Easter Tree and How to Make It

    I saw an Easter Tree in a mag a few years ago and had it stuck in my mind to try-with a little hubby help. Here is how I made it. I won't say tutorial because all of you are so clever and know how to write them up properly!!

   You will need 2 1/2 inch dowels  and a 2" by 1" piece of wood about 16" long. All dimensions can be changed to your liking. You will also need a base of scrap wood. Mine is 4" x 6". Sand all edges. Add ons-ribbon, grass, eggs, paint, etc.

Limbs-Cut the dowels to 3 lengths-I did 12", 14" , 16".

Trunk-Cut the 1" x 2" to length that you like-I used 16". Drill 3  1/2" holes through the side all the way through. ( I guess you could also half the dowels and use gorilla glue.) Sand hole cuts. 

I painted all with white craft paint and lightly wiped it off, leaving a white tint.

Screw base to trunk. Slide dowels through.

I picked up these hanging wood eggs at Pier 1 last year, but I habve seen them around. You can use any hanging eggs, or make your own.

Add Easter grass or moss.

I had my hubby cut this bunny from a pattern I drew, but you can decorate in any way using fun wood things that you can find at Hobby Lobby-but I can't because we don't have one!!

Done!
In case I am not blogging-(blog neglect-I know)-

Have a very Happy Easter!!!

I Love Candle Jars

Do you keep the jars that candle come in? Sauce? Jelly? I love jars. I also love coffee cans.  Back to jars. I keep them all. I use them for votives and citronella outside in the summer.  I keep buttons, shells from all the beaches we have visited, corks, potpourri, rocks, etc. Recently, I took 3 of the inexpensive candle jars from A C Moore and used Kristine Mckay's  great  printables and mod podged them on in minutes after cutting them out. Check out these numbers here. There's no limit to what you can do!

Loooove them!!!

thepersimmonperch

What Did I Find in the Pottery Barn Outlet?!

     As usual whenever the college son is home-nothing gets done. Well, fun things do and lots of cooking and eating and surprisingly-shopping. Things that he is interested in, at least. For Christmas he received a kayak from us-a big deal and he can’t wait to use it. So off we went to find a paddle and lifejacket, because mama won’t let him go ‘til she knows that he has a life vest on. They don’t sell those things in December around here. I think we got the only kayak around in December, too-and at a good discount! (It was such a nice but chilly day on Wednesday, he did get to try it out....in a fairly calm inlet. He was pretty happy.

          He also like his clothes. So, off we went to the outlets in Riverhead, NY.

Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, J Crew, Gap, Pepperidge Farm (gotta have Fish!)….and so many more-

We had lunch and then –Now that he has an apartment-new interest in all things "home"-go figure-remember the days of bribing him on shopping trips to  buy curtains and towels...Why not go to the Pottery Barn Outlet? Last time we drove all the way out and it was closed for inventory!! 

     Not this time!  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It is huge and full of furniture, lighting, bedding, frames, rugs and rugs and rugs, bathroom accessories…PB Teen, Kids  and West Elm, too…Wow. I could hardly see as my eyes were glazed! I really did not see a lot as we were running out of time. I wish I had my camera!  Sooooo-Here are the goodies….I had to hold back...when I save some more $$-I know where I'm going!

For his room here-Marked $99

$19.97

No other was marked this low- one little chip-not noticeable-others had broken glass and were higher! This is black and white with a green tint to the grass-love it!

For brother-Marked  $69 to $34

reduced to $14.97 SOLD!! then -paid-$11.23!!?

This lamp is really blue to navy-great looking and really heavy!

When I looked at it a lady said if I wasn't taking it she wanted it. She followed us all over the store!

Two goodies here-I could not leave this lamp there-$34.99  reduced to $10.97!!

It is also heavy and perfect!

The wood shelf-$49.00 to $24.99 to ....

$3.97   really

I wish there had been another...or ten others! But I will make due with one at that price!!!

After we paid we practically ran to the car, thinking they would stop us because they made a mistake!



          Williams Sonoma was connected to PB, but we couldn’t do it! It was huge, too. I am now planning the next trip….need anything?

           I cut some crabapple branches to force and they bloomed in one day! Love them! I had also forced forsythia-and now they are blooming outside already- too soon but so pretty!

linking up to: frugalicious friday

Free cone today at Ben & Jerry's

Free cone day is today, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at Ben & Jerry's. The ice cream chain is giving away free ice cream all day, from noon to 8 p.m. to thank their fans for more than three decades of business.and you really do get a full-sized scoop. Sadly there are none near me!!!

This year there are three new flavors to choose from, including Peanut Brittle, Maple Blondie, and Milk & Cookies. MMMMMMM!

Anthropologie-got your attention!

First-Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

         My birthday was in February, but I did not show you this-

Have you ever received one? I signed up for an Anthro card-not a credit card-it just keeps track of purchases. I did have to put my B'day on the form. I got my yellow card in a cute little bag-my daughter swiped it-and then gave it to her because she buys more there than me.
          In the mail in time for my birthday came this.....

So cute-a candle necklace and 15% off! So, my daughter says-let's go shopping! We did and she got a few things

(gorgeous)

and I got this-

which I love for $1.95-less 15%. It just wasn't a great time for me to spend much $.

When we paid, the person next to us says that her birthday was in February, too, and she didn't get one. The salesgirl said that it is done randomly! 
So, I am a lucky one, I guess....or my daughter is! So, next time you are there, sign up and see! I made my daughter get her own....maybe if she'a lucky one, I will buy something a little more substantial...in the meantime -I do like this....there are 5 of us in the family.

Have a Happy Wearin' o the Green Day!

http://www.e-water.net/viewflash.php?flash=irishblessing_en

A Visit to the Jane Austen Exhibit in NY

        

        My daughter moved to the city a year ago and this is the first time we spent a whole day together -just the 2 of us! First we went to :
A Woman's Wit: Jane Austen's Life and Legacy
at the The Morgan Library & Museum


225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street NYC
the exhibit runs from
November 6, 2009, through March 14, 2010
This exhibition explores the life, work, and legacy of Jane Austen (1775–1817), regarded as one of the greatest English novelists. Offering a close-up portrait of the iconic British author, whose popularity has surged over the last two decades with numerous motion picture and television adaptations of her work, the show provides tangible intimacy with Austen through the presentation of more than 100 works, including her manuscripts, personal letters, and related materials, many of which the Morgan has not exhibited in over a quarter century.


Only a small number of Austen's personal letters have survived. The Morgan is a major repository of her correspondence, with one third of all surviving letters held in the department of Literary and Historical Manuscripts. These materials—from correspondence to her beloved sister, Cassandra, to a letter to her niece in which all the words are spelled backwards (in her beautiful handwriting) , to "crossed letters" (also known as "cross-hatching," in which Austen, to save paper and reduce postal charges, wrote across the horizontal lines of text at right angles)—offer a remarkable glimpse into Austen's everyday life and relationships, as told in her characteristically witty and confident voice. There are a few lines cut out of letters by cassandra, where Jane probably wrote unflattering remarks about a family member or friend! Some highlights include a letter dated 2 June 1799 to her sister, which includes a drawing of the lace pattern of her cloak, and a letter dated 20 July 1817, written by Cassandra to Fanny Knight, Austen's beloved niece, reporting Austen's death:

"I have lost a treasure, such a Sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed."

Austen reports seeing a painting of how she imagines Jane Bennet, who marries Mr. Bingley at the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice.

"Mrs Bingley is exactly herself, size, shaped face, features & sweetness; there never was a greater likeness. She is dressed in a white gown, with green ornaments, which convinces me of what I had always supposed, that green was a favourite colour with her."

Scholars say that the painting she refers to is the Portrait of Mrs Q by the French portrait painter François Huet-Villiers. Harriet Quentin was a mistress to George IV when he was prince regent. William Blake's 1820 engraving reproduces the portrait. In the same letter, Austen suspects that Elizabeth Bennet, later Mrs. Darcy, would have different preferences:

"I dare say Mrs D. will be in Yellow."

I love Jane!

Circle of Raphael

Adoration of the Magi, ca. 1520
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, heightened with white gouache, over faint traces of black chalk
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1910; IV, 29a

Rome after Rafael

This show was also there and includes great masters of the period, including Raphael, Michelangelo, and Parmigianino, among others. Also on exhibit is the Morgan's Raphael gorgeous painting, The Holy Family.

Then we walked passing the fashion district-clothes, ribbons and buttons and beads, antiques on another street and  down to the 20's and had Sushi for lunch-spicy tuna roll, tempura shrimp roll and California roll-yum.
Then went to Gracious Home and Anthropologie and Union Square window shopping and had coffee and tea and a delish cookie at Pret a Manger.

Perfect day!!!