7 pretty birds

Note: if you are here for the giveaway, it is in the Mad Hatter post!

This year, we have had several birdie broods grow up in and around the trees in our yard. We have a family of blue jays that have been with us since early spring. They come several times during the day, looking for bugs and playing in the birdbaths.

Momma bird is always the first to show up and the first to leave. When her babies were fledglings, she would come in and sit on the fence. The others wouldn't come until she called, then they would come in one by one. Papa bird always came in after the last baby arrived.

Some of the babies fledged later than others and there was a new baby joining them every few days until all 7 started arriving together. Now, it is quite a spectacle when they arrive because they swoop in as one big flock.

There are lots of little baby feathers in the birdbaths after they leave...

“There’s more to a jay than any other creature. You may call a jay a bird. Well, so he is, in a measure, ’cause he’s got feathers on him and he don’t belong to no church perhaps, but otherwise he’s just as much a human as you and me.” -Mark Twain

Mad Hatter's Tea Party and giveaway..edited

Congrats to the Bobbypin Bandit! She won my Mad Hatter apron giveaway......!

Thanks to Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist for hosting this wonderful event! Check out her Mad Tea Party by following the white rabbit link below.

Welcome friends!
please pull up a chair...

there is tea to be sipped

and sweet treats to share.

There are stars in the ceiling

and beads to put on

Look! guests are arriving to join in the fun...

Prince Frogs and toads and bunnies and more

toadstools and dolls and snails galore

all beckon you to have some tea

then throw in your hat to win something from me!
This tea party apron is Mad Hatter approved. So please leave a comment, you mustn’t be rude!

The rules are kept simple, for those that aren’t sane. You have until Friday to throw in your name.
Be sure to leave info in case you win...or I will be forced to pick again…
Now off I go to join other parties, I mustn’t be late, I mustn’t be tardy.

Please follow the rabbit, the fun keeps on going, just as sure as the weeds in my garden keep growing!

-I'm late, I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say "Hello, Goodbye" I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!!!-

more crafting!

We had rainy days off and on all week so I got caught up on ornament making for the year. My goal is to make 1 ornament a month so my YOE tree will have some cute new ornaments.

Here is a birdie I made using attic24's tutorial. In my opinion, you can never have too many birdies on your tree.

And this little house was made using a pattern from Fa La La La Felt. I pretty much did everything wrong...wrong tan color, wonky window, too few scallops...but that doesn't bother me. I've learned to not let imperfections bug me!

this is a little rabbit inspired by Bijou's Whimsy. Her work is amazing.

and this is a bunny inspired by something I saw on etsy. It has a thick coat of gloss on it which made it really hard to photograph but you get the idea. I simply couldn't take any photos of it without it looking a bit blurred. ( photography is NOT one of my strengths!)

To see other ornaments I've made this year, click here.

When I carted all my supplies back into the sewing room, I saw Leo and immediately thought of the storybook " Princess and the Pea." He looks so cozy on his little tower of kitty beds!

sleep well, sweet prince...

"If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up." ~J.A. McIntosh

Make it monthly and a toy drop

Earlier in the month,I made an eel to drop in Florida. I didn't get to drop it though, there was too much going on. Instead, I found a new medical clinic here and decided to drop it there but each time I would pass the place, there were too many people around. Half the fun of making these toys, is dropping them while no one is looking. This morning, I took Mojo to be groomed and noticed they had a planter out front so I dropped Mr. Eel there.
Here he is waiting to be taken home. I hope he is gone when I go pick Mojo up!

Then, deciding I needed to get down to Christmas crafting, I made 2 little purses with appliquéd birdies. I added a crocheted flower and charm for fun.
July's MIM gift is done!

I lined each with fabric to match their birdies...

I'm going to put a few goodies inside each purse before wrapping them up for Christmas. Maybe a toy and one of those plastic coin holders that will open when you squeeze it. My mom always said you have to put a penny inside a purse for good luck when you give it as a gift.
I continue to crochet cat beds for the local animal shelter. I'm up to 10 now and hope to do several more by fall. It is just a simple mat but my cats love them and will use them until delivery day.

"Creativity is a drug I cannot live without". - Cecil B. DeMille

crocheted cat beds

Each summer, I make dog and cat beds to take to the shelter.

I never know how many I am going to make, it just depends on how busy I am and if I have supplies.
Last year, I made these beds because someone sent me a box of fabric remnants.
This year, my neighbor, who is an animal lover, gave me a giant box of yarn.

I've got a long way to go but so far have a few beds done...


and they are Leo approved...


Here is how I make them:

Size "Q" hook
3 skeins of washable acrylic yarn

Take the 3 skeins of yarn and hold strands together. (This makes a nice thick pad for kitty to relax on.)

Chain 36, turn
Row 1:Half Double crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook and in each chain across. You'll have 35 half double crochet stitches
* Continue Row 1 until the bed is wide enough to accommodate your kitty.
Finish off, weave in ends.

Blueberry pickin' fun

Dean announced we were going blueberry picking after church. A client of his bought a home on 29 acres and he had blueberry bushes that were overloaded.

The house is undergoing construction and his friend lives too far away to enjoy them so he told Dean to go get them for us. Dean was more than happy to oblige!


We threw on some shorts and headed out. It was perfect outside plus, the bushes were in the shade so we were happy about that.

We picked



and picked



and picked


And when we were done, we took a break before exploring an old herb garden. Even in a state of neglect, it was amazing....rosemary, lime and key lime trees, oregano, a bay leaf tree...and lots of old roses and gardenias. I hope they rebuild it to it's former glory. If not, can I have the trees?


Overall, we had a great time and got enough blueberries to make it worthwhile. Tomorrow's dessert? My Blueberry bog!