Christmas Candles on the Porch

 

"A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;

It makes no noise at all,

But softly gives itself away."

Eva Logue

 

 From my porch to yours:  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

until next time,

from Bird Nest Cottage

♥♥♥

Vicki's Nests and Jeanne's Thoughtfulness

 

This is the story of a most magnificent knitted bird nest and two most wonderful people.  There is a lovely lady who knits birds nests....and decorates them with hundreds of beautiful ribbons, yarns, buttons, beads, millinery flowers and such....then adds objects created by her artist friends to create a nest that will take your breath away.  Truly.  Her name is Vicki and you can find out all about these nests HERE.  Go there, you will see many beautiful things and find out what a special person she is AND you will enjoy it!  Do you see the bird nest to the left of the book in this photo?  That is one of Vicki's creations....and you will see it "up close and personal" in the following photos.

 

 

While you are enjoying these photos....I must tell you about the other special lady in my story.  She is Jeanne and you can find out about her on her blog HERE.   Jeanne is very special to me because she has been following my blog for some time and never fails to cheer me up when I need it.  How she knows, I don't know, but she does and her comments and emails have meant a lot to me, especially over the last several months.  She somehow KNEW I loved Vicki's knitted Nests, so the dear girl, unbeknowst to me, ordered one for me.  It came the other day....as a complete surprise.  Vicki mailed it to me with a lovely note not only from her, but from Jeanne also.  While you look at these photos, you will know just how special this surprise is...both the Nest and the two girls are a treasure to me.

  

 Here is the Nest.....A beautiful vision for your eyes and it just has to touch your heart as it does mine.

So much thought, talent and yes, time and work, goes into each one.    They are just amazing.  You will want to see past versions of the Nests on Vicki's blog...each a masterpiece.    I can't believe Jeanne thought of me in this way....I have been blessed.

 

 Just had to add this book to my little Nest display in my entryway.  It just so 'goes' with the theme.

It's "Bird Egg Feather Nest" by MaryJo Koch.  I'm sure you can get it on Amazon.com.  It's beautiful!

 

 I also had to add the new 'old' bird house.  New to me, made from previously loved wood from some building or other around Arkansas.  This Blue Jay feather came from my backyard.  The dried rose is from my stash of dried roses saved from bouquets over the years.  There is a vase of tiny dried roses in the photo also.  Little miniature ones, so sweet.

  

 Here is the page opposite the Nest in the book.  Also, a purple bird with a fabric rose....made by one of Vicki's artists.  Please visit 2bagsfull, Vicki's blog, and read about the artists who helped her create this beautiful Nest. 

  

 Look closely at this photo...it's a tiny garland made of three triangles of fabric with buttons, lace, etc.  I dearly love it!  Another artist to thank!  See, you have to visit 2bagsfull.  Vicki is dear and you will enjoy everything she shows you on the blog.  You will also see what a hardworking person she is...makes you proud you visited.  Then, there is Jeanne...a lovely blogger...how she knows what I love I will never know...amazing since we have never met.  (I think I said that already, but it IS true!) I have for some time, thought it an amazing thing to hear from her and other people reading my blog...and to have her think of me in this way, well, it boggles the mind.

I wish she could know how special it is to me that she cared.

 So, be sure and visit her too!

 

Some millinery flowers...I wouldn't even know where to find these beautiful things!

  

 I love this little purple vine....well, everything is special, really and truly.

  

Here is Vicki's little tag...you'll see the other side in one of the next photos.  And, look at that tiny little embroidered flower.  So sweet!

  

And, the tiny Nest!

  

And, more!

  

 Isn't it just singing SPRING time!!

 

Yes, indeed!

  

 Another beautiful part of the Nest...this crocheted butterfly...another special artist.

  

 A beautiful green leaf.  Be still my heart!  You know green is my favorite color...and this one suits Springtime to well.

  

 Here is the other side of Vicki's tag. 

  

 Now, this little vintage plaque has nothing to do with the Nest gift.  But, I've had it a long time and it seems such a perfect sentiment to use to THANK Jeanne and Vicki.  Here's the verse:

Though measured not by tune or words,

There's beauty in the song of birds;

Thus, too, do friends enrich the heart,

With joy that friendship ties impart.

 Yes, two special friends, Jeanne and Vicki.  I never would have known them without this blog.  That, and the fact that they are so kind and generous and caring. Amazing, what the "Internet machine" has done for us, isn't it? 

 

The little rose in these two photos are from the dried arrangement on that buffet in my entry.  Saved from a little bouquet from my favorite son.  I just had to add one to this special Nest!

 Til next time, Pat ♥

"HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!"

 No news here, but I did want to wish you a very HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!  And, many more to come, hopefully.  Since there is nothing going on here (and frankly, we are hoping for a QUIET long weekend), I thought I'd just show you some photos from our home on Pioneer Road as it is these days.  This is my Bird Nest on the Ground Studio.  If you've visited this blog before, then you recognize it. 

This little house will be ten years old in August...and beginning to look a little shabby, but it is still my sanctuary and as far as I'm concerned...a sacred place.  My grandson, Tyler, is keeping the outside neat as can be......although some work on the "Nest" and my home await attention.  We can all only do so much....and right now, it is one thing at a time.   I am very grateful to have this little house.  In case you wonder....it's 18 ft. x 26 ft.  The 26' is the side you see here.  I wanted a little porch on it to 'match' the porch on our home and this is what the contractor came up with from my little drawings.

 I often move this old furniture around....right now I have that 'kinda ugly' covered table right by the door...I can paint there if I want....canvases, collages, fabric and such, as I don't like to use paint inside with all the fabrics.  I sometimes DO that, but prefer not to.....I can hide a few things under this table, but right now, there is nothing under there.  Yes, I try to keep my hoarding tendencies on the inside of the building!

 Behind that little settee, you can see my neighbor's house.  I love that old pecan tree and Jimmy's flag pole is always there to see...love that.  They are 'somewhere' around eighty and keep their place neat as a pin, making me ashamed of myself sometimes!!!  

I have three or four old birdhouses on the porch.....and that nest is from my recent Robin tennant who gave birth in it on the upper drainpipe of this house.  I also decided to let my old wool embroidery out of storage for a while....it's been hidden in the garage for who knows how long.  I embroidered it in 1976....from a kit.  The land is appliqued and all the rest is embroidery.  I can still remember stitching it...so long ago.  My daughter, who is now 46, would have been nine then....where did that time go?

After looking at these photos a little more carefully, I see that maybe my hoarding tendencies are NOT all indoors.  Well, as Popeye would say "I am what I am."  Me too.

A closer view of that wool embroidery.   This is one of the things that convinced me to love French Knots...see that blooming fruit tree!!!!   It's made up of many French Knots.......

Yeah, that piece was fun to do.......and I'm very surprised it's still around considering where all it has been and what it has been through.  Some things go on in spite of us, it seems.

 

Oh, yes....LOVE that big old tree too.  Reminds me of Jimmy's pecan tree.  And, in my opinion, there is nothing much that is prettier than a big, old tree!

 

We moved into this house in 2001.  It's a small house, which is why I needed a studio in the back yard.  I actually think I chose it because of this porch!   My brother-in-law, Rick, build the front steps onto it just a few years ago.  It did have only two little steps...you could almost miss them, and these look much better.  We needed a hand rail, because, as we all know....I am quite clumsy and can fall easily...and without any reason.  I so appreciate having these steps!  (Yes, I walk into door facings quite regularly!)

It's fun to sit out here and watch the traffic go by....just like we used to do when I was a kid...only then it was in Texas and we had a tiny porch.   My grandson (twenty-eight this month) heard me say once that it was fun to sit on the porch and watch the traffic.  He laughed and thought that was 'crazy.'  Until he decided to sit there with me one day.  He sat for a while and eventually, after several people he knew drove by, he said, "Well, this IS kind of fun!"

So, a quiet Fourth of July weekend really does sound nice to me.  Maybe spending some of it on the front porch.  Wishing you a fun one too!

Take care, pat

PS.  It occurs to me that it's highly unlikely I will ever be able post anything on this blog containing just a few words.  Crazy, I know, but as I have said - "I am what I am" and there seems, to me anyway, to be a 'story' in just about everything.