French Ethereal

Two Small Gardens in Northern California

July 25, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome back, dear friends! While I was in California with my husband for my father-in-law’s funeral, we were blessed to visit some of the sweetest gardens I walked by on my morning walks where my mother-in-law lives and also a visit to her neighbors’ gorgeous backyard.

The Tiki Bar garden

This fun garden has been in the works for many years and is the backyard and side garden of neighbors and friends, Gordon and Liz. The family likes to entertain here and just come outside in the evenings for a cold beverage.

I love that Gordon used all kinds of recycled materials in this build!

Their backyard is a fun place to visit and Mr. Ethereal and I enjoyed a family dinner here this evening. Thankfully the sun was going down at 6:00pm and breezes were beginning to blow in from San Francisco Bay over the mountains… It was 97 degrees this day! A perfect time to come sit out back and enjoy the evening.

I would be totally remiss if I didn’t share the family’s cutest and friendliest dog ~ a Havanese mix named Teddy!!

Teddy is the sweetest dog and is just so happy to have visitors come over. He absolutely loves our nephew Corey! Just a love!!!

My favorite part of this garden includes the pond and the plants which surround it… Set into the pond itself is this pretty hibiscus. The small gates help keep Teddy and a relative safe.

This gorgeous kniphofia, or hot poker, is stunning with its ombré flowers…

Definition of kniphofia

1capitalized: a genus of showy African herbs (family Liliaceae) having clumps of long radical leaves and tall scapes of red or yellow drooping flowers with reflexed perianths.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary online

Love the tropical vibe!

And of course some sweet geraniums… Geraniums and pelargoniums grow really, really well in California with its Mediterranean climate. Gordon and Liz keep most of their plants in containers so they can easily move them around when the sun gets too hot in an area.

My Mother-in-law’s front garden

Of all the cleaning we did, taking tons of metal scrap over to the recycler (Mr. E and our son drove it over) and power-washing the house, and sweeping up tons of sharp scrub and coastal live oak leaves…

I took NO photographs of the side yard either before or after. I was just busy getting leaves picked up for my MIL and clearing out old, broken clay pots, scraps and worn out plastic pots for her. She is seriously thinking of selling the house, which is one of the big reasons why I decided to fly home after-all. I knew I could really help her clean.

The big geranium garden out front of her home. Some of these were transplants from my garden at our Big House in Murrieta, California. Geraniums when broken off root easily!

My big gift was to repot some plants for her small hanging garden out front. 🙂 We had driven over to Lowe’s and I picked up a couple of small bags of potting soil, two 14″ core fiber basket liners, and some Espoma fertilizers for her. I’ve been learning a lot from Garden Answer on organic fertilizers in general so it was nice to introduce these to Gini. 🙂

Then I went-to-town that afternoon soaking the plants really well, recycling the current fiber basket liners to make two good ones, and potting up the four baskets. I meant to take a photograph of the front porch when it was all done, but must have got sidetracked…

Here’s how this little geranium looked beforehand. Hanging on (because geraniums are really drought tolerant) but could use a little TLC. 😉 You can see the redwood tree which Hubby’s grandfather planted when we was young. It is about 50 years old now.

And there we are! Just a special time out in the garden… And a big thank you to Liz and Gordon for having us all over for dinner and for their hospitality!

Happy Sunday, everyone,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

No Share Your Style This Evening…

July 21, 2021July 21, 2021 French Ethereal

Hey, everyone! I’m sorry…

We flew home today and after picking up Yoda, I’m beat. Yoda went through a lot of stress with other dogs at the veterinary/kennel, so it has taken over an hour just to calm him down. He is finally sleeping after pacing for an hour-plus then finally eating.

Anyway, we got up about 4:30am today for a 7:25 am flight. We spent the weekend power-washing my mother-in-law’s house, cleaning up the yards around the house, taking metal to the recycler, and of course, going to my father-in-law’s funeral.

It has been kinda busy. 🙂

So no SYS this evening but I’ll be back with photographs from the week probably on Friday.

Thanks for understanding,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #310

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome friends, to this week’s Share Your Style #310! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!

This link party is for home decor, DIY, crafts, recipes and the like, but you are more than welcome to share any of your family-friendly posts with us all. Please feel free to share this post too and join my small but loyal band of friends. I appreciate you!
As always, I am glad that you are here… 💜

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

This week I’m picking up a few past posts in addition to seeing what’s new from last week’s shares, and that’s because… Well, because I’d feature everybody if I could each week! <3

It’s odd that as a host, it’s very hard to pick just a few features; everyone creates so many good ideas, recipes, DIY projects, and lovely tablescapes and vignettes!

***Sorry, gang! I was trying to get this post out correctly for 6:00pm but found I set it up for tomorrow… 🙁 Mr. Ethereal and I will be out of town, so I was driving around getting Yoda over to boarding, returning a damaged UPS package, and giving my treasurer’s things to another board member for Odd Fellows. It was a busy couple of hours since 5:30p.m.!!

Anyway, let’s party, friends!!!

So, let’s go…

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

Christmas in July ~ How to Make Your Own Rudy Reindeer Sign ~ part of this month’s $10 on the 10th. With scrap wood and craft paint you may already have in your stash, this guy would cost nothing to create!

Come See Our New Shed! ~ a pretty big operation and how these sheds get installed at one’s home!

And here are this week’s featured posts…

#2 in the past SYS group: **Sherry from My Journey Back** shared that she and her family (including Hubby “The Cowboy”) have moved to Galveston, Texas ~ just a hop, skip and a jump down the road from us! (Okay, about 8 hours south-east!) You’ll enjoy her post on what’s she’s reading this summer, beach walks, eating fresh fish and more! Her post is ~ Happy Homemaker in Texas. And from last week’s SYS, another fun post about scrapping ~ Black and White Junk.

**Annemarie from Annemarie’s Haakblog** is back with this super cute
Crochet Bee Pattern!! I could see this guy being made into a mobile for over a baby’s new crib. Or cute bees stuck on sticks out in the garden… Adorable!

DIY Vintage Copper Patina Dollar Store Garden Stake Makeover — **Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home** brings us this fun update to a
Ho-Hum Plastic Hummingbird Stake to “Vintage” Copper Garden Ornament. Gorgeous makeover!!!

pink-flamingo-tropical-table-setting — **Debbee from Debbee’s Buzz** shares this Fun Flamingo Tropical Table Kicks Off Summer in this colorful post!

Summer is all about family and maybe a little travel… This fun post from **Jeanie at The Marmelade Gypsy** shares her musings and birthday wishes ~
Postcards from the Lake.

A big Thank You to everyone who linked up this past week. A special thank you to y’all for always promoting Share Your Style on your blog and on your social media channels! I do see it when I stop by and I appreciate the love. 💜

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there. 💜

Let’s party!!!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Sharing a Marie Antoinette French-Styled Hutch for Mid-Summer

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 French Ethereal

Ahhh summer!!! Now that the shed is in and we have begun working on moving the fence, I am feeling happy and can decorate again… Today it is all about Marie Antoinette…

I was at Target last month sometime and found this fun Marie Antoinette card.. I LOVE what it says and it cracked me up! I am thinking you will enjoy it, too:

All I said was, ‘Let’s have cake,’ or ‘Let’s eat cake,’ or something like that, and suddenly everyone got all pissy!”
Poor Marie Antoinette… So misunderstood!… ;)’

Brittanica shared a fun video debunking the myth that Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake.” She did say,

Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.”
This was written down by a writer named Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr who reported that he found the quote in a book, when Mademoiselle Marie Antoinette was just five years old!
Apparently it was already a popular phrase, and no, someone so out of touch with how peasants lived wouldn’t have understood why those people couldn’t afford to eat brioche, a wonderfully sweet bread…

I pose another thought…

Remember how you’ve heard in the past, or may have seen portrayed in movies, beggars or peasants coming to the back kitchen doors of estates and being given meals or bread from those kitchens??

What if brioche that was leftover from noblemen’s meals was shared with them??

Perhaps that is what Marie Antoinette was referring to…

Interesting thought, non?

Today, of course, we have food pantries and soup kitchens of which we can donate canned goods and foods to to share with people in need. Our IOOF (Odd Fellows and Rebekahs) group donates boxes full of foods every couple of months, several hundred pounds.

Here in the hutch

For our mid-summertime hutch, I thought about the abundance of hay and vegetables which will be coming into harvest very soon.

I’ve picked a few tomatoes already this summer and I’ve sprayed Tomato Set on all four plants hoping they will be pollinated again and set even more tomatoes! I’ve taken some of my white and green onion tops and planted them in the garden, too. I love watching their allium heads come up!

And of course there is always tea time! I was just reading about The Traveling Teacup over at Barbara’s site, Mantel and Table. So sweet! If I wasn’t working most of the year (and ended up being too worn out each day…), it’d be fun to send another teacup out there!

I did share the book Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman. It is the story of the loss of their daughter and God’s hand in the family’s getting through this tragedy. Very powerful and I think you would enjoy it so I’ve linked it. I am not sponsored so just for you.

Anyway, I gave this book to a friend and wrote inside the book that for everyone who reads it to enter their name/sign the frontispiece, and then send the book onto the next person who needs its encouragement. 💜

I had no idea that this post was going to go in the rabbit trail directions that it is taking, but sometimes we just have to Let go and Let God, right?

Apparently I was supposed to share this book with you, and I know I haven’t before. 🙂

Back to Marie Antoinette…

Then when my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were here last month, we drove over to McKinney and Farmersville. In Farmersville, Texas (about an hour away from here), Gini and I went into a cute clothing shop so she could pick up some Farmersville t-shirts and I found this dish towel…

It was a sign that I needed to put these two finds of Mademoiselle Marie-Antoinette together and make a vignette!

And this is how this this Marie Antoinette French-Styled Mid-Summer Hutch came to be!

I’ve put together everything French-related that I have, plus summertime harvest teacups and china. Many of these pieces are thrift shop finds.

The stack of plates are the new-to-me Castleton plates my mother-in-law brought from their IOOF thrift shop in Sacramento, California.

Same with the gorgeous hot chocolate pot ~ which couldn’t you see Marie Antoinette having a cup of cocoa seated in a chair designed to hold her poofy dress pulled up next to a small tea table??

And here’s the full hutch ready for company… and Marie to visit! 😉

Happy mid-summer, friends!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Christmas in July ~ How to Make Your Own Rudy Reindeer Sign

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021 French Ethereal

Rudy and one other of Santa’s Reindeer out in my best friends’ garden.

Hello and welcome to this month’s $10 on the 10th challenge, friends! Thank you to our host Tammy of Patina and Paint for coming up with this fun idea for this month’s theme ~ Christmas in July!

Today I am sharing my Reindeer designs that I used to make and sell to around our neighborhood in California, in front of grocery stores on weekends, and to many friends back in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s for a little extra holiday money…

The top photograph was sent to me this winter by my best friend Janet. She still has these two reindeer some 20 years later… A little faded but still cute!!!

Supplies you will need

plywood
sandpaper
latex craft paints – brown for body, red for collar, white, black and tan (in ears, or use brown with white mixed to lighten).
paint brushes (large for the body, smaller for face and legs and tail detail)
wood glue
silver and/or colored glitter (for jingle bells – glue on over silver paint)
old fence board
surveyor’s stake
wood screws
marine varnish – to protect your Reindeer from the weather
Drill and drill bits – for pilot holes for screws

When I was making these Reindeer and other holiday signs, I began with a Grade 1 sheet of thick plywood.

Back then those sheets cost about $32 and I could make quite a few decorator signs out of each sheet. I used every piece of wood I had to decorate these Reindeer; Santa and Mrs. Claus, little ghosts and the pumpkins I made.

I made a lot of tea signs back then. They were all a lot of fun to make!

With the wood supply shortage this year, that same sheet of plywood could cost about $82 each… So, use old scraps you have lying around in the garage… 😉 Or buy the smaller plywood sheets sold in stand-up bins at the big box stores.

You can also use an old fence board and a surveyor’s stake to make a fun Christmas-y sign under your Reindeer and the surveyor’s stake will hold up both. These Reindeer are fun to stand out in the yard (or in a flower pot with a Christmas tree behind). The old fence boards were what I used with my tea signs, as you can see.

How to make a Rudy Reindeer

Begin with drawing out a Reindeer shape on paper and transfer to plywood. Draw out the Reindeer’s harness, jingle bells and nose on scrap plywood.
Cut out plywood pieces with a scroll saw, jig saw or hand saw.
Sand each piece smooth along all edges. Wipe down with a damp towel, let dry.
Using latex craft paint, paint each piece letting dry between layers of paint. Add eyes, a smile, hooves and a painted tail and fetlocks, if you like!
Paint the harness, jingle bells and nose and let dry ~ drill pilot holes and screw onto the body with 3/4″ – 1″ screws.
Sprinkle on glitter over glue on jingle bells, let dry. Use glitter wherever you’d like! Rudy noses look especially cute with red glitter!!!
Drill holes in body and screw onto the surveyor’s stake.
Paint a separate fence board (if you desire) with whatever fun saying you’d like to say for Christmas (or holiday). Example: “North Pole this way!” (with arrow pointing)
Varnish your signs on all edges, front and back with non-yellowing marine varnish (used to be about $45/gallon; it goes a long way!)

Enjoy your Rudy Reindeer! And now let’s check out the other fun ideas my friends have for you for this Christmas in July…

Ann – The Apple Street Cottage

Barb – French Ethereal

Cindy – Cloches & Lavender

Patti – Pandora’s Box

Tammy – Patina & Paint

Terrie – Decorating & More With Tip

Happy Saturday, friends!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Come See Our New Garden Shed!

July 8, 2021 French Ethereal

It’s finally here, friends!!! Our new garden shed has been installed and here’s how it was done…

Wolf Valley Buildings brought two sheds and it took about 1 1/2 hours to install ours. Because of the heavy rains last Friday, it couldn’t be brought out then. Where the shed is to be placed was a mudpit and it would have been too soggy to put the shed on that day. I was still waiting for the City to get our permit finished, too, so this all worked out.

Delivering on Tuesday of this week turned out to be a good thing as Mr. Ethereal and I spent the entire three days of our 4th of July weekend digging a 50+ foot ditch. Over the three days, we were digging down about 18″ – 24″ and cutting through a bunch of tree roots to put in a solid corrugated drain for water coming off our backyard roof. I’ll share that in another post, but for now here’s the end with the shed’s arrival!

The deliver man, Vernon, used this small fork lift to pull the shed most of the way off the flatbed trailer, then he placed those two wheels under the other end, under the two skids running the full length of the shed.

The shed was “pushed” up the small embankment from the alleyway with that small forklift and then was wheeled around into position. We had talked at length about whether we wanted the shed in line with the fence or did we want it parallel with the house (the garage and bedroom).

We went with having it parallel with the house. Vernon helped me measure from both sides of the shed face to the bedroom outer walls. 🙂

Vernon had his two sons with him and the boys were very sweet! The two quickly found our son’s old tricycle sitting out ~ a gift to our daughter, actually, when she was two years old from my parents.

Peter claimed it as his as he grew older and loved racing it around the yard, even as a teenager just riding the back supports and whirling around!

While Dad worked, the boys rode and enjoyed ices from our neighbor, who came out to watch the shed being put into place.

Here, our driver maneuvered the forklift through the gate my husband made two years ago when we first move in ~ our first project here at this home ~ redesigning where the gate and trash cans sat. Last year, when we were off for Easter break and then for the rest of the school year due to Covid, I built the trash can area.

Amazing that it fit through the gate, really! I loved watching the whole move-in process.

After a quick hour-plus, it was time to go deliver the next shed… I think it was about 4 o’clock when they drove off.

Yesterday was a day of rest and writing for the blog (Share Your Style #309, as you know). 😉

Another employee, Daniel, came out this afternoon (Thursday) and added the two attic vents and the tie-downs. On the inside, the vent is covered with bug screen ~ perfect! That saves us having to add it ourselves. 🙂

Part of the demands required by the City were these tie-downs in case of very high winds. Four 4′ long spikes were hammered into the ground and these tie-downs were screwed onto them with a winder and rachet.

I asked Daniel if he could leave the right rear one a little long, in case we need to budge the shed forward a few inches. Mr. E and I were looking at whether or not the fence will fit around that backside. It’s probably going to fit but just barely…

I think the left half will store all of the gardening things and the right half will be more storage. The other metal shed we are planning on keeping and using to hold the smelly items: the lawn mower, the rototiller and other items which need to be inside a metal building and not in a wooden structure.

And that is the story of our shed’s arrival and birthday! Now to fill it up… ;D I am excited for my she-shed (at least half of it!). 💜

Enjoy your day,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #309

July 7, 2021July 9, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome friends, to this week’s Share Your Style #309! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice 4th of July celebrating with family and friends!! We spent the whole weekend-plus putting in a 50′ drain in the backyard as part of the prep for the shed.

However, all that was worth it as the shed is here!!!

So this is my “post” for the week! I was sooo busy prepping the yard late last week and through the weekend, this is it. 😉

So let’s get to this week’s features… We’ve got a bit of this and some of that, plus some pretty 4th of July and patriotic posts for you!!!

And here are this week’s featured posts…

**Cindy from Cindy’s On-Line Recipe Box** shared her yummy recipe for this wonderful strawberry salad ~ Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing Fruit or Green Salad.

**Penny from Penny’s Treasures** brings us her sweet farmhouse coffee table in this post ~ Easy Patriotic Centerpiece. Love it with the cute chicken!!! Penny also shared another fun post featuring a Vintage Coco-Cola Crate. Fun!!!

**Lori at Dining Delight** shares this Day of Remembrance post for Canada Day ~ Every Child Matters Tablescape. Beautiful and thoughtful… <3 Very close to our Trail of Tears… Do stop by. <3

tie dye dress, thrifted style, kimono, fedora, fashion over 40, summer style, Shelbee on the Edge — **Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge** is back with her post ~ My Favorite Summer Dress (and Link Up). Love tie-dye for summer!!

**Jeanie over at The Marmelade Gypsy** shared her love of quilts in this post ~
**Every Stitch Tells a Story-In Praise of Quilts**. Gorgeous!!! Jeanie also shared an online workshop she attended… Maybe you’d like to check that post out and attend one yourself?! Workshop Week.

**Carol from Bluesky at Home** shares this great DIY post ~ How to Make a Fabric Covered Headboard. Awesome DIY project!!!

Around some parts of the county, lilacs are still in bloom {totally jealous over here!} and **Renae from Peacock Ridge Farm** shared her gorgeous table in this post ~ A Lilac and Brass Tablescape. Lovely!

AKC-STAR-puppy-award-Scottie-dog — Many of you know **Debbee from Debbee’s Buzz** but have you met Whisky??! He’s growing up and here’s an update post ~ Energetic, Playful Scottie Puppy at 6 Months Old. So cute!!!

Newcomer **Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland** shared her beautifully set 4th of July table in her post ~ Red, White and Blue Table Setting-All Thrifted. Love it!!!
And welcome, Lynne!

**Annemarie of Annemarie’s Haakblog** shared her fun crochet pattern for these adorable hearts! {I can’t crochet ~ carpal tunnel ~ but I love crafting and miss making things in the evenings like these!!!} Fun post ~ Crochet Hearts Free Pattern. Annemarie has goodies in her online shop that you can buy, too. Written from her home in the Netherlands, her posts can be translated to English. 🙂

Happy linking, friends,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #308

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome friends, to this week’s Share Your Style #308! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

My inlaws drove home safely ~ it was really nice to visit with my mother-in-law Gini, SIL Jodi and nephew Corey over the past two weeks! I know they were happy to get home last Saturday afternoon, as we all are after a long trip away. 🙂

I am finally feeling better after coming down with an “unspecified virus” which the doctor at the local urgent care thinks might be Post-Covid Syndrome. I am just happy I tested negative for a number of things and the results just came back from the mammogram. Nothing out of the ordinary; just the usual-for-me fibrous tissue. 💜

We took down the old shed and are waiting for the new one’s arrival! It looks like it might come on Friday so I sent off to the City to request a final permit. There should be no issues now since all their issues were with location and the rest had previously been finalized. I’ll be happy when it is fully installed and I no longer have to talk to the City…

And can you believe it is 4th of July this weekend, already??… Where has time flown?? Lots of fun ideas here this week for celebrating!

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

Prepping for a New Shed ~ the saga continues and I am ready to be DONE!

And here are this week’s featured posts…

sliced patriotic cake on white plate decorated with red, white and blue. — **Lois of Walking on Sunshine Recipes** brings us this yummy patriotic recipe for celebrating with our families and friends on our nation’s
Independence Day ~ 4th of July Cookie Cake. Yum!!!

Totally loving this fun wreath by **Cindy of Cloches and Lavender**! You’ll love these miniature pots… adorable! ~ How to Make This Grapevine Wreath.

**Penny from Penny’s Treasures** always has the neatest vintage-style decor posts and this update on her bedroom is just in keeping! Summer Bedroom ~ check out the new sheets and what she did with a second set…

**Debbie from Debbie-Dabble Blog** shared her pretty gardens in this post ~ A Bit of Yellow in the Gardens, June 2021 Garden Update. Wait until you see who came to visit??! She’s a cutie!!!

**Jeanie from The Marmelade Gypsy** shares her sweet paintings in this colorful post ~ From Palette to Paper. Isn’t this guy adorable and soooo realistic??!!

For our daughters and any of us still in shape to wear fun tops like this, **Maya over at The Little Treasures** shared this fun pattern to crochet! ~ Madison Top Pattern Release. When I was a teen, I had some really cute strappy tops like this but nowadays, it’d be a “backyard-only” on me! My daughter however… 😉 Love the retro 70’s vibe!!!

8 Spray Paint Projects To Do — **Rachelle from My Hubbard Home** shares this fun post for updating our home decor on a budget ~ 8 Spray Paint Projects to do This Weekend. Love ’em all!!!

An important thought as we come into Post-Covid times: 3 Tips for Improving Your Mental Health from **Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge**.

woman in striped sweater and jeans against white background getting ready to declutter extra pillows — **Julie from Filling the Jars** shared this wonderful post for also mentally (and physically!) clearing and cleaning the cobwebs ~ Do These 3 Things When You Are Overwhelmed by Clutter.

**Renae over at Peacock Ridge Farm** shared this lovely post on Our French Country Front Porch Makeover. Love it and those urns!!!…

Steamboat-Springs-Colorado-Hot-Air-Balloon-Festival-takeoff — **Debbee from Debbee’s Buzz** shared this neat travel-related post ~ Steamboat Springs Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival. Don’t y’all just love seeing a balloon liftoff?!! I had to work the front gate on the night they did the “glow” for the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival (when we lived on Lake Skinner, our year + as RV camp hosts), BUT we could see a little from the main entry kiosk! 🙂 And of course lots of balloons flying over the next morning!

Free RV checklist printable packing list. Don't forget anything on your next camping trip in your travel trailer. This free printable camping list has everything covered! — For long-term RV living and just for summer camping, here’s a nice list from **Sarah from Must Have Mom** ~ Free RV Checklist Printable Packing List. She isn’t kidding, friends! It’s bigger (and pared-down) for long-term living. 🙂

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there. 💜

Happy linking, everyone!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Prepping for the New Shed

June 30, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome back, friends! I have been away working with my sweet Mr. Ethereal getting our backyard ready for the new shed’s arrival. It may come as early as this Friday but probably next week sometime. Weather is wrecking havoc on shed deliveries but that has given us time…

Old Shed, the Before

This is how the backyard looked up until this past weekend. I forget when I took this here in the springtime but it was after one of the monster rainstorms!

How it looks now

We are still getting rain about every three or four days or so, but the yard has dried out, which has made the lavenders and the Mediterranean-type plants (rosemary and basil) are much happier with the drier weather. (They sure don’t like wet feet!)

Before taking the shed apart, all of the bicycles, chairs, garden supplies, tools and such were placed all over the patio and yard.

Yoda is excited that he can walk where the old shed was. Here is the new panicle hydrangea beginning its bloom!! It is a lovely hydrangea…

When we began around 8:30am, it was in the low 80’s but quickly jumped to mid-90’s. It was hot out… Mr. E did a lot of work; he is a good sport about these things!

It’s plywood base is leaning up against the back fence now.

Here is when we had most of the shed taken apart. My job was to mark all the inside panels so we can put them back together in right order again, and to hold up the sides as each panel was unscrewed.

I went this weekend and picked up 8′ pressure treated cedar to replace the boards underneath for the old shed. Since it is only 8′ x 8′, we will put it along the side fence to hold the lawn mower, weed eater, edger and the tools which would “leak.” I also picked up two new 4″ x 4″ Around it I’ll put in flowers and make it cute. 🙂

The City did not approve us putting the new shed closer to the side yard (surprise!) but we did get our money back from the application. I have been so upset over this that I still need to resubmit plans for the new shed to go where the old is was. I just haven’t felt like taking up the discussion with the City again. Their rules are ridiculous…

We literally have 25′ of yard that: either “isn’t our own” (10′ easement) yet we take care of it, water it, mow and edge it; and another 15′ that we can’t put a permanent structure on. Apparently that is so they don’t have to pay someone to have something taken down if they decide to take away our side yard when building a wider road.

Honestly, I hate city planners at the moment…

Using my pole vault pole-tying skills with these timbers…

Charles worked really hard moving most of the tools and things out of the shed. I could only do a little at a time because I was still pretty ill with this Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) virus… However…

Today I am finally feeling better!

Turns out it I am negative for: Covid, strep, flu and Mono. I had a mammogram yesterday and a few lung x-rays last week, so we shall see… Hopefully it is nothing and I’ll just get better over time. This new PCS can occur even as late as 9 months after the illness and it feels like you have Covid again (at least I did). I wondered if it isn’t the body learning to “over-react” to any illness, like a cold.

Well, that’s where we are with the tear-down of the old shed and the new shed still coming! Now we wait. 🙂

Happy summer, friends,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Share Your Style #307

June 23, 2021June 23, 2021 French Ethereal

Welcome friends, to this week’s Share Your Style #307! Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends!

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too. Thank you!💜

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

This past week I’ve been over to McKinney with my mother- and sister-in-law visiting a friend of Jodi’s who moved there back about 20 years ago. Gini and I went over to the City of McKinney’s Vital Statistics building and happily found a microfiche of her grandfather and grandmother’s marriage license from 1897!

On Friday evening, we went to a Texas Rangers’ game down in Arlington. They ended up losing but we enjoyed getting out and trying some ballpark foods and listening to the crowds and announcer, and enjoying the ballgame live.

Saturday was a workday and Gini, Jodi and Corey (my nephew, who flew in on Friday morning) drove over to Farmersville to watch an IOOF and a group of local re-enactors honoring of an 1812 soldier from the area. Because of the busy week, I didn’t go but I would have enjoyed the ceremony. I slept all Saturday afternoon.

My mother-in-law Gini, sister-in-law Jodi and hubby Charles

Sunday we enjoyed baking homemade pizzas out in the Ooni and then we worked on a satin banner project Gini is making for a future IOOF ceremony.

This banner will have a purple backing and other images placed around it and wording at the top and bottom. Should be neat when it is all done!

Since Monday, I’ve been down with a cold or Covid-type feeling illness… If it is Covid related, two days on, the vaccine is beating it down and I am feeling better today. 🙂

And thank you, friends! We had 84 links up last week, and there were so many good posts to look through to feature. Keep ’em coming!…

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

This month’s Pinterest Challenge was all about setting a Summer Table and here is my entry ~ Setting a Beautiful Summer Table with Castleton’s Dolly Madison China.

And here are this week’s featured posts…

**Debbie from Debbie-Dabble Blog** shares her home decorated for the upcoming 4th of July celebrations in this pretty RWB post ~
A Little Bit More RWB in the Living Room. Love love love this wreath!!!

**Juliet from French Country Cottage** shared her beautiful find in this DIY post ~ French Country Cottage Sideboard. Beautiful!!!

DIY Sock Gnome — **Kippi of Kippi at Home** shared her really in-depth instructions to make these
Easy DIY Gnomes [Tutorial]. *Totally cute* and perfect for us to create this summer for all the seasons coming up!

Awwwww! Puppy Challenges in the Garden was shared by **Sandra from Come to Dinner at Eight.** Puppies are a challenge but with time and good correction, all puppies can turn into the best dogs! Come check out this sweet post {and isn’t Finnegan just cute??!}…

Perfect as a follow-up, this post from **Kelli at 3 Boys and a Dog** looks like a fun recipe to make for your favorite furry friends! ~
Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Puppy Chow.

Vintage Botanical Print in the Early Summer Entry is this week’s share from **Debra over at Common Ground.** I love Debra’s wonderful mélange of goodies she puts together each season here in here entry, and I bet you do, too.

**Lori over at Dinner for Eight** shared her stunning table set for summer in this post ~ Blueberry Bliss Summer Tablescape. Love the soft blues!

purple floral kimono, olive green midi dress, caged sandals, wicker bag, Style Imitating Art, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge — **Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge** shared this lovely lavender-filled post
Style Imitating Art: Heather, Sweet Peas and Butterflies. Love Shelbee’s outfit for this garden tour!!

**Tara from Stilettos and Shiplap** brings us this DIY post ~ Thrift Store Challenge: Coffee Table Makeover. Love how it turned out!

Newcomer **Lena from Way 2 Good Life** brings us this fun travel post ~
Balloon Festivals in the United States. I can tell you they are so beautiful to
watch lift off! Welcome, Lena!!! She has also shared this post ~ With love from Medora, North Dakota’s Treasure.

Last up for this week is **Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home** sharing her finished kitchen remodel in this post ~ Cheerful Summer Kitchen Refresh. Love the bright pops of color for the season!

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there. 💜

Have a great week, dear friends!

Barb 🙂

Definition of kniphofia

Here’s what I shared this past week at French Ethereal…

Here’s what I shared this past week at French Ethereal…

Here’s what I shared this past week at French Ethereal…

Here’s what I shared this past week at French Ethereal…

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***

***Here’s what I shared this past week at* *French Ethereal…***