PLAYING WITH AUTO COLLAGE

Last night I stayed up way too late.

  I never do that! I was playing.

As usual I had a hard time doing this

but I am persistent so I got the Microsoft

Research Auto Collage feature put

on my computer:

This is a pretty cool feature.  I wish

it would let me pick the 7-8 pictures I

want to use like the old auto collage

that came with Windows 8.  It

does not let you pick the specific
ones out - just the whole folder and then
it decides but

today I figured out a way to

get around that: just create a new

folder with only the photos you want

to use (minimum 7) and choose that folder!

Also I had trouble with some of the

pictures turning sideways but I read

a comment that 

someone on the "help" thing said that

if you crop the picture it will quit turning

sideways and

that worked for me!

If any of you are interested - it is just $19.95 in

the Microsoft Shop on line!  This last one

is our Grand Daughter and Grand Son

 that I refer to as "The Grands":

RASPBERRY CREAM SCONES for "Tea In The Garden"

Yesterday was a lovely day to spend in the
garden planting my seedlings and also seeds
directly in the ground.
But first I set up a little tea for us to
 enjoy one of my Raspberry Scones
 I had baked.  Enjoy more than one if you like!

We all seem to be on different spring weather

 schedules.  Not that I  even had that many 

tulips, but mine are almost done  blooming

 and I know many of you have your's just getting started.

This is the one year anniversary for my
 Missouri garden so I have been inspecting
 "what made it" and what didn't after the winter.  

I saw a lovely pair of bright yellow finch out
earlier but after I got my camera - they were
no where to be found! 
 There was a sweet robin though:

The Raspberry Cream Scones are real easy to make:  First preheat your oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients: 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 Tb baking powder, 1/4 cup granulated sugar.  Mix those together and then cut in 6 Tb cold butter using a scone kneader, then stir in 1 cup heavy cream and lastly 2/3 cup chopped fresh raspberries.

Once you form a nice dough I like to roll mine out on a floured pastry cloth and use a scone cutter.  I sprinkled granulated sugar on top of them after I put them on the baking sheet.  Bake around 10 minutes.
I got 12 little ones and 5 larger using 2 size cutters.

SEWING COTTAGE STYLE TOPPERS

Since I have so many old vintage linens,

last Saturday I decided to make some table

 toppers by embellishing vintage toppers.

The base on this one was a 40 x 45" 

pink topper which I put a smaller

topper and 2 runners over. 

 Everything

is pinned and then sewn down using the

sewing machine:

A little closer up:

Here was the second one and by

the way - these make up fast because

each piece is already done by other

sweet ladies of the past!  That's where

the real work was done!

This one below has

 a bluebird

theme:

I used a variety of bird pieces on the sides

but I am just showing you one of them:

#3 has a tea kettle on the

corners of a small topper over

 a larger

one and of course other

runners sewn on it:

A little closeup here of the Crinoline Ladies

and Sunbonnet Ladies:

And this last one shows you how I use a large

table to just pin it up - this one is not sewn yet:

If you are a perfectionist - try to control yourself as

many of these pieces are already not totally even!

This is a great way to stretch the life of a topper that

has started  getting little holes in it - don't throw it away - just embellish it!  As you can see above there are little pieces of a round crochet doily tucked under the runners - it was a round cut into 4 pieces.  I see

a small doily in the middle too!

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

GARDEN COLOR OF THE DAY: PURPLE

After my silly post yesterday, I figured

I better redeem myself so

I am sharing some of the purple flowers

in my yard today!

I am fond of outdoor flags:

MISSOURI CHORUS FROGS

Today's post is dedicated to the 

tenacious, consistent fervor of

the Missouri Chorus Frogs!

As some of you know, we

have a Koi pond with 13

goldfish and 4 Koi:

It has a small water feature which

helps create interest and brings

oxygen to the pond plus a

filter system that the water

circulates through to keep it clean.

Unfortunately the frogs down in the creek at

the woods hear it and like it and come!

Recently, the Chorus Frogs have sounded

more like "Screaming Frogs" and I just

couldn't take it anymore.  So.....I caught them

each day in a net and took them down to

the creek and let them loose - way back there

in the creek where water stands:

However, after a day or so they
hop back up the sloping yard and

 hop right back into the pond.

So I asked a few "others" for advice:

I asked Mr. Josiah too:

One particular frog always shows back up -

 I think I have thrown him in the creek

 repeatedly!  He hides in these rocks

 when I open the patio door to

 come out to 

try and catch him!

I blew this picture up so you could look

 carefully at this photo to see his face:

You would not believe how loud he screams -

that is "sings" all night long!!!!

Well....the party is over as I went to Walmart

yesterday and bought a lidded bucket.  It isn't

just any bucket - it is an Emergency Evacuation

Bucket - to evacuate FROGS of course!

From now on - all frogs get taken

 down the road to Gillespie Creek. 

 I wish them a happy life

 making "music" there calling

for girlfriends!

VIOLETS for "Tea In The Garden"

Don't we love spring violets!
Welcome to "Tea In The Garden"
and a violet tea time.

I always look forward 

to the arrival

of violets.

Come along - we can sit on the arbor
 bench and

enjoy a chat with our tea time:

Things are turning greener

 each

day in Missouri:

Before we know it,  you will need

to tell me to quit complaining

about how hot it is!

I hope you can join me today for

my tea themed blog party by linking

a post from your blog!

I am sharing at:
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

An InLinkz Link-up