Chickens in the Mist

Porch Metamorphosis Part Two

2010-05-17T23:58:00.007-04:00

As always, thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for inspiring us to complete our own metamorphoses and a reason to show them off! You are the VERY Best Susan!!

This is our ceiling, which was the first metamorphosis of the porch when several years ago my dear father-in-law and sweet husband covered plain ugly plywood with the tongue and groove planks for a much more traditional Southern porch look. This is the ceiling:

Part one of the porch metamorphosis was published last week, but my dear husband had bigger and better (!) plans for our porch. If you are a southern girl, as I am, ceiling fans are near and dear to our hearts. I have one in every room of my house, and they run all summer and into the fall, keeping the rooms nice and cool.

My beloved then had the wonderful idea of putting a porch fan on our newly reborn front porch and OH IT IS WONDERFUL to sit under those lovely cool breezes. Here is the porch, with the new fan:

We had a lovely supper on the porch, under the new fan last Saturday. As you can see, it even has lights for those late night porch parties. Thank you, Honey :) I know that attic was HOT, and it was a labour of love for you to be up there and putting up that fan.

Porch Metamorphasis

2010-05-01T23:08:00.018-04:00

Many, many thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for sponsoring Metamorphosis Monday!! Please check at the many wonderful blogs featured on her space (as well as her own inspiring blog!

My Monday Metamorphosis involves my front porch. Before: it was dismal, depressing and just plain ugly.

It was dirty, and impossible to clean (that raw concrete porch ABSORBED red clay). To clean the area, we had to use harsh chemicals, not something we liked. And the first time someone walked across, we were back at square one.

It is also the first place people who visit my home see, after the yard, and where they draw their first impression. It needed help!!

We had a tight budget, but needed to update this space so that we could stop apologizing for it, and be proud of our nice porch. We started with the floor, of course, since it was in the worst need. We thought of tile, but the estimate was far exceeded our small budget. We spoke with my handy-uncle Jimmy, who had wonderful experiences with a paint on epoxy. I was skeptical, we had tried to paint the porch before, only to watch it flake right off. But, we decided to go ahead after looking at some of his stellar work. And what a difference it made!!!

My uncle cleaned the porch, then painted it with the brick red color which matches the house nicely. For a bit of contrast (and traction) he sprinkled the wet paint with "chips" of black and tan, which match the brick on the house even further. He then topped it with a clear coat of shiny epoxy to protect and make cleaning so, so easy.

We replaced the very worn wicker which had been there for 10 years with an Amish made white glider. I found some lovely (and cheap) cushions to match the rust colors of the porch for the glider at my favorite Olde Time Pottery. The small cushions I made by recovering old porch pillows with napkins found on sale at Pier One.

I found a lovely tin basket for the wall at Hobby Lobby and filled it with cheerful flowers. My dear husband attached it to the wall for me.

Next, inspired by Susan, I added a lamp and a small table for cozy nighttime sitting.

The ficus tree behind the swing is decorated with the wonderful dragonfly lights my husband gave me for Christmas (an idea swiped directly from Susan, I might add).

I hope you have enjoyed the Metamorphosis of my porch! It is, of course, not finished, but is a work in process. Check back to see how things are going!

Listen to arwen555@aol.coms Playlist

2010-04-24T03:09:00.001-04:00

Rooster in the Bush

2009-07-27T06:34:00.011-04:00

Well, mist has been seldom seen lately in the heat of our North Carolina summer, but I did want to finally begin to introduce the Chickens in the Mist to you all. I'd love for you to meet the Rooster in the Bushes. He's a bit shy, but agreed to talk to you all.

As you can easily see, I am a fine big handsome fellow. My breed is of chicken Buff Cochin and I have some very handsome feathered feet. The Buff refers to my color, not to my manly physique. Even though I am very handsome, I don't much like my picture taken, so the Crazy Chicken Lady had to stalk me a bit.

She'll never find me here, I'm so well camoflaged in the bushes!

Still hiding!

The Mexican Pentunias don't offer much cover, I'll have to keep my head down!

Out from the bushes to greet a favorite hen!

"Ditch-Lily" Tablescape

2009-06-22T01:25:00.020-04:00

Many thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Tablescape Thursday Do go by her lovely blog and be inspired!

Down old country roads, and beside quiet lanes a lovely flower grows.

It is called by folk in this area a "Ditch Lily" and is some variety of wild daylily. It grows and blooms in great profusion but is seen only by those who pass by those quiet spots.

Unless of course someone who loves them puts them on the table for all to admire.

This week, I went down one of those old country lanes where I played as a child and found blooming in glorious splendor the orange ditch-lilies of my childhood. In just a few minutes, I had gathered a great armful, along with some Queen Anne's Lace and wild daisies, enough to make a nice arrangement for my table.

The placemats were made by my talented Mother in Love, Ann, as a gift for my graduation. They were originally intended to be handtowels, but were just too lovely. The soft orange tablecloth was found at a yardsale a few weeks ago.

From my MIL came this nice set of dishes as well. I am so grateful for her kindness! I know you can't see it in the pictures, but there is a tiny bit of orange in the dark ring on the outside of the dishes which blends beautifully with the colors of the lilies and tablecloth. The bread plate is translucent smoke colored and I hope to use it more in other tablescapes.

The linen napkins beautifully embroidered with our initial were made by a dear friends' mother, Jill from A Season of Grace. I could not believe how beautiful they were, and am so touched by the thoughfulness of these dear ladies.

The tall candlesticks below blended so nicely with the colors of the flowers and tablecloth. I found these on the clearance aisle of a local craft store and knew I'd use them someday.

This is the tablescape in the candlelight. The tall vase is in an orangey colored carnival glass called "Iris Herringbone".

The goblets with this should have been a smoky color too, but I don't have any. I do, however,have a lovely cut crystal goblet, given to me by my late grandmother. Back in the 50's these came packed with peanut butter. Eat the peanut butter and keep the glass (I wish we had that today!). I remember drinking out of these as just a little girl at her house.

I hope you've enjoyed a trip back to my childhood and the beautiful things that wonderful women have gifted me with in this tablescape. Many Many Many thanks to Susan at

"Between Naps on the Porch" for hosting such a fun event! Hurry over to her blog to look at the other beautiful tablescapes!

Blueberries

2009-06-21T20:00:00.012-04:00

Welcome to my contribution to Share a Garden Sunday hosted by the talented Artie at Color Outside the Lines. Stop reading NOW and hasten to his blog to see some truly beautiful and inspiring gardens.

Ok, you're back? Thanks for returning and I hope you are as inspired and maybe a little bit envious as I always am when I see the beautiful things over on Artie's blog. Could you believe that garden??!! Today, we are looking at the blueberries Rob and I planted last fall. Ok, Rob dug the holes and planted, but I did help. I love blueberres, in pies, scones, muffins, on cereal and just by the handful. We planted these bushes, in full sun, along our drive way. We had high hopes for them, even though we have had less than stellar results before. But wow, these are exceeding our hopes!

One thing that made a difference is that we planted, according to the growers instructions. What a difference following good advice makes! We dug huge holes, 3 feet by 3 feet and filled the holes with pure peatmoss, because blueberries like acidic growing media.

During the year, I've also put coffee grounds around the base (with the liner too sometimes!) because they are super high in acid. They also need plenty of water. We put a minimum of 3 measured gallons per bush per week last fall, when it was dry just to make sure that they got all they needed for a good start. That hasn't been needed this spring and summer since we've gotten plenty of rain here in NC. The plastic snakes you might notice are helping to discourage the birds from finding the berries as good as we do, and to find our feeders instead.

Just look at that harvest! This is just the first picking, with plenty more left on the bushes. I'm freezing these on a cookie sheet and packing them into plastic bags. When I have enough saved, I will combine them with other fruit for jam, or maybe make some wonderful blueberry pancakes for breakfast. That is, if they last long enough.

The red berries you noted are our raspberries which are starting in at this time too. We transplanted them from behind our house, and they are liking their new spot!

I hope you have enjoyed my garden, and picked up a few tips to help you grow delicious blueberries of your own! Again, visit our talented and gracious host Artie at Share a Garden Sunday for more blogs and good reading!

Frugal Finds Monday

2009-06-15T06:29:00.008-04:00

This week was a bonanza of Frugal Fines and Thrifty Treasures as I visited several yardsales on my way home from work Saturday morning. I always check the Craigslist listings for any good yard sales that are in my area and check them out. Sometimes no luck, but this week was a tablescaping, gardening bargain hunters dream!

This is, as always, hosted by Rhoda at Southern Hospitality. Go and check out their blog!

The first find was for tablescaping. A lovely, lacy sugar and creamer set which will match my white gravy bowl to perfection. The very reasonable sum of $4.00 ensured it found a new and happy home with me.

Next, I found a perfect stoneware picture, which is EXACTLY what I wanted! I could maybe have dickered on the price a bit, but generally, I just pay what is asked.

Now for the best find of the morning. I had been looking for a deck box type thing in which to store my gardening tools. It had to be big, weatherproof and a seat on top would be a plus. had been looking retail, because you just don't find those things at yardsales around here. Until last Saturday anyway.

A little elbow grease and some scrubbing and this will be put into good use in my garden. Not bad for 25.00! On top of the box is another GREAT buy for the day. With my garden growing so well, I was hoping to score some canning jars for putting by the harvest. I got these at the great price of $1.00 per box!
Well, those were my great deals for the day! Don't forget search at Southern Treasures for more Frugal finds and Thrifty treasures!

Garden Metamorphosis

2009-06-14T22:44:00.018-04:00

I've tried to think of something that we have "metamorphed" here at Chickens in the Mist because I so wanted to participate in Susan's (at Between Naps on the Porch) Metamorphosis Monday. The baby Chicks in the Brooder haven't grown enough yet to truly Metamorphasize, so I think I'll share my garden both at Metamorphsis Monday and at Share A Garden Sunday with Artie of Color Outside the Lines.

A little sun, a little rain, a little hope, and tiny seeds become tiny plants..

A little more rain, sun, and of course weeding, and the genetic code miracle begins to unfold, and the little seed, becomes a bigger plant...

With anticipation, we watch them grow and look forward to harvest, and good food to be shared with family and neighbors.

Belle watching the cows watch her. I think the cows are actually waiting for that corn to be bigger...

Corn, tomatoes,beans, cucumbers and squash are thriving in the little patch of sun my neighbor left me.

And in the front yard, flowers bloom..

Bees love the lavender and hummingbirds love the nectar,

Meet Our Pets

2009-06-14T03:28:00.001-04:00

Sally in the Hosta

I was recently tagged by Mid-Atlantic Martha (hasten to her wonderful blog and be inspired!)and had to post the 6th picture in the 6th file on my computer. That photo just happened to be my beloved dog, Sally (who was in the hostas at the time). And here is her story:

We have an......unusual....dog living with us. She isn't in herself unusual, just an ordinary dog, but rather the circumstances of how she came to be with us are...different. We call her Sally, because she is long and tall, like the song and also because we have no idea what her real name might be. And why is that? Simple! She isn't really ours ! Now, before you start calling me bad names, you have to realize that Sally, of her own free will, decided that it was more fun at my house than at her old house, and moved herself over without asking permission from anyone. She used to traverse the 1000 or so yards between the houses, wearing out a little trail across the fields, but when the farmer fenced in his field, she decided that it was too much trouble to go around. So now, she's here on permanent loan. And she's just sweetness in dog skin, if you ask me :-).

Belle, Princess of the House

This is our precious old girl Belle, who really owns the house, no matter what the deed says.

She is almost 12 years old, but still spry and has her puppy-ish figure. She is reclining on the carpet in the guest room. She is adorable, loving and a bit of a sneak. She does naughty things, and quickly pins an innocent look on her face, and pins the blame on the other dogs. She has allergies to foods so must eat salmon and potato dog food, which makes her grocery bill run neck and neck with ours! I plan to get a new picture when she is all dolled up after her summer haircut. She is truly beautiful Belle, at least until she finds a hole to dig in! Beautiful Belle, after her summer trim

Cinder - the one and only cat

This little beauty is our girl Cinder. She is just the best cat, and a wonderful gardener. You can see that she is hard at work planting some impatients in windowboxes. They will be rearranged several times, before she is quite finished. She is a very constant companion, never underfoot or with her nose in your business, unlike some dogs I could name, but quietly in the background, watching, and only giving her opinions when asked.She is also an expert snuggler, and good mouser (much appreciated by the Chickens in the Mist). Without a doubt, she is the queen cat of the household, Cinder Elizabeth Diane Mouseripper.

Billy

And last , but never least, our Billy. Rescued from an abusive home, Billy came to live with us in fall of 2007. He was slow to warm up to me, but was my husbands buddy from the first day. He was the highest of praises, a good dog. So many memories he left us, before he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Cuddling with daddy on the bed. Playing with his favorite stuffed monkey. Begging at dinner under the table. Unexpected licks with a long, long tongue. Such soft, soft fur. You were loved, and you are missed desperately.

Mr. Bun-Bun

This guy is just a joy. Mr Bun-Bun is all long ears, soft fur and plain mischief. He loves to play with his rabbit rattle, to eat dried papaya and carrot chips and to do binkies for the plain joy of it. He is so gentle and allows us to pick him up and gently hold and stroke him. He knows that the papaya is "cookies"and eagerly comes for the treat. He is such a special bunny and with his friend Sakura make up all our "fur babies".

Next time: Finally, the Chickens in the Mist!

My Garden

2009-06-07T01:17:00.005-04:00

My garden requires a bit of explanation. We live in a very shady area, with lots of huge oaks which we love, but which means our gardening is...limited. Our dear neighbors fenced in their field, which is right in front of our house and instead of running the fence line right to the edge of the property, as they certainly could have done, they left me a nice little space for a garden!

So, we've tilled and hoed, weeded and amended soil with the stuff that the Chickens in the Mist make more of than anything (poop) and in faith planted seeds and behold a miracle....with sunshine and gentle rain, we have seedlings :)

Stay tuned for more, as they grow!

I've been Tagged!

2009-06-07T00:32:00.008-04:00

Wow! I was checking out my favorite blogs and Mid-Atlantic Martha's wonderful blog and a cute picture of some adorable twins caught my eye. She had been tagged and had to post the 6th picture from the 6th file on her computer and to our delight, it was the twins. What a cute idea! Then I noted that she had in turn tagged me! Whoa! Sweating a bit, and hoping the 6th file wasn't those awful "before" pics of the front porch I searched and to my delight found that my dearest Sally was my 6th file, and "Sally in the Hostas" was the 6th pic. So, with great pleasure, I present Long Tall Sally (in the Hostas). Thanks again Martha for the tag...... What fun!

Ok, my turn! I tag to post the 6th picture in the 6th file on their computer:

1. Jill at "A Season of Grace" who needs to do a new post anyway

2. Marty39 at "A Stroll Thru Life" who has a LOVELY blog

Makng my Home a Haven

2009-05-29T16:39:00.003-04:00

Or Managing My Time Wisely

This challenge really hits home. It has been 2 weeks since I graduated, and now can't use the excuse that "I'm so busy!!! I have to study!!!". In that time, I think I've made my bed up maybe 3 times. Enough. I am going to make myself a list, as challenged by Tammy at Tammy's Recipies, of 5 items, that shall, must, no excuses be done every single day. Then, at least, I will be able to say that I've accomplished 5 things that day, whether anything else gets done or not.

The Five Things

1. Bible reading - start the day with my Friend.

2. Make bed, and put away 5 things in my room that are out of place.

3. Wash ,dry, and put away one load of laundry.

4. Put away clean dishes, and load dishwasher with breakfast things.

5. Exercise, at the Y or walk 45 minutes.

Now, hopefully this will not be the end of this, but will blossom into 5 things at midday, 5 things in the evening, and 5 things before bed.

I will report back to see how the first week has gone. I plan to start tomorrow Saturday May 30.

Now, what color is my bedspread? :)

A Late Spring Family Dinner

2009-05-29T12:36:00.012-04:00

A Late Spring Family Dinner Tablescape

It was my great pleasure to host my dear family for a late spring supper on Wednesday. I had been yard sale-ing on the Saturday past, and had some lovely new things with which to tablescape and some good old favorites to use with them.

My first really good thing was a lovely butter dish, all clear glass that I snatched up for $3.00. I had been earnestly looking for one that was 1) clear 2)pretty) 3) adapable to many designs and 4) inexpensive. I love the look of it, all curved and lovely and a most excellent size.

It looks so nice with the Finnish wooden butter server my dear inlaws brought me from Scandanavia. This is the whole picture. I bought the lovely peach/orange tablecloth at the same yard sale for only $1.00 hoping that it would look as nice with the hand woven center cloth and my "Cinco de Mayo" dishes as it did.

I layered the dishes with Pinhiero Boradello bowls from Ross which we used for a salad. They would be equally lovely with a nice soup in them.

Next came the lovely blue swirl dessert plates (in this use anyhow) and under them the brightly colored charger plates. You can see the charger close up on the post from Cinco de Mayo.

My family so enjoyed the beautiful dishes and tablescaping and I hope the nice ribs and asparagus too! Many, Many thanks to Rhonda at Southern Hospitality

and to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for being our gracious Hostesses.

The Pigs Have Flown (aka Graduation!!!)

2009-05-23T00:33:00.020-04:00

This week marked a momentous occassion for me and my family. I have finally graduated from college with my second Bachelors Degree. The first degree was in 1987 in the discipline of Nursing, the second in Information Systems. It took a long time, 9 years of part time school to accomplish this, and this is why, as I often have said, pigs will fly before I graduate. Well, finally, they have flown!!! I found the little cutie pig at Ross, and knew he would be great for tablescaping later, and for my party too.
The big day began with pictures. First, me and my Gorgeous Mother, Christine Cox.Another Picture of me and Momma.My wonderful, supportive, super genius husband, Rob. Without his help, the pigs would NEVER have flown.My Wonderful in-laws, Bob and Ann Herronen, came in from Denver, Colorado for the event! What a nice visit we had!!Me looking very much like a large blueberry in my cap and gown.Walking in the procession with my classmates, all of whom are young enough to be my children!Getting that dipolma! I worked HARD for that one!My favorite teacher, Ms. Janice Knapp. She started every class of Visual Basic off with "Welcome to your favorite class of the whole semester!" and made what is the most frustrating exercise in the world (writing code) into fun, or at least, less painful. Now for the fun stuff! The post-grad party! We went to Black Lake Retreat Center for the party. I had to pose with the flying pig. The lake is in the background. It was lovely, and cool.

All my family, Tommy, my brother, lovely niece Rebecca/soon to be famous author of Blood Lust,-in her awesomely awesome cupcake shirt and jeans-, Princess Lexie *Becca coughs*, and me with the chicken apron on, and my dear Momma. (Becca Becca-fied this XD)

Our dear friends Dwight and Cheryl Hill.

Whew!!! It was hard, but so worthwhile. And is anything worthwhile easy? A huge thank you to all who made my Graduation so fantastic, especially my beloved Rob. Now, back to our regular tablescaping pages!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-09T00:57:00.013-04:00

Here is my tablescape with which I honor my dear Mother, Christine Cox. She is such a gentle and genteel soul, so what better to use than some lovely pink and white ware. I started with a damask tablecoth (from a yard sale), layering on top of that the pink linen placemats from Le Goodwill. Next my all around handy white charger plates then some Bordallo Pinheiro Rose plates that I found stuck on the back of a shelf in a Habitat for Humanityrestore (I was looking for knobs and found plates...funny how that happens sometimes :-P ). I am using a beautiful bird that a friend gave, the branch they are on is really a bell. And then, for free, purple iris from my yard. Happy Mothers Day Momma!!!!! I love you!!!!

For many more lovely tablescapes, please visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

Sensible Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T14:30:00.018-04:00

Welcome to Sensible Cinco De Mayo!

HOLA!!! Again this week I am combining Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch with Today's Thrifty Treasures with Rhonda from Southern Hospitality . I loved all my pink and white-ware, but my husband, being the manly man he is, can only put up with that so long. So, off again I go to Olde Time Pottery. Of course I headed to their closeout china aisle and what did I find? Beautiful bright and colorful dishes, perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

I also found salad plates which exactly match the blue color of the charger plates and really set it off. I headed over to the napkin aisle after that, really wanting to find a table cloth (maybe a bandanna?) that would set it all off but found instead these really great rust napkins which will also go with the fall tablecloth I like to use. So, they are multiuse and multipurpose.

Here's whole enchilada (Cinco humor :-):

I have promised chickens, and have failed to deliver,but please note the handsome fellow on the table!

Now, for the grand total:

Charger plates: 4 x $1.99
Salad plates: 4 x $.69
Rust colored napkins: 4 x $1.oo
All the other decorations (rooster, woven table center, candles) were gifts: so zero cost.

Grand total for a tablescape that is perfect for Cinco or any day of the week: $14.92, well below my goal of spending only $20,00 per month on tablescaping.
I am pleased because this also fulfills my goal of having things I can use many times. And most important of all, Rob likes them!

Muchas Gracias again to Susan from Between Naps on the Porch and Rhoda from Southern Hospitality for such great challenges!!!!

Thrifty Monday Finds

2009-04-27T16:38:00.007-04:00

One of my new, favorite things to do is to tablescape. However, tablescaping takes lots of "stuff" some of which I have, some of which I don't have. So, I've been shopping. And one of my favorite places to shop in Olde Time Pottery here in Greensboro. What deals! I found the rose painted plates for the princely sum of .67. I bought four, and wished I had more, but of course they were gone when I went back. I also bought some matching cloth napkins at 6/$1.99 and some really cute placemats for $1.99 each. So, for under $13.00 I got lots of neat stuff for tablescaping. The birds at right are from Target, but again, can be reused so often (in addition to being salt and pepper shakers) and the candleholders, from OldeTime Pottery were a splurge at 3.99 each, but so cute.

The pink placemats under the dishes were like new from Salvation Army, at .79 each. The white charger plates were a bit more expensive at $3.99 each from TJMaxx. However, I can use them soooooo many ways. . Thanks to Rhoda from Southern Hospitality (http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/) for hosting this fun, fun Event!

Easter Tablescape and Dogwood Blossoms

2009-04-26T01:43:00.022-04:00

My First Tablescape!

Welcome to my first attempt at Tablescaping! I owe all thanks to the inspiration from Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. GO, and look at her lovely blog.

This is my Easter Table. I found the wooden centerpiece at Pier 1, along with the cute napkin rings/eggstands. The chargers I found at TJ Maxx for 3.99 each and the yellow Bordallo Pinheiro plates were bought from Ebay. I think I should have ironed that table cloth... YIKES! I've had the crystal glasses for a while and love them dearly.

To the left and right is my sideboard, a gift from my wonderful mother. The lace drape is always on there, but my friend Jill West and I made the flowerpots with the bunnies on a stick at work. The basket in the middle is of course waiting for the Easter Bunny to drop off some goodies.

As I look on the Dogwood blossoms, I reflect on the sacrifice for our sins Christ made on the cross at Calvary. The rust stains on the edges of the blossoms represent His shed blood for the remission of sin, the stamens in the center, His crown of thorns and the pure white of the blossom His sinless life. How He loves us, and how blessed we are!

I hope your Easter was blessed too!!

Spring in our step

2009-04-20T02:06:00.002-04:00

There is actually a chicken in the photo above, but the focus really is the beautiful view from my little country house in central NC. Yes, our nearest and dearest neighbors are the cows that live in the pasture. Spring is finally arriving and bringing with her sunny skies and beautiful green leaves and grasses. The bunnies (Mr. Bunn at right) are hopping, glad to be outside after the long cold winter indoors, the chickens are clucking...all is well with the world. I am working hard to finish the last bit of school related stuff, and looking forward to my May graduation. But there is so much to do! I am an avid follower and ardent admirer of Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. I am trying my hand at Tablescaping and also working to post my newly redone bedroom on Metamorphis Mondays. Keep watching for those photos, and of course, chickens.