Everything is better with googly eyes

Last year, I was lamenting my lack of labeling in the garden. Then I read something online that suggested using big popsicle sticks for labels: they're cheap, easy, and non-toxic! Great! I dutifully labeled everything with a "permanent" marker and stuffed the sticks into the dirt near my seeds.

A few weeks after that, the labels had completely washed off in the rain. sigh

So, I gave up on the labels and put them away with the other spring gardening stuff. Last weekend, I found the box of sticks and opened it up to get some. I was greeted by two craft-store baggies: one of tiny googly eyes and one of tiny pom-poms for noses.

I laughed out loud and asked Willie if he knew why there were googly eyes and pom-poms in my box of sticks. He said that at some point last year, we had a conversation about how everything is better with googly eyes, so he got some for me. Such a thoughtful man!

Sunday afternoon, I busted out the hot glue gun and some (hopefully) rain-resistant paint and made garden sticks with personality.

While I envisioned some neatly lettered sticks to pay proper honor to the googly eyes, I discovered that it's much harder to write with a brush than it might seem. If these labels survive the rain, I'll consider careful lettering for next year.

And now you must endure the never-ending spring flower show. Happy spring and may all your garden sticks have googly eyes.