2025: Day 31....."Coordinating Party Stuff"

A Party Set.

What starts somewhere should go somewhere.

Things look like they started in our workroom.

But no.

Before that colors and a logo were picked.

We just follow thru 

and do some coordinating.

 

2025: Day 30....."Ring of Fire House Plant with a new Baby coming up"

 Variegated 

RING of FIRE

house plant.

Such a beauty.

I love when the variegations are 

not too white because the plant seems

so much weaker with too much white.

This one has such a 

beautiful shape and 

perfectly named.

I'm glad the price of this one has

come way down in the past year

"cuz I ain't about that craziness".  

I doubt I'll ever let this one go out and play

because it doesn't like harsh sunlight.

2025: Day 29....."Plant Light Take-Away"

 I have 7 plant lights scattered around my house.

Various kinds. Long ones. Round bulbs. Red ones.

I've found it doesn't matter. None were expensive.

They all work.

I thought I'd find a favorite but no.

My least favorite is the eerie red one.

But even that one works well and seems 

 to really help this fern from

dropping too many fronds.

I'm trying to keep it alive until I

can hang it outside for the summer.

It's doing surprisingly well in all it's eerie-ness

and here it is almost February.

I just stuck the light on a photo tripod.

Another one is this Swiss Cheese plant which

has given me challenges in the past

but look how green it is!

This inexpensive bulb from Amazon is working it's heart out 

on the above Monstera Adansonii.

It was a 2-pack so I stuck one here over this fern 

that has never grown in the winter before.

It has only lost leaves in the past.

Now it's thriving.

My take-away is get what works easiest with 

what you already have. A shelf to clip a light onto or a 

floor tripod if there's nothing to use or stick 

it in an existing lamp.

They all seem to work about the same.

Makes me wonder why I never did this before.

I think I thought it would be too expensive but

I don't think I've spent over $40 for all of them together 

and I actually love turning them all on in the morning

and checking everything out.

I know I could do timers but I need to say 

Hello to each one. (Only a plant lover would get that.)

Here’s 2 bulbs in my 

Rocky Mountain Juniper lamp

and a different kind under the tv.

I love plants. 

2025: Day 28....."Gardening in Michigan in the winter"

 

This is what you grow in Michigan in January

while waiting for spring to arrive.

My crop output would likely feed only one person

who will hardly want to cut anything and will

prefer to watch it grow than eat it.

Because watching it grow is a fun part too.

The garden looks like this. 

Where the only pop of color is a 

metal gecko.

We're waiting for your glorious return.

2025: Day 27....."Deep holes in Wolverine Lake"

 Wolverine Lake has some deep holes.

Kinda looks like deep tunnels though to me

boring down into the earth.

52', 33', 26'.

Why does my mind visualize some

really big fish down there?

Ugh.

I know there are 

Northern Pike.

If one came up to the surface

and near me

while I was floating in a raft I 

would consider it the Loch Ness monster.

2025: Day 26....."Paper or Plastic"

 

Paper or Plastic?

Ok...paper stands nice & upright.

 That's good.

Ok...only carry it by the bottom or

you get this.

I can carry 6 plastic bags all at once.

I think I made my choice.

And there's this:

2025: Day 25....."Valentine's Day LOVE Clipart"

Valentine's Day is coming up.

If you want to look like you drew 

some cool artwork maybe you could use this.

You can drag this one here onto your computer or

go to a fun site for more ideas:

Creative Fabrica.

 

2025: Day 24....."Gambling & Casino PARTY STUFF"

We've done a pile of gambling & casino

PARTY STUFF!

I mean a really big pile! Just looking at

that picture and I feel like I want to take a nap.

But what we do most of is foamcore

SLOT MACHINES.

We now have 3 different sizes to fit

3 different budget price points because

we try to fit in where folks are at.

We can do any colors but red & black rules.

Here's a page I send out with some prices in

each category to help folks decide because

describing things without a picture just isn't adequate.

We've even done them for weddings.

 

2025: Day 23....."Mamie Eisenhower Bangs"

 You know that saying:

 "She's got Bette Davis eyes".

Well.... not in my case.

"She's got Mamie Eisenhower bangs"

She's got some attitude also but

it's not about the 50's bangs.

(It was a picky uncomfortable

dress and I wasn't happy about

wearing it or getting my picture taken.)

But in 2025 I think it's funny.

(Both me and Mamie's bangs.)

No wonder Mamie is smiling.

It's because her sleeves don't look picky at all!

Apparently my Mom wanted me to look

fashionable because she was in charge of

my hair in the 1950's.

Thanks Mom.

Sorry for the attitude in my 8 year old self.

Stylin' Mamie Eisenhower:

2025: Day 22....."Sweet Treats Gift Card Box"

 So colorful!

Just like candy really is.

Except chocolate. 

So brown.

Yet delicious.

This gift card box is more like the sticky

sweet colorful kind of candy.

I have a hugely large file of images of

candy that tastes like foamcore 

when we make it because it is.

We don't eat it but it looks delicious.

Foamcore candy is the kind the dentist likes

because it doesn't affect your teeth even if

you did decide to eat it. You'd be so disappoint though.

Foamcore is not tasty.

But it makes a lovely Gift Card Box to 

collect party envelopes. Then you can dig

into the trapdoor in the base and get out

those delicious gifts that folks left 

for you at your party.

And your teeth will love you for it.

2025: Day 21....."Dill Pickle Beer"

Tell me this doesn't look so delicious!

The little red dots are hot sauce.

There is a pickle on the bottom soaking

in the beer.

I love this creativity.

It's available at the 

Great White Buffalo Brewery in

Northville.

If you like beer, give it a try.

If you like to read reviews, check

out reviews I've made on Google.

I get no money for this. 

I read reviews before I decide to go somewhere and

I honestly review places I have been.

I find it's helpful and sometimes saves me some grief 

and gives me some insight.

Google Local Guides Reviews

 

2025: Day 20....."A squirrelly interloper"

 Scott woke up in the middle of the 

night worrying about a squirrel that

may or may not be in his condo that he

checks on weekly. The fireplace screen

was suspiciously open a crack and he saw a quick

glimpse of a squirrel.

He opened the front & back doors and hoped it ran out.

I said go back to sleep and 

we'll go there tomorrow. We did.

We walked in the door and here's what we saw.

• 

Uhhh....Oh..not a good first impression.

Then I glimpsed a little face under a big pillow on

the couch where he had settled in and

taken ownership of the condo.

Little did he know that Scott was not going

to allow that and feed him like a homeless person.

He no longer lives there. 

He didn't even fill out a rental agreement either.

 

2025: Day 19....."Silver Squill aka Leopard Lily & another really long name”

I couldn't resist this plant.

It has all the things I like in a plant...freeform, 

swirly and designs on the leaves like 

they've been painted.

And it was flowering too! 

It has 3 names:

Leopard Lily

Silver Squill

Ledebouria Socialis

Aren't those leaves so unique~!

It's from the hyacinth family and the tiny flowers

do resemble the look but are pretty delicate 

and produce no delicious smell like hyacinths do.

It makes bulbs which can be separated to

make new plants. That's always a plus for me.

I like to propagate, watch them grow and

then share...especially at the Lakes Area plant swap 

in the spring and fall.

I already figured out how to do that

when the time comes because You Tube

makes learning that stuff so easy.

I found it at Willow Greenhouse in Northville, MI 

If you live in the area let me know if 

you'd like to trade a plant.

(marlyss@mac.com)

2025: Day 18....."Winter Action on the Lake"

My view out the window. 

We have some energizer bunnies out there

 on Wolverine Lake.

Ice rink. Pretty nice size one too.

Snowmobile swirlers and twirlers.

You go people.

I'm reading a good book.

2025: Day 17....."Syngonium Little Star/Real/Unreal"

Took some creative license. 

Used the Apple feature that crops out the background.

I love the way it races around the outline of the

part you want to crop. 

Not perfect but then there are

apps to erase its mistakes and gives me a chance

to use my Apple Pencil and Snapseed to 

brighten things up.

Added some frosted windows in the background

 and made them blue-ish.

Unreal. Fake. Yet a real plant I have that's 

from the rainforest in Central America and I

purchased it from Home Depot.

That's how the world works in 2025.

2025: Day 16....."I spy with my little eye"

 I'm that person who wonders what other

good books people are reading.

I would be that person on a plane looking 

more at the book in your hand than your face.

I was at Panera and I noticed a lady my age sit

down with her lunch and a book.

I was so curious.

I was ready to leave so I casually (I hope) put on

my coat while closer to her table and took a peek.

This is the book I am now reading.

Thanks Panera Lady.

I'm on Chapter 7 and it's good.

I like the Panera Lady's choice in books.

Recommendations are helpful and they

all can't come from 

Amazon or Facebook Book sites.....

or Susie next door.

2025: Day 15....."If I could sing"

 If I could sing like one person my #1 choice would be

JANIS JOPLIN.

But I can't sing.

But I do… only in the car by myself.

Janis Joplin's voice is like no other.

It has so much rustic raw emotion.

She kills it on every song.

I’m wowed by her. I wish I knew her in person.

It might have been rough knowing her but

it would have been amazing and unforgettable.

This would have been her 

groupie/best friend/time traveler who could sing.

2025: Day 14....."Glitter in our eyes"

 Yes. We've been known to get

glitter in our eyes. 

Also, glitter along our

arms and in surprising places.

Glitter and foamcore go together 

like peanut & jelly.

It helps that we love glitter.

But we also agree to make things

without glitter so don't feel bad for

asking us to refrain from sparkling up.

We can handle it.

But pretty much 90% of our candlelighting

centerpieces have glitter.

Only about 10% of our guitar centerpieces 

have glitter accents but the trend is gaining traction.

I can't image there is a color glitter we don't have or are

not willing to scout out and add to our collection.

But I will tell you that black glitter is my least favorite.

It catches no light by it's very nature.

Not sure why they even make it.

But we have it.

Sparkle 'n Shine.

2025: Day 13....."Plants on a Plane"

A year ago I brought some leaves

home from Florida on a plane.

The lady at the Airbnb we 

stayed at threw out many long

vines of these in the trash in

front of her house.

I gasped when I saw them.

I pulled some out

because I do things like that.

I only had a small carry on to

return home with since we

were flying cheaply and didn't stay 

too long in Florida (only a long weekend).

I snipped them into segments making

sure to have a node on each segment.

Then I stacked them between wet

paper towels and put them in a

ziplock bag and hoped for the best.

I wasn't sure TSA would let me bring

them home but they did. 

They scanned them and I went on my way.

I had about 5 leaves.

Oh I so wish I could have brought the

entire garbage can home with me!

Why didn't I think of this solution?

I left them in water for 

a few months until they rooted.

Then I planted them.

By then the original leaves were

getting pretty ratty so I clipped them off.

Here's what I have a year later.

Hawaiian Pothos.

Not huge leaves but big enough

for me and glorious variation.

2025 Version

About 3 feet high now.
 

 

2025: Day 12…..”Elvis in Beale Street”

Sunday Funday included some delicious ribs 

and collard greens from

Beale Street Smokehouse in Fenton.

As good as the food was, the decor was

just as fun……especially 

the fun Elvis memorabilia wall.

Here's my Google Maps Review of it in 2024 in case

you might want to check it out for yourself.

2025: Day 11....."Peanut Cactus"

It took a long time for cactus plants to grow on me.

I mean not really grow ON me..grow with me.

 I LOVE this one.

It started so little in early 2024 but I didn't care.

I like to get to know a plant.

I purchased it at Willow Greenhouse

here in Michigan.

I was hoping it would curl and drape and it did!

I have it in my bedroom in an east window.

I've occasionally added a bit of cactus fertilizer.

(See pic below.)

It knows I love it.

You know plants really do know if you love them, right?

It is alive after all.