flowers inspired by paintings

July 6, 2018

Art and the New England Farm is a currently on display at The Florence Griswold Museum, showcasing works by artists from the 19^th to 21^st century. I choose to visit the exhibit on a special weekend – one that also included Blooms with a View.

I was so very intrigued by the display of flower arrangements created from inspiration garnered from the Art and the New England Farm collection, I needed to share some of the works on today’s Friday field trip.

Each floral designer creating an arrangement, chose a painting from the collection to serve as an inspiration for their creation. What a cool art form! Maybe suggest it as an interesting activity for your garden club or even as a fundraising project!

I hope you are inspired as much as I was by this interesting exhibit that utilized flowers in a special way.

Note: The Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum which was the center of the Old Lyme Art Colony, centered on the home of Florence Griswold and the main center of development of American Impressionism. Easily accessible by I95, the museum is situated along the picturesque Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The current exhibit Art and the New England Farm is on display through September 16^th.

Have a fabulous weekend. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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creating honey pairings

June 19, 2018

Connecticut is lucky to be the home of Red Bee Honey. And, lucky for me, I was able to have the opportunity to visit!

Carla Marina Marchese is the beekeeper behind this iconic brand and I couldn’t ask for a better source to learn about honey!

How did she become involved with beekeeping and honey?

In 2000, Marina was unexpectedly invited to visit a neighbor’s apiary where her first taste of fresh honey from the beehive would change the course of her life. This moving experience inspired her to take a risk and quit her job, build a beehive, and acquire a colony of Italian honeybees to become a full-time beekeeper. It was on a visit to Montalcino, Italy, “The City of Honey”, that Marina became passionate about the diverse flavor profiles of varietal honey determined by the type of nectar gathered by the honeybees.

Today, I want to share the five honey pairings I tasted during my visit. They were all so yummy! I think this will help expand your imagination on how to serve different varieties of honey:

1. orange blossom honey paired with goat cheese and rosemary

2. goldenrod honey paired with strawberries

3. tulip poplar honey paired with brie, walnut and arugula (pictured in opening photo)

4. raspberry honey paired with dark chocolate

5. clover honey paired with coconut and flower blossom

Sounds yummy, right? Honey is the perfect addition to a summer cheese tray!

I hope I have inspired you to look for interesting honey varieties at farmer’s markets and specialty stores (True, quality honey is not sold at grocery or big box stores!) and to think about interesting pairings!

Note: Marina is a member of the Italian Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey and founder of The American Honey Tasting Society. Her best-selling book Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper chronicles her entrepreneurial journey into beekeeping. Marina also wrote the chapter on honey in the international best-selling book Beekeeping for Dummies.

Herbal tea ice pops molded in glass test tubes.

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

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frozen rosemary fudge pops

June 12, 2018

For me, there certainly is a lot of nostalgia associated with frozen treats. When I was a kid, the Good Humor driver would take his dinner break on our corner. And, I could buy a frozen fudge pop from the dairy farm across the street whenever I had enough coins to do so or whenever I could talk my dad into buying. (He would say: “You fly, I’ll buy.”)

These days, I try not to go overboard with the desserts, but I still love anything frozen – whether it be drinks, desserts, or pops. I like to make my own frozen pops now, so I can control what goes into them. And, I love to experiment with a variety of fruits and flavors.

Recently, I discovered a fabulous source for frozen pop recipes – a book called Glow Pops by Liz Moody. Not only are the pops made from these recipes delicious, but they are made from nutritious ingredients! Even if you don’t use the exact recipes in the book, the inspiration for using healthful ingredients in frozen pops is worth its purchase!

One example is my updated, healthful version of the fudge pops from my childhood, adapting a recipe from Glow Pops! Adding rosemary to the flavor profile and finishing them with salt brings these pops to a whole new ice pop level! Yummy!!

Empty a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk (I buy it in the International aisle at the grocery store – leche de coco) into a pan and heat on medium high heat on the stove. When it boils, turn off the heat and add 3 sprigs of rosemary from the garden – let it sit 20 minutes to infuse the flavor. Remove the rosemary and pour the mixture into a blender, adding 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 6 Tablespoons organic coconut sugar and 6 Tablespoons of raw organic cacao powder. Blend until smooth and pour into ice pop molds. Freeze. Sprinkle with sea salt when ready to eat. This makes 4 (4 oz.) pops.

If you need an ice pop mold, Home Goods and Marshall’s always have them. I love Crate & Barrel’s Zoku Mod ice pop mold – it is designed to fit into freezer doors. Crate & Barrel also has a good rocket ice pop mold that is actually on sale right now for $3.47!

Do yourself a flavor (pun intended!) for the summer and get Liz Moody’s book Glow Pops and an ice pop mold! A very small investment for some really huge flavor enjoyment!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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country living rhinebeck 2018

June 8, 2018

My very favorite fair is the Country Living Fair. I love it. And, I have to say that Rhinebeck, NY – which happens to be the closest location of the fair to where I live – is also my favorite location. The Dutchess Country Fairgrounds provide a fabulous event location. The grounds are lush and green and, in addition to all the fabulous vendors, seminars, and demonstrations, the fairgrounds provides great food, free parking, and well-maintained restrooms.

I thought you might like to see a glimpse of this year’s fair offerings, so I am sharing some photos today on Friday field trip. My favorite booth was the one put together by South Porch Antiques. They not only provided a great selection of antiques, but (as always) they also did so in a stunningly visual way.

Enjoy the photos!

P.S. Something really fabulous happened to me in Rhinebeck at the fair and it made me so happy I chose not to skip the fair this year! I met one of my idols! Not only did I meet her, but we shared a hug and I got a chance to talk a little paint with her! You may have guessed by the word ‘paint’ that the person who I met was Annie Sloan! What a thrill! (Thanks to my sweet friend for capturing it on film! xo)

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

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books to bookmarks diy

June 5, 2018

Aren’t old books beautiful! A vintage book has an appeal that a new book just wouldn’t understand! I love decorating with vintage books…either as is, or by using pieces of them to create a DIY project.

Sometimes an old book will be in such bad shape that only pieces can be salvaged. Even so, there are plenty of uses for its pieces! That was the case with a really old, beautiful book recently. The cover had incredible character, but it was separated from the book. Even though it couldn’t be displayed as an entire book, I knew I had to come up with a use for the beautiful, vintage cover of the piece.

My thought was to cut the cover into strips and make the strips into bookmarks! The bookmarks would have the lovely character of the book’s cover and I would still have the old pages of the book for future projects…lovely, old, worn, faded, vintage pages!

Converting the cover into bookmarks was an easy DIY. First, I carefully cut long pieces with a craft knife fitted with a new blade. Next, I wanted to add a ribbon to the top. Rather than just punch a hole in the top of each strip, I used a grommet tool (you can find one for a few bucks in any craft shop) to add a grommet and make the finished product a little more dignified! I figured a book as old as this one deserved a little dignity!

I added a ribbon I purchased at the craft store. Choosing the ribbon was the most time consuming part of the project! I needed to find just the perfect ribbon! And, I think I did!

A very easy project as well as a very satisfying one!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a great week!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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let’s not be so hard on ourselves!

May 25, 2018

I feel like the sun knew my work schedule this week and only made an appearance when I was required to be indoors!

Don’t worry, I’m not going take you to any of my places of work for today’s Friday field trip!

Actually, I am just leaving you with something to think about. I read an article a couple days ago in the New York Times titled: Why You Should Stop Being So Hard on Yourself by Charlotte Lieberman.

It talked about how self-criticism can take a toll on our minds and bodies and have measurably destructive effects. It struck a nerve with me as I bet it did with a lot of women. I think most of us are just so darn hard on ourselves!

Pull up the article if you’d like to read more about how we got that way, but I was more interested in what the article had to say about how we can correct it!

The answer is self-compassion – the practice of being kind and understanding to ourselves when confronted with a personal flaw or failure.

At the suggestion of the article, I am making a conscious effort to take a breath after making a mistake, rather than berating myself over it.

And, most importantly, trying really hard to practice what it feels like to treat myself as I would treat a friend.

Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

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

Lieberman, C. (2018, May 22). Why you should stop being so hard on yourself. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

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garden mulch alternative

May 22, 2018

Usually my gardens are in order by Mother’s Day. And, Mother’s Day has always been my goal date to finish planting annuals and have all the mulch down. This year, the crazy weather caused me to be way behind on my garden schedule. My only little scraps of time to do yard work were during heavy rains or tornado conditions! (Yes, tornadoes! Area schools have been out for 4 days due to the damage caused by tornado touchdowns in Connecticut!) This year, I actually visited the nursery and purchased my annuals in the powering rain, holding an umbrella!

The smallest little garden in my yard is located by my back door. Because I see it every time I enter or leave the house, I have always tried to do something a little different in that one patch. In many past years, I have used cocoa hull mulch in that back door garden, because I loved the chocolate smell every time I passed! Now, it is impossible to find the cocoa mulch – garden centers tell me they stopped carrying it because it attracted animals. I thought about using beach stones as an alternate mulch. I am already using beach stones in other gardens and I thought it might add a nice continuity – maybe adding some beach grasses to that garden to give it an added coastal vibe.

So, when I saw oyster shells used as mulch at this year’s flower show in Philadelphia, I thought it might be just the interesting substitute for cocoa mulch that I was looking for! Besides the fact that people don’t collect oyster shells, we also have a city nearby that boasts 12,000 acres of oyster farms – getting the shells won’t be a problem!

What do you think? Good idea? I love the irregular shape and interesting texture!

Note: Because oyster shells break down faster than a sturdier shell, like a clam, they may need to be replaced frequently. So, if you are considering using oyster shells in your own garden, be sure to consider this.

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

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beauty in simplicity

May 15, 2018

A big garden isn’t needed to enjoy the outdoors in your home.

Pick a single flower or a single leaf or grab a sprig from shrub clippings. Even the bad boys in the yard (enter dandelions in seed), can evoke a positive mood – creating the sense of fulfilled wishes or dreams yet to be – when displayed as a single bloom in a container!

If you don’t have a yard, just take a walk through the woods or a public park…heck, you can find a beautiful wildflower on the side of the throughway!

Then, display your little piece of the outdoors in a container. No fancy or expensive vase is needed! Just look in your recycling bin or in your cupboards for some great ideas! Any small vessel will do! Examples include: a tiny espresso cup, a teacup, a small milk pitcher, or a glass liquor ‘nip’ bottle or other small discarded bottle.

Just display this little piece of beauty in any room – in any little scrap of space where you will glance over at it and smile!

The beauty and simplicity of a single flower or leaf is an instant mood lifter and is a great way to display the awesomeness of nature in your home.

I hope I have inspired you to display little pieces of nature in your home!

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

The containers in the order they appear: sea urchin vase from Christmas Tree Shop ($1.99), discarded coconut vodka ‘nip’ bottle, 5 bud vase from Marshall’s ($2.99 in clearance aisle), teacup (a gift), discarded coconut vodka ‘nip’ bottle, found glass bottle, my creamer, sea urchin vase from Christmas Tree Shop.

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warmer days at terrain

May 4, 2018

Here in Connecticut, temperatures have skyrocketed and thoughts of snow are finally behind us! A flurry of garden related thoughts is running through my head! I can’t wait till Mother’s Day – my official planting day – to get some annuals into the ground!

For today’s Friday field trip, I thought I would share a little garden inspiration from my favorite garden store. Here are just a few captures from my last visit to Terrain in Westport.

Enjoy! Hopefully, while enjoying a good cup of coffee and sitting on an outdoor terrace or deck in the early morning light!

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

P.S. If you live close enough to the Westport store for a visit, there are some excited new things happening to check out!

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may book giveaway!

May 1, 2018

It’s May! I hope the weather gods got the memo on this because, here in Connecticut, we are in desperate need of some spring-like days! A new month means a new giveaway!

For May, the giveaway book is Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body by Kate Hudson.

I am not a big fan of celebrity books, but this book just spoke to me! I think Kate has an amazing energy and self-confidence and these attributes are reflected in the pages of her book. A great mantra for health and happiness, Pretty Happy outlines the four pillars of health Kate has created to help guide her through an authentic life.

Reading about the way Kate honors her relationship with herself is sure to inspire and provide you with a few takeaways on how you can create your own authentic self.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this book! The winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month. Good luck! :)

Congratulations to Ginny. She is the winner of the April giveaway, Honey by Angelo Proseperi-Porta. Thanks for the email Ginny! (Click here to read more on this title.)

Instagram users, please read on! For May, let’s share photos of flowers! I am so jazzed about starting flower garden preparation and I can’t wait for new blooms this month! Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share some favorite flower photos!

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

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may book giveaway!