Showing posts with label outside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outside. Show all posts

Friday, January 6, 2012

Vintage Inspiration Friday # 71 Winter is for the Birds



















You know I'm such a softie for little critters, birds especially. I feed them pretty much year round, but this time of year I try to do a little more to make sure there's something available for these cuties to sustain them. I can't imagine how hard it is to find food in the winter. Right now it's still pretty mild for January, but within a week or two we will have snow and bitter cold. It takes a lot of calories for birds to survive the harsh weather, so I try to help.


Source: etsy.com via Debra on Pinterest


There are some pretty creative and fun ways to feed the birds.
 How cute is this chandy with filled seed bowls!



And this is an out and out smorgasbord.



Getting creative with a Christmas wreath and pinecones covered in seed.




There are a lot of recipes for molded suet rings and shapes.


Also keeping fresh water is important.
I know I have to keep after the water containers, since they freeze up.
This is on my wish list; an electric bird bath.







I don't know what kind of birds these are but they are adorable!




(google images)

Some birds like feeders, others are ground eaters, like doves.
Mourning Doves mate for life, and it always gives me a twinge of grief
when I see one by themselves.


The Bluebird is Missouri's state bird,
I'm trying to give them boxes along the fence for nesting.




and of course, it's not fair to leave this fella out,
I try to keep seed he likes too.


This is a new little feeding station I set up with an old blue chippy feeder.
It's on our patio downstairs setting on the enamel top garden table.



a little garden statue of a boy reading gets a little seed, too.






and a bird house that Aly made with her grandpa many years ago.







Bird watching is their favorite entertainment, too!


If you haven't entered the Shabby Apple Earring Give Away,
then scroll down to the next post and join in.
They are beauties!!


So, what's been inspiring you this week?
"Anything vintage or vintage inspired..."

Please have a link to Common Ground within your blog post!
Linking to these great parties:


xoxo,



Friday, December 23, 2011

Back Door Christmas

Hey, look who's here out on the deck...
My little goosey has made herself a Christmas nest
out of some greens and a wheelbarrow.






I "shopped" the garage for some fun outside decor



A skinny tree in one of my vintage bushel apple baskets



an old red ladder and some ice skates.
( I didn't even remember these ice skates
 until I found them in a closet last week!!)
Note to self: organize and clean closets in January




Shhhhh....don't tell her, but she's just a plastic decoy...


She thinks she's mighty cute!

If you haven't joined in for 
Vintage Inspiration Friday
then just scroll on down to the next post!


joining in for

xoxo,

Monday, October 17, 2011

Take a Walk on the Dark Side

I love my white and shabby, and my white and frenchy, and my white and cottage-y, but I also love my "black".  Especially when this time of year rolls around.  We drag out the jack-o-lanterns, and the creepy and spooky, so I'm lovin' all things dark, Victorian, and a little off beat. The Victorians knew how to use "dark" so well in decor; heavy tapestries, lush fabrics, dark woods, and vibrant hues of the deepest colors.









These are the things that have inspired me this time around,
putting together my outside soiree. 



Actually, this very old parlor table cloth was my inspiration.
I found it several years ago and have used it as a base 
for many Fall and Halloween displays.


It's made entirely of silks with so many wonderful fabrics.
All edged and banded in black.
It's tattered and threadbare in places,
but it has always reminded me of a "party"
 with it's gorgeous pieced patterns and festive "banner" design.


I rummaged through my storage room
 dragging out this large black mirrored candle sconce.
I'd found these two sets of orange cups and saucers too,
they had to be used!



A couple of vintage cabinet cards
sugar and creamer,
old wire basket with some Fall flowers,
and of course my fine feathered friends are here.










The two caned seat antique chairs are a set that I keep downstairs 
at a round table for games or computer work when the kids are visiting.



The small table is an old sewing machine base with a wood top,
which usually sets behind my loveseat in the fireplace tv viewing area.






An antique luggage stand with an old tray holds my heavy pottery teapot.


My napkins and silver are tied up with a jute string and a
freshly picked soft maple leaf or two.



I have a funny story to tell you. I'm my dad's daughter and I don't like to let things go to waste, so I tear up old bread and throw it toward the back of the yard for the birds and critters. We live by the lake and woods and we have "critters". The crows have been my lunch guests lately as they love the organic sprouted grain bread that I buy. The whole time I was out here setting up the table they were perched in the trees "talking" to me. If you've been around crows for long, you know they have a variety of "voices" that they use. It's a real chorus of strange and creepy...



So....I had taken some photos and came inside to download them, checking to see how things were looking. When I came back downstairs my husband said it had been really noisy outside and that the cats were spooked. I go back out to take some more photos and one crow was knocked over and the other one was on the ground; nothing else out of place. We think they saw my fake crows as interlopers and didn't want them to share in the goodies. very strange...















So glad you dropped by for the fun...
watch out for the crows!

I'm partying with















I'm up to my eyeballs in Fall!!!
xoxo,


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