A Simple Spring Vase.

I've been spending a lot of time outside:

I have a large plant sale every year in May.

This early warm weather has made everything pop out of the ground

like popcorn pieces suddenly unfurling from heavy seed coats.

I have been digging up, separating, potting up, watering,

moving plants around

like a person who's eaten too many hot tamales.

My back feels like it's as fragile as a dried up chicken's wishbone.

Okay, enough with the food comparisons.

Diets seem to do this to me.

I picked some purple sand cherries because their beauty is fleeting

and their fragrance is sweet.

Wanting to give them a sturdy place to perch in,

I remembered this rusty tin bucket I had painted with home-made chalk paint:

(a combination of Plaster of Paris with some paint).

I had wiped off some of the paint to let the rusty look whisper through.

Finding an image I love

at the Graphics Fairy is never hard to do:

I settled on this picture.

Once I'd printed it and cut it out,

I painted some Mod Podge on the back of it,

carefully placed it on the bucket,

and then painted a layer of the matte Mod Podge over the top of the picture to seal it.

To protect the metal container,
I put a canning jar inside of it in which to place the stems in water.

It is a bit wrinkled,

but I think it ads a touch of age when it is wrinkled.

Wrinkles are a nice touch of age, aren't they?

 We'll have to discuss this question over some tea,

and cookies,

and ice cream,

and chocolate...

I think I'd better end now.

Happy Monday to you

and sneak a piece of chocolate for me!

Joining these link parties:

Graphicsfairy: Brag-Monday
Atthepicketfence.com: Inspiration-friday 
Gnowfglins.com: Simple-lives-thursday 
Skiptomylou.org: Made-by-Monday
Betweennapsontheporch
Under the Table and Dreaming
Theprairiehomestead: Homestead-barn-hop
Themodestmomblog.com
Frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays
Wordless Wednesday@ 5 Minutes for Mom
Living Well Wednesday @ Women Living Well
We Are That Family
The Thrifty Home
Wicked Awesome Wednesday
Someday Crafts

*Power of Paint Party - Domestically Speaking

 *Tea Rose Home

A Beach Cottage

Raising Homemakers: Homemaking-link-up