Three American Girl Dolls

God has sent us two angels.

They live just a few streets over, instead of 5, 9, 34 and 2900 miles away respectively, as Kelly’s other good friends.

We’d like to adopt these angel twins, but methinks their mom and brothers might protest too much. And I wouldn’t blame them — they are very sweet girls!

School got out yesterday!

It’s gonna be a great summer.

There’s magic afoot.  And ahand!

When I was a kid I chummed all summmer long with 2 girls — Linda and Melody.

Did you run wild with special buddies too?

xoxoxoxo

P.S. I’m going back to bed. Those girls had a sleep-over last night and kept me up until after midnight.  Of course my eyes popped open at 6:00 as usual, and now I can’t keep them open but for a minute longer to hit “Publish” on this.

Responding to the remaining comments on my last post will have to keep for a bit!

I’m gonna do some of this…

See you later!

Zilker Botanical Garden — Austin, Texas (Part 2)

On the bridge in the Japanese Garden.

On a stepping stone in time.

In the magical bamboo forest.

Grows a rose so sweet and fine.

 This child of stardust dreaming,

This one so young and free,

This gift of an angel daughter,

Is the same kind of wacky as me.

Enjoy Part One of this two-part garden bonanza, with 7 more pictures.

(and again, these are all iPhone 3GS photos.)

xoxo

Zilker Botanical Garden — Austin, Texas (Part 1)

Zilker, ahhhh our Zilker. The Japanese Garden is especially buoyant this season.

The azaelas happier than ever.

And the roses. Oh the roses.

And the cacti. Oh, the cacti.

And the koi — just a-jumpin’.  Well, not really. But they do get lots of exercise, so it seems.

Did I mention the roses this year are AMAZING??

Part Two of our beautiful Zilker Gardens can be found here.

Does your area have a public garden?  Do you go there with your camera?  Or pen and paper?  Or with nothing at all, but you and your heart and soul to be filled?

Texas Miracle Roses (a blog post in only 343 words — and 5 photos!)

See that picture directly above these words?  I took it, and the picture directly below these words this past late Tuesday afternoon.

Posed Kelly.  Poor thing, camera always stuck in her face. Such is the life of a model.

Here she graces the shed attached to our garage addition — all built by my amazing Jim, of course.  He even made the shutters with his own two hands.  And a power saw, or something.

That circle-top window shines from our new living room here, in all its not-quite-yet-finished glory. Christmas tree in there this year!??

Oh, Peeps!  I haven’t mentioned lately — but our front entry has progressed beautifully-much in the past couple of months!!  Yes, indeed. I’m dying to show you the updates, but want the gorgeousness to be just a smidge further along first. Remember our TWO  front doors?  Well, there is now A WINDOW where the old door was!!! Seriously!  So keep your dial tuned to the funsterment, okay?

Anyhoo, back to the roses and such… 5 years ago Kelly and I planted those and the other shrubs you see.

Was my first attempt at roses. I fully expected them to die of the dreaded black spot within the first year.  But I got lucky!

Don’t even remember what kind of rosebush it is. The really good kind, I guess. Blooms 8 months of the year with zero maintenance.

Next, a photo I took this past Monday afternoon…

(Poor trellis.  I should just take it down.  All the vines I’ve ever planted for it have ended up deer-munched. Yet, I like the trellis.  It looks so… hopeful!)

Notice more blooms in the Tuesday photos than the Monday?!

Aren’t flowers amazing!?!

Here’s a photo I took 5 years ago, when all was freshly new.

I’m the worst mom in the world for not getting a photo of Kelly beside the new plantings when she was three.

Oh well, I’m sure all moms miss a photo or two along the way, right?  Anybody?  🙂

But… I think I redeemed myself a bit by snapping this of her and her pal Erika in November, 2008.

Have you ever planted anything that grew more wild, strong and beautiful than you had ever hoped??

Have deer ever munched your plants?

Have plants ever munched your deer?  🙂

xoxo

A Little Home Improvement

A recent Before and After of our kitchen bulletin board, beginning with The After….

and exposing The Before…

OMG, that’s hideous!! Quick — put The After back!!!

Ahhh, thanks, Universe.

See?  I took y’alls advice to whip up a collage of some of Kelly’s art!

Uh-oh, I’m writing y’all again, y’all.  🙂

Anyway…. 

Just a 5-minute collage job on my part.  I’ll probably re-do it with less pieces, so it can breathe better.  Yep, I’ll get right on that.  Today!  (Or in 5 years.)  🙂

Wait!! I’ll be brave and confess The Whole Sordid Before, with 3 years of life overflowing since I pinned the first picture, calendar, memo, medal — or whatever it was I first pinned there during some now-forgotten organizational tizzy.

Okay — you know what’s coming again next,right??!  THE AFTER!!  QUICK!!!!!

Ahhhhhh.

It was time, People.  It was time.

Kinda like how I’m getting really really close to slopping that Kilz over her old bedroom wallpaper. 

You know how I try not to leap into these major life decisions!    😉

And… a closer-up of Kelly’s newest piece. Some fancy foil work she brought home last week from school. Her own design, as are all these.

Pretty fun,  huh??

And how’s YOUR bulletin board??    🙂

(Hey, why the hell heck did that last smiley face go awry?!?)

With Love, From Jannie the Funstress

xoxoxo