For the Birds at Heart and Home

I had some time to start and even finish a few projects around here this weekend! I love it when I can mark something off my list.

Are you like me? Do you have lists and lists of things you hope to accomplish?

If a project you just finished wasn't already on the list, do you add it to the list just so you can cross it off? That, my dears, is what I call "list obsession".  And I've got it, BAD!!

Anyway, one of the things on my list was to turn these:

Into this:

Which I did by using this:

Gorilla glue is every one's go-to glue! It's pretty tough stuff! I bought some to try since we had never used it before.

In addition to the plate and bowl which I found at the drug store for $1 apiece, I purchased  a 4 foot length of 1/2" copper pipe and an end cap to fit.  I glued the end cap to the center of the plate

Then my husband clamped it together for me for about one hour.

Then we glued the footed bowl to the plate, and when the glue was dry I popped the whole thing onto the pipe (that's what the end cap is for).

A super easy, and instantly gratifying project. The birds were dining at their new cafe' in a few hours.
The drying and waiting took the longest, and waiting is always hardest for me!

I think this is a cute addition to the front garden.
The birdies like it, too!
I've seen scrub-jays, robins, and tiny little finches eating their dinner here just in the last few hours.

Mission accomplished, and crossed off the list!

An urgent request, which my friend Kelee Katillack asked me to share with you regarding the oil spill on the gulf coast:
Will you join me in a 30 minute on-line prayer and positive energy vigil this Wednesday night? All you have to do is send your thoughts out, during this time, for a Divine solution to this global emergency... for more information go to the Katillac Shack and read Kelee's post.

I will be joining Kelee in the vigil on Wednesday, and hope you will also find a way to participate. Together, I believe we can make a difference!


I'm linking to DIY Day at A soft place to Land, Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented., and Thrifty Treasures at Tales from Bloggeriteville.
Thanks Kimba, Kimm and Leigh!

Until next time,
XO
Heidi

A Heart and Home Deck Garden

Hi Everyone! I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend.

For Sunday Favorites I'm re-running this post which was first seen in September 2009. Thanks, Chari, at Happy to Design, for hosting this party and giving us the opportunity to see posts that we may otherwise have missed.

From September 1, 2009:

In my garden I've planted geraniums, lobelia, petunias and allisium. But there are others that live among the garden plants. I spy a fat little bird, and a sweet, chubby, little angel.....

and a stately copper dragonfly come to rest upon the jasmine.

A fairy ball, and a petite wooden bird are nestled beside the flowers...

watching the angels living cheek to cheek with the lobelia

and alongside the petunias, as they play heavenly instuments while breathing in the sweet scent of the purple and blue flowers,

in my little deck garden, here on the redwood coast.

If you look closely, you will recognize some of these pictures - they were used to make my blog buttons!

My garden is starting to look just like this again, now that it's late spring.
Every year after the hard winter rains I replant the pots, and this year I have tomatoes growing on the deck for the first time, because we have so much more sun out there now.
I'm looking forward to Caprese Salad, made with homegrown tomatoes, by the time September rolls around. I guess I should plant some basil, too! Delicious!

And, for a look at some fun Jewerly in my Pink Saturday post, click here.

Until next time

XO

Heidi

Pink Bling at Heart and Home

Good morning and welcome!

Thanks for dropping by for Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Beverly is getting ready to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Pink Saturday on May 29.

That's quite an achievement, and I hope you'll drop by HSTS with congratulations, and to peek in at some of the other participants' posts!

There is always a lot of pretty PINK to see, so go have a look!

My birthday was almost one month ago. But that didn't stop me from celebrating it again a few days ago.

My girlfriend and I agree that the birthday girl gets to decide when the celebrating stops!

So I said "Party on!"

She took me to lunch and showered me with gifts.

We ate outside under an umbrella and watched the world go by as we sipped our Arnold Palmers.
We can really get crazy like that!
I had a delicious seared ahi salad, and an even more delicious dessert. It was a beautiful Tiramisu, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY written in chocolate on the edge of the plate.
Then the waiters sang happy birthday to me - the 39 year old.

I was willing to let that little white lie slip, but I don't think they were fooled for a second.
They were nice enough to pretend with me for awhile!
Not that I'd go back to that age, but still, I'd love to go back to the weight I was at that age.
And back to the wrinkle-free me.

 

These are some of the pretty gifts from my friend.  I told you she spoiled me!  How lucky am I?
I love and adore them, and had to share them with you.
Get a load of that bracelet. It's so understated!!

Some might argue that it isn't sensible to wear something like that at my age, but I disagree.
It's the perfect amount of sparkly and blingy for me!
The little box has it's own bling, and pictures of beautiful roses and the Eiffel tower, which I love and adore as well.

From now on, I'll keep these in the box, in their own little velvet bag.

This ring and earrings belonged to my very fashionable Mother. I remember playing dress up in them when I was tiny.

Now, they belong to me.  I wear them whenever the mood strikes, which would make my mom happy.

She loved her jewelry, and she loved looking her best.

She never wore jeans, and always had on high-heeled shoes, even when she climbed the pyramids in Mexico.

I did a little research and found out these pieces were manufactured by Castle Cliff, probably in the early 50's.
This jewelry, "sold in only the finest department stores, was impeccably produced in bold yet startlingly intricate designs." The company produced jewelry from 1918 - 1977, when the Lucien Piccard
company purchased it.

If I know my mom, these pieces matched the perfect dress, shoes, gloves, and handbag.
Now, I wear them with my jeans and t-shirts, and my pearl necklace and chunky chains.

They are so me, and I like knowing I'm wearing something "Bold Yet Startlingly Intricate".

I think those words describe me to a "T"!!

My husband would most likely agree, especially the "startlingly intricate" part.
Although he would probably call it something else...
Until next time,
XO
Heidi

Remember to leave a comment, and go see Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound!

Wednesday Gratitude #14 - Walk the Beach With Heart and Home

                        

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."  Eric Hoffer

Today is Wednesday Gratitude. I'm thankful for so many things!

I'm very thankful for your support and continued friendship, and appreciate your visit to Heart and Home. If you're linking to Wednesday Gratitude, Linky tools will be up at 6:00 PST.  Please link to the URL of your WG post, and remember to link back to Heart and Home. Leave a comment after you've linked up!

 I am deeply grateful to my husband for his inexhaustible patience last night , as he spent 4 hours with me in front of the computer, deciphering code and trying to figure out why my site is being shown as an "Obsolete Feed" on some of my loyal follower's, blog rolls.

That was not fun, and we were both cross-eyed by the time we finished studying the extremely dull, detailed html script that makes this blog run.

We may have fixed the problem. But maybe not! Please let me know if there is still an error code or other such wording showing in your reader or blog lists. You can email me, or leave the info in a comment. I will not rest until this problem is repaired 100%!

(I've been trying to get some support from Blogger help forum but 6 days later I still haven't heard a word from them...)

In the meantime,
Would you like to take a walk on the beach with me?

There's so much to be grateful for living here along the coast.

.

I'm grateful for these bright red umbrellas, they make me smile when I look at them.

We had breakfast at the harbor, sitting outside under one, early in the morning.

Then Miss Maggie took us for a walk.

We went down to the end of the point to inspect the lighthouse, and to feel the spray of the waves on our faces.

I'm grateful for this handsome lighthouse.  I think  it adds so much character and romance to this beach and the harbor.

We climbed up, and over, and all around the gigantic cement "jacks" that were used to create the breakfront for the harbor.

They weigh many tons apiece, and fit together like a puzzle .

At one point these bare-chested, sadly out-of-shape, scraggly, unattractive beach boys jogged by.

I hardly noticed them.

I hardly noticed them when they ran back the other direction, as well.

I'm not even sure why I took this picture.

I believe I was trying to get a shot of the boardwalk in the distance.

Those bare-chested boys just happened to be there at the same time.

I'm pretty sure they got in my picture by accident.

Maggie didn't seem all that interested. She was making sure not to get too close to the waves. Maggie is not a water lover.

She does, however, enjoy chasing kites that are high in the sky.

I'm thankful for days that are breezy enough to fly a kite.

After a walk I love sitting for awhile, watching the waves and running my hands and toes through the warm sand. I'm grateful for another perfect morning!

Breakfast outside under red umbrellas, and walking along the beach with my family and a little dog, are moments I am thankful for.

Thanks for stoppping by!

Until next time,

Heidi

Linking to Susan's  A Southern Daydreamer  "Outdoor Wednesday". Go there to check out other outdoor posts when you're done leaving a comment here! Also linked to Always Nesting "WooHoo" Party.

Guest Bathroom Remodel at Heart and Home

Hey everyone! I've had a great time sharing walks along the water and other outings with you lately, (if you missed anything you can scroll down or go here and here and here).

I'm so thankful that you've stuck with me through my trials and tribulations with Blogger, which has been giving me headaches these past few weeks. I hope by the time you read this all of that will be behind me....

I realize it's been awhile since you've seen any kind of projects around here so I thought I'd get back at it!

Today I will show you the remodeled guest bath.

Remember, our house was built in 1979.

Hence the textured white tiles, installed with dark grout.  That was all the rage in the late 70's and 80's. Imagine that counter-top above honey stained oak cabinets, with striped wallpaper and a boat wallpaper border running just below the "popcorn" sprayed ceilings.

So unattractive.
Before we moved in I had all the cabinets and most of the other oak wood in the house painted white to freshen and update everything. It helped a lot, until we could make the final improvements to each room.

There is still  a lot more to do around here, but today I'm showing you what we did get done!

This is how the guest bath looked when we first moved in. (Before I started blogging I didn't take as many before pictures, so this is all I've got. You just have to trust me when I say this room was BAD.)

But we lived with it for awhile, and figured out what worked and what didn't.

Just about everything except the size of this room didn't work.

There was one sink on an extra long counter with a sort of dressing table area on one side, where the vintage suitcases are stacked up. (I still have those just not in here!) I replaced the builder's mirror that had originally covered this entire wall with a smaller one when we moved in, and it's the same one we're using in there now.

There was only one dinky light fixture and no tub or shower.

There was this lovely space on the other side.

Nice.

The bathroom was very large, but it was ugly and outdated.

We ripped everything out and started from scratch.

This is what we ended up with:

AFTER:

We added beadboard, tumbled travertine stone floors, warm paint,

a custom counter with a hammered copper apron,

and cast iron vessel sink

We relocated the new potty,

 and installed a stone tiled shower for our guests in the old toilet's enlarged space.

We improved the lighting with several options and dimmers on the switches.

The bathroom counter was custom made and has two concealed drawers in the front apron.

I hammered the copper myself.

It was a great way to get out my frustration, and I love how it looks.

I don't keep the copper polished, just let it do it's thing and it has a nice patina now.

Did I mention how much I love copper? I truly do!

Some details, up close:

The mirror frame:

The copper and iron counter with granite top:

Storage baskets beneath the counter contain extra towels.

Better than this:

Or this:

Don't you agree?

Finally, this room is done, with the addition of the roman shades I made not too long ago.

You can see more of those and get a step by step tutorial by clicking here.

That's it, the finished guest bath. It's new and fresh.

There is still plenty of room.

There is a shower and low-flow toilet.

We like it, and I don't even have the slightest urge to change anything in here yet.

Except for maybe the paint color which isn't really this dark in person,

( I'm leaning towards pale blue or some silver...)

and I did see a different vessel sink I really like...

But I won't go there....at least not for awhile!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned for more ahead.

If it would just stop raining I'd get some of my other, pending projects painted and finished.

But until then I'll just be clicking away at the computer and visiting with you my blogging friends!

Leave me a comment and I'll drop by as soon as I can.

Click on Home or here to see my latest Wednesday Gratitude post, and take a walk on the beach with me!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

This is being linked to :

DIY Day

Transformation Thursday and

Show and Tell Friday

and Remodelaholic meeting #19

Thank you ladies!