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white pumpkins 2024

September 27, 2024

white gourd

You must know my love for neutrals by now!  And, in the fall, white pumpkins are my fave!

stacks of white pumpkins

In my last post, I showed you some of the more traditional pumpkin sightings I’ve seen so far this year.  Today, I am sharing some of the more neutral pumpkins I’ve seen.  Enjoy!

row of white pumpkins

daisy and pumpkin

I would like to substitute white pumpkins to mix with these daisies!  More like this –


Not white, but what a lovely neutral!

pale pumpkin

white with orange pastel pumpkins

pumpkin tower

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pumpkin peeping 2024

September 20, 2024

pumpkins with pottery

I do feel just a little bit guilty posting these photos while it is still officially summer!  Not one to easily give into fall, I did visit a couple farms to check out what was displayed for the upcoming season.  Here are some of my favorites from the traditional – orange – color pumpkins.  (My favorite – white pumpkins – will be in my next post!)

I love the addition of green – with plants or squash – to a fall arrangement!

white and other gourds

pumpkins with ferns

A squatted pumpkin shape is so much more interesting than a round one!

sunlit pumpkins

How great do these colors look together?

pumpkin character

closeup pumpkin color

 

cascade of pumpkins

 

orange pumpkins in sun

basket of gourds

I always love an interesting stem!!

pretty pumpkin stem

 

colorful pumpkin mix

 

crate of pumpkins

It is the best time of year for visiting farm shops and garden centers!  So much to explore!  Have you started yet?

Have a great weekend and start to the new season!  Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie  

 

 

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brunch at the mayflower

July 12, 2024

Inn from garden

Summer is such a fabulous season in Connecticut.  There are so many great spots to explore – many that take on an aesthetic excellence during the summer months.

The Garden Room

One of these spots is The Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut.  The Mayflower is a luxury country retreat set on 58 private acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and woodland in Litchfield County.  The Mayflower always exudes distinguished luxury, but the spectacular grounds make a summer visit extraordinary.

beignets

mayflower beignet

Cacio y pepe beignets served at The Garden Room at The Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut.

My recent visit to The Mayflower Inn was for brunch in The Garden Room – a beautiful light-filled dining space overlooking the Shakespeare Garden.  Though the menu showcases the finest in seasonal and local ingredients, the views were the star of the brunch for me.  Two fabulous views:  1. the view of the indoor décor and 2. the view of the outdoor grounds.

From the painted gardens scenes on the walls…

wall painting

wall art

corner wall art

art on wall

…to the fresh flowers…

fresh flowers

ferns

close up

the décor provides the perfect garden ambiance – right down to the perfect bathroom wallcovering!

bathroom wallcovering

While dining, the outdoor view of the Shakespeare Garden prompts a walk outdoors to visit and appreciate all its nuances!

back view of inn

 

garden path

 

hydrangeas

garden tree

 

inn from back of garden

me on garden path

 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you are inspired to explore a spot near you!

Have a fabulous weekend!

 

 

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

 

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shades of green pumpkins

November 17, 2023

misc pumpkins

I did a couple posts this fall about color and styling of pumpkins.  There is one more color palette I want to mention before we leave this topic!

tower of pumpkins

When styling pumpkins for fall, green is an option we hadn’t really seen in the past.  What fun varieties there are now!  So, in this post, I am offering up some examples of how the color green can be added to pumpkin vignettes!

green striped pumpkin

green and orange pumpkins

Not only are pumpkins offered in a variety of colors, but have you noticed there are pumpkin offerings in softer, muted looking tones?

pile of green pumpkins

pumpkin tower

Of course, a multi-color theme is a styling option as well and incorporating fall flowers is so fun!   And though pumpkins come in a variety of colors, fall flowers, like the colors of the falling leaves, are available in even more!

green squash

No matter your preference, I hope you are having fun with color this fall – whether it be with pumpkins and/or flowers!

bunch of pumpkins

And yes, I know Christmas décor is coming in hot, but it is technically still fall and I like to embrace the fall décor at least until Thanksgiving!

3 green squash

green striped squash

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

squash snakes

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pumpkin’ to talk about

October 20, 2023

outdoor fall decor

Growing up, pumpkins were one shape and one color only.  Today, there is a myriad of varieties of pumpkins/squash that are so far beyond the plain round, orange pumpkin from my childhood!

crates of pumpkins

study in orange

orange in peppers

Of course, there are certainly plenty of styling options staying within the traditional orange color palette, if that is your preference – but so many more choices than just a round orange pumpkin!

bunch of pumpkins

orange striped pumpkins

orange mums

tons of pumpkins

standout pumpkin

The photos here are some fun vignettes I’ve seen this year!

oranges of fall

Are you inspired to put out some pumpkins?

fall in orange

Thanks for stopping by!

squash in fall

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

Jackie

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white pumpkins and burgandy

October 1, 2023

fall plaid vibes

If you are wondering why my photos look like they were taken in the rain, it is because they were!

My fall meandering this season has been very wet!  Not by choice.  It just couldn’t be helped – rainy days have been the norm here in Connecticut for way too long!

white fall

If you know anything about me, you know typical holiday colors are never my favorites.  And, white is one of my preferred colors.  White pumpkins are always the best pumpkins and I enjoy combining them with other neutrals or, sometimes other colors.

burgandy fall vibes

I really enjoy burgundy as an accent color for both fall and at Christmas time.

burgandy plants

Here I am sharing some great styling examples with white pumpkins and burgundy I recently found at Terrain in Westport.  Isn’t it a great combination?

fall burgandy

If you want to add some cozy feels when putting together your own fall vignettes, add a blanket or scarf.  Don’t discard ripped blankets in your favorite colorways.  They can be repurposed while styling your pumpkins!  If not blankets, fabric remnants or discarded corduroy or flannel shirts are also great to reuse!  If you have nothing of your own to utilize, thrift shops and consignment stores are great places to pick up items to use.  I never get rid of a piece of clothing or fabric I love…down the road it may turn up as part of a tablescape or made into a pumpkin!

white and burgandy decor

I hope you are inspired to put some white pumpkins and burgundy together this season.  If not, I’ll have some more traditional color combination examples next time!

white pumpkin burg

Thanks for stopping by!

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

Jackie

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boycotting egg painting

March 4, 2023

Wow!   This is my first post of 2023!  Since I started this blog in 2012, never before have I had such a lapse in posts!  It is very sad to think I haven’t been using my creative side in quite some time!

The good news is that I have been busy organizing myself in finances, work, and wellness and making great progress!

I’m happy to say, I do now, have a couple projects in the works!

One is a coffee table and the second is the transformation of a coat closet into a pantry. (More on these projects as they develop!)

Normally, at this time of year, I would already be working on Easter eggs…coming up with a theme and painting them appropriately.  This year, in a kind of personal protest against grocery prices, I decided not to paint eggs.  I don’t normally buy eggs, except at Easter time, and I decided I am not going to purchase them to paint this year.

For the purposes of this post, I am including photos of one of my favorite past Easter egg themes – topiary.  (Cactus, picnic, and constellation were also some of my most favorite themes).

topiary easter egg handpainted

I enjoy having some of the topiary eggs out in a bowl – I don’t think skipping a year of painting eggs will bother me!  I did put out a little bit of Easter/Spring décor – have you?  Remember to bring in some cut branches (magnolia, forsythia, etc.) – it’s the perfect time to force blooming!

fireplace decor easter

I’m counting down the days when the clocks will change because I really dislike leaving for work in the dark and coming home from work in the dark!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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mini pumpkins and faded blooms

October 14, 2022

mini pumpkin hydrangea

As the garden starts to fade and all things pumpkin are amped-up, it seems a no-brainer to combine the two!

decorated white boo

I collected some faded garden blooms and some sweet little pine cones from a tree out front to use as baby boo embellishments.

pinecones and mini pumpkin

Little white baby boos are my favorite pumpkins and combining them with items from my yard is a really easy, no-cost way to create some fall decor!

faded blooms mini pumpkin

I hope you are inspired to use some of the items in your yard to create some pretty fall décor for your home or to gift.

boo on blanket

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

Remember to find pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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unexpected fall colors

September 16, 2022

green pumpkin in chair

I don’t like orange as a basic fall décor color.  I’m mostly about neutrals, as you probably know.  And, I do love black.

black fall accents

So, it makes sense that I would like a black and white fall palette.  Let me show you what I mean!

stacked white pumpkins

On a recent trip one sunny afternoon to Terrain in Westport, Connecticut – my favorite garden store – I come upon some pairings of white pumpkins with some really dark colored plants that basically read like black.

pumpkins with black

I really love color choices that aren’t orange for fall and I particularly loved this unexpected pairing of black and white as an outdoor landscape color scheme.  What do you think?

white pumpkins

I hope you are inspired to change up your fall décor colors this season!

terrain westport

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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the summer blues…and purples

July 16, 2022

hydrangea overview

Yes, white flowers are my favorite flowers.  Sometimes an exception happens.  When I planned and planted the garden at my current home, I kept a very healthy, well-established hydrangea planted by the previous owner.

hydrangeas in bowl

If I had planted one myself, of course, I would have chosen one with a white bloom. The one in my yard is not white.  So, during the summer, there are a burst of blue and purple from this lone, non-white blooming shrub in the garden!

hydrangea petals

There are so many blooms, that no matter how many I cut to display inside or to give away, there still remains a big pop of color in the garden!

purple hydrangea

The photos I am sharing here are the current arrangements in my house – all from the same single hydrangea in my yard.

close up hydrangea

I didn’t have a flower frog large enough for the pretty low container I used (purchased last year at Target) so I improvised with some scotch tape to help keep the blooms in place.   The tall vases I used are vintage.

vases of hydrangeas

My tips for long-lasting indoor hydrangea blooms:

Cut the blooms in the early morning.  Remove as many leaves as possible.  I like to keep a couple leaves just because I like the way they look in an arrangement.  But, because the leaves use water as well as the flowers – the less, the better.  Using scissors or a knife, make one or two vertical cuts in the stem.  Then, use something heavy to smash the bottom of the stem.  Immediately run the stem under hot water.  These steps stop goop on the inside of the stem from clogging in the bottom of the stem which prevents it from absorbing water.  Immediately put the stem into its container of water.  Follow the same process for each stem.

preparing hydrangea

I hope I have inspired you to bring some outdoor blooms inside!  If you don’t have any flowers in your yard, Trader Joes has very affordable prices for cut flowers!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great weekend!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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