October 31, 2025 by Born To Organize

Halloween

It’s Halloween. One of my favorite times of the year. Our neighborhood draws a crowd (500 children at our door last year), a slow-and-steady parade of little ones starting around 5:30. This little guy gets a different kind of treat.

A squirrel stands near pumpkin scraps in a garden, surrounded by ferns and a tree.

Mike spent the day carving three magnificent pumpkins. It takes him hours, but he enjoys the creative process.

We attended a Halloween party on Saturday, renting costumes from Natasha’s Attic. I didn’t have the time or energy to create one this year, and that’s ok.

The Las Vegas party theme lends itself to many things. We dressed as 1920s mobsters, light on the mob part.

I stopped by my sister’s today and took pics of her wearing a witch’s hat, a gifted orange scarf, and a hand prop on her shoulder. We’re peas in a pod.

I bring out my collection of hand-crafted pumpkins each year. They have an international flavor, one sent as a gift from Cathy in Germany, another made by Randi, who hails from Norway, and the third, a gift from my friend Stephanie. I bought the velvet ones at a craft fair many years ago.

A collection of hand-crafted pumpkins displayed in a metallic bowl, featuring various colors and textures, including knitted and velvet designs.

It’s the creative fun of Halloween that I like the best. Making costumes over the years has always been a joy. It’s fun decorating, too. Making cards for Halloween is a more recent endeavor, and we once grew pumpkins till a nasty infestation of squash bugs put an end to that after two or three years.

A friend sold these cardboard haunted house kits earlier this year. It was a lot of fun putting it together, and a bit of kismet when I realized I had the perfect tray for it. The three figurines were a birthday gift this year. Can you believe how well they fit in?

I turned 66 earlier this month. On Monday, I’m having my left hip replaced, nine months after replacing the right one. I’m feeling my age. That said, my love of Halloween keeps me young at heart. If you celebrate, I hope that’s true for you, too.

July 20, 2025 by Born To Organize

Fairy Gardens and Gossamer Wings

One of my fairy gardens is just outside our back door, mounted on the side of the house at eye level. It’s a daily reminder to stay in touch with my inner child, my muse, and lately, my sanity. Puttering in the tiny garden draws my attention away from reality for a few hours.

When we were young girls, my sister Sharon and I loved rearranging the furniture. It was a way to change our environment and to surprise our mother when she came home from work, and it didn’t cost us anything. We still laugh about it.

This week, I decided to rearrange the elevated fairy garden. I’ve had two small succulents planted there, but one has been struggling for a while.

They’re only a few inches apart, but one is getting too much sun. I transplanted it to a shady spot, considered buying another one, but in the spirit of rearranging the furniture, I opted for the assorted treasures I already had.

I moved the tiny garden bench to the spot vacated by the plant. Shade is essential during San Jose summers, so I crafted a wee sun umbrella. The umbrella’s structure is a lotus pod rescued from a floral arrangement sent to me as a thank you a few years ago. It’s been in the background of the fairy garden for a while. It’s now the base of the umbrella, with dried bracts from the bougainvillea held in place with sewing pins. I replaced the too-short stick with a twig from the fruit tree. Ah, shade.

A couple of small seed pods were the perfect size for tiny toss cushions, creating a relaxing resting spot for imaginary visitors with wings. Next to the garden bench, I’ve improvised a side table from a small bit of garden debris, topped with a green finding from my button jar. I wrapped the base of the table with a ring purchased in Victoria, Canada, a few years ago. I loved the look of the ring, but it is so uncomfortable that I never wore it. It works well in this miniature garden, and I can enjoy it in a different way.

Mike suggested a solar light for the garden and I happily agreed. I wrapped the light with sticky tape, then rolled it in dirt and gravel to help it blend in. It’s nestled in the remains of twigs that once covered hanging lights.

Next up, I added a garden arch that now separates the table and chairs from the lounge.

I braided three lengths of Nepeta, also known as catmint, while it was still soft, gently bending them into an arch and holding them in place with a length of florist wire. It’s drying nicely into a scented and wispy arch.

I invite you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in flight with gossamer wings and a light heart. The garden is ready for you. All are welcome.

May 14, 2025 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy: Dressing Up the Garden

ScrapHappy is a monthly challenge hosted by blogger Kate of Tall Tales of Chiconi. Participants create and share something made from scraps.

This month’s inspiration is a well-loved, past its prime dress, pulled from my fabric drawer.

I loved wearing this soft rayon dress, but it didn’t stand the test of time. Unable to part with it, I stashed it in a drawer with other sewing supplies and waited for inspiration. With spring underway and the weather calling us outdoors, I decided to “dress” the garden glider by recovering a pair of cushions. After removing the bodice from the dress, the skirt fell into fairly symmetrical rectangles, just enough to cover both cushions. After multiple washings, the rayon dress fabric is amazingly soft, so they’ll be perfect for napping.

I stitched a fairy garden bench cushion using a small piece of the remaining bodice. I fashioned a tiny table covering to coordinate with the bench.

This fairy garden is mounted on the wall outside our back door and remains covered under the eaves.

Thank you for hosting, Kate.

The links below feature other ScrapHappy bloggers. It’s always interesting to see what makers are up to.

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin, Alissa,
Hannah and Maggie

May 1, 2024 by Born To Organize

A Lovely Patch of Earth

My garden is a magical place where fairies roam, and flowers grow.

Daily visitors include marauding squirrels, delicate hummingbirds, mourning doves, and songbirds with handsome yellow chests singing their hearts out in search of a mate.

It provides a refuge for spiders and mantis, which in turn keep the less beneficial bugs at bay. Fence lizards also have a place.

When I gather a spade of dirt and unearth a worm, I apologize and return it to the soil. Some of the hardest workers are unseen and unheard but equally deserving of our respect.

Bees are welcome and encouraged with plentiful pollen to gather for their queen. Paper wasps live under the eaves, an equally beneficial guest in the garden’s echo system. They’re not aggressive like yellow jackets, but they are easily mistaken for them. I was pleased to learn the difference.

Over the years, small packets of seeds have morphed into returning gems. Sweat peas are the garden darlings, with soft, fragrant petals ranging from pale pinks to rich purples and reds. They elicit comments from passersby, generating a feeling of nostalgia.

Nasturtium, purchased as a few bedding plants years ago, cast about the garden with brilliant, showy orange flowers and broad, flat leaves that remind me of paper fans.

California poppies spread across the walkway this year, with several taking up residence around the curb garden and along the drive. They, too, were first scattered from a packet of seeds.

Two seasons of welcome rain have filled reservoirs and water tanks while affording gardeners a reprieve from regular watering.

The garden continues to evolve, moving from the manicured lawn and roses we inherited when we bought this house to a garden filled with native and drought-tolerant plants, three mature trees, and a deck lined with succulents instead of thirsty annuals. The slider featur below shows the back garden in 1996 and 2024.

I’m grateful for the sun and the wind, the rain when it falls, and this lovely patch of earth outside my door.

April 15, 2024 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy Upholstery (In Miniature)

It’s time for another installment of ScrapHappy, a monthly meme hosted by Kate and her friend Gun.

I’ve been busy turning small fabric scraps into miniature upholstery for one of my fairy gardens.

In addition to sewing a seat cushion for the bench, I made an accent cushion by covering a button with fabric. I added a French knot with green embroidery floss to the center of both cushions. The orange button has been in my stash since the early eighties.

I cut small sections of the leaf motif from the same fabric scrap, attached a few strands of green embroidery floss, and then fused the pieces to make seat covers. I tied the thread along the back of each chair to hold them in place.

After years spent outdoors, the tiny garden bench lost one of its legs. We can’t host a fairy garden party with broken furniture, so a quick fix was in order.

I found a rusted screw from Mike’s workbench to repair the broken/missing leg. He kindly glued it in place.

Fresh flowers grace the table in a tiny brown bottle, and as the day ends, clouds give way to the sun.

ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything – no new materials. Please contact Kate for details or visit her recent blog post at Tall Tales from Chiconia.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa ,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

December 24, 2023 by Born To Organize

Nature is a Balm

As the winter solstice approached earlier this week, I mentally composed a blog post, yet here it is, Christmas Eve and I’m just sitting down to write. December has been a time warp, bending to life’s whim and disregarding my preference for a calm and ordered season.

Nature is a balm, a lovely escape from the daily grind, a place to be in mind, body, and soul when all you have to do is step outside. Migrating birds are passing through, singing in the now-barren trees. I can’t help but look up, pause, and enjoy the chatter. The squirrels are active along the fences, dropping into the garden and scratching at the earth to bury their stash. Anna’s hummingbirds stay year-round and are chasing each other away from one of the feeders as I write this post.

I startled this little critter in the compost bin.

We had a few days of rain this week, clearing away the trapped valley smog and refreshing the air while providing moisture for the garden.

To my amazement, an unseasonable sunflower crop thrives even after a few days of frost. The plants are seven feet tall, with one promising to flower by Christmas. I’ve never grown sunflowers in winter and assumed the seeds dropped by the summer crop or planted by the squirrels would remain dormant till next spring. I’m always learning.

There are signs of life everywhere with the promise of a cheerful spring. I had naively been pulling up California poppies when they died back, but further reading advised cutting the plant back without disturbing the root system. I’m reaping the benefits of that advice with lacy green foliage throughout the front garden. My beloved hyacinth is sprouting, along with freesia and an unexpected single paperwhite Narcissus tazetta.

Our recent storm ended my leaf-raking for the year, which I will miss, believe it or not. That same storm invited weeds to sprout, and the violets are again trying to take over, so there will be plenty to keep me engaged.

I hope you have a lovely holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and all good things in the coming year.

A small gallery from two of my fairy miniature gardens:

August 14, 2021 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy: Burlap Bookmark Kits

I love it when these monthly scrappy happy posts roll around. Thank you, Kate!

If you’re reading and lurking and perhaps thinking of sharing a scrap-happy project of your own, please join us. Half the fun is coming up with your scrap-to-fabulous project, and the other half is reading all the interesting posts from others.

I recently tidied out a cupboard and hemmed and hawed over this roll of lacy burlap.

Several years ago, I dressed up as Ms. California Drought for a Halloween costume party. I made the sash from a roll of burlap but had quite a bit leftover.

Do you ever find yourself looking at something dozens of times, then seeing it in a different light? That’s what happened with the burlap. It occurred to me that I could make bookmarks, and by extension, craft kits for our Little Free Library. I remember the long summer days when I was a girl looking for something to do, especially when the heat drove us indoors mid-day.

It was fun mocking up the sample. First, I folded the top corners and secured them with a dab of glue. Next, I added a button from my stash, then colored different parts of the lace with my collection of Sharpies.

I packaged instructions and a strip of burlap in wax bags, and added them to my box of craft projects next to the children’s LFL.

Unlike all the other craft kits I’ve set out over the years, these didn’t generate much interest. After a week, only two were gone. I offered them at a neighboring LFL and they were quickly snapped up. Go figure?

I pulled together a few other craft kits for my summer crafts box including items for a make-your-own fairy garden, a couple of felt patterns and some assorted scraps for making cards, all gathered from my happily shrinking stash. The fairy garden kits went quickly

Thanks for hosting Kate. Please take a look at some of the other scrap-happy posts at the links below.

Alys

Kate, our host, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris,
Kerry, Claire, Jean, Jon, Hayley, Dawn,
Gwen, Bekki, Sue L, Sunny, Kjerstin,
Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Noreen,
Bear, Carol, Preeti, Edith, Debbierose

April 15, 2021 by Born To Organize

Thirty Days in the Garden: Oh My Gourd, It’s a Tiny Tea House

Have a look at my tiny tea house, made from a birdhouse gourd.

Here’s a bit of history: Several years ago, when my boys were still young, we planted birdhouse gourds. They were fun to grow, but they need a lot of space. When all was said and done, we ended up with two gourds.

*2015, Growing and harvesting birdhouse gourds*

The gourds took a year to dry out. I knew they were ready when I could shake them like an oversized rattle. The color changed too, from bright green to a spotted brown.

Mike drilled a bird-sized hole in one of the gourds and a few pinholes in the bottom for drainage. Year after year I dreamed of a nest of birds, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. One year I found the gourd filled with tiny pinecones, a discovery that made me laugh. Squirrels no doubt.

Today I turned the second gourd into a tiny tea house.

Tiny Tea House sign made from cyclamen petals

Like most of my miniature fairy gardens, the concept evolved. The gourd proved too small for the tea house, so I moved the furniture “outside” and created a patio instead.

I placed a battery-operated tea light in the stem of the gourd for some ambiance. It’s a perfect fit!

I fashioned a small curtain from a tattered silk scarf, then hung the curtain from a reed once used in a diffuser. Unlike full-sized drapes, it took me longer to thread the needle than to sew them.

I put more fairy lights behind the silk, delighted with the soft, romantic effect.

The gourd sits in the corner of a shallow wooden tray. The tray arrived at Christmas time, filled with delicious cheese and crackers. I knew I could put it to good use, and today was the day.

I lined the tray with moss and tiny shells from a broken necklace. I made the patio using three wooden blocks that were originally intended for rubber stamps. I applied rub-on transfers to make a leafy patio, then wedged them together on the tray. They keep the gourd in place, and they’re just the right size for the rusted furniture.

The charming tea set and the beehive were a gift from my friend Kelly. We met through blogging many years ago, and we’ve become the best of friends. I got her hooked on fairy gardening as well.

I draped Wisteria across the opening and made a small sign using a Sharpie and a cyclamen flower.

Tea is served at 4:00 sharp.

June 15, 2020 by Born To Organize

Scrap Happy in Miniature

What’s a ScrapHappy post?

It’s an opportunity, or an excuse, to make something entirely out of scraps. Our host Kate, of Tall Tales from Chiconia, encourages the use of scraps to make something useful or beautiful or both.

If you would like to join us, please see the details at the end of this post.

Several years ago, I bought a beautiful felted wool birdhouse, hung it in a tree, and patiently waited for a nesting bird to make it home. How could they resist something so appealing?

The wooly nest has a small opening, soft, felted wool for warmth, and it’s even perchless to avoid predators.

I hung the cozy nest in different trees and at different heights. Year after year, nothing, and eventually, I gave up. I forgot about it, mostly. Earlier this year, I removed it from the tree, inspected it for insects, and brought it inside.

The wool was dirty and crusty from years outdoors. Even the paper wasps were indifferent. I rinsed the nest in warm water and watched years of dirt and grime fall away. My wooly nest came clean almost immediately.

In honor of ScrapHappy June, I turned the wooly nest into a fairy house.

Felted wool birdhouse converted into a home for visiting fairies.

Once washed and dried, I removed the bottom stitching and inserted a glass sauce jar.

Glass jar viewed through nesting hole.

Now it can stand up on its own.

Jar inserted inside the birdhouse.

I tucked the wool leaves into the opening and added a piece of broken jewelry to make a window that a woodland faerie might enjoy.

An old piece of glass jewelry makes a superb window

The faerie house sits nestled under our Little Free Library.

Woolen faerie house sitting at the base of the faux tree.

My second scrappy project this month involved revitalizing a miniature version of a Little Free Library. The little, LFL is made from a cardboard box, with matchbook covers and toothpicks inside to form books. Twice, the heavy winds sent the miniature library tumbling through the yard. I knew sturdier measures were in order.

I employed a pair of joined wooden chopsticks that could be plunged deep into the soil, but they looked too new and shiny. I rubbed the sticks with the contents of my morning Roobios, and that did the trick.

I used chopsticks to make legs for the miniature LFL.

My morning tea leaves made a lovely stain.

The wee Little Free Library is in the shadow of the larger one, staked firmly into the ground. If your line of vision is in sync with your imagination, you can spot it from the sidewalk.

Refurbished miniature LFL.

Faerie’s can grab a book from the miniature LFL nearby.

As seen from the walkway.

I love repurposing items into something fun and whimsical. Creating from scraps is both challenging and rewarding, not to mention relaxing. I highly recommend it.

Check out the links below on June 15, 2020, to see the other scrap-happy posts.

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline,
Sue L, Sunny, Kjerstin, and Vera

May 14, 2020 by Born To Organize

Scrap Happy Faeries Relax at the Lake

What’s a ScrapHappy post?

If you would like to join us, please see the details at the end of this post.

This ceramic container is the base of a former cat fountain. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was a pain to keep clean. It needed a new filter once a month, and it was heavy to pick up when it was time to transport it to the kitchen.

Our three kitties now get water from several glass bowls, except Tessa, who waits for a running faucet. Mouse prefers the water draining from Mike’s morning shower. Cats!

So this…

Once upon a time: a former ceramic cat water fountain

Empty container, only three-inches deep

…became this.

A quiet retreat in miniature

I couldn’t bear to throw out the container. I started with the idea of a small garden, but the dish is too shallow. Instead, I created a miniature lake-side retreat for imaginary faeries.

I lined the container with blue painter’s tape. In retrospect, I’m not sure it made much of a difference, as the bottom doesn’t show through. I cut a piece of plastic packaging into a wedge, dividing the container into two. The wedge is held in place with more blue tape.

Container lined with leftover blue painter’s tape

A scrap of stiff plastic divides the container

A few more blue pebbles would increase the depth, but scrap happy is all about using what you’ve got on hand. Instead, I used leftover glass vase filler to create volume. I sprinkled smaller blue pebbles on top. A couple of smooth rocks from my garden act as stepping stones into the cool, blue retreat.

The other side of the container started with medium-sized pebbles, graduating to small gravel (think sandy beach). I’ve used these tiny pebbles to mulch my potted succulents.

Protruding ceramic opening wrapped with leftover jute

A mix of New Zealand seashells adds charm to the pebble beach. Those seashells flew home with me from a fabulous New Zealand holiday two years ago. They continue to remind me of a spectacular holiday as well as time with dear friends.

I added a scrap of jute twine to the tube-like opening on the gravel side of the retreat. It once housed the cord for the fountain’s pump.

Rounding out this faerie retreat are three flowering nigellas. They make perfect, faerie-sized parasols, for sheltering from the sun. Nigella seed pods remind me of a few broken umbrellas with spokes still attached, so I placed the pods in the tube for interest.