In the Garden at All About Home #41

Hi Friends and Welcome,

Thanks so much for coming by to visit and join in 
on the party this week. I'm loving all the great 
Spring-to-Summer Inspiration you all are sharing. 
I hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. 

Paperwhites in the Christmas Entry

I have a few decorating "staples" when it comes to faux flowers; tried and true floral elements that I know I can use no matter what the Season or Holiday. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter I can always count on slightly wild and natural grapevine twiggy wreaths, lifelike Hydrangeas, and my favorite for this time of year... Paperwhites.

An Ironstone Pitcher for an Endless Summer Bouquet

I've been watching my Hydrangea bushes in the back yard, waiting for the right time to snip the blooms and bring them inside for drying. Several websites and bloggers say to wait until the blooms have gone to a deeper color and that their petal texture has become delicate and paperlike. Whoops... I almost waited too long.

The Power of a Print...

Do you want to change the feel of a room or space? There are several low cost ways to get a new feeling or vibe to your space, but my favorite is to consider what you have hanging on your walls: artwork and prints in this case.

Paperwhites, Fresh or Faux?

I've had this little obsession with Paperwhites for about 10 years now. There is just something so pristine and snowy fresh about a grouping of them. In the past I would buy around a hundred bulbs each season close to Halloween and start the planting process. That was the fun part, I've planted bulbs in everything from Santa Mugs to Antique Ironstone Tureens to the re-purposed clear glass jars that candles come in from Bath and Body Works. I love them and never get tired of them.

Just what I need....

So here's my latest addition to the sitting area. A pitchfork...only to be used if the hubby starts getting smarty pants. Seriously, don't we all need a pitchfork in our kitchen? And don't you love that big crack that runs down the length of the side on the armoire? It will be on my "to paint"and repair list as soon as we find a house.

I've had a slight obsession with French Country Garden Goods, and I've been on the lookout for old gardening tools. With all the "stuff" hubbs and I have been dealing with since the end of last year, really... garden tools are the last thing I need.

Just ask him...

he'll let you know.

But I have this mental fantasy that I'll have a garden room again 

and that I can decorate it with all kinds of frenchy garden things.

I've realized it's important to keep some "dreaming" alive

even if it seems impossible at the moment.

Here's the French Inspired Garden Frame from my last post.

I have other old tools hanging out in our garage.

One that I found was an old bulb planter that I'll share later,

I plan on using it...

eventually.

Right now I need to just not be tripping over them,

or have them in a place where hubbs actually has to see or deal with them.

Why can't guys realize that sometimes we just have to go with our gut?

In hubby's defense, 

he was the one that had to pack box after box of my old garden junk.

when I was out of commission.

He's reached his limit, I'm pretty sure.

I found these breadboards at Antique Farmhouse.

And I've had some of you ask about my basket full of linens...

do my kitties nap there?

They are a lazy couple of cats,

but I've never seen them in there.

shhhh...don't tell them...

Here is a collage of pics from my French Garden Fantasy over at Pinterest.

Hope you're having a wonderful week. We're having a cool-down like a lot of you. Perfect for me, I'm not a fan of the heat. The older I get, the less I like to sweat.

Joining in on these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
It's a Party at DIY by Design

xoxo,

French Garden Inspired Frame

I've mentioned before that vintage garden goods have always been my favorite kind of "vintage". I love it all, but I have a real soft spot for old garden tools, wagons, ephemera,...anything "seed" related, etc. I've had to pack up most of my garden goodies for now, during our move, but I've kept a few little things to play with and decorate my baker's rack in the sitting room.

When we cleaned out my in-laws garden shed a few years ago I confiscated several old garden tools, and I've had my radar up for a few different ones recently. (more on that next week) These little ones below are of the "mini" variety that I use with my tabletop wheelbarrow. I've been collecting garden inspiration on Pinterest using the old tools, and thought I might try a little summery wall vignette with an old empty chippy frame from my stash.

Inspiration for a French Garden Frame from the Graphics Fairy

I have this hanging in the sitting area in the kitchen.

I'll share the rest of the summer garden baker's rack next week.

I included a mini bee skep among the flowers in the old watering can. I recently bought a little bigger one, (that I haven't shown you yet). I've had this little one for ages, complete with "bees".

My Black Eye'd Susans are really blooming crazy this year,

 so I thought I'd do a little nod to them on this.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

We have a contract on the house, YAY!!!

joining in at these parties:

Sundays at Home with Thoughts From Alice 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

xoxo,

When will it be Spring?

This last snow and ice storm threw a lot of us off kilter. Just when we had been teased with some warm days and sightings of crocus and daffodils pushing up, we got hit hard. But they, (the powers that be in the weather world) say we'll be back in the 50's by the weekend. So many people south of us had ice instead of sleet, so I'm grateful for just the cold and snow, not loosing power. Missouri is notorious for March snowstorms, heck, it snowed in May last year!

This week is my Birthday Week. Yes, I celebrate all week, especially when it's so yucky outside that no restaurants are even open! My Birthdays have been "low key" for awhile, just the way I like them. A certain sweet hubby brought me home an armful of tulips in lovely Spring colors, but I didn't even have an ironstone pitcher here to put them in, so they found their way to my little galvanized bucket. 

This was the first time I have used a flower frog. I have several vintage ones, but only one with the metal grid design. It made for a much prettier arrangement, instead of all of them falling over the sides.

I have this little journal in precious pinks and lavender.

"Very beautiful flowers".

This is a little wreath I found last year,

and a few of my old garden tools.

My tiny friend is joining us.

She thinks she's hidden in the twigs.

 I love collecting vintage embroidered tea towels. Now, in the times of disposable "everything", I admire the time and creativity that went in to decorating them.

The light here in the sitting room is northern, 

but in the morning it's just perfect.

I hope "Spring" is closeby, wherever you are...

Oh so tweet!

You can check out more wonderful tulip ideas, 

on my Pinterest Board, HERE

A Big Thank You to everyone who took the time to enter the Give Away last week. The winner of the $35.00 gift certificate to French Bleu Vintage is Cathy from My 1929 Charmer. Have fun Cathy!

I'll be joining in on these wonderful parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Inspiration Exchange at City Farmhouse
Treasure Hunt From My Front Porch to Yours
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Sweet and Simple Fridays at Rooted in Thyme
Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Hope you're having a great week,

Pretty in Pink

Thanks to my sweet husband, my computer is up and running again. He's a "computer savvy guy", so he knows who to call when there's a problem. YAY!!

This post is long overdue, by about 2 weeks, actually, since that's been how long ago my Peonies were in bloom. I've waited for several years for them to mature and they rewarded me this year with some lovely fat, ruffled, oh-so-heavenly blooms. 

They needed a special vase,

 and I thought that this antique pink Depression Glass Biscuit Jar

 showed them off to perfection.

I'm not really a "pastel" person, but this wonderful soft pink had me thinking of ways to show them off. My one nod to pink in decor is in my love for rosy-posies patterned vintage china, so a little impromptu garden tote filled with my mismatched pieces was the answer.

A pink plaid vintage "luncheon cloth" was the foundation.

Over the years I've collected several different pink floral patterns

 of salad and dessert plates 

that I just keep stacked in the Dining Room. 

I also brought out two of my Heisey etched glassware goblets

 for a little more lacey feminine charm.

Vintage floral embroidered tea towels serve as napkins, 

with mismatched dessert silver.

In an update to the yard mess from the storm, we were able to get most of it cleaned up, but it took our Father's Day to get it all done. Lousy timing, but glad that we had that day to do it. At least I can look out on my deck now and not want to cry. I'm sure most everything will be back blooming in a week or two. Just seeing these photos makes me feel better...

I'll be joining in on these great weekly parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Homework Wednesday at The Everyday Home
DIY by Design
From My Front Porch to Yours
Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
No Minimalist Here
TTT at Stone Gable

xoxo,