The Apple Street Cottage

 One week ago today, we were buried under almost 2 feet of snow.  I'm happy to report that it has all melted and the temperatures were in the 50's today.  To celebrate Spring conquering Winter, I made this sweet little plaque. This was an easy project created with items I had on-hand in about an hour.  I started with these wood planks from the dollar store: Since it would be hung, I drilled 2 holes at the top of one of the planks. Then 2 coats of white craft paint were applied.  A piece of scrapbook paper was glued on. Some fancy ribbon was glued to the top. Another ribbon was added to the bottom And a sparkly flower was added to the center. For hanging, a piece of Baker's Twine was threaded through the drilled holes. A little tip for threading twine through small holes:  dab a little glue on the end of the twine and roll it with your fingers first.  Works like a charm! The little plaque was done and ready for hanging! Now we wait for the real flowers ...

  Fall may be knocking on the door, but I'm not ready to let it in.  I found this enamel coffee pot in the spring and just knew it would be perfect for flowers.  You may remember it being mentioned in This & That Summer 2022 where I also shared the fact that it had a large candle melted in the bottom of it.  Ugh! There is a flower story, but first, let's talk about that melted candle.  Normally, I would use the freezer to remove an old candle from a container.  I'm sure you know the method:  pop the container in the freezer for an hour or so and when you take it out, the wax pops out.  This particular container narrows as you go up, so there would be no 'popping out' the frozen wax.   On to Plan B.    I heated some water in the kettle.  While holding the enamel coffee pot in a heat-safe bowl, I poured the hot water in the bowl, around the enamel pot, and let it sit for a few minutes.   Sorry, it's blurry but...