ANOTHER SNOWMAN, A LOOK BACK, AND EXTRA LOVE...

For Christmas 

I made a red snowman.  

I fashioned two velvet pumpkins 

together with a snowman ornament head, 

then I took some white velvet 

and another larger snowman ornament,

 and put this 

jolly little fellow 

together...

...he is here to celebrate 

the last of the winter's offerings 

and his bright smile 

is certainly doing a

 grand job of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In looking over

 my posts of this last year, 

this is the one 

that got the most views 

and I thought I would share it again.

  It was written in the fall, 

just before Thanksgiving 

and it went 

something like this...

SUNFLOWER SUMMER

All that glitters

 is not always gold,

 but as long as the sun is shining,

 we hold a special place 

in our hearts 

for the summertime

 that is here and now 

and for the memories 

that we will cherish 

long after it is gone.

 As we continue on with 

the Sunflower Summer,

 a few that have graced

 the vases of Gold Country Cottage,

 now lay on the kitchen sill (above),

 waiting to dry, 

to be added into 

a wreath or a garland 

that will continue on 

and add cheer

 to a wall or a door 

of the Cottage.

On the kitchen table,

 Goatzie is pulling 

a bounty of sunflowers 

that will also be a part of

 the fall and harvest crafting

 that will be taking place 

along with the 

goldenrod drying 

in the spongeware pitcher.

Another flower 

that will join the sunflowers

 will be the hydrangeas.

  They dry easily 

and add just 

the right color and texture 

of another kind.

Down the center

 of the dining room table,

 lays the garland mentioned above.

  As the sunflowers dry,

 they and other bits of dried material

 will be added, 

making it a centerpiece 

of the autumn experience 

at the Cottage.

As the garland lays on the table, 

the bits and pieces of summer

 are placed just so

 to form an autumn image. 

 When the eye is satisfied 

with the results,

 a bit of hot glue will be used 

to add them permanently in place

 where they can shine....

...and just like sunflowers 

standing tall beside a garden gate, 

they will conform to the season 

and continue shining 

until the harvest is in

 and the sun sets.

...Judy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right after I wrote that post,

 I found that the kids were 

coming to the Cottage for Thanksgiving.

  Because the pretty garland

 would take up 

too much space at the table,

 I moved it to

 the parlor mantle...

...it fit perfectly there

 and we enjoyed it

 throughout the rest 

of the season.

Valentine's Day 

is on the horizon

 and I thought it would be fun

 to re-create the garland

 for that purpose.

Since I never did glue

 the sunflowers,

 hydrangeas and Chinese Lanterns

 to the garland,

 it was just a matter of replacing 

those flowers with 

dried roses and peonies

 that I have gathered over time, 

some from the garden 

and some from grocery store bouquets.

  Along with the addition of 

a pink silk ribbon,

 it is a perfect combination 

for a bit of 

Valentine's cheer.

We don't do much 

in the way of celebrating 

Valentine's Day 

outside of hanging a few hearts 

here and there...

...so it seems perfect

 for a...

"Little house, so very small

(and with the addition of a romantically inspired garland)

Just big enough for love

That's all."

Author Unknown

...Judy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was then...

This is now...

Kai says,

 "I never slept with a blanket

 in my whole life, 

then the Birdie came and 

now I have turned into 

a whimp!"

Winter is still here.

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and

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