pleasure in simple things

mini white pumpkins 3 ways

September 24, 2013

I am not a big Halloween person. Granted, I do like planting in pumpkins, making pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and eating pumpkins. And… I certainly like candy! But I’m really not into the whole black and orange decorating thing and I don’t find being scared out of my wits an enjoyable past time.

It was not until the white pumpkin hit the scene that I took a dedicated interest in Halloween decorating.

I thought today I would show you some ways to use mini white pumpkins this season and maybe you too would get hooked on using them in your Autumn decor!

Here are three easy ways to change up white pumpkins for autumn decorating.

A really easy way to dress up a white pumpkin is with some metallic paint. Just a little acrylic paint sponged onto a white pumpkin dresses it up for the fanciest of occasions.

Plasti Dip is another great material to use on white pumpkins. It easily and instantly adheres to the pumpkin and can be tinted in any color. I used some pink I had tinted from a previous project for these pumpkins. Even the stems are fair game! Love it!

For a Halloween party, black Plasti Dip dripped down a white pumpkin would look nice and creepy!

A really great thing about white pumpkins is that it is so easy to coordinate them with any color. When I wanted some gray toned pumpkins to use with zinc items, I just tinted some white pumpkins gray! I rubbed the surface with a little black paste food coloring to get the perfect color to use with my table setting! I sprayed the finished project with a matte finish clear coat.

What can you do with some mini pumpkins for your next get together? Have fun with it! Use hash tag #pleasuregram to share your mini white pumpkin creation on Instagram.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Remember to find pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall at terrain

September 20, 2013

If you read this blog, you know how much I love Terrain. I also enjoy taking you on a visit to this beautiful garden store from time to time since there are only two stores (CT and PA) and not everyone is as lucky as I am…I frequent them both!

Today, for Friday field trip, we are visiting the Westport, Connecticut store to see how they are preparing for fall…

I hope you will enjoy sharing a few photos…

I am sure we will make another trip sometime soon ;)

Especially since I decided on a woodland theme for my holiday decor this year…I will need some supplies. :)

This particular trip was special for me since I had a chance to talk to Joe…he is one of the creative visual team at the store – busy at work when I stopped by.

Every trip to the store is an adventure…I can’t wait to see what Joe is creating! Maybe I will stop by over the weekend to enjoy some s’mores by their fire and check out the latest inspiration!

Terrain also happens to be the store that helps satisfy my white pumpkin obsession…

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at The Tablescaper.

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appetizer for a television obsession

September 17, 2013

If watching television is going to be a special occasion, preparing a special snack to accompany it is in order – so while football fans are enjoying beer and barbeque, my idea of the perfect television fare is a little different…

For quite some time my favorite show has probably been Top Chef. I love shows on Food Network and HGTV. I won’t watch scary movies or graphic violence…I still have nightmares from the shower scene in the movie Scarface. So how did I come to love a show that involves so much graphic, drug related violence? It happened during the snowstorm last winter when the record breaking snow made it impossible to drive anywhere for four days and I started watching some on demand television shows.

And, in spite of the violence, I got hooked on Breaking Bad…the brilliant writing and the phenomenal acting had me enthralled…yes, I do sometimes close my eyes for some of the more graphic moments (like the twins!)…but, I have now watched every episode… and as the final 3 episodes air, I prepare for each one ceremoniously.

My appetizer recipe…I garnished mine with walnuts. You can change up the pears with apples, caramelized onions, etc.

This was my special snack for last Sunday’s episode It is easy to prepare and really tasty. If you keep a loaf of bread in the freezer, a quick and delicious appetizer is always at the ready…for unexpected company or, in my case, a snack for a television obsession.

Hope your week is starting off great! Thank you for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at The Shabby Nest.

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isn’t gardening a spring sport?

September 13, 2013

I think of gardening as a spring sport since I spend the most time on my gardens during the spring.

This certainly isn’t the case for my friend Wendy. And, it was strongly apparent when I stopped over to visit her on a recent evening. .. Her yard looked so beautiful that I have to share it with you for this week’s Friday field trip!

It is not that her yard doesn’t always look beautiful…believe me, it does! But, I was amazed at all the seasonal touches she had already added to her gardens for the fall.

She has one of those yards that is like a park…so many different areas to admire. I couldn’t possibly show you everything in one post, but I will share some of my favorite spots that may just inspire you to put out some seasonal touches in your own garden. (Check my facebook page this weekend for some additional photos of this wonderful space.)

I hope you enjoyed our garden visit for Friday field trip…thanks Wendy! We will have to make another trip in the spring…there is so much to see!

Thank you for stopping by.

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

Sharing with Craftberry Bush.

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better in threes

September 10, 2013

Doesn’t putting any photo into a frame make it look better? In the same way, I think putting a painting on canvas immediately ‘legitimizes’ it. For this reason, I decided to create a quick ‘work of art’ on canvas for my daughter’s new apartment.

While helping her move in, I noticed that there was an empty spot on the bathroom wall – a long, tall shape. The bathroom was done in white and beige and had a hint of blue, so I thought a painting using beige and blue could tie everything together nicely.

What would fit the unusual space? A triptych! This is a painting divided into three sections. I would choose three canvases that would fill the space appropriately…I decided an anchor would be my subject matter since the painting was going in a bathroom space and my daughter has a love for anchors.

I put three canvases together and drew a very rough sketch of an anchor with pencil. I didn’t want to get too serious with it…just a very quick painting using the basic shapes and whatever acrylic craft paint I had left from previous projects…mixing beiges and blues.

Any basic pattern will work. Just be sure the picture hits all three canvases. If you don’t feel comfortable working with a pencil sketch, you can easily find something online to copy and trace. You can even use your computer or a copier to adjust the size of the picture. If that still seems intimidating to you, you can decoupage a picture onto the canvases – requiring no drawing or painting at all!

The painting took about 10 minutes since I just did a ‘messy’ impressionistic view of an anchor and added very little detail.

I was able to create a painting that used the appropriate color scheme and a favorite motif to add to my daughter’s newly decorated bathroom…fun! I’m hoping my daughter will send me a photo of this new creation when she hangs it on the wall. If so, I will share it with you on my Facebook page.

I hope this has inspired you to create your own triptych! Send me an email if you need some help or ideas.

Thanks so much for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing on Shabby Nest.

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visiting brimfield

September 6, 2013

What’s better than socializing with friends? Socializing with friends while shopping! In this case, at the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Shows in Brimfield, Massachusetts…this week’s Friday field trip.

My day with friends was really more about talking and sharing, but there was plenty of inspiration thrown in! And, with over 75 acres to persue, we also got in some serious exercise.

Brimfield is the largest outdoor antique show in New England with over 5,000 dealers and runs three times a year (May, July and September) for a six day period. Especially for those that may not live in New England, I thought you might enjoy joining me by sharing some of my favorites this year at Brimfield. The beauty of Brimfield is that everyone has their own favorite items…here are some of mine…

I really loved this large, distressed white frame…I had so many imagined uses for it!

My grandmother had one of these telephone benches, but it sure didn’t look like this!

In LOVE with these pendants created from old ledger pages…

I always thought I would like to create a sea glass fireplace surround…this one is so beautiful and inspires me to think about other possibilities…

One of the vendors thought this was a cute arrangement of the letters offered for sale…how about this for a Wednesday in the office?

I hope you enjoyed today’s peek at Brimfield for this week’s Friday field trip. I will post some additional photos on my facebook page over the weekend.

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

Sharing with The Tablescaper.

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the pace of nature

September 3, 2013

Although the sun did not make much of an appearance this Labor Day Weekend, it was a bright one…I spent time with some special friends in a secluded retreat amid the trees in upstate New York and, for a short patch of time, adopted the pace of nature.

We had no schedules to follow or any particular plans – the beauty of our friendship is that we didn’t need to.

Appreciating our surroundings and embracing our friendship…

as well as enjoying some new friends…made for a memorable time together.

Being in the woods makes an appreciation of nature hard to ignore.

I collected some forest treasures this weekend and look forward to using the woodland/forest inspiration as the basis for my holiday preparations this year. And, in the spirit of this weekend, I will embrace the feelings of friendship and of adopting the pace of nature in all my holiday planning…

I am excited about starting some of the projects I have imagined!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my weekend inspiration…Did you find anything to spark your inspiration this Labor Day weekend?

Remember to take

pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Craftberry Bush.

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monthly book giveaway for september!

September 1, 2013

chef anne burrell

Congratulations to Gayle M. for winning the August book giveaway – a signed copy of Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. I know you will enjoy this New York Times bestseller! Enjoy! Taking a quick time out of the holiday weekend to announce the September giveaway…

Our September selection is a little different this month. It is a cookbook! It happens to be a wonderful cookbook written by celebrity chef Anne Burrell.

I love this cookbook, and when I got the chance to meet Anne Burrell a few months ago, I knew I wanted to get a signed copy of Cook Like A Rock Star for one of my monthly giveaways on pleasure in simple things. So, rather than the usual fiction novel, this cookbook will be the giveaway selection for September!

I enjoy watching Anne cook on television and found out she is a real sweetheart in person! And, believe me, Cook Like A Rock Star is a great addition to any cookbook collection…great recipes and wonderful photographs!

Be sure to leave some comments on the blog, facebook, twitter, or instagram to increase your chances to win! Good luck!

I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Instagram users – please read on for the September Instagram Challenge…this month a color inspiration is provided each week – use the color of the week to inspire your instagram photos!

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signature creation

August 30, 2013

I attended a very special wedding this summer when my nephew married a wonderful girl from New Jersey. At the wedding, I drank more than my fair share of the couple’s signature cocktail…D & P Pimm’s Cup.

For today’s Friday field trip, we are taking a trip to Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, New Jersey (the magnificent wedding venue) where the bartender graciously shared the recipe for this addicting concoction! (All except the recipe for the club’s house made lemonade…I improvised my own on this!)

Pimm’s Cup is a gin based British liqueur, and with its subtle spice and citrus flavor, it is a perfect summer (or, anytime) drink component.

It was the first time I had tasted Pimm’s Cup, but based on the D & P Pimm’s Cup sightings in the wedding photos, I made up for it at the event! Well, I had to properly honor the couple, didn’t I ? ;)

Before I put the drink together for myself at home, I made up my own batch of strawberry basil lemonade.

To make my own, I started by making a simple syrup. I used 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar combined in a saucepan and heated, while stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolved. I put this aside to cool.

I then pureed a cup of strawberries and 2 oz. of fresh lemon juice in a blender on high until smooth, straining it into a pitcher.

To the pitcher, I added 6 oz. of fresh lemon juice, simple syrup to taste (about 1/2 cup), 3 cups cold water, and a cup of fresh basil leaves. I also added a lemon I had leftover – washed it and sliced it up. I stirred this together and refrigerated before using.

This gave me plenty of lemonade to use for making my D & P’s!

For a quicker version, you can always add some strawberry puree and basil leaves to purchased lemonade.

Make up a batch of D & P’s for your end of the summer bash! The recipe is easily adjusted for those under 21 (by eliminating the Pimm’s), so it is a wonderfully refreshing addition to any gathering!

Since I am still soooo excited about the wedding and all my new family, I am sending out official D & P Pimm’s Cup recipe cards to anyone that requests one – simply email or inbox me your address! Enjoy!

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

Sharing at The Tablescaper, Craftberry Bush, and The Shabby Nest.

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embracing the season

August 27, 2013

The best flowers for decorating are the ones that embrace the season. Here in New England, hydrangeas are a favorite. While putting together some arrangements for a wedding rehearsal dinner, I knew this seasonal flower was the best choice. Wanting to personalize the arrangement in some way, I decided to add the future bride and groom’s initials by creating monogrammed tie-ons crafted from natural elements.

I used some cocoa colored stamp pad ink and stamps to stamp on pieces of wood. If you aren’t into cutting and sanding wood, you can easily find something similar at a craft store or on Etsy.

An easy and wonderful way to help the spacing stay consistent when stamping is to simply use an elastic to hold the two letters and ampersand stamps together while applying the monogram.

Once your tie-ons are completed, you can save them to add to your completed centerpieces. Harvest (or purchase) the seasonal favorites you plan on using. If you are truly embracing the season, it is best to use something that is presently in bloom…such a great way to evoke feelings of gardens and the season. :)

Hydrangeas are really great all on their own. These were being placed on a chocolate colored table cloth so I just added a couple curly sticks as accents and tied twine around clear vases. Perfect!

In appreciating every last bit of summer, try to find some of your own ways to embrace the season…bringing some of your garden (or a friend’s garden…thanks Phyllis!) indoors is certainly one great way!

Enjoy your week. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Mona’s Picturesque and Craftberry Bush.

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mini white pumpkins 3 ways

fall at terrain

appetizer for a television obsession

isn’t gardening a spring sport?

better in threes

visiting brimfield

the pace of nature

monthly book giveaway for september!

signature creation

embracing the season