Foiling the Felines!

Marvin the cat has developed the most annoying habit/craving!

Back in the day...."cute little Marvin" just slept in the green grass and DID NOT eat it!

 He seems to NEED to eat almost any foliage that is in any floral arrangement in the house.
He doesn't bother the house plants....just the greenery in flowers.
And of course.....after munching....there is the puking that follows!

In fact....he even tries to eat the husks on the sweetcorn if it is sitting on counter....go figure!!!!

Now...you know I am NOT going to give up having flowers in the house!!!
And....you know that a flower arrangement needs green filler to look pretty!!

What to do?
Wanna see?

 These lovely Sunflowers just cried out for Hosta leaves.....Marvin's absolute FAVORITE greens to munch on....
Since that wasn't an option.....

 I headed to the craft store and bought the best looking "permanent botanicals" that I could find.

I looked for things that are often used as fill at the florist shop.

Total investment: $18.00

But....the proof is in the photos.

Look again at the sunflowers.
You have to look really hard to see that they are not real.

In fact....Marvin keeps sniffing them...and then turning to give me his best "stink-eye"!

Here are some more examples.

These Zinnias are tucked into some Dollar Store ferns and spiked grass.  There is a little real pachysandra too....that is one that Marvin doesn't eat.
















Now obviously, I would rather use real greenery.
But given the choice of using artificial greens with real flowers or cleaning up cat vomit....I bet you can guess which one I pick.

Have A Blooming Great Day!

Illusion vs. Reality in the Sweetwater Garden!

The lyrics from the classic Joni Mitchell song "Both Sides Now" began running through my mind as I started to tell you about the garden.

 

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud's illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

 

Now swap out the word garden for clouds and you have the tale of the Sweetwater garden.

 

Ahh....the illusion of perfection!

From afar the peony garden is perfection!

It is so lovely and colorful.

Alas....the reality is the many many weeds at the base of these lovelies!

We have such a crop of weeds (Snow on the Mountain) that we actually put landscape cloth down to kill it!  The problem is that we can't spray too close to the peony plants and there was no way to get to all of the weeds....I am simply not that patient.

 

Illusion

Reality

 

 Illusion

Perfect Hosta

Reality
Regular visits from these creatures;

results in chewed off blossoms....

No matter how much repellent we spray....they still come!

Sometimes a deer will actually chomp off a blossom, realize it has repellent on it, and SPIT IT OUT!

A gardener needs to balance illusion/perfection with reality/imperfection.

AND......

I realize that when I pass by other people's gardens......the illusion I see is the beauty of the flowers.

I guess until I can afford to hire a gardener.... I need to look at my own garden the same way!

Have A Wonderful Day!

Monday Musings

Happy Monday!
It has been too long since I posted anything here....
Why?
It seemed like all the stuff that has been keeping me busy didn't really fit with the mission of Sweetwater Style.
It seemed that my projects really aren't anything to blog about.

All the "writers block" advice articles say just go for it and start writing.  So that is what I will do!









Mr. S and I took a trip to Voyageur's National Park with some friends.  We stayed at the charming Kettle Falls Hotel in a "Villa".....
 Our adventures started when our room came with an overpowering ODOR of vomit!  Yikes....but luckily we were given the room directly above.  It had  no kitchen, but we were allowed to use the kitchen in the "vomit" room.  The smell gradually went away....and all was well. 

I clearly am the poster girl for high fashion on the water.....and I even caught a fish or two.....

 We used the Air Fryer to cook the fish without a bunch of oil.  Oh...YUMMY!









The scenery was amazing and so was the weather!

Nothing beats time spent with good friends making memories!

And then there are the Grands.....

Getting to know this sweet little Grand Girl is beyond wonderful

I forgot how all consuming babies can be....how fortunate we are to spend that time!

The Grandboy is a constant source of wonder!

All boy and using whole sentences to have conversations with us!

Helping GG (GreatGrandma) with her knitting!

This photo was taken BEFORE he completely unwound the whole skein of yarn!

Ahhh.....what is better than a costume box so that you can instantly become a SUPER HERO!

Loving the excitement of a summer time parade!

How interesting.....an a bit A..musing!  All this Monday morning musing has given me about 10 ideas to blog about.  I guess the writer's block advice is correct....just start writing and the thoughts will come!

Stay Tuned...

Have a wonderful day....and thanks for listening!

Preserving Cattails for Indoor Decor!

This post involves blood and gore!

What? 

This is supposed to be about preserving cattails. 

How could that involve blood and gore?

It all started when I asked Mr. S to come along to the countryside to collect some cattails.  

We do this every couple of years.  

 

It is a simple matter of climbing down the embankment and cutting the cattails before they get to "ripe" and start to puff.

 

Well.....

it would be simple enough.....

Dollar Store Craft WITH Caffiene!

Crafting

Coffee

The perfect combination!

I wouldn't say that I am addicted to crafting...well maybe a little obsessed...not addicted!

 

I would have to admit that I am addicted to coffee.

The aroma...

The taste...

The warmth...

The BUZZ... 

It is all good!

There are some things you can do with coffee besides drinking it!

 

How simple to make aromatic candles using coffee beans and votives.

Put some coffee beans in a pretty glass, vase or funny coffee cup to make a pencil holder.

When you pick up a pencil, you get a little hint of coffee aroma!

Funny story....I used to do this for the coffee holders in the Media Center.

Great idea....until...I got a phone call from a parent informing me that some of the kids were EATING the beans to get a caffeine buzz!

GO FIGURE!

This is a wreath I saw hanging on the door of a coffee shop in New Orleans this winter.

I took the picture thinking, "I could make one of these!"

It took me seven months to finally get around to doing it!

A dollar store foam wreath is the base. 

This burlap ribbon was another find at the dollar store.

 The ribbon is wrapped around the foam base to make sure none of the green would show through.

No coffee related project should happen WITHOUT a cup of coffee.

Trusty glue gun heated up....

Coffee beans at hand....

It is just a matter of gluing those babies on.....

So I glued and glued and glued!

I have to admit...

This took a little longer than I had hoped!

AND.....my fingers ended up dark brown with a few glue gun burns.

In fact...I did this over the course of a couple of days!

No one ever accused me of having a long attention span!

ESPECIALLY when I am drinking coffee!

Perserverance paid off!

With a burlap bow and a favorite coffee quote, this little craft turned out well.

I was hoping the wreath would give off a bit of aroma.

It doesn't!

I was hoping that the project would lend itself to a "gift project".

But I know I won't have the patience to do this again.

So my friends....if you want one of these...you will have to make it yourself!

Have A Wonderful Day!

Link Parties
Bouquet of Talent A Bowl full of Lemons

"I Recognize that Voice"

I seem to have been blessed with a distinctive voice.

I often have people say to me that they weren't sure they recognized me....but they knew it was me when they heard me speak!!!
 

HMMMM....I am not so sure that having a distinctive speaking voice is all that great.
I am sure that having a distinctive WRITING voice is something to aspire to!


I want to give a shout out to a couple of my favorite bloggers who have the most delightful "voice" in their writing.
Yes...the content on these two blogs is terrific....but the WAY they write is what makes them exceptional!  Every post usually makes me laugh out loud!

My Bargain Buy in NOLA!

A highlight of the our trip to New Orleans a couple of weeks ago was the afternoon that the Sweetwater Daughter, The Grand Boy and I spent browsing on Magazine Street.

We needed some retail therapy and some time away from "the men". When we heard about this six-mile-long stretch from the Garden District to Uptown that has some of the best antique stores, art galleries, craft shops and boutiques to be found anywhere in the city we made a PLAN!  Mr. S. dropped us off and we began our stroll!

Goodwill Amusing Musing!

Does this ever happen to you?

You are in the thrift store and you see an item that you really like.

Then you see the price.....and think....

Oh my goodness....$9.99 for a basket of potpourri....what a splurge that would be.

There is something about the idea of the thrift store that messes with my sense of values.

Obviously this basket had never been used....and it was the right color for my decorating scheme.  If I had seen this in a retail store...I would have thought it was a real bargain!  But at GW $9.99 seems costly!  HMMMMMM???

I actually did go back and SPLURGE on this basket...

and this is why:

Monday Musings

It is a dark and stormy morning here at Sweetwater!
A great morning for a cup of coffee and some MUSING!

One of my blog feeds is a lovely blog by Tish Jett called  A Femme d'Un Certain Age.

Her blog is a fascinating read all from the point of view of an American in Paris.   She is all about analyzing, dissecting and incorporating the "French Style" for us.

I highly recommend that you find your own beverage of choice and sit down to browse through some of Tish's Musings.

I read one her blog posts about Uniform Dressing a few weeks ago and it really stayed with me.  Her take on wardrobe simplicity is truly spot on.

In the post she made a list.  I LOVE her list!  I certainly wouldn't claim to be a fashionista, but I do like fashion and an ease in being somewhat fashionable.
So, I am sharing that list with some Sweetwater Style musings on her thoughts.  Enjoy!

"It takes no more time to be stylish than it does to be sloppy."

 This is a no brainer!  When you go to your closet to pick what you are going to wear, it is just as easy to pick out things that you know go together and look nice on you.  Even your yoga pants and t-shirts can be chosen with style in mind. 

 No woman really wants to be invisible does she?

"Taking care of one’s clothes makes them last longer."

It is rarely necessary to dry clean any clothes. Goodwill "finds" are often there because the label says "dry-clean only"!  Even cashmere and silk can be carefully laundered on the gentle cycle.  Quality clothing is made from fabrics that stand up over time.  Because of that I have good quality stuff purchased at thrift stores that still look great after 5-10 years of wear. 

"Frenchwomen make sure that everything in their closets is ready-to-wear."

If the clothes in your closet are clean, ironed with all buttons in place and hemmed to the right length, then anything you see can be put on.  Keep clothes that need tending to in another place and try to take care of those "fixes" soon.

"Taking care of one’s clothes means you’ll always have something to wear."

All budgets can be accommodated.  

Well....this is truly the Sweetwater Style point of view!  So many of my favorite wardrobe items are from thrift stores.  Why in the world would I want to spend lots of money buying basic things for retail prices when they can be had for a fraction of the price. Style does NOT have to be expensive.  I hear people talking about how much time it takes to shop at the thrift store.  But for me...it seems more time consuming to go to the mall and shop all day for "just the right" outfit.  I always have a much harder time deciding what to buy if I am going to have to spend "big bucks".  I also know that I am willing to take a risk and buy something a bit outrageous if I am paying thrift store prices.  These gems often become the things that I reach for over and over again because they are FUN!

It’s depressing to have an overflowing closet and nothing to wear.  

Tish is all about "Uniforms Dressing".  She makes the case that if you take the time to analyze your own style and choose items that work together to become your "uniform" it is liberating and not boring.  Maybe it is black leggings and loose tops.  Maybe it is long loose skirts and t-shirts or jeans and crisp white shirts.  Whatever...it is just a matter of taking those basics and adding a few accessories.  And hey...shopping for accessories is lots of fun.

Your "uniform" means that you will always have something to put on! I have on my "to do list" to cull my closet of those things that I don't wear because they no longer fit my life style.  Wish me luck with THAT!

 Making the effort to look stylish is psychologically healthy.

Right now I am sitting in my sleep pants and a plain sleeveless t-shirt.  Since they came from Good Will, they are nice enough.....but not terribly stylish!  Honestly, when I walk by the mirrors in the house, I am less than "happy" with the look.  It is time to take the 5 minutes it will take to go put on something else.  It will be an attitude changer that won't take much effort. We all know the feeling of going out and about not looking our best.  It never fails....you will run into a friend....or worse an aquaintance....and wonder what they are thinking!  Not worth the stress! 

Looking good makes you feel better.

"Dressing down sends a message of “I don’t care about me” 

(or you either for that matter)."

When you choose to wear things that go beyond casual to sloppy you are actually telling the people you are with that you don't value spending time with them enough to make an effort to be your best.  Of course, how you interact with people is always more important than how you look.  But if looking good makes you feel better, then you will be more comfortable with your interactions.  Nothing is more boring than a conversation that starts with an apology about how "terrible" you look.  Way better to say...."don't we look fabulous!" and get on with having fun.

 

I am off now to get out of my current outfit and put on something presentable.

I hope you take some time to go read more inspriration from  

Tish at A Femme d'Un Certain Age.

The rain has stopped and it is time to stop MUSING!

Have a Wonderful Day!