Old crafty- I think the stones are the kind you get at Wal Mart, Joanne's & Michael's that we call decorative glass marbles or 1/2 marbles. If you have Hobby Lobby they probably have them too. They come in several sizes. Jan

mine - or should I say my daughters - Ah! who am I kidding! It may be enjoyable to the girls and any little kids who stop by sit and stare for HOURS, but essentially it was my idea, I designed the whole thing, and have been the driving force behind having it at all... And I continue to think up and create new things for it... Anyway - mine has ended up being placed under a 2 year old corkscrew willow tree instead - It's closer to the house and is much much bigger than originally anticipated. For now the sweet woodruff and wild strawberries are filling out the area around the base of the willow, there's a violet and elfin thyme covered hill with a small lake at the bottom of it and a small gravel path leading to the top (a gazebo and miniture roses pruned to look like climbing roses are being added to the top of the hill later this fall) and a flattened out hollow covered in irish moss for a "meeting place." I have variegated forms of thyme and melissa lavender as shrubs around the edge of the garden and a few branches from my over zealous pink and white weigela hangs over the "hollow". The fairy garden is actually an extension of my butterfly garden, just slightly shaded (and will be deeply shaded when the willow fills out over the next couple of years) I just added some rembrandt tulips I hope will give a nice dramatic splash of color next spring before the freesias, columbine, violets and roses bloom. (and after years of plain colored tulips I can tell the girls that the fairies painted these ones!!!) I will post pics as soon as I can but right now I'm being selfish - want to keep it to myself till I feel it has some semblance of being ready for public viewing... :) Also waiting for the plants to fill out and really look like it does in my head (did that make sense or did I just seem nutty???) As well as the gazebo I'm working on 4 houses to put nestled in the sweet woodruff and a "bait shop" for beside the lake and looking for some small stumps or seats to put around the thyme hollow, maybe even a little swing for the fairy babes? Next year I'm hoping the willow will be big enough to dangle twinkling lights in and lots of birdhouses of course... Soon as I figure out where to put it I'm adding some white heliotrope that I grew from cuttings and have slightly too much of. Now I'm just hoping that the wild strawberries calm down cause they are going bananas and I fear they will choke out the rest of my plants... I'm 30 years old, mother of 4, a criminal psychologist in training and I am no afraid to admit that I love my garden. I am envisioning a few years from now laying in soft green grass in the shade of my contorted willow tree staring into the little village and seeing if I can see the sparkling glint of gossamer wings, or hearing the giggling of fairy children in the rustling leaves of the willow tree.....

Mama G, I noticed the blue bottles first thing. Also the plate rack cabinet which is different from most I've seen. I want one row for 11 inch plates vertical, one row for small plates, and then what is left over, maybe have that flat storage shelf at the bottom. I want to put my white stuff in those, and the colorful dishes in the glass door cabs in the dining room. Where there are open shelves, you need to use things frequently to keep dust to a minimum, or wash those items regularly anyway. Behind glass doors, displayed pretty dishes stay cleaner. I have my DH's family china he saved from his mama's house, something like American Limoge, creamy white with a gold band. I have a set of Sakura jungle animals and parrots that I'd like to keep visible but safe too. The cups and dessert plates have a gorgeous design. Has anyone heard from Springfield recently?

Thank you all for the great responses! It's true, frou-frou has been around a long time in some magazines (I miss the old Victorian magazine) but lately it seems to be showing up more in "regular" magazines. I think Bellaflora is right, when it's time to hide out, it's much nicer to do it under the "biggest fluffiest ruffliest quilt" you can find...great description :) I do not have little ones, unless you count my kitties, but I think wine is an acceptable alternative to tea, especially in a crystal wine glass (LOL) Poshspace- Great time to remodel your bathroom, lots of wonderful ideas out there. The magazine is the current issue of BHG's Beautiful Baths. I'm not really a huge pink fan (more of a lavender fan with a little pink) but it's so nice to see cheerful, fun colors again! Cooperbailey- Fairies are fun and I love the idea of putting some fairy things in the garden. The nieces love it and with all their Tinkerbell stuff, they can dress up and play in the garden. We had a small garden this year, but plan a bigger one for next year. Oakleyok- I'm with you there. I wasn't really girlie when I was young either, so maybe we're making up for lost time :)