Tell me it's almost Spring...

It may be snowing outside, but it's 

Spring on the Mantel.

I'm a little tired of the gray skies and frigid weather, and

I needed a lighter Springy-er feel here in the Living Room,

so "some-bunnies" came out to play.

I kept my half-urn vases, 

but changed out the darker florals for a mass of Spring Tulips.

My Little Velveteen Rabbit;

He may be getting ready for a nibble...

 I love this little "smile".

Center stage is a framed Die-Cut Calendar base from the early twenties. 

Love the cottage feel of Spring.

This little German Glass Glitter Bunny

has started to change around his muzzle.

...a few old clay flower pots and nests 

for the bunnies to romp around,

makes it feel like we'll be playing in the garden, soon.

Once the daffodils and tulips poke their little green shoots up,

I'm ready to start thinking

Spring!

How about you?

and if you're interested, here is last year's Spring Mantel .

I'll be joining in for these parties:

Table top Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life

Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

TTT at Stone Gable

Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home

From My Front Porch to Yours

French Country Cottage

Craftberry Bush

Shabby Art Boutique

Rooted in Thyme

Power of Pinterest

If you're needing a good dose of Spring,

then hop on over and visit Becky and her sweet Easter goodies

at Timewashed.

xoxo,

The Marketplace; Etsy and Online Shopping Party

Hi Everyone, 

Welcome to The Marketplace,

It's Tuesday and we're shopping again.

Time to link up your Etsy and Online Store items,

 and then stay to have some shopping fun!

Here are a few fun links from last week:

Mini Frame

from the Vintage Bag Lady

French Communion Wreath

from Simply Nordic

Mary Had a Little Lamb Bookshelf

from FlossyBobbsey

Dairy Company Sign

from Knick of Time

Three Vintage French Egg Cups

from La Croix Rosion

English Tea Cup and Saucer

from Thistlebleu

And today Sweet Magnolias Farm is in the Sponsor Spotlight.

Tea Towels, Tablerunners, and kitchen linens,

 all with some Sweet Farmhouse goodness.

Dairy Fresh Milk Tea Towel

Custom Made Table Runner

Flour Sack Kitchen Towel

Bless This Nest

If you have an Etsy Shop or Online Store you're welcome to link up to three of your individual items or a link to your shopping site. You don't have to have a blog to join in, but if you do, I'd sure appreciate you being a follower of Common Ground and grabbing the image below for somewhere on your blog, just to let people know about this selling venue. The more who know about The Marketplace the more shopping fun!

This linky will be open all week, so be sure and stop back by throughout the week to see new items being listed. Thanks so much for joining in, and if you're here to shop, then we all thank you, too!

Happy Shopping,

More birdies and presents to myself...

You all know how much I love me some birdies, and you've heard me sing the praises of the UK Edition of Country Living. Put them both together in this month's February Issue, and you have me looking forward to Spring more than ever.

Once you've experienced one of these gorgeous monthly magazine publications you'll be hooked. The UK Edition is true to it's name. It's all about life in rural Britain; farms, businesses, crafts, entrepreneurs, cooking, traditions, and lifestyle.

This month they featured bird and nest illustrations

 from the Natural History Museum, London.

The illustrations in the layout look like watercolor exhibits on faded papers,

with dimensional identification tags. a very vintage look.

This month's issue is still available at bookstores. 

And I have to share this wonderful breadboard that arrived in the mail this week. Being sick and delirious ;) I'd forgotten that I'd ordered it, and when my husband brought the monster box to me I was clueless. (That happens to me every once in awhile and it has nothing to do with a fever)

 It's a big boy breadboard, that I ordered from "Decor Steals" as my Valentine present to myself. When I ordered it I didn't have any idea where I'd put it, but I wasn't going to let it pass by. It's not as heavy or well made as the real thing, but it has the look of an old one, and the price was right.

And this interesting reproduction metal sign came from "Antique Farmhouse" before Christmas. The distressed creams and browns are really pretty....and it says "Paris"... what's not to love?

I think I like them together...

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I've been working on more Springification around here. The sunporch was Saturday's project...I'm just getting started. And please don't remind me that another snowstorm is scheduled for Tuesday!

I'm joining in at these parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

What you do if you're iced in...

Well, you hang around your kitchen window

 looking at all the critters and birdies who are looking for a snack...

Critter feeding is pretty messy business.

This is the frosty view outside my kitchen window above the sink.

It seems a certain little somebody was trapped when the icy rain started coming down in buckets. She had to take cover under the wagon. Looks pretty chilly...and uncomfortable.

can you see her?

As soon as it let up the bluebirds were back. I've lived here 10 years and only seen bluebirds a handful of times, but a little Bluebird "couple" have taken a liking to the feeder up here, so now they're regulars.

Now, look who's back...

She didn't like all the ice pellets in her food pan.

It was a battle all afternoon, 

birds vs. squirrel.

I don't have a zoom telephoto lens, so I just had to use my regular lens. These aren't the best photos, but if you look closely you'll see the variety I had on the feeder. Purple finch and Sparrow on the feeder, a goldfinch on top of the faux evergreen and a little wren waiting turns.

...got some fluff going on here.

My little female bluebird on the feeder again.

The bluebird is the Missouri State Bird

 and speaking of "state birds" we couldn't leave out the Cardinals...

And yes, I had a little help from the "Official" Bird Watcher.

We never lost our power, but it did cut out off and on for awhile.

This has been a long week of feeling lousy, 

but I'm better now.

I think I slept about 16 hours a day most of the week.

and that's with having a flu shot.

I guess if you are going to be sick it's best

when it's snowy and icy,

...a good time to be snuggled up at home.

I hope the rest of you are making it through the snowstorm.

Stay warm.

Spring will be here soon...

I think.

p.s. EpicLinen is still having a discount 

on all orders until March 3.

Head over and look around.

xoxo,