free pink pumpkin printable

October 10, 2017

What better way to support breast cancer awareness than to display a pink pumpkin for the month of October?!

Paint a huge pumpkin with pink chalk paint (ordinary house paint will do as well) and place it on your front steps…if one person driving by thinks “look at that…must be for breast cancer awareness,” it has done its job!

A little pink pumpkin on a desk at work can serve the same purpose. I like to display a handmade pink velvet pumpkin during October. It reminds me, as well as others, that breast health is important.

The pink velvet pumpkins pictured here are new ones I made up this year for a breast cancer awareness GO PINK! event benefit at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, New York. Thank you Kim – I am honored to have my pink pumpkins represented at your event!

As a gift to you, my friends, I am including a pink pumpkin bookmark printable that you can download by clicking here. It includes my favorite ‘pink’ quote! Use landscape and print it in color on a piece of white card stock – save one for yourself and give the others to friends! Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by!

I hope I have inspired you to display some pink pumpkins this month for breast cancer awareness! It is a wonderful way to honor breast cancer survivors and, also, those who are currently battling breast cancer.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at the Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush.

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velvet and cashmere pumpkins

October 6, 2017

Making velvet pumpkins is an annual activity for me. Each year, I save pumpkin stems (the stems are everything!) and use them the following year on my newest pumpkin creations.

Finding new fabrics keeps my pumpkin making interesting each year.

This year, I added some gray cashmeres to the mix!

If you follow the blog, you may remember I shared instructions to make these pumpkins some years back. If you want to try your hand at making some, click here for the post with the tutorial on how to create them.

Thank you for sharing my newest pumpkin creations on this week’s Friday field trip. My first few are as a gift to celebrate a friend’s new home. I hope I have inspired you to try making some yourself!

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

Sharing at Craftberry Bush.

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more 2017 country living fair

October 3, 2017

As promised, today I am sharing a few more glimpses of the 2017 Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio! (Part 2 from September 26th!)

Enjoy!

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

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2017 country living fair columbus

September 26, 2017

If you read this blog regularly, you know I am a big fan of The Country Living Fair. I have been attending the fair in Rhinebeck, NY, only a short distance from Connecticut, annually.

The Dutchess Country Fairgrounds are picturesque and provide a beautiful venue for the fair.

Put on by Country Living Magazine, the fair is a big show and sale of antiques, vintage, handcrafted goods, art, furniture, home decor, handcrafted clothing, jewelry and more. It also includes scheduled seminars and artisan demonstrations.

Each year, The Country Living Fair provides a fabulous weekend of shopping and inspiration.

I started thinking last year, why limit this fun time to a weekend? With three other Country Living Fair locations at different times of the year, why not visit one of the others? Atlanta, Columbus, or Nashville were my choices.

After some consideration, Columbus won as a second destination choice when I discovered Ballard Designs, Frontgate, and Grandin Road all have outlet stores near Columbus!

So, many months ago, a good friend and I put together plans to brave the 10 hour car trip to Ohio!

The photos here are from the 2017 Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio! I will share some additional photos from the fair next Tuesday. I hope you enjoy them and are inspired to attend one of the Country Living Fairs yourself!

It is so fun to visit a new locale! Which location do you think I will visit next? ;) Nashville? Atlanta?

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

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pumpkin tower in columbus

September 22, 2017

Even though the temperatures here in Connecticut this weekend will feel more like summer, it is now officially fall!

Because it seems so appropriate, for today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing some photos of the pumpkin ‘tower’ at this year’s Country Living Fair in Columbus.

Don’t worry…that’s not it on the fair…I will be sharing some fun finds from the Country Living Fair next week!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your first weekend of fall! I have already bought plenty of white pumpkins and I am working on some neutral velvet and cashmere handmade pumpkins!

I hope you are inspired to put out some fall décor! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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lunch al fresco

September 12, 2017

Sadly, the days are getting shorter. Soon, eating al fresco will be a memory.

As a homage to this year’s outdoor eating, I am sharing a few photos from a lunch at The Garden Café at Terrain in Connecticut – a farm to table inspired restaurant using local ingredients – outdoor eating at its best!

Terrain’s trademark bread service – in a clay pot…

I always enjoy a variation on a traditional deviled egg. This one is filled with a roasted red pepper mousse and garnished with crispy prosciutto.

Salad is a standard at lunch for me. This kale one is served with a yummy brown butter dressing.

Whether it be in your backyard or at a restaurant, I hope I have inspired you to enjoy a meal outdoors – while you still can!

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

For all those suffering from Hurricane Irma – my prayers are with you.

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inspiration to kickstart fall decor

September 8, 2017

Since I have gotten a little bit of an itch for fall décor this week, I am resharing my 5 easy tips for fall décor for today’s Friday field trip.

Click here for guidelines to kickstart your fall décor planning!

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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mini lantern with pumpkins

September 5, 2017

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! I spent a recent weekend in the woods visiting a friend – and, one cool evening by a fire, my thoughts turned towards the fall season.

When I got back home and was thinking about fall (and, of course white pumpkins), I went into my closet and pulled out all the velvet pumpkins I have made over the years. Like every other year, I will make a few new ones in neutral shades this year to add to my collection! I started thinking about what new fabrics I will use for the current year…

While I was contemplating the pumpkin box and fabrics, I noticed a little misplaced holiday lantern that didn’t make it into one of the Christmas storage boxes – seeing it immediately inspired me to use it for fall!

Inside the lantern, I added a couple of the smaller pumpkins I have made, a little Spanish moss, some of my DIY bleached mini pine cones and a couple acorns I had painted.

Instantly, my holiday lantern is transformed into fall décor! Maybe, as the days get shorter, I will add a few white fairy lights. So, just like that, fall décor has sneaked up on me…and, you know how that goes…now I am all in! To add fuel to the fire – my favorite garden store starts selling white pumpkins this week!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you to repurpose something from another season for your fall decor!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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from ferns to fall

August 29, 2017

Remember the DIY of the ferns in urns? Look how easily one of the wedding décor urns can be transformed for fall!

The couple who walked down the aisle decorated with the urns of ferns are now enjoying one of the same urns, from their wedding day, with a fall planting on the front porch of their first home!All it took was a quick trip to Home Depot and under $30. to change the whole look of the urn and its planting. I was determined to get everything I needed in one trip, so even though I couldn’t find the charcoal gray spray paint I wanted, I settled for a lighter gray and I chose plants that were available at Home Depot. My purchase included a can of spray paint, a tall burgundy grass (millet), 4 small white mums, and 2 small vines.

I started by spray painting the planter – a quick and easy color change! And, the simple arrangement of plants was easy enough to plant in the urn.

I placed the completed planting on the front porch and watered it thoroughly…it will look even better when it gets established!

I hope I have inspired you to change up a planting for fall!

What’s next for this urn? Maybe some black spray paint, white lights, and an evergreen for the holidays?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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nybg

August 25, 2017

The best part about visiting a botanical garden is knowing that every visit is unique. There are so many variables that contribute to creating the environment – ensuring that no two visits are ever the same! And, with 250 acres and over 1,000 plants, there is certainly plenty to admire!

For Friday field trip today, we are visiting the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Spanning 250 acres and containing over 1,000 plants, there is certainly plenty to admire and each visitor to NYBG is sure to experience it in a different way.