Valentines Day is on the way!

Dear Blogging Friends:

We are almost finished with January....time certainly does fly!

I put up my Valentines Tree, and have almost finished my Mardi Gras Tree, too!  I just need to add the beads!

Since these always fall close together, I have them both up at the same time!  The Valentines Tree is the super skinny one I put in the Dining Room.  I love these ornaments, and enjoy seeing them each year.  This tree always seems happy and fun to me, and I love the colors.  I've always read that children really love Valentines Day--they love to trade the cards at school and there's usually a party with cupcakes and some kind of red drink!!!  Valentines was my husband's birthday, but it doesn't really make me sad about that.  I just hate that he's not here, getting old while I do!  I guess we'll always think of him as young.

I also love my little monkeys that are so cute!!!  I have three of them and they make me smile.  In addition to my stitched ornaments, I have several bought ones that are fun and sparkly, as well as some vintage Valentines from my cousin's mother-in-law!  Aren't these fun??  I love the one with the little faded honeycomb part, by the pink monkey!  So sweet!  The lady would be in her upper 90s now, so the Valentines are probably more than 80 years old.  I love these sweet ornaments--need to make a few more!  The little "Bee my Valentine" was a discontinued store model that I bought in Memphis.  It had blue fabric around it, which I didn't think looked like a Valentine, so I removed the blue added the pink fabric and ribbon so it would look more like Valentines!

We've had snow twice this winter...unheard of here in Mississippi!!!  I've been feeding my birds and they are starting to look REALLY round and happy!!  I sometimes fill one feeder 3 times during a day.  Possibly I'm being a little overprotective, but they almost look like they're smiling when I refill!  The bright green "finch sock" was on sale, so I got it to try it, and they caught on immediately!  Sometimes there will be 5 or 6 goldfinches hanging on it, just eating away!

 

The egrets are everywhere!  This is the creek beside my house and I just love seeing them all sitting around and taking it easy!  There's one funny bird perched on the railing in this photo!  I guess he wanted a better view of it all!

Sweet Zoe had her First Birthday this month!  She was so precious and funny!  She played with the gift bags and ribbons more than the toys, but that's to be expected!  She was dressed in her mother's little Chinese silk outfit, but Zoe was too big for it and the top wouldn't button, so they left it open with a shirt under it!  How creative!  And she was playing with this big clump of ribbon, so I put it on her head!  She didn't leave it on long, but it was so cute!

The other night, I couldn't find Omar, but I knew he was hiding somewhere.  I went all around the house, looking, and came upon this sight!  This little doll bed was made by my grandfather for my mother when she was 5.  It was originally painted "apple green".  That's how my mother described it.  Anyway, it's stained into the wood and this is the best it will strip.  It's rickety and not safe, except for toys.  I use it every year at Christmas to hold the gifts I have for my choir, and I distribute them at the party.  Well, now you know that I haven't put the little bed away yet!!  haha--soon!  Omar was in there resting, and totally ignoring me while I walked around and called for him!  Silly cat!

Well, I guess that's about all for now!  Thanks for stopping by and please come again!

I'll show you the Mardi Gras tree soon--just gotta get those beads on it!

Frances