Winter Project Ideas?

I was wondering what everyone has planned for the upcoming winter season? I have been doing a lot of reading here at Dave's and there are so many creative ideas that I can't even begin to make up my mind which ones to give a try. I do have a couple of bowling balls to decorate, but beyond that I'm overwhelmed with possibilities.

Mary Ellen

Well I'm not doing the bowling ball thing!!! LOL. I have been wanting to do redo my journal here on Daves. Really that is a good question! Usually I become a hermit in the winter. Really don't like to go hardly anywhere. Mt husband goes to work at 6 p.m. So I am alone, kinda enjoy it. I try to take the dog for a walk everyday. Even in the winter. I think I will try to take up reading again. Not to goood at finishing a book. Use to read all the time. Guess I am lazy now. Would really like to do a "map" of the yard so I know where everything is. I will have to do some more thinking on this question. lol. Ronna

Shame on all of you for thinking about winter! I am in denial! Besides it is 70 degrees out today.

What I did last year was make a 3 ring binder. I used a page, or more, for every kind of flower that I have, including a seperate page for each variety. I had taken pictures over the summer so I have a picture of each. If it hasn't bloomed yet, I clipped a picture from an old catalog. I noted where I got it, when and price. If there is particular growing instructions, I note that. This summer I had to purchase a larger binder! Since my introduction to DG, I also print out articles and discussions about that particular flower. I also have taken new pictures this year and documented growth. Of course, it was quite easy for me because we haven't lived here very long and I used to act responsibily with gardening. lol Kay

Kay, you are so organized. I'm impressed!!

I used to be. Once upon a time I had plant identification tags on all my flowers. I even used to know all the latin names or botanical names of each. Then my brain turned to mush and I just call them all my pretty flowers. :)

Well...for starters I have to paint the front door before it gets to cold outside,
and then I really need to repaint laundry room maybe add a border and sew a window treatment, and then basically scrapbook and make cards. Oh I forgot the most important part get my perennials in the ground before it's too late!!! trim my birch tree up for the fall
and pull up begonia's and prep my beds for next year...so these basically are fall projects I guess you would say other than the scrapbooking and card making thats pretty much a winter thing for me maybe make a quilt too...

My winter project is to go to Florida for 6 weeks.

Paul

ok I'm jealous! ;o)

Well Ronna, I am committed to the bowling ball project as I've already promised my 11 yo daughter we'd give that a try. (She is an active bowler.) I do love to read, and am sure I will find time for that. : ) Hmm, maybe we could have a little book club here?

Kay, I'm sorry but I couldn't NOT think of winter when the temperature dipped below 40 degrees the other morning! LOL As much as I enjoy cooler weather, my achy body complains when it's under 50 degrees. The binder is a good idea. I did keep a garden journal on line this summer. It would be good to get a hard copy of it. I'm sure that it will come in handy next year.

Brenda, what can I say? At least we'll have each other as our brains slowly turn to mush. LOL I guess we'll just have to take more pictures to help jog our memories! Now where the heck did I put that camera....

Detheo, I sure do admire your enthusiasm. What color are you painting? I also need to paint my door soon, but I can't decide on a color. The house is chocolate colored and last time I painted the door a deep plum/wine color. I wasn't too thrilled with it. Do you make quilt tops or the whole quilt?

Paul, I'd import the raspberry blowing icon here if I could. :p. LOL I'm happy for you though, truly I am. On behalf of the less fortunate ones left behind, (in the freezing cold, mind you) I wish you 6 weeks of glorious sunshine! : )

Hmm, maybe this winter we could start a thread titled "In my dream garden..."

Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen,
I'm thinking of doing the laundry room some type of mediterrainan yellow,
not outlandishly bright but something that keeps the mood elevated as we
all just race in there to get the laundry done...not. As for the door I have a brick home
almost looks like "reclaimed brick" with differnet colors of terracotta, plum ect ect.
so I was thinking a very dark cherry color my neighbor has it in the other sub and I asked her what it was called and can't remember for the life of me...

As for the quilts I do the whole thing....right now I'm doing a quilt with my son's gf
for her 1yr old nephew for Christmas we just got the top done last night woooo hoooo.
It's a cowboy theme....now she just has to go get the batting and backing (courderoy)
and we need to finish it up.

Today I have to somehow get this wet grass mowed and bagged as tomorrow is garbage day...I'm sure I'll have 6 or more bags ughhhhh. But on the bright side everything is nicely GREEN around here LOL....YAY! OHHHH and I still have planting to do too....

;o)

i will do more bowling balls and pots.
cleaning the basement is on my to do list.

Speaking of basements...I forgot that project too!
Anyone had any problem with theres with all this rain?

Nice pots Dori...do you use modge podge?

my basement gets a river flowing across the floors-old michigan house
yes its modge podge-luv that stuff!

Speaking of basements.... Sunday night ours flooded for the first time in the 10 years that we've lived here. The drains backed up somehow, I'm not sure how the drains work out here in the country. Basement cleaning is now on the top of my TODO list. : ( We were lucky that it was only 1"-2" and didn't get to the freezer or any of the power tools. But oh, the boxes! Ugh. I hope everyone else fared better.

More later.... back to work I go!

Mary Ellen

latebloomertoo.... Sounds like you will have fun with your daughter. It will be very pretty when you are done I am sure. I also have started the whole binder of plants and i.d.s. Really want to get that done. Gosh I do miss not being in the yard in the winter. Boohoo. Michigan winters are beautiful though. Did you get the basement cleaned up after the flood. Sure am sorry that happened to you. Ours even got a small amount of water in it for all the rain. Thats never happened to us either. Well everyone have a great day. Ronna.

Whew, my part of basement cleaning is done. Everything that we are keeping is still out on the deck though. After the second half is mopped and dried today, it can all go back in an orderly fashion. : ) I'm leaving it up to the men folk.

detho, I think you will love having a pretty laundry room. A few years ago I painted mine in a dusty mauve color and it makes me smile whenever I go in there. This summer I painted my bathroom a buttercup color and the warmth of it is uplifting. Our house has few windows and can feel bleak in the winter months without some lively color. I tried a light olive in the kitchen, but found I didn't care for it there. I have to find a new color for that too, but it is more like a great room as the walls keep running into another room. I have to find something that I really like. Currently it is a golden tan color that I love but really was hoping for a change.

The quilt sounds adorable. I've only made one complete quilt, and the quilting part made me a nervous wreck. I was thinking maybe of making a duvet cover instead. I think that I could handle that. Do you have any pictures of your quilts? And I love your tumbling flowerpots. Did you make that too?

notmartha, gorgeous flowerpots! Are they sealed with something or are they for artificial arrangements? Do you sell your work at craft shows?

Ronna, where did you live before Michigan that had warm winters? I spent a year in Alabama once and though we had no snow, there was a whole lot of very cold rain! Brrr....

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Mary Ellen

Late bloomer.... I have always lived in Michigan. I just meant I miss not being in the yard like we can be in the summer. Thats all. Have a great day, Ronna

Well, my puter is fixed and I'm back online!!! YEAH! My project for the winter is to go to Florida for the winter. Then I can garden there alll winter! I have a craft group in Florida that makes all kinds of things. Painted flower pot and other decorations.

Ahh Ronna, I see now. : ) My brain is slowing down a bit each year now!

dorothian, I'm glad that you got your computer fixed. Having the computer on the fritz is about as bad as your car on the fritz! Lucky you, to be able to garden through the winter and be able to grow those more tropical plants!

I have a nice clean basement that's ready for anything. This week will be the end of my canning for the season. Applesauce and October Butter. Then all of that can be packed away again. Then, let the crafting begin!

Mary Ellen

Wow latebloomertoo..... You have been very busy haven't you? Congrats on getting I imagine the largest "to do" thing on your list completed? I know my basement will take a while also :( Boy, oh boy the weather is so nive this morning. Crisp autumn air. Smells so fresh. Well hope everyone has a great thursday. Ronna

Hi Mary Ellen,

Thats funny you mention the yellow paint I picked up a few paint chips that color!
since thats a dreaded place to be (everyday) LOL it should be cheery...I looked in there yesterday and ran away LOL....I do need to take some pictures of the quilts I do,
I will get one as soon as we finish this next one up. As for the tipsy pots it's really easy,
You need a 6 ft piece of re-rod and you pound that in the ground 2 ft then I purchased a 14 in clay pot for the base pot threaded it through the top to the bottom and filled it with a potting mix, then I bought 5 -12 in. clay pots threaded them through and they just lay on the outside edge of the pot underneath tipping them accordingly to the picture. Very easy you'll love it. As far as the pots sizes go you can also do a 12 in for the base and 10 in for the others it's personal preference. Actually I think I did buy the 12 in. and 10 in. my mind is gone my 14 yr old has it well preoccupied right now....ughhh. I have some hostas left to plant and some bulbs left to plant got everything else done last weekend YAY!

Anyone, I have iris rhio's to plant will they make it next year because it's late in the season to plant them? let me know.

Delane

I received 4 iris rizones last year from VB on October 1st. Three of the 4 gave me a bloom this year so the answer is Yes, from me. Picture is of one of them (Don't ask me which one because none of them were labeled correctly)

Thank you Kay....

What ever the name of it may be it's beautiful!
Love the colors....