2,213 pink balloons

April 27, 2018

Do you want to know a sure way to make someone laugh?

Set them loose in a room filled with 2,213 pink balloons!

I had that opportunity recently at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The ‘Pink Balloons’ installation by Martin Creed was one of the nearly 40 ‘PlayTime’ works on display.

This interactive work produced plenty of smiles on the afternoon I visited. How cool would it be to add a balloon-filled room to your next party? I wonder how long it would take to blow up 2,213 balloons?

Thanks for stopping by!

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

no comments

kane’s famous donuts

April 13, 2018

I can’t say donuts are my favorite thing. I can’t even say I’m a big donut lover. But, when a donut place receives national recognition for its donuts, I am definitely curious to try them! This happened to me recently when I was visiting the North Shore.

Since we were close enough to Kane’s Donuts in Massachusetts ‘to taste it’ on a recent visit to see my son, he drove me to the unassuming little neighborhood shop in Saugus and treated me to Kane’s for a Sunday morning breakfast!

The long line in front of Kane’s moved pretty fast and, before I knew it, I was in front of the display case trying to decide which donuts to order! I didn’t want to go too nuts, so I decided I would pick just two.

My son had already ordered the honey dipped – which Travel & Leisure Magazine named the best honey-dipped donut in America! – so I knew I could try his and proceeded to order a couple additional flavors to sample. I decided on coconut lemon and turtle for my two choices. One was filled and one had chocolate – seemed like a good variety! The lemon coconut had an outside covering of coconut and so much lemon filling, I couldn’t eat any more after finishing it. I had thought I would just take a couple bites and move on to the turtle one, but that didn’t happen – the lemon coconut one was just SO good, I couldn’t stop eating it! (I ended up saving the turtle one and devouring it later that evening.)

After my tasting, I can definitely see why Kane’s was named one of the Top 10 Best Places for Donuts in America by Bon Appetit, one of America’s 50 Best Donuts by Saveur, and Best Donuts in New England by Yankee Magazine. This local hot spot, using fresh and local ingredients to serve up donuts since 1955, is definitely worth a visit!

Note: This Massachusetts icon now also has a location in Boston.

Thanks for stopping by today for Friday field trip!

Have a great weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things (like a fabulous donut!), Jackie

no comments

philadelphia flower show 2018

April 6, 2018

My two favorite vignettes at the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show (the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event) were a study in contrasts. The first, very elegant; the second extremely casual.

You can see why this library display would be a favorite of mine – it showcased plants and books!

The dramatic wall color was the perfect way to offset the gorgeous display of books and plants.

This second, more relaxed display, featured a ‘shipwreck.’ Using a boat to display the plants was a perfect way to incorporate the 2018 show theme Wonders of Water.

Is it crazy to think about a similar installation in my backyard?!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my two favorite displays from the Philadelphia Flower Show for today’s Friday field trip!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

crane beach in ipswich

March 23, 2018

I fit in a beach walk on a recent trip to the North Shore of Massachusetts – squeezed in between two major Nor’easters!

On today’s Friday field trip, I welcome you to Crane Beach!

Thanks for stopping by and joining me on a winter beach walk! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

white orchids

March 16, 2018

The current highlight at Longwood Gardens, one of the top public gardens in the nation, is orchids. I like orchids, though they are not my favorite. But, I have to say, on my last trip to Longwood, I fell in love with one of the orchid installations.

It consists of all white (my favorite flower color!) orchids suspended from the ceiling in balls.

I am sharing a few photos of this display for today’s Friday field trip. I am sorry the exposure of the photos isn’t the best, but they were taken on a stormy weekend!

If you are an orchid lover, I strongly encourage you to visit Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The Orchid Extravaganza continues through March 25^th. If you can squeeze in a trip, you will also be treated to a viewing of a rare display of blue-poppies – currently in bloom.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

longwood gardens green wall

March 9, 2018

The Green Wall in the corner of the East Conservatory at Longwood Gardens definitely achieves its goal of resembling a lush green jungle! This display really needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. One view is enough to cause a fern lover go into shock! Not only is the sheer size of the display impressive, but the way the design incorporates a hallway of doors is simply beautiful!

The Green Wall, containing 47,000 plants, is the largest in North America – a very impressive 14 feet high and 300 feet long.

The wall is made up of 12” x 12” stainless steel panels containing a potting mix for use in vertical gardens. Each panel is planted in one of 29 different planting configurations. Each configuration is based on plant type, lighting requirements, and other factors. Just inside the stainless steel, a layer of coconut coir fiber lines each panel to hold moisture.

In 2010, the panels were assembled in Florida where over 50 pallets, each 8-foot-tall and containing 72 boxes per pallet, were loaded in 3 climate-controlled refrigeration tractor trailers and transported 36 hours to Longwood in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

I hope these photos on today’s Friday field trip give you a little sense of the amazingly beautiful Green Wall at Longwood Gardens. This display is just one of the many breathtaking displays at one of the most beautiful public gardens in the nation (and one of my happy places).

Does this inspire you to start thinking of your spring garden? We change the clocks this weekend!!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

dreaming of warmer days

March 2, 2018

A storm is brewing and the shift in the barometric pressure has given me an awful headache! I can’t help but dream of prettier, warmer days!

So, for today’s Friday field trip, some pretty pool photos taken at The Four Seasons Orlando! (With a few of my favorite plant photos thrown in for good measure – taken at The Four Seasons as well.)

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

no comments

balmy and the beach

February 23, 2018

What to do on a 70-degree day in February? Head to the beach, of course! Connecticut does not usually experience temperatures this high in February, so a trip to the beach, no matter how short, seemed in order!

Today I am sharing a few photos from that warm day earlier this week.

I wanted you to see how the fog had created some really cool views by making the water and the sky appear as one.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

2 comments

beauty in the details

February 16, 2018

Beauty is in the details. If this is true, I must see an infinite amount of beauty! I can get really obsessed with details. This is especially true when I enter new surroundings.

For example, every time I visit a hotel, I get caught up in some aspect of its esthetic. At The Breakers in Palm Beach, it was the staff uniforms – I thought they were amazing – every employee wears a uniform and they are fabulous! The gals have beautiful Lilly Pulitzer outfits! I ended up spending my first visit to the Breakers doing an analysis of all the employee’s outfits!

For today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing my obsession at the Four Seasons in Orlando – lighting! I have already shared the most magnificent fixture on the property (click here to see), today I am sharing a little glimpse of the rest of the hotel lighting.

Light fixture in the entrance to the spa at the Four Seasons Orlando.

I hope you found these photos inspiring. Maybe they are motivating you to revamp some of your own fixtures? Replacing an old fixture can give your space an instant refresh!

Thanks for stopping by!

A chandelier in a restroom at the Four Seasons Orlando.

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

no comments

anna rifle’s flagship store!

February 9, 2018

If you follow this blog, you may already know that I have a real love for paper products! I still believe strongly in hand written thank you notes, as well as notes of condolence. Especially in this age of technology, with rushed emails and hurried texts – who doesn’t appreciate receiving a personal note in the mail? What better way is there to convey a heartfelt message?

Because of this love for hand written messages, I also have a love for great paper products. When I think of my favorite paper product artists, a couple instantly come to mind. On the top of this list is graphic designer Anna Rifle Bond.

Anna ‘taking a meeting’ at Rifle Paper Co. in Winter Park.

On today’s Friday field trip, I am thrilled to share photos from a recent visit to the place where Anna Rifle Bond and her husband Nathan started their company, Rifle Paper, in 2008. This spot in Winter Park, Florida is also home to their flagship store.

I developed an appreciation for Anna’s designs when she started her partnership with Anthropologie, early in her company’s 10-year career.

(To see more on Mast Chocolate, click here to see Friday field trip to Mast)

Feminine and colorful, with a little whimsy, Anna’s designs appear on a lot more than just paper! Beyond calendars and cards, some of the items that showcase Anna’s quaint designs include phone covers, candles, wallpaper, books, candy wrappers, and sneakers. Quite a repertoire from what began as designing posters for her husband’s band and wedding invites for her friends!