If You Are Allergic to Poison Ivy......

....you need to read this!! I found a near miracle prescription ointment that has saved me this year.

Now that summer is in full swing and we are all out in our gardens, poison ivy is a real threat. I started getting it yearly a few years ago and each season it was worse than the last. I say IF you are allergic because there are some people who are not. Like my husband and son. Frustrating.

My long-haired cat died last February. I did not get poison ivy that summer and I was thrilled. I credited it all to the fact that she was not rubbing it on me from being who knows where! 

 

So my Miss Kitty is gone, and my two kitties now do not go outside. So how did I get it this time...in my eye?

My doctor thinks it was an airborne thing.

Crazy!

Here is what is left of my latest bout with poison ivy.

It started in my eye that swelled up Sunday night with redness, itchiness and large bubble blisters underneath. And of course, until you know you have it, maybe on your hand, you scratch or touch yourself and more blisters appear. I had it all over the back and front of my neck, my jawline and one random spot on my hand.

Monday morning I called the doctor and went right in. I've learned that I cannot manage the rash on my own and that I usually need a high dose of Prednisone to get rid of it. Last year I needed two courses of Prednisone.

But going on Prednisone does not take the affects of the rash away immediately. There is still immense burning and itching and the potential to spread it on yourself. It wasn't until I called my friend Stephanie from church to let her know that I couldn't make it to Bible Study at her house that my relief came.

She suggested Clobetasol Propionate Ointment. She has a horse farm and deals with poison ivy every year too. It also comes in a cream.



I knew that name sounded familiar and when I went into my cupboard to look, there it was! My doctor had prescribed it for another totally different ailment and I never used it. I was mad at the time that I filled the prescription because it cost $35!

I used that stuff on all the different places there was a rash and within 24 hours it was significantly better. Like 90% better.

I call that a miracle drug.

So, taking the long way around to tell you, which is usually my way, there you have it. Get this stuff ASAP and cut your pain and suffering down by 10 days.

I felt it was my duty to pass this valuable information on.

You're welcome.

AnnMarie xoxo

I am sharing with these parties:

Share Your Cup

Home Sweet Home



Dad's Garden

My husband Frank's garden has been a work in progress for the last couple of years. It started with this great sign I found on Etsy.

Followed by the Lion statues, the authentic, vintage local fire hydrant and the superhero stepping stones.

Year after year he has wanted to put some funky, exotic plants in but it is a part shade, part sunny spot and nothing did well or lasted year to year.

Finally, this year I decided to go for it for Father's Day and get him a bunch of succulents. I did some research and found that for our area, it is best to plant them in a container and then move it inside for over the winter. We went together and chose those that would like our sunny/shady spot.

I woke up one morning thinking about what to use for a container that he would like, would fit in the spot and work well with the succulents. Then it hit me! What better "container" than the vintage red Radio Flyer wagon he used to pull our little boy in around the neighborhood. A perfect Father/Son memory for Dad's garden. The little boy is now almost 18 and just graduated from high school!





We tried it in the garden and thought it looked great. Then we got to work and drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage. That didn't hurt me too much because the wagon was already so rusty and beat up from sitting all these years.

With some Miracle Gro potting soil and a few rocks from our yard, we designed the garden together with some really funky succulents.

For now, we are leaving the patch of oregano to the left, the mums on either side and the ferns and Mock Orange Blossom tree behind. it. Originally Frank wanted to plant something in front of the wagon but we decided it would take away from the look. We took his two super hero stepping stones and created a path to the wagon garden. It wasn't until I was editing the pictures that I realized we had created a face!

Some close ups......



He couldn't resist putting a superhero figurine or two in the garden. I call it Kitschy, but it reflects who he is and what he likes!

Some long views....



Now, if I can keep him from putting too many plastic toys and superhero's in there, it is a cute garden that fits right in with the rest of my gardens!

Are you still planting gardens?

AnnMarie xoxo


I am linking up with these great blog parties:


You're Gonna Love It Link Party
Share Your Cup
Simple and Sweet Friday
Home Sweet Home
Vintage Charm
Thoughts of Home
Five Star Frou Frou
Happiness is Homemade
June Garden Party

As My Garden Grows

It has been especially hard this year to get the garden growing. I missed all the garden blog hops because mine just wasn't ready.


I blame it mostly on the cold weather. My garden is almost all perennials but I do like to plant annuals in pots for around the yard and the front porch. It just never fails here in the northeast that you just can't trust the weather until after Memorial Day.


At least my favorite Spring plants came back in a big way this year and flourished.


My Bleeding Heart is just huge and was full of gorgeous flowers.

The Quince bush bloomed profusely this year and my Forget Me Nots doubled in size and quantity.



I have been collecting new things for my garden since last summer. All stored over the winter, now being revealed in my garden at last.


I found this great fence at a roadside sale I just happened to drive by on the way home from Naples. I could not afford much of what the antique dealer had but the fence was $8 so I went for it.

I love how cute an old sink filled with flowers looks in the garden so I started looking for one. I found this one at the Restore. I am still looking for a faucet. The plates are a recent barn sale find. I filled the sink with my new favorite flowers, white Bacopa.

I could not pass this rusty milk can up, even though it would be the fourth one in my collection. The wheel is a barn sale find and the watering can garland is something I have had that rusted perfectly over the years.

I found this great door last year, also at a drive by sale. It was only $5.

I didn't do anything with it last summer because I didn't know if I wanted to paint it or distress it. I figured we'd put it away for the winter and then I would deal with it in the Spring.

Fast forward to Spring and I am wondering where my door is. My husband says, "oh, it's behind the grill". It never got put in the garage for the winter!

I am so glad because the fierce northeast winter weathered it so much more perfectly than I could.

I saw the idea for a garden hose wreath on Pinterest and I just made mine very simple. I just tied a garden shovel, a garden fork and some old gloves to the top.

I showed you a sneak peek of the door in my last post but I restyled it to this....
the little rocker a recent yard sale find.

Just around the right side of the same tree is where the fairies live.

And this is where the Royal Fairies live...



I mentioned a few times before that I was going to make a fairy garden in my big galvanized tub for my garden. Well, I decided that smaller is better and I am happy with my small enamel pan fairy garden.


I even found some small plates to add to her garden. The plants are small succulents and pink baby's breath. The little fairy just sits by her house all day admiring her lovely garden.

Next to the fairy garden the Poppy's are starting to bloom...

Instead of the fairy garden, I planted purple Bacopa in my huge galvanized tub again this year. Last year it grew to overflowing and was gorgeous. It is early stages....

In my middle garden, that needs a good weeding, I tried another new idea I found online.....a succulent garden in a bird bath. The birds never noticed this old wrought iron bath last year so I decided to try a new kind of garden. It has already grown and spread out.

I hung my blue shutter up again from last year and added a rusty star to the rusty shovel that was there.

Last year I found a huge ivy geranium to hang from my post that stayed beautiful all year. This year I decided to try and plant my own in the rusty old wire basket my daughter Jena gave me for Mother's Day.

I finally found a plant to survive in my aqua wire basket. It is a very hot spot and the planter is very shallow. Purslane seems to love those conditions so we will see how it does this summer. It has the sweetest pink flowers.

Along the house I have been digging out and re-doing the garden. It was so overgrown.
Last year I had a table with a chair and the shutters in this spot....

In one summer that poor table got so weather worn that I decided not to put it out in the garden again. It is being very useful in my new booth. So instead, I did a makeover on this vignette.

The chair was a roadside find. That is my Elephant Ear plant in the large galvanized bucket that hasn't started growing yet.

The plates are another cute idea I found on the many blogs I visit. I just happened to have a few left over from the garden flowers I made last year.

The large one to the right of the shutters is one I made for myself after making three others for gifts....Aqua!



My purple Iris bloomed this year after a no show last year. They are so pretty but seem to want to grow out instead of up. I know I need to move them but I am so afraid of killing them. They are unique!

I just loved these ceramic garden hands with two birds on them. It reminds me of the scripture Job 12:10 - In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

I found them at Rite Aid of all places!!



My Orange Blossom tree is a little late in blooming this year, which is magnificent when in full bloom. Here is a peek at it just starting to pop. That's my new birdhouse hanging from it. My husband got if for me from Wegmans.

I couldn't wait for the Margarita Daisies to bloom for this post, but they look about ready to pop too.

After a long day puttering in the garden, there is a place to rest and relax....

I can finally rest a little and, like my little fairy, just sit back and watch my garden grow.

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these fine blog parties:

Make It Pretty Monday

Talk of the Town

Share Your Cup Thursday

Vintage Charm

Thoughts of Home

Home Sweet Home
Anything Blue Friday
"Anything Goes" Pink Saturday
Dishing It & Digging It Link Party
Happiness is Homemade Link Party
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
Top Recipes, Crafts, and Tips of the Day from Plucky
Best of the Weekend
June Garden Party