Nature Girl

Hello and Happy New Year, my friends! There is something right in my backyard that brings me great joy, and I'm hoping to share a little bit of it with you. I am a total nature girl at heart, so I was thrilled when we bought a house with a backyard full of trees. If you've been following my blog for a while, you have probably seen some of the things I did to draw animals to my balcony when I lived in an apartment. Now that I've got all these trees, the possibilities have really expanded. We hadn't lived here for very long at all before I started hanging feeders from the limbs. I am happy to say that our yard has quickly become a major hot spot for all kinds of wild critters. I often joke that a Disney movie lies just beyond my kitchen window, and now I've got some proof to back up that statement.

Here's a short video to show what kind of action goes down in our trees. If
you look closely, you will see doves, sparrows, cardinals, and a very creative squirrel.



The squirrels eat the food spilled by the birds, but they also like to run up the pole of the shepherd's hook to shake down more when the supply on the ground runs low. Clever little things, aren't they? I know a lot of people consider squirrels a nuisance, but I always want animals to feel safe and welcomed here. I make sure they have plenty to eat and drink, and they have started to rely on my yard as a food source. They visit our place all year round, rain or shine.



Anytime I'm near a window facing this area, I like to stay for a moment and watch all the creatures eat, flitter around, bathe, and perch in the trees. I find a lot of my inspiration from this little piece of nature..



This Blue Jay Bookmark was completely inspired by the actual blue jays which eat right out of a cup of seed I have on the deck. Doesn't this guy have the cutest little beak?



My space reminds me of a tiny, contained forest. It's only 1/4 acre of land, nestled firmly into a suburban neighborhood. But we've got a wall of trees surrounding our backyard, and everything seems quite perfect in this one little spot of the world.



When I applied this concept to my work, this was the result:
The Enchanted Forest In A Jar Pendant.



And then of course there are these guys...



Since all of these things I make are so close to my heart, it is not unusual for me to make extras so that I can keep some for myself and list some in my shop. This was definitely the case with the Glitter Acorn Necklace I recently listed.



In fact, I ended up making one of each color to keep.



My backyard really comes in handy when it's time to photograph my items too.



The tree limbs worked out perfectly for photographing the acorn necklaces, and I actually used the birdbath as a backdrop too. I read that birds are more likely to use a birdbath when there are stones inside to draw them to the water and to provide many different depths for birds of all sizes. I was trying to achieve the look of a crystal-clear stream, but now you know the truth- it's my birdbath!



I truely love the inside of our house and the various nooks and crannies where I make myself comfortable, but I think this little outdoor world is my absolute favorite part of our home. Which part of your dwelling are you particularly fond of?

P.S. I recently participated in my very first swap with a blogger I completely adore. She perfectly grasped my personality overall, including my love of nature. Watch for my next post to see the magical things I received in my package from down under!