Category Archives: Uncategorized

Holding on to the Hydrangea

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The blossoms of the hydrangea plant are so beautiful.  I’m not sure at what point in my life I decided this was my favorite plant, but it was definitely before I moved south.  I’m a “Jersey” girl transplant “Carolina Girl” and when I moved to the beautiful state of So. Carolina I discovered these plants were everywhere – almost as if it were the southern tradition to have one in every yard.   In fact that was partly the selling point of my house.  “Wow” – I thought – now let’s hope the inside looks good – chuckles… and it did.  I had a plant in my yard and planted several others – needless to say some died, some lasted.  The rain this year made the do very well and I was quite happy about the blossoms this year.

As summer is dwindling away  I have to say “ta-ta” to the beloved blossoms.  I read a post on how to dry them and decided to give it a try.  Years ago I would get them when they were beige but I’d prefer to have had them when they were the beautiful chartreuse color.  I find that such a pleasing palette color to the eye.  I clipped the blooms just before they were turning the “aged” beige color and put the stem in about 1/4 inch of water and let the water slowly evaporate.  The flower will slowly dry out with the exisiting color.  So I decided to give it a try.  This one came really good. I’ve been checking it and it’s slowly drying out and the color still remains.

So i clipped a few more and these are doing well also, in fact, they’re dried completely but I still left them in the water until it completely evaporates.

      

Now I can enjoy the blooms all year long.

Stand for your Cake

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted.. but I have a very good reason for my hiatus.. two words.. Family Reunion. This year was my turn to host and I must say we had a wonderful time (phewww).. It was four fun-filled days and after all the planning and seeing these smiles..it was well worth it.

.       the group

September has approached and this is a special month for me because it’s my birthday month. I’m not sure what my plans are yet,, but whatever it is.. there’s always a cake for the celebration.  For me, the cake makes it a much sweeter day.. even if there isn’t a gift… but as long as there is a cake – I’m happy (it doesn’t take much to make me happy… Needless to say, that’s my reason for this blogpost. The importance of the Cake Stand.  Important??? hmmmmm, maybe that’s a strong word but after seeing my point, you may not think so.. After looking at these beautiful cakes, putting it on a stand only seems appropriate.       

I paid a visit to the local antique store to find one that would really make the cake have a grand stand. Here are the ones that caught my eye.. I loved the pretty blue shade of this depression era glass stand.  The unique look was quite fascinating.. It is suited for a round cake yet it had a square base.   Very different and  it was made in America

           Moving along I found this one:   The clear crystal with the ruby red trim was absolutely lovely.. Hmmm..  perfect for a Red Velvet Valentine’s Day cake.

I also saw this little cutey pie which was just darling.. Nice and petite.. Just the right size for a small cake.

Just thought I’d  visit to my favorite store Home Goods to see what they have and came across these little darlings.. They’re really nice, but I truly prefer the vintage style

     

Now that I’ve narrowed down my search, I’ve got 27 more days to figure it out.  So after seeing the lovely cake stands and the beautiful cakes,  Isn’t it important to have it stand higher than  table level..  Like this

Perked-up Porch

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I hemmed and hawed about my front porch.   The cement is so badly stained and I just haven’t decided what to do.  Should I paint or should I clean it with some type of harsh chemical to get it looking new.   In any event, my hopes were to get it to look as pleasing as the ones I posted in my  “Porch Dreaming” post.  But that’s later to decide, because summer is here and I need to spend some time on it, ..so in the meantime I decided to perk it up.  FIrst, I needed to wash the siding.. so 2 hours later with a bucket of bleach & water I washed it.. and suprisingly it came pretty good.  I started with the Off My Rocker chairs.

I had this vintage trunk that I decided to paint and use it on the porch.   I painted it white and used a leftover purple-ish color for some stripes ..  DSCF1324and used it as a plant stand DSCF1438 DSCF1439

I found this chalkboard frame and decided to use it as a “Welcome Sign”

Next came time to dress it up with plants.    I had this vintage crate and decided to use it as a planter, so I outlined it with plastic bags to protect the wood.   Placed it on top of a folding seat and it becomes a pretty little showpiece for the plants.

        Found a piece of caribbean art to hang

Used a thrift store find table ($3.00) for some additional plants

            

The sedum planted in the chair added some additional color.  Since I had so many in the garden, I just dug some up and placed them in the pot last year,

             

I picked up this vintage wrought iron candle holder for $5.00 at a flea market and it became a planter instead

So, in the meantime, until I decide to paint, I think my little “perks” made a big diffence to the look of the porch.  So, if you’re ever in my area just know that guests are always

Nursery Visit

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The past few days we’ve had so much rain.  I was happy about it because the perennials hadn’t blossomed yet and are now bursting out the ground.  Being happy to finally have a sunny afternoon, I spent my lunch hour visiting the local nursery to browse for something to add to the flower bed.  I came across the yard art section and took the time to admire the local artistry available.  Too much to chose from at this point, but one thing for sure ” I’ll be back”.

       

The Frog Family was really cute for a whimsical garden theme

I continue to the plant section and came across these “easy to grow” items.  Naturally, I wanted to take them all but I had to narrow down my purchase.  I decided to bring one of each home with me.

     

I’m still pondering a decision about a fence for the backyard.  I’ve been pricing some in Lowe’s and Home Depot but they’re costly, and if you’ve been a blog follower, you know I’m the queen of thrift.   As I was leaving the nursery I looked across the parking lot and saw a pile of pallets.

Pallet Stack

Pallet Stack

I said to myself “Hmmmm, I wonder if a fence can be made with them”.   So I googled fences made with pallets and found these inspiration photos

Photo courtesy of Camelot Art Creation

Photo courtesy of Camelot Art Creation

I called the nursery to inquire about them and was told they were FREE!  I can take as many as I want.  Needless to say, I headed back to begin my stock pile of pallet fencing.  What a great deal ( for the queen of thrift).  On my way home, I stopped again at another nursery to see if they had any sale items and saw this table of “50% off” plants and decided to bring these home with me.

These little darlings will join me when I get ready to make my succulet pots

As I was leaving, this big potted Agave arrangement caught my eye.  I love it, especially because all the plants are succulents.   I have a potted agave so I think I’ll make this arrangement.   Having inspiration photos really make things easier 🙂

All in all …. I think this was a good day … now comes the planting fun.  Stay tuned for the potting pictures… See ya!

Porch Dreaming

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There’s something special about a porch. As I sit and watch the cars ride by, people taking strolls, sipping on the beverage of the day, thoughts just pondering in my head. Sometimes, I’ll have music playing and other times, just sit and listen to the nature sounds. A butterfly may whisker by, a bee my come buzzing, but I have to realize, I’m sharing their space so I’ll leave them alone as long as they leave me alone :). Creating the perfect outdoor space can have my mind flowing in so many directions. My porch is the next outdoor space I’m working to create. Summertime is approaching and that means the porch is getting some attention. I found some inspiration photos to get the ball rolling in my mind. Hope theses help you to create the perfect porch for you.

I like having the outdoor curtains flowing in the air.. They bring a bit of softeness to the porch..
            

The painted floors on these porches give them an inviting look

   

Deciding on a bench or rockers is always tough, but these two lovely porches makes a bench hands down as an easy pick