Bluebonnets

Our friend, Natalie, has a fun post up about the phenomenon of taking photos amidst the Texas Bluebonnets. She's requesting photos of people in the bluebonnets, so take a look and send yours in!

A few years ago, we had an AMAZING crop of bluebonnets on 1604 near our home, and we had daily hordes of picture-takers, right off the highway. Because there's a nice slope, it was a popular place to take pictures. It was not unusual to see 10 or 15 cars parked alongside the road!

This year, we haven't had enough rain at the right time. We have tiny patches with 2 or 3 bluebonnets. Brian & I keep joking that we expect to see families laying in the grass next to the 3 bluebonnets!

These pictures are from 2 years ago, in Hempstead:

Pumpkin Patch and a Precious Little Pumpkin!

Last weekend, our dear friends invited us to join them and their Bible Study class (the younger-than-us-marrieds) for a day trip to Love Creek Orchards Pumpkin Patch in Medina. It was a GORGEOUS day, and the Pumpkin Patch was a lot of fun! Here's my favorite photo from the day:



I love the multi-colored pumpkins and gourds, so I made this photo my desktop background!

Here's a collage of some of the other sights:


My friend, Kirstin, and I got together the night before the pumpkin patch trip for a night of sewing and chatting. She is a precious friend, and truly a Godsend for me! Anyway, she wanted us to try making a fall-themed tutu with leaves for her little girl. We had a lot of fun experimenting and this is what we came up with:

Isn't she a precious pumpkin? We also made the pumpkin applique shirt. Cute, huh?

And this little rosette/bow/clippie thing:


It was a lot of fun collaborating on this project! I'm anxious to try some other tutu projects...anyone want one for a special little girl?

Canyon Lake Sunrise

A few Saturdays ago, Brian and I had wanderlust. Well, let's just face it...we pretty much always do, but our budget tells us to stick close to home! Anyway, whenever we can, we map out a little day-trip adventure. Sure, it takes a little gas, but it's worth it for the emotional boost of exploring and discovering new parts of Texas. We headed out early in the morning because it was supposed to be cool in the morning and we thought we'd try to get to Canyon Lake in time for sunrise. We just made it. Here are some photos from our morning:



I took a ton of photos, fiddling with the settings on my camera, so the light varies quite a bit. The river photos are on a little branch of the Guadalupe, just below the dam. The river there had a strong sulfur odor. Interesting...and smelly! If you would like to see the collage photos larger, just click the collage above. To see more photos from the morning, click here.

What outdoor adventures have you been on this fall?

A Little Birdie Told Me...

Our church has an annual Widows' Reception, to honor and minister to the widows in our church. The deacons and their wives host the reception, and this is the first year we've been involved. I am helping with the decorations (along with 2 other lovely & talented ladies). Since we'll be on the verge of spring (it comes early in South Texas!), we decided to use a birdie theme. Here are some ideas I sketched up:

(click image to see it larger)

Next, I created a "palette":

Then I went shopping. I decided to start at Goodwill, as I was looking for inexpensive pottery/ceramic containers. Our plan is to purchase nursery 6-packs of English Ivy or other ivy-like plant, break up the 6 packs into individual "pots", wrap the pots in kraft paper or burlap, tie off with twine and a tag, and place the little pots into a larger pot. Some of the pots will also go on our cake stand towers. At the end of the reception, each lady will receive a long-stemmed rose from a deacon. She will also receive one of these little ivies, and a take-home box of leftover goodies. So I was looking for roomy pots at Goodwill. I spent $9 on all of the pots/planters. After the shopping trip (see what I found, below), I enlisted Brian to help me. We took a walk along the roadsides that surround our neighborhood. I, with a large basket, and Brian with a pair of pruning shears. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what we were up to! There is a greenbelt just outside our neighborhood, and we went and trimmed out creeping vines that are growing in / killing the trees. We also picked up moss balls and twigs. We went home and I started building "nests". It was a messy process, but I think they're pretty cute. I had to make some of them smaller because I was running out of materials, but I think it's good to have variation. So here's what I bought and made:


The little green planter I purchased on a previous trip to Goodwill. The eggs are resin, and hen-sized. They came from our family's store. Here's a closeup of the little white planter in front:

And here's a closeup of the largest nest:


It's going to be a dessert reception, so I'm thinking I may try to get these adorable cupcakes made. So cute!

I'll take pictures at the actual event and share them later. Then I may have a few nests for sale in my soon-to-come etsy shop...stay tuned!

The Holly and the Ivy

Deck the Mailbox
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Inspired by Meredith, I decided to decorate our mailbox (shared with our neighbor) with clippings from our yard.

We don't have native pine here, and I didn't want to mess with cedar, so I used the holly that Brian had just clipped, some English ivy that grows in our backyard, some sage, and some boxwood to create this little swag. I would have liked to have used more boxwood, but we trimmed them recently, and I couldn't clip too much more off without it being noticeable! I intended to go on a berry hunt just down the road, but then I found these little berry picks in a Christmas storage tub and decided they would work. The swag is weighted in back with a limestone rock to keep it from blowing away. I think it lends a natural and festive touch to our mailbox, and makes receiving Christmas cards that much more fun! And, the combination of the holly & ivy reminds me of this song:

The Holly and the Ivy - author unknown
The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet Saviour
refrain

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good
refrain

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.
refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.
refrain

The holly and the ivy, now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.
refrain

I also carried several holly clippings inside to add to the decorations in there. I'll have to remember to ask Brian to trim the holly next Christmas, too! Why don't you take a nature walk and see what God may have planted in your path to remind you of Him?

Lampasas, TX - Stop and Stay Awhile!

So Brian & I went to Lampasas, TX for our anniversary trip. Lampasas is a cute little country town on 281. They still do things the old-fashioned way in Lampasas, and that was part of the draw for us. We love small towns with town squares. We loved the americana and texana aspect of Lampasas. While we were there, we got to go to a city-wide garage sale on the square, and a Christmas bazaar in the courthouse! We also saw the high school drill team in their uniforms, doing a "boot drive" to raise funds for a trip.

We stayed in a very rustic, but very private bed and breakfast in Lampasas, called Lancaster's Pecan Grove B & B. Here's a picture:

The best part of Lancaster's was Lucy Creek...literally just outside the door. Here's an early morning picture:

And a late afternoon picture:

We visited Gorman Falls at Colorado Bend State Park. It was breathtaking.

We explored city parks in San Saba, where we met this little Russian duck:

We also explored Longhorn Caverns:

It was a GREAT trip. We loved the area! What a nice way to celebrate 6 years!

Fun with Flickr (or FFF's on Tuesday!)

FFF's
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

I've wanted to learn how to do these mosaics, and just today figured it out! So here's my first FFF (Friday Flickr Favorites), on Tuesday!

September Sky

september sky 3
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

What a glorious display God painted across the sky tonight! It reminds me of this song we used to sing in college choir:

When I gaze into the night sky and see the works of His fingers, the moon and
stars suspended in space, oh what is man that You are mindful of Him?

Oh Lord, our God, the majesty and glory of Your name transcends the earth and fills the heavens.

The Majesty and Glory of Your Name

Words: Linda Lee Johnson; Music: Tom Fettke

You may recognize the lyrics from their original source:

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon
and
the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that
you are
mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8

Thank You, Lord, for revealing Your handiwork in such an amazing way!

TX storm

TX storm
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Nothing like a Texas storm. Love the tough vulnerability of that lone oak tree, set in lime green grasses beneath a gray sky.