Saturday, August 2, 2008

Thrifty finds and steamy times

I am so tired of whining about how hot it is. Everyday. Foggy windows. Clammy underpants. Yech!! Actually, I'm just tired of how hot it is, not the whining part, 'cause you know I've trained my whole life to whine!

But that's how it is, so we deal with it. (whine, whine.) And we keep on pulling weeds and applying mulch. Everyday.

So, this is the finished side of the house. I think it looks really nice!



This is the walkway up to my studio, not so nice. I started, but need to install more edging (green long thingies on the walkway.)



I did get one small section devoid of invading Bermuda grass and quickly laid down some cardboard and mulch. Believe me when I say that it is bad!! (Shut up, MIL!) Some sections yet to be done.

That yellowish plant in the middle is an azalea. See the weeds climbing under the porch railing?? It sticks up 4 or 5 feet above the porch floor!


How come the weeds look so much healthier than the plants?!? This is bad on so many levels!


But today, the backyard was just screaming for some small attention! I forgot to take a "before" shot, but let me assure you that the azaleas were invisible in a sea of 4 foot high weeds. I only went for the tall weeds, the ones that were sticking up under the porch railing. The flatter ones don't give up easily and are going to require a shovel, some dynamite, and a trained team of moles tunneling underneath to uproot.



Cr*p! The lens fogged up! Let me clean it off and try again.



There! That's clearer. So it needs a bit more work, and then there is the entire rest of the backyard beds to do (arg!) But it's a start.



I filled this cart twice with weeds just from that little section. Oh, there is a load right in front! I was too tired to put the cart away!

So, after I cook myself in the early morning frickin' airless humidity light for about two hours (baste with sweat frequently and test for doneness by squeezing out your socks,) I head for cooler past times.

Here are some things I found a while back while out thrifting running important household errands.



There are three of these quilt tops! Similar but not exact fabrics in each. $2.00 a piece.

Closeup

A pretty sheet (top) and a vintage tablecloth.



Two embroidered linen pillowcases for a quarter a piece.



A pretty "stained glass" quilt wall hanging thingy with a doily in the center!



Closeup of the colors.

Which brings me to a giveaway! I am graciously giving away this wallhanging. All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment telling me how you deal with the heat of the summer. I need ideas folks! I'm not about to swim in the 12 inch deep creek with the beaver, and I can't keep serving Stud Muffin only Popsicles for dinner, either! Besides, we both only like the cherry ones and there are never enough of those in a box.

I will leave the contest open until Monday night... which is my wedding anniversary... 24 years of bledded wiss! Which, I might add was how old I was when we started this adventure! I have now been married for as long as I was alive before I was married. Yeah, you can do the math and figure out how young I am! Oh, and I will use a random number picker-outer to choose the winner!

Celtic Spirit asked what the teasers were that I made and posted last time. Well, I can only show you one of those things, until I know that the other person got their package.

I made this for a bloggy friend, Catty Ax Lady, who is having a little girl in September.





Too funny that she is decorating the nursery in pinks and brown! I did not know that when I started! Jump over to her blog to read what lovely things she had to say about what I made.

Don't forget to comment to enter to win the fabulous quilty thing I got!

13 comments:

MarmiteToasty said...

If I win, can you please NOT send the round thingie, which I think is hidious and hate it with a purple passion, if I win I would like you to send it to my worst enermy LMFAO........ no wonder you are giving it away...... I mean that deeply and sincerely ;)

To keep cool whilst working..... thread the garden hose up your trouser/short leg, hang over shoulder until the end points down over ya huge dangly boobs and turn on the water, you will get a constant cold shower which will help stop the leg chaffing LMFAO.......

;) love ya...

x

Lisa said...

That's it, Marmy! I am going to fly over to your house and nail this quilt to your front door, or maybe over it so everyone can see it and you can't reach it!!

As for your cooling plan... great idea! But who told you about me dangling boobs??? Have you been peeking in me windows again, dear? Haven't we had a talk about that already?

Lisa said...

When it's hot here, I avoid going outside at all costs, unless it's to supervise the kids in the pool or sprinkler, then the splashes I receive "accidentally" keep me pretty cool. If it gets very hot inside I turn my living room window A/C on and stay in the living room!

We really don't have a lot of hot weather though. Thank goodness.

Anonymous said...

Come to Vegas and I'll let you float in my floaty chair and serve you cold cocktails of your choice.

Angie

Lisa said...

Lisa ~ I am trying to stay indoors, but I have pulled all the weeds inside and am just left with monster dust buffaloes! Of course, they are feeling the heat and are easier to catch!!

Angie ~ Oooh! Cold cocktails and a floaty chair?? If I had the bucks, I would so be there!!

Anonymous said...

Stud Muffin will pop for a flight. Just bat those baby blues at him. (your eyes are blue, aren't they?!)

And I want a blog-type name like the rest of your blogging friends. I don't have a blog though but I want a moniker. Any ideas?

Until then. Sign me Dan Uggla's dad.

Lisa said...

Dan's Dad ~ Well, I'm not sure I know who you are, but if you want a cool moniker, go to www.blogger.com and register a neato name. You do have to start a blog to have a profile and name!

Bramblemoon Farm said...

I hear you on the humidity and the sweat! We finally got two days that were pretty nice and now it's suppose to get retchedly humid again this week. Ugh.
Your weeds look like mine:)Things look great though-- I like what you did.

LOVE your bargains. I tried going out yesterday but only found one book and a tiny teapot. I wanted MORE.

Re said...

You have some great finds! and dont get me started about the heat and humidity combination..*faint* I have some of those "cooldanas" - the icepack inside the bandana and I use that when i must work outside in the heat. Usually I just make my husband do it and give him some iced tea and a few cooldanas :)

Keep up the good work :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Mommy. I have an idea! Pack my puppies into a box and mail them to me! That way you don't have to go outside with them! I love you!

sewtakeahike said...

Lisa!!! Happy 24th anniversary! That really is quite an accomplishment! Your treasures are really quite lovely, but I'm with Marmy on the wall hanging. Um, I'm so sorry, but I hope someone else wins!

Anonymous said...

MIL here--I'm with Marmy and Penny------that is one ugly "wall hanging" looks like a mess!!!!!! I don't blame anyone for not wanting it----give it to NIck and Sassy to play "tug of war". HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you and the Stud--------I'm the most fortunate MIL and MOM because of you two------love & kisses! Me

MarmiteToasty said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY YOU OLD COW...... he had better be treating you right and buying you nice special things like sacks of horse poo for the garden and those huge 100% cotton knickers so the breeze blows through on your hot summer days.... you know all the things you love :)

*Waving* and your MIL - blimey you brave letting her read here LOL but I LOVE her for agreeing about the bloody aweful round crappy thing that is probably from a dead persons house....

Hope you having a super duper special day........

much love ((((lisa))))) oh and ya bloke lol........ Mel xx