Wednesday, October 31, 2012

forcing paperwhites...


Want beautiful paperwhites for your decor in December?
Plant them the beginning of November!
 Paperwhites are one of the easiest bulbs to force,
 it couldn't be more simple and they'll provide a gorgeous display during the
holidays or make a welcome hostess gift.

housetoyourhome.com

On display in my kitchen last year...


1. A quick trip to Home Depot for the bulbs.


2. Fill your container with potting soil and add bulbs, pointed end up.


3. Cover all but the tips with soil.
4. Water with lukewarm water, keep moist but not soaking wet.


5. Place container in a dark spot for 4-7 days until roots form.
6. When sprouts appear move the bulbs to a spot that gets bright light.
And watch them grow!

My post from last year is here with inspiration for pretty container ideas.
I started them November 10th and that was plenty of time for holidays blooms.

Happy November, friends!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

new accessory...

If you've been reading any time at all you know I'm a big fan of cruising through
 your yard, and bringing nature inside to add texture and life to your home.
Free, quick, and convenient ~ it's so easy to clip flowers, herbs, branches, or
 greenery from trees and shrubs. However, I think this is a first, do you know what it is? 

My newest coffee table accessory...



 A closer look...


 I turned it over for you...


 A closeup of the colors...right on trend!


I liked the juxtaposition of it on the brass tray.
The gold and leopard tray was an inexpensive diy here,
an easy transformation of a $2.99 clear plastic Ikea tray. 


It's a Paper Wasp Nest, I found the one below online to show you.
Wasps gather fibers from dead wood and plant stems, which they mix with saliva,
 and use to construct water-resistant nests made of gray or brown papery material.


  We spotted it up in our tree after all the leaves had fallen,
and found it on the ground a couple days later after some brisk winds.


The muted hues in their marbled pattern and intricate layers couldn't be
 more intriguing...nature at its best.



Monday, October 29, 2012

progressive dinner...


Our get-together last Saturday was a progressive dinner hosted by four
families to celebrate our kiddo's preschool teacher, after 25 years she'll be retiring.
However, it's been about 10 years since they had her for their teacher.
That should give you an idea how special she was!

We all live within walking distance in our neighborhood, and thought
a progressive dinner sounded like fun.
I'm so sorry, I'm the worst blogger when it comes to taking photos during a party,
 I just feel a tad obnoxious with my camera ~ I need to improve on being discreet!
 Also, I don't know that everyone likes having their photos and weekend's events publicized.  
On to the fun...

First Home ~ Appetizers


Our guest of honor, Miss Mary (in pink) and two of her fellow retired teachers. 
On the menu - Smoked Salmon on pumpernickel, olives, baked brie with fig jam, crudites,
pita chips and Greek dips
Our talented hostess is a potter and made all of the beautiful serving pieces and vase. 
Her husband, the gourmet, smoked the salmon. The doors were opened on the hutch
 which served as a bar.

Second Home ~ Salad


Our creative friend came up with this beautifully rustic yet elegant display for the buffet table.
Weathered wood paired with silver pieces and white cinderella pumpkins.



Roasted Squash with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Shaved Parmesan on Mixed Greens
served with a warm Citrus Vinaigrette 

Third Home ~ Entree


Can you believe this charming festive serving table was a rush job after this family attended 
three soccer games before the party?  



We enjoyed a fall favorite - Traditional Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
 and assorted warm breads. 

Fourth Home ~ Dessert


It was dark when we arrived at our home, I snapped a few photos early before we headed out.


Sorry, we were too busy getting drinks and ice cream on the mini pies to get a photo
and within a short time it wasn't photo worthy! 
The hot pies went on the tiered metal stand, to the right (barely visible) were the shot glasses
for milk, and donut holes were placed on top of each glass.
Caramel apples with twig sticks went on the gold tray in the foreground.
Hope you had a good imagination for all that!  


  I used my favorite items from our yard...leaves, pine cones and clippings in my
  diy rope vase here, along with a couple of pumpkins and lots of votive candles.

 

Mini Apple Pie in a Jar
Caramel Corn
Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes with Milk Shots
recipe here
Caramel Apples 

We had a fun champagne toast, the teenagers shared their preschool memories,
we reminisced about days with preschoolers, how quickly time has passed and
 how grown up they are... 


dreaming of nyc...


Today I'm honored to be a house guest at Powell Brower Home here,
Nancy and Bethany are the mother-daughter design team behind the blog.
If you're not familiar they not only design beautifully creative spaces,
 but they're talented artists, share inspiring diy projects, and couldn't be more delightful.

Bethany's Master Bedroom redo is a top contender in Apartment Therapy's
Room for Color Contest! Congrats Bethany!
Today is the last day to vote, if you'd like you can head over here.


Before
  

I showed you a snippet, for more fabulous photos check out the Bedroom Reveal here.

A Yoga Studio they recently designed.

 
Before


I've never done yoga, but this beautiful entry would make me want to join a class.



I'm sharing my Dream Space over at their blog...thus the title NYC...hint, hint...

I'm thrilled they've invited me to help kick off a fun new series,
head over to check it out here.
My prayers and thoughts are with them and all of you in the
 path of the storm, may you, your families and homes be safe.



Thursday, October 25, 2012

making white look cozy...


Did you join the popular 'white' bandwagon?
 I jumped on big time and painted my living room, dining room, kitchen and family room,
to go with my neutral light furniture.
I loved the clean, light, bright and crisp look for spring and summer,
 but want to transition to warm, cozy, comfortable and cuddly for winter.

I analyzed warm white rooms and came up with these common denominators
to achieve the look:

* texture * throws * firewood * baskets * leather *
* gold accents * patina *
* burlap * antiques * woven shades * dark furniture * 
* cushy pillows * warm lighting *

 neutrals add texture justine taylor myidealhome
justinetaylor my ideal home 

Matthew White's living room  Author Italy of my Dreams


Aidan Gray

desdemventana.blogspot.com.br/



lori tippins interiors

housetohome.co.uk


thelittlecorner.tumblr.com


Add Rich Details
bhg.com

 What's your favorite way to cozy up your space for the winter?

Happy weekend, friends!

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit my little space in the
blogosphere and leaving your kind comments, you're the BEST! 



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

ikea julmys (twine)...$3.99


Ikea Julmys aka Baker's Twine
$3.99/33 yards

New in Ikea's holiday collection, and a great alternative to ribbon to have on hand.

Sometimes less is more,
as illustrated in these simply wrapped gifts... 


79ideas.org

bhg.com
book page flowers Holly Mathis

slowmama.com


libbiegrove.blogspot.com

oopseydaisyblog.com

Brown craft paper, white boxes, newspaper, twine,
tags, and a few embellishments
would make for simple wrapping.

8 1/2 weeks till Christmas!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

next diy...


      Dessert
Is
      Yummy 

No painting, sewing, stapling, sanding, just sampling desserts!
I've been keeping you in the dark about our next get-together,
and although it isn't a surprise, it's for someone special and
I just didn't want to spill all of the fun details.
It's a group effort at four separate homes this Saturday, ours is last on the list
with a dessert bar...for 25!

I'm planning a collection of mini bite size delights...so far I think this is it:

Warm Mini Pie in a Jar

Pie in a jar
ourbestbites.com

Caramel Corn

 Caramel corn
stylemepretty.com

Caramel Apples

caramel apples
indulgy.com

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes & Milk

Milk and Donuts
ellybevents.com

Mini Banana Pudding

mini banana pudding
annies-eats.com

I was smitten with these cute Banana Puddings,
 but they don't really fit with the fall menu, what do you think?
Save them for spring/summer OR include them, they're too cute.
Btw, 7 Kids, mostly older. 

So that's my DIY for the week, I'll share photos next week
and fill you in on all the fun and decor.  


Monday, October 22, 2012

dated armoire anyone...

I'm betting a few of you may have a dated armoire.
I loved mine, I'd close the doors and like magic...the TV disappeared!
It's still hanging around, but made it's way to the basement with all the special items
 I keep because they were expensive or sentimental, or because
 I love the hardware (that's a good reason to keep it, right?)!

Have you ever thought of tweaking yours or re-purposing it?
A  handyman could easily make some of these simple changes.

Glass inserts in the doors and 'X' moulding. 
jaysonhome.com
Add mirrors.
bhg.com
Update doors with moulding and unique hardware.
Uploaded to Pinterest by user Natalie Toy
Repurposed for use as a bar.
Bryan Batt of Mad Men
belfortfurniture.com
A graphic artist created this edgy bar.
funchkins.com
A compact office of your own.
bhg.com
Beautiful bathroom storage.
french country cottage


Do you still have one you can't part with?
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