Deb, this sounds like lots of fun. Count me in! Who doesn’t like a box of surprises?

Hi I will join.

Deb - oh, I love Christmas in July! I think this is a great swap for these hot summer days. I'm going to skip participating this month though. Just time for a break for me this month. I'll stop in to chat though.

Deb, great idea but I am sitting out swaps this month. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas in July. Margo

Going to extend signups until Monday, 8th. I know so many are super busy this weekend! Monday night I'll assign swap Pals. :)

I could use some cheering up, I will join this months swap.

Deb-I will have to pass this month, still not caught up but hopefully soon. I have to set the alarm to get up at 5:00 so I can work and dig before it gets so hot outside. I love Christmas in July and hope you ladies have fun.

Darn !!!!!!adult life been hitting hard. Refrigerator freezing up and looking for A new one. Problem is I have cabinets all around. So need just the right size. Air conditioner gone. Been doing Freon every other year. But time to up grade. Fyi 22 years old. Tomorrow got a guy coming. But still ready for Christmas in July

One more day, and then I'll assign swap Pals. Just giving everyone a chance to catch up, and see the new post/July. It's already the 9th! :)

The rain has given a boost to my flowers

These last few months have been so busy. Crazy busy! My Mother in law passed away, and I've been cleaning her house, going through her things, tossing stuff. I have no help, so it's taking me f o r e v e r. When my Husband comes with me on certain days, he basically just looks through pics or reads letters, newspaper clippings. If I seem scattered, or not totally myself, I'm so sorry, I'm juggling so many things at once! I never imagined spending every free second at her house, going through boxes and boxes of old papers/items. She saved every single piece of paper she ever wrote on, every bill statement she ever received! I wanted to be done this spring! Now, hopefully, I'll be done by summer! Ughhh!!! :)

Ok, on to the swap Pals.. Gardengirl and Deb send to each other, and Skyblue and Faye send to each other. So simple. I don't have a master list with all our addresses on it, so I have no way of knowing first names. I had a problem with my GW/houzz account. Shirley was going to send me a copy, but for some reason it didn't make it to my email acct. or if it did, I can't find it! And then- Houzz changed my forum name a few times, so maybe it was sent to an old acct. It was Debbya-gw years ago. And then went to Deb Andruska/new- one they selected Deb4372. Anyway, let's have fun with this! Send out some really nice boxes! Can't wait to hear what's in each box!

Hi Girls what's going on. Zucchini coming in . Hot days of

My plums are ripening! Harvested some beans and tomatoes today.

This week went by so fast! I'm going to work on my box this weekend! Temps are close to 100* every day. Blistering Chicago heat! But, by Monday 78* so much better! ;)

Faye,s box went out today.

. It has a special summer gift!!! New fridge coming tommorrow. Starting on air. Monday..

dahlias ans black eyed susans loving the heat

Susan your box is going out on Monday.

Susan, I received your box yesterday and I loved it. I will post more today after work. It made me very happy. Thank you very much. Faye!

Susan your box is going out today. I didn't get to the post office yesterday.

Susan what a nice surprise!

I opened your box at 2 am this morning then I had to work so I am just now posting it. It was just wonderful. I loved everything in it. Susan sent:

Sweet Tart Ropes

Message in a Bottle (I really like this. It was a great idea)

Bypass Pruners

Folk Art Escapes Coloring Book

48 Gel Pen Set

Summer Squash

Plants:

Firecracker Stonecrop

Lily, Apricot Fudge

You really lifted my spirits. Thank you so much.

I sent your box out today by priority mail.

I really liked the way you had it packaged.

Thank you

Mother nature rules. after Friday and saturday over 90 the garden looked wilted and grass yellowing, then sunday/monday 24 hours of rain and 75 degrees. out I go to clean up. the marigolds and calendula are tring to go to seed . Marigold buds and dahlias buds wet and proably wont open. the lambs ear buds/flowers and yarrow are burnt up the spiderwort buds are black and stalks broken down from rain. of course the crabgrass and other weeds are green and can be pulled easily. Volunteer tomatoes and cilantro inches high. The sunflowers are raising above the roof tops . my Datura showed me a bloom and picked my first big tomato . All is good in Ohio.

Wow Susan, what a nice package you sent Faye! :) I sent my package out to Emily today, USPS 9505 5121 5033 9204 2905 00. It should arrive in 2 or 3 days. Priority has been running 2 days lately on average. Getting our swap wrapped up! Love seeing all the flowers, and pics of the box contents! This month has been so much fun to host!

I feel like the favorite grandchild. Faye packed full. Let's see if I can get started..a normal ,word find book,post it notes 3 USA ink pens,,flower/bell wind chime,turtle paint a rock, hanging vase, utterly smooth lotion, love my garden decor,candy box with suckers and mms. 2 beautiful votive holders and Apple candles. Santa and angel.ornatment.2 sedums good and trim color . A shady fern. Seeds also will cotton tree,Fuji apple,rose of sharon, gojiberry..The card is the cutest. You could not have packed the usps sled fuller. My Christmas in July was wonderful.

I am so glad you liked it Susan.

This has been so much fun! I wish more members participated this month. All boxes that went out are so creative! My box from Emily arrived today! In it was.. a cute knit bag with a yankee candle. 2 votives and a glass votive cup holder. Also, a cute Santa kitchen towel! A few cuttings.. Crassula ovale, Aeonium, and mint! Pair of socks with a tree on them, and a Luna bar, Lara bar! And a book- Gingerbread recipes! I'll gather the stuff up later, and post a pic! I'm having another garage sale tomorrow at my Mother in Law's house, so I'm crazy busy today, again. Trying so hard to clear it out, so I can really begin to clean it, to sell it. Thank you so much, Emily for such a nice box! Years ago, all of our swaps were like this with OBF. Overfilled boxes with each swap having a theme- and extra stuff included during seasonable months (cuttings, plants, bulbs, etc.) So much fun!!!! :) Every box was so worth the postage!

Glad you liked your box, Deb! Just wanted you to know that I won’t be home until Sunday so I will post your box then. Looks like it was delivered today by the tracking info.

Oh no! I sent some plant material. I sent a Neon philo with roots! And I sent 2 african violet/ sets of leaves (one mini) and one standard size! I wanted to send more, but the darn box was too small. I sent a medium sized box (not flat rate) and this time I probably should of used the flat rate one. The box I sent was $16. And the flat rate one was $14 something. But, I had the stuff all packaged, so didn't want to unbox anything at the post office. I can re-send the cuttings. There is no way they are alive if the box is in your mailbox all this time. :( Anyway, just let me know, and I'll send another box of plant cuttings out. I'll fill it a lot more this time! Because I'll have an empty box! I'll send some Hoya cuttings too. And other houseplants that I have. I totally loved your succulent starts you sent! :)

Deb, I sent succulents because I was pretty sure they would survive the shipping in the hot weather. I just arrived home and got your great box. It was on my porch. The mini violet looks iffy but I think the others will recover. Thanks so much for sending instructions on rooting those leaves too because I would have just rooted in soil otherwise.

Deb also sent gladiolus bulbs, butterfly weed seeds and some Christmas ornaments. The little pompon on the snowman’s hat fell off in the shipping but I think I can just Crazy Glue it together.

Thanks again for such a nice box!

The tall sunflower standing up to the storm coming in

I tried to upload Emily's box picture, and the system won't allow the picture to upload! Ugh!!! Anyway, I had so much fun hosting this month. I'll post our new swap tonight! And try again later to upload Emily's box picture. Houzz must be having difficulties.

Thank you Deb for a great month. Christmas in July

Emily, I sent you an extra box- with plant cuttings! :) I mailed it today- and it should arrive on Monday according to the DC. 9505 5121 5031 9213 2120 38, priority flat rate medium. So, it's possible it could fit in your mail box. Try to track the package if possible.

Deb, that is super sweet of you. Thank you and thank you for hosting such a nice swap.

Deb, thank you for the wonderful second box of plants/cuttings. Deb sent a lovely card, variegated philo, AV leaves of Rob’s Wagga Wagga, Western moon, Red Ferrari (these leaves look gorgeous!), ace of diamonds, storybook princess, Ma’s middland fantasy, and Cajun’s blue jean queen, and mother of thousands and bulbets of orange magic asiatic lllies. Thank you so much Deb! That was super generous of you!

Busy time in the garden . flowers are all going to seed. tomatoes going for the last ripening. looks like seed saving is in my next 2 days. This is a cutie called heartbreaker. only gets 1 foot high. I have seed pods on my Datura.