GYPSIEDREAM

Spring Johnny Jump Ups are Blooming

2009-04-09T14:29:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't posted on this blog for a while but now that Spring is coming back to Colorado I have some inspiration. These are some Johnny Jump Ups I planted last spring. Since they are bi-annuals they came up again. I love their little happy faces!

My Newest Bargin Found At The Thrift Store

2008-12-06T10:05:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to go to thrift stores. The Goodwill is only four blocks away from my house and it seems anytime I go there I always find something interesting to buy. This star burst mirror was only $3.00 and it still had the T.J. Max store tag on the back for $19.95! It's now hanging on my wall in a great spot in my office and adds a little flair to the room.

Snow Covered Pansies

2008-12-03T21:22:00.003-07:00

Remember the barrel full of pansies when I first planted them in the spring? Or the summer's bounty with the pansies hosting a place for surprise tomato plants? These are the same pansies that I planted now covered in snow. They have really been a long lasting plant.

My Etsy Shop Is Open For Business

2008-10-29T14:06:00.003-06:00

I have opened my Etsy store. Please check it out at gypsiedream.etsy.com. I have some beautiful handcrafted jewelry that would make wonderful one of a kind gifts for the holiday season.

An Autumn Butterfly

2008-10-21T13:46:00.002-06:00

This little butterfly is hanging in there. He looks a little worn and tattered, but it still is a beautiful thing to see on a chilly autumn day.

Too Much Wall Space

2008-10-09T15:37:00.002-06:00

In my small cottage the living room ceiling has been removed and is now vaulted. This leaves it looking like a little room with tall walls. I had sat there staring at the open space between the living room and kitchen wondering what am I going to do with the blank space. I had several ideas, but knew I wanted something architectural. I found this large iron piece at Hobby Lobby for half price. Though it is not the vintage piece I wanted, I think it will do for now.

I Am Going To Miss Summer

2008-09-23T14:18:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of fall. I was sitting outside today thinking of how I am going to miss Summer and all the pretty flowers. Soon here in Colorado, the weather will change and before you know it the snow will fall. Like the circle the seasons create, Spring will be here again before you know it. Then the time for new flowers to blossom will happen again.

Sunflower

2008-09-18T17:05:00.002-06:00

I don't remember what kind of sunflower I planted, but this is one that came up in my garden.

Red Transferware and A Vine From My Friend

2008-09-17T17:05:00.003-06:00

I absolutely love red transferware. These are mostly from Mason in the pattern of Watteau. I have tons of these pieces in all shapes and sizes but I have not found anywhere to display them in my little cottage. The Platter on top is Johnson Brothers Day In June pattern.

The vine you see is from one of the plants a friend gave me when she was moving. They are very long vines that wrap around most of my kitchen and down the steps to the basement. I think they add a little life to the place considering the color of my kitchen is so bland. Right now it is a light green color and so is the living room that it connects to. Does anyone have any ideas for a great color to paint this room? I just seem to be stumped on which one to pick.

Harvest From My Small Garden

2008-09-15T16:23:00.003-06:00

These are a few of the vegetables that I have gotten from my small garden. I hope that the warm weather holds here in Colorado and I am able to get a lot more from my plants.

What Was Hidden In The Barrel Full Of Pansies

2008-09-12T15:41:00.004-06:00

In my post "More Than A Barrel Full Of Pansies", I told you that I had some surprises growing that sprouted from my compost that I added. The pictures above show that the tomato plant produced large tomatoes in clusters. The mystery vine turned out to be cantaloupe and we have eaten one so far. I think it might have been the best cantaloupe I ever ate.

Click here to see the photo and article on the first spring planting of the barrel full of pansies.

Gypsiedream Goes Hollywood!

2008-09-11T11:42:00.002-06:00

I found this site that lets you take any name and make it into a Hollywood sign.
I thought this was so cute and it gave me a lift for the day. A little retro Hollywood magic. Check it out and get yours at Glassgiant.com

2008-09-10T17:18:00.002-06:00

Check out this freebie! For anyone looking to set up a website, this is one good free web hosting provider to choose - 000webhost.com

They provide hosting absolutely free, there is no catch. You get 350 MB of disk space and 100 GB bandwidth. They also have cPanel control panel and an easy to use, but limited website builder. If you want to upload a program to use like wordpress or oscommerce you can. It is also compatible with Frontpage and Dreamweaver. Plus, there is no advertising of any kind on your pages.

I have done some experminting with putting both oscommerce and wordpress on the site and it worked really well. If it weren't for the fact that I love the template I am using I would switch my blog to it. Oh well, maybe I will start a new one and use it.

Beautiful Day At O'Fallon Park

2008-09-08T14:42:00.006-06:00

Yesterday we spent a wonderful afternoon in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. My daughter and her friend splashed around in Bear Creek after having a picnic lunch. Afterwards we took a hike and came across this monument that can be seen from SR 74 between Kitteridge and Evergreen Colorado.

Yummy Homegrown Tomatoes

2008-08-22T15:38:00.004-06:00

Nothing better than an organic homegrown tomato. We had a huge rain the other day and after the sun came out our tomatoes started ripening.

Nasturtiums Are Blooming!

2008-07-03T15:33:00.004-06:00

The nasturtiums I planted from seed are now blooming. The flowers are edible and are pretty in salads.

Pretty Roses From My Garden

2008-07-03T15:28:00.003-06:00

These are photos of some pretty roses in my garden. They don't produce many flowers but the ones that bloom are beautiful!

More Than A Barrel Full Of Pansies

2008-06-26T17:11:00.005-06:00

Remember my post about "A Barrel Full of Pansies". In that picture taken in early spring I had just planted some pansies. They were sparse and looked like I could have used just a few more in the barrel.

This is a photo of that same planting with a few surprises thrown in. The variegated leaf is nasturtiums, which I did plant from seed. But notice carefully the two tomato plants and a stray vine that could be anything from cucumber to zucchini. My best guess would be that the seed came from my compost that I enriched the soil with. For me it was a great surprise and I don't mind them in my flowers. They look so healthy.

Irises Are In Bloom

2008-06-13T16:21:00.003-06:00

I snapped this pretty photo of some of my irises that are blooming. My sister had brought them over last summer after finding them tossed beside a dumpster. I planted them along the fence between rose bushes last summer and this year they are just beautiful. I just don't understand why people are so wasteful. Especially when there are people like me who love plants and would love to be gifted with any root or cutting. Earlier this spring I thinned out my day lilies and gave away ones that I dug up. They ended up at my sisters in her garden, my husband's business partner's yard and in front of the newly renovated house that they were working on as a fix and flip project.

It makes me want to start some kind of plant exchange. Any one in the South Denver area interested?

My Love of Garden Ornaments

2008-06-12T16:59:00.003-06:00

I have this real love of bling for my garden. The stake on the left is one of my newest ornaments. Of course I am not one to spend tons of money on things like that. The stake was from a little dollar store around the corner and the Imagine plaque came from Bealls Outlet which was my favorite store when I lived in Florida and it was marked down to pennies. I wish they had that store here in Colorado. I miss it so much!

Baby Robin Learning to Fly

2008-06-12T16:44:00.004-06:00

As I walked out to take a look in my vegetable garden to see what seeds had come up so far, I walked past this fuzzy little bird sitting on my bench. At first I wondered what kind of funny looking bird it was. It allowed me to get fairly close and did not fly off like most birds. I did not think much more about it until later that day my daughter came into the house all excited. She had me come out to look at the baby bird that had flown from its nest on our neighbors porch into our yard. She had watched the past couple of days as the mother robin brought fat worms from our garden to the little bird in the nest. Finally I figured out that it was the little robin from that nest. Its first attempts at flight were only an skip and a jump, but by the end of the day it had found its wings and flew off.

The First Rose

2008-06-11T21:44:00.002-06:00

This is a picture of the first rose of the season. It is a beautiful pink and smells heavenly. I make sure to never use chemicals or commercial fertilizers. Instead I use organic compost that I make all winter long from scraps. I also supplement the soil directly with crushed eggshells and coffee grounds. The rest of my rose bushes are showing promise with lots of buds that are yet to bloom.

Blooming Lilacs And My Tollhouse Baking Clock.

2008-05-22T17:01:00.007-06:00

The lilacs in my front yard are blooming. They are so beautiful and fragrant this year. I cut some today and put them in a vase on top of my curio cabinet. Every time I walk by they smell so good.

Also the clock on the right is my newest addition to my collection that I picked up at the Goodwill store. It is a 1979 Nestle Tollhouse Bakers Clock 50th Anniversary edition. I love how it follows the phases of the moon. It also has an automatic baking calender that is activated by the clock mechanism. Yum, is it time to make chocolate chip cookies!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T08:43:00.002-06:00

I hope you all have a happy Mother's day!

Fun Vintage Dictionary Pins From Rosiemoonbeams at Etsy.com

2008-05-05T16:36:00.004-06:00

My Sister is a very creative artist. She uses discarded things and repurposes them into artistic objects. She made these pins from an old dictionary that was falling apart.
Take a look at some of the things she has found and made another use for at Rosiemoonbeams blog. Also check out her Etsy site for some more of her amazing art.

New Gypsiedream Blog Store

2008-04-23T16:52:00.005-06:00

Check out my new Gypsiedream's Blog Store. You can pick up great gardening items and a wide variety of Clip Art CD's.

A Spring Walk

2008-04-18T17:22:00.003-06:00

I snapped this photo of a flowering bush as I went for a walk today along the greenbelt near my house. The temperature was in the 60's and for Colorado in April it was a beautiful day. After having lived 5 years in Florida where the seasons never changed, I just can't seem to get enough of Spring. There is something about the renewal of the earth after the darkness of winter that touches me deep inside. So forgive me if I bombard you with Spring's images and beauty.

Glass Watering Globes

2008-04-17T11:01:00.003-06:00

I just love these watering globes. They are so stylish and practical. Of course I love anything made of decorative glass. I think I am planning on ordering them because I am terrible about watering container plants. From what I have read, they will water pots up to 2 weeks. That is a great idea if you are going on vacation this summer.

Fox Tracks In Snow

2008-04-11T15:06:00.004-06:00

We had a Spring snow storm yesterday and I found these fox tracks in my back yard. I know he jumps my fence all of the time and digs in my compost pile. Between the fox and the squirrels, they should all be well fed.

Free Clipart Samples

2008-04-09T10:27:00.003-06:00

This is an example of some beautiful clip art from Dover Books. Each week they email you a link to the free samples of the week that you can save on your computer and use. The first clip art is from their Full-Color Cigar Labels CD-ROM and Book. The second is from Dover's Art Nouveau Initials CD-ROM and Book.

Oatmeal Blackberry Muffins

2008-04-02T15:07:00.004-06:00

I picked up some blackberries on sale and decided to make these moist muffins.

The recipe:

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blackberries cut in half

Combine dry ingredients. Mix in milk, egg, oil and vanilla until just moistened. Fold in blackberries. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 mins. Makes 12 muffins.

I added a strusel topping before baking using brown sugar, oats, and little flour mixed with butter.

More Signs of Spring in Colorado

2008-03-31T16:24:00.002-06:00

Snapped this picture on Sunday of the Aspen tree in my side yard. The buds are fuzzy and look like pussy willows.

Sun, Moon and Stars Stepping Stones

2008-03-27T15:59:00.005-06:00

I love celestial designs, especially moons. I found these cute stepping stones at the Dollar Tree Store. They were only a dollar! I am hoping to use them in one of my future flower gardens.

Barrel Full of Pansies

2008-03-26T17:04:00.004-06:00

Just couldn't wait to fill up the old barrel on my front porch with some kind of color. The pansies are a little sparse right now. I used plenty of dirt from my winter compost pile so maybe they will fill in fast.

Ready For Spring

2008-03-25T12:07:00.003-06:00

I am so ready for Spring to happen. Some of my bulbs are starting to come up, but no flowering yet. I bought these pretty daffodils at the local grocery store to get me out of my winter mood. At least the grass is starting to get green again.

Easter Eggs and Daffodils

2008-03-24T16:50:00.003-06:00

These are the Easter Eggs my family created. Made with a glitter and sparkle egg kit, we first dyed the eggs with regular egg dye then applied the sparkle with a special glue that came with the kit. When the glue was tacky, we pressed shiny colored sheets on the egg, sort of like gold leafing. They turned out different than any Easter egg I have ever done and we had a lot of fun coloring eggs this year.

Privacy Policy

2008-03-23T15:25:00.000-06:00

I respect your privacy and I am committed to safeguarding your privacy while online at this site http://gypsiedreamsblog.blogspot.com. The following discloses how I gather and disseminate information for this Blog.

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Update for Privacy Policy As Of April 8, 2009

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If you have any questions or concerns please contact Laura at theworkfromhomemother@gmail.com. This privacy policy updated April 2009