Mary over at Across The Pond is the winner of my give-away!

You must go visit her and hear about her recent trip to France.

Her blog pictures are awesome too!

Way to go, Mary!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is my favorite holiday so I'm really looking forward to it. I love having it at my house as the leftovers are so yummy. I cleaned, shopped, and cooked today so I'm ready to put the turkey in in the morning and enjoy!!

Here's some cute vintage postcards found on Flicker.com

It's Finally a Give Away!!!!..................

Rachel Ashwell is smiling as she is wondering where she will end up when she is shipped to the winner of this giveaway. Win her book 'The Gift of Giving,' as well as the items pictured below......................

a vintage silver plate dish, a Vera Bradley cosmetics bag, a ceramic piece that reads "A garden of friends is always in bloom," and some cottage garden potpourri made from herbs and flowers from my gardens.

Please leave me a comment on this post

and also put a link on your blog back to mine.

I will draw the winner on Monday Dec 1 so please enter by Sunday November 30.

My neighbor's cat, Sarah, decided to sneak up on my front porch the other day. I was working in the kitchen, looked up and saw her peeping at me through the screen! She is such a friendly feline and often visits while I am working in the gardens..........although so far oblivious to the catnip.

My next post will be a giveaway for my year's anniversary of blogging. I know I haven't been a frequent blogger lately. Now that winter is right around the corner, I promise to be more active in the blogging world. When the weather is nice I can hardly sit inside at the computer!

Stay tuned for the GIVEAWAY post...........................................

My Hope Chest

Recent events have lead me searching for some old pictures. I knew they were tucked away in what I still call my Hope Chest.

My Great Grandma Roush gave me this old steamers trunk when I was 13 years old.

It was always thought of as my Hope Chest and in it is where I stored all the items that would one day help me set up my first home. Anyway now this trunk holds all sorts of treasures ......including my teenage diaries.

The first one is from 1975 when I was 12 years old. It's so funny to go back now and read those entries. I'm sooooo different yet a lot the same too.

Who knew?......I even liked silver years ago and had this old bowl stored away. I'll stick it with the rest of the silver that needs polishing.

Embroidery project made by a much younger me and an old scrapbook.

I love the picture on the inside of my old Hope Chest.

I haven't peeked inside for many years....close to 10 or 15 I'm sure.

I'll read through the diaries and pack it all back away and throughly enjoy the memories and do it all over again in another 10 years or so.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Been to the BEACH...................................so relaxing!

The weather was gorgeous thru Wednesday even though that's the day the waves started kickin it up from hurricane Ike.
Friday the beach was closed! The wind was strong and the water surge came all the way up to the fence at the condo.
I pray for all the hurricane victims. Mother Nature is amazing.

Vacation

Heading to the beach tonight. Packing a van, gathering friends, and heading south. Three couples off for an end of summer chillin' at the seashore. I'm so there!!!!! We love the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL area and have gone there for several years. ...........

Anyway I don't plan on seeing any of these sunrises on vacation as I will never be up that early.I'm glad you got a picture of a sunrise for me, honey.

Gonna go be lazy at the beach.

Harvest Time

I so love this time of year here in Indiana as all the fresh garden produce is in abundance. This morning some friends and I went to two Farmer's Markets and also a Herb Festival. Look at the gorgeous stuff I bought............................

Cherries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, peppers,cucumbers and sunflowers. I think I 'll make a fruit salad with the berries and add some spearmint from my garden. My mouth is watering...................

There are many Amish communities in this part of the state and they have the nicest, cleanest gardens around and some of the best produce are grown by them. This Amish lady had fresh salsa for us to taste but she was already sold out of it for the day. I did get some of her beauteous sunflowers though.

The Herb Festival was in Wabash. It is held in a real nice little park and has turned into an annual event for us. Here is Carolee's booth. She was lucky and got to set up in one of the old log cabins in the park. I purchased her book 'Herbal Beginnings' and am anxious to read it but will wait and take it to the beach on our vacation in a few weeks.

I also bought a vintage book by Adelma Simmons from Caprilands in Connecticut. I had the privilege of meeting her and visiting Caprilands before she passed away. I also got some rosemary fruit square mix and mint chocolate tea cookie mix.

Celosia Sunday

Celosia is a flower that dries well. Where I live it is an annual so I pick a different variety to grow every year. This year is this lovely pink color. I wish I had bought more of them to grow and dry as I really like the variety I picked out this year!

I've had this little boot container since I was a little girl.

Mom probably knows where it came from.

The silver mint julep cup came from The Waldorf-Astoria, NYC, May 2007.

I'll let the celosia dry naturally in these containers

and it will be an

instant and long-lasting arrangement .

Do a Topiary

I am making some topiaries out of Lemon Verbena and thought I would share. It's really easy and takes about 5 minutes. The other herbs that do well as topiaries are thyme, bay laurel, rosemary, and lavender. These particular herbs have woody stems that support the shape.

Here is a Lemon Verbena topiary that I started a few years ago. I trimmed it and am using some of the trimmings to start new plants. I left 2 'antenna' to show how much I trimmed it back. Then.........................

I took a cutting and removed most of the lower leaves. The cutting above has not had the leaves removed yet. Make sure to save the leaves and make a cup of tea!

Next, dip the root end in water and then dip it in a rooting hormone. I always use a rooting hormone to start cuttings. I have a good success rate using it. Then......................

Stick it in a pot of soil and water it. How easy is that!!!!

Now be very, very, patient and let it grow.

When the plant is as tall as you want it to be then pinch off the top.

This will then grow into two branches. Then when those two branches grow long enough, pinch back and it will grow into four and on and on with the pinching and growing. It can take up to a year or so depending on the plant size.Here is another one I just started.

I need to stake the stems and I will use wooden skewers and raffia. Just stick in the skewer close to the stem and tie around it several places with raffia. Don't tie it super tight as the stem will still be growing.

The Garden Grows....................

The garden is growing like crazy due to all the rain this year. I need a rain gauge so I don't know exactly how much we've had here.

Here is my lemon verbena topiary. I love training herbs and flowers into topiaries. It's really easy to do so I will have to show you sometime. Here is some borage, hyssop, and golden oregano growing in a section of the herb garden.

The roses along the alley fence are so pretty when in bloom. Wish they only bloomed longer......................

Here is a different variety of 'Queen Anne's Lace'.

The blooms are deep burgundy in color.

Pretty!

England's Rose

I have always been a lover of all things Princess Diana. She was so beautiful...inside and out. Today would have been her 47th birthday so I must share with you a secret. She was my sister...soul sister that is. You see I had an older sister that passed away a day after her birth. My sister was born the same day as Diana. Being the girly girl I am, and having two brothers meant I always yearned for a sister. Diana became that sister as soon as I 'met' her as she was being courted by a prince. I was never a fan of that particular prince (sorry Charles) but had always been fascinated by anyone royal. I honestly believe that if the paparazzi was not chasing her car that dreadful night, the driver would not have been speeding.

So Princess Diana has a place in my heart........................................................

I've saved magazines featuring her.............................

Both before and after the tragedy.

My bookshelves hold books about her

Here is a commemorative glass candle holder engraved in her honor. It holds some dried lavender and rose petals from my garden.

IN MY GARDEN........

Clematis “TEXENSIS PRINCESS DIANA”

Hosta “Diana Remembered”

Rose Princess of Wales

Thanks Princess Diana.

Thanks