The Humble Arts April Edition is now Available!

Friends we have some talented artists on The Humble Arts. This month we have some crackerjack offerings that we sure would be humbled to have you take a peek at! Head on over to our site and if you don't already receive our monthly newsletter, be sure and sign up. We won't spam you!
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Now here's a sneak peek at some of it:

Something fun

Hi folksies!
Another banner event; a few posts consecutively! Spring must be affecting more than my allergies!
I took a few pics this morning to share with my HARTS sisters of a project that I am working on. It is a scrappy string quilt. I am wanting to use up scraps that I have collected and this works perfectly as a means of getting rid of them. I was inpsired by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville - (the link is on my right panel for anyone interested in this fun and productive way of getting rid of scraps.) While this is not a new way of quilting, it is definintely a marvel for those of us who are scrambled in the brain. I love to see how the colors move together. I generally grab any random scrap from my box and that is what gets sewn next.


On the block above, I appliqued a flower for fun. I like having fun.

Of Tulip Trees, Magnolias and Poplars

I am so very excited. The tulip tree bud(s) are starting to really open. Now mind you, this is a wee bitty tree. It began life as a shoot off of a HUGE tree at my uncle's house in Yonkers, NY three years ago. That I even got it to root, much less LIVE and now grow, is amazing to this gal. Guess it likes the South!
It stands about 5 ft tall right now. This is the second year it has bloomed. I am thrilled.
For those who have asked, it is also known as a Japanese Magnolia.
Other trees, which are also called American Tulip trees are the Poplar. My granny always called them cup and saucers. That is what they look like when they bloom:


American Poplars are fairly common on our property. I love them for their blooms and fragrance. My allergies don't like them, along with all the other fauna I so enjoy. Zyrtec works well for me and hey! as an added bonus this week, the generic of it is on sale at Rite Aid. Yippee.
Poplars are nice trees. Just sort of prone to lightning strikes on my property for some reason.
They grow very fast. Which is why I am hoping that this tulip tree in the back will grow fast! Of course, considering I rooted it three years ago and it is currently 5 ft tall, I would say that it is fast growing.
Thanks for reading, folksies.

Today was a day for being lazy. I have certainly enjoyed the weather today - a wee bit of sun after several days of gloomy rain. I know, I know, April showers bring May flowers. To which I say humbug- I am ready for some sun with an occasional shower to help the flowers.


Calamity Kim is having a great giveaway! I loves this blog and if you haven't visited there, you really need to:

http://calamitykim.typepad.com/calamity_kim/2009/03/calamity-kims-apron-celebration-giveaway.html

Her work is always fun inspired.


Also, wanted to remind everyone that The Humble Arts will be updated on April 1st!

Sneek Peek

Here's a sneak peek at what I will be offering on the Humble Arts next week . . . shhhh!

The Truth about Annie . . .

Well, it's official. All my much heralded anticipation and excitement about Spring arriving - and it's sprung already!
I am the type of person that always walks with my head up with a smile on. I was always told that a smile is the best thing a person could wear. I was also taught to walk with a book on my head for practicing good posture; some things just stick. Of course, in the Spring, I walk around my garden with my head facing the earth and bending/stooping quite often looking for Annie. Sweet Annie that is. You see, the truth about Sweet Annie is that it is a weed. I don't say that loud enough to offend the sweet thing. But shhhhhh, weed she is. She never grows where sowed, I have learned. Instead, in her whimsical way, she grows wherever the wind or birds may leave her and that is generally where you don't want her to be.
Stealthily each spring I walk around much like a gardening Sherlock Holmes, stalking the Annie . . .
Today I have found some already peeking up. I am certain that as the days grow even warmer and the sun shines even brighter that I shall be rewarded with more.

After a few more warm days, I shall dig this up and transplant it where I want her to be. I won't wait for her to grow much more; she likes to stay put to grow gracefully and fragrantly.

So what is the truth about Annie? The truth is, I never know where she will grow, I am just glad that she visits me each year.

Here is what else is blooming in my yard today:

Quince

This Pussy Willow already has opened it's little paws. I started this tree from
a sprig five years ago. It is very happy!


My baby tulip tree! Yea! It is getting ready
to bloom! I can hardly wait.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Another Spring Is Coming Post . . .

Yesterday was another lovely day in my corner of the universe. The sun was shining brightly, birds were singing at dark thirty and the temps got close to 80. Almost too warm for an almost Spring day, but, I won't complain too loudly since last week we had snow.
As I am sitting here drinking my first cuppa strong black coffee, I began looking through some of my older posts. I started to get excited while looking at the dates of these posts. What excited me was the pictures I posted of my flowers and veggies starting. It reminded me that while I can't see them yet, they will be returning SOON.
Like these pretties from spring last year:

wild fragrant rose on my little yellow picket fence

echinecea in all it's glory

catmint, peonies and bouncing bet

my beloved black hollyhocks!

fragrant sweet annie

wild chicory (I loves me some weeds)

tansy

And oh, so many others waiting for the warmth of the sun to wake them up. Thank you Lord
for the renewal that Spring brings.

SPRING IS COMING! SPRING IS COMING! It has been a long, relentless winter - full of dreary, cold, wet, did I say dreary days?! Even the most cheerful Pollyanna as myself can get dull from dreary.
God is so good to give us birds that sing in the night, early morning and on dreary days. I have been watching the nests in my front hedge. There are three different nests. The parents have been busy. The nests are too high for me to peek into. And a few fledglings have already left! I never got to see what they were, shucks! I could here them from where I sit at my computer and their hungry cheep cheep cheeps made me so happy, it warmed up the cold, wet and dreariness inside.

Winter Wonderland?

We finally got snow. After months of missing the white fluff by miles, we got several inches of it. At my house it was just about 6 inches. I took a walk about the place early this morning and here is some of what I saw:





Folks around here get very giddy with snow fever. It is an all around good excuse to have a snow day. Whenever they hear it will snow, they buy up every loaf of bread and every ounce of milk they can. Wonder if that is how it is in snow belt states? I mean how much bread can you eat in one or two days?? While I love it and am certainly glad that I have gotten to see it this year, I am already knowing what the road conditions will be like the rest of this week. We just are not equipped for this much snow at one time. But gosh, ain't it purty???

March at The Humble Arts

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