Happy cactus/succulent Monday!

Happy Monday! I am finally remembering to participate in Cactus Monday!!! Yeah! Over the rainy weekend I took a few pics of things in the screenroom. If you read to the bottom I will include a pic of the cute earrings I made from left over paper beads I had from my sisters bracelet.

Here are the buds on my white Christmas Cactus! The pink one has no sign of budding yet.

Is this (below)an Aeonium??? I can't remember!

Here is my amazing many-lived Kitten Ears plant (also a succulent plant)...some of the leaves are turning a pretty bronze color, and a close up shows the fuzziness of them. I have gotten more joy out of this plant...you can't imagine! It comes and goes, but when it is going, it is really pretty!!! It hates water!!!I only water it about 3-4 times a year.

Below is my gorgeous variegated gasteria...love at first sight when I found it a few years ago!!! This is my beauty queen!!!

And a trio of Haworthia(?)...aren't they cute? Only about 2 inches across, each!

OK...here are the earrings I threw together for a craft fair visit! I wish I had had some gold crimps, but alas, no. I used the silver ones (as the base) and it was OK. I'm a mixed up kind of person anyway (mixed gold and silver)....well, nd just plain mixed up as well! Hahahaha.

Happy Cactus Monday everybody!

I am sitting here typing, and staring at this!!!!!

I am beginning to think that maybe we are going against all of nature when we try to organize craft spaces! It just never LASTS for me.....I am beginning to feel OK with it...possibly even deriving some pleasure out of looking at it??? The problem is that I have more in my overflowing secretary, entertainment center, and hall closet. Seriously, when I opened the pull down secretary front, stuff started to tumble out! Now, that is a sad state of affairs!


I am working on finishing two more pair of Christmas tree earrings for a few folks. One is the economic developer for a town nearby who I met on the beading isle at Crafts N Stuff! She is so sweet. I must take her a pair...I am hoping to run into her at a craft fair on Sunday. I wish she could hire me to help her develop a whole artsy community in their town. It is coming about, but surely I could help her in some way!!! That would be fun, don't you think? She was telling me that we may get a Christmas shoppe back in town who was forced to leave a few years ago, that everyone dearly loved. If he comes back I will be thrilled!!! Oh, well...ever onward with my fantasies!!! LOL.

Here is a few pics of the tent we set up in one corner of the screen room for the kids to play in (for a little playhouse) that we can read books in and play games. (Don't notice all the darn plastic, Messyfish, OK)...I am going to go check at our camping store for a lightweight small clip on light that can attach to the inside top of the tent for better lighting in there. An LED, for long lasting low battery usage. Right now we have a lantern in there...but who wants to buy batteries...NOT ME!!! Of course, there is some light just from the screenroom itself, but we are looking for a camping-like experience...sorta being outside, without actually being all the way outside. My grandson is afraid of bugs right now...something we must gradually work on so he can be my camping buddy one day soon!!!


Today he and I were at Home Depot, and he is learning to read, so I encourage him read signs wherever we are...and he was reading the labels for the different types of tomato plants. One was called Mr. Stripey, and it had a pic that showed a yellow/orange colored tomato with red stripes! I immediately said "Let's get one"! I got it planted today and it looks happy so far...will be fun to see what developes!!!

(Image and tomato info from Cooking Light).

'A pale yellow tomato with pinkish-orange blush, and occasionally, green stripes, Mr. Stripey is a delicate beefsteak with low acid content that allows its sweetness to shine. The flavor boasts notes of melon, and the firm skin provides a nice contrast to the tender flesh when eaten raw.' Doesn't that sound interesting?

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! xoxo- Julie

Chalk pastel ragdoll ornament in the night...

Well, I've been particularly fond of this cheaply made, thin plastic little ornament that came to us several years ago...just how many, I can't say. She is on the tree, and calls out to me about how cute she is, just about every day...begging me to draw her. Well, today I saw that Teri over at Teri's Painted Daisies has started the most adorable Santa Journal, and it made me think back to when Lisa, over at Artsy Endeavors had painted an ornament a day during December a few years ago. It all added up to me pulling out the pastels this evening, after the grands were asleep, to give it a go.
Standing in the kitchen with the BIG, lovely case of pastels that my SIL had bought me a while back, I began to just freehand her out. Such fun! I always knew I was a cheap date, but seriously confirmed it tonight. LOL! The doll is so cute, and what I ended up with here kinda looks like something you might pay admission to see at the fair! But, she still has a cuteness factor that is hard to deny.
I love her! Thanks to all of you who inspire me just to play!!! You will never know how much I appreciate it!
P.S. There is a lot to be said about having a large choice of colors in whatever medium you use, is there not??? Ahhhhh.

Garden pastel

I was inspired by Messyfish, with her surge of pastel drawings! So...last night I went and bought some black paper, and did a chalk pastel myself. Again I returned to the flower tire garden and here is what I saw. The plants include white and orange impatiens, kale, purple salvia, coleus, yellow marigolds, and pink periwinkles. One photo with flash...

and one without... (I like this one better)

It's a fun process...really messy...especially when it is windy, like it is right now! I tried to spray my picture with sealer, and a lot of the color (especially the purple) just disappeared...so I threw it out. Hey, at least I have an electronic record of it. Happy Sunday to you all!!!

A visit to Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens in Stuart, Florida

My Mom, daughter, and I took a drive to visit this garden for a plant sale they were having, and to just have a look around. It is a 40 minute drive for us, and none of us had ever been there before. A gorgeous day today put us into action!

I focused on succulents (and one Bromeliad). This was a large (5 ft. tall) stone planter with faces all around on it as planter areas...here was one of the faces planted with sedum.

And how about a cute alligator (or is it a Croc ?) planter filled with Crown of Thorns??? A good match, I would say!!!

This was the prettiest red/orange bromeliad...just blazing away in it's little froggy planter!!!

This Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora 'Fantastic' (as it was labelled anyway) was quite large, and beautiful to boot! This was the only plant I was tempted to buy! I was not familiar with the hybrid 'Fantastic'...so decided to do a little research first. It was marked 18 dollars...and you may know about how cheap I am...knowing I could start one from a leaf...so I left empty handed!!!

Now...here is an added bonus! This Kalenchoe Bossfeldiana was found growing at Mom's house today. She took some near dead cuttings from my house a year ago...and now look at what she's got! I'd call that a SAVE!!! Isn't it just gorgeous...all reaching out and in bloom with that lovely shade of yellow! WOWZERS! Way to go Mom!!!

I love succulent plants more every day...nothing quite compares for me. Bromeliads are a close second...if I could just find some shade around here.....

If you are ever in Stuart, Florida...consider a visit to Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens!