What is this? Some crazy webs!

Is this a spider? Looks like only 4 legs...weird...

There are multiple well organized webs...probably more than 1 spider at work here.

I am walking an exercise path at a park in Boca Raton, Florida....it is beautiful here!

Thank God for peaceful alone time!
Xoxo...Julie

Doozey and my plant pets too!

Hello!!! It has been a while since I posted...so much going on, or rather NOT going on, but I was just too busy!!!

I took pictures of Doozey being a real snuggle puppy...as you will see later in this post... how she lays down with the length of her whole body RIGHT UP NEXT TO YOU! Sometimes I am too hot to let her stay...but mostly I try to move her a little just to get some air! She snuggles around my neck (my favorite), and right up next to me on the couch! She is, as my DIL always says, a "hot mess"!!! :) I always said I wanted a chihuahua pillow, and when she gets around the back of my neck, she becomes just that!!!

I looked at my little pet succulents today and thought it was time to show you all a few pics again... of their cuteness!!! I do love them. I think that other than their cuteness factor, I love them because they thrive on neglect and they never talk back!!! They are never out getting into any kind of trouble. They are just CUTE! Doesn't just the sound of that calm your nerves??? :)

And, just before I show them to you, I have to tell you one of the things that has occupied some of my time. It is addicting, and a very enjoyable pastime when you are waiting for something (like a job)...

Weed pulling in your yard grass. I seriously am wondering about myself! I tell myself I think I can get rid of the weeds the old fashioned way...no sir-ee...I do not need Weed and Feed. LOL. I get focused in (and even sitting down to work on larger patches of them), and work for quite a while...only to stand back up and see a million more patches everywhere! It is impossible. NOW, I just tell myself it is a meditative activity I can do to calm my nerves and I think tomorrow I will take out iced tea and snacks! LOL.

So...here are my pet plant babies:
My euphorbia, whose name is REX (decorated with multicolored lights for a festive atmosphere in screenroom). They run all the way around along the trellis.

Mexican Love Plant...it goes hot pink in full sun! Sent from California.

The wild and crazy (needs to still be divided), is it Haworthia of some sort???

Aloe (saved from the side of the road here).

This one came from California, but I can't remember it's name. I just call them all "Cuteee"! This one has been a very slow grower.

Tillandsias, or air plants. I have been watering them more after losing some to non-watering...I found out they need a drink every few weeks too!!!

Variagated gasteria. This one is so sculptural...I fell in love with it on first sight years ago and HAD to bring it home!

Kalanchoe (Flippin Flapjacks)

Blooming Haworthia

Kalanchoe (Donkey Ears)...sent to me from San Antonio, Texas! They are so beautiful!

Huernia (started from a small cutting from my SIL in Mooringsport, Louisiana). It looks so cool...especially when in bloom!

Now a few shots of the SNUGGLER, doing what she does best!!! (Love it)!!!

My BIG potato haul!!!!!

Yesterday I couldn't resist the urge to dump out the garbage can supposedly full of potatoes I had been growing the past few months!!! The plants had died and it was time. No watering for 4 days to harden the skins on the potatoes before pouring out the can! It was an exciting moment...and it was a thrill to be feeling around in the soil to see what I could find!

Well, here it is.....6 potatoes that looked pretty good....all red...plus a bonus teeny weenie baby!!! Can you see it up top in middle??? It is about 3/4 inch in diameter! LOL. It was disappointing, because I thought each plant (there were 5) would make about 6-8 potatoes...but it did not happen. :(

I washed them up...

Cut them up (they were nice and firm...just right)...

And put a pork roast on top!

Underneath is a layer of cabbage, onions and, strangely enough, some mustard greens! This should be interesting!!!

I have decided now that I should try potatoes again...and NOT care what season I grow them in, because ...well...I am experimenting! I will plant these new cuttings (once they have sprouted) along my back fence line in the partial shade for the hot months coming up...and just see what happens! I will use real dirt this time, supplemented with a lot of good stuff. Here are my new babies ready to sprout, in a shallow dish of water in the kitchen windowsill. I change out the water daily.

Oh...and I had to take a picture of my little Gretel eggplants...they are really showing their stuff right now!!!

Have a nice Thursday...and thanks for stopping by!
Julie

Finally...some Whipped Wheels!

I started the day and got all my household chores done (mostly), and got a pot of chicken and dumplings going...then sat down to try a few embroidery stitches of the whipped wheel. It is so fun to do. Mine came out funny. You can see the one on the left I missed doing some of the wraps, and it came out a big mess, really. The second one on the right is done right, but for some reason one of the spokes is sticking out way farther than the others. Somehow the threads compacted down more toward the center on that one spoke. Funny. I tried to pull them out a little, but it didn't help much. This is one I will have to keep practicing!

I decided to hook the woven and the whipped wheels together as flowers, using a stem stitch (I think)...LOL!

Now I am chillin out at computer after finishing up my chick n dumplings, and oh...I got two small gardenia bushes planted in a big hole where a scrawny philodendron was removed. I had one bloom on them, (the first since I have had them in pots), so I am encouraged!!! I sure hope they will thrive in their new spot out by the driveway!

xoxo- Julie

Giveaway!

I read a blog called Wild Olive, written by Mollie, an embroidery and felt fanatic! She is giving away a brand new copy of a book in which she is featured!!! It is a cute little book of felt projects! You can see it HERE, at Wild Olive.

Go over and enter...it is open to anyone who wants to participate!
xoxo- Julie

Woven wheels and chipettes!

Goodday!!!

Continuing on with my embroidery practice stitches, here are three woven wheels I tried. Now these are fun to make!!! I want to make more...but I am glad I am just doing a silly practice cloth, because I would have no idea how to incorporate them into anything! I still need to think about that a while. But...ain't they cute!! The one is solid white, and then one is dark and light pink and the blue one actually has light green in it. This stitch inspiration was directed by Sharon over at Pin Tangle, with her TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday). Thanks Sharon, for your awesome blog! If anyone wants to follow along with weekly stitch challenges, feel free. I'm gonna try, as best I can.

Update a few minutes later: Looks like I did a sort of modified stitch from what Sharon was doing. She is doing a WHIPPED wheel...so now I have to try this other technique, which is very similar, but has a completely different look to it. I had gone to MY stitch book, and followed what it had in it, which wasn't the correct thing. I will be back.

My granddaughter likes Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. I found a line drawing of them and I used my computer screen as a light box to hold the paper they were printed on behind the fabric and traced with a pencil. It works. So I am adding them in to the crazy scene! Next I will have to add something from Star Wars for my grandson, and add the date, for sure. I was thinking of having some tags made up with "Made By Julie" on them to sew on as well...and make a fabric sampler book. This will be my famous 1st page, of course!!! LOL.

Mr Bunny is getting ready for Easter amongst the marigolds!!!

xoxo- Julie

A princess makes seagrape baby food this morning!

New seeds planted and drawn!

Yesterday my Mom and I were in Dollar Tree and I found these really pretty Cosmos seeds! See that price on the package??? Well, they were selling them 4 for a dollar! So I spent a quarter!!! I loved that, since I am so damn cheap!!!

I have never used this brand before, so we shall see what happens next. The pic below shows the tire they are planted in now. As soon as they show their little heads, I will have a picture, you know!!!

I was sitting in the shade and decided to stop and take a few minutes to do a little basic sketch of the seed package. It was a few moments of heaven! I am always inspired by my blogging friend, Penny, over in Australia at With My Boots and Sketchbook! She does the neatest stuff. Australians are so artistic! I am enjoying friends there who paint, sketch, and embroider, so much! I think I must plan a trip in 5 years to go over and see this beautiful country!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We are going out to dinner tonight, and beyond that, no plans yet for Saturday and Sunday, other than we will have a grand grandparents weekend, for sure! Hey, maybe I will sneek about and do some more sketches!

Salad for breakfast and what the heck is this plant???

I went over to water the vegie garden, (as small as it is, currently), and could not resist cutting some lettuce leaves for breakfast!!! LOL. Sometimes I feel crazy like this!!! Anyway...here they are straight out of the garden, all washed and ready.

Here is my breakfast salad, minus dressing. I cut up leaves, added some hot cheese, one of my smaller heirloom tomatoes, and some cut up and sauteed and flash fried eggplant, which I also cut out this morning. Later I added ranch dressing and it was so good. I think my body is thanking me for giving it such a nutritious breakfast!!! :)

My neighbor has these red plants in her garden and gave me a few to plant because she had cleared them all out and they keep growing back!!! She gave me 5 and I have searched the internet to see what they are. I tell ya...I am filling my front area with these babies...I need this...drought tolerant and the stems and leaves are a lovely shade of dark RED with these cute little puff balls!!! Oh...and do you think these are the seeds??? I am so happy! I want to go back and ask her for a few cuttings as well and try rooting them in water...if it works...I am in for a beautiful front area!!!!!
Thanks in advance if anyone knows what it is!!!
xoxo. Have a happy Thursday!
Julie

Cute Frangipangi finding!!!

As much as I like the beautiful flower of the Frangipangi (Plumaria), it was the leaves that really grabbed my attention! They are gorgeous. If you can make the picture large, those little leaves along the main stalk are so intricate! This little baby was discovered outside the grandkids school this morning, and I had to share it!

Here is a website that tells about them...quite fascinating! All Things Frangipangi!

Stitches, Doozey and Nature Wednesday!

Doozey is thinking "I hate this woman...I am not gonna look, even though she he snapping, calling, clicking...get her away with that red thing...go away mama"!!!

Lookie! What is better than your own artful stitches as your phone background??? Yeah, baby!!!

Here are a few pics I took during a little hike through the woods in search of the illusive praying mantis (not found).









Happy Wednesday!
Julie