Spring garden

 I feels like spring in the garden

I'm dreaming of all the ways I can bring my flowers outside and to my new balcony. I hope some of these images will inspire you to plant in different types of pots. Use a log, use recycled objects, hunt for some free containers and have fun.

Free Christmas Decorations

pine cones with metallic gold spray

Part one of three home made free Christmas decorations.

Use what is local, ask permission from neighbors to trim their trees, have fun.

Foraging for Free Christmas Gifts and Ornaments.

I found these small pine cones on the side of the road in Laguna Canyon.

I sprayed one side with metallic gold. Another half I am going to spray silver. These I just want a little shine. The branches are quite lovely

For the wreaths I cut Frazier Fir, blue spruce, cedar, magnolia, rosemary and herbs from my garden

Tools needed: garden clippers, wire, hangers, maybe gloves if you like and wire pinchers and cutters. For each wreath I used to coat hangers and casually wired them together in two places. The bunches of greenery are wired in a circular pattern  

Mistletoe For Christmas

It is Christmas season. I like to make something to share with those around me. The memory of mistletoe in a plastic baggy sold by Boy Scouts at a tree lot forever ago inspired this post.

I am a hiker of the canyons. Local mountains have oak and sycamore trees that are hosts for mistletoe. They appear low enough to pluck but- I know better.What appears within reach from a distance is going to be a project. In Wyoming we used to shoot them down with a 22 to stop the parasite from weighing down apple trees. Here in California, I don't think the rangers would let me go without some monetary fine for shooting in designated natural areas.

 

In my mind I am still sixteen. I decided to climb the sycamores and knock down mistletoe for my project. The first attempt failed. An owl watched me without laughing.

 

My second trip I was prepared. I brought my ten essentials and: climbing rappelling ropes, a scythe for cutting and a short pole. The trick was to appear as any normal hiker ( using the stick like a walking aid).

 

I got up the tree easily but dropped the cutting tool in the first attempt. Wish I brought extra paracord to tie to the moon shaped cutter and just toss it over a branch before I started my second ascent. The scythe would be hanging ready like a Christmas ornament if only I had more rope.

 

After successfully gathering the green boughs I quietly carried them to the back of my car. It began to rain. Rain in California is a blessing. I placed the branches and leaves on my front porch to enjoy the clean off from the mist that evening. To my surprise the next morning the mistletoe had begun to turn light brown. Within a day it turned charcoal.

 

There must be some secret emerald glycerin those Scouts used... I brought the branches into the garage and experimented with left over gold and silver metallic spray paint. I wasn't that pleased with the first results. 

 

 I had some plaster of Paris in the craft bins, some glitter, iridescent modge podge and old grocery bags for the next part of my "project." I believe mistletoe is poisonous or so the Nordic legend with the arrow goes, but that's another story... I covered my kitchen counters and saved a few trimmings to keep the mistletoe from sticking to the paper.

 

See how dark and brittle it became in two days--

Old paint brush, recycled plastic container and recycled plastic spoon and fork. Keep the spoon dry and use the fork for stirring in the plastic cup. I ended up using my hands. Using my fingers was better because I could judge the plaster to be more liquid than toothpaste and firmer than cream. I did not measure. This is fun not work.

Above is a photo (all pics from my iphone) of my snowy white and green mistletoe. When they dried they were less fragile. I saved even the brown paper- I will use it as wrapping paper. The stencils of the mistletoe on the brown paper were graceful. The shadows of the mistletoe on my printed papers (saved from when I printed two parts of the Bible for my son Carson's school project) might also make some pretty cards.

 

 

If you receive one of my funky crafts this Christmas you will know they are made with love and a process like no other. My Pinterest friends would be proud. When I get them into glass ornaments I will post some more images. 

I read this formula that if you sell something on Etsy that costs X 2 plus labor X 2 = wholesale value. I spent a little on gas driving there but all my materials are from recycled things or left overs. But my time well that's priceless times two

For more mistletoe stories, Nordic lore, Christmas meaning of mistletoe - The Farmer's Almanac is very helpful
see here
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/home-garden/2010/12/13/mistletoe-facts-and-lore/

In case you need a home mortgage : http://eaglehomemortgage.com/carolinegerardo/ baby needs new shoes for Christmas

Fix Your Lipstick, Your True Love is here.

 

Writing in an Airport

You can win: Tell me types of both cupcakes, where on earth they came from or your winning story about sick person on your outbound airplane to something important:

Free copy of my new book, autographed and a free link to anything you heart desires. http://carolinegerardo.com/

Things I learned about my first day on the writing tour in no special order:


• A guy on the plane near you is going to be coughing and orange as an overripe persimmon 103 temperature ( and smell just as astringent rotting).

• You will have the scratchy throat day two and cough from the guts of Auschwitz on the day you have to give your first speaking engagement.

• No worries they either like your first two sentences, or they tune you out. and move crumpling wrappers from Chic A Fil near the microphone.

• Don’t be too funny or a lump on the log. Turn on the a light up your spine and remember the joy of writing at home dreaming you are connecting with this abstract idea of 'writing audience'.

• Other writers suffer most the same delusions, worries and joys even if you don’t agree with their work – don’t add input because it seems no one wants to hear what Lucy Ricardo thinks,

(me being Lucille Ball)

Be smiling, be informative, have some extra free paper junk to give people – I have no idea why people want something free, because --- HAS MOST ANYTHING you ever were granted FREE seemed worthwhile? Well except: the love from your family,  & Santa and God who listen to my prayers 'sometimes'.  They say never give away a stray kitten for free, charge ten dollars then they (They who are they?) will value the pet?

“Never mind” as Rose Ann Roseanna Danna would say, “give them some crap.” God hold Gilda in your hands, for understanding that making us laugh gets us through the trials (- I can tell you about the tests). You: author, novelist, e-book writer, poet, story teller, publisher, or short story expert- What are you offering? The moment in our time and our lives that we believe has some record to share. They want more.

What I learned this weekend: Authors are too shy to ask a great artist that they already know to help them with their cover. We need to match up. Match.com for artist/photographer/ computer wizard/ salepersonship (not a typo).
 No, no wait… I just watched the Social Network at four in the morning when I could not sleep. Please produce my fifty million dollar idea given to you for FREE: link up with a great photographer. a college computer guru SEO and website prophet and maybe your Mom to be the lead of the marketing team.



O.K. tomorrow post that I have gone out there, and you are mad that I didn’t buy your book.

When /I am not hacking hurting with a fever I will post all the Flannery O'Conner posts.