OZ China Town Fairy Garden

We have a bare spot in one of the front flower beds that always needs extra attention. We'd like to make lower maintenance this summer. I wasn't sure how to make this happen in a pretty way, until we received an advanced copy of the Blue Ray Combo Pack of the movie Oz the Great and Powerful (Thank you Disney!)

Then I knew.

If I could travel to Oz, I would rebuild dear, sweet China Girl's village after the Wicked Witch destroyed it and her people. China Girl stole our hearts, especially after seeing the care they took in creating her character after we watched the extra making of featurette. It must be the magic of Oz because I never was a doll person as a kid and yet China Girl ended up being my favorite character in the movie.

My China Town fairy garden, inspired by Oz the Great and Powerful

OZ is full of wonderful people and creatures. I'm sure if I rebuilt China Town as a fairy garden, the fairies would move in and keep China Girl company.

I also hope the fairies will help me out and tend our garden, because I doubt we can grow anything that comes close to director Sam Rami’s gorgeous OZ visuals but I will try.

Let's journey to OZ!

How to Make an OZ the Great and Powerful China Town Fairy Garden

How to Make a Champagne Cork Cage Chair

Husband opened a bottle of champagne and promptly popped the cork in a little basket we keep on the kitchen counter for wine cork upcycling emergencies.

He looked the wire cork cage over and issued me a challenge, "Can you come up with something to do with this? The recycling won't take it and it seems a shame to throw it away."

I sat down to thinkidy think on it.

Sit down?

There's my idea!

I made the champagne cork cage into a little bistro chair.

How to Make a Chair Out of a Champagne Cork

Socializing Miss Lacey - Our Fearful Rescue Dog

Lacey’s obedience and behavioral training is working! Lacey is consistently walking at our side 90% of the time on a loose leash. Yay Lacey!

We are now able to work on the next layer of Lacey’s behavioral issue onion – meeting other dogs and introducing her to new people and places.

Family time!

First, our behaviorist brought a fake dog into our yard and instructed Husband and I to give Lacey a verbal correction when she acted out. We use the sound AH AH because it has the force behind like a Momma Dog's You-Are-Not-Behaving-Stop-It-Right-Now bark unlike using the word NO.  The only people I knew who forcefully use NO consistently are toddlers and we are a smidge past that age.

On the one hand, it makes perfect safety sense to use a fake stuffed animal in this situation because you don’t know what reaction you are going to get from the real fearful dog. Poor fake dog has been growled at, attacked, and peed on in the line of duty. Sad fake dog face.

On the other hand, and in the crazy part of my brain that is not a responsible adult, it is funny seeing a grown man bounce a stuffed animal on a in leash in my backyard. However dedicated dog people know that sometimes you have to do strange things to help your dog learn how to be balanced and happy. Besides fake dog worked and we were able to work with his real dog on later appoints. Thank you fake dog!

2 DIY No Slip Rugs

Lacey’s decorating again. She doesn’t like my layout of the cotton rugs in the Master bath and puts her own spin on things.

Well, not exactly spin. It is more like a frantic running and sliding the rugs around so she can bark at her reflection in the bathroom mirror kind of thing.

Don’t tell Lisa but it really is a cotton rug slides on the slick floor and it is like surfing kind of thing. We worked on the dog in the mirror thing. I know it is me and I am a pretty, pretty girl!

I need a no slip rug option. It is a miracle I haven’t tripped on the bunched up rugs or slid and fallen flat on my butt while shambling in and out of the shower.  I have nightmares about trying to convince an ER doctor that no, really, I wasn’t beaten by ninjas or anything nefarious, I slipped and fell over a rug and to please leave one hand free in my body cast so I can pet my dog thank you.

I have two bathrooms. I tested two ways to make a no slip rug or bath mat. Both methods and rugs work equally well.