pops of color

I've been spending a lot of time in the Oasis lately.  When I was transplanting my aloe last week I noticed how filthy (as if I had not seen this for... ever) the glass on the tables were.  So after the aloe move I got out the cleaner and polished them up.  While doing this, it hit me that hey... stick some color under there.  So I popped in the house and got an old handkerchief and an old cloth napkin.  I love the pops of color in this place. 

 

A Barbie Oasis

This is what I did today outside of watching kids, cooking and cleaning at the day care.  I've had it in my mind to create an "outdoor" space for the Barbie house since I started this.  MyFroggyStuff on youtube has a lot of instructional videos on many how to's of the Barbie world.  I got this from the Secret Garden video.  Here are my pictures along the way today.

 

You take your glue gun and blob on "rocks".

 

I decided I probably didn't have enough glue sticks to do the whole box so I cut out windows to save space and glue.

 

Some of her videos say to line the edges with paper and glue sticks for a finished look... so I did.

It literally took me all morning long, including stopping for kid stuff, to make the glue rocks and my hand was taking a beating from it!

During naptime I got to work painting.  Gray first to get the mortar and base coat on the rocks.

Then dabbing of neutral colors and whites around the windows.

And leftovers for lunch.

I placed the faux grass astro turf that I got from my sister in to check the look.

For my window filler I decided to print off pretty pictures of the sky until my printer ran out of ink.  So I broke open the Lucky Charms box and painted my own.

I bought this vine bundle at Hobby Lobby along with the spray of tiny pink flowers.

I just duct taped the scene in each window.  Oh And I got a stick from outside for the tree. 

Not everything is beautiful from the back view.

Up close of the painted "rock".

 

 

And the finished product... until I have time to make some outdoor furniture.  Enough for today!!

 

YAY Barbie Oasis!!!

 

 

The Oasis

Oasis: 1. An Oasis of serenity amid chaos. 2. A situation 

or place preserved from surrounding unpleasantness; a refuge. 

3. Something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.

For my birthday last October I asked for and received a beautiful hammock.  My wish was to hang it in the little-used back corner of our covered porch.  We did hang it last fall but couldn't leave it up long enough to enjoy it it much due to the change of seasons and not wanting to leave it outside during the winter.  The weekend before Easter I asked my Mister to hang it back up for me and he did so gladly.

I dreamed and thought of what I could do in this space around the hammock all winter long.  I knew I wanted some of my houseplants that spend the summer outside to join the corner when it was warm enough.  So when the warmth came I moved several into the space propping one on top of a metal tin for height, some on the floor and on tables and one, that vined out last summer, in a cheery yellow  macrame hanger in the corner.  I left the wicker chair and table in the corner that was already there and added a braided rug underneath.  I moved my wicker chaise lounge and table up in case I had company and also added another couple of chairs around.  The bench by the hammock is very make-shift and is one of two, that I find very useful, that were used when building our house.  They are so handy I couldn't bear to let them get rid of them even if they do have paint and drywall on them.  The one there allows me room to put my music and cold beverage right by my side.  Last weekend I took the notion to hang three strands of one hundred bulb holiday lights around the ceiling of the space.  It illuminates it perfectly.

The fringed hammock combined with my plant friends created what I now refer to as The Oasis.  I adore it's simple tranquility as I relax there listening to birds during the day and frogs at the pond at night.  Last Saturday evening it even became a hang out which I did not expect when creating the area.  Those who came said you could see the glow of the lights coming down the driveway.  I guess that let them know The Oasis was open.  But in my space there's bound to be good music and probably a little incense... you know... to keep the bugs away.

I highly recommend creating an Oasis of you own this year.