Making Festive

 

Christmas came in a hurry this year, but I managed to make a few spaces festive.

After Christmas

After Christmas comes winter. At least that is how it goes most years. And while the snow is daily melting into puddles outdoors, I am keeping the spirit of the season in my decor.

For Christmas I decorated my dresser with festive antique glass balls and fresh greens. (Greens went to the resting place of all good, cut branches a couple weeks ago.)

Today the balls departed and were replaced by a sparce wintery scene with hints of spring.

The shelf above my bed keeps all its wintery evergreens with the omission of Christmas's opulent fresh greenery. Because it was no longer fresh.

The Beauty of Aging Orchids

Late Summer Bouquet

- Ingredients -

Simplicity Rose

Nearly Wild Rose

Lime Light Hydrangea

Allium seed head

Day Lily seed pod

Spearmint leaves and flowers

Friday Favorites, Episode 04 | Thrifted

Today I chose a theme for my favorite things: thrifted treasures.

- antique dishes -

I have a goodly collection of dishes picked up at thrift stores over the years. Since I live with my parents, and their dishes are used every day, I on occasion pull out one of my favorites and use it to perk up a solitary meal.

- milk glass -

Can you tell I love white?

- vintage linens -

This particular hand embroidered cloth lives on my dresser most of the year. Someday it will wear out, but it will have lived a full and much admired life.

Evidence

Last evening I looked around and saw happy evidences of our recent day trip. Such as my thrifted glass jars...

...and a hefty new collection of maps gathered by my map-loving dad.

Valentine Tulips

Mom knows how to make Hannah and me feel loved.

Anticipation

The Last Roses of Summer

One evening last week Mom and Hannah picked in our yearly last garden bouquets of the year. The forecast showed a deep frost, and sure enough, our world changed from aging autumn to the beginning stages of winter overnight.

Today I gathered up for the compost these bouquets. Onto a new season indoors and out.

Low Light + Lilac Bud Shadows

Green, Green

Whew! That was a lot of snowy photos in a row. How about some green, green? This is the third of five white amaryllis that are bringing life to our home this spring.

We enjoy tulip bouquets... for a long time.

New Plants

Mom came home last week from a day of town errands telling of the beauties of a farm and home improvement store's houseplant selection. She has seen inside plenty of home improvement stores lately as we are currently without one bath. The process of putting it, a closet, and the basement back together after pretty major mold remediation will be just that, a process.

Back to houseplants. On our way to Maren's birthday party a few days later, Dad dropped us women off at Fleet Farm to smell the tires (literally, that store is permeated with the smell of rubber) and pick out a couple new plants. Because we have dozens of houseplants already (a quick, mental walk-through of the house resulted in a count of 35) and two more were definitely needed. Of course I wanted to buy the whole lot (or two more than what we actually came home with, to be precise), but we settled for this Ficus for Mom and a Siam Aurora Aglaonema for the mantle. Now I'm inspired to try my hand at painting some graceful leaf and stem shapes. And find a wet microfiber cloth to wipe the leaves of their hothouse water spots.

A Profusion of Flowers

 

Christmas Day 2021

"I will exult You; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure."

- Isaiah 25:1-2 -

Would-Be Inspiration

If I were a dress designer, this gladiolus would be an inspiration.

Succulent Beauty

Mass of Delphinium

Peony Bouquet from Ruth

For those who aren't in the know, Ruth is Mom's sister.

Bedside