antique swan planter diy

January 22, 2021

I love Annie Sloan and Annie Sloan products and the proof is in my passion to paint everything with Annie Sloan paint! Those of you who follow me have seen previous blog projects that have included furniture, painted planters and pots as well as vases from plastic bottles using paint and dark wax. One thing I have not done is incorporate Plaster of Paris into a paint project.

That is exactly what one of my favorite Instagrammers, Kathy (@r.house_) did on a project she posted to her Instagram stories. She incorporated Plaster of Paris while painting a plastic planter from Christmas Tree Shops and I knew I needed to try the technique with my Annie Sloan! She was simulating an antique cement piece and it came out fabulous! I had planned to try it on a plastic trophy shaped planter, but I couldn’t find the container I had in mind.

While I was on a Christmas Tree Shops stop, (I go there occasionally to pick up Rao’s sauce.) I noticed the same plastic swan planters Kathy used for her project. I picked up a small one (they come in two sizes) to use for my experiment. I planned on just following along with Kathy’s instructions. You can do the same thing by looking at Kathy’s highlights on her Instagram feed or you can follow the instructions here where I show my results using Kathy’s method.

Original small swan planter.

The only difference with my process was that I used all Annie Sloan paints. I used leftover paint colors I had from other projects so my colors aren’t the same as the one’s Kathy used, but I did use a gray and a white.

When I purchased the small swan, it did not have a drainage hole and since I planned on using it for a planter, I made a hole by driving a nail into the bottom. A layer of small pebbles on the bottom of the container can be used as an alternative method for drainage.

Planter painted with gray base coat.

For this project, you will need flat gray paint, flat white paint, Plaster of Paris, (if you don’t have it, borrow it from a crafter – you won’t need much) and the plastic container you plan on painting – in this case, a plastic swan planter from Christmas Tree Shops. I used a paper bowl for paint mixing, a wide paint brush, and a pair of plastic gloves. For those of you who didn’t take any art classes, Plaster of Paris is a white powder that hardens when moistened and allowed to dry. It can be used to make homemade chalk paint, but in this case, we are using it to add texture to our project.

Mixing white paint and Plaster of Paris.

Here are the steps to create a simulated aged cement swan planter:

Paint the swan with a gray chalk paint base coat (or any flat gray paint) and let dry
Mix Plaster of Paris liberally into white chalk paint (or any flat white paint) in a disposable bowl – it should be thick and lumpy
Paint the white paint mixture onto the swan – it was more like rubbing it on for me
Let dry completely
Dab dark wax (I used Annie Sloan dark wax) on some of the raised areas

White paint and plaster coat on the planter.

Doesn’t the Plaster of Paris add a great realism to the piece? I love that it is a nice light weight plastic piece since I am using it as an indoor planter, but looks like cement.

Final planter with dark wax added.

Thanks Kathy!

If you don’t already, be sure to follow Kathy on Instagram. She has a fabulous home and wonderful taste and she is sure to inspire some creativity!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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target flower diy

January 8, 2021

Who couldn’t use a little bit of spring about now? I thought a touch of flowers would be the perfect addition to my newly renovated bathroom (yes, new bathroom post to come soon) to evoke a sense of spring and I set out to find some artificial ones. (I would much prefer real flowers on a regular basis, but unfortunately, I don’t have the budget for that and there will be no garden flowers till spring!)

Of course, if you know me, it is no surprise that I wanted white flowers! Any of the white artificial flowers I found at the craft stores that look at all realistic were way too expense! And, when I checked to see what was available at the Dollar Store, I did not see any varieties of flowers I liked at all.

Then, unexpectedly, to my surprise on a regular trip to Target, I found artificial flowers in the low-price bins at the front of the store! The white ranunculus was perfect for what I wanted and I certainly couldn’t beat the price!

I changed them only in one slight way. The flowers looked way too “one color” for me to look real. They needed subtle variations of white to look true to nature. So, all I did was to use a little spray paint and spray some of the edges of the petals. I used a plastic bag taped around the stems and leaves to protect them from the spray paint. Perfect! Some subtle color variations! I also got rid of a lot of the leaves since I don’t include many leaves when I put fresh ranunculus into a vase.That’s it! That little upgrade made my great find perfect!

If you are at Target and want some artificial flowers, you can also check the ones in the Magnolia line – they are priced almost as good. Not all the varieties look realistic, but I think the cosmos look really good! (I put up photos of the two varieties I thought looked great on my Instagram stories today.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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diy holiday paperwhites

November 20, 2020

Paperwhites are great for the holidays! All that white flower goodness and it just requires a simple procedure of putting the bulbs in some water and waiting for them to bloom! It takes 4-6 weeks for them to burst into flower, so planting some now will probably provide a Christmas week bloom!

A few stones in the bottom of a container help keep the bulb from laying directly on the water and rotting.

Here, I have included some of the bulb plantings created by Terrain in Westport. I hope it serves as some inspiration for you to design some plantings of your own! Choosing a pretty container for the holidays is certainly half the fun! With the cost of a paperwhite bulb under $2. a piece, you can have plenty of creative fun for very little cost.

The one annoyance of paperwhites is that they grow quite tall and all their weight is on the top. To avoid this, you can stunt the growth of the paperwhites height by using alcohol!

By using this method, the bulb will only grow 1/3 to 1/2 its normal height, but the flowers remain normal size!

After planting your paperwhites, the same as you usually would, you make a watering switch after the roots begin growing and the green shoot is 1-2 inches tall. At this time, pour off the existing water and replace it with a solution of water and alcohol. You can either use vodka and water (7 parts water to one-part vodka) or rubbing alcohol and water (13 parts water to one-part 70% rubbing alcohol). Then, just use whichever solution you have made to water the bulb for the remaining time.

I hope you are inspired to plant some paperwhites this week! Check your local garden store for some individual bulbs for sale.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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diy pumpkins with foraged materials

October 13, 2020

When I was young, I would love to save colorful fall leaves by using a hot iron to preserve them between two pieces of wax paper. Do children still do this?

I used a similar technique recently to save some leaves I admired. Instead of wax paper, I used Mod Podge as a preservative and added them to mini baby boo pumpkins.

I had foraged some items that caught my eye on a morning walk and I really wanted to use them in some way. So, I decided to incorporate the items I found, as well as some small pine cones (I had previously bleached) and acorns (I had previously painted), as ornamentation on white baby boos pumpkins.

This is such an easy DIY that anyone can do. There are so many possibilities! All you need are some foraged items from outdoors, a glue gun, Mod Podge and some pumpkins. Mod Podge isn’t even necessary, but I used it to glue down some of the leaves and also to preserve them. I brushed the Mod Podge on both sides of each leaf and glued some of the leaves to the surface of the pumpkin.

Using found materials and a 69-cent pumpkin (from Trader Joe’s), this DIY is super affordable!

I hope I have inspired you to create some of your own pumpkin creations from foraged materials!

Thanks for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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dahlias at white flower farm

October 9, 2020

Garden relatives to the sunflower, chrysanthemum and zinnia, dahlias are really gorgeous perennials!

They are native to warmer climates – Mexico and Central America. To keep them blooming here, the tubers need to be dug up in the fall, stored over the winter, and then planted again the following spring. (If they were in their native warm climate, they would re-sprout from their underground tubers to bloom each year.)

The idea of digging up the tubers every year has kept me from planting any in my own garden. There are just so many beautiful flowers to choose from – why choose one that requires so much work! I just don’t want to add another thing to my fall garden ‘to do’ list!

But, seeing the gorgeous dahlia display at White Flower Farm this year, I have to say I thought twice about changing my mind about planting some dahlias!

I visited the flower farm when the blooms were at peak and it was a drizzly day. I always love a garden on a rainy day – the colors are so much more impactful than on a sunny day!

Maybe a visit each fall to see the display at White Flower Farm can be even to satisfy my dahlia craving!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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white anemones at whites

October 6, 2020

Botanical gardens or flower farms are a great resource to help decide on plant or flower choices for your own garden.

Seeing a plant in a pot is so different than seeing how it grows as part of an actual landscape!

A favorite spot for me to view planted gardens is White Flower Farm. You can probably guess why. There are always some great varieties of white flowers to admire! By virtue of the name, I guess it is pretty much a requirement to offer some great white flowers for sale!

On my last visit, I identified a new white flower variety I want for my own space. If I had seen it offered for sale in a pot, I doubt I would have paid much attention to it. But, ‘in the wild’ I fell completely in love!

My new current white favorite is a white anemone!

Pictured here are some photos of my current passion from my last visit to Whites. Aren’t they beautiful! Some great whiteness for the fall!

And now, Honorine Jobert Anemone is on my list of ‘must haves!’ What is on your list?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall chair planting diy

October 2, 2020

Today I am hoping to inspire you to plant a chair. Yes, you read that correctly! An old chair is the perfect vehicle to create a beautiful fall planting.

First, find an old chair. I mean old! The older, the better – more character. It should be a chair that has (or once had) a caned seat or an upholstered seat. The reason for this is because you will remove that part to add plants.

The perfect candidate for a chair planting!

Once the cane or upholstery is removed, screening is stapled in its place using a staple gun. After the screening is in place, planting can happen! Just like any other outdoor container would be used, the screening serves as your container, providing drainage. So easy!

Before planting, decide if the chair you plan to use will be left vintage looking or if you will paint it in advance. A bright color, a color to match the flowers used, or a color to match your house or garden are all great choices.

I was inspired to start this project based on the photos here. I have plenty of colors of Annie Sloan paint and plan use that to paint a chair in advance of planting. I am keeping my fingers crossed I can find an appropriate discarded chair in the next week!

I hope I have inspired you to start a chair planting of your own!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall 2020 at terrain

September 25, 2020

Today I am embracing the season. I am providing a few of my favorite views from a fall visit to Terrain in Westport, Connecticut. These photos are sure to help inspire your fall creations! So, grab yourself a pumpkin latte and enjoy the show!

Happy fall from New England! I hope you are inspired to work on your own projects this weekend! Have a great one!

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

P.S. If that’s not enough – you can see some more of Terrain on my Instagram feed.

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missing the candles

August 29, 2020

Yes, I hate Covid-19. Like everyone else, I miss the normalcy of everyday living.

Never did it become clearer than celebrating my birthday week.

Just losing the simple opportunity of blowing out birthday candles was upsetting! An official birthday celebration certainly does not seem complete without candles!

Chocolate Terrarium served at Terrain Café in Westport – a birthday cake substitute with finesse! Soft milk chocolate ganache, dark chocolate mousse, matcha morsels, and dark chocolate cake.

Everyone that has had a birthday since isolation began knows what I am talking about. You try to make your birthday as normal as possible and then comes time for cake…and, of course, in the current climate, candle blowing is out of the question!

So, no candles this year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wishing you many years ahead of candle blowing!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things (you never know when they may be gone), Jackie

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the garden barn

June 19, 2020

When you have close friends that have fabulous gardens, you have the benefit of finding out about all their fabulous gardening resources!

Today, I am taking a field trip to one of these resources. Two of my friends frequent a place called the Garden Barn and I have never been – until now!

I could plan a whole outdoor constellation themed party with these two topiaries and plenty of little white lights! So fun!

I could never go wrong taking a recommendation from either of the two friends I mentioned with the fab gardens. I knew the Garden Barn would be great, but it was even better than my expectations. (The fact that I have been isolated for so long may have contributed to my excitement!)

From the moment of arrival, the variety and quantity of beautiful, healthy plants is overwhelming. And, the knowledgeable staff at the Garden Barn makes visiting a learning experience.

For today’s post, I decided to pick one unique item to showcase from my visit – topiaries. I haven’t seen these at any other garden store I have visited so I thought they would be fun to share!