i just love making pillows...

I cannot help myself.  When I see beautiful fabric, I just have to make pillows!  I picked up this amazing, cheery fabric in France and brought it home with me with no real set plan for it.  Then, I found these colorful zippers and I just had to sew up some pillows.  My daughter, Christine, loves to mix up the pillows on her already adorable front porch, and with her newly painted front door, I just knew this would be the place for these bright, happy pillows!

Cheers to new pillows!

lucky number 7

Once again, my odd collection of things I pick up here and there comes in handy!

My grandson turned seven a couple weeks ago, so I threw together this jar of goodies for him and tied on the "7" card I had laying around my craft room.  

Happy Number 7, sweet boy!

trader joe's plus your own back yard

I absolutely love putting together floral displays.  I usually go to Trader Joe's (everyone's best friend) and pick up an array of whatever they have on hand that looks inspiring, then go out into my own yard and cut some trimmings from anything out there.  I've used clippings from our olive tree, bougainvillea, oleanders, or any other greenery that seemed like it might add a nice touch.  My daughter Christine has a lovely eye for putting florals together, so I asked her to help me throw something together as an example...

The trick to putting flowers into any odd container you feel inspired to use, is to find a vase that will fit into the pot, basket, box, etc. that you are using and then try to cleverly hide it (as I also did here)...

Simply mix in the flowers with the greens from your yard and evenly spread them around and over the edges of the basket to hide the vase that is inside...

And, there you have it.  It looks like a basket of collected flowers, but they will stay fresh in the vase hidden inside.  What a happy little bundle to have in your home or give to a friend!

flowers 101

I have had lots of people ask me about how to keep flowers in different containers.  When I told a couple of my daughters my secret, I was shocked they had never heard of it.  Simple as it seems, I guess unless you are told, you just might not think of it :)  So, I thought I would share in case you didn't already know...

The trick is putting your flowers in some sort of glass container before you put them in something that might now hold or take water as well.  Easy as that.  In this case, I took some simple Trader Joe's tulips and cut them down to fit in a small water glass...

  

Then, I put the glass in my little pot...

Sometimes, as is the case here, you can still see the glass inside the pot...

So, I put some moss in a dish...

Watered it...

Then added a little moss around the edges...

And there you have it...

Trader Joe's flowers and a few tricks and you'll never have to order flowers again :)

happy flowers for the mom you love.

Like most moms, I love flowers.  I love getting them, I love having them in my home.  I especially love picking up flowers from Trader Joe's and arranging them myself.  The possibilities are endless.  One trick I've learned over the years is how easy orchids are to have in your home and to care for.  In just a few minutes you can put them together in a way that looks like they came from a florist and they will last for weeks and weeks.

First, remove the case they come in...

Next, wrap some moss around their base...

Then, place them in a vase with just about two inches of water only in the bottom...

For a little something extra, you can use twine to tie a little moss around the stem where the orchid is attached to the stick by a less-than-attractive piece of plastic...

Occasionally, add a little more water as you see the level going down, but never much.

They should last for weeks and weeks!

Give some to a friend and keep some for yourself!

They are certain to brighten up any home!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

We love you!

What would the world be without moms!

making baby presents

My son Peter made this adorable little hanging rack for his daughter last year, so I thought I would try and put one together for grandbaby number 20, while her parents were in town from Chicago (she is due in June!).  I picked up the pieces I needed from Home Depot (I may have had to climb a shelf to get what I needed when no one wanted to help me...) and picked up some paint from Rust and Roses.  We made the whole thing in one short afternoon and I love the way it turned out.  The only thing left is to add the little mini casters to the bottom of it.  

I just love the stripes!