pleasure in simple things

shades of green pumpkins

November 17, 2023

I did a couple posts this fall about color and styling of pumpkins. There is one more color palette I want to mention before we leave this topic!

When styling pumpkins for fall, green is an option we hadn’t really seen in the past. What fun varieties there are now! So, in this post, I am offering up some examples of how the color green can be added to pumpkin vignettes!

Not only are pumpkins offered in a variety of colors, but have you noticed there are pumpkin offerings in softer, muted looking tones?

Of course, a multi-color theme is a styling option as well and incorporating fall flowers is so fun! And though pumpkins come in a variety of colors, fall flowers, like the colors of the falling leaves, are available in even more!

No matter your preference, I hope you are having fun with color this fall – whether it be with pumpkins and/or flowers!

And yes, I know Christmas décor is coming in hot, but it is technically still fall and I like to embrace the fall décor at least until Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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leaf candle diy

October 27, 2023

Remember using an iron to press leaves between two sheets of wax paper? I loved this activity as a kid. Collecting the most colorful leaves I could find and preserving them was so much fun! I would hang my finished masterpiece from yarn in front of a sun-filled window.

As an adult, there are so many variations of this craft that can provide satisfying DIY results.

One of these variations, you have probably seen, is to use wax paper and an iron to apply leaves to a pillar candle.

As an adult, my taste is a little more sophisticated than back in the day of multi-colored leaves and I shy away from rainbow color palettes – preferring neutral or monochromatic themes. So, my pillar candle creation will not be full of multi-color leaves!

For this project, I went out and collected as many leaves as I could find in a burgundy color palette – burgundy being a favorite accent color of mine.

Once the leaves had been collected, the project is really simple to create. All that is needed, in addition to the leaves, is a pillar candle, wax paper, and an iron.

I just cut a strip of wax paper the width of the candle – long enough to wrap around it. I plugged in my iron to get it nice and hot (not using the steam setting). Once the leaves are positioned where I wanted them, I put the wax paper (wax side down) over the leaves. Holding it in place, I ironed the wax paper until I could see the wax melting. After waiting a few seconds, I removed the wax paper. Viola! A beautiful fall candle!

I hope I have inspired you to create a candle decorated with fall leaves! Maybe give new life to some old candles and use them for your Thanksgiving table!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

Jackie

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pumpkin’ to talk about

October 20, 2023

Growing up, pumpkins were one shape and one color only. Today, there is a myriad of varieties of pumpkins/squash that are so far beyond the plain round, orange pumpkin from my childhood!

Of course, there are certainly plenty of styling options staying within the traditional orange color palette, if that is your preference – but so many more choices than just a round orange pumpkin!

The photos here are some fun vignettes I’ve seen this year!

Are you inspired to put out some pumpkins?

Thanks for stopping by!

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

Jackie

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white pumpkins and burgandy

October 1, 2023

If you are wondering why my photos look like they were taken in the rain, it is because they were!

My fall meandering this season has been very wet! Not by choice. It just couldn’t be helped – rainy days have been the norm here in Connecticut for way too long!

If you know anything about me, you know typical holiday colors are never my favorites. And, white is one of my preferred colors. White pumpkins are always the best pumpkins and I enjoy combining them with other neutrals or, sometimes other colors.

I really enjoy burgundy as an accent color for both fall and at Christmas time.

Here I am sharing some great styling examples with white pumpkins and burgundy I recently found at Terrain in Westport. Isn’t it a great combination?

If you want to add some cozy feels when putting together your own fall vignettes, add a blanket or scarf. Don’t discard ripped blankets in your favorite colorways. They can be repurposed while styling your pumpkins! If not blankets, fabric remnants or discarded corduroy or flannel shirts are also great to reuse! If you have nothing of your own to utilize, thrift shops and consignment stores are great places to pick up items to use. I never get rid of a piece of clothing or fabric I love…down the road it may turn up as part of a tablescape or made into a pumpkin!

I hope you are inspired to put some white pumpkins and burgundy together this season. If not, I’ll have some more traditional color combination examples next time!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

Jackie

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how to pickleball wardrobe

August 4, 2023

New to the sport of pickleball, putting together my pickleball wardrobe became an obsession. Determined to put health and safety first, my first mission was to find an appropriate paddle and footwear. I talked to some orthopedics to decide how to choose the best paddle for long-term wear and tear on my body. I found out that weight and grip size of a paddle are important in this regard. Instructed not to go over a weight of 7.8 or a grip size over 4”, I chose an appropriate paddle that didn’t break the bank!

Next was footwear. I decided to focus on tennis shoes since there is quite a variety available and it seemed to me the shoes designed for both pickleball and tennis would be similar. My daughter bought me On Clouds for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE them. For this reason, I looked on their website to see if there were any options for tennis shoes. Sure enough, they had designed a tennis shoe named after Roger Federer. Though expensive, I thought it was important to get the right pair of shoes. It ended up my daughter bought me the pair I was admiring for Mother’s Day so I was set in the shoe department. My new tennis shoes are just as comfy as the shoes I received as a Christmas gift!

To go along with the shoes, I needed the right pair of socks. These too were a little pricey, but I waited till they were on sale and bought some Bombas brand tennis ankle socks. Worth the price! (I heard they have a lifetime warranty but I haven’t yet confirmed this fact!)

The one other necessity, since I play outdoors, is the sunscreen. So, I stocked up on a mineral sunscreen (recommended by my Dermatologist since mineral sunscreen is not absorbed into the skin) and I had my basics covered. I just need to mention that eye protection is an important base to cover when playing any sport – I always keep my eyes protected!

Now, for the clothing. Much to my dismay, since COVID, I really don’t wear many of my clothes. And, although I wear many more athletic clothes than I do regular clothes (especially in the summer), you would never guess that by looking at my closet – barely any athletic attire. I decided I would put together an affordable wardrobe of clothes appropriate for pickleball. I started by surfing the internet for every source of athletic clothes. I found the most options by looking for golf and tennis clothes. I like to wear leggings and shirts, but in the extremely hot and humid weather, skirts and dresses are much more comfortable. Being tall makes it tough to find a good fit in a dress, but I was able to find a couple good ones that were on sale. Many of my sale items were purchased on or near the 4^th of July when many stores had sales and/or sale codes for purchases. There continues to be many summer items on sale, so it is a good time to plan ahead and purchase for next year!

Since I use leggings for yoga and other exercise classes as well, they are a multi-purpose item that is a good investment for me! Other than TJ Maxx, one of my favorite places for leggings is www.marika.com. I found some of my favorite leggings on this site and they often have great sales. They recently had a 3 pair for $39 and I loved some of the patterns offered. In fact, I rebought a favorite pair that I ripped during a recent fall trying to make a tough return shot! Of course, I stop by my local TJ Maxx and Marshalls regularly to check on current, affordable offerings. And, this season, I was able to score a great pair of leggings from the Old Navy clearance rack for $9.99!

Places that aren’t necessarily sports stores sometimes offer a piece or two of athletic wear and seem to have really great sales since people probably aren’t looking there for these type of items. Examples of this are a pretty green dress I ended up scoring for $16 at the www.loft.com. It’s so cute, and has the attached shorts underneath. The same happened with www.jcrew.com. I found a really pretty scalloped edge sports dress on clearance.

Tennis or golf skirts are best purchased at Marshalls or TJ Maxx, but I found a couple of superior sources. Though pricier, they are worth purchasing on sale or requesting as a birthday or holiday gift. The best source I’ve found was recommended to me by my friend Angela who plays pickleball outside all year. It is www.donajobrand.com. The skirts come in a variety of fun prints and in many styles. Most importantly, they come in a variety of lengths. Because I am tall, I often feel the length of skirts are obscene on me – showing way too much. With Dona Jo, it is easy to get a more modest fit. The other great source I found – and the best for skirted leggings is www.solsisters.com. A really attractive and well-made product!

Now to throw in a little fun! I’m not a big fan of t-shirts and I’ve never owned a shirt with writing on the front, but I found myself purchasing a couple of fun novelty shirts for pickleball. One I found on Amazon and the other on Etsy. (I also liked one that said “I’d hit that,” but thought maybe that went a little too far and decided against it!)

So, I have a great pickleball wardrobe put together for a very affordable price! Now if I can just figure out how to avoid the tan lines around my ankles!

Thanks for stopping by. Dink on!

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

P.S. Still on the lookout for some old school tennis socks with the pom-poms on the back!

Safety Tip: Although many athletic skirts and leggings offer pockets – don’t use them to hold extra balls…this can cause injuries in the event of falling on a non-forgiving plastic ball!

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coat closet to pantry diy

April 14, 2023

I have a small coat closet off my kitchen that I hadn’t opened all winter. Not because I don’t have coats. Believe me, I have tons of coats! But I wore the same warmest, longest winter parka I have for the entire winter and there had been no room for switching it up!

Every time I looked at the closet, I thought about what a waste of space it was. One day I was just fed up with that closet and I took out every last coat and piled them up on my couch. I looked at the empty closet and got so excited about the possibilities! The only thing left in the closet was a single shelf and the bar where the coats had hung. My first inclination was to remove the bar and fill the closet with shelves. But, when I started thinking about what would be most convenient to store in the closet, I changed my mind.

What would be great to have in that closet? My lunch bag and a couple other bags I use on a regular basis for starters. Well, those things would be great to hang on the existing bar! I decided to use S hooks (Which I happen to LOVE for organizing – it’s how I hang all my jeans in my closet!) to hang these items on the bar.

What else would be handy? Definitely some cleaning products – mops and my Dyson. So, I added mop holders first off and also mounted my Dyson to the inside of the door. After mounting the Dyson, I examined the inside of the door and I saw more available space. Next, I added a really cool rack I found on Amazon to store a couple pair of exercise shoes that usually lived on my kitchen floor.

This closet already felt like heaven! Next, I needed a place to put returnable cans. Presently, I was hanging a plastic bag on the closet door handle for this purpose and it just had to go! I bought a waste bin that fit nicely inside the closet to throw my empty cans and water bottles until I returned them to the store.

This closet was everything already! And, I still had some room! I put a large basket on the floor and decided to keep the shelf that existed in the closet; adding two more. I used my favorite IKEA baskets (Byholma) on the shelves to store some health books and cleaning products.

My son cut some wood for my two added shelves and I painted them the same as the rest of the closet (BM Simply White).

I added a hook for that one coat I wear all winter and a couple of bins to the inside of the door – I wanted to utilize every bit of space.

Point is – the coat closet wasn’t working for me so I needed to find something that would! Moral of the story is not to accept what is there just because it is there lol!

Now this closet makes me SO happy! I use it ALL the time and it is so much more practical as a pantry type closet rather than a coat closet.

What, you ask, happened to all the coats? I purchased two wardrobes (Brimnes) from IKEA for storing the coats and that is where they stay until the rare occasions they are needed!

I hope I have inspired you to rethink/rework some of your space!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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driftwood whale love

March 24, 2023

I have been wanting an Andy Teran whale for quite some time. What is an Andy Teran whale? A whale made by Andy Teran from driftwood collected from Connecticut shores!

Recently, I found myself near Andy’s Clinton, CT workshop and, of course, had to stop by! The fabulous thing about Andy’s creations – besides being created from driftwood found on Connecticut shores – is that they can be made in any size! I told Andy the exact size I wanted for my whale and he created it! Because I had a particular spot in mind near my back entrance to hang my creation, I had an exact measurement I wanted for my whale…and, I got it!

The piece of driftwood my piece was created from came from Branford – Stony Creek.

You can see by my photos of Andy’s workshop that he has many whales already created and he is constantly creating more. He harvests driftwood all year long!

I was excited to finally get my own piece and my guy will be hanging outside soon – once my Easter wreath comes down!

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into Andy’s workshop!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

P.S. If you want to see more of Andy’s designs, check out his Instagram @andy.teran8

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diy floral egg cups

March 10, 2023

Using egg cups as part of your spring décor is super simple. Egg cups are very easy to come by this time of year and are very inexpensive. I think most of mine came from the bargain bin at Target, but I have found vintage ones at thrift stores as well. Sometimes I add my own embellishments – like the white egg cup in these photos where I added a painted gold metallic rim.

In addition to displaying painted or decorated eggs in egg cups, they also come in handy as vessels for flowers. Adding fresh flowers to an egg cup is an easy DIY and can serve as a wonderful addition to any Easter table!

To make a floral egg cup; first, cut a piece of floral foam to fit into the chosen egg cup. (If working with fresh flowers, be sure to use an egg cup that can hold water!) Decide on the flowers you will be using and bundle them together. Pick a flower with a stiff stem and use a small piece of floral wire to tie the stems together. The wire will also be helpful when sticking the flowers into the floral foam – making it easier to push the stems into the foam. Add water if you are using fresh flowers. Finish your arrangement with some moss to cover the floral foam.

Aren’t these sweet? Make a bunch to use as place cards on your Easter table and/or as a cute takeaway for each guest. If you have snowdrops blooming in your yard, they would be perfect to use for this project. If not, you can find small fresh flowers in plants from your local grocery store or Trader Joe’s. (I was able to make 4 egg cups from one $3.99 plant from the grocery store.)

I hope I have inspired you to create some egg cup floral arrangements!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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boycotting egg painting

March 4, 2023

Wow! This is my first post of 2023! Since I started this blog in 2012, never before have I had such a lapse in posts! It is very sad to think I haven’t been using my creative side in quite some time!

The good news is that I have been busy organizing myself in finances, work, and wellness and making great progress!

I’m happy to say, I do now, have a couple projects in the works!

One is a coffee table and the second is the transformation of a coat closet into a pantry. (More on these projects as they develop!)

Normally, at this time of year, I would already be working on Easter eggs…coming up with a theme and painting them appropriately. This year, in a kind of personal protest against grocery prices, I decided not to paint eggs. I don’t normally buy eggs, except at Easter time, and I decided I am not going to purchase them to paint this year.

For the purposes of this post, I am including photos of one of my favorite past Easter egg themes – topiary. (Cactus, picnic, and constellation were also some of my most favorite themes).

I enjoy having some of the topiary eggs out in a bowl – I don’t think skipping a year of painting eggs will bother me! I did put out a little bit of Easter/Spring décor – have you? Remember to bring in some cut branches (magnolia, forsythia, etc.) – it’s the perfect time to force blooming!

I’m counting down the days when the clocks will change because I really dislike leaving for work in the dark and coming home from work in the dark!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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easy diy gingerbread gift wrap

December 2, 2022

Hi! I know it has been a minute…but, I’m happy today to have some time to show you a really simple, very low-cost way to wrap your holiday packages! These DIY gingerbread gift tags are made from discarded cardboard and a marker! So easy!

If you don’t already have a white, oil-based marker or a white permanent chalkboard marker, purchase one from the craft store to complete this project. If you want to make coordinating wrapping paper, purchasing kraft paper is not necessary – brown bags work just as well! (Note: Trader Joe’s holiday shopping bags work great since they already have a gingerbread house design on brown paper bags!)

A pencil can be used to draw some basic shapes onto corrugated cardboard. (There is certainly plenty of this around with all the holiday deliveries rolling in!) Then, draw the shapes onto the cardboard using a white, oil-based marker and decorate them as you would gingerbread – except use a marker instead of royal icing!