Some of My Etsy Favorites

I love this photo taken by Catherine. She's fairly new to etsy and does some wonderful photography. Cat is also our daughter-in-law's sister-in-law - that makes her family. She's very talented and I know she'll do well.
Cat's etsy site: racergirl
The listing for this photograph. Let The Sun Shine
This would be beautiful framed and added to any decor.


YappsCottageDecor, does some really wonderful goat's milk soaps. These guest soaps have the essential oils of some of my favorite herbs. Rosemary, lemon grass, tea tree and orange. I've been using goats milk soap for years. It lathers beautifully and leaves your skin feeling soft. Great in our cold, drying winters!

This lamp from Nonnie60 on etsy has to be one of my all time favorites. You can find it at Stained Glass Lamp 1. You can find more of Nonnie's stained glass and jewelry on her site at: Nonnie60. She does some really beautiful work!





This fussed glass pendant from Chris1, Blossoms is really lovely! Fussing and working with glass is an art form I find really interesting. Chris does some really nice work. Vist her shop on etsy here: Chris1



I have a real soft spot for pottery, especially Raku. This Raku stoneware decorative bowl is wonderful! Pearl is really talented, you can see more of her work by visiting her etsy shop, Fehu Stoneware.

Our Feathered Friends

Every morning as I sit at the computer checking my spam, ah...email, this guy greets me. Ron calls him a Flicker, but I think he's a small, Downy Woodpecker. He always seems so cheerful! He's been visiting us since last year. This week he was joined by a small flock of wrens and other birds. But, doesn't seem to mind sharing. With all the cold and snow their food must be getting scarce. The deer have become quite active this week as well. They've started in on all the evergreen shrubs around the house. Wait until it's dark and the dog is safely inside for the night!

Cabin Fever, Thinking Spring!

It's been below zero degrees two nights in a row now! While our frozen world is quite beautiful, we can't wait for spring! Even Rosie, the lab, doesn't linger long outside these days. We've been managing to keep the greenhouse from going below 40 at night with the help of a kerosene heater. More snow coming today.

I've been pouring over seed catalogs in my spare time. Need to get my orders in soon! Have already started planting some seed flats inside. Can't wait for the seeds to sprout! All that beautiful spring green. But, I'm greatly enjoying all the wonderful Rosemary in bloom in the greenhouse.

Started some more cuttings in the greenhouse too. Over the next few weeks I will be doing lots more. Growing from cuttings is so gratifying and easy to do. I have found most plants will grow from cuttings. Things like the Rosemary that have a woody stem, just take longer to root. Geraniums (Pelargoniums), coleus, and other green stemmed tender perennials root very quickly. Anyone can do it at home. Just get yourself some soil-less potting mix, without fertilizers mixed in. Use small containers, (I use grower flats divided into small cells.) a recycled annual pack or dixie cup with a whole for drainage will work great. Or purchase a domed planting flat. They're widely available at most places that sell seeds. Take healthy tip cuttings from your favorite plants. About 2" to 4". Remove the leaves from the lower 2 or 3 leaf nodes (where the leaves connect to the stem). Insert into the potting mix with 2 or 3 sets of leaves above the soil. Water well and cover with dome or tent with plastic wrap to maintain moisture level. But not too tightly, the baby plants need some air circulation. A great project with kids is to use an empty clear plastic drink bottle. Cut around the bottom so you have about 3" or so in depth for soil. Put a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Insert your cuttings and use the top of the bottle (without the cap) to form a mini greenhouse. Within a week you will begin to see roots on plants like geraniums and coleus. I have found that it is better not to use rooting hormone for these plants. But it does help with more woody stemmed plants. The enjoyment you feel watching things grow is something the whole family can participate in!



Happy Valentine's Day!
Think Green!