The bitter cold of winter is winding down and warmer (almost) spring days are upon us. Many of the trees are beginning to bloom which has prompted me to interpret trees in softie form.

Sweet soft green trees with multi-color spring flowers.

My version of Gumball Trees...

More Spring Flower Trees, but this time in soft natural off-white.

Check out these and others listed in my Etsy store at www.theartnest.etsy.com.

Random Beauty of Spring...

Sometimes its hard to slow down and smell the roses. There always seems to be something which should be done, needs to be done, or absolutely must be done at once. So here are a few moments of Spring beauty I managed to enjoy. I hope you will enjoy them as well...

Baby bunnies!

MORE baby bunnies. They are everywhere this year!

Rhododendron buds from the garden by the shed...

And here is the full Rhododendron bloom. We just planted these last year.

Hope you enjoyed these Random Moments of Spring Beauty and you find some of your own as well...

Playing Possum.....

Yes, I'm still here! Spring is such a busy time of the year. It's like the whole world wakes up and everything begins to move at an accelerated pace. Plants nurtured from years past emerge and begin their yearly show, the birds return in mass, and critter babies are everywhere.

Here at the nest I have been getting the gardens in order and enjoying the wonderful warmth. Being quite the goal directed individual, I have a hard time slowing down long enough to enjoy it all. Time always seems to be in short supply... So, if only for a moment, I've decided to stop moving forward, play possum, and just enjoy. Then, I'll finish cleaning the pond, plant the rest of the vegetable garden, finish the softy I'm working on, start a few more softies, and in my spare time I'll whip out a few more of the tea towels I have planned... I did say I would slow down for a moment, didn't I?

Kaeleb's discovery! Aren't the the cutest?

Padding the Nest

I'm in an all-out war with Mother Nature this month. It happens every March. It's finally Spring, but the cold weather just won't let go... Last year I won the fight, but Mother Nature is a sneaky creature. She totally took away most of the lovely temperate Spring weather and launched us right into Summer. I'm ever so sure I heard her giggle about that on several occasions... So while I quietly wage my war with the great lady, I am all about padding the nest. Today I got my sewing machine back from servicing and will be stitching up some uber-cute tea towels. Look for them in future posts and on my Etsy site http://www.theartnest.etsy.com/. Meanwhile my response to Mother Nature's chilly blast is to make a big pot of chili and home-made cornbread. Didn't the cornbread turn out so nice? Once you've eaten home-made cornbread you'll never look at those boxed versions again. So to get you started I've included the recipe. Enjoy!!

Click on recipe to enlarge for easier reading.

Yup, I'm a Blogger!

Spring is finally here! I love Spring and all the new growth that goes with it. The weather finally begins to warm up, the plants push up out of the cold ground, and all the birds and animals in my backyard begin their spring antics. So, in keeping with all that new growth going on, I have decided to begin my blog on this most auspicious of days, The First Day of Spring.

Check out all the little Spring Chicks!

Kaeleb with a baby chick.

Easter Chick Gift tags I made for my Etsy Store, http://www.theartnest.etsy.com/.