Starfruit in my yard and Awards

I did a post a while back of our backyard. We grow lots of flowers but we also grow some very different things. This is a picture of our Starfruit tree. Have you seen one growing? It is technically a large shrub or small tree. It loves warm weather, but can stand cold temps down to the 30's at night. Can you see the Starfruit?



Can you see them now? They look like yellow leaves the way they hide in the center of the tree. Now is the time of year when they bear tons of fruit and they ripen right away and are so yummy. If you havn't eaten one they have the texture of a watermelon and the flavor of a loquat. I personally think they taste like a cross between a watermelon and a cantelope.



This is a close up of fresh ones off the tree. Just pick and wash and get ready to eat.



When you cut across the fruit they look like stars. I think the shape is so pretty in a fruit salad or topping ice cream. I also love to eat them just like they are as a snack. See the little seeds. There are clubs all across the country called Rare Fruit Growers where you can find out information about Starfruit and other kinds of rare fruit trees to grow, or you can grow them from seed. Cut through the fruit carefully so not to cut the tiny seeds. Wash seeds carefully and dry them. Plant them in good potting soil in a pot. They can be grown in a pot for several years. If you live in a cooler climate they can be placed in front of a window inside and when the weather warms put outside in full sun. From seed it will take about 3 to 4 yrs. to bear fruit, but in the meantime they do have pretty leaves that stay green all year long. Try one, they are such fun.

This past week I have been honored with three wonderful awards from some of the nicest people in the world.

The SISTERHOOD Award was given to me by Vanna @ http://lvroftiques.blogspot.com and Susan @ http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com



The Let's Be Friends Award was given to me by Shelia @ http://notesongs.blogspot.com



The If The Shoe Fits Wear It Award was given to me by Heidi @ http://bargainhuntinginthecorn.blogspot.com



All of these ladies are so witty, clever, creative, funny and just downright the nicest people you would ever want to meet. If you havn't visited their blogs you have really missed a real treat. They are very caring and loving and you will laugh, dream and be inspired by all of them. I know I'm suppossed to pass these on to others, so I am doing that just now. If you are reading this, then you are tagged and I would love for you to take all of them. I know you all so deserve it. I do appreciate these awards and all the wonderful people that pay me a visit. You guys make my stroll thru life so much nicer and I sincerely thank you.

Making Drapes ~ Awards ~ Show and Tell Friday

Thanks to Kelli @ http://kellishouse.blogspot.com for hosting this Show and Tell Friday. Please be sure and go by her house to see a list of all the other participants. You won't want to miss a one.



First I want to thank Luanne @http://allinadayswork.blogspot.com for presenting me with this GOLD STAR BLOG AWARD. You can also reach Luanne @ http://blueeyedtango.blogspot.com I first met Luanne at Micasa and since we have become very good friends. She is so talented and such a really sweet lady. She paints beautiful murals, raises horses, decorates, enjoys her family and lives on a gorgeous farm. Be sure to go by and visit her, you will so enjoy her blog. Thanks so much Luanne, you're a special friend.


Let's make some drapes.
Since so many of you have commented on the drapes that I made for my Living Room and commented that you didn't know how to make them, I thought I would give you a really short sewing lesson and let you see how very easy they really are to make.



This picture shows the two fabrics I used. Just sew the two pieces together and cover the seam with a fringe or braid. Makes it look really custom.



I cut the my drapery fabric 9ft. long. For lining I use a twin sheet from Walmart that only costs $4, much cheaper than lining fabric. Cut off 12" on one side of the sheet and all the hemmed edges except the big top hem. Place right sides together with the big hem placed 9" from the bottom of the drapery fabric. The sheet will not come quite to the top of the fabric, that's ok. Just sew the two sides together.







Turn right side out. You almost have a drapery panel.



Make sure that you have the fabric smoothed out and the two returns of the drapery fabric on the sides even. Fold the top down 6" and then fold under 1/2" and either hand stitch or sew on machine if the stitching won't show on the front.



Press carefully, making sure to keep a really straight edge on both sides of the panel so your return facing is straight and to insure the drape will hang smooth and even.




The photo below shows the back side of the drape all sewn and pressed. I am going to sheer this panel on a rod, so I sewed another seam 2" down from the top to make a pocket for the rod. However you could either make pleats now or hang from rings or clips. You've just made a drape.




This picture shows the front side of the top with the rod pocket.



Since you used a sheet your lining hem is already done. Yeah, that's one step you don't have to do. Turn the bottom up a double 4" for the hem. A double hem gives the drape weight so it will hang smooth. Blind stitch hem and you're done. Now you can hang it and enjoy your handywork. Congratulations, that was easy wasn't it?

Thank you so much for stopping by, I always enjoy your visits. Hugs, Marty

A New Award

For a while now I have loved reading all the wonderful blogs that everyone posts, and finally decided to join in on the fun. It is so thrilling to meet new people and to make new friends. This is such a warm and loving community. My heart is just thrilled when I see how everyone rally's around each other to pray, to laugh to encourage and to just be a part of their daily lives. I so agree with Ann @ http://lifeatannsplace.blogspot.com. that this wonderful community could give the world lessons in loving, accepting and caring for one another. She has honored me with the most wonderful award. The Best Blog Daily Thinker.

The rules are to post it on your blog and pass it on to 10 other deserving bloggers. There are so many of you, in fact all of you, however I finally narrowed my list down to these 10.
1. Debbie @ Congessions of a Plate Addict http://confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com.
2. Christine @ Christine's Home and Travel Adventures http://christineshomeandtraveladventures.blogspot.com.
3. Kathy @ Emptynester http://emptynester.blogspot.com.
4. Cyndi @ Life on the Prairies http://lifeontheprairies.blogspot.com.
5. Mumzie @ Mumzie's Pumpkin Place http://mumziespumpkinplace.blogspot.com.
6. Barb @ Grits and Glamour http://gritsandglamour.blogspot.com.
7. Ellie Mae @ The Twins Mama http://thetwinsmama.blogspot.com.
8. CC @ Catherine De The Cups http://catherinedethecups.blogspot.com.
9. Lori @ Basketball, Gymnastics and Me http://basketballgymnasticsandme.blogspot.com.
10. Shelia @ Note Songs http://notesongs.blogspot.com.

I am truly honored to receive this award and in my heart I believe everyone in our blogworld deserves it. Hugs, Marty

$28 Bathroom Redo ~ Metamorphois Monday

Thanks again to Susan for hosting this wonderful Metamorphois Monday. Be sure to visit her at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com to see all the fabulous posts. With so many talented women, you will not want to miss any of them.

Today I would like to show you my bathroom transformation and I would like to offer two apologies. First many of you have already seen this picture, and second I do not have a before picture. However since I think someone somewhere made a mold of this bathroom and gave it to every builder in the country and they just stamped them out by the hundreds or thousands, a picture probably really isn't needed. It's the standard big mirror, cultured marble counter, sink and tub surround with basic cabinetry and the cheapest faucet they could find. I have had my decorating skills challenged with having this bathroom in my last two homes.



With a new home and many projects that need to be done and the fact that my money tree is suffering from extreme drought and frost bite, I really needed to be creative. I started digging for accessories and decided a tropical theme would be in order. So armed with a plan I mixed 3 colors of leftover paint together for the walls, $18 for 3yds. of fabric for the drape, $5 for the bamboo rod, $3 for the tissue box I painted with a bamboo design, and $1 each for the soap box and mirror from the Dollar store. The clock and vase I had and the floral arrangement was made from remnants of several older ones. It may not be a remodel, but for now it will do and I really like the color and tropical feel that it has. Just another example of what we can do using what we have and using our imagination.

Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy your visits. Hugs, Marty

Goodwill Shopping ~ Show and Tell Friday

Thanks to Kelli @ http://kellishouse.blogspot.com for hosting this Show and Tell Friday. Please be sure and visit her to see all the other participants and their show and tell posts.

My new favorite place to shop is Goodwill. I have had such fun finding great things to decorate with and wonderful dishes to add to my collection. This past week I've made several trips to the two that are near me and picked up more treasures, so I thought I'd share my latest finds.

On a previous post I showed you all the white dishes that I found, and now I've been on the search for accessories and serving pieces to go with them. I love these pretty candlesticks and the colors and flowers just looked so like spring. (Sorry, I just noticed one of the candles was crooked.)



The tea set went so well with the candlesticks and had the same pretty colors and flowers. The teapot was $2 and the cups were $1 each. So pretty for an afternoon tea on the patio.



The little bunny would be perfect to hold a few cookies to enjoy with the tea. He cost $2.



Isn't he just the sweetest thing.



The little basket would be lovely with some fresh flowers from the yard. I love the tulips and the raised design. It was $2.



Isn't it great that the basket has different flowers on each side.



This gorgeous lattice bread basket will be perfect to go with all my new white dishes and for only $4.



The raised flowers on this large bowl match one set of plates that I found on a previous shopping trip. A great piece for $3.



I was thrilled with all these latest finds and hope you enjoyed seeing them. Some of you have also found some wonderful furniture and linens at your Goodwill. I did go through the linen section these trips and although I didn't find anything that fit my color scheme, there were many lovely things. I'm sure that section will become a favorite also. If you havn't been to your Goodwill in a while, give it a try, you just might find some great treasures too.

Thanks for stopping by, I always love it when you come to visit. Hugs, Marty

Living Room Summer Look ~ Met. Monday

Thanks again to Susan for hosting this wonderful Metamorphois Monday. Be sure to visit her @http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com to see all the wonderful posts.

When we moved into our new home and I discovered that my carpet wasn't beige but cocoa, I couldn't use my favorite reds and golds. The red made the carpet look pink and the gold made the carpet look dirty. So I finally found some dark peach tones and pulled the room together with cocoa, chocolate and peach. Looked good to me and so there it stayed. I have never been one to change things very often. Just put it together and leave it alone. Then I started seeing all the beautiful rooms you gals change all the time and my dear friend Kathysue changes hers for the seasons, so one day I told her I thought it would be nice to have a cooler summer look since we live in the desert. Now this lady has more decorating talent that accidentally drips off her little finger than I have in my whole body. She immediately said "Oh, I think a cool blue/green, linen and white would look great". Perfect, so off to the fabric store I went.

These two pictures are the before with peach.




I found three great fabrics. One with tulips, a stripe and a plaid. The tulip linen was on sale for $3yd, the stripe is an outdoor fabric and the plaid is a tablecloth from Ross. I thought the colors worked great together, and inexpensive at the same time. Out came the sewing machine and off to work I went.





I had already been collecting white dishes and accessories from frequent shopping trips to the Goodwill, so I started pulling everything out and trying my hand at tabletop vignettes with all my thrifty finds.



The fairies I borrowed out of the yard and with a new coat of whitewash, they looked great. Isn't that little face just precious.



All of the accessories are my Goodwill treasures or things I already had.



I used my grandmother's platter as a tray for the tea set, and her little glass candleholders. These were always on her table.



I thought a luncheon size tablecloth looked more casual for summer. Notice how the blue/green pops out in the painting. Somehow I never noticed that before.



Even the books on the end table are from Goodwill.



I love the much cooler look of the room, it just seems so refreshing to walk through it. Now when the summer months hit those all too often 110 and 120 degrees, I can think of cool breezes and ocean waters. Well, I can dream anyway. Thank all of you ladies for always inspiring, and most of all thank you Kathysue, you're a special friend.

I appreciate you stopping by, I always look forward to your visits. Hugs, Marty

Vintage Cakesaver ~ Taste of Summer

Thanks so much to Kelli @ http://kellishouse.blogspot.com for hosting this Show and Tell Friday. Be sure to go by her blog to see all the other wonderful participants.

Do any of you remember going to your grandmothers or a favorite friends house and seeing one of these wonderful cakesavers? This one belonged to my Aunt Hazel and everytime you would go to visit her she always had this cakesaver sitting on the counter and it always had something wonderful inside that she had just baked. Hers was the kind of house that always smelled so good and you were always so hungry when you were there. You know that kind. She spent hours and hours teaching me how to cook, and always praised you no matter how bad you messed up. She even forgave that I never could learn how to make bread. So needless to say one of my favorite things is this wonderful cakesaver and her favorite recipe for a cake that tastes just like summer. This wonderful cake has lemon, orange, pineapple, coconut and almond. It just melts in your mouth.



It makes 3 very light and fluffy layers.



And the icing is a cooked one just full of pineapple and coconut. Yum



She always put it in a pie pan to save every drop of icing she always said.



Then in it would go into her wonderful cakesaver.



Of course she would cut you a piece, and sometimes a really big one.



Whenever I make this cake, I always use her cakesaver and the fabulous cake comb with the baklite handle that she used. Sweet memories of a very neat Aunt and childhood. Her recipe was her mother's and it is called "Mary's Cake. Please enjoy.

1 1/2 c. sugar - 1/2 c. shortning - 3 eggs - 2 c. flour - 3 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk - 1 tsp. vanilla - 1/2 tsp lemon juice - 2 tsp. orange peel - 1/2 tsp. almond. Grease and flower 3 8" pans and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 min.

Icing - 3 well beaten eggs - 2 c. sugar - sm. can crushed pineapple - 1 c. coconut. Cook until thick, add 2 tbl. butter, beat until butter melts. Let cool and then frost layers.

Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy the visit. Hugs, Marty

Thrifty Dish shopping

I have drooled over all the gorgeous dishes that all you gals display in your hutches and on the fabulous tablescapes you do. so finally it got the best of me and I had to start hunting for dishes. Yes Debbie, I am becoming a dish addict. My first hunt was for brown and white toile, and that proved to be nearly impossible on a nothing budget, so the next choice was white. I love the way it makes everything pop. I've heard so many of you talk about Goodwill and I hadn't been there in years except to drop off. So I decided to check it out. Over the past few weeks I have haunted the two near me and the treasures that I've found are unbelievable. I was surprised to learn that Goodwill has 50% off days. Boy have I been missing out all these years. Everything is from Goodwill except for a couple of things that I've noted.





This is the first ceramic collander I have ever seen with such fabulous detail. I love the raised fruit design. This gorgeous creature was $3.



This covered dish had such a pretty shape and I loved the scalloped edge and the great finial on the lid. For $2 how can you leave it behind.




I needed some basics and these two can be used in so many ways with flowers, fruit and my moss ball. These were $1 also.



This darling little cream and sugar don't match, but they're so cute. $1 each



I have to be honest that I had forgotten about these when I spotted the 12 below, but there are 6 of these. The octagon shape and the simple edge made them favorites immediately, and besides everyone needs 18 plates don't they.




I found these 2 patterns and the ones below all the same day on GW's 50% off sale, and all for 50 cents each. 12 plates to mix and match all at one time.




This is another 4 from GW for 50 cents each. I love the edge detail.



I found 4 of these basket weave edge plates for 50 cents each.




The cabbage salad plates and bowls were from Ross on clearance for $l each.



The wonderful shape,pierced detail and scrolls made this plate perfect and only $2.



I thought the pierced edge on this plate was just gorgeous and again only $2.



There are 9 of these by Johnson Bros. Friendly Village. I found 4 at Ross on the clearance aisle and the other 5 at GW, all for $1 each.



There were 4 of these and I couldn't resist with all the beautiful scroll design and delicate flowers on the edge and center. These were 50 cents each.



Isn't this the prettiest little china egg. I loved the flowers and since I love eggs I just had to have it for $2.

Thanks for going shopping at Goodwill with me, I've had a great time and hope you did too.

I've been honored with a fabulous award.







I have to thank Christine @ http://christineshomeandtraveladventures.blogspot.com for a fabulous new award. If you have missed her you really have missed out. She does the most wonderful tablescapes and decorating, and she's been on some fabulous trips and shares them all with us. Please go check her out.

This award is given to someone who shows great Attitude and Gratitude. I so appreciate it. Now I'm suppossed to pass this along to 4 other deserving people.
1. Luanne @ http://blueeyedtango.blogspot.com. This lady will amaze you with all her talents and the beautiful farm she lives on.
2. Laurie @ http://bargainhunting.blogspot.com. I'm sure most of you know her, one of the sweetest ladies on earth and so talented. She is a must read in blogland.
3. Kathysye - She doesn't have a blog, but I am pushing. You all know her from RMS and her fabulous spa bathroom that was #1 for months. Her home is as warm and welcoming and friendly as she is.
4. Jeanette - You all know her from RMS as jfell. She has that gorgeous kitchen that is still #1. I'm pushing her to blog also. All of her home is gorgeous, and she is the sweetest lady you will ever meet.

Thanks again Christine, you are such a dear friend. Love ya.