baby chicks

March 29, 2013

In the spirit of Easter, I thought Friday field trip today would be a visit with some baby chicks :)

These little ones are only one week old…

Sure to put a smile on anyone’s face :)

They are just so adorable!

A perfect symbol for Easter…one of new life.

Just remember, as you get involved with all your holiday preparations…

to take pleasure in simple things…

and to hold your loved ones close.

Easter is a time to celebrate with those you hold dear.

Wishing you and those you love, a very blessed Easter!

Thanks for sharing. Love, Jackie

Sharing at Crafts a la Mode.

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…a few more eggs

March 26, 2013

I know I already posted my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs (including coastal style). But, I thought you might like to see the results of some of the natural Easter eggs I dyed. My grandmother always used onion skins and beets so I had to dye some in ‘old school’ fashion. I also dyed some using my gift of saffron I told you about in this post in addition to dyeing some with red cabbage.

If you don’t remove the insides of your eggs before dyeing, it is hard to part with the ones you really love..at least it always is for me!

I make egg salad from the insides of the eggs and recycle the outsides by using them in terrariums or houseplants…or to create mosiacs. You don’t throw out the colored egg shells, do you? When I was a kid I saved all the colored shells…I just couldn’t part with them. Over time, I discovered ways to use them…

My favorite was to create mosaics. You can do this too….or, as a project for the kids. I suggest giving your children the task of separating the shells by color (a good way to keep them occupied for a while!) and then use the assorted shells to create designs by glueing them onto notecards. A great gift to give grandma for Mother’s Day!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some more of my decorated Easter eggs. This batch used only natural dyes from plants.

You still have time to get some eggs dyed before the weekend! If you don’t want to use natural dyes, you can mix 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 tsp. white vinegar, and food coloring in a coffee cup and use that to dye your eggs…no need to buy a kit. I wish I knew this when I was a kid…we would split up the color tablets from the egg decorating kit between the four siblings and there was always a fight over a color everyone wanted!

Oh, and remember to save the shells so you can do some experimenting…

Have a blessed Holy Week my friends…remember to take pleasure in simple things :)

Thanks so much for visiting, Jackie

P.S. The natural dyes I used in the photos in this post: 1.saffron, 2.red cabbage, 3.onion skins, 4.saffron, 5.saffron & beets, 6.beets, 7.red cabbage, 8.saffron & beets

I am sharing at Coastal Charm.

4 comments

terrarium love

March 22, 2013

Today, Friday field trip is a visit to my friend’s house. Her name is Phyllis, and we are getting together for what she affectionately refers to as “a playdate.” On this occasion, we are making terrariums. We had recently picked up some terrarium plants and supplies at Terrain and we were very anxious to start creating! I am sure we will have future field trips to Phyllis’s home since it is amazing! I have so much inspiration I could share with you…her decor, her gardens, her handcrafted jewelry…well, everything! But, for today, I will limit my sharing to our terrarium creations.

When I got to Phyllis’s house we started right in…covering her large kitchen island with newspaper and taking out all our various supplies. In addition, her entire dining room table was covered with assorted containers and possible decorative terrarium items. She showed me the terrarium she had already completed. Wow! It is so beautiful…a little watering can!…and a hanging plant! Isn’t it great?

Because Phyllis already knew all the terrarium basics, I didn’t have to worry about doing alot of research. She explained about the rocks for drainage on the bottom (I think I would have figured that out) and a layer of activated charcoal (I would not have figured that out) before the layer of soil. So, after a quick lesson on how to proceed, I needed to decide exactly what I wanted to put into the terrarium.

I figured I had two ways to go. I could do an Easter/spring theme and use eggs and nests OR I could do my standard (coastal/beach) theme. I decided to go with a ‘beachy’ theme and got some possible items assembled. The interesting thing about putting a terrarium together is that you don’t really need as many plants or decorative items as you may think. Less is really more. So, I decided my main decorative item would be a sand castle.

From there, I would use some rocks, shells, sea glass, and moss that reminded me of the beach. For the plant? Phyllis and I had both fell in love with a plant called Breynia Snow Bush that we found at Terrain and that would serve as the highlighted plant in my creation.

And…this is what I came up with…what do you think? I love it! Isn’t the little colored gravel so great? I think it is sold as fish tank decor. I had some old glass ‘bubbles’ that were used many years ago with floating candles that lent themselves perfectly to the ‘beachy’ terrarium.

Adorable, don’t you think?

You are probably wondering what Phyllis was working on…wait until you see! Phyllis and I had both been intrigued by the ‘pussy willow teepees’ we saw in some of the terrariums at Terrain…like the one on this bunny arrangement. So, Phyllis decided to create one in a pretty metal container she had on hand.

This beautiful arrangement is what she came up with! So gorgeous!

She created the “teepee” from stalks of pussy willow. She attached them on top by putting an elastic band around a piece of moss she harvested from her yard. So beautiful…and with the pussy willow and the addition of some real quail eggs from Terrain, the perfect Easter arrangement! You can see in this closeup that the elastic is not even visible once it is put into the moss.

Playdate successful!

Consider ‘shopping’ your basement and garage for possible terrarium containers and decorative items…Terrain has some really cool terrarium items if you want to purchase some or supplement what you can find around your house. Miniatures from train sets or Christmas villages can also be used. The sand castle I used was actually a repurposed photo holder – I just trimmed off the wire stand. Just remember to use soil appropriate to the plants you select.

I hope you enjoyed my Friday field trip to create terrariums. Special thanks to my partner in crime! I forgot to mention the homemade golden pea soup I had for lunch (so yummy!) or the eggplant and famous key lime pie (heaven!) from The Pantry in Fairfield…ahhh..the perks of the playdate! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

I am sharing at Little Red House, Serenity Saturday, The Inspiration Gallery, Craftionary, Common Ground, Give Me the Goods Monday, and The Well Crafted Home.

16 comments

easter butter cookies

March 19, 2013

I always loved the butter cookies my friend Kim would bring to bridal showers…rich, buttery cookies that looked so sweet and tasted wonderful. They were small round sandwich style cookies, with a pastel tinted filling. At one point I finally asked her if I could have the recipe and I started calling them “Kim’s shower cookies” whenever I would make them.

For Easter, I decided to make “Kim’s shower cookies” but cut them in egg shapes rather than circles. I chose to tint the filling a lavender color.

Don’t they make a great “Kim’s Easter cookies?”

Easter Butter Cookies Recipe

Cookies

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour

Filling

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring

Combine the cookie ingredients and chill for 1 to 2 hours. Roll dough out to 1/8″ and use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies, putting on an ungreased baking sheet.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar and pierce each cookie 3 times with a fork. Bake in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies.

Combine filling ingredients and mix well. Tint the filling to desired color with food coloring.

Assemble the cookies, sandwich style, spreading the filling on one cookie and placing a second cookie on top.

The number of cookies will vary depending on the size of your cookie cutter. I made two dozen completed cookies using a 2 1/2″ egg shaped cookie cutter.

These cookies can be made ahead and stored in your fridge to make your holiday a little less hectic :)

I hope you enjoyed sharing my Easter butter cookie recipe. Thanks Kim ;)

Thanks so much for visiting, Jackie

I am sharing this post at Coastal Charm, Timewashed, The Well Crafted Home, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Nest, A Pinch of Joy, and Craftionary.

5 comments

a trip to marvin gardens

March 15, 2013

Today’s Friday field trip is to Marvin Gardens in Wilton, Connecticut.

If you are a decorator or designer in Fairfield County, you probably already know about this gem of a place. It houses an amazing array of all things decorative. Inspiration lurks in every nook and cranny; indoors and out.

As it turned out, I probably didn’t time my visit the best for photo taking purposes, since the shop was in the middle of a move – moving the entire inventory to a new space a few hundred feet down the road. The nice part about the timing of my visit was that a huge moving sale was in progress (through April 1^st) and some items were reduced as much as 50%. Very bad temptation…especially at this time of year when so many items were just crying out to be put in the garden or used as a container to plant something in!

Today I will share a few of the items that inspired me…I will need to make another visit when the move is complete so I can share some photos of the new space.

Wonderful items, don’t you think?

Truly a treasure hunt!

A great place to find a unique piece for home or garden.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to Marvin Gardens in Wilton, Connecticut.

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

(P.S. It’s a yellow property…weren’t you remembering Marvin Gardens from Monopoly?…it’s yellow, right next to the “go to jail” square).

I am sharing at the Vintage-Love Party at Blue Egg Brown Nest.

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st. patrick’s day tea

March 12, 2013

I saw some adorable little shamrock teacups and saucers in The Christmas Tree Shop (a bargain store here in New England) about a month ago and and all I could think of was planting shamrocks in the cup! And, I had the perfect Irish friend to give it to. So, I purchased one and waited for some shamrocks to be available for sale…which they always are as St. Patrick’s Day comes close.

I was so excited when I saw a shamrock plant in one of the bargain stores…yes!

I simply planted the shamrocks into the teacup…my one shamrock plant was big enough to use for two cups…I used the sweet little shamrock teacup and…

A photo of shamrocks planted in a sweet little teacup for St. Patrick’s Day.

planted some in one of my Jadite cups to add a little St. Patrick’s Day spirit to my own home :)

Get yourself some shamrocks and plant them in a container that makes you smile! I can’t send you a shamrock-filled teacup, so, as a gift to you, here is a St. Patrick’s Day blessing you can pin or send to a friend :) Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Have a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day week!

Thanks so much for visiting, Jackie

P.S. Please ‘like’ my facebook page by clicking here or the facebook icon at the top of the page so I can share more ideas/inspiration during the week that don’t fit in my posts :)

I am sharing at Coastal Charm, Timewashed, Shabby Creek Cottage, Crafts a la Mode, Crationary, The Shabby Nest, Little Red House, and Craftberry Bush.

13 comments

a day at the philadelphia flower show

March 8, 2013

For Friday field trip this week, I am sharing some of my day in Philadelphia last Saturday…so; technically…I guess it is a Saturday field trip!

My weekend was planned around the fact that the largest and oldest flower show in the world was taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The theme for the 2013 show was “Brilliant!” and was a homage to all things British.

I had never been to a flower show – never mind the largest – so I was excited!

Since I was visiting my daughter for the weekend, I decided to plan my flower show visit during the time she was working at the hospital.

I got an early start and headed over to the Free Library for a couple hours before the flower show started at 11:00. I was very lucky that the programming for “One Book, One Philadelphia” happened to coincide with my visit. The selection for the year is The Buddha in the Attic. I really enjoyed the book so it was easy to spend time at the library checking out the exhibits related to this year’s selection.

A photo of the Free Library in Philadelphia.

As 11:00 approached, I reluctantly left the library (I didn’t have enough time to see the rare book collection) and headed over to the Convention Center. Wow! What a crowd had formed waiting for the 11:00 start. While I waited, I was intrigued by this sculpture in the lobby:

Cool, right?

When I got into the flower show, I checked the schedule and decided to attend some presentations in the seminar rooms before making my way into the main show area. Living outside New York City and having attended various shows at the Javits, I was pretty right on with what I expected to find inside the show as far as crowd, etc. ($4.50 for an iced tea!) But, I had no experience on attending garden shows and I was a little taken aback by the darkened room and theatrical lighting. I thought to myself I think I made a mistake with this. But, I soon found out there was ‘something for everyone’ as I made my way around the show area. Although the theatrical type displays did not appeal to me, I found some areas that were more in tune with the natural elements I admire.

My favorite part of the show was probably the Gardener’s Studio. This was a presentation area and every hour, on the hour, I rushed back; anxious to see the next presentation.

Jonathan Wright from Chanticleer – a public garden outside Philadelphia – demonstrates how to create indoor arrangements by using branches from the winter garden.

It was impossible to get photos of the flower exhibits because of the sheer mass of people and because of the crazy lighting. I did take a few photos, but not of the typical things everyone else seemed to take. If you want to learn more about the show, you can check the Philadelphia Flower Show website or see some of the many photos on line. Better still, plan a visit next year because you really have to be there in person to truly appreciate it…besides, everyone should attend the Philadelphia Flower Show at least once in their lifetime!

A photo of some curious egg-shaped sculptures at the Philadelphia Flower Show – one from hoses and one from tires.

In addition to all the flower displays, the retail area was really fun. Some of the retailers rivaled the flower displays in their creativity and beauty. I fell in love with Chive, a Canadian company that sells a wide array of vessels for flowers. They carry some really unique pieces…all beautiful. Here is an example of one:

One of the many unique flower vessels available from the Canadian company, Chive.

Aren’t these flatware holders adorable? Cutlery Couture offered a wide selection:

One of the many styles of cutlery holders offered at the Cutlery Couture booth at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Some really unique jewelry pieces were available at Elements:

A selection of the offerings of Elements at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

I had to stop and admire the fresh flowers from The Hawaii Tropical Flower Council. They were even hand crafting orchid leis to order! Beautiful!

This wonderful item is the work of artist Michelle Masters – a creator of topiary art and fine art originals:

A sample of the topiary art by Michelle Masters at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

If I hadn’t had a ticket for the afternoon tea, I may still be wondering around the marketplace area! The tea was a lovely way to meet some new people and admire the fresh roses that were everywhere.

After the tea, it was time to meet my daughter so I said ‘cheerio’ to the Philadelphia Flower Show, but not before making a vow to return next year. Wait! We had one last stop before we left Center City for the day. We can never be in Center City and not visit the West Elm Philly store!

NOW we can say good-bye to Center City for the day…a day well spent :) Especially the part I got to spend with my daughter :)

Thanks so much for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

1 comment

favorite ways to decorate easter eggs

March 5, 2013

Decorating Easter eggs has always been a passion for me. I have never stopped enjoying decorating eggs. When I was small everyone in my family had their own favorite way to decorate the eggs…my mom had a steady hand and could do a great job creating stripes with the dye…those with less patience just threw the egg in the dye and left it while moving on to another activity.

Me, I always liked to try something different. And, over the years I have discovered that there are an infinite number of ways to decorate eggs. I usually plan one whole day before Easter to work on Ukranian egg dyeing and another to replicate the natural egg dyes my grandmother created (I will post these next week) from fruits and vegetables…that is in addition to a general egg dyeing session.

Today, I would like to share some of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs that I have used over the years. I hope they will create some inspiration for you as you create your own. Here are seven of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs:

Numbers or letters are always a motif I like on any home product so, of course, I also like to use them on eggs. These numbers were simply written on using a marker. Pick your favorite style of number and draw it right onto the egg.

Letters can be written on in the same way….or, you can use some self-adhering rhinestones from a craft store to add some bling.

I love to create eggs that look like eggs in nature and I have tried many different techniques. For example, splattering paint onto the egg with a toothbrush is great for creating speckled eggs. For a simple technique that creates a great result, simply apply gel stain to the surface of the egg by using an old rag. For these eggs, the color I used was called mahogany.

Okay, technically this is not an egg ‘decoration’, but more like an egg ‘creation’, but I had to include it as one of my favorites. This is a very easy technique and I love the way these eggs coordinate with my coastal style. Use whatever twine, ribbon, etc. you may like and apply it to a small balloon after coating the twine with ModPodge. Yes, it is messy, but very easy. Once the twine is wrapped around the balloon in a desired pattern and has dried, pop and remove the balloon, and you have a beautiful twine egg!

Using chalkboard paint is a favorite of mine because it makes a great Easter placecard. The chalkboard paint is applied directly to the egg. These days, chalkboard paint can be purchased or made in a variety of colors, so you don’t have to limit your choice to black. Here I wanted a black and white egg, but you are only limited by your imagination. You can dye the egg first if you prefer or want to dye the egg to match the color of your decor.

Seldom is anything decorated done in my house without some type of coastal influence. Here, I have dyed a batch of eggs and then used small rubber stamps to add some of my favorite coastal words…sand, sea, surf, sun. Inspirational words work really well also. Of course, names of guests or family members is another option.

Here are some more coastal inspired eggs. In this case, I used stickers to mask off a white area. I created the shape I wanted by cutting it out from Contact paper and stuck it onto the egg where I wanted the pattern to remain white. Then the egg was dyed. After it dried, I used a very thin permanent marker to outline the shape and add a few details.

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs. Use these easy techniques as inspiration to create some of your own decorated Easter eggs. Please pin your favorite! If you want to keep the eggs indefinitely, be sure to remove the contents of the egg before dyeing.

Thanks for sharing. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Sharing this post at Coastal Charm, Craftionary, Timewashed, The Shabby Nest , A Pinch of Joy, 6 Days of Spring at French Country Cottage, The Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush, and At The Picket Fence.

26 comments

monthly book giveaway for march

March 2, 2013

hoda kotb

Congratulations to Mona from Connecticut for being the winner of February’s giveaway! I used random.org to pick a winner from the author of every comment that was made to pleasure in simple things during the month of February. Mona will receive a signed copy of Ayad Akhtar’s debut novel American Dervish. It is a wonderful read and I know you will enjoy it!

For the March giveaway, I will be sending a lucky winner a signed copy of Hoda Kotb’s New York Times bestselling novel Hoda: How I survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. New York Times bestselling author Adriana Triginai had this to say about Hoda’s book: “Hoda Kotb is a wonderful storyteller. Hilarious, honest, and inspiring, you will marvel as she describes her family’s roots in Egypt and their American sojourn, which leads her to the career of her dreams. This book is a manual for overcoming obstacles and living life with passion and purpose. I loved it. Hoda is the working girl’s Cleopatra. She rules!”

Like many women that work outside of the home, I have never seen the the “Today” show hosted by Kathie Lee and Hoda. The only thing I actually know about the show is the controversy over the hosts drinking wine during the show. And, I do know Hoda is a cancer survivor. I also know that she started out as a newscaster.

When I saw that the Wilton, Connecticut library was hosting Hoda, I decided to check it out and learn a little more about this newscaster turned controversial talk show host.

It ended up being a very enjoyable evening…Hoda was everything you would imagine a talk show host to be…very enthusiastic and engaging. In a light-hearted way, she told a detailed account of the almost thirty rejections she received before she landed her first job as a newscaster…saying, “it only takes one.” Even when she brought up the fact that she survived both cancer and divorce in the same year; her positive attitude was infectious.

I know you will enjoy this charming memoir by Hoda Kotb in this month’s giveaway. Good luck!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend, Jackie

3 comments

easter nostalgia

March 1, 2013

Can you believe Easter is in March and it is already March? This week, Friday field trip is a little trip back in memory to Easter’s past. I will also be sharing some Easter basket ‘goody’ ideas for Easter bunnies ;)

Easter was so fun when the children were young… leaving the carrot with the front teeth marks on the kitchen table so the kids could find it in awe; sure that the Easter bunny had visited and quickly thinking about the treats in store as they scrambled to rifle through their baskets!

My kids are college students now and Easter is celebrated a little differently. It still retains its awe, but in a much different way. It is the one holiday in our family where everyone is together, so it makes for a very special day.

In the morning, my kids still discover filled Easter baskets on Easter morning. They are the Easter baskets I made for them…yes, wove them….when they were babies. My daughter had a thing for yellow when she was small so hers was accented in yellow and filled with yellow ‘grass’. For my son, I made an apple basket and dyed it blue.

The basket contents these days are little different than when they were small, but I think the baskets are just as well received. Not as much candy in recent years, although their favorite candies are still included. My son loves Lindt truffles (red) and my daughter loves pear jelly beans. Jelly Belly brand jelly beans have always been a tradition in the Easter baskets. Each basket receives an assortment box, but my daughter always gets an additional extra bag filled exclusively with the pear flavored variety…that Easter bunny is just so darn thoughtful!

In recent years, egg hunts in the living room are replaced with a GPS egg hunt throughout the town and beyond with teams of twenty-somethings scrambling to locate the hidden eggs and be the first back to grandma’s house.

My young niece and nephews still search the yard for filled plastic eggs that my sister has strategically placed around my mother’s yard. When that is completed and trading of the contents ensues, everyone makes a guess as to how many jelly beans are in the huge glass jar my mom has filled and whose contents were accurately counted the day before. The person with the closest guess wins the entire jar (…and, may or may not share with the group lol). We always think my sister, the math teacher, is sure to win; but that is never the case.

An “oldie but goodie.” I started making these as a Kindergarten room mother…cellophane is shaped into a cone and is filled with anything orange…candy, goldfish, etc…fun!

My favorite part of Easter? Taking the annual ‘goofy cousins’ photo at some point during the day. And, I still love coloring eggs with my daughter which we schedule best we can sometime before Easter. What makes your Easter special?

Do you have trouble thinking of items to include in your child’s Easter baskets as they become college age? Necessities are always appreciated…you can’t miss with socks and underwear! Commercial washers and dryers are brutal on these items! Here is a list of possible goodies to choose from in a variety of price ranges. Remember to consider the recipient’s special interest or college major to make the items more personal. Have fun with it! Send me an email if you need some suggestions.

Easter Basket Gift Ideas

I found these for my nursing student’s Easter basket :)

Candy – favorites or novelty
Band-Aids
Alix & Ani bracelet
James Patrick Keil bracelet
Vitamins, aspirins, etc.
Any toiletry item
Toothbrush economy pack
Lottery tickets
ITunes certificate
Train/bus ticket to come home for a family function
Laundry card, token, or coins
Dunkin Donut or Starbucks certificates
Printer cartridge
Drug store, gas station or Amazon certificate
Chegg money for renting textbooks
Paper cups/plates/utensils
A gift certificate to something local to their school
Key covers – they have fun ones in Home Depot
Cell phone covers – can be personalized/decorated
Family photo – a recent one or one from childhood
Concert or sporting event tickets local to their school
Easter motif socks or boxers
I found these hair brushes in a pattern my daughter is sure to love!
Laundry bag or laundry bag for delicates
Hair elastics
Nail polish pen
Emery boards in funky pattern
Flash drives (these come in silly patterns – surfboards, Legos, sushi, etc.)

I hope you enjoyed today’s Easter nostalgia and some tips for Easter basket gifts. I hope my Easter nostalgia caused you to reminisce about some special moments of your own Easter’s past.

Stop back tomorrow when I will announce February’s book giveaway winner and the giveaway selection for March.

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you so much for visiting, Jackie

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pleasure in simple things

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…a few more eggs

terrarium love

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st. patrick’s day tea

a day at the philadelphia flower show

favorite ways to decorate easter eggs

monthly book giveaway for march

easter nostalgia