ferns in urns diy

June 13, 2017

I have a really easy DIY I’d like to share today.

When I found that florists charged hundreds of dollars for a simple urn with ferns (plus delivery!), I decided there had to be a less expensive way to have create the same result.

Well, I turned hundreds of dollars into less than $40!

First, I went to my go-to home store, HomeGoods, to find an appropriate urn. They had plenty of low priced urns in stoneware, ceramic, or acrylic choices. I opted for the acrylic since I wanted to create something as inexpensive as possible that would be easy to transport to a special event.

All the acrylic choices were in dark colors, so I would have to give my urns a coat of spray paint! I took the two urns I purchased into the yard and sprayed them to coat – a very quick process.

I had purchased two large hanging Boston Fern plants from Lowe’s when they were on sale for $9.99. My plan was to plant them in the urns until one of my friends suggested it would be easier to transport them if they weren’t planted! Of course! So, I stuffed the bottoms of the two urns with some Styrofoam left from some packaging and now I plan to just drop the plants on top of the Styrofoam when I am ready for my event! The planters weigh next to nothing – even filled with the material – and the plants are very light as well.

What a savings…and, so easy! And the urns really look like stoneware. When I get to the event, I will simply add the plants to the urns and remove the plastic hangers! (I am leaving them on for now because it is easier to move the plants with the hangers as handles.)

I hope you I have inspired you in some way for planning the décor for your next special event!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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shakespeare’s garden in brookfield, ct

June 9, 2017

My friends have been holding out on me! They have just recently shared what is currently one of my favorite nurseries!

Shakespeare’s Garden in Brookfield, Connecticut now joins a list that includes places like White’s Flower Farm and Terrain.

What makes a great nursery? For me, three important criteria! First, and foremost, creativity! The plants need to be presented in a beautiful way…with creative, imaginative, and even innovative added to the mix!

Of course, plants can easily be purchased at a local grocery or warehouse store. So, for a nursery to become a favorite means the plants aren’t just offered for sale, but are displayed in a creative way.

The second way to become a favorite is to have plenty of unique containers for plantings. Vintage pieces or repurposed items used as planters are an example. I’m looking for containers that help create an organic look or enhance the beauty of the planting it contains.

The third criteria is for the nursery to employ a knowledgeable staff. I want to be able to ask a question about caring for a particular plant or about the habit of a perennial I am purchasing and be confident I am getting an educated response.

Those are my top three. The bonus number four for me is a great gift shop! Finding some unique and aesthetically beautiful items for sale is always a plus!

Because Shakespeare’s Garden checked all the boxes for me – including the bonus item (!) – I am including some photos I took on my visit for today’s Friday field trip.

I hope they have inspired you in some way! Shakespeare’s Garden is worth a visit if you are in commuting distance.

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember take pleasure in simple things – like visiting a favorite nursery! xo Jackie

P.S. If you go, remember to say hello to Romeo – the resident cat.

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pink & gold nautical bridal shower

May 23, 2017

Pink and gold may not seem the typical color choice for a nautical themed party, but who said anything about typical? And, I certainly have no problem arranging a nautical party in any color scheme! :)

Since no décor can beat a coastal view, this bridal shower needed to take place at a yacht club!

The gals in the bridal party, serving as hostesses for the event, dressed in the theme colors and all looked beautiful! Of course, it helps when all the gals are gorgeous! ;)

Soft pink and gold appeared in all the details of the day.

The tables were set with gold chargers and cream linens. Table names were displayed in a brushed gold finish pedestal frame and displayed the names of bodies of water that held significance for the bride-to-be. Examples include the name of a lake from a campground she frequented as a child and the name of a river from college crew. Working with a florist, subtle and romantic blush and white free-form arrangements were created in gold compotes. (A smaller version for the powder room!)

A small (personalized) brushed gold compass and gold dipped feather adorned each place setting.

Individually wrapped sea glass candy on the tables also added to the nautical vibe. (Oddly enough, I make sea glass candy every Christmas, but rarely at any other time of year!) The bride’s favorite flavors were represented in the white (pear), pink (cotton candy), and brown (root beer) pieces of candy wrapped with raffia and adorned with a mini sand dollar.

Standard cocktail napkins and water glasses were replaced with some on-theme choices and festive gold straws were added to the water station.

Wedding photos of the bride-to-be’s mother, future mother-in-law, grandmother, and grandmother-to-be were displayed in the entry way in glass and gold frames to add a personal touch.

Themed prize baskets were given to winners of the games organized by the maid-of-honor, as well as the guest with the closest birthday, the guest that drove the farthest to attend the shower, etc.

The golden bracelets for the ‘bracelet bonanza’ game had everyone wearing a shiny gold bangle (right on theme) and provided some added interaction between guests. The ‘he said, she said’ game was fun and added a glimpse into the personalities of the soon-to-be wed couple.

For the refreshments – a selection of assorted breads, coffee and mimosas were available when the guests arrived. A fruit course, served in martini glasses, was followed by a plated brunch and later with cake and sorbet.

Adding to the theme of the day, the cake (vanilla with salted caramel filling) was created with an outside of soft pink ‘waves’ and garnished with fondant starfish dipped in gold. The sorbet was provided by a friend of the bride’s mom, created specifically for the shower in coconut lemongrass from a local gourmet food store and served in take-home stemless wine glasses. (The bridal party gals were each gifted a set of four.)

Now, who said pink and gold wasn’t nautical?

I hope you are inspired to host a pink and gold coastal party of your own!

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

Sources are available upon request – I’m happy to share!

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plants of palm beach

May 9, 2017

As I start to clean up my garden and plant some annuals here in Connecticut, I can’t help but think of some of the inspiring plantings I saw on my first trip to Palm Beach, Florida.

Like all things in Palm Beach, the green spaces are magnificent. So today, as part of my Palm Beach homage, I am sharing some of my favorites from the great plantings I spotted!

Some of my favorite container plantings were located around the pool at The Breakers hotel…

This colorful orchid was one of many located in an interior courtyard at The Breakers. This beautiful variety of flower can easily grow on the trees in Palm Beach.

The Living Wall (located on the west wall of Saks Fifth Avenue) on Worth Avenue, has to be the most high-profile garden in a Palm Beach public space! It was assembled in 2010 as part of the nearly $16 million beautification of Worth Avenue. A computerized system provides water and nutrients to the more than 10,000 plants in the 24-foot high, 36-foot wide grid. Amazingly beautiful!

These topiaries were also spotted on the famous high-end shopping street, Worth Avenue.

I found this cool looking flower in some shrubbery on the grounds of The Breakers hotel…not too sure what it is, but I thought it was uniquely beautiful.

This simple but majestic container planting was spotted outside Henry Flagler’s 1902 Palm Beach estate. Flagler was the gentlemen that established Palm Beach as a resort.

And, of course, you can’t help but notice the beautiful palms when in Palm Beach! They are everywhere! The coconut palm is not native to Florida. It’s presence in Palm Beach is due to a shipwreck back in 1878. The ship, traveling to Spain from Havana, was carrying a cargo of coconut palms and many of the coconuts were salvaged; many planted.

I hope you enjoyed sharing a few of the many plants that caught my eye while in Palm Beach. While inspiring, they certainly make my humble garden seem a lot less exciting! I have to remind myself that Connecticut is lacking the tropical rain forest climate of Palm Beach!

A dish garden I admired on a table inside The Breakers hotel.

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

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palm beach style

May 2, 2017

You know how I love a good theme! Currently, it is all about Palm Beach! Today, I am sharing a glimpse of a super cool project I created with Ralph & Martha.

For a gal that is all about neutrals, embracing Palm Beach – in all its pink and green glory – has been a big departure from my usual color palette! But, what a fun time I have had immersing myself in all things Palm Beach!

For this specific project, I chose some fabrics and ribbons to create some key chain gifts. So fun!

The construction part was all Ralph & Martha and they are such professionals (and perfectionists), I knew my end result would be fabulous!

Aren’t they great! I think we nailed the Palm Beach vibe! ;) Think about what great wedding favors these could make for a summer celebration!

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

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making old school ice cream sandwiches

April 25, 2017

Not since Alton Brown made his candy corn recipe public, have I been so excited about trying out an old school recipe! And, even more important than the recipe, I found a pan that bakes the cookie layers with the appropriate design of imprinted holes! (It is just not the same without the holes!)

The recipe and the baking pan (a genius 3 piece creation) come together in a set. The set makes baking the cookie pieces, as well as assembling the sandwiches, super easy.

Since I wanted to make some special ice-cream sandwiches for my daughter’s birthday as my first use of the set, I chose to use her favorite ice-cream – Halo Top. My plan was to use birthday cake ice-cream and garnish the sides of the sandwiches with multi-colored sprinkles! Adorable, right?

When I got to the grocery store, I couldn’t find Halo Top in birthday cake flavor, so I purchased two alternate flavors, and decided to make two ice-cream sandwiches in each flavor. The ice cream sandwiches might look old school, but I have replaced the standard vanilla ice cream with mint chip and peanut butter cup – I don’t ever remember these flavors as options back in the day. ;)

The instructions provided with the pan were very easy to follow. The only part of the process that took a little time was smoothing out the batter for the cookies in the pan, but even that was pretty painless. Measuring out an exact 1 tablespoon of batter for each mold created a perfect result!

I was happy with the ice cream sandwiches I made on my first attempt! I can’t wait to try making some using home churned ice-cream this summer!

If you are interested in making your own, I found the ice cream sandwich making set at Sur La Table. You can purchase one through their website. Currently, the set to make 4 sandwiches is on sale for under $10!

A word of advice: The set makes 4 ice cream sandwiches. If you choose to make only four, do not make the entire recipe of cookie batter. You will only use 8 tablespoons of batter to create the cookies for 4 sandwiches and the batter from the recipe provided probably makes enough for 50! Cut the recipe way down if you only plan to make four! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things – like enjoying an old school ice-cream sandwich on a warm afternoon!
xo Jackie

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jewelry display diy

April 18, 2017

Today I was styling some jewelry. I was being resourceful and using anything I could find that was readily available – household items, found items from outdoors, etc.

It occurred to me what a great item a clipboard can be to showcase jewelry. For such a ridiculously inexpensive, utilitarian object – it can really show a whole lot of style!

If you are putting together a display of your jewelry on your dresser or in a walk-in closet, consider using one or more clipboards. One clipboard can be displayed on a stand on it’s own or several can be displayed this way in a group. Or, several clipboards can be hung on a wall for a display of multiple pieces.

I created this super easy display piece in about 3 minutes. I grabbed some paint and sprayed the metal of the clipboard. There was only one can of spray paint handy and it happened to be off-white…if I had my choice, I would have used something more reminiscent of rust, but I used what I had. I rubbed a little metallic paint I found hanging around onto the cream paint – just so it wouldn’t look too perfect. Then, I used a page from an old book as the background for the display of the jewelry piece – first ripping the edges of the paper to give it a little character.

Super easy – right? A series of statement necklaces on clipboards would make cool wall decor. And, there are so many different ways to provide a background. Think about fabrics, book pages, wrapping paper, old photos, etc.

I hope I have inspired you to use a clipboard as a display piece. Have fun experimenting!

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

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happy spring friends!

April 14, 2017

Hello all! Please have the very happiest of weekends! It is a hectic one for me since I am working this weekend and also trying to get ready for a family meal on Sunday – I’m on desserts! I am taking inspiration from Chef Adam at Sift Bakery :)

For Friday field trip today, please enjoy my favorite homage to Earth Day, coming up on April 22^nd.

Click here to see Repurposed Brown Bags. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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anthropologie westport

April 7, 2017

Today, on Friday field trip, these photos from the reopened Anthropologie in Westport, Connecticut are sure to inspire!

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A homage to the former occupant of the building…the Westport YMCA.

The new store, located in the middle of town, is larger than the former location on the Post Road with plenty of room for some exciting surprises – like a section of wedding merchandise from sister store BHLDN (one of the 15 nationwide)!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things – like window shopping at the new Anthropologie in Westport! xo Jackie

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anthro’s reopening

April 4, 2017

The much anticipated (for me anyway) grand opening of the relocated Anthropologie in Westport, Connecticut has happened! I am excited to share some photos of the store on opening day – now located in the center of town in the old YMCA building.

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The view while making your purchases at the newly reopened Anthropologie store in Westport, Connecticut.

I planned on sharing some photos on Friday field trip this week to give you a sense of the gorgeous new space, but when I started going through my photos, I realized I needed more than one post to give you some sense of the aethestics.

So, today I will share a few photos as well as sharing a few more photos on Friday! Believe me, it deserves two posts! :)

The visual team did an amazing job at this store! More display people should take note of their use of negative space…my biggest pet peeve in styling is lack of restraint. Anthro are masters at using negative space in displaying their aesthetic in an artistic way.