A Whimsical Garden

Our local garden club recently sponsored a garden walk, and of course I took photos galore. Entitled “A Whimsical Garden”, this homeowner creates yard art out of dishes and glassware, and she has a particular fondness for fairies. Her home is easily recognizable when you drive by because of its charming decorations.

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One can’t have a whimsical garden without a fairy garden!

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I loved the gardener’s use of ordinary green florist’s vases to create OZ.

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There has to be a patriotic corner.

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This vase tree (instead of a wine bottle tree) is perfect for the gardener who does not want to show the world how much wine she drinks. 🙂

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Peacocks mix their beautiful color with the greenery.

So many ideas, too little time. But isn’t it lovely to imagine having even one of these whimsical pieces in your own garden?

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Share: How to make dish flowers

I ran across the tutorial on Facebook and it’s really a good one. I’ve always loved the look of the glass flowers I see at markets and in other people’s gardens.

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Click into photo for tutorial and image credit

The article from Flea Market Gardening makes it seem pretty easy to make garden ornaments out of old dishes. I’ve never done this since I never met a dish I didn’t want to put on my table, but this tutorial makes me hopeful. Enjoy!

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Silver in the Garden and on Your Table

Our Chicago suburb has a garden walk every summer as many towns do.

We saw some beautiful flowers…

GotMyReservations Good as Gold Hybrid Tea

Good as Gold Hybrid Tea Rose

…and sat on a lovely front porch in the shade while the garden clubbers handed out cool water and cookies. Continue reading

Chalking It Up

I know I’m late to the party, but I’ve recently discovered the joy of chalk paint.

GotMyReservations Lucky Junk Painting Workshop

I’ve been reading people’s DIY posts about using chalk paint and I was intrigued, but never quite enough to try it myself. Then I went to a workshop at a local shop called Lucky Junk, where I took a class with Janet (the owner) and Anne (from White Lace Cottage). Eight of us learned how to use Vintage Market & Design Furniture Paint. We tried out our techniques on old frames and it was a lot of fun. Here’s the link if you are in the Chicagoland area and want to come to Arlington Heights for a class.

GotMy Reservations Lucky Junk Project Bag

When I saw this display at a local nursery — Knuppers in Palatine, Illinois — I knew that I had not only sipped the “chippy chalk paint” koolaid, I had become drunk on it. This display made me melt in my unpainted jeans. So cute — I guess I’m a convert! And now I know how to create these pretty items.

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I’ve already got a list of items to paint — my childhood Windsor chair, a pine planter box, a rummage sale wall shelf, a pink step stool I plucked from a neighbor’s trash, and my broken-but-patched cupid outdoor sculpture. All of these would benefit from a little TLC with chalk paint and wax.

I can’t wait to start! I am definitely a chalk paint convert.

NEW LIFE FOR THE GRAPEVINE WREATH

13 Days of Christmas! My friend from high school posted on Facebook that working to prepare for Christmas isn’t really work, it’s love, and the concept resonated with me. I LOVE to get ready for Christmas!

Got My Reservations 25 Days of Christmas 2013 Medium Button

Do you have the ubiquitous giant mirror over your sideboard? I see large mirrors used over and over again in home decor, and they are usually over the sideboard, over the couch, or over the fireplace. We have one over the sideboard and one over the piano, and at Christmas time they need to be decorated.

I have not been happy with the lighting situation on my grapevine wreath that hangs in front of the mirror over my sideboard, and I haven’t been too thrilled with the decor I’ve slapped on over the years. I decided this year to be more intentional about creating a vignette with the mirror and wreath.

Where does one go to get inspiration? Why Google images, of course, and then on to Pinterest. At first I thought I’d do something traditional with the party at the bottom, like this.

Click into photo to see the Pinterest entry

Click into photo to see the Pinterest entry

Continue reading

A Revisit to My Advent Calendar Renovation

23 Days of Christmas! Today I hung our Advent calendar on the wall; it’s in a new place that doesn’t require climbing on furniture to hang the ornaments — an important consideration during the Christmas season of knee replacement recovery.

Got My Reservations 25 Days of Christmas 2013 Medium ButtonLet’s revisit last year’s post about fixing up my Advent calendar — with footnotes

One of the things that I wanted to do in retirement was to get out all my Christmas stuff and reorganize it. I also wanted to move it from its storage spot in the basement crawlspace to the garage (1) where I could access it on my timetable rather than waiting for Music Man to drag it out for me. I used to think that I had more stuff than most people, but recently several different friends posted photos on Facebook of their stacks of Christmas storage boxes. One friend said she brought 22 boxes from her storage unit, which took several trips in her car. I don’t feel so bad now. Apparently I’m not a Christmas hoarder, even if my basement says otherwise.

When I got out our Advent calendar this year, I took a quick photo with my phone of it hanging in my bathroom on the first day of December. In recent years, this seems to be the most convenient and obvious place for it, as I am reminded every morning to change the ornament on it. At my advanced age, I need every reminder I can get.

My sister-in-law made Advent calendars for family members many years ago — maybe as many as 30 years and I treasure her generous spirit and the family tradition honored by the calendar. I’ve been getting out that Advent calendar every year and doing the countdown with my kids, but I always wanted to change one little thing about it. It was designed to use very thin gold cording to hold the ornaments on the nails, but over the years they got tangled and it wasn’t easy to pop those little puppies off and on the nails.

So—- I decided to do a little project that I’ve been contemplating for “several” years, and by “several” I probably mean ten years.

I  felt that the calendar would work better with rings to replace the cords so that the ornaments dangle cleanly and are easy to take on and off. I’ve purchased those rings at least three times over the past few years, but never did the repairs. THIS YEAR, my first year of retirement, it was time to actually do this instead of talking about it.

Yet, things can never be easy, can they?

When I went to find my duffel bag full of jewelry findings and tools, it was nowhere to be seen. I had decided to use a split ring and needed my special split-ring pliers, so I ended up buying another tool. I think that’s probably my third set of those particular pliers, but who’s counting? Then while I was standing in line, I saw these beautiful red rings that would set off the red trim on the calendar. Just had to have them, so into the bag they went.

When I got home, I found that the little holes in the ornaments were too small for the red rings. I begged Music Man to pull out the drill for me and he also found a small piece of wood that I could drill against. I made each hole a little bigger, threaded the red ring through it, and then realized I didn’t need the split-ring pliers at all since I was putting the whole thing together with simple needle-nose pliers.

Am I boring you yet?

If you’re not a crafter, these stupid little details can’t be very interesting, but for those of us who are crafters, it’s important to know in advance what one needs to do the job. Obviously, I didn’t think this through very well.

The project turned out well, and although it can’t quite be termed a metamorphosis, I did finish a planned project. Now I think I need to decorate it some more — maybe a thin inner border of beads or something. I’ll have to see what’s on sale at the store. 🙂 (2)

Yet the story remains a continuing saga of stupid actions.

Somehow, I lost the chuck for the drill. (3) The one that is designed to fit perfectly into the handle. We’ve looked everywhere and cannot find it. I can sense Music Man’s annoyance under his helpful searching for the tool, but it’s just nowhere to be found.

Perhaps it’s in my missing jewelry duffel bag and I’m being punished by my Elf on the Shelf. (4)

Footnotes

(1) Although we got a lot done this year in the garage clean-out job, my Christmas stuff is unlikely to go the garage just yet. Insert sad face here.

(2) Maybe I’ll trim it up and maybe I won’t. It’s hard to go to the craft store when I’m not allowed to drive yet.

(3) The chuck for the drill was still missing when I used it somewhat recently. But I think it’s found again.

(4) The duffel bag is definitely found, but still has a cute red necklace in it that I really should finish putting together sooner than later so that I can wear it for Christmas events. And I cannot bring myself to buy an Elf on the Shelf.

I hope that you will follow along on our journey as Music Man and I prepare for Christmas in the Empty Nest. We’re glad you decided to visit with us today!

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

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Outside Inside Transitional Tablescape

I had a July birthday this summer. Again. I threw myself a party. Again. Since my birthday is inevitable and I love throwing parties, I decided to create a set of linens that would work with my three outdoor tables and that I would love to use on my birthday and possibly other times throughout the year. The Outside Inside Tablescape idea was born.

GotMyReservations -- Outside Inside Tablescape

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Poinsettia Tablescape Vignette

I just can’t resist being part of these tablescapers.

I’m not even close to being done with my decorating, and we’re going to our son’s house for Christmas, but I’m excited about having all of my decorations out of the basement where they can see the light of day. Today’s going to be a big decorating day and I’m as happy as a pig in you-know-what.

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I’m linking up today with Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life. Since Marty advertises that it’s okay to showcase a vignette, I’m going to show you what I have done so far. It’s not much, but I’ve got three free days this week to finish everything up, and in my book, baby steps are important.

I needed to replace the centerpiece on my coffee table so I picked up a couple of cheap poinsettias from the grocery store. I knew that I had containers to put them in at home. Two years ago, I found wooden handled storage boxes at the dollar store and I usually put ball jars full of office supplies in them, but I knew the mix of textures with the black wood was perfect for this tabletopper. First I put Tupperware dishes in the bottom of the box to protect it. Then I put the poinsettias in opposing corners and filled in with some antique red and gold ornaments that were a gift from a friend a few years back. I even kept the foil on the poinsettias because I knew it would pick up some shine from the candle. I tucked a pillar candle stand from Partylite in the other corner to raise up the cylindrical vase and put a short pillar candle in it. Voila! A centerpiece.

 

And just in case you were privately thinking it, I’ve moved the foil around so the label doesn’t show, but this was the best photo I got so I decided to use it anyway. 🙂

Happy decorating, and I definitely will have more to share soon!

Advent Calendar Renovation

I’m taking a break from the recipe count today to link up with a whole new set of friends.

I recently discovered a blogging community that sets their tables for fun. Oh, my. Where have these ladies been all my life? Today I’m linking up with Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch; I just can’t resist.

One of the things that I wanted to do in retirement was to get out all my Christmas stuff and reorganize it. I also wanted to move it from its storage spot in the basement crawlspace to the garage where I could access it on my timetable rather than waiting for Music Man to drag it out for me. I used to think that I had more stuff than most people, but recently several different friends posted photos on Facebook of their stacks of Christmas storage boxes. One friend said she brought 22 boxes from her storage unit, which took several trips in her car. I don’t feel so bad now. Apparently I’m not a Christmas hoarder, even if my basement says otherwise.

When I got out our Advent calendar this year, I took a quick photo with my phone of it hanging in my bathroom on the first day of December. In recent years, this seems to be the most convenient and obvious place for it, as I am reminded every morning to change the ornament on it. At my advanced age, I need every reminder I can get.

My sister-in-law made Advent calendars for   family members many years ago — maybe as many as 30 years and I treasure her generous spirit and the family tradition honored by the calendar. I’ve been getting out that Advent calendar every year and doing the countdown with my kids, but I always wanted to change one little thing about it. It was designed to use very thin gold cording to hold the ornaments on the nails, but over the years they got tangled and it wasn’t easy to pop those little puppies off and on the nails.

So—- I decided to do a little project that I’ve been contemplating for “several” years, and by “several” I probably mean ten years.

I  felt that the calendar would work better with rings to replace the cords so that the ornaments dangle cleanly and are easy to take on and off. I’ve purchased those rings at least three times over the past few years, but never did the repairs. THIS YEAR, my first year of retirement, it was time to actually do this instead of talking about it.

Yet, things can never be easy, can they?

When I went to find my duffel bag full of jewelry findings and tools, it was nowhere to be seen. I had decided to use a split ring and needed my special split-ring pliers, so I ended up buying another tool. I think that’s probably my third set of those particular pliers, but who’s counting? Then while I was standing in line, I saw these beautiful red rings that would set off the red trim on the calendar. Just had to have them, so into the bag they went.

When I got home, I found that the little holes in the ornaments were too small for the red rings. I begged Music Man to pull out the drill for me and he also found a small piece of wood that I could drill against. I made each hole a little bigger, threaded the red ring through it, and then realized I didn’t need the split-ring pliers at all since I was putting the whole thing together with simple needle-nose pliers.

Am I boring you yet?

If you’re not a crafter, these stupid little details can’t be very interesting, but for those of us who are crafters, it’s important to know in advance what one needs to do the job. Obviously, I didn’t think this through very well.

The project turned out well, and although it can’t quite be termed a metamorphosis — the theme of today’s linky party — I did finish a planned project. Now I think I need to decorate it some more — maybe a thin inner border of beads or something. I’ll have to see what’s on sale at the store. 🙂

Yet the story remains a continuing saga of stupid actions.

Somehow, I lost the chuck for the drill. The one that is designed to fit perfectly into the handle. We’ve looked everywhere and cannot find it. I can sense Music Man’s annoyance under his helpful searching for the tool, but it’s just nowhere to be found.

Perhaps it’s in my missing jewelry duffel bag and I’m being punished by my Elf on the Shelf. 

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