Grasshopper find. A real live one in south Florida!

Found at Fairchild Gardens in Miami this past Saturday. I've been looking for one (and a praying mantis too). This guy looked like a mighty warrior with his tough exterior. I loved his color! 

A walk at the beach

This morning my friend, Karen and I went to Juno Beach (Florida) on the Atlantic Ocean, with her doggy, Link Link.  We got there just after 7am and the sun was just above the horizon.

Here is a view toward the Juno pier.

The sun was rising to the east and we turned around and look what was in the west sky! The moon!!!! Pretty cool.

Shells and seaweed everywhere.

Here are some seed pods I found down in the surf. My I.D. book has a picture of what looks like these same 3 dark colored balls and if I am correct they look like Laurelwoods. And a sea almond (in front)

A view toward the ocean through the canopy of Sea Grapes. Can you see all the grape clusters?

Here is a close up.

This was so pretty, and delicate I just had to take a picture. My book shows it as a Beach naupaka. So sweet.

Here is Linky playing in the puddle of the showers there.  He is a merle Pomeranian. His momma gave him a summer cut so he isn't as fluffy as usual, but looks like a cute teddy bear.

I have no idea what this is. Any ideas? We did not find it at the beach, but outside at the place about 3 miles west for breakfast! If any ideas, please let me know. We both took cuttings and I am trying to root it in water.

Here is my cutting (which is much perkier now), seed pods and a couple of coconut palm seeds I picked up.

Here is my I.D.'ing book.  I found it at John MacArthur beach park (on Singer Island, Florida) in the nature store there.  I have also seen them at other parks around the state.  I love this book. It covers beach plants, shells, birds, and much more.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the beach and my great finds.  Such fun, I tell ya.  We do not get to the beach enough, and tomorrow we plan on going again, and I will also take Doozey!

xoxo-Julie

New old kitchen knobs and pulls

My DIL moved into an apartment, and needed to find new hardware for her kitchen drawers and cabinets.  The cost can be very high, and a friend of mine (Thanks Karen) came up with the idea of painting the ones that were there.  It turned out to be a brilliant idea!  Here you see the old coloration on the knob on the left, and on the right is one that has been scrubbed with soap and steel wool and brushed with detergent.

Here they all are ( as you can see a sort of hodgepodge had been replaced in the old kitchen) after soaking in vinegar about 6 hours and after being scrubbed one last time with detergent and a toothbrush.  You can see they are not real brass, as some of the plating came off.  Some even had remnants of red paint or fingernail polish (I'm guessing) in the crevices.

Here they are after their first spray (upside down) with glossy black Rustoleum paint.

And now, they are all united with their new black paint job.  For some reason you cannot see the gloss on these so well, but they are really shiny!  More like the picture above. It was just what my daughter in law wanted.  She loves black!!! They have a real vintage (hey, they probably are) look to them!!!  Sweet!

Cupcake fantasy!!!

A few days ago my friend and daughter and I visited a beautiful place called Cupcake Couture, in downtown Delray Beach, Florida.  Man, the cupcakes were to die for and the shop is so adorable.  Here are a few we sat down to eat (with cappuccinos), or take home. All of the cupcakes were named after designers, and I can't remember all the names, except for the one I had, which was the pink and green one below.

Coconut:

Key Lime (named Lily Pulitzer):

Multi pack of small ones:

Red Velvet:

A few shots of the inside of the store:

Mural on the wall:

This tabletop looks like a shiny print under the glass, but it is actual jaw breaker candies in there!

I wish I could visit every day and try every flavor.  Some will be seasonal, like the one I really wanted, but they didn't have yet, ...with Apple cake and Caramel icing!  I'm definitely going back for that one.  They said probably October or November.  Too long to wait since I am already in a fall mood, and I really NEED THIS!!!!  LOL.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the cupcakes and shoppe.  So sweet!

Pony # 2

Here is Applejack. Will be used in my lampshade recover!