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country living fair atlanta 2018

November 9, 2018

hydrangeas for days

If you follow this blog, you know I am a big fan of the Country Living Magazine Fairs.

country living sign

The fair takes place in four different U.S. locations each year.  Rhinebeck, New York is the closest location to my home and I have been to that fair every year since it started.  It is a fabulous venue – with great food, real bathrooms, and plenty of green!  The Dutchess County Fairground is just lovely!

neutral tablesetting

You may remember my friend Wendy and I embarked on a road trip last year so we could experience a second fair location. (I shared plenty of the trip on the blog.)  We drove out to Columbus, Ohio.  It was a great trip.  I think we caught the travel bug after that trip because we thought it would be great to check out a third Country Living Fair location this year!

fall planters

So, I asked everyone in my family to gift me some travel points for my birthday this past year, and we made a trip happen!  Where did Wendy and I decide to travel to for our third Country Living Fair destination?  Atlanta, Georgia.

bed of hydrangeas

Do they not have hydrangeas in the South? I thought it was funny that several booths were selling hydrangeas…they grow like weeds in Connecticut!

I had not ever been to Atlanta (or Georgia, for that matter).  The venue was Stone Mountain.  It was a cool location, with paths through forests, that was contained inside a huge park.

white pumpkin pots

The only thing that wasn’t so cool was the weather!  Thinking Georgia was all hot sunshine, it was a little disappointing to have two days of rain.  We didn’t let the rain slow us down though!

pomegrante table settings

We were happy to have light rain the second day after experiencing torrential rain the first day!

at CLF

 

vw with hygandreas

We discovered that the beauty of the Atlanta venue was the open space.  The crafters and artisans were able spread out and display their wares in fabulous ways…there was even enough room to fit a Volkswagen in a display space!

nest tablesetting

I hope you enjoy sharing some of my favorite fall images from the Country Living Fair in Atlanta on today’s Friday field trip!  Next week I will share some of the holiday inspiration I found at the fair. I also have some other fun Atlanta stops to share! :)

gather here

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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november book giveaway!

November 6, 2018

inside of calm book

Preparing for the holidays is usually the opposite of calm, right?  This whole time of year causes so many people stress.  So, I thought the perfect book to give away for November is one called Calm:  Calm the Mind, Change the World by Michael Acton Smith.

calm your mind journal

Using a combination of creative prompts, activities, and motivations, Calm will open your eyes to the pleasure and richness of everyday life.  Discover how to take back a little bit of peace, space, and all-important time for yourself.

You can pick up Calm whenever you need it during the holidays…an inspirational and practical book with a wonderful Origami surprise at the end!

inside the calm book

Leave a comment to let me know you’d like to win.  The winner will be chosen at random at the end of November from the comments left during the month.

The pink velvet pumpkins for the October giveaway are going out to Lisette.  Click here for more information on that giveaway.  Congrats Lisette…I know you really wanted those pink pumpkins!  Please email me the address where you’d like me to send them. Enjoy!

Instagram users, please read on!  This month, the Instagram challenge is to post photos showing how you achieve your calm.  It can be a place…a person…whatever creates your calm.  Use the hashtag #pleasuregram to share.

calm instagram challenge nov 2018

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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sea glass green and white pumpkins

October 23, 2018

white pumpkins and hydrangea

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!

pleasure in simple things blog white pumpkins

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.

hydrangea and white mini boos

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

succulents and Jadeite

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

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autumn porch goals

October 19, 2018

front porch goals

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.

gather here pillow

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?!)

fall porch goals

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

autumn decor

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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changing perspective

October 5, 2018

signs of autumn

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.

kale decor

fall flowers

pumpkins and squash

kale beauty

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

looking at things differently

Socrates quote on change

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

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october book giveaway!

September 28, 2018

breast cancer awareness pumpkins (2)

This is one of those months when the book giveaway is not a book!  For October, the giveaway is handmade pink velvet pumpkins.  Pumpkins; because it is October and pink; because October is breast cancer awareness month.

I encourage everyone to display at least one pink pumpkin during the month, preferably in a really visible location – like a front porch.  A great way to show support for breast cancer awareness month!

Inside the home, a clear container, a terrarium, or a cloche is great for pink pumpkin display! The container I used here is from Terrain and I am constantly changing up its contents to suit the season!

breast cancer awareness pumpkins (2)

To win your very own velvet pink pumpkins, made by me, just leave me a comment saying you’d like to win!  The winner will be chosen at random at the end of October from the comments received during the month.  Win and you will be able to display some pink velvet pumpkins each October!

Congrats to Mary Beth (a self-proclaimed pencil geek) , the winner of the September giveaway of the journal and the set of pencils with my custom imprints.  Click here to see more on the giveaway.

pink pumpkins in a terrarium

Instagram users, please read on.  For the month of October, let’s share our pink pumpkins!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share any photos of pink pumpkins on display – by you or by someone else!

pink pumpkin

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

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it’s all about the stem

September 25, 2018

its all about the stem

It’s official.  It is fall!  I always start the season by making some velvet pumpkins.  Every year I make a few more, using new shades of velvet and pumpkin stems I have collected from the year before.  Each year, I like to make some pumpkins that are a little different than the year before…either in color or fabric.  But, before I start my own pumpkins, I have a few pumpkins to make as gifts.

yellow ochre velvet pumpkin

If you make velvet pumpkins, you know the personality of the pumpkin is created with the stem.  And, the hardest part about making pumpkins to give as gifts is to part with the stems!  It is all about the stem!

Here are a few great stems from some gifts I made this year – my first pumpkins of the season.

At a request, I created my very first red pumpkin.  Look at that marvelous stem!

red velvet pumpkin

Thanks for stopping by!  If you haven’t yet tried making a velvet pumpkin, you can look back into my archives for directions by clicking here and give it a try!  You can start by collecting some fabulous stems!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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more autumn 2018 at terrain

September 21, 2018

unpacking the pumpkins

As promised, I am sharing a little more of the season change at Terrain, here in Connecticut.  It is the best place to get inspired for a new season.

pumpkin tower in the grasses

water feature at Terrain Westport

shades of burgandy

Enjoy the photos here for Friday field trip!

box of white pumpkins

burgandy grasses

If you live within visiting range of a Terrain, you will want to be sure and stop in for the Annual Autumn Bounty Festival on September 29th!

double pumpkin tower

box full of squash

squash with character

fall yellows

Thank you for stopping by!

Terrain pumpkin tower

stem envy

small pumpkin tower

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

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autumn 2018 at terrain

September 18, 2018

ringing in fall at Terrain Westport

I was kicking and screaming over the whole season change.  Summer wasn’t going away easy for me…and then, I took a trip to Terrain.  I should have known better.  I should have saw it coming.  One trip and I was sucked in – dreaming of all things pumpkin towers and fall colors!

terrain autumn time

white pumpkins Terrain Westport

basket of mums at Terrain

I am sharing some of my favorite glimpses here…you will see what I am talking about!

different shades of pumpkin stack

fall color at Terrain Westport

serious stem envy

Serious stem envy! I had to buy this little fella…I needed the stem for making velvet pumpkins!

I always feel sorry for those who don’t have a Terrain nearby to visit!  There is no better way to kick off any of the seasons than a visit to Terrain!

fall can be purple

Trellis at Terrain

Stop back on Friday and I will share some more…even a small glimpse is hard to contain to one post!

baskets of gourds

5 pumpkin tower

bumpy pumpkins at Terrain

Thank you for stopping by!

outside wall terrain

dueling towers

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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sprinkled with love

August 28, 2018

baby shower sprinkle theme cake

I truly believe personalization is the key to a great party.  And, creating favors that do a great job of embracing the occasion are a key component of any successful celebration!

I have a great example from a recent family baby shower I wanted to share – it should definitely get your creative juices flowing!

So, the mom-to-be had a passion for a particular brand of sprinkles. The future dad had always loved animal crackers.  What better way to personalize a baby shower favor, than to incorporate these 2 loves!  How?

animal crackers sprinkled with love

To execute this into a baby shower favor, a tin baby-sized cup was used to house some animal crackers.  To elevate the garden variety animal cracker, they were dipped into white chocolate and then sprinkles before getting packaged in cellphone bags.  Baby bracelets crafted of beads by the grandma-to-be were attached to each cup as a place card and a ‘sprinkled with love’ tag was added.  Cute, right?  Of course, there were many ways to carry through the sprinkles (like the cake!) and animal themes throughout the rest of the party!

animals and sprinkles

Can you think of a cool way to incorporate personal elements into the favors you create for your next celebration?

sprinkle shower theme

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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