Christmas in the Gazebo

Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair for a tour of our gazebo decorated for Christmas!

Once again, everything is rustic, rescued, and repurposed. 

The decor took on a very natural / garden / flea market style theme this year. 

If you have a few minutes, you can watch my video, as I show you around the gazebo or you can scroll down to see more pictures. I attempted to do a live Facebook video, but the lighting just didn't work out correctly. Wish I could have chatted with everyone as I was videoing...

 

 I used objects that were all found or taken from nature. I gathered pine, cedar, twigs, berries, and pine cones from the farm. I trimmed limbs that stuck out in the paths (as in nearly scratch the truck as you drove through the gates) and added them to a artificial tree and adorned many other objects with the fresh greens. After Christmas, I'll add all the branches to the compost bin.

A twiggy tree top! Instead of glittery ting and branches like some use, I preferred to use sticks and berries for a nature theme. 

 After we got the gazebo, I purchased 3 bushes in small, one gallon containers (because I was on an extreme budget.)  It's hard to believe just how big those little bushes have grown! The bicycle used to sit way out in front of them - now the bush grows through the bike. The lily that is in front of the bike was gifted to me by my mail lady. 

Now for a few daylight pictures, so you can see some different details.

When I was delivering Thanksgiving flowers, one of my sweet friends gifted me some fresh grapevine they had trimmed from their yard. I decided to hang it on the door and then nestled in the Christmas tin sign.

I found this candle stand while out junkin' recently and decided it would go on the gazebo for the time being. 

I loved this metal scroll work fixture for a long time and decided to hang it up this summer. 

For the Birds...

Now, if you recall, last year I had an upside down Christmas tree hanging where that rustic fixture is now and I had a cardinal the would stay in the tree every night. (click the link to read about it.) The red bird family went on to raise babies in the bush beside the gazebo. That's their little nest tucked in the Christmas tree! I've had the red burlap birds for several years and decided they should go on this years tree.

The handy hauler has a load of fresh Christmas greens and berries.

The bottomless rusty bucket - it still has the original flower pot wired inside it from when I did the how to post several years ago. There's still some herbs left in the pot from this summer and I just added the cut branches into the potting soil. 

My rusty, junky wreath from years past returned again and graces the front of the bicycle.

So there you have a tour of our rustic gazebo. 

What is your favorite part? 

P.S. Stay tuned, as I plan to share another video and details from my glamper Christmas! 

Baby Cardinals

Last Monday, I discovered a nest of baby cardinals in the bushes right beside the gazebo. In fact, as I watered plants, I could look over the gazebo rail and see them. You may remember my Cardinals and Grandmama story from the winter. All year, I've been working on a "For The Birds" theme and found something bird related on every junkin' trip leading up to our show last weekend. Sunday when I came home from the show, there was a different bird sitting on the gazebo rail as he was learning how to fly. Then on Monday, I found this nest. When the cardinals flew out of the bushes, I was able to identify what these ugly little things were! Today, one week after finding the nest, Jeff alerts me that my babies are leaving the nest. I was really surprised it was so soon, but according to my search, they are only in the nest 9-11 days before flying away. They have chirped all day as they cling to tree branches and get brave enough to flutter through the yard. The daddy cardinal has been coaxing them along a lot and give me a few ugly looks as I observed them. Hope you enjoy the pictures of the cardinals!

Monday - the day I discovered the babies.

Monday - wee little babies.

Friday afternoon - yikes!

Saturday evening - big difference in a day! 

Sunday evening - that nest is getting crowded.

Monday morning - Baby number 1 made his way to the Bridal Wreath in the yard. 

Monday morning - bird #2 left the nest

Monday morning baby 3

"What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?" - e.h.

 I finally got a picture of the red bird, although he wasn't too happy with me! (I've tried off and on since December to get his picture.)

 He would coax and call to the babies and bringing them food. I can't tell exactly what he has in his mouth. I left them alone and went back inside to work, expecting that they would be gone this afternoon.

Late this evening, I went outside to photograph some wedding bouquets I had finished today and heard lots of little chirping going on. They were still here! Bird 1 was sitting in the crepe myrtle in the center of the yard, eye height, and I was able to get lots of pictures of him. I could have reached out and grabbed him up easily, instead, I just took lots more pictures and a video of him. 

 I mean, they are so ugly they're cute!

 Those toes, that fuzz! I shot some of these in macro, about a foot away from him!

 Birdy #2 was in another bush in the yard, but I never found the last one. I think he was in the trees beyond the yard fence.

 I'm glad my yard can be a place for the birds to live. I don't buy feed for them, but our yard and surroundings provide for them and I sure like getting to witness their journey as they find their wings and fly away (or maybe they will all stay here!)

Now, I'm an empty nester...