bwahahahahaha!!!

Posted on October 31, 2011 at 3:14 pm | No Comments

guaranteed to make kids cry

guaranteed to make kids cry

Too scary to wear on Halloween. Ever since my eldest niece’s first time to trick or treat nineteen years ago (she’s now 21), this mask has been relegated to permanent storage, never to see the light of day or night ever again. I learned quickly that children seven years and younger are scared out of their wits by this kind of thing. Maybe that’s why I see so many “cute” decorations. I don’t go for cute. Since I can’t decorate the way I want to, I do goodie bags that include odd tricks and treats. That reminds me. It’s 3:10 pm, and I still haven’t pulled those bags together. Until next time, Happy Halloween!

a prickly assortment

Posted on October 29, 2011 at 7:36 pm | No Comments

handle with care

for the greenhouse. It’s a start, but hardly a full house. Not only are these cacti low maintenance, but it just occurred to me that rodents may not care to dine on a prickly diet. That’s been a real problem in the past. Why is it that when a plant such as kale is planted outside, it remains untouched, but when placed inside the greenhouse, all foliage will be consumed in less that 24 hours? Maybe it’s just that they prefer to dine in rather than dine out? Ha ha, I couldn’t resist making that funny. I know. It’s lame. But, hey! Why not?

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delectable details

Posted on October 24, 2011 at 8:26 pm | No Comments

I want that hand fan.

from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. While I’m trying to pull my brain bits together after several months of crazy stuff, I wanted to waste some of my time and your’s with this eye candy — a little escape from fixing things. That’s all I seem to be doing these days — fixin’. Fixin’, fixin’, fixin’, and more fixin’. I would like to say “solving problems”, but that’s a way too sophisticated phrase for my string of snags. And what about my goals? Ha! I’d be super happy if I could finish at least one project and have it stay finished. So don’t come around asking me for any favors, because I won’t be in the mood! Rant over. And now for the eye candy…

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meet the new greenhouse whatnot

Posted on October 20, 2011 at 8:00 am | No Comments

the first cactus in the greenhouse

What to put in my greenhouse has always been a dilemma. I learned quickly that even with shade fabric, air vents, and a swamp cooler, the inside temperature could never be cool enough to allow most plants to survive during Dallas’ summers. This beautiful greenhouse was functional only for sheltering my summer container plants during our three months of winter and useless during the remaining nine. What a waste.

Now that the backyard’s landscaping has been completed, without plants on its shelves, the greenhouse looks like a storage bin. I’ve decided to collect interesting succulents and whatnots that won’t fry during our summer months. Eventually it will become an extension of my garden.

My first greenhouse whatnot. This oddity, which I purchased from Nicholson-Hardie where the manager admitted not knowing much about this organism and what to expect, has no name and is the creation of a local succulent grower. It looks a bit lonely now, so if any of my local friends have suggestions on where to purchase unusual succulents, please let me know.

the big reveal!

Posted on October 13, 2011 at 3:56 pm | 13 Comments

from the driveway looking southwest towards alley and neighbor

This view is looking southwest towards the alley.

My dream has finally come true. Thank you Michael Parkey and Hadden Landscaping for the best looking backyard ever! Today the copper path lights are being installed, so you will not see them in this post’s photos. Don’t worry, I will be doing a photoshoot of them sometime in the near future. Except for the front gates, everything has been completed and is now ready for drive by viewings, and don’t be surprised if you spy me on my back screen porch sipping a cocktail and enjoying the view.

Note: You can click on each photo for a much larger version.

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