easy garden diy

June 5, 2020

Some years back, I blogged about some easy DIY garden stakes based on some I had seen. On a recent visit to my friend Wendy’s garden, I noticed she had added a bird to one of these stakes in an arrangement she created for her side door. It is SO adorable, I need to share!

You can read the original post/tutorial by clicking here if you’d like to create your own. Just add a cute bird like Wendy did!

Thanks for stopping by!

Note: The other photos in this post are also from Wendy’s gardens. (Of course, I had to find a way to add some white flowers to the post!)

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

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table fern display

June 2, 2020

Without hosting any company for such a long stretch, my dining room table décor from Easter never got updated…what for? A lot of home updates did get attended to during isolation – caulking, cleaning, filing, etc., but some of the seasonal décor definitely got neglected!

In an attempt to cheer myself up, I decided to get rid of the decorated Easter eggs and add something a little more appropriate to the season to my dining room table. What better way to brighten spirits than a trip to Terrain?! I figured if I just bought a couple little indoor ferns, I could create something nice and low cost for my dining room table.

Walking around Terrain’s nursery definitely helped pick up my mood – as it always does! And, because I only needed some small ferns, I was able to leave without much of an investment.

My plan was to use some of my Ben Wolff white clay pots to make a simple fern display. Ben Wolff is a potter that does some amazing work. I was never a fan of the traditional color clay pot, (click here and/or here to see two ways I have painted them!) and since I am about all things white, his white clay pots are perfect for my aesthetic! (His gray pots are also beautiful! I am lucky that Ben’s studio is right here in Connecticut – close enough to visit and purchase my pots directly from the studio!

I simply planted the ferns in the white pots and arranged them down the middle of the table with some moss. Easy and so beautifully satisfying! The components are anchored in a 3-foot-long trough I purchased at Terrain many years ago. I use it all the time and it is perfect to protect the table from seasonal arrangements. (I don’t think the exact one I have is still available for purchase, but if you search ‘trough’ on the Terrain website, you should find some great alternatives!)

(To make my arrangement complete – I just need to find the pretty little terrarium rocks I have to cover the top of the dirt in the pots. If I can’t find where I put them, I will use some little shells or sea glass.)

I hope I have inspired you to add some new seasonal décor to your home – company or no company!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. The white watering can is Smith and Hawken from Target.

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study in pinks

May 22, 2020

The weather in Connecticut has been really fabulous! It is so refreshing to go for a walk when heavy coats or sweaters aren’t required!

When I do my workouts in the gym, I use music as a distraction – it almost feels like a type of meditation to focus solely on the music while pushing myself to perform. Now that gyms are closed, I have had to find new and inventive ways to work out. In addition to music, I find myself using nature to help meditate. This past weekend, for one of my walks, I concentrated solely on pink flowers! I tried to notice all the intricacies of every pink bloom I encountered!

I find this is a great way to savor the beauty surrounding me and keeps my focus during a walk.

Do you have anything special you do to help focus while exercising?

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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a purple pop of flowers

May 15, 2020

We just had some snow here in Connecticut – not typical weather for May. The cold snaps have made all the flower gardeners hesitant to get started with putting out annuals this year.

I usually use Mother’s Day as my ‘safe to plant’ indicator, but I know some of the experts say not to plant until after the new moon.

With all the hesitation to get plants in the ground, it was so refreshing to see my friend Phyllis has started working on her garden décor. The plantings she had put around her side entrance really look fabulous. She changes things up each season and for spring she has incorporated a splash of purple into her creations.

I hope seeing these flowers make you smile as much as I did when I saw them!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

To see Phyllis’s porch in autumn, click here.
For a tutorial on making DIY garden teepees, click here.
For a tour of Phyllis’s garden in summer, click here.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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make the list!

March 24, 2020

I sat down one night last week and began to think of all the little projects that I always have on my mind but never seem to have the time to accomplish. I thought I really didn’t want all this extra time at home to go by and find myself regretting not getting some of these projects accomplished!

So, I made a list of the projects I plan to tackle. I don’t know about you, but the hardest part about spending all this time at home, for me, is to slow down my pace! My normal routine of working 3 jobs doesn’t leave much free time and normally I am constantly on the go! Without going to these 3 jobs, I really have to slow down my pace – otherwise I would have all my projects done in a few days! My biggest challenge has definitely been pacing myself!

You may remember I used evergreens to put together a holiday arrangement in my hanging basket.

In these uncertain times, I can’t make plans to do anything that would have a cost attached to it. Of course, some of the projects I were imagining had to be eliminated from the list right away because they required a big purchase. But the organized person I am, I had already acquired and stored away supplies for some of the projects I had planned for a future time.

Here are the first projects on my list!

Create a spring planting for my hanging basket.
Paint the legs on the Ikea bench by the back door.
Refresh a sign that needs an update for my friend Wendy.
Reorganize my top dresser drawer.

Number 1. on my list – check! An easy spring update for my hanging basket!

I had to spend a little bit to buy a couple weather-resistant plants – I purchased them at a local herb farm. (Good thing they are weather resistant – it is snowing as I write this!) I already have paint for the bench and I had purchased some organizers some time ago from The Container Store to help with my drawer organization when I was ready. I have plenty of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on hand that I can use for Wendy’s sign. The start of the list – with supplies at the ready!

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

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terrain holiday 2019

November 19, 2019

If you follow this blog, you know one of my favorite places to shop is Terrain. I am super lucky to have a store location so close to me in Westport, CT. Each year, I feel an obligation to share some photos with you because I know many of you are not able to shop at this fabulous store!

Each holiday (actually, each season) Terrain has a really wonderful open house and it is one of the best places to visit for some real holiday inspiration.

This year, I am not able to squeeze in even a short trip to the open house next Saturday.

So I made a quick visit this past weekend to get a glimpse of the beginnings of this year’s preparations!

Today I am sharing a few photos with you and I will share some additional photos on Friday.

I hope you enjoyed this little photo trip to the Westport Terrain. Stop back on Friday when I share my favorite part of this year’s holiday decor at Terrain – the pink accents! Here is a little preview:

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

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autumn in connecticut

October 29, 2019

I know I complain about the end of summer but it is only because I hate to see my favorite season end!

Fall though, certainly has some redeeming qualities…

I was able to appreciate some of them this weekend!

I spent some time with family and when we took the time to slow down a little bit, we were able to reflect and appreciate the outdoor beauty of our state at this time of the year!

Driving anywhere here in Connecticut right now is truly breathtaking.

These few photos were taken just walking from lunch…

I didn’t even grab any photos while we were driving – it was too spectacular to hesitate for a photo! But I loved these groupings of pumpkins!

And, I loved to see how some of the flowers are still hanging in!

I can’t believe these cosmos are still around!

It seems our leaves are at their height of color right now – they seem mighty late this year!

I hope you are inspired to find some beauty in the season where you live.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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water you waiting for?

August 30, 2019

Unless you are obsessed with details like I am, you probably haven’t been searching for the perfect garden hose! I like every detail in my environment to be beautiful – even if it is just something I use to water my garden!

I was a little surprised when I started shopping around locally, that beautiful garden accessories aren’t that abundant! I find it surprising because there are so many people interested in gardening – particularly in my home state of Connecticut!

If you follow my blog, you know I am really into what I call a ‘virgin’ garden – I love all flowers that are white! So, it would make sense that I would be on the hunt for a beautiful white hose, right? Well, when I didn’t find a beautiful hose at any of the garden stores I visited, I ended up purchasing a hose and a hose holder the exact color of my house. It worked out well because the hose just kind of blends in with the house.

Since the purchase, I have been able to locate a couple gorgeous white hoses and I thought I would share them today on Friday field trip just in case anyone else out there is on the hunt for a really beautiful garden hose!!

I am sharing my two favorites! The first is from one of my favorite stores – Terrain! If you go to their online store, there are a bunch of beautiful color hoses to choose from…my favorite, of course, is the white one! Look how gorgeous it is!

The second hose I found is from Garden Glory. They have some really over the top garden accessories (even leopard!) – check out their website when you have a chance (look at that diamond ring bird feeder!). This is their white garden hose:

One of these hoses would really go well with my white bleeding hearts, lily of the valley, moon flowers, white forsythia…

If you want one, there are pretty garden hoses out there! It will take me until the current hose wears out to save up for a white one!

Have a fabulous weekend! I hope you get some time off for Labor Day! I will be working in the garden! ;)

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Note: The photos of the white hoses are taken from the respective stores’ website.

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conservatory of flowers

August 13, 2019

My recent trip to San Francisco included many miles of walking. One day, while walking through the world-renowned Golden Gate Park, it was a pleasant surprise to happen upon The Conservatory of Flowers – a Victorian-era glass greenhouse with more than 2,000 species of plants & flowers.

A national, state and local landmark built in 1879; the Conservatory of Flowers was the first formal structure erected in Golden Gate Park and remains an icon at its entrance.

The Conservatory has five distinct galleries, each focusing on highlighting a different ecosystem, ranging from a tropical rainforest to the cloud forests perched on top of mountains.

I am sharing a few photos taken at the Conservatory with you here today. If you find yourself visiting San Francisco, be sure to put the Conservatory of Flowers on your list of places to visit! Even if plants are not your ‘thing,’ the glass greenhouse and surrounding grounds are worth visiting!

Have a fabulous week. Thanks for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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roses for days

July 2, 2019

Typically, I’m not a big fan of roses, but it is hard not to be impressed with the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden.

Located near the downtown of San Jose, in the quaint Rose Garden District, the garden contains more than 3,500 plantings and over 189 varieties of roses.

It is easy to tell I’m not on the East Coast as soon as I arrive to the garden – the beautiful weather and surrounding homes are good clues, but also I can tell by a cathedral of redwood trees that contribute to the garden’s West Coast vibe.

Rose enthusiasts will be interested to know that The All-American Rose Selections, a national independent rating organization, sends the new varieties to the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden for testing before released to the general public.