All Who Wander Are Not Lost

I've wandered, but I'm not lost. 

I haven't forgotten about my neglected blog. 

I've been 'missing in action,' though, for awhile. My Mom
 passed away and months have flown by faster than I could imagine. It's spring again and melancholy thoughts pop into my head when I see yellow roses that I know she loved or hear a song she used to sing along with on the stereo.

  

A dear friend asked me if I had plans to blog sometime soon. 

Guess she missed reading my posts! College Girl is writing up a storm as the semester finals approach. Handyman is chipping away at his Honey-Do List and keeping us stocked with groceries and household supplies. I'm so happy he does all the grocery shopping! Haha! I can't stand walking around a freezing-cold grocery store with dimmed lights and elevator music playing. 

As for me, I've been slowly working on reorganizing my craft and sewing room. I've also discovered Instagram! I've never been a big fan of Facebook, but I really enjoy seeing my Instagram feed. I like being able to see photos of Old Faithful in the morning, pictures of Yorkshire and Iceland in the afternoon, and end the day with a gorgeous Hawaiian sunset before bed! Of course, College Girl is responsible for my introduction to Snapchat and Instagram, and I'm glad she prodded me to try them. I enjoy Instagram so much that I now have two accounts; one catch-all account with tea, travel and day trip photos and the other includes my 'outfit of the day' fashion pictures. If you are interested, you can find me at -

 mrsjteatime and ladyinstripes

I found a tea themed adult coloring book the other day at TJMaxx.

 I was in such a hurry to finish my errands when I picked it up and got in line to buy it, that I didn't realize each page features a bit of Scripture. What a nice bonus! And the great thing about finding it at TJMaxx was that it it was only marked $5.99.

 Later that day I made a cup of tea and toasted a Pop Tart to enjoy while I colored in my new book. Our three-year-old Norwegian Forest Cat thought it was a great idea to join me. He isn't one to jump on furniture or counters, but the sight of me 'scribbling' with colored pencils was just too much for him. 

He needed to see what I was doing!  

  

Hugs~

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Kathe with an E

Off The Beaten Path- Salado, Texas

Got your attention now, right? 

Haha! I spotted this hand towel at a

gift shop in a town so small you'd

 miss it if you blinked. 

This little town - Salado - was one of the most charming places I visited while on a road trip from the Fort Worth area to San Antonio. 

photo from trip advisor

My dear friend Patty, who is a fabulous paper crafter and an even more wonderful hostess/tour guide, suggested we pull off the freeway in order to visit Stamp Salado.

We enjoyed browsing through the fun selection of stamps, multi-media products, and scrapbook paper. After picking up Texas-themed items for the mini albums we planned to make after our road trip, we continued south toward San Antonio. 

In the short time we were in town we saw a deer wandering through someone's yard, two large roadrunners on the hunt, and a young cardinal chirping on the picket fence next to Stamp Salado! There are lots of interesting boutiques and shops lining the main street, and a shallow scenic river meandering through grassy banks at one end of town. 

photo from salado.tx.gov

I hope to visit again sometime and maybe I'll even get the chance to dip my toes in the river! 

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Anything Goes at Pink Saturday
Clever Chicks Blog Hop

What To Do Weekends
Freedom Fridays

Red, White and Blue

Of all the supervised conditions for life offered man, those under USA's

 constitution have proved the best.  Wherefore, be sure when you start modifying,

corrupting or abrogating it. 

Martin H. Fischer

Wishing you a safe and happy

4th of July! I can't wait to share photos of my recent trip to Texas with you. I even have tea pictures from my visit to the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. Until then, enjoy the holiday weekend!

America is another name for opportunity.  Our whole history appears like a

 last effort of divine providence on behalf of the human race. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Homeward Bound

The light is what guides you home, 

the warmth is what keeps you there. 

Ellie Rodriguez

A pleasant Spring day outdoors-

perfect for some gardening 

and a cup of tea. I just discovered

straw bale gardening on Pinterest, and stepped out onto our patio to look for a good spot to place a bale. 

Brambly Hedge by Royal Doulton


There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.
Jane Austen

For charm and whimsy you can't beat Royal Doulton's Brambly Hedge beakers and teacups! I sipped a bit of Assam while dead-heading Pansies and drawing up gardening plans.

Assam is located on both sides of the Bramaputra River in India.

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. 

George Washington

Home, the spot of earth supremely blessed,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery

See the mouse in the basket?

Where thou art – that – is Home.
Emily Dickinson

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Crafts A La Mode
Share your Cup
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Make It Pretty Monday
Idea Box

Bunny Trail

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection,

 not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. 

Martin Luther

College Girl was the first to see an Oriole visit our backyard. Now we know it's Spring! Handyman quickly hung the Oriole feeder outdoors and I wrote oranges on the grocery list. Placing orange halves outside is a sure-fire way to attract these pretty yellow birds.

My friend Patty sent a charming bunny dish to me last week and I immediately displayed it in the kitchen when it wasn't being used to serve toast, fruit or muffins. 

Whole wheat pineapple and carrot muffins were on the tea table today...or should I say the patio table? It cooled off enough to sit outside in the late afternoon and have a cuppa while watching the hummingbirds perform aerial maneuvers. 

Bell bone china cup

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices...
Charles Kingsley

If you haven't already colored eggs or want to try something really unique and fun with your kids or grand kids, check out this tutorial for egg geodes.

Wishing you a blessed Easter!

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Weekend-Retreat #113

It Was One Of Those March Days

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot 

and the wind blows cold:

when it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens' verse aptly describes the weather we had today, and it was scrumptious! It was the kind of day when you throw open the windows and hear a choir of songbirds outside no matter where you are in the house. After several months of on-again
off-again hot dusty Santa Ana winds, it was delightful to turn off the AC and feel a spring breeze drift through the kitchen. 
I've been reading through some old issues of       Birds and Blooms magazines and came across   a tip to help keep a birdbath clean.

You need to begin with a clean birdbath, of course. Ours gets pretty icky with slimy rust-colored algae which is difficult to remove. Some people use cider vinegar or bleach to remove the majority of the gunk, and then give the bath a scrubbing and good rinse with clean water. I've found that using pebbles works like a charm! You can also use a handful or two of sand. 
I put on an old garden glove then scour the bottom and sides of the birdbath with a handful of pebbles. Rub the pebbles all over the dirty surfaces and you'll be surprised how well it removes the algae. 

Did you know that copper is a natural algaecide? Once the bowl is clean, drop half a dozen pennies onto the bottom. Take note, however, that the pennies must be pre-1982 for them to be effective. Newer pennies don't contain the copper needed to do the job.

I need to add more coins but didn't have enough pre-1982
pennies. You can also use a small piece of copper pipe. 

One swallow does not make a summer

but one skein of geese, cleaving

the murk of March thaw,

is the Spring.

Aldo Leopold 

I'm happily anticipating the return of a pair of Orioles that frequent our backyard. It's time to put out some oranges for them. Are you doing something to welcome migrating birds? Have any tips to share?

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What To Do Weekends- Crafts a la mode
Freedom Fridays #73

All Abuzz

I've been playing with the Vintage Bee 

Calm collage sheet from My Artistic Adventures all week. I made a simple card by layering a tea colored doily over kraft card stock, then added two images from the Collage sheet along with some black paper. I added Liquid Pearl drops around the edge of the tag shape and called it done! Not every card has to have half a dozen techniques or layers. 

I was buzzing along having so much fun in my scrap room that I also made a tag...

See the cute bumblebee button? I've been saving this bee ribbon I found at Michael's and it was perfect for these collage sheet projects!

...and then I decorated an envelope to go with the card I made a few days ago. I didn't have enough of the yellow striped paper to line the inside of the envelope, so I wasn't quite sure how I was going to make it coordinate with the card. Then it came to me - what if I ran the envelope flap through the Cuttlebug and embossed it with the honeycomb design? 

I used my oval scallop punch on what little bit of yellow striped paper I had remaining, used a small round punch on a bee image, and voila! Now the envelope flap has the same honeycomb texture as the card.

I usually don't decorate the envelope other than 
to stamp a coordinating image onto the front upper or lower corner. This adds a bit of panache and also helps me to remember what the card's theme/design is when I have them stored and waiting to be mailed out for the right occasion. 

I had so much fun decorating the flap for this
 Bee Happy card that I think I'm going to 
emboss others!

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