Box of Chocolates?

Life is like a box of...lip gloss?  My friend Corinne swooned a little when she found this "box of chocolates" lip gloss by Two's Company and then presented me with these sweet treats just because. 

Each bon bon is nestled in a paper wrapper and has a different chocolate-scented lip gloss inside (just turn it over and lift the lid).  The heady scents make me want to reach for the nearest Hershey bar - no joke!  The flavors include: Chocolate Vanilla Creme, Mocha, Chocolate Caramel and Chocolate Strawberry Creme and I love them all.  It brings back fond memories of a giant tube of Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers lip gloss I had when I was in Junior High - it was Tootsie Roll flavor and I wore it every chance I got. 

I've moved this little set around the house (kitchen counter, office sideboard, front table) and every time I come upon the box it makes me happy.  A little bit of delight in the most unexpected form.   

Family Book Club

Am I sparking your imagination?  I saw this stone arch and a two track road winding into the distance and knew that you had to see it.  It could be the cover of a great book, don't you think? 

When I was at my husband's family reunion, there was a great moment when the kids (boys and girls age 12-18) were clamoring for my attention.  I casually asked them for recommendations of books they thought I should read and the floodgates opened.  I kept track of the title, author, and which child was recommending it on a "notepad" on my iPhone and the more titles I wrote down, the more they seemed to come up with.  It was magic.

A big part of this great family moment was the fact that I valued their opinion.  I was looking them in the eye and giving them the chance to affect me.  They were "pitching" their favorite books, hoping that I would read them and be impacted the way they were.

I proposed a Reunion Book Club (our reunion is every 2 years with family coming from Minnesota, Texas, Utah, Michigan and Virginia) and one of the teen boys suggested that we manage the group on Facebook - I love it!  I promised to transcribe the reading list (to the Reunion Book Club FB page) so that the kids could refer to it to read any books they might have missed.  The kids said they would check the page to see my progress and offer encouragement.  Yowza, I've got a lot of reading to do!  But this was a precious connection and I'll do anything to keep it.  

Would the teens in your family like to have a book club?

Vacation

I miss you!  I am on vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama and I can't blog!  We have 28 of my husband's relatives sharing a house and the internet at this rental property is patchy at best.  I noticed that I had a connection, so I've jumped on to say Hi.  I will be home and able to post about lots of blog worthy topics starting Monday.  Until then, I hope you can find delight in the Olympics! xo Anne    

Seizing Delight: Marsh Marigolds

A big part of "finding delight in every day life" is recognizing that timing is everything.  So much of the wonder and delight of life is seasonal, so you have to be ready to seize the day and enjoy the moment when it arrives.  

For example, marsh marigolds wait for no man.  They are one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the Spring and when we notice clusters of yellow in the marshy areas near the cottage, my mom and I make tracks.  I am usually only able to go "up north" a few times in the Spring and if I am lucky enough to be there when the marsh marigolds bloom, I'm not going to miss it!  The plants may bloom for a few weeks, but there is only a short window when I am in town to capture it.

We always drive to this shallow stream (between Leland and Northport, Michigan) where my mom first started photographing marsh marigolds in the 1980's.  The plants thrive in this marshy area and the clear shallow stream is the perfect visual foil to the healthy bushy plants.  

I took this photo on May 23, 2009 and it was the last time I was up north for the bloom.  Look at the glorious clusters winding their way up the riverbed.  I am so glad that my mom and I had to the chance to spend a delightful afternoon taking pictures.  

In terms of Spring occasions, it wasn't as romantic as a wedding, or momentous as graduation, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Whenever you flip the calendar page to a new month, write the seasonal items you are looking forward to ("tulips" or "English peas") to remind yourself to get out and enjoy them when they are at their peak.  

Birch Bark

I love the natural beauty of birch bark.  Look at the gorgeous "new" layer of white birch on a tree I found on our property - the old layer of bark was unraveling off of it naturally.

I would never peel bark from a birch tree, but I have had hunting for pieces of bark on the ground.  When I have enough, I plan to piece it together and cover a picture frame or a large matchbox.  It will be a "custom designer touch" that I made myself.

I blogged about an easy chocolate dipped pretzel recipe that mimics birch bark here.  

Stormy Weather

Oooh...can you hear the dramatic movie score that could go along with this photo?  I happened to be in the Leland harbor last summer when a rain storm cropped up at sunset.  The colors are exactly as my camera captured it - vibrant, distinct and eerie.

I love how the rocks of the breakwater look dry and harsh, while the sky looks like something cooked up from a chemistry set.  You can see the hazy streaks of rain water falling from the sky.

With so much of the country experiencing drought, I was happy to see the rain today and thought that showcasing a beautiful storm was appropriate.

Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger

Country Living magazine is having an event to recognize bloggers.  I've nominated my blog, Moments of Delight and would love if you would chime in and let Country Living magazine know that you enjoy my blog too. Thanks, Anne
http://www.countryliving.com/2012-blue-ribbon-blogger-awards-nominations

Sky High Hollyhocks

Look at the Hollyhocks! - these are the flowers of English cottages and fairy tales.  I had to pinch myself when I visited a friend here in northern Michigan at  a private community called Northport Point and saw hollyhocks growing everywhere.  

Every Spring, I am usually swayed by the deep blue delphinium when I am shopping at the garden center.  Next year I will have to keep my wits about me and remember to buy some hollyhocks for my garden.  I have a beautiful brick wall around my patio and I think hollyhocks would thrive there.  Have you had success growing hollyhocks?

These hollyhocks are sky high!  I am 5'2" and I took this photo aiming up, without a zoom.  How tall are they?  I'd guess that they are 9 feet tall, easy!

I want to remind you of the photograph I took of hollyhocks in England - it is one of my favorites.  I was driving through a small town on the way to Blenheim Palace (Winston Churchill's childhood home) when I saw them and yelled, "Stop the car!" 

Knit Fish

Yesterday I was taking about fish nets, now I'm blogging about knit fish.  There is a tongue twister in there somewhere, I'm sure of it.  


I was wandering through Fishtown in Leland, Michigan and I came upon a split store - half "Tack and Jibe" (wonderful boating life-inspired accessories) and half Fishtown Preservation Society.

In addition to accepting donations to preserve Fishtown, they also sell promotional items that supporters can purchase to declare that Fishtown is important to them.   I saw mugs, shirts, hats, but what caught my eye was a wall display of knit fish ornaments, which I think is genius!  What a charming way for the society gain support.  The shop girl told me that her mother ties a fish on the neck of a wine bottle when she brings wine to a party - I love that!    


I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't make an impulse buy that day, but I think a school of fish is in my future. 

Leelanau Peninsula: Glass Buoys

I want these!  I was walking through Fishtown in Leland when I noticed this open container of aquamarine glass buoys that hold fishing nets afloat.  You heard me, aquamarine fishnet floats.  They. are. gorgeous.  

I thought that taking a photograph would be enough, but now that I am back at the cottage writing about them, I really want them even more.  I know that they would look beautiful on display in a bowl in my aqua family room.  I think I need to head back to Fishtown...

*Update - I got some and they look beautiful on a plate in my family room.

Pearls in Paradise

Fresh coconut and fresh water pearls - I was in a tropical paradise, no doubt about it.  I have been organizing my photos lately and I realized that I hadn't shown you this gorgeous picture from my trip to Honolulu.  

Corinne and I were exploring the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and after drinking the coconut water out of this fresh coconut with a straw, the vendor cleaved it open and loosened the flesh so that we could eat it.  A few bites of fresh coconut was enough for me, but look how gorgeous it is held up again a display of pearls!

We bought a strand of the soft pink pearls and had a glorious time making jewelry with them.  Don't you love it?

Leelanau Peninsula: Perfect Tart Cherry Pie

Michigan produces three quarters of the nations tart cherries and this year we have had a devastating crop loss due to an early freeze.  The bright red cherries in the left side of this photograph are tarts and I bought one of the containers to make a fresh cherry pie.  

I was at the farmer's market in Suttons Bay on Saturday and I spoke to the farmer himself and he jokingly said, "That's most of my crop this year."  To hear him talk of it, broke my heart, but that is the business of farming, if Mother Natures throws a curve ball, the farmers have to cope.

I was glad to support him with a purchase (I bought a carton of the dark sweet cherries too) and the tarts made the best cherry pie ever!  

Fabulous Cherry Pie

2 frozen deep dish pie crusts

4 cups washed and pitted tart cherries

3/4 cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons quick tapioca

1 tsp lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open the package of frozen pie crusts and cut the rim off of one of them.  Tip it out of the tin pan and onto a cutting board. Cut the circle of pie crust into long strips with a knife - this will be your lattice.

Mix cherries, sugar, tapioca and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Allow to sit 15-20 minutes.  Stir well and pour into whole frozen pie shell.  Lay the strips of crust across the pie and arrange into a lattice or basket weave pattern.  Pinch dough strips to edge of pie shell to seal the strip.  Brush crust lattice and rim with a beaten egg.  Sprinkle entire top of pie with a little white sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature with creamy vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Match Box Puzzle

I just love this collection of matches I made.  I chose a bunch of different scrapbook papers and glued them to small boxes of matches.  Now they work together as a kind of "artistic puzzle."


I leave them displayed together on a sofa table in the family room and check back periodically to see if they have been rearranged.  As often as not, someone has taken it upon themselves to move the boxes around, changing the arrangement to appeal to them.  I love that!  You wouldn't think that there was a lot of reasoning or placement to a collection of black and white patterns, but there is.  I think it is a bit like a crossword puzzle, finding satisfaction in the solution.


Would you rearrange these boxes if you had the chance?

Stained Glass Glory

I love seeing light stream through a stained glass window.  What is neat about this particular window is that it is housed in the London Garden Museum, which was once the medieval and Victorian church, St. Mary’s at Lambeth.  This is a salvation story you should hear.  If you are intrigued by my nutshell version, you can click the links and delve in further.

The story begins in 1062 when the first incarnation of the church was built of wood on this site near the Thames.  It existed as a church for hundreds of years and then as the area slowly degraded, the church was deemed redundant.  Set for demolition, the building's course veers dramatically when it was rescued in 1976. (You can read through the timeline here.)

In 1976, Rosemary Nicholson arrived at the overgrown church yard looking for the tombs of John Tradescant (c.1570-1638), the man acknowledged to be the first great gardener in British history, and his son of the same name (c.1608-1662).  She found their tombs, but what she also discovered was that the desconsecrated church was boarded and set to be demolished. 

Unwilling to let this piece of British (and gardening) history be lost, Rosemary and her husband, John, set out to save this church building and tombs (with its 950 years of documented British history) by gathering supporters, volunteers and funds to establish the Tradescant Trust in 1977.

This trust was responsible for the restoration and revitalization of the church and currently oversees the building and its grounds.  The trust ended up founding the world's first museum of garden history.  

Go Rosemary! Thank you for your vision and dedication to preserving this fantastic and historic site.  I walked through the garden, poured over the antique garden implements displays inside and bought my share of souvenirs.  I am writing a new book (A Delightful Tour of England) and will send my readers to visit the Museum of Garden History.  I blogged a bit about the inside of the museum here.   

Blue and Yellow Masterpiece

Patience! I am glad I dug down (pardon the pun) and found some patience when I was gardening!  The unidentified plant that was almost pulled "as a weed" produced these beautiful fringed asters!

I had forgotten that I planted a "Blue Stokes" aster in the side garden and I know that it didn't bloom last year, but (Voila!) it is back and blooming in one of my favorite colors.  In this case, I am guilty of forgetting my own "Master Plan."

When I combined a few blooms with an "Endless Summer" hydrangea and some "Graham Thomas" yellow roses, I had my masterpiece.

A Lovely Evening

I had a lovely evening at a new Florentine restaurant in Lake Leelanau, Michigan called Bella Fortuna last Saturday night.  It was a Grand Opening Celebration dinner for the restaurant that benefited the Leelanau Cancer Fund and the place was packed.


It started with prosecco and prosciutto on the patio - doesn't that sound divine?  There were plenty of delicious passed appetizers to start the evening off and my favorite was a minced artichoke spread on crostini.  

The dinner had several courses and you can see my entree above, Pesce Funghi (Walleye with fresh mushrooms) and Bistecca (Char grilled steak with salsa verde) served with Cannellini (Tuscan-style beans with extra virgin olive oil).  It was very satisfying meal and a wine pairing with each course didn't hurt.


I know that many lovely Summer nights will be spent on this patio.  Buon Appetito!  

Happy 4th of July

Nothing says vacation like a slow boat ride.  We always have a flag on the back of the boat, most do, but this time it serves to say "Happy 4th of July!"


I've made 3 of my grandmother's coffee cakes (for this morning and the rest of the week), dip for the fruit, scalloped potatoes (for tonight's ham dinner) and graham cracker ice cream for dessert.  Whoosh!  A big accomplishment and I know that everyone will enjoy it.


Now it is time to relax and enjoy.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Recharge Your Battery

Where do you go to recharge your battery?  This view does it for me every time.  I am up at the cottage on Lake Michigan and I am enjoying the quiet.  

The land jutting out on the horizon (on one end of the bay) is called "Whaleback" because it looks like a whale rising out of the water.  It's a classic view in Leelanau County and I love it!   And look at the ripple pattern in the sand at the edge of the shore.  

A day like this is the perfect time to walk the shore looking for petoskey stones.  I am hoping to find a small one that I can make into a pendant for a necklace.  Wouldn't that make a necklace that is both beautiful and interesting?  

Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

It was the best suggestion yet!  The kids and I had been talking about what flavors of ice cream we should make this week and graham cracker ice cream and cherry pie ice cream were suggested.


We put them on the list and then later, when we were surveying the herb pot, my nephew said we should make Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and add bits of the fresh herb "Chocolate Mint."  We all loved the idea and it became our first flavor.


This recipe is fabulous because it requires no cooking and no eggs.  Genius!


Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream

Mix 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 (5 oz) can of evaporated milk, 2 cups of whole milk, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract and about 4 Tablespoons of chopped fresh Chocolate Mint.  Pour into the freezer container of an electric ice cream maker and follow the ice cream maker instructions.  When the ice cream is almost finished (soft serve consistency), add 1/2 of a bag of mini semi sweet chocolate chips.

Lemon Tree, Very Pretty

I'd like to take this moment and say that I am jealous.  My brother and sister-in-law in Houston recently moved into a house with a lemon tree (see Exhibit A, above).  


I took this photo at Christmas and it was all I could do to not pick it and rush in the house to make lemon curd.  Can you imagine having citrus growing in your yard, ready for lemon meringue pie at a moments notice? I could hardly stand it.


Now my friend in Honolulu has bought a house and she has a lemon tree too! And perhaps a kumquat tree too, we have to wait for some fruit to develop to know for sure.  I am green with envy.  


I guess I should start keeping copies of my favorite lemon recipes in my suitcase, huh?  When I start traveling again, my friends will know to look for me in the backyard.  There's a good chance I'm working on dessert.

Homemade Popsicles

We tried our hand at making layered popsicles and they turned out super cute AND delicious!  Our masterpiece started to melt before my niece and I managed to find a camera, but you can get the idea from this picture.

The top layer is pureed watermelon, then we added a layer of strawberry ice cream, then we mixed fresh sliced strawberries with homemade strawberry jam and ending with a base of vanilla orange pudding.  They were delicious! And the mix of flavors and textures complimented each other very well.  We were happy that our very cool popsicle mold has a straw in the base so we could slurp out whatever had melted.

Making homemade popsicles is fun, but creating ones with layers is even better.  We decided that we felt like a sweet genius.

Moments of Delight: Finding Delight in Everyday Life

I am leading a summer seminar on Delight!  I was asked to participate in a continuing education program in northern Michigan and the more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to it.  And isn't that delight in a nutshell?

I will be leading a 2-part session (July 11, 18 from 10-12 noon at the Leland High School library in Leland, Michigan) and this is my class description:

Author, Photographer and Blogger, Anne Held Reeves, will lead a discussion celebrating the delights of life. A look at how visual images, tasty treats and simple story telling can enhance the human experience. The impact of flowers; the joy of friendship; the satisfaction of collecting – these ideas are the foundation of Anne’s book and blog, MomentsOfDelight.com that celebrate the beauty of everyday life.

You can read an article about the entire series in the Grand Traverse Insider.  This link takes you to the 2012 Leelanau Summinars Catalog.  Care to join me?  

Wedding Anniversary

Happy Anniverary! I've been married twenty years today and I thought that this sweet bouquet would mark the occassion nicely.  The vase is part of my "crown jewel" series, where I've glued pink, peach and clear gems to an empty jam jar.  So pretty! 

The oh-so-perfect flowers are "Endless Summer" blue hydrangeas, David Austin pink "Heritage" roses and an apricot rose called "Brandy." 

Can you hear the faint chime of wedding bells?

Darling Clothespins

What took me so long?  I mean really, I've thought about gluing pretty scrapbook paper onto plain wooden clothespins for months.  When I finally sat down to do it, it only took about 15 minutes to make them!  I wish I had tried it sooner, I would have had more time to enjoy them.

Right now I am using them to manage the stacks of papers in my office.  These piles are no match for paper clips!  And they are SO much cuter.

The "instructions" for making these are embarrassingly easy.  Find pretty scrapbook paper - I like using a mix of similar papers, instead of making a set of matching clothespins, but it is up to you.  Use a glue stick to rub a thin layer of glue on one side of the clothespin.  Smooth glue out with you finger if necessary.  Stick paper to clothespin, lining up one end and one side so that it "fits" perfectly on the clothespin and smooth out bubbles/wrinkles, if any.  Allow to dry.  When it is dry, cut excess paper off of the other two side of the clothespin where the paper hangs over.  Start the same process on the other side.  Voila!

I found myself using the assembly line system.  I worked on 5 different clothespins (on one side) and let them dry.  By the time I got to the 5th clothespin, the 1st was about ready for me to work on it's flip side.  Very efficient.  And super cute!

Leelanau Peninsula: A Classic Summer Moment

I brought a friend up north to Leland with me for a few days and while we were there we made 3 batches of homemade strawberry jam.  Yum!  We had barely started our 5-hour drive back home when we came upon a farm stand on County Road 651 with a van idling in front.  Strawberries!

A flat of strawberries instantly became the perfect souvenir from our time up north.  I pulled over and we shouted greetings to the girl delivering boxes of strawberries right from the field.  As my friend grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, the girl in the van drove away.  "Where is she going? I really wanted strawberries," my friend said with dismay.

I showed her the cash box and the price sheet.  The look on her face told me that she hadn't seen a farm stand with the honor system ever.  It was a great moment, really, because coming from the hustle-bustle of a city, it shows that people are good and can be trusted.  Chose your box of berries, consult the price sheet, pull out the right amount of money, drop it in the cash box. 

That feeling you get is called satisfied customer.

Colonial Garden Book

Only a true girlfriend can spot your china pattern in a photograph. When I was in Colonial Williamsburg with my dear friend, Kerry, we were shopping in the Williamsburg Marketplace store when I heard, "Anne!  Where's Anne?!" ring out across the store.

Kerry was browsing the gift book section when she saw my dishes (Lavinia by Royal Worcester) on the cover of "From A Colonial Garden."  She knew I would flip (I did) and rushed a copy over to show me.  You see, my china pattern was never available in stores here.  I had grown up loving the pattern on a demitasse cup in my mom's china cabinet.  When I went to choose a pattern of my own, nothing lived up to those gorgeous black raspberries.  Since they were Royal Worcester and available in England, we had to move mountains to find a source for them here in the United States (I think we got them in Canada).  So I NEVER see my pattern out and about and as a result, they are NEVER in magazine photographs etc.  It was such fun to see this gorgeous book.  Do I sound like a fine china geek?

I had to have it and the good news is that it really is a great book!  It has beautiful photographs, interesting recipes and instructions for making some traditional Colonial decorations, like fruit and flower cones, Christmas ornaments and topiary.  It actually lives up to the Williamsburg in my mind, more than the town itself.  That is the importance of good photography and content.  I remind myself of that every day as I work on my next book.

So thank you, Kerry, for finding this treasure for me.  Good eye!

Oahu Orchids

This little area of the orchid greenhouse looks like an opening scene for Fantasy Island, don't you think?  The mini-waterfall was charming and added moisture to the air.

After photographing orchids, we sat on a bench under an enormous tree and ate our lunch.  When traveling to a new city, investigate their gardens and see if it makes sense to add a stop on your itinerary.  A city can be so much more than shops, museums and restaurants - a few minutes in a butterfly garden just might add delight to your trip.

 

It Takes A Village...a rose gardener's life

Ha! All I could think of when I looked back at this photograph was, "It Takes A Village."  I went to a one night class at Telly's Greenhouse on tending roses last month and this was the display of suggested products.

I looked over the selection and thought, "Yep," that about covers it.  Actually there are 2 standouts on this table that I couldn't have a rose garden without. 

• Organic Rose Tone fertilizer - granular and mixed in the soil to fertilize every 4-6 weeks
• Neptune's Harvest - a "fragrant" fish and nutrient mix I spray on rose leaves every 3 weeks

 These products along with the tips: "don't let the sprinklers hit the leaves" and "make sure there is plenty of air circulation between plants" can get you well on your way to the garden of your dreams.  Are roses more work than other plants? You bet.  But look who I get to have my coffee with each morning. That's delight.

 

A Lilly Pulitzer-esque Tablecloth

My new tablecloth is the equivalent of caffeine.  You can't walk into my kitchen and not feel energized.  I found this cotton fabric when I was in Honolulu and I knew immediately that I wanted it to be a Lilly-like tablecloth in my aqua and white kitchen.
I am a big fan of buying fabric that I love and serging the edge to make a quick and easy tablecloth.  When I realized that the fabric width didn't allow for enough drape on the sides, I tried making my first "ruffle" with the extra fabric to add some length. It worked and still looks great. 

And a casual collection of like-minded roses from the garden echos the colors in the fabric.  I love this time of year.

The Power of Cute

I love these new hair ties from Goody so much that I am blogging about them!  This set included four patterned hair ties and that is what I want to call your attention to.  It adds a little bit of style to your ponytail and having patterned hair ties is completely new in the world of hair accessories. 

The elastics have a swirl of color in complimentary tones.  When I wear my hair in a ponytail, I can't tell you how many people have commented on this simple, and inexpensive, item.  I tend to wear solid color t-shirts and khaki pants when I am running errands in the Summertime and having a pretty hair tie makes me feel good.

Never underestimate the power of cute.

Basket weave Cupcakes

Success!  I have been wanting to make a basket weave cupcake for a l-o-n-g time and I had the perfect occasion last week when I hosted Euchre Night. 

I had noticed a picture in an old issue of Country Home magazine of a platter of cupcakes - one was a basket weave pattern made with two different frosting tips (basket weave flat and round zigzag edge) and two different colors of frosting. 

It looked darling in the magazine and this was the perfect time to try it.  I'm so happy with the result!  It wasn't too hard and it made an everyday dessert, a little extra special.  Want to try making a basket weave pattern in frosting?  I found a great video by Wilton that shows you how.  Good luck!

Sasaki Tea Set

Does eBay get you too?  I thought I was strong, but when I came across a set of cup and saucers to match my long-lonely Sasaki Teapot, I caved.

I was telling someone about how I have loved this teapot for years, by saying that "I have been me for a long time."  What I meant was that when all the other girls were asking for curling irons and clothes, I had to have this teapot. I was 19 or 20 years old at the time and the last thing I needed was a pale pink teapot, but oh how I loved it.
My parents did get it for me that year (my birthday?) and I have displayed it on a book shelf or in an open cabinet in my house ever since.  But actually using it for tea instead of art was never an option because the pattern was discontinued and I didn't have any cups!
I love the website "Replacements," but it never occurred to me to look for more pieces (I looked just now and they have some!).  Then I stumbled upon this set of 2 matching cups and saucers on eBay and I pounced. 

Sometimes you have to turn any old Thursday into your 19th birthday again, don't you think?   

A Portrait of the Iris

I don't mean to get carried away, but doesn't this look like an early American painting?  The shades of color, the framing - I love it all.  This is a deep blue iris (up close it looked like it was made of silk!) displayed in a wine bottle turned vase.  Don't be intiminted with "flower arranging" - this time I used one stalk and one bottle. 

Sometimes a quiet arrangement speaks volumes.   

Gem Counter

I'm attaching gems to jam jars to make vases that are fit for a Queen!  This was my kitchen counter this morning!  It looked so pretty, I had to show you.  I worked my way through this swirl of inexpensive flat-backed gems and I've arranged them into patterns that I will afix to empty jam jars with Gem Tac.  This is my new favorite way to display flowers! What do you think?

Feeling French

How can a worn paint door and a stone wall look so beautiful?  I took this photo in Paris; at a little restaurant in the 6th arrondisemont where the door was propped open to let in the breeze.  I looked at this "door against the wall" throughout my dinner and knew that it had to be a photograph, so I got up from my seat between dinner and dessert to capture it before the light changed. 

The letter slot, the worn blue paint, the stone wall that is most likely two hundred years old...you know, what designers aspire to create these days - an authentic, French feel.  Don't you love it?

Herb Appeal

This is the goal: a healthy herb pot on the patio at the cottage, shown here on one of my Ana's Delight Totes (if you want a tote with this cover, just email me).  I am happy to report that we will have planted our herb pots one week from today!

My dad and I always celebrate Father's Day by planting herb pots together.  His pot stays up north and we cook from it all Summer.  Mine travels back home with me, wrapped in a plastic bag and gently wedged between a laundry basket of weekend clothes and, say, an electric ice cream maker.  It always makes it home, but I'm a little nervous until it is taken out of the car, unbroken.

Last Summer we didn't make an herb pot for the first time in years and we both missed it terribly.  We blame a combination of timing, weather and travel schedules;  we didn't have a great selection of herbs and the time to pot them intersect. So....this herb pot feels even more important.

Last week we went to Wiegand's and we thrilled to find: Ginger Mint, Lemon Thyme, Dill, Chocolate Mint, Variagated Sage, Orange Mint, Parsley, Hot n Spicy Oregano...  It was an herb specialists dream!

Father's Day is Sunday and we will be planting together by Tuesday.  Can you see me smiling?

Vintage Postcard: Lake Lucerne

Isn't this charming?  I think I have a new place to add to my "places to visit" list: Lake Luzerne, New York.  The scenery looks beautiful.  I bought this vintage postcard at an antique show and knew immediately that I wanted to scan it and print it onto fabric so that it could make it into an accent pillow for my living room.  I know, it's not what springs to mind for most collectors, but it is what makes sense to me.
I'll be honest, I immediately thought this postcard was for "Lake Lucerne" in Switzerland (one of my favorite places).  I thought that the "z" might be the German spelling.  Nope, my mom knew that it was New York, but encouraged me to get it anyway because the colors were so perfect.

I'm on a sewing binge right now and if I stay focused, I can make and post a picture of this pillow right away.  When it is finished, I will add a picture of it to this blog post, so please check back.

Tah-dah!  Doesn't it look cute?! Anne (6/25/12)