Happy Weekend

Gremmie says Happy Weekend.

Stay out of trouble cause she won't.

XO

Olive

Yellow House: Spring Front Yard

Hello my lovelies.

 It was 85 yesterday. I have broken out my shorts for the season.

 The maple outside our window has leafed out.

 I placed a geranium by the door as it can take the heat.

Look here-a grim little Gremmie in the dogwood tree. 

She weighs ten pounds now y'all.

I'm chubby, my mama's chubby, and my cats chubby.

Our wide expanse of monkey grass (lilirope) is sprouting. We had a million pine cones before the storm. Now we have about five million. I ignore them pretty much.

Easy care sedum on the front stoop that survived the winter unscathed.

Finally, our sweet boy Sheldon. 

Shelley is one hundred pounds and suffers gladly the mischievous cat.

In Olive Out news today is mine and Joe's anniversary.

 Ten wonderful years. To find love again, we think, is a most splendid gift. 

I am going to physical therapy twice a week for shoulder therapy. 

We continue to clear debris from the storm (I basically rake). 

I am carrying on with spring gardening in spite of the extra chores.

 I must have flowers.

Linking@Be Inspired

happy gardening

Olive

Kitchen Island: Christmas

Our kitchen island is the heart of our small kitchen. 

It's filled with trasnferware. 

It could stand to be thinned out but not today or even next month.

Gremmie dines on top of the island and that way her food is usually safe from Shelley.

The Maxine nutcracker cheers me no end. 

I found her in an antiques booth a long time ago.

I hope you are enjoying the beauty of Christmas.

To see the front of this island with it's old window click here.

Linking@Be Inspired

Happy Christmas

Olive

Wooden Star

I decided the enormous barn wood star needed a bigger wreath. I found one I had picked up at a thrift store for a couple of dollars. I think it is a better fit than the smaller pale wreath I had in the last post.

We have been working on the Christmas tree. We have issues. Gremmie, our cat, was in the tree in five seconds flat. She is about seven months old and intensely curious.

 We may not put glass ornaments on the tree this year. It may be naked. Besides that an entire row of bulbs blew out. The living room is upside down. 

The faux deer head is on the stone fireplace. 

I will do something to him. 

Any ideas? Give them to me in the comments please.

The cactus knows exactly when to bloom.

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.

We did.

Olive

Cleaning Vintage Suitcases

  Here in the Deep South where it can get to 103 degrees easily in the summer these old pieces of vintage luggage can get quite musty stored in attics, garages, and basements.

 I pick up pieces like these frequently at estate and garage sales.

In my last blog I was not clear on what I do to remove this musty smell.

 Some of you thought the aluminum suitcase I had shown had been used as a cat litter box.

 That was my lack of clarity. 

I would never sell something that was used as a litter box.

Cleaning A Vintage Suitcase

1. Remove any debris from inside the suitcase.
2. Layer two pounds of new cat litter inside the case.
3. Let the litter sit for 48 hours.
4. Remove litter and vacuum the suitcase.
5. Lightly wipe suitcase with multi-purpose cleaner.
6. Clean the outside with bees wax furniture polish or your favorite polish.
7. Do not go for perfection on the outside cleaning-patina is good.

The cat litter removes the musty mildew odor from our hot climate very well. 

I have tried baking soda and it does not work as well.

I had a photo helper today. 

Gremmie loves window gazing like I love vintage suitcases.

linking@Organized Clutter

joy and peace

Olive

Living Room Chairs

Hello friends.

 I hope you are having a good week.

The chippy green primitive chair in our living room has acquired 

a vintage suitcase and a basket of fall gourds.

I found the white chair at an estate sale.

 It is slip covered but pretty rough otherwise. 

Yes, I nailed a chair to the wall.

It has beautiful primitive curved legs.

 It's a child's chair and was hand carved. 

I think it's a piece of art.

If it was on the floor the legs would be unseen. 

 Dried forsythia is in the urn. 

I dried it quite by accident and liked how it looks.

Ghost Cat Alert!

Sometimes camera hiccoughs are fun.

Linking@Tweak It Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

joy and peace

Olive

Fall: Yellow House Exterior

We have no porch to speak of which is decidedly non southern so two mums, a real pumpkin, and my old concrete pumpkin is the extent of our fall decor for the exterior of the yellow house.  That thick grass is monkey grass (lilirope). We cut it annually in February.

Mr. Smirk, the old concrete pumpkin will make an appearance, every fall,

 as long as we can lift him. 

He is solid and heavy.

Someone wanted to help her mama. 

Outside, outside she's yelling. 

Loudly.

Happy Saturday

Olive

Gremmie Takes The Island

The kitchen island has been taken over by The Grim. 

It's hard to think of potato salad in this bowl from this point on.

Gremmie is a mess.

 She is into everything and keeps us entertained. 

No surface, newspaper, or bowl is safe from her.

In Olive Out news I am recovering from a minor surgery done on Friday, in the doctors office, to my ear. I was deaf all weekend in that ear but the packing is out today and I no longer feel like I am underwater. I am definitely ready for an uneventful fall.

happy fall y'all

Olive

Chuckle Heads {Shelley and Gremmie}

This Chuckle Head has been renamed. 

We have named her Gremmie because she is more Gremlin like than I can convey.

 The name Cindy Lou did not fit her rambustious spirit.

Here Gremmie is biting Shelley. This goes on all the time.

 Shelley never hurts her. 

 These photos speak for themselves.

CC leaves for South Korea to go to university on the 28th.

The Chuckle Heads will miss her terribly. I can't think about it yet. 

We are having a dessert and wine going away party for her this weekend.

joy and peace

Olive

Five Minutes Of Sun

What do you do with five minutes of sunshine? 

Snap a few images of the living room just to enjoy that rare sun. Remember we have the Mini Wee's and Cindy Lou Who who is basically in the holy terror stage of kitten hood. 

The house is blissfully upside down.

Cindy Lou is trying to kill this ivy.

Can you see the sleeping kitten? Just behind the green chair. 

She only appears innocent.

These are Shelley's pillows. He sleeps on down pillows for goodness sake. 

No, we do not spoil our fur babies.

This is a Creepy Freak. 

The floors and tables are covered with them. They are creepily cool. 

Until you step on one.

Here is the wee jumping bean. She can move across the room, by jumping, without touching the floor. Taking a photo of her and Shelley is proving to be difficult.

With your help, in the last post, Joe and I have decided to leave the Montbretia in the flower garden.

Thank You

linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

wishing sunshine for you

Olive