THE ART OF THE BEEHIVE

Oh the power of Pinterest and the ideas you can find....

so inspiring

this was my dream hive

this is my reality hive

with a little help from 

ZAZZLE

I was able to kind of get what I wanted....not sure about the bright colors until the yard is in full bloom...at that point, if needed, I will age the hive to look more like the one I found on Pinterest

UNLESS

 my bees have arrived out of nowhere, looking for me and Mona Lisa and Van Gogh's Poppies

did you know that bees are attracted to lemon grass also?

I just so happened to have some extra lemon grass in my 

herb class #5

I made a lemon grass sun tea and drizzled this near the opening

this might be my new bee outfit

do you like it?

Our Heritage Days is coming up soon...better get busy finding the right fabric!

I like this

and this is pretty cool too!

wow....thank you pinterest for keeping my interest

and giving me all kinds of ideas to make my hive

the best on the block!

THE ART OF THE NICHE

and what you might place in them

1. niche

   niCH/

   noun

   noun: niche; plural noun: niches

   1. 1.

      a shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament.

      synonyms:

      recess, alcove, nook, cranny, hollow, bay, cavity, cubbyhole, pigeonhole "a niche in the wall"

One thing about older homes....they all seem to have the character of 

THE NICHE

this niche is original to 822 and call me fussy...

but I do like them and I like many of them and I like to fill them with trinkets and treasures and art and other collections

angels and candles

angels that ARE candles

crosses

art and seasonal items

this niche in our breakfast nook sits a top our time capsule

to be opened in 2060

a niche window when you step into the shower

a niche in Mr. PV's shower

this was the old doorbell at 822...sadly we had to remove it

happily it became a niche

this was an old clock that got dropped and broken during our move

not to worry...the perfect place for an antique santos and ex votos

this little tin niche holds a butterfly and robin's egg that Betty found on her way home from school

what sweet little treasures!

you will find so many examples in New Mexico and Mexico

and Hobby Lobby

I love Hobby Lobby!

here we go again....

a set of 3 lighted niches down the stairs in the wine cave

the lights above will shine down on

what???  

I'm not sure yet, but cool it will be!

I am so glad that I already have lots of niches

so after seeing the summer Pottery Barn catalog....

all I have to do is paint inside some of my niches

and purchase pillows!

love that bold orange!!!

I am so inspired by this little niche at a chapel we visited in Peru

and speaking of Peru....do you just love this little carved niche we picked up in Cusco?

the perfect size for this tiny old cloisonné vessel

closer to home in New Mexico at the Hotel St. Francis

 niche heaven

whether old and worldly

or fresh a contemporary

check out pinterest

to find your niche!

HENRY'S SHOES

Theadore Henry Benton (Toad)

Charles Wesley Benton

Elizabeth Charlene Benton (Many Feathers)

Gina Bulls Gillispie (Red Bird)

Grace Maria Pshigoda (Yellow Bird)

Henry August Pshigoda (to be named May 9)

Henry's amulet

Many Feathers made Henry's first pair of shoes

when they are tiny and don't walk yet, the soles are completely beaded

The Morning Star is worked into all new born beading

Henry, named for two great grandfathers,

one German potato farmer and one Native American Choctaw--

has some big shoes to fill

but for starters,

these will do

BEE MAGIC

Many years ago, in a haggling conversation, a friend said to me: "you know just a little bit about everything don't you?"

Good gosh Phil....I hope so!!!

But it wasn't until a few years ago that I came upon my first bee hive swarm.  Have you ever seen one?  It is truly an incredible sight.

The most interesting thing about the first bee swarm I saw, was where it was located.

I was just beginning the HPO and eager to do any kind of local news story that came my way.  People knew this, so they called me when interesting things happened.

A call came that a bee swarm was in a tree

I grabbed my camera and headed to the nearby town of Gruver

to a house called the Gruver house

the house of our son in law...only they weren't dating yet

a few years later

we purchased 822...over the phone, site unseen (inside)

the night before we were to go look at it,

I dreamed that Grace and I were growing lavender and had honey bees

we discovered this wild hive on the picnic table in the backyard the next day

since the beginning of our renovation

we always planned to put in a hive

Jason the Bee Man (the keeper who came to rescue our hive)

told me when we got ready, he'd bring us bees

we 

are

ready

it's taken several years for the yard to finally not be under heavy construction

so that a bee hive could thrive undisturbed

we spent Easter weekend

putting the hive together

Mr. PV laid a brick foundation for me

and put it together...it was very simple

we put in in the southwest corner of the yard, out of the way

where someday it will be shaded by the meandering branches of the red bud trees

very near to roses and lavender

luckily I still have a jar of honey and comb that Jason the Bee Man left me

I smeared a little on my new hive

because when bees swarm

they like to be places other bees have been

I have my fingers crossed that we will catch a hive

the natural way

and it will be a great story to tell

It makes me happy to think that the stories about us and the things we know a little bit about,

will include....

a little 

BEE MAGIC