'Our 40th Anniversary Present from Mother Nature!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome!

Like clockwork, every spring in mid-June, just before my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary, the cacti on our property bloom in a profusion of fragrant, yellow flowers.

For our 40th anniversary this year they started to bloom on June 11th and the last flower closed on June 21st. This cold-climate species of Prickly Pear cactus, named Eastern Prickly Pear, that grows like a weed here in Chicago, IL is described here.

Our patch grows, from a small neighbor's cutting taken 20 years ago, between our house and driveway, in an area sheltered from winds. These cacti are bathed in full sun with both south and west exposures. They brilliantly survive the cold weather and being buried under mounds of snow during our long winter months.

 

When we first bought our house, the previous owners had planted a wild rose bush where the cacti are now. But the ground was such a dry desert there that hubby removed the roses and we planted succulents - and later the small cactus cutting that started it all.

The cacti took over the succulents. Good thing we have the house and driveway and 'landing pad' as barriers on all sides. Otherwise those cactus plants would overgrow everything!

The yellow cactus flowers are gorgeous and their aroma is intoxicating. We enjoyed over 50 blooms this year!

YOUR TURN
Do you have cactus plants on your property? Do they flower? What is your climate? What city, state or country are your cacti in? 

Did you checkout my FREEBIES and FREE Tutorials while you're here?

Thanks for visiting - and please become a Follower and come back soon!

Peace,
LuLu

CLOSED - Giveaway! Giveaway! LuLu's 1st Blogoversary Giveaway! CLOSED

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome, 
Wow, that was fast! It's hard to believe that I've done one year of blogging already. Zip, zip, zip!

So to celebrate, I am offering you wonderful Followers, my first ever online Giveaway! This prize contains some of my favorite art supplies! All Followers of LuLu Too Beaucoup have until midnight November 27, 2010 to enter.

Super-duper mixed-media art prize package!

1. original art journal - prepped, signed and dated art journal by me  - suitable for adding your journaling, painting, sketches, collage or photos (watercolor paper, prepped with gesso, glazes, calligraphy, art writing, dimensional embellishments, ribbons on wire binding - $300 value)
2. Moleskine Cahier Large Plain Notebook (red softcover, 80 plain blank pages - 40 leaves, spine stitching, acid free paper, 16 perforated removable pages, back pocket, 8.25" x 5.25" - suitable for sketching or practicing your calligraphy).
3. Vintage 1954 art book from the Art Treasures of the World Series - Van Gogh (used book, includes many color prints in fine condition - $50 value. These art books are wonderful for studying the 'master' artists lives and art works. The plates are perfect inspiration. I have a whole set of these vintage art books!)
4. old dictionary pages (from foreign language and English dictionaries)
5. old Spanish textbook pages
6. old French textbook pages
7. old math formula pages
8. Shakespeare sonnet pages (distressed by me with tea and walnut ink)
9. vintage sheet music 
10. maps
11. organizer tote by Crop In Style (for 12" scrapbooking paper, divided interior of 3 pockets, with velcro strap to slip over handle of rolling case)
12. 3 faux-vintage softcover 'Shipshewana' travel pamphlets (perfect to use as an Art Journal, already prepped with some pages removed)
13. metal / aluminum repair tape strips (adhesive backed, can be dry embossed and painted with acrylic paints or alcohol inks)
14. pocket notepad
15. vintage divided lunch tray
16. vintage illustrated nursery rhyme pages
17. vintage illustrated cookbook pages
18. old book pages
19. two chipboard coasters
20. foam brush
21. two  B & W prints (Tower of London and Tower Bridge, suitable for painting or coloring)
22. original watercolor of The Tower of London
23. 7 Gypsies chipboard album  (small)
24. various ephemera
25. original embellishments by me for LuLu Too Beaucoup
26. various dimensional embellishments  

HOW TO ENTER

1. Become a Follower.
2. Surf my blog to determine which of my posts you like best - and note the title.
3. Add a post to your blog mentioning this Blogoversary with a link back to this Giveaway post.
4. Add a comment (in English, German or French) to this post and include the title of my blog post that you like best and why you like it (from #2 above), PLUS include your email address, PLUS include your country, PLUS include a link back to your blog post.
5. Complete your entry before DUE DATE: midnight November 27, 2010
6. One entry per email address.
   
   
   Note: To be eligible, you must have a blog, an  email account and follow this blog.

Winner will be selected by me based on your comments to this post. Winner will be announced before midnight Novemebr 28, 2010. I will email the winner to get their full postal mailing address when winner is announced. Good luck!

Thanks to all of you for following my art work! During my many ups and downs, fortunes and misfortunes, you have made this past year rewarding and incredibly inspiring for me.

Thanks for visiting - and please come back again real soon!

Peace,
LuLu

NEW FLASH! MORE PRIZES here as of Nov 14!