Not-So-Silent Night

Last night while Mr. Peanut went out to potty before bed, he took off around the corner again. This time I didn't question it and followed him, wondering if the snowmen were still here. This time, I heard music and saw colorful lights.

Two ice reindeer were glowing near the area we found the snowmen just a few nights before. Their colors and bodies shifted gently to the music. What a lovely display. Apparently fairy magic can even make ice come to life!

Mr. Peanut and I went back inside. It's wonderful to have so many lovely surprises right in my back yard.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

Light and Laughter

Recently, a new development took place here at Grandma's Enchanted Fairy Garden. I took Mr. Peanut out to go potty before we went to bed as we usually do, but just before we were ready to go back inside, Mr. Peanut stopped and looked at me. "What?" I asked. He looked in the direction of my garden, his ears perked and his nose sniffing the air. He quickly left the front porch and head toward the back.

"Mr. Peanut, where are you going!?" I followed his wagging tail around the corner and looked in the direction he was heading. I saw a faint light that I hadn't noticed before. Could this be what Mr. Peanut sensed? I moved closer and realized there was a sound coming from the direction as well. Maybe this is what Mr. Peanut heard that caught his attention. I got closer to investigate.

Mr. Peanut was very interested but very quiet and sat calmly until I reached the light. I realized the sounds I heard were laughter! Two snowmen were swinging all alone but seemed very joyful. "Wheee!" said the young one on the swing. "Not too high," said the other in a careful tone. They seemed to be a father and son. I listened as they sang a Christmas song together and applauded lightly when they finished before introducing myself.

"Oh how wonderful that we have this chance to meet," said the father. "It's been quite warm during the day when I've been told you visit often so I was hoping we would happen upon you one night."
I smiled. "You can thank Mr. Peanut here for that. I was ready to go back inside but he heard your laughter and I followed him over here. I'm happy to meet you."
"My son and I would like to thank you for making such a wonderful place for us to swing by on our travels." We all laughed at his pun and sang some songs together before Mr. Peanut and I called it a night.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

New Purchases: Parkview Nursery

During my recent visit to Parkview Nursery in Riverside (to read about my trip and see pictures of a lot of wonderful stuff they sell, please CLICK HERE), I brought home a few irresistible items that I'd like to show you.

This father and son are enjoying a winter swing. This piece was the only winter-themed item I picked up during this trip but there were plenty to choose from. Believe it or not, this item lights up very bright and is battery operated.

These two fairies are enjoying their pets, out for a morning ride, hoping and running. These two look like they could be sisters, matching wings and clothes, which makes for easier character development. There were a handful of fairies with companion animals.

These two girls are best friends in their new home. I was very happy to find that this duet was the perfect size for this wagon. Often times, it can be difficult to find fairies and props proportionate to one another, but Parkview Nursery has a large selection to choose from, including an array of sizes.

This is a clothes line where fairies can hang their cleaned clothes on. This is a hot ticket item! This unique piece can easily fit into any fairy garden scene which is probably why they're flying off the shelves! If you're interested in this piece, you need to visit ASAP. Also, if you know of any other locations that sell pieces like this, I'd be interested to know because I think having a few different clotheslines would be a cute addition to my fairy garden.

Since none of these pieces have found a home in my garden yet, I would like to open up the floor to allow any of My Fairy Folks to suggest names for any of the fairies (or snow people) above. Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG
grandmasefg@gmail.com
Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

Surprise Visit for the Holidays

Twinkle the Elf has brought a present for his friend and a cheerful personality to share with the rest of the residents of Grandma's Enchanted Fairy Garden.

This morning my dog, Mr. Peanut, began barking for apparently no reason. I finally got him to quiet down when I realized what had caused this reaction. I heard a light tapping on my window - tap, tap, tap. "What is that?" I asked as Mr. Peanut began to bark again. I pulled back my curtains to find a small elf with a large smile, waving at me through the window pane. I went outside to greet the elf who introduced himself as Twinkle; the name rang a bell. He explained that he had traveled from the North Pole and planned to see his friend, Pierre (pictured to the right), but admitted that he was a little early since it was a surprise visit. "Oh, you're Pierre's friend from the North Pole. I remember him talking about you last year," I said. I told Twinkle that I would get in contact with Pierre who visits King Edward and Queen Marlissa in Mountain Lakes every year around this time.

Twinkle has a bright personality that matches his eyes, a smile as warm as a hug and a nose that reminds me of Bob Hope.

My favorite thing about Twinkle are his dimples - I can't help but smile every time I look at that joyful face.

If any of My Fairy Folks have photos of their festive fairy garden, please send them to me via email with a paragraph description so I can share it on my blog.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

Winter Scene in a Basket

This basket was gifted to me last year and has housed a few seasonal container gardens. This rendition is a fun winter scene with a fairy who wants to swing, no matter the weather.

Another gifted basket that has lived through a few scenes, I replaced the plants and added some winter decor, including this snowman centerpiece.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Fairy Garden Class - Frosty Winter

Anastasia looks beautiful in her full gown that blends in with this winter scene.

There is a chill in the air, reminding us that a new season has arrived, and with it is a new opportunity for decorative container gardens. This is the first Winter garden of the season that begins with the usual container with drainage holes, gravel and potting soil. This time around I bought my plants at Lowes and settled on four plants; I picked up alyssum, dianthus and dwarf snapdragons as well as dusty miller plants.

I placed the plants along the outside of the container, leaving space in the middle for room to get creative.

Once I was happy with the placement of my plants, I began to add elements to build my theme. The plastic snowflakes, nutcrackers and silver frills are all leftover items from last Christmas. I used fine white gravel to imitate snow and punched it up with some glitter.

By leaving empty space in the middle of this container garden, I've allowed room for many possibilities. Anastacia thinks it is a lovely place and is an example of how to add one simple centerpiece.

Another option is to add more than one center piece and create a scene. Here I've added a small house, some frosted trees and a quaint swing where Gloria has taken residence.

If you have some festive winter gardens you'd like to share, please send me your pictures and a small paragraph of some information on your creation.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Fairy Garden Class - Work With What You've Got

What if I told you that the Winter fairy garden I created using the items above cost me less than $10? Unbelievable, right? Well, in a sense I spent more but the snowmen were the only items I bought this year to make this festive scene. This month's class is a focus on using what you already have on hand.

This tray has been in my house for 10 years, holding jewelry and the like in my bedroom. I decided it would be a good base for my scene. The fact that it has a colorful spring design makes it difficult to be part of a winter scene, but that can be covered up as I chose to do with a few sheets of white wrapping paper found at the dollar store (that I'm sure some of you have leftover from the holiday season). Since the tray is only needed as a raised base, I flipped it upside down and tucked the paper covering underneath.

These trees have been used multiple times in my winter scenes. The snowflakes came in a package and were also leftover from a previous winter scene. The wood in the background is a piece I found that was just the right size for most scenes and is also used in many backgrounds. The white saucer is from a potted plant that I have in my yard.

I added a few more trees in the background because, why not. And I bet you didn't even notice the wick on the top of the snowy tree on the left. That's right, those trees are candles!

For a more natural look, nix the saucer and set the snowmen on the snowy base. There's no wrong way to create a scene.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

Winter Non-Festival, Oops

As the days lingered, the Elves realized that there was a lot less activity in the community than last year. The packs of customers who constantly filled the store last year were no where to be found. Finally, the elves discovered that due to the huge celebration to commemorate the King's Return, year-end holiday celebration funding was cut short. The majority of the community members were out of town but here you can see three fairies gorging themselves on sweets. Simone on the left, Julip on the right and sweet Ivy in the middle who seems to be suffering from a toothache from all that candy.

Myleene is very photogenic and shows off her holiday decorations.

Myleene's home looks quite festive.

The trees in Woodland Grove are frosted over, giving a natural looking decor.

New to Woodland Grove but not to the community, Loopy (left) and Zoe-Zoe decided to move their home for a new view.

These Frosted Ferns are gorgeous and festive.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

Fairy Garden Class - Terrarium, Home Edition

Terrarium Essentials; container, potting mix, pebbles, charcoal and potted plant(s). Optional; coffee filter, moss, decor

Add pebbles to the container. Pebbles will allow water to drain to the bottom of your container without drowning your plant. Your best bet is dark colored pebbles. This will keep your terrarium pretty when soil undoubtedly finds its way down to the bottom.

If you'd like to use moss, now is the time to use it. You can find moss in many different styles to add texture and color.

Next, I placed a coffee filter atop the moss. Why, you ask? Please, scroll down.

On top of the coffee filter is charcoal. I'd done some research online that suggested this method keeps odor from lingering. The coffee filter keeps the charcoal from dispersing down through the moss while still allowing water to pass through to its final destination amongst the pebbles.

Nearly done, I've added potting mix. If you are planning on planting succulents/cactus, you will need to use a potting mix specific for them since it allows more water to pass through (unlike the potting mix I'll be using).

Finally, plant those lovely flora in your potting soil. Slow-growing, ground cover, miniature or dwarf plants are good for terrariums. You want a plant that won't outgrow this container too quickly.

And here is our finished product! I've added some white pebbles to add to the festive winter scene. This container has a lid that traps moisture in which may fog up the glass but also means less watering (be careful not to over water). The pebble layer at the bottom really helps to remind you when a terrarium needs water or is being watered too much. To avoid mineral build up, be sure to use distilled water. You also might want to carefully wipe any remnants of watering from your container to prevent water spots.

Here is the same container with the snowman swapped out for a dainty little table and tea set. Be sure not to put any terrarium in direct sunlight. Just like a parked car on a hot day, things heat up real quick!

As you can see, terrariums are easy to start, easy to keep up with and easy to switch out decor with the changing seasons! Feel free to let me know how your terrarium turned out.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel

The Elves Cottage

Last year the elves were the last to show up for the Winter Festival but when I stepped out into my Fairy Garden earlier this week, I saw that they decided to be the first to arrive this year!

They've spruced up their area a bit and have created a more welcoming space, complete with candy seats and a candy-lined pathway.

These trees are also a new addition to this area in the hopes that they can block the cold winter winds from fairies who come to visit the sweets shop.

The colorful candy-lined pathway was a good idea, but they might have to think about repaving it with something else because the ice is very slippery. It is a little silly to see the elves glide around.

PLEASE COME VISIT MY FAIRY PAGE

www.facebook.com/GrandmasEFG

grandmasefg@gmail.com

Grandma'sEFG YouTube Channel