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majestic beech tree

June 4, 2021

european beech tree

Something I truly admire on visits to one of my favorite nurseries in Connecticut  – White Flower Farm – is the gorgeous tree standing guard near the front of the property.

tall european beech

european beech in spring

The European beech has been described by many experts as the finest specimen tree available.  This one at White Flower Farm was planted in 1958.

large euopean beech

looking up at beech tree

Isn’t it something?

white flower farm beech

While having that beautiful beech on my mind, I was walking around my neighborhood and realized that a tree doesn’t have to be 63 years old to be appreciated.

There is so much about trees to admire.  A couple of trees I passed on my walk, changing with the season, caught my eye.

pretty seeds

While I do have favorite trees at nurseries and gardens I visit (such as the copper beech at Longwood Gardens), I can appreciate the humblest of varieties!

red maple seeds

I hope you are inspired to take special notice of some local trees or trees you see in your travels.

pretty buds

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

hostas at white flower farm

Note:  Some interesting history about the European beech tree From the Arbor Day Foundation website:

The European beech tree has an unmatched place in history. The beechnuts were food for prehistoric man and are still consumed today. The wood has been employed for centuries for both fire and furniture in Europe. Historians claim that the first written European literature was inscribed on Beech bark in Sanskrit. The English word ‘book” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “boc”, a derivative for the Anglo-Saxon “beece” or Beech.

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diy oyster shell necklace

May 28, 2021

flamingo oyster necklace

I had some fun the last couple weeks making some necklaces from decoupaged oyster shells.

I had been putting holes in some shells to create some garlands and decided to drill some extras to create necklaces.

holes in oysters

I have shared plenty of decoupaged shells in the past.  If you still haven’t tried to make some, click here for simple instructions.  Summer is a great time to try this craft made from some collected beach shells!

nautical diy oyster necklaces

oyster necklace flamingo

For making necklaces, drill the holes in the shells first.  Then, decoupage – being sure to use the end of your paint brush to punch the appropriate hole where you have drilled after decoupaging.  Next, add the chain, beads, rawhide, etc. of your choice to complete the necklace!

oyster necklace succulent

diy necklace succulent

I happen to like a long necklace – with a 30” chain – but, your creation should reflect your own personal style.

silver and nautical oyster shell necklac es

Have some fun with it!

topiary oyster necklace

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Memorial Day weekend!

necklace oyster shell navy

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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desert botanical garden

May 21, 2021

blooming cactus yellow

I became a cactus fan long before succulents were ‘in.’  I made my first visit to Arizona when I was in junior high school and I instantly became mesmerized by the unusual and glorious plants called cacti.

look up cactus

cactus prickles

When I got home from my trip, I signed up for a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine so I could regularly see beautiful, artistic photographs of Arizona plants in their native habitat.

cactus landscape

burst of yellow cactus

This background of cactus love made it extra special for me to have the opportunity recently to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  I had never been.

blooming cactus

cactus arms

The garden is like a living museum, home to more than 4,400 species and 27,000 plants.

cactus yellow in progress

trio of cactus

Today, I share a few of my favorite views from my visit.

tall cactus with sun

Thanks for stopping by.

face mask sign

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

P.S.  Look at my last post for more from the Desert Botanical Garden.

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anything but yellow

May 14, 2021

succulents in pink

On a quick trip to Scottsdale, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix with some great people.   During the visit, I was intrigued by a comment made by our tour guide – that most flowers in a desert garden are yellow.  Of course, after hearing that, I needed to find some color beyond the yellow as I toured the space!

Today I am sharing a few of these non-yellow finds.  I will share some more photos of the garden in a future post because there were plenty of amazing succulents to admire!

chihuly cactus

My first amazing find at the garden is a little bit of a cheat…they are not live plants!  They are blown glass pieces by the amazing American glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly.  It was such a nice surprise to discover the three pieces of large-scale sculptures gracing the entrance to the garden!

chihuly botanical

You may remember from a previous post, that I visited a large Chihuly collection when it was installed at the New York Botanical Garden.  (Click here to see the post.)

trio chihuly

Here are a few of my favorite living ‘beyond yellow’ finds!

cactus pink

red cactus

blooming cactus

pink succulent

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

red spheres

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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spring walk in the woods

April 30, 2021

clouds at sleeping giant

I know I’m always saying I love my state, but I do!  One of the best parts of living in Connecticut, of course, is being on the coast.  The water has always been such a big part of my life – boating, beaching, fishing, etc.

flowers in the woods

But another great thing about living in Connecticut is that it is just as easy to explore the woods as it is the shore!

wall at sleeping giant

leaves in the woods

Today I travel inland for a walk so I can show you a little of the wooded part of Connecticut in the spring!    This particular piece of forest happens to be at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, Connecticut.

arch at Sleeping Giant

Sleeping Giant park

Enjoy!  I hope you are inspired to take your own walk in the woods this weekend!

stream in woods

By the way, Connecticut has 139 state parks and forests statewide.  Not bad for such a tiny state!

john muir quote

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

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spring walk in essex

April 23, 2021

window box pansies

Even though I live in a shoreline town, there are plenty more in Connecticut to explore!  Some towns I may not visit very often, yet others I wouldn’t miss checking out on a regular basis.

essex tree

essex blooming tree

close up blooming

Essex is one of these ‘regular basis’ towns.  It has a quiet elegance about it and is very historic – It is home to one of the oldest (since 1776) continuously operated inns in the country.  I usually visit this seaport village in July, but a friend and I recently made a spring visit.

garden ornament

historic home in essex

As in any visit, we took plenty of time to notice outdoor home décor and gardens.  Having done a formal home tour in Essex in the past, I know there are many magnificent interiors as well!

pretty shrub in essex

shrubs in essex

I hope you are inspired to enjoy some walks outside of your regular neighborhood during this pretty time of year!

tree in essex

pretty door essex

Thanks for stopping by!

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

 

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The art of repurposing

April 16, 2021

seaglass in salt cellar

During a recent day of leisurely window shopping with a friend, she gifted me the sweetest little antique salt cellar that I had been admiring in a kitchen shop.

dish and wallpaper

The original purpose for this little dish was to hold salt at an individual place setting.

collage

salt cellar with pins

I fell in love with the design and the smallness of the piece although I never did consider using it for salt!  After all, is there anything better than finding new uses for old things?

with moss

I’m having so much fun styling this cute little dish!  I am finding it has so many more applications than I had originally imagined!  Can you guess which way I am currently using it?

match stick holder

with eggs

I hope I have inspired you to use something you love in a new way!

with vitamins

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

quote

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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head in the clouds

April 9, 2021

finished cloud print

We all have certain motifs that appeal to us.  One of mine is clouds.

I would so love to plan a baby’s room or a baby shower around a cloud theme.  (I have collected a whole folder of items I would use!)  Or, decorate a bathroom in a cloud motif.  How cool would it be to design a room around one of these wallpapers!

spoonflower cloud wallpaper

Cloud wallpaper found on Spoonflower.

cloud wallpaper

Cole & Son Nuvolette Gilver & Charcoal Wallpaper.

When I saw this piece of art from Anthropologie, something about the black background of the art with the contrast of the gold frame really appealed to me.

cloud painting

I started thinking maybe I should paint some clouds!

More recently I saw this Anthro piece

anthro cloud painting

Lovely, but way out of my price range!

Then, one day in Target, I found a gold frame for $8. that I really loved and decided I would put my own cloud piece together.

finished cloud print

What do you think?  I find it so inspirational.

If you want your own original cloud art piece and can’t afford the Anthro prices, put one together yourself!  Get a Target or HomeGoods frame that you really love and a piece of original art from Etsy and put it together for not much more than $50. (depending on the size you choose).

What can you find on Etsy?  Here is an example of a piece of original cloud art by delizabethstudios on Etsy.

delizabeth cloud painting

An original art piece by delizabethstudios on Etsy.

Isn’t it beautiful?

I hope I have inspired you to create a piece for your wall!  If not a painting of clouds, whatever motif makes you happy!

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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happy easter 2021!

April 2, 2021

forced branches

It is such a great time of year…the promise of living so much life outdoors!

With all the outdoor living comes the gardening.  Here in Connecticut, Mother’s Day is usually my official planting time but pansies can stand the cooler weather so I’ve already put a few in the ground.

branches

In their typical fashion, the rabbits have already eaten all the flowers off of them!  The only pansy flowers remaining right now are the ones planted in the basket hanging on the front of the house!  So starts my love/hate relationship with the neighborhood pests!  The bees will be next followed by a close second to the chipmunks!

forsythia branches

I’ve been forcing branches in the house for the last couple of months, but now some of the trees have started blooming outdoors as well.  So, of course, more come into the house!

closeup branches

The more twisted the branch, the better!  A single branch with an unusual shape can make such a dramatic display!

branches small vase

I hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as I am!

branches on buffet

I want to wish you a blessed Easter filled with love.

dyed egg

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like everything blooming around you!

xo Jackie

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good neighbors

March 26, 2021

llama

March can be a crazy weather time in New England.  One day may be snow and the next day could be a shorts and sandals kind of day!

This past week, with temperatures in the 60’s, it has certainly been more of the shorts-wearing type of weather!

neighbor

The mild weather has made spending time outdoors very enjoyable this past week.  One of my favorite things this week was saying hello to some of my neighbors during my daily walks.  These three, in particular, are normally extremely shy.

three neighbors

Apparently, the warm weather has given them some extra courage to say hello!

I hope I have inspired you to take a walk and say hello to some of your neighbors!

llama friend

llama teeth

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Spring!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like saying hello to your neighbors!  xo Jackie

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