A Little Bit of This and That

Hi everyone!

Hope you are having a good fall so far.

Today I thought I'd share a few more photos from our trip to Austria, as well as show you some of my latest creations.

Before I go any further, I would like to mention those who have been hit by such terrible hurricanes as of late.  Keeping them in our thoughts and prayers, and remembering that they will need help for the long hail.   I just feel sad for those who have lost so much.

Ok, back to my little photo tour..........

One of the highlights of our trip was taking a tram ride to the top of the Untersberg alps.

Below is hubby about to board.

The view going up.........

 And up!

Now, I am not crazy about heights, but as long as I'm in an enclosed space, I am ok!

 The views were just amazing!  And my pictures just don't do it justice!

Notice me, below, not too close to the edge!

 At the very top was a charming little cafe.  I felt like Shirley Temple, playing Heidi should be popping out any minute!

We stopped for a glass of wine and beer, and just soaked up the incredible views.

 Wow, this is my idea of heaven on earth!!

 This huge iron cross was at the top of one of the peaks. Thought is was so neat.

 Notice all of the pretty alpine flowers? I was amazed how they could not only thrive at such a high elevation, but grow out of the rocks as well!

 Here's me, hanging on for dear life!  hahaha!

It truly was a day that I'll never forget!

I'll share more trip photos in a future post.

Now on to a peek at what I've been up to!

I've been busy working on creations to add to my Etsy shop, and am currently having a 20% off everything 

(with purchases of $25 or more) sale.  The discount will be automatically deducted, there is no need for coupon codes.

I fell in love with these neat galvanized metal canisters when I found them, and quickly snatched them up!

I gave them a French twist by adding these neat French labels to them. Love the graphics!

 Love this fun stenciled wood tote!

 This vintage Syroco mirror was transformed with a little paint and tlc.

It is even more gorgeous in person!

I love finding trays to make over, and had so much fun with this one.  I just love the bon appetit graphic that I hand stenciled on it!

You can find these, and many more treasures in my shop if you care to take a look!

That's it for today.

Thanks so much for stopping by, your visits and comments mean alot to me!

Have a great rest of the week!

From Fairy Tale Villages to Fairy Gardens

Hi everyone,

It's hard to believe that September is already here!

Summer always seems to go by way to quickly, and I'm usually a bit sad to see it go!

We did manage to pack alot into the season though.

Camping, swimming, gardening, and even an impromptu trip to Germany and Austria!

Long story, but we'd planned for months to visit Ireland this summer (I was super excited, as I am Irish!).

Well, we fly standby, thanks to hubby's many years of working at the airlines. So that means that if there's a seat open on the plane, we make it on.  If not, no luck!

Anyway, all of the flights and connections were way oversold, and we knew that we'd never make it on.  So we made  a last minute decision (the night before!) to instead go to Germany and Austria!

We'd been there years ago and loved both countries.

It was a bit difficult going spur of the moment with no plans, no guide book, nothing.  Like, where will we go, what will we see??

I did remember recently reading about the "Top 10" quaint villages in Europe,  one of which was Hallstatt, Austria.

We spent one afternoon there, and fell in love with it.

It is truly a magical place, and feels straight out of a fairy tale!

 Postcard perfect Hallstatt!

 Actually, my pictures don't do justice to how beautiful it was here!

 Typical Bavarian style architecture.  Aren't those flowers gorgeous?

I loved the aqua shutters, too!

 Check out this amazing castle on the other side of the lake! Someone actually lives there!

 I would love to visit again some day.  Oh, notice the swans in the photo above?

Thankfully we went later in the day, as I'd read that unfortunately everyone else seems to have discovered this beautiful village, meaning it's over run by tourists and tour busses!

I really feel for the people who live there and have to deal with throngs of crowds!

Let me tell you, this village is literally jaw dropping, it's hard to believe a place like this really exists!

There are no cars allowed in the village, making it even more quaint.

It's very popular to rent small electric boats and view the village from the lake, which is what we did.  What a different perspective you get from the water.  It was just magical!

I'll share more pictures of our trip in upcoming posts.

Also this summer I planted my very first fairy garden!

I'd been wanting to do this forever, and had so much fun with the project!  My handy hubby built me a wood planter box, complete with chunky spindle "feet".  Of course I had to paint it bright aqua and add a French themed stencil!

I just love it, but had a few challenges along the way, including not so cute little chipmunks who liked to dig in the planter!

Miss Molly is doing great, and turned 1 1/2 this summer!

She loves camping  (we took our motor home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan earlier this summer), and swimming on our lake.  She can hardly stand still long enough for me to put her little doggie life vest on, before she dives in the water!

With cooler days and nights, I think our swimming days are over for the season.  Not too crazy about swimming in cold water!

That's it for today. Sure have missed you all, look forward to catching up with everyone!

Have a great rest of the week!

Prayers for South Texas

After watching on tv for the past week the devastation of so much of south east Texas, my heart is heavy.

It's hard to even comprehend the loss and what so many have gone thru.  Watching from the comfort of my own home reminds me how fortunate we are, and how it's so easy to take even the smallest things for granted.

The need is great, and there are so many people who are desperate for help.  Can you imagine escaping with only the clothes on your back?  Some people didn't even have shoes on when they were rescued.  And they were the lucky ones.  They made it out.

Can you imagine losing everything?

Granted things are just that, things.

But, photographs, family heirlooms that have been passed down for generations, those are the things that just can't be replaced.

One small bright spot is seeing all of the rescue workers who are selflessly giving of themselves to save others.  From the first responders to the volunteers.  

I've cried many tears, and I'm sure you have to.

These people need our help.  Not just short term, but for the long haul.  If you are able to help, please consider donating. Whether it be food, clothing, or cash, anything no matter how small is needed.

If you aren't able to donate cash, you can still give!

All Camping World locations across the country are accepting donations of new and gently used clothing.

They are also accepting blankets, pet food, and other items.

If you can make a monetary donation, they will match dollar for dollar. Their drive is going on thru Labor Day.

Here is a link to Camping World's Facebook page.

Of course there are many more organizations that are doing drives.

Let's all come together and support Texas.

Remember Me?

Bonjour!  Remember me?  It's been a long time, and I've missed you all!

Awhile back, I was contacted by PermaLeaf.com and was offered my choice of one of their products in exchange for an unbiased review.  Well, as soon as I spotted their white peony and hydrangea wreath (here), I knew that was the one for me!

 I hung it over the mirror above our fireplace, and just love it.  The silk leaves and petals are very realistic and have lots of life like details.  The peonies are huge and have great variation of color.  I especially love the faux white berries. The white hydrangea blossoms are beautiful too.

I couldn't be happier with my wreath, and think it also would look pretty on a table with a giant candle in the middle.
Permaleaf offers many realistic looking products, from wreathes to topiaries to bouquets, as well as uv resistant outdoor plants.

Here is a close up to show some of the detailing.  It is very well made, and I know that I'll enjoy it for many years to come!

You can view more of Permaleaf's products here.
Thanks so much for visiting, I promise to be back again very soon!