Spring Veggie Garden....

As you might remember, we started our Spring veggie garden at the end of March. Things have really started moving along in the veggie patch!  As you can see, we have our big garden very organized with specific areas for veggies and straw paths for walking.  The straw helps cut down on the weeding, which will be a big deal later this Summer!

 
My pea army is all ready to get down to business.....

 
Spinach, mixed lettuce, radishes (which we've started eating!), and kale.  Can you spot my blurry garden buddy in the upper right?



 
Here's my other garden buddy...Capt'n Gus (the feral cat I trapped by accident in December) ...the most awesomeness, sidekick garden cat you could ask for.  No really, he's better behaved outside than the Hound dog.  Comes when called, stays in the yard, follows me around, and doesn't bother the chickens.  Sgt thinks it's the weirdest thing to watch him follow me around the yard as I do various chores.  To be perfectly honest, I also find it very weird how much he has attached himself to me. 


Lots more yet to plant.  We'll be laying out plans for our Summer garden this weekend, which includes...tomatoes, basil, squash, watermelon, cucumbers, peppers, egg plant, cilantro, zucchini,  beans...the list goes on.  Then in July we'll plan and plant for our Fall garden.  But I don't really want to think about that right now!  I'd much rather enjoy my Spring veggies and eagerly anticipate the strawberry harvest coming soon!! May has got to be my favorite month of the year.

~MaryDeluxe

Gliding into Spring

I have a love for old gliders and recently picked up this one at an estate auction the other weekend.  I fell in love with its bright lime green and yellow floral pattern.  I'm always excited when I find all the original cushions in fab condition (once I cleaned the mouse turds off) with these gliders. 

I put the glider over in a semi shady spot so Sgt and I can sit with a cup of tea and watch the chickens meandering around scratching for bugs. I also picked up a few old Coronet magazines.  I think I'll save reading them for a nice warm Spring day, as the weather has decided to turn a bit to chilly and windy for my liking.  My Spring garden however, is loving the colder temps!

 

A few of my other vintage gliders I've shown here on the blog over the years...

 

This is a late 1930's Bunting Glider that I found in 2003.  I paid $1 for it at and estate auction around the block from my house.  I waited all day for them to sell this glider, it was one of the last things that they sold.  It had the original cushions  with it but I'm sorry to say they weren't in the best of condition :( I do however plan on someday having the cushions re-made so at least I have pictures to go on!  I doubt I can ever get a glider like this again for a dollar at an auction....maybe for $5 but never $1.

Then there is of course my shabby chic back porch glider from 2011...

 

It didn't come with all the cushions, it was just a chippy little two seater glider that needs a new paint job.  I put on a cute set of bark cloth cushions I had laying around for a little extra softness! 

 

So are you starting to bust out your vintage patio furniture now that Spring is here?  Show me what you got going on!  Next weekend I hope to be taking my vintage patio umbrellas out for a good Spring cleaning!

~MaryDeluxe

 

A Year of Chickens

It's been one year since Sgt and I got our first batch of laying chickens with three accidental roosters thrown in!  It's been a fun year and I have to say we've had no major problems with our flock as of this point.  It's been lots of fun raising them and not as much of a time investment as you might think.  There's of course routine maintenance but you have that with any animal.  In my opinion, the benefits of having chickens totally out weighs any maintenance involved in keeping them.

 

 



 

Before you start sending me hate email...yes, we harvested the three roosters.  They were mean, nasty assholes.  It's not necessary to have roosters with your hens...so they needed to go.  We debated about whether we should find someone to give them to or to just go ahead and slaughter them ourselves.  We decided since Sgt does eat chicken...(I don't eat meat, I haven't in over 20 years)...that we would harvest them and put em in the freezer.   Yes, I helped.  Sgt said it was the best chicken he's ever eaten....I took his word for it :). I do however eat eggs and nothing compares to a fresh egg omelet first thing in the morning.  

 

Keeping chickens, a most eggcellent experience!

~MaryDeluxe

The Spring Victory Garden

 

I finally got my Spring veggie garden planted today! These last three days have really warmed up around here and I was able to till the ground on Friday and add new organic top soil! Today I planted half the garden with Spring veggies such as...green lettuce, spring lettuce mix, peas, beets,spinach, radishes, and kale. I still have carrots, parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage to add later this week.  This is the earliest that I've gotten our Spring garden in.  For the last two years, we hadn't gotten a real Spring planting in until late April.  When I lived at DeluxeVille I never bothered with a Spring garden, I only ever planted a Summer one.  It's nice to be on schedule this year with the veggie garden!  

Even when I had my tiny back garden, I always planted veggies. It was small but perfect for a single gal of one! I would have one of each plant...pepper, tomato, zucchini, egg plant, cucumber, a row of beans, and a bunch of herbs! It didn't take up much room and it kept me well supplied! Of course now, I have tons of room and Sgt and I try to add on to our garden each year. I think everyone should have the satisfaction of growing their own food at least once in their lives. No matter how big or small your property is, there are lots of ideas out there on how you can utilize it to grow food! When I was a renter, I would always grow fresh herbs in planters on my balcony. I always thought growing herbs was a great way to start into balcony gardening and herbs were always fun and convenient to use when I was cooking!

~MaryDeluxe

April Showers Bring...

Awesome overshoes from 1957!

 

  

 



 

Rain, rain, rain...but thankfully, we missed the snow storm that other parts of the country was hit with.  We just received some chilly rain, perfect galoshes weather!

~MaryDeluxe

Dancing Queens

 

One of the things you might have noticed about me over the last few years is that I don't attend as many auctions as I use to.  There are a number of reasons for this....

1. I've really been trying to free myself of "stuff".  Having a shop has really helped me with the freeing part and I force myself to ask the question, "do I need this or do I want this?"  I allow myself to have some wants every now and again, but it's not like it use to be! 
2. When I relocated I left my teaching job, so I don't have a lot of extra play money any more.  It's funny because I don't really feel deprived by this at all.  I'm not in any way living in poverty.  I have savings in the bank, a roof over my head, and food in my belly.  I've just become really picky about parting with my money.   Don't get me wrong, I've always been thrifty with my money, but now I've moved up a notch and I'm even more tight fisted! 
3. Auctions where I moved to are hard to find.  Yup, it's tough out here.  When you do find them, the bidding can be intense and back stabbing!  Give me a good ol' Amish country auction any day over some of these uptight, rude, "I'm gonna sell this to a New Yorker and make a killing" dealers.  Okay, they don't really say this, but it's what I think they could be saying as they stare me down over a farmhouse fresh bench we both are bidding on.  

One of the cool things about not attending as many auctions as I use to is, when I do get to one now, it's always like having a birthday!  It thrills me to no end!  The colors are brighter, the sun is sunnier, and the birds are always singing.  Sometimes I even see rainbows and unicorns!  Oh My!  Can you feel the love here people?!

One of the bad things about going to auctions now...the debate I have with myself about whether to put a newly acquired item in the shop or allow myself to keep it.  Ooooo, I hate having to make that decision.  Before I just kept everything...mine, mine, all mine.  Can't make money that way!  Boo!

The recent items I am debating about are these amazingly, awesome set of large (16x20) 1950's paint by number ballerinas!  I don't think I've ever seen a set of paint by numbers look so elegant.  It's the fab frames from Belgium that does it for these well done ballerinas.  Someone obviously took great pride in their handy work of staying in the lines!  Such elegant kitsch!

I really can't see myself being able to part with them.  So, since I'll be keeping these lovely ladies for myself, I'll tell you the auction price I paid for them....$12 or $6 a piece.  I hope this helps explain why I see rainbows and unicorns when I go to auction!

Happy Spring Y'all!

~MaryDeluxe

A Sunday

 

After spending the last few weeks subbing at the school SGT works at, I have developed quite a nasty cold. Thanks kids! Between  my subbing jobs, bead design job, and our antique booth, I'm quite the busy bee!  It's no wonder my immune system decided to take a vacation.  

 

Nothing beats spending a day in bed with all the cats,  hot tea, a bunch of magazines, lots of fluffy pillows and old quilts, and watching some film-noir movies!

 

Today's movie, a classic from 1950....D.O.A.

And because I'm one of those people who have a hard time just plain doing nothing, about every hour or so, I'm gonna get up and stretch and throw in a load of laundry!

Happy Sunday!

~MaryDeluxe