Spring at Last!

It's been a long cold winter with heaps of snow! 

Spring is here at last! 

Well sort of...

This is Spring in Minnesota!

 

 

Just last week we had a really heavy snowfall. Squirrel had just finished his breakfast at our bird feeder and was on his way back to his cozy bed in the trees. We've had almost 80 inches of snow this year. We haven't had this much snow since 1983.

 

 

 

 

Even Guy is over loving the snow. His time outside has been about 8 minutes. We walk down the path from the back door to his perch and then he jumps down and runs to the door for me to let him in. If it's windy he doesn't last that long! Sometimes I just carry him on my shoulder and after a couple of minutes that's enough outdoor time for both of us. We are becoming wimps in our old age! 

The good news is all this snow has erased our drought conditions. I'm hoping for a lovely year when all the snow melts!

I found a very cute little yellow chick for you to gaze upon for a moment.

Hope you're enjoying a nice Spring wherever you are. 

Hugs from Diane & Guy Noir

 

 

The Dancing Bunnies

Spring is here! Yesterday felt like spring, warm sun and light breezes enveloped my back yard! It was so pleasant after the cold brutal winds we'd had the day before. The air had been scrubbed clean and the only scent was of spruce and pine mixed with the warming earth.

I've been using the image of dancing bunnies for awhile now in my Etsy shop and decided that they were so cute that I would add them to my blog too.  I thought I remembered a poem about dancing bunnies and I found this one by English poet Elizabeth Coatsworth.  This poem happens to be about dancing in the winter, but I know they also dance in the spring, summer and fall, because I've actually seen them!

Dancing Rabbits

We who play under the pines,

We who dance in the snow,

That shines blue in the light of the moon,

Sometimes halt as we go.

Stand with our ears erect,

Our noses testing the air,

To gaze at the golden world,

Behind the window there.

Suns they have in a cave,

And stars each on a tall white stem,

And the thought of fox or night owl,

Seems never to trouble them.

They laugh and they eat and are warm,

Their food seems ready at hand,

While hungry out in the cold

We little rabbits stand.

But they never dance as we dance,

They have not the speed nor grace,

We scorn both the cat and the dog,

Who lie by the fireplace,

We scorn them licking their paws,

Their eyes on an upraised spoon,

We who dance hungry and wild,

Under a winter's moon.

Elizabeth Coatsworth

Songs of the Rabbits Outside the Tavern 

 

While I've not seen bunnies wearing bows in my backyard, I have seen them jumping, running and playing with each other and with the squirrels. Even though the cute bunnies grow up to be hungry rabbits I still love seeing them and forgive them their transgressions while feasting on my tulips!

Have a lovely week my friends! 

I hope you're enjoying some spring-like weather wherever you are!

~~ Diane ~~

 

March into Spring!

March, in like a lamb, out like a lion! That saying seems so true as we saw warmer temperatures at the beginning of the month take a dive and now more snow is in the forecast!  You'll really need to cuddle up close to someone to stay warm, just like the bunny and duck below!

The Golden Egg Book was written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Lilian Obligado. Vintage 1962 publication by Golden Press, NY. A Little Golden Book.

I'm sharing some cheerful Spring and Easter images with you today. The books and the basket of chicks are available in my Etsy shop.  Click on the links if you are interested in finding out more about them.

These vintage wind-up Peek-A-Boo Chicks are simply adorable! As with many of the old wind-up toys, they don't work all the time, but they're still very cute!

The Fuzzy Duckling is a Big Golden Book. One morning the fuzzy duckling goes for a walk and meets a variety of animals along the way.  In the photo above he meets up with some lambs. Gorgeous illustrations on every page! Vintage hardcover book measures 12 1/4" x 9 1/4", great images for framing!

My house is finally decorated for Spring and Easter, even though today we are having a snowstorm! But that's the way it is here in Minnesota, and I have to remind myself that just a few years ago we had a huge snowstorm in early May!

I love these large milk chocolate eggs I found at Costco.  My husband could hardly wait until I finally let him have one after I was done taking pictures!  The bowl is vintage, I inherited it from my Mom and it was a gift to her from an Aunt, so it must be over 50 years old. The music box chick is a newer piece.

I hadn't purchased chocolate bunnies for years, but couldn't resist these cuties in their bright packaging.  The tablecloth is a vintage hand embroidered piece, I purchased it from an Etsy shop several years ago.

And finally, one of my new favorites, this is a vintage hand embroidered table-runner. I am in love with this sweet little duck! My husband found this at an estate sale and knew I would like it!

I wish you all a Happy Spring and a Joyous Easter....

Oh, and if you live in a climate like mine

you shouldn't have any trouble finding those hidden Easter Eggs.

Just follow the Bunny tracks in the snow!

~~ Diane ~~

Summer in the City

No I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I am still here!
Just busy, oh so busy. Trying to fit in all the summer, work and play activities ... so little time and so much to do!

Because of course now is the time for garage, estate sales and flea markets!

 This cute Bunny shaped baby dish is from the 1950's.
It sold the day after I listed it! I can see why, it's cute as can be!

But.....



Even Cuter than that are these darling cardboard wall art figures of
"The Three Little Kittens". Including  Mom and the Pie! They are available in my shop.

 "I love you this much!!"

 

"Where's the tea?"

"Oh, we're so sorry Mom, somehow we lost our mittens, 

but please can't we have some pie?"

Now I must go on this lovely evening and 

catch up with all of you on your blogs. 

See you soon! 

~ Diane ~

Spring into Action

Spring will be here in just a few hours, the calendar says the first day of spring is March 20th. I am happy to say that it is starting to look like the beginning of spring around here too. Some plants are emerging from the leaf litter and showing their little green leaves.  The grass is starting to grow.

The most evident sign of spring was last week, when I heard a flock of geese overhead.  They were surveying our lake to see if there was open water to land.  Our pond has melted at the edges, just enough room for the ducks to start paddling around. We have a flock of about 25 mallards here right now.  Some of them will head on north as the ice melts off the northern lakes.

The geese stopped to look around a bit for nesting spots, but left in search of a larger lake.  They will come back as things melt and they have more room to swim around.  We may have some flowers soon if the warmer weather continues! Until that happens, here are some cute Vintage Spring things to cheer you up!

For more information about each item, simply click on the highlighted title above each item.

Isn't this just one of the cutest bunnies you've ever seen!

Bunny Rabbit Planter

Here are more cute things I've added to my shop this past week.  Some have been sitting on shelves for awhile and it's time to send them on to new homes. Just remember that even if you are in another country, like the UK, as long as you've been a follower and have left comments here, I will gladly quote you a shipping price. Just go to my Etsy shop CraveCute and leave me a message.




Fuzzy Duckling Book

Three Lambs Jumping a Fence

Bunnykins Windy Day Mug

Yellow Chicks Salt and Pepper Shakers

Rosina "JUNE" Teacup

These cute chicks aren't listed yet, but should be in my shop soon.

I hope you enjoyed this little spring trip through my shop.  If you're wondering, the "paintings" are my photos digitally enhanced with photo editing tools. Just another thing for me to waste time with! I do like the way they turned out though! I wish I could actually paint like that! Thanks so much for visiting, I'll try and catch up with your blogs soon. ~ Diane

What kind of things are you doing to 

get ready for Spring?

Cute Spring Chicks

Nothing says spring more than a bunch of cute baby animals, 

so for this weeks cute fix, I am featuring primarily chicks.

Click on the image for the source.

 

 

 

I couldn't resist this cute picture!

 

 

 

These little fuzzy fabric chicks are made by a creative
crafter/blogger and are available in The Vanilla Squirrel shop.

I hope you have enjoyed these little darlings!
Welcome Spring!

Oh Spring! Where art thou?

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first
spring day is another.  The difference between them is
sometimes as great as a month.

Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933)
 

I am really trying to get into the spring spirit here, but it has been very difficult! In my imagination this is what spring looks like......

This is what we actually have.......

As you see, I have been amusing myself with a new spring header and cleaner look for my blog.
I will continue to add springtime images here and there to try and perk up my winter-worn senses.

What is the one thing that signals to you 

that spring is really here?

Fairy Tales and The Bon Ami Chick . . .

I came across this very unusual little booklet in a batch of old cookbooks. It is one of those peculiar things that just grabs your attention because it is so different. It is quite old, the booklet was printed in 1926.

The Chick That Never Grew Up by George W. Davey was published in 1926 by the Bon Ami Corporation. It is a clever fairytale that explains how Bon Ami cleanser and the little chick came together. 

This is the story of Princess Bon Ami (pronounced Bon Amee). The Princess gave her Bunny Nation a task. They were to find the 'Household's Greatest Friend', a product that would clean without scratching. Below are a few excerpts of text I pulled from the booklet. I quite enjoyed the lyrical quality of the rhymes and the lovely illustrations.

"So Bunny Bright and Bunny White

Set forth that very day,

They traveled both by day and night,

Till they were far away,

And when they reached the rainbow's end

They found the 'Household's greatest Friend'."

"Now as they traveled, homeward bound

A Chick they chanced to meet.

They said "Good morning, Little Chick."

The little Chick said "Tweet."

Said they, "You've never scratched, we'll bet."

The Chick replied, "No, never yet."

Said Bunny Bright,"O, Little Chick,

I can most plainly see

That you must come right back with us

To Princess Bon Ami;

This magic cleaner will not scratch

So you and it are just a match!"

Then to the little Chick she said:

"Drink from this golden cup

And you shall always be a chick

And nevermore grow up;

And everywhere the world shall see

A little chick with Bon Ami."

Then said the Princess Bon Ami,

"This cleaner is so fine

That I will name it 'Bon Ami'

And thus will make it mine.

And this wee chick shall always be

The sign and seal of Bon Ami."

And now you know the story of Bon Ami and the Little Chick.