Birdhouses and seashells...

Good morning friends. I am back from Florida, and thought I would say hello. I hope you're all well.

On our way down to Florida this week we stopped in Ocala (FL) to get some gas, and while my husband was busy with that, I noticed that next to the gas station there was a little stand that had severalbird houses for sale, as well as locally-produced jam and honey. Being a lover of birdhouses, I went over to take a look, and imagine my surprise when I was told that they were only $21.95! They were all different, but made in the same style using old pieces of wood, pine cone pieces made into flowers, and pieces of birch trunks. Some were whitewashed, and others were left natural. The one I bought is pictured below, and is about 14"H by 14"W. I guess that now that Christmas is behind us, I am thinking about the garden again!

Don't you just love the way this artist

made the flowers out of pine cones?

Then, on the one full day that we were there, we verified our campsite reservations at the KOA down in Venice (FL) for when we bring our motor home down for my dad's 90th birthday celebration in March. (For on our way home in March, we also made reservations at the KOA outside of Savannah while passing through the other day. The site that we reserved is on a lake that is abundant with swans and ducks. I can't wait to stay at this one because we are going to spend two days touring Savannah. I have been there a few times and love it, but my husband has not yet been there.)

Anyway, while in Venice we went to one of the local shops down by the beach and I bought some shells to use in future art projects, which some year I might even be able to get around to!

Some fossil shells, which are fairly flat

and will sew onto fabric collage quite

nicely...

...and some pretty sand dollars along with

mama starfish and their babies!!..

...some other shells (pardon the glare)...

...and here are all these beauties

assembled in an old drawer...

I am still fighting with not being able to use the picture icon in Blogger to download my pictures. Having to take them all from Picasa 3 is getting really annoying and time-consuming. It must just be me, as the other blogs that I read haven't mentioned any problems.

I hope that your weekend is off to a good start. Have a great day!