ENTRY WITH A GLOW...

Have you ever noticed each time you decide to pull up stakes and move, you usually have this little list running through your mind...a list of what your next home "MUST have", or else, you would just as soon not move. And then there's that other list...the " WISH it had" list. At present, I am living in my third home, having lived in my first home four years, second home, seven years and now my third for eighteen.

My first home had an entry or foyer, sort of. It measured approximately 4 x 4...as in, feet...as in, tiny...as in, pretty-much-non-existent. Our second home was a bit better, but not much. There was no room in the entry for a table and I realllly wanted a table...with a lamp. On walks in the evenings I would pass by homes in the evening and see the warm glow of a lamp in their entry. It said, HOME...and I craved that.



By the time I was house hunting for the third time, the "must-have" and the "wish-it-had" lists had definitely grown. And running through my head, at the top of the "must-have" list, was the word "Entry" followed by the description, "large enough for a table with a lamp."

I have met so many wonderful friends in Blog Land. I do think it's time I welcomed you into my home. :-) So won't you please come in...I am so glad you are here!




The table with the...well, you know... :-)




Aglow at night...




View from Family Room...




Just in case you missed it the first time :-)




A few details...






Tree of Life rugs (or Tree rugs) are distinct in that they represent one of the oldest spiritual symbols in human history, predating Christianity and Islam. References to a "Tree of Life" that links mankind to heavenly worlds have been found in ancient cultures spanning from Europe to the Orient. (Description from Pak Persian Rugs online)




Quack!

Virginia MetalCrafters...Torch Sconce

See that room through the French doors? Got big plans for that room...one day.
But that's a story for another day. :)


Thanks for stopping by...you are always welcome here! Before you leave...I'd love to hear what's on your "must-have" and wish-it-had" list!

WELCOME TO THE FIRST TABLESCAPE TUESDAY!!!

I know summer is almost over, but I'm just not quite ready to let it go. I found some adorable shell candlesticks recently and put together this "beach" themed tablescape.





Found the sea-blue flatware at Pier 1 recently and it was half off...whoo, hoo! Thought it worked well with the colors in the china...what do you think?


Napkin rings were made by gluing shells to plain wooden rings...


Used both starfish-shaped salad plates with shell-shaped ones in this tablescape... Star-fished shaped salad plate shown here...


Shell shaped salad plate...


Do you see the little starfish on the glass? :-)


Sea-biscuit bread plate...


Love how they decorated all four sides of the bowls...




Thought these candlesticks look like they were designed to go with this beach china...

Close-up of candlestick base...

Come walk with me, along the sea, where dusk sits on the land. And search with me, for shells are free, and treasures hide in sand. (Author unknown)

Hope you enjoyed this little escape to the beach. Click HERE to view more tablescapes I've posted for our Tablescape party.



You will find beautiful tablescapes awaiting your oooohhhs and ahhhhhs at the following blogs (listed in alphabetical order):

A Beach Cottage http://www.abeachcottage.typepad.com/
Angelic Accents http://angelicaccents.blogspot.com/
Cathymac’s Holiday Hamlet http://holidayhamlet.blogspot.com/
Dish Diva aka Kay http://dishdivaakakay.blogspot.com/
'D's DayDreams http://dsdaydreams.blogspot.com/
Equus Villa http://equusvilla.blogspot.com/
Designs by Gollum http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com//
My Romantic Home http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
Note Songs http://notesongs.blogspot.com/
Ribbonwood Cottage http://ribbonwoodcottage.blogspot.com/
Sweet Designs http://judith-sweetdesigns.blogspot.com/
There is Always Thyme for... http://thereisalwaysthymefor.blogspot.com/
Thinkin’ of Home http://thinkinofhome.blogspot.com/

Mr. Bluebird On My Shoulder

Picture from Crowley Museum Nature Center

For many years I've attempted to attract bluebirds to my yard. My interest in bluebirds started when I worked as a volunteer with the Chattahoochee Nature Center. During that time, I learned that bluebirds had in years past, (1960's and 70's) dramatically decreased in number. This decrease was found to be due to use of pesticides and a loss of their natural habitat (natural nesting cavities). The loss of nesting cavities was blamed on the clearing of trees for housing developments, shopping malls, highways, and cropland. Also, wooden fence posts that had provided nesting cavities, had often, over the years, been replaced with metal posts.

Bluebird nest photo from original.britannica.com

As bird enthusiasts became aware of this problem and attempted to spread the word, bluebird houses were erected on golf courses, along pasture fence lines and of course, in backyards everywhere. It apparently worked, because since the 1970's the bluebird numbers have been increasing instead of decreasing! Yea!!!

Years ago I put up a bluebird box, but never saw any bluebirds and eventually the box deteriorated and fell off the tree where I had foolishly mounted it. Later I found out it's not a good idea to mount them on trees...predators can easily access the nest by coming down the tree. No wonder I never got a nesting of bluebirds...thank goodness the bluebirds were smarter than me! :-)

Last summer I decided to try again and this time I did it the "right" way, mounting the house to a free standing pole. Wrens immediately took up residence in the home. (LOL) According to all the "experts" you are supposed to toss their nest out. ~SIGH~ I just couldn't do it. I know...I'm a wimp.

One day as I pulled into my driveway, I noticed a bluebird perched at an opening of one of the many cavities in an "ornamental" dove cote that is mounted on a pole in my perennial garden . I guess no one told the bluebirds that the house was bought for ornamental purposes, because they made themselves right at home. :-)

To say I was excited is an understatement! I immediately rushed out and purchased mealworms from a local birding store to assist with their busy feeding schedule. One afternoon I managed to capture a few pics of Mom and Dad Bluebird feeding their babies mealworms from the tray I attached to the dove cote. (Mealworms are not really worms; they are the larval stage of the mealworm beetle.)

Click on pics to enlarge!

Dad Bluebird is gathering a mouthful of worms for his babies...

Mom is checking on the babies while Dad is "preparing dinner"...


If you look closely, you can see the worms in dad's mouth...

Over the summer Mom and Dad bluebird nested THREE times in the dove cote. This is amazing because all the information I've read states they will usually nest twice in a season and rarely, three times. I guess they knew a good thing when they saw it; I kept them in mealworms all during the three nestings.

One of the main reasons for supplying mealworms, is because it keeps the birds from having to go long distances from the nest in search of food. The less distance they have to travel away from the nest, the less chance they will fall prey to a predator or some other calamity.

At the risk of completely grossing you out and losing you as readers of my blog forever, I thought I'd share some pics I took of how the worms are shipped and how I store 5000 live worms for a month.

The worms arrive within 2-3 days of placing the order. They are shipped in a box with holes which allows for ventilation.




The worms are inside the bag all mixed in with the newspaper with which they are shipped.




This is what 5000 mealworms looks like:



I store the mealworms in the refrigerator in a plastic container that contains 2-3 inches of a mixture of wheat bran, corn meal and/or oat bran. I mixed in a little oatmeal, as well. While in the frig, the larvae go into a dormant state. Meal worms can't crawl up the sides, so there is no danger of them getting out. I leave the lid slightly ajar to allow for ventilation.

You can keep mealworms in a refrigerator that is set around a temperature of 40 degrees for several months, although my birds go through 5000 mealworms in a month easily. Once a week, it is recommended you take the mealworms out of the refrigerator for a day, cut up a carrot or an apple and place it into the container. The worms will warm up quickly and will feed all day on the carrots or apples.

I, also, like to offer the worms to the other birds who come to my feeders. Tufted titmouse, chickadees, wrens and many other birds really appreciate the help during their nesting season.

Here you can see Mom bluebird fluttering down to get some mealworms for her babies while dad is perched on the roof of the dove cote watching the crazy woman with the camera inching nearer.


Now Mom is feeding the babies and Dad continues to stand guard...


In the pic below, Dad is feeding the babies this time. Mom and Dad bluebird share the feeding duties throughout the nesting season.


Bluebirds are a member of the Thrush family and are related to the American Robin. The Eastern Bluebird, the Western Bluebird and the Mountain Bluebird are the three types that make their home here in North America. The bluebird we have here in Georgia is the Eastern Bluebird. Bluebirds help us because they eat insects like cutworms and grasshoppers that can cause extensive damage to our gardens and to crops.

If you would like to learn more about bluebirds, here are two excellent books:




You will also find additional information about bluebirds at The North American Bluebird Society's website: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/ During the nesting season, you can watch live "nest cams" at http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/home/index. Thanks for stopping by and if you enjoyed today's post...would love to hear from you...just click on the "comment" link below and leave me a message. :-)

(Pauline and Tom, who signed my guestbook this morning, left a message saying that members of The North American Bluebird Society get a 15% discount on mealworms from Sunshine Mealworms and The Nature's Way. Be sure to click on the "view all guest" link below the guest book and take a look at the amazing photo of Pauline and Tom!)

SATURDAY EXTRA: PINK SATURDAY AND THE OFFICIAL KICKOFF OF TABLESCAPE TUESDAY !

Hi Everyone,
Thanks to sweet Lynne (decorator101) I just found out this afternoon that Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ is hosting Pink Saturday. And wouldn't you know...my original Saturday post today, (see below) has lots of that wonderful color "Pink." Whoo Hoo! What fun! So look for some future Saturday postings with lots of PINK.

And don't forget...Tuesdays are Tablescape Tuesday! If you are a blogger and you would like to participate in Tablescape Tuesday, leave me a comment here by Sunday evening of each week. Then each Tuesday I will post a list of all the Bloggers/Blogs (accompanied by links) who are participating.

Also, please feel free to copy the BEAUTIFUL logo that sweet, sweet Shelia from Note Songs made just for Tablescape Tuesday. She is one talented lady! I get excited just thinking about all the great ideas and designs we will be seeing and learning about every Tuesday! :-) Spread the word...Tablescape Tuesday!

EXCUSE ME WAITER, THERE'S A FLOWER IN MY ICE TEA!

Summer is waning and fall is just around the corner. I can feel it the air when I'm out on the porch during these late summer evenings. Before long, at least here in the south, gardeners will be pouring into the nurseries in search of pansies for their annual beds.

Pansies enjoy the cooler weather and if planted in early fall, they will put down good roots that will carry them through the colder temps we see here during the winter. I've even had pansies that were covered in snow for a day or two, look as good as new, once the snow melted.

So, why is she is telling us about pansies, you might ask? :-) Well, party season is coming up before too long, and I thought I'd share an easy, fun little "recipe" that is sure to WOW your guest...a recipe for...drum roll, please...blossom ice cubes! Yep, we're talking ice cubes with gorgeous little flowers tucked right inside!


So here's how you do it...it's easy as pie!

Step 1. From your garden, gather and gently rinse some of the blossoms or petals from any flowers that are considered "edible"...you'll be amazed at just how many are safe for consumption. Examples include: violets, rose petals, pansies, lavender, nasturtiums, begonias and dianthus...but there are so many more! Two websites where you can find an extensive list of edible flowers are:
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm AND http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=379

NOTE: It is very important to use only those flowers that have NEVER been sprayed with any type of pesticide. Also, do not use flowers, like certain types of roses, if they have been treated with a systemic product for bugs and disease...thanks Rosie (NicknNora on RMS) for this reminder. It is also important to only use flowers that are considered edible. So be sure to check prior to harvesting your flowers, that the flower isn't considered unsafe, or even poisonous, if eaten.

Step 2. Boil the water you will be using for 2 minutes. This allows all the air trapped in the water to escape. This will ensure that the ice cubes are crystal clear. Let the water completely cool to room temperature. If you don't want to boil your water, you may use distilled water and it will work just fine. (When I made my flower cubes, I used distilled water.)
Step 3. Place each blossom at the base of each compartment, within an ice tray...using several trays for larger parties. Below you will see a photo of the trays I used. I like the square shape but you could use any shape ice cube tray.



When I made my blossom cubes, I used the flowers that happened to be growing in my garden at the time, lavender....
 

And dianthus...


These two flowers also fit well inside the square ice cube trays I was using.

Step 4. Fill each compartment half full with the completely cooled, boiled or distilled water, then freeze.
Step 5. After the water is frozen solid, fill each ice cube compartment the rest of the way to the top with the remaining, cooled boiled or distilled water.




Step 6. Refreeze and keep cubes in the freezer until you are ready to use them. One word of caution...do not do what I did and rinse the cubes off. This will cause then to stick together like they are super glued! (LOL) Fortunately, I was able to ice pick them back apart.






You can also freeze a whole punch bowl shape with a variety of blossoms. Don't use the glass punchbowl or it will expand and burst in the freezer. Instead, pull out a ring-shaped cake tin and fill it with flowers and water. Follow the same procedure as above (filling halfway, then freezing), but you can add additional blossoms to the second layer so that the blossoms are throughout the large ice cube.

You will want to have some ice cubes without blossoms in them for guests who might be squeamish for one reason or another. No one at my dinner party balked at drinking ice tea with blossom cubes...they loved them! :-)

If you are using ice cubes in wine, make them with the wine you will be drinking. This will prevent dilution of the wine as the ice cube melts. Freeze with a strawberry, a raspberry or a mandarin slice for a delightful, uplifting taste.

You can also make a flower ice ring for a punch bowl...directions can be found HERE.


Looking forward to hearing about your upcoming holiday parties. If you make some blossom cubes, send me some pics and I'll post them here for all to enjoy!