squash whisperer

October 30, 2018

I am a little bit of a Food Network junkie. There, I said it! I admit it…when my TV is on for background noise, I have it tuned in to either HGTV or Food Network.

So, squash carver Gus Smithhisler is someone I have admired in the past. His squash creations are pretty amazing and I love watching him carve.

The process of creating a design in squash is really fun to watch and I was thrilled to get a chance to watch Gus in action!

Since it is Halloween week, in the spirit of the holiday, I’d like to share photos of the pumpkin I watched Gus create. He carved this design into a 600+ lb. pumpkin, not on “Halloween Wars,” but at this year’s Country Living Fair in Atlanta, Georgia.

I hope Gus inspires you to step up your pumpkin carving game!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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new read by terrain

October 26, 2018

Who knows us better than our good friends? It always amazes me when my friends think of me in a special way…like shipping me my favorite ice-cream from Ohio when I’m bedridden!

The latest act of kindness from a friend was a gift in a nonedible variety. If you follow this blog, you know one of my very favorite stores is Terrain. Well, Terrain came out with a much anticipated book titled Terrain: Ideas and Inspiration for Decorating the Home and Garden. Of course, any Terrain lover should own a copy – don’t you think? But, I hadn’t preordered one because my budget has been very tight lately.

I stopped at a friend’s house to find she had pre-ordered me a copy (which means a free Terrain tote bag was included!) of the book! OMG!

The book contains 400 pages of Terrain inspiration – spanning every season. Greg Lehmkuhl, Terrain’s creative director, and all the wonderful gardeners of Terrain edited this beautiful book.

I am SO happy to add it to my collection! I think I need to display it in a special spot in my home the way my friend Phyllis did in her home. (The photos today on Friday field trip were all taken at her house.)

If you want to bring a really fabulous hostess gift this Thanksgiving, consider ordering a copy! And, for all my followers who don’t live near a Terrain, you may enjoy this book even more than those of us who do!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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sea glass green and white pumpkins

October 23, 2018

One of my favorite color pairings with white pumpkins is the color of green sea glass. I am talking about the color green that is also the color of Jadeite. And, also the color you can find in hydrangea when they turn color in the fall.

A far cry from the traditional orange and black colors of the season!

My love for the green/white combo is how I originally got started planting inside white pumpkins. These images are from something I posted on planting succulents in a white pumpkin back in 2012. To see the original post, click here.

I hope you are inspired to try a new color combination with white pumpkins this Halloween season!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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autumn porch goals

October 19, 2018

I think most of us like to create a little sense of the season on our porches. It may be a simple seasonal wreath on the door, or something more elaborate; like assembling a pumpkin topiary.

One of the best examples of a seasonal porch is at my friend Phyllis’s home! Each season she does a wonderful job of creating a sense of welcome at the back entrance of her home – the entrance that all the true friends use to enter! (How cool is that kale?!)

For Friday field trip, you can experience this sense of welcome as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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saying goodbye to the garden

October 12, 2018

I’m always surprised at this time of year when I walk out my back door and see some flowers! I don’t really have plantings designed for fall bloom, so it definitely puts a smile on my face when I see something still alive in my yard in October! (No, you won’t yet see any pumpkins!)

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing my favorite stragglers – the plants that are still hanging on – on each side of the house. At the back door view my favorite is definitely my tremendous fern – still going strong! But, so is my parsley – look how healthy and beautiful it is mixed with some mums from BJs!

In the back yard, the succulent mix I added to a vintage iron bicycle is still (almost) there – a few plants have died, but the mix still looks good (with no care whatsoever!)

On my side yard, all the herbs are still growing! I am most excited about the oregano because I have had occasions to use it the most in recent days!

And, in the front – is the only ‘color’ I have –

Why are these flowers not white? I planted them the year I changed my door color to red maple!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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apple pie slushie

October 9, 2018

We have a lot of wonderful farms here in Connecticut. This is the time of year when everyone makes an obligatory trip to an apple and/or pumpkin farm. I stopped at a farm this past weekend to grab some freshly picked apples and some locally made apple cider.

With the summer-like temperatures in Connecticut this past weekend, I wasn’t thinking of baking a hot apple pie! Instead, I made an apple slushie from my farm fresh ingredients!

Why not get creative with slushies? (Have you seen the red wine slushies?)

Hot temp. Cold slushie. What’s not to like? And, the fact that the slushie was apple made it totally seasonal! It was delicious and refreshing ~ sort of like a chilly applesauce!

I used a honeycrisp apple for my slushie since that was the variety of apple I purchased at the farm and I thought it had the perfect amount of sweetness. A honeycrisp is a cross between a macoun and a honeygold. Obviously, you can substitute any variety of apple you prefer.

If you give the recipe a try, be sure to adjust the spices to your own liking before adding the ice.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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changing perspective

October 5, 2018

It has been a really tough week for me. I lost someone who was very special in my life. It’s the type of event that makes one take stock in life and creates a change in perspective.

Today’s post is a few seasonal images – emotionally, I can’t manage much more lol.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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making chenille pumpkins

October 2, 2018

Now that it is October, I guess I can get really serious about my pumpkin making! You know I love making velvet pumpkins with real pumpkin stems at this time of year.

Although I love making pumpkins of velvet, in addition, each year I enjoy experimenting with a new, different fabric for pumpkins. Remember last year I tried some cashmere?

Well, this year my experiment is becoming an obsession! And you thought my obsession was about stems! Well, it is about stems – it’s always about stems lol!

But, the new fabric obsession has become repurposing a vintage material – chenille! It turned out to be convenient timing that cleaning out my linen closet happened at the start of fall. I couldn’t bear to throw out a vintage chenille spread that, in the past, has adorned both the bed of my grandmother and of my daughter. I decided to repurpose the spread into pumpkins…with real stems, of course!

I hope these photos help inspire you to create some pumpkins from a repurposed material – like a treasured keepsake!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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