pleasure in simple things

diy oyster shell necklace

May 28, 2021

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.

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!

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!

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

Have some fun with it!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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desert botanical garden

May 21, 2021

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Thanks for stopping by.

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

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!

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!

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.)

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

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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spring walk in the woods

April 30, 2021

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.

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

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.

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

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend, Jackie

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spring walk in essex

April 23, 2021

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 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.

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!

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

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

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.

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

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?

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?

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

Thank you for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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head in the clouds

April 9, 2021

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!

Cloud wallpaper found on Spoonflower.

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.

I started thinking maybe I should paint some clouds!

More recently I saw this Anthro piece

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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!

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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topiary painted easter eggs

March 19, 2021

Yes, I was struggling for an Easter egg theme this year. They usually come so easily for me. But that wasn’t the case this year, until… I was up all night recently, working on a research project, and it just came to me! Probably because I have been thinking so much lately about how I will continue enhancing my ‘virgin’ garden this spring.