A Beauiful Day Off

It is the perfect day to get a lot of fall yard work done.  It is also the perfect day to do many other things.  Things that I don't often take the time to do. Go for an early morning stroll with my kids. Wander around the yard gathering interesting seed heads for an arrangement.  Read a book on the sunny deck with a coffee.  Finish up a cute pumpkin experiment which involved roaming around in the trees in the backyard looking for the perfect 'stem'.  Take lunch out to the wheat field and picnic with my husband on the back of the truck. I even snuck in a nap shortly after lunch which truly made it feel like my much needed day of rest.

I shared this post HERE at Viewing Nature with Eileen.
With an old black and white enamel bucket, my daughter and I wandered around
the yard and picked anything that caught our eye.  I just love how it turned out.
It sure brought a lot of texture to my front porch!
These sunflowers that resemble 'Big Bird's" feathers are blooming in my daughter's garden right now.
Most of the sunflowers are done, but these are just getting started.  What a great and unexpected
finish to the flower beds!!!
This photo is not only to show you the impressive size, but also the gardener
who grew it and was generous enough to let me cut it and bring it in.
I just can't stop taking photos of this beautiful flower!  Here it is on my dining
table with a centerpiece using an old cabbage shredder as a base.
Here is a close up of the pumpkin I made out of old jeans.  I just cut the bottom 8 inches or so off, cinched
the bottom up, then stuffed it with bits of leftover material,  and cinched up the top.  Then I tied yarn
around to create the indentations and painted it with an outdoor latex paint.  Went hunting for the stem
this morning and made the tendrils with a bit of wire and some floral tape. I hot glued those bits on and stood
back to admire my handiwork.  I really love how it turned out, and it really suits my 'on the primitive side' décor.



I loved the way our little gecko 'Chocolate' was peeking over her stone this past evening.  Doesn't she
look saucy?






Comments

  1. IdaSeptember 20, 2015 at 9:50 AM

    Wow that is a most unusual sunflower. It does look like Big Birds feathers. It's very pretty. - Your pumpkin is darling and so clever. Who would have thought old jeans could be transformed into something so neat. - Love the shot of your gecko, she does look saucy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea OstapovitchSeptember 20, 2015 at 8:04 PM

      Thank-you so much Ida! I have really come to enjoy giving old materials new life.

      Delete
  2. Claudia W | ImagesByCWSeptember 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM

    I can definitely see why you cannot stop taking photos of that flower - it.is.gorgeous. Kudos to the gardener. Your fall decorations are very creative, and you've got a gecko called 'Chocolate' - she is so cute :)
    BTW - I found you through Ida who linked up at my s~A(R)T~urday - have a look and see if you like to join us with some of your work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea OstapovitchSeptember 20, 2015 at 8:02 PM

      I certainly enjoyed visiting your website. I enjoy art of all kinds! I'm not sure how the 'link up' works though. Is it just anything at all, or are there particular challenges? I definitely have time in the winter and it may be something I'm interested in.

      Delete
    2. Claudia W | ImagesByCWSeptember 21, 2015 at 4:08 PM

      Hi Andrea, thanks for the visit. No, no particular challenge. More along the line of 'if you think it is art, show it to us!' People participate with photo art or painting or writing - it does not matter.

      Delete
    3. Andrea OstapovitchSeptember 22, 2015 at 5:15 AM

      Ok, thanks for clearing that. If I ever come up with something, I'll drop by.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2015 at 7:50 PM

    What a beautiful blog you have!!!! I look forward to seeing more!

    Chocolate is ADORABLE!. She looks like she is smiling for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea OstapovitchSeptember 20, 2015 at 8:06 PM

      Thank-you so much Dee. We are ridiculously in love with that wee reptile. And she is more photogenic than anyone else in the household.

      Delete
  4. MeredithSeptember 21, 2015 at 6:07 AM

    Fall is definitely in the air where you live. Your daughter is so beautiful and very proud of her beautiful sunflower. Great idea for old jeans.
    Hugs and have a great week,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  5. CherylSeptember 27, 2015 at 5:30 PM

    Your such a great photographer Andrea, wow. Your daughter shines with happiness, I can tell she feels deeply loved... and that is always a good thing isn't it :-)

    Your jean pumpkin is such a fabulous idea...hmmm I must file that idea away in my brain for a later project lol... I've got my own pinterest in my head lol
    big hugs,
    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea OstapovitchSeptember 28, 2015 at 10:19 AM

      Yes, my daughter feels very loved when she sees herself on my blog, especially when people make comments concerning her. Thank-you for visiting and for the lovely compliment.

      Delete
  6. Kinley DaneOctober 3, 2015 at 6:16 PM

    I've missed your pictures. They are always so inspiring! And I took a nap today, too. Was lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Buttons ThoughtsOctober 9, 2015 at 5:22 AM

    Oh your daughter is a talented gardener that is a beautiful flower and smile. Love love the pumpkin idea. Chocolate is adorable. Hug B

    ReplyDelete
  8. eileeninmdNovember 28, 2015 at 9:22 AM

    Hello, I love your pretty arrangement. You and your beautiful daughter did a great job! The sunflower is gorgeous. Chocolate the gecko is a cutie! Great series of images. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. ChristineNovember 28, 2015 at 9:25 AM

    Wow! You've had a very productive Saturday! I love the stems arranged on your porch & the sunflower is amazing!
    Chocolate is a sweetie too! enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love reading the comments. Let me know you have been visiting, and leave a little note. Also let me know if you have a blog, I would love to stop by for a visit.

Popular posts from this blog

A Blog Event That Caught My Eye

Image
This looked like a ton of fun, so why not? I started a blog as a way of introducing myself to those who wanted to get to know me better than what my little Etsy shop offered. I had absolutely no idea where it would go, how long it would last, or if I would get any response. As it turns out, none of that matters. I just love to do it. And I love reading the blogs of others as well. It's far better than TV. Click on the picture for all the details, and to register your blog. Here is what I'm offering up as my giveaway. A stone necklace with various findings. All findings are silver plated and it has no clasp because it measures a long 33 inches. I can not wait to see what everyone else is doing.
Read more

Snow Day!

Image
It has been a wonderful, drawn out fall.  I've enjoyed easy walks around my yard well into December, and more time outdoors than I usually get during these first two winter months. This balance between indoors and outdoors is essential to keeping me feeling good.  I hate being cooped up in the house for too long without a breath of fresh air.  It makes me tired, and I'm a grouch when I'm tired. Yesterday, Old Man Winter decided to correct his oversight in our corner of the world, and deposited between 6 and 8 inches of snow.  It looked light and fluffy, but it was actually very dense and it took a lot of work on my husband's part to tidy up the driveway. The prairie I walk in out back was so completely whited out, it seemed as though I was getting nowhere, even though I could clearly feel the muscles in my legs straining to get me through the snow.  It is actually quite dizzying to be looking at nothing but pure white and trying to move forward.  I had ...
Read more