It's A Zoo 'Round Here

I decided to stop fighting against the never ending winter's nap many of us are slumbering in...you have all of heard of "what you resist...persists"...so, okay~doe~kie...I will stop resisting and dig deep into our nest and fluff my ol' heart out.

In delightful prep for Melissa from The Inspired Room's Bring in the Spring ~ Spring Fluffing gala on Monday....I have been fluffing away and let me tell ya friends...the feathers are flying.  I am feeling renewed, refreshed and almost wishing the grass wouldn't grow so fast so I could just stay indoors and play house.

I love to move things around...drives my husband nuts...but I just have to...can't help it...don't want to help it.  And it got me thinking about defining my decorating style.

I am an odd duck...always have been...you know ~ that different drummer ~ the gal behind him marching...that's me.  Anyway...I don't really know how you would describe my style.  I really enjoy so many.   So I just gather what I love or create what I can't find and make it work in our home.  Some pieces I have are very traditional and then ~ whammy...I put it next to an old barn ladder with rusty nails.  Love it!  Juxtaposition queen!  And then...we all know about my big rooster that I heart a lot...what style is that????  It is an old carousel rooster...is that style called ~ Carnival?  Wait...I love that...my style is Carnival!

One thing I do know for sure is that I love decorating with animals...not just roosters...but pigs, rabbits and I have a big thing for cow spots {that would be just a hint of spots like on a pillow...a little suggestion that a cow is near not here...the whole cow is just to darn big}.  I always try to group these critters...but alas...they seem to spill out all over the place....kind of like my carnival decorating style that spills out of my soul and all over our home.

Step into my little zoo of furry and feather~y friends..they're everywhere!!!

Rabbits are not just for Easter anymore...

Bunny weather vain...

And then there are those cow spots we spoke about...

I love 'em!!!

Made this from a dish towel...just covered an old bed pillow...

Birds of a feather...

Flock together...

This is my new entry vignette...

That pillow I made from a dish towel and stuffed with buckwheat hulls...

My BFF...

I have a big thing for pigs too....now what the hoo~haa is that all about?

This cement garden pig has never seen the likes of any garden and he never will...

He hides under the kitchen island here and sometimes I place him under the dinning room table...why?  Just something different...you may recall the different drummer explanation from above...

He is a good pal of mine too...timeless...

Cow spots on a pig...

It's a carnival 'round these parts I tell you...

They are even hiding in the cookbook shelf...

Oink!

Double oink, oink...

Okay...enough of my silliness...back to dusting and washing and fluffing and fixing and futzing and painting and putt~zing....spring cleaning is not for sissies but around here it more like a trip to the zoo.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Hooked On Decorating With Fruits and Vegis

Don't you just love Friday's....especially when your hooked on stuff.  One of the fun~est activities of recent Fridays are Julia from Hooked On Houses...Hooked On Fridays get~together   ahhhh...isn't it the truth?

So what am I hooked on this Friday you ask...why decorating with fruits and vegis...of course!

Take a peek at the goof~ball ways I store fruit and vegetables and maybe you will understand why I am so hooked...

Green apples in an urn on the porch...

Looks like spring...

Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, yellow onions and tasty radishes in a jar, on a chair, in the hall, against the wall...

Up close and personal...

Nests are not just for eggs anymore...

Sturdy tall jar of Valencia and Clementine oranges...oh my darling, oh my darling...

I don't know if you call it creative food storage or decorating....I just know that I am hooked on it.  I love to think of interesting ways to store the food in the kitchen...like I said...it is just fun~er.

Thanks Julia for our Friday folly...you are the hostess with the most!

Happy Friday All ~ Ramona

Putzing 'Round The House On A Thursday Afternoon

As I have stated before...putzing might quite possibly be my favorite household chore.  I think that it is important to stroll about and move things around...fluffing...adding little touches of thought and love...and all the while appreciating all you are and all you have.

I know that we are all chomping at the bit for spring to arrive.  With that in mind...I think I can see the light at the end of this long winter's nap...day light savings begins on March 8th...the Lent season starts next Wednesday and last night I could smell someone barbecuing...bring on the Peeps and lawn mowers.  Until then...I will just keep putzing and call it spring cleaning...cha, cha, cha!

We are getting there...

I have been in such a sewing mood...love it...my Etsy shop over~flow~th with pillow love...

Result of rooster putzing...

Chirp!

Moved some pictures about...

The wares of my labor...that is ~ my labor of love...

House pillows with buckwheat hulls...heaven!

...I know it is early....I just couldn't help myself...

A closer peek...

I have been dealing with off the chart high blood pressure...never had this problem in my life till now...what the hay~ho...but there you have it...so it has been my goal to calm the hoot down {easier said than done...I tend to be a hyper gal}...but I have to settle down, calm down, stop worrying {yeah right...my son is deploying this spring...but okay} live in the moment....stop talking the talk and start walking the walk...oh yeah, the doc said to start walking more...I should blog more as well...that's exercise...right?  Exercise for the soul....can't think of a better activity...and now...back to our regularly scheduled putzing...two, three, four.

Happy Thursday All ~

Ramona

I Am In My Happy Place ~ Finally

After weeks and weeks of dealing with some health concerns...I am finally in my happy place and guess what....it is really a great place to be.

I have always taken the art of worrying to the highest level...and it is exhausting!  I am pretty sure that it is part of my health problem~os but I don't know how to be any other way.  So I thought that I better get busy doing what I love to do most...all the while hoping that doing so would calm my ol' nerves and brighten my dusty spirit.  It did.

I tried that Dr. Phil thing of "behaving your way out of a situation or mood".  It is hard but I kept at it and now I am feeling so much better and calming down.  But more importantly...I am feeling more day~to~day joy.

Being the creative little stinker that I am...I whipped out my machine and piles and piles of cloth and ribbon and paint and buttons and bobbles and thread and buckwheat hulls and a bunch of attitude.

Take a peek~a~loo at what I have been up to...

As previously noted...I love the shape of a house...

A lot...

Also previously noted...my love of painting on cloth...

A wider view~ola...

Love this stuff...

And the full shot...

I heart checkerboard and chubby little suns...

I filled this little sachet with buckwheat hulls and whole allspice...smells so nice...

And now friends...a simple~dimple recipe that I made last night....delish!

Easy Chicken and Salsa

Place chicken cutlets in greased pan.

Sprinkle drained can of black beans over chicken.

Sprinkle drained can of kidney beans over chicken.

Spread any kind of salsa over beans.

Sprinkle frozen corn over salsa.

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake additional 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool a bit ~ 5 minutes or so.

To serve:  Spread tortilla chips on each plate, sprinkle shredded lettuce and cheese on chips.

Top with a piece of chicken and bean/salsa/corn/cheese miracle.

Yum!

I hope that everyone is having a great Tuesday.  It just started to snow again...and I'll tell you...this San Diego gal will never get used to how cool it is when it snows!  Stay warm everyone!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Do You Ever Get A Bee On Your Bonnet?

Yes...a big 'ol bumble bee on my bonnet of life.  Well...for a couple of days I have had one on my virtual bonnet...and it's quiet buzz was telling me to shake things up around here and that might just  awake my inner hibernating bear....and to my surprise that snoring beast was not a bit grouchy....quite the opposite...it was perky and in an amazingly good mood.

First I moved furniture around...something my family doesn't really appreciate but today I was selfish and I moved furniture till the cows came home...or at least a good 45 minutes.

Been sewing too...I have a ton of ideas...I am just having trouble getting my keyster into gear.

Work...AKA Heaven...I love to sew...

I love this stuff...

My gal...we are BFFs...

Pincushions for Etsy...

Moved the end table from the living room to the family room...

I might have to hang a few of these over the porch rail out front...

You see...it has been 60 degrees for the last couple of days...and I think that I have spring fever....I know that it will snow again...but I am soooo wanting spring....

And now...back to living in the moment and being right where I am supposed to be.

Here's to our collective keysters getting in and staying in gear!

Happy Wednesday ~ Ramona {buzzzzzzzzzzz}