from my maternal ancestors. I don't remember my mother ever sitting down. She, and her mother as well, always had to be doing something. Their homes were spotless, they served home-cooked dinners to their family promptly at the same time each night, and both of them held full-time jobs as teachers. My sisters and I have inherited this gift....or possibly a curse?
It's hard to relax when you have the constant feeling that you are not productive if you just 'sit'. Add to that the fact that I have a very creative mind and the fact that after sitting behind a computer in an office job for 25+ years means a lot of 'catching up' to do and there's simply no rest other than sleep, which is achieved only through medication and pure exhaustion of the mind and sometimes body. I am very thankful to God that I have been blessed with the gift of creativity and I now am able to use it as a career. I sometimes wish I would have started this career many years ago at a younger age. There are days that I tell myself - 'you're too old to have started this', but most days I am in a spirit of thankfulness. My latest project has been making paper flowers. Of course, I have 50 other projects going on as well! :)

Wow, I have really neglected this blog. But, in my defense, I have had a little bit going on. Including moving my shop and home and now adding on to a house. Trying to do better now. Plus it's been a bit too cold to do too much. :-)

I've been working on a few things though.

I use Mod Podge a lot and just learned this quick time & water saving trick. Instead of cleaning out my brush, only to use it again in a few hours, I just set it outside in the freezing weather. When you're ready to use again, simply let it thaw and it's ready to use! (freezer works just as well also, it‘s just more convenient for me to use the outdoors!)