Dear Sisters

Dear Sisters
Highland 12th Ward Sisters

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Play Houses For Big Girls...She Sheds!


I Want A Playhouse!

Paula's darling Chawton Cottage.
Paula's playhouse is in the backyard of her historic Payson home.
Paula's blog post is here Building Chawton Cottage.

My friends are starting to build back yard playhouses for themselves.  "She Sheds"... a name I am not fond of...are popping up all over Pinterest and the blogging world.  I set out to do a post on gardening and made the mistake of spending too long on Pinterest.  "Gardening" led to "Flowers,"which took me to "Fun Containers for Flowers" and on and on until I got to "Fun Garden Sheds to Decorate with Fun Containers for Flowers."  You can see where I made my mistake...lol!

I am a bit envious of my friends.  I once had a "She Shed" of sorts.  George built it as an addition to a new garage some years back.  It had a lot of cupboards and counter space with floor to ceiling shelves.  I spent many happy crafting hours in my little potting shed.  I decorated it with vintage thrift store finds and had shelves full of craft supplies.  The downside was no running water, heat or air conditioning.  Gradually my projects started moving back indoors.  George built me a craft and sewing room downstairs and my little playhouse became storage.

My "She Shed" today.
We are re-doing the concrete of the covered porch due to damage 
done by the aggressive roots of a large willow tree.

The following are some pictures of darling little garden houses that any grown-up little girl at heart would love to play in...or just dream in. The styles are as varied as the imagination of the women who love them.  I've included links to a few of them.  Gardening as a means to an end...becoming more self sufficient...doesn't mean we cannot find joy in the process.  My bad knees restrict a lot of yard activity for me, but I just love visiting a beautiful garden.  The little girl in me still dreams of a "Wendy House."


This rustic shed is my favorite. Jenny's Garden Shed 

This could be the retreat of a novelist...writing the next "Gone With the Wind."

This darling Victorian was created from an outhouse blueprint.

The blogger who built this lovely hideaway named her "Miss Potter."

This lavender dream house would be perfect for my granddaughter
 Macy who loves purple and lots of bling.   She Sheds  

This would be a fun retreat for a Harry Potter fan.
I can see the Weasley's living here.

No link, but I really love the shingles.
I would love a craftsman-style play house!

Here are some links to three of my blogging friends' posts.  Dorothy loves dolls and dachshunds.  She just moved into her new retreat which she has filled with things she loves.  Her little dogs love to curl up and nap in little dolls beds.  Her link...Dorothy.

Kim K. lives in Michigan on a wooded lot.  Her hideaway is in a tree house.  Red mushrooms and gnomes hide in her garden.  Kim's She Shed.  Kim has just decorated a darling lakeside A-frame cabin with vintage camping gear...she really has two playhouses!

And finally...what can I say about my friend Jann?  Jann lives in Alpine and is one of the most creative...and energetic...people I know.  Her home and garden decor varies from week to week.  I'm lucky to finally get the last vestige of Christmas off my front porch, while she has created beautiful vignettes in her flowere beds.  She's now in the process of adding a "She Shed" to her garden.  I cannot wait to see what she does with it.  Here is a link to Jann's post about more fun garden houses. She Shed He Said

Here is a German "Gartenhaus." 

Sisters, our female ancestors often found joy in their labors.  Life wasn't just work and drudgery. Throughout time, women have found ways to beautify their homes and gardens...no matter how humble.  It's fun to dream about spaces just for us...but it's also fun to add little touches of creativity to the spaces we have.  Pinterest is just full of ideas to choose from.  Some are so easy...even I can do them!

Fun and fast...I added succulents to colorful old tins.

Or this idea from Pinterest.
The color just blows me away!
(I wonder where they found those tins?)

Provident Living....Wonder Box/Oven

Picture from I Will Prepare 

This week's RS newsletter had information on the Wonder Oven or Wonder Box.  I am posting the link to the site with the instructions for making one of these.  The site is called I Will Prepare and the link is here...Wonder Box/Oven.

Thanks for visiting, Sisters!

PS...May Provident Living Goals are located top right.