The Month is Half Over Already

 

 

 By the fire this January....

 

 

 another of the ways I entertain myself...making

                                                  arrangements of my favorite collections.

 

 

This one of stones my mother-in-law had collected. An angel.

(Just noticed that the "heart" is upside down.)

 

 

Some of my birds...and.... a dandelion collected early in 2022.

And, still looking good.

 

 

Books, clocks, bottles.

 

 

Children's chairs.  That cat.  I've had it many years.

 

 

Old doors.  Found a mailbox for this one.  Sometimes there is mail in it.

A photo of my dad marching along in the army in the 40's.  A tiny

print of an English cottage.

 

There is no end of things that catch my eye, or bring a memory to mind.

And, January is half over already.  Where did it go? 

I'll be sitting by the fire...remembering.

 

Hope you are having a safe and warm month with your precious memories too.

 

Take care, be happy.

 

Bird Nest Cottage

♥️

 

Auld Lang Syne with Buttons and Birds

 

 

 We've been through a year, haven't we?

 

  

 

In some ways, it has been very long and in others, it just flew by.

All I'm going to say about it is this....

I'm not fond of having my life fly by.

I'm not that anxious to get to the end of it.

But, this year....2020, the one we have been tested by...it just can't be over fast enough for me. 

 

 

 

So, tonight I tried to make a little vignette.

A little something that some might think pretty.

 

 

  

                       Just to take us out of this year with the hope of a much better next year.

  

I'm beginning to hear the strains of 

Auld Lang Syne...

and I'm wishing you a much better

 

 2021

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Wherever You Are Have a Warm and Happy Heart

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 

❤️❤️❤️

 

 

My Twig Christmas Tree

 

 

During a year when nothing seems to make sense, when stress never seems to let up, when fear is rampant, and insanity clearly right there in front of us......it's now Christmas.  And, even that doesn't seem like any other one we have celebrated.  For instance, my children, my friends, and others have not been in my house most of this year....I live alone and that has had a more complete meaning this year.

ALONE.  So, having said all that....I decided that I would not put up a tree, or decorate in any other way.   

 

 

I've never been a big Christmas decorator...so this idea didn't alarm me or anything...in made sense.

But, I did have a big container of twigs in the house.  I do gather them from the yard and have used them in bunches around the house, on the porch....and then there is that 'tree' by the fireplace, which has been in the house now for years.  I love those twigs/small branches. While thinking about having them always in the house, I decided that maybe it would be fun to at least decorate them for Christmas.

So I did.

 

 

 I had purchased some small glass ornaments from the flea and decided to use those, plus some birds I had also picked up there.  A couple ornaments my sister made for me and a beaded snowflake, a small bird in a nest, etc.  These are TALL twigs, and way over my head, so while trying to set up the flower bucket by partially filling it up with rocks, the whole thing slipped out of my hands, fell on my foot and broke some of the glass ornaments.  Everything went everywhere. And, my foot, although it doesn't really hurt, is black and very blue! So much for my bright ideas!  Anyway, I managed to clean it all up and redo it.....I did have to trim a bit off several of the twigs....but did manage to get it done.  While I had broken several of the glass ornaments, I replaced those with others.  While it could use a few more, I did decide I had done enough.

 

So, there you are....my Christmas Twig Tree.

And, I'm sure I will use them in another way after the holidays.

Yes, it's kind of weird....but I, the only person in the house, will enjoy it.

 

And, just know that I am wishing you all 

 A Very Merry Christmas.

A safe, warm and happy one.

 

Wherever you are today have a warm and happy heart.

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 

❤️🎄❤️

 

 

A Little Trunk, Filled

 

 There's this little trunk that lives in my dining room.  It's FULL of stuff.  Some stuff leaves the trunk from time to time and new old stuff takes it's place.   Years ago, I decorated the inside of the lid with a beautiful bird and roses over top of some antique ledger sheets which came out of a ledger in the office of my son-in-law's family store. 

 (I'll show that further in this post.)

Otherwise it is unchanged from when I bought it.  It's a really fun thing to fill and refill.

 

So, here are some of the goodies (and there are things underneath things!) The sweetest cup with a mismatched saucer.  A really cute heart I bought for, I think, a quarter some years ago.  A hanky from Kathy's flea market I brought home last week.  The tiniest cross-stitch.  Under that is an embroidered rose, also from Kathy's. 

There's a cross-stitch rose there on a blue background...so pretty.  A quilt square from the 30's.

 

A pink embroidered pincushion I made, a McCoy flower vase filled with perle cotton. 

A silk ribbon bag filled with lavender.  A silk rose.  Behind that pincushion is a swatch of fabric I liked the colors of....and,

 

 a wonderful pin I bought at the Houston Quilt Festival years ago. 

 It looks like a tiny quilt.  Just gorgeous!

And, then...the angel frame...holds a photo of my daughter and her son.

So cute!

 

 That tiny stitching on a handkerchief.

 

 One of my very favorite quotes from artist Katie Daisy.

And, I say it all the time. 

 When I drive down a country road and see all the wildflowers this is what runs through my mind.

 

 A closeup.  

 

 And another.

 

 And, more.

 

My favorite colors.

❤️

 

So, here is the inside of the trunk lid.  I covered the inside of the lid with ledger paper, then added paper napkins over it.  Those roses....just loved them and I really like the way it turned out.

  

Using paper napkins this way is really easy and lots of fun.

 

And, here is the bird....from another paper napkin.  

I'm very fond of this little trunk and do enjoy

filling it with different things from time to time.

 

So, another Wednesday.  

I think they go by really fast.

So,  I guess I'll say again...see you Sunday!

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

 

Can I Let Things Go?

 

Someone asked me how I could sell some of my pretty things at the flea market.  How could I let it go? And, the simple answer is this: 

 I don't know. 

Lately I have mulled that question over and over in my head.

You may have read that I have loved 'old things' since I was a small child.  It's true. 

So, I have saved (some may say hoarded) things since way back when.  

I have also given lots of things away and never looked back and wondered why.

It defies explanation really.

So, here I'm going to show you just how confusing this question is to me.

While I have given many things away that I made with my own two hands (and gladly, I might add)

some things I have gathered, well, I can't seem to let them go.

Why is that?

 

 Take, for instance....this broken candy dish. 

 I bought it at the flea market several years ago and as I was bringing it into my house, I dropped the bag on the driveway. 

 As you can see....it is broken.  I was crushed...as I thought those little birds were just the sweetest things! 

So I saved them.

 

While packing to move into this house...Bird Nest Cottage....I carefully took three of my favorite items and packed them so well I was sure nothing would happen to them.

As I do not do every thing perfectly well....

 when I unpacked that particular box, lo and behold!  All three items were broken.

It made me sick really.

So, what were they?

Well, a china doll, the kind you make a pincushion out of with ribbons, lace, etc.

You see it here.  I saved the pieces.

  

The tiniest little bowl from England.  

So dear. 

And, now in pieces. 

 

Here is the bottom of the bowl.

 

And, my favorite....a pie plate.

The prettiest pie plate I thought I had ever seen.

Still do.

 

 It's a crying shame.

Don't you think? 

 

So, what does one do with these things?

(And they are just things.)

I expect most "normal folks" would just throw them away.

But, me...well, we know I'm not normal.

I saved them all.

One day I came across a McCoy planter in my stash of flea market finds.

"Wow", I thought.

Why don't I arrange all these beautiful pieces of china in this planter.  That way,

I can still enjoy looking at them from time to time.  And,

they can still be appreciated.

 

  Because, evidently....I can't let things go.

  

Just how pretty do you think this lady is?  Far too beautiful for me

to throw her away.

 Even the bottom of that little bowl and the birds are

much too delightful to be cast away in the garbage.

 

One of my friends calls this planter full of assorted broken china 

"my beautiful art piece."

I enjoy hearing that.

So, one day, it will all go somewhere, along with everything else in this house.

Even now, some of it will find it's way to the flea market or friend's houses,  or any number of places.

And that's ok with me.

Until it does, however, well.... 

it will continue to bring me great pleasure and evidently entertain those who come here.

Can I let things go?

Everything in it's time, I say.

until next time

BE WELL

from

BIRD NEST COTTAGE 

❤️❤️❤️

Little Bird Books and a Giveaway

 

 Do you remember this little cabinet included in my post of June 17th?

 Well, it DID have a different bird on top, so it looks a tad different than that photo I used.  Here, on top, I have placed the cutest black 'sewing bird,'  a pincushion made by my dear friend, Kay.  And, I've moved it...here for the photograph near a window, then in another spot in the living room for an undetermined amount of time (below), like I do everything else.

  

Here...the new spot.  I like that the blackbird pincushion shows up so well here....oh, and let me say - there IS mail in the mailbox!  So, the little cabinet will rest here until I get the urge to move it somewhere else....at some other time.  

 

And, now, for the whole point of this blog post...the inside of that little cabinet.  Little books all about the birds.  FUN!!!  

 

 The opened one on the table is very old, it's falling apart, but so beautiful still.  It's written in German, I think, so I can't read it....but I love it anyway!  More on the little book with the bird and the nest in a minute...but lets talk about the other books first.

 

 I think you can read them fairly well....The Blue Bird of Happiness book on the left, has been 'enhanced' with a bird bookmark...they are so cute!  Or, as I like to say they are "dear."

   

 The brown on the top there....another very old book.  It is also falling apart....I still like to take it out and look at it every now and again.

 

 See.  Many old photos.......1925.

  

The photos are still beautiful!

 

 Having nothing to do with the little books is this little baby slip....drawn for me in 2010 by Michelle Palmer.  Pen and ink on a vintage baby slip.  How great is that? 

 

 A close-up.

  

The reason I showed you the slip is because she also drew the sweetest bird and nest on a little journal....you can see it here on the left.  I just LOVE it!!!   And, the little book sometimes lives in this little cabinet. 

  

Here is a close-up of it.  Isn't it the sweetest thing?

  

Like I said, I bought these in 2010.  I don't know if she is still drawing and selling, or even posting on her blog at this point,  but if you are interested, you can contact her....click to enlarge. 

OR, 

Michelle Palmer

michellepalmerart.blogspot.com

email:  michart@rochester.rr.com

  

 And, this little journal is the GIVEAWAY.    It is sweet also.  Along side of it is a little heart box.

Also included.  It will have a little surprise in it for the winner and I will show the inside when I announce the winner.  So.......if you want it, kindly make a comment on this blog post, or send an email to me, making sure I have a way to contact you should you be that winner!  

The winner will be chosen on Thursday, July 26th 

As I  will be traveling part of this month,  so I will not be posting until the GIVEAWAY announcement night....going to California to visit my son for his 50th birthday.

(Where did that time go?) 

 I hope you enjoyed seeing the little books and will want to own this little bird journal and the heart.  So....comment or email. 

 Until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

♥️♥️♥️