common ground

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Marketplace; Etsy and Online Boutique Showcase

Hi Everyone, welcome to

The Marketplace!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, and are you ready to check out what's new in the world of Etsy and Online Boutique shopping? You came to the right place! Time to link up your wares and join the fun of checking out some new goodies. Here are some pretties from last week's party.

Porcelain Rose Basket

from 20 North Ora

Vintage Electric Swedish Brass Sconce

by Western Reserve

Small French Meditations Book

from Faded Charm

Antique Cottage Oil Painting

from LemonVerbena1

Custom Velvet Book Markers

from Keepings from Kirsty Girl

The gals from Sweet Magnolias Farm Shop have some wonderful new items, just for you from their Farmhouse. Take a peek at a new line of soaps and body lotion. If you need a special gift for someone, or you just want to treat yourself, hope you'll run by and check out all the wonderful Farmhouse Goods!

And I love these great Mason Jar Lid Coasters,

perfect for your outdoor tablesettings and gatherings!

Thanks Abbey and Sara!

If you have an Etsy Shop, sell on Ebay, or have an online boutique, come join in by linking up to three of your individual items from your store. And if you have a shop blog, we'd love to see what you have going on. Please be a follower of Common Ground, and if you have a blog it would be great to have you grab the image below for somewhere on your blog, just to let others know about The Marketplace.

Link up the goods, then stay to shop!

This link gathering stays open all week, so be sure and stop back by later to see what new has been added. Thank you, everyone, that takes the time to join in...

Sunday, May 19, 2013

What's Growing On...

Between the late Spring and snow in early May, to the every other week out of town doctor visit trips for hubby, I'm way behind in getting plants potted and the deck and outdoors spiffed up. I was able to get a few containers put together for the deck this week, but it's been slow going. (so many of you have asked how he's doing and it's also been "slow going", but he's making improvement little by little. Thank you all so much for asking, and for your prayers)

I was able to winter one of my mint plants, and after cutting back the unusable winter growth, I'm just now getting some new leaves. I use mint every day in my green tea and lemonade or my new favorite Crystal Light Mojito, club soda, fresh lime and mint. So easy, tastes like it's alcoholic cousin, no calories, and creates a party in your mouth!

(angel vine)

My small urns are planted with variegated Impatiens...

always a favorite, and so easy.

We recently gave our humongous gas grill to our daughter and her husband. I'd never liked using it; I swear I could taste the "gas" on the steaks. (they don't notice it.) The deck is now 3 times as large without that eyesore taking up so much space, and we're on the hunt for a smaller charcoal grill. One that actually produces a great tasting meal.

These are a couple of the new containers filled with Million Bells, Geraniums, and Verbena. I winter my Geraniums, but this year when we were gone for a week with my hubby's surgery, they became a salad bar for the rabbits...nibbled down to the stubbs. So getting them back will take a while.

In the front yard, Iris are blooming. I transplanted them from my m-i-l about 5 years ago, and they've not been much on blooms, but this year I have some beautiful ones.

I'm also having Peony blooms for the first year,

but the ants are loving them too.

A Knockout Rose that creates a little secret sanctuary for the bird bath.

The robins love it, and have a great time flopping, chirping, and cooling off.

This rose bush has gone nuts this year.

A few just potted red Geraniums with "soon to be trailing"
Verbena next to the garage.

And more Impatiens in the twin urns on the front steps.

It looks pretty bare out here without color,

hopefully, the Impatiens will add some soon.

(If the brick looks wonky, it's because I "cloned" out the house number plaque)

Last year this Hydrangea was all but dead. The drought and temps in the low 100's almost everyday caused it to wilt and killed the blooms. It was so disheartening. No matter how much I watered it, the bush just couldn't take the heat. But I started treating it with coffee grounds, and it rallied late in the season.