pleasure in simple things

sea glass green and white pumpkins

October 23, 2018

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!

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.

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

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

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autumn porch goals

October 19, 2018

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.

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?!)

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

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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saying goodbye to the garden

October 12, 2018

I’m always surprised at this time of year when I walk out my back door and see some flowers! I don’t really have plantings designed for fall bloom, so it definitely puts a smile on my face when I see something still alive in my yard in October! (No, you won’t yet see any pumpkins!)

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing my favorite stragglers – the plants that are still hanging on – on each side of the house. At the back door view my favorite is definitely my tremendous fern – still going strong! But, so is my parsley – look how healthy and beautiful it is mixed with some mums from BJs!

In the back yard, the succulent mix I added to a vintage iron bicycle is still (almost) there – a few plants have died, but the mix still looks good (with no care whatsoever!)

On my side yard, all the herbs are still growing! I am most excited about the oregano because I have had occasions to use it the most in recent days!

And, in the front – is the only ‘color’ I have –

Why are these flowers not white? I planted them the year I changed my door color to red maple!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

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apple pie slushie

October 9, 2018

We have a lot of wonderful farms here in Connecticut. This is the time of year when everyone makes an obligatory trip to an apple and/or pumpkin farm. I stopped at a farm this past weekend to grab some freshly picked apples and some locally made apple cider.

With the summer-like temperatures in Connecticut this past weekend, I wasn’t thinking of baking a hot apple pie! Instead, I made an apple slushie from my farm fresh ingredients!

Why not get creative with slushies? (Have you seen the red wine slushies?)

Hot temp. Cold slushie. What’s not to like? And, the fact that the slushie was apple made it totally seasonal! It was delicious and refreshing ~ sort of like a chilly applesauce!

I used a honeycrisp apple for my slushie since that was the variety of apple I purchased at the farm and I thought it had the perfect amount of sweetness. A honeycrisp is a cross between a macoun and a honeygold. Obviously, you can substitute any variety of apple you prefer.

If you give the recipe a try, be sure to adjust the spices to your own liking before adding the ice.

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

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changing perspective

October 5, 2018

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.

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

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

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making chenille pumpkins

October 2, 2018

Now that it is October, I guess I can get really serious about my pumpkin making! You know I love making velvet pumpkins with real pumpkin stems at this time of year.

Although I love making pumpkins of velvet, in addition, each year I enjoy experimenting with a new, different fabric for pumpkins. Remember last year I tried some cashmere?

Well, this year my experiment is becoming an obsession! And you thought my obsession was about stems! Well, it is about stems – it’s always about stems lol!

But, the new fabric obsession has become repurposing a vintage material – chenille! It turned out to be convenient timing that cleaning out my linen closet happened at the start of fall. I couldn’t bear to throw out a vintage chenille spread that, in the past, has adorned both the bed of my grandmother and of my daughter. I decided to repurpose the spread into pumpkins…with real stems, of course!

I hope these photos help inspire you to create some pumpkins from a repurposed material – like a treasured keepsake!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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october book giveaway!

September 28, 2018

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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

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.

Enjoy the photos here for Friday field trip!

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 29^th!

Thank you for stopping by!

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

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autumn 2018 at terrain

September 18, 2018

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!

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

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!