pleasure in simple things

a trip to marvin gardens

March 15, 2013

Today’s Friday field trip is to Marvin Gardens in Wilton, Connecticut.

If you are a decorator or designer in Fairfield County, you probably already know about this gem of a place. It houses an amazing array of all things decorative. Inspiration lurks in every nook and cranny; indoors and out.

As it turned out, I probably didn’t time my visit the best for photo taking purposes, since the shop was in the middle of a move – moving the entire inventory to a new space a few hundred feet down the road. The nice part about the timing of my visit was that a huge moving sale was in progress (through April 1^st) and some items were reduced as much as 50%. Very bad temptation…especially at this time of year when so many items were just crying out to be put in the garden or used as a container to plant something in!

Today I will share a few of the items that inspired me…I will need to make another visit when the move is complete so I can share some photos of the new space.

Wonderful items, don’t you think?

Truly a treasure hunt!

A great place to find a unique piece for home or garden.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to Marvin Gardens in Wilton, Connecticut.

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

(P.S. It’s a yellow property…weren’t you remembering Marvin Gardens from Monopoly?…it’s yellow, right next to the “go to jail” square).

I am sharing at the Vintage-Love Party at Blue Egg Brown Nest.

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st. patrick’s day tea

March 12, 2013

I saw some adorable little shamrock teacups and saucers in The Christmas Tree Shop (a bargain store here in New England) about a month ago and and all I could think of was planting shamrocks in the cup! And, I had the perfect Irish friend to give it to. So, I purchased one and waited for some shamrocks to be available for sale…which they always are as St. Patrick’s Day comes close.

I was so excited when I saw a shamrock plant in one of the bargain stores…yes!

I simply planted the shamrocks into the teacup…my one shamrock plant was big enough to use for two cups…I used the sweet little shamrock teacup and…

A photo of shamrocks planted in a sweet little teacup for St. Patrick’s Day.

planted some in one of my Jadite cups to add a little St. Patrick’s Day spirit to my own home :)

Get yourself some shamrocks and plant them in a container that makes you smile! I can’t send you a shamrock-filled teacup, so, as a gift to you, here is a St. Patrick’s Day blessing you can pin or send to a friend :) Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Have a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day week!

Thanks so much for visiting, Jackie

P.S. Please ‘like’ my facebook page by clicking here or the facebook icon at the top of the page so I can share more ideas/inspiration during the week that don’t fit in my posts :)

I am sharing at Coastal Charm, Timewashed, Shabby Creek Cottage, Crafts a la Mode, Crationary, The Shabby Nest, Little Red House, and Craftberry Bush.

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a day at the philadelphia flower show

March 8, 2013

For Friday field trip this week, I am sharing some of my day in Philadelphia last Saturday…so; technically…I guess it is a Saturday field trip!

My weekend was planned around the fact that the largest and oldest flower show in the world was taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The theme for the 2013 show was “Brilliant!” and was a homage to all things British.

I had never been to a flower show – never mind the largest – so I was excited!

Since I was visiting my daughter for the weekend, I decided to plan my flower show visit during the time she was working at the hospital.

I got an early start and headed over to the Free Library for a couple hours before the flower show started at 11:00. I was very lucky that the programming for “One Book, One Philadelphia” happened to coincide with my visit. The selection for the year is The Buddha in the Attic. I really enjoyed the book so it was easy to spend time at the library checking out the exhibits related to this year’s selection.

A photo of the Free Library in Philadelphia.

As 11:00 approached, I reluctantly left the library (I didn’t have enough time to see the rare book collection) and headed over to the Convention Center. Wow! What a crowd had formed waiting for the 11:00 start. While I waited, I was intrigued by this sculpture in the lobby:

Cool, right?

When I got into the flower show, I checked the schedule and decided to attend some presentations in the seminar rooms before making my way into the main show area. Living outside New York City and having attended various shows at the Javits, I was pretty right on with what I expected to find inside the show as far as crowd, etc. ($4.50 for an iced tea!) But, I had no experience on attending garden shows and I was a little taken aback by the darkened room and theatrical lighting. I thought to myself I think I made a mistake with this. But, I soon found out there was ‘something for everyone’ as I made my way around the show area. Although the theatrical type displays did not appeal to me, I found some areas that were more in tune with the natural elements I admire.

My favorite part of the show was probably the Gardener’s Studio. This was a presentation area and every hour, on the hour, I rushed back; anxious to see the next presentation.

Jonathan Wright from Chanticleer – a public garden outside Philadelphia – demonstrates how to create indoor arrangements by using branches from the winter garden.

It was impossible to get photos of the flower exhibits because of the sheer mass of people and because of the crazy lighting. I did take a few photos, but not of the typical things everyone else seemed to take. If you want to learn more about the show, you can check the Philadelphia Flower Show website or see some of the many photos on line. Better still, plan a visit next year because you really have to be there in person to truly appreciate it…besides, everyone should attend the Philadelphia Flower Show at least once in their lifetime!

A photo of some curious egg-shaped sculptures at the Philadelphia Flower Show – one from hoses and one from tires.

In addition to all the flower displays, the retail area was really fun. Some of the retailers rivaled the flower displays in their creativity and beauty. I fell in love with Chive, a Canadian company that sells a wide array of vessels for flowers. They carry some really unique pieces…all beautiful. Here is an example of one:

One of the many unique flower vessels available from the Canadian company, Chive.

Aren’t these flatware holders adorable? Cutlery Couture offered a wide selection:

One of the many styles of cutlery holders offered at the Cutlery Couture booth at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Some really unique jewelry pieces were available at Elements:

A selection of the offerings of Elements at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

I had to stop and admire the fresh flowers from The Hawaii Tropical Flower Council. They were even hand crafting orchid leis to order! Beautiful!

This wonderful item is the work of artist Michelle Masters – a creator of topiary art and fine art originals:

A sample of the topiary art by Michelle Masters at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

If I hadn’t had a ticket for the afternoon tea, I may still be wondering around the marketplace area! The tea was a lovely way to meet some new people and admire the fresh roses that were everywhere.

After the tea, it was time to meet my daughter so I said ‘cheerio’ to the Philadelphia Flower Show, but not before making a vow to return next year. Wait! We had one last stop before we left Center City for the day. We can never be in Center City and not visit the West Elm Philly store!

NOW we can say good-bye to Center City for the day…a day well spent :) Especially the part I got to spend with my daughter :)

Thanks so much for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie

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favorite ways to decorate easter eggs

March 5, 2013

Decorating Easter eggs has always been a passion for me. I have never stopped enjoying decorating eggs. When I was small everyone in my family had their own favorite way to decorate the eggs…my mom had a steady hand and could do a great job creating stripes with the dye…those with less patience just threw the egg in the dye and left it while moving on to another activity.

Me, I always liked to try something different. And, over the years I have discovered that there are an infinite number of ways to decorate eggs. I usually plan one whole day before Easter to work on Ukranian egg dyeing and another to replicate the natural egg dyes my grandmother created (I will post these next week) from fruits and vegetables…that is in addition to a general egg dyeing session.

Today, I would like to share some of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs that I have used over the years. I hope they will create some inspiration for you as you create your own. Here are seven of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs:

Numbers or letters are always a motif I like on any home product so, of course, I also like to use them on eggs. These numbers were simply written on using a marker. Pick your favorite style of number and draw it right onto the egg.

Letters can be written on in the same way….or, you can use some self-adhering rhinestones from a craft store to add some bling.

I love to create eggs that look like eggs in nature and I have tried many different techniques. For example, splattering paint onto the egg with a toothbrush is great for creating speckled eggs. For a simple technique that creates a great result, simply apply gel stain to the surface of the egg by using an old rag. For these eggs, the color I used was called mahogany.

Okay, technically this is not an egg ‘decoration’, but more like an egg ‘creation’, but I had to include it as one of my favorites. This is a very easy technique and I love the way these eggs coordinate with my coastal style. Use whatever twine, ribbon, etc. you may like and apply it to a small balloon after coating the twine with ModPodge. Yes, it is messy, but very easy. Once the twine is wrapped around the balloon in a desired pattern and has dried, pop and remove the balloon, and you have a beautiful twine egg!

Using chalkboard paint is a favorite of mine because it makes a great Easter placecard. The chalkboard paint is applied directly to the egg. These days, chalkboard paint can be purchased or made in a variety of colors, so you don’t have to limit your choice to black. Here I wanted a black and white egg, but you are only limited by your imagination. You can dye the egg first if you prefer or want to dye the egg to match the color of your decor.

Seldom is anything decorated done in my house without some type of coastal influence. Here, I have dyed a batch of eggs and then used small rubber stamps to add some of my favorite coastal words…sand, sea, surf, sun. Inspirational words work really well also. Of course, names of guests or family members is another option.

Here are some more coastal inspired eggs. In this case, I used stickers to mask off a white area. I created the shape I wanted by cutting it out from Contact paper and stuck it onto the egg where I wanted the pattern to remain white. Then the egg was dyed. After it dried, I used a very thin permanent marker to outline the shape and add a few details.

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of my favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs. Use these easy techniques as inspiration to create some of your own decorated Easter eggs. Please pin your favorite! If you want to keep the eggs indefinitely, be sure to remove the contents of the egg before dyeing.

Thanks for sharing. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Sharing this post at Coastal Charm, Craftionary, Timewashed, The Shabby Nest , A Pinch of Joy, 6 Days of Spring at French Country Cottage, The Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush, and At The Picket Fence.

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monthly book giveaway for march

March 2, 2013

hoda kotb

Congratulations to Mona from Connecticut for being the winner of February’s giveaway! I used random.org to pick a winner from the author of every comment that was made to pleasure in simple things during the month of February. Mona will receive a signed copy of Ayad Akhtar’s debut novel American Dervish. It is a wonderful read and I know you will enjoy it!

For the March giveaway, I will be sending a lucky winner a signed copy of Hoda Kotb’s New York Times bestselling novel Hoda: How I survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. New York Times bestselling author Adriana Triginai had this to say about Hoda’s book: “Hoda Kotb is a wonderful storyteller. Hilarious, honest, and inspiring, you will marvel as she describes her family’s roots in Egypt and their American sojourn, which leads her to the career of her dreams. This book is a manual for overcoming obstacles and living life with passion and purpose. I loved it. Hoda is the working girl’s Cleopatra. She rules!”

Like many women that work outside of the home, I have never seen the the “Today” show hosted by Kathie Lee and Hoda. The only thing I actually know about the show is the controversy over the hosts drinking wine during the show. And, I do know Hoda is a cancer survivor. I also know that she started out as a newscaster.

When I saw that the Wilton, Connecticut library was hosting Hoda, I decided to check it out and learn a little more about this newscaster turned controversial talk show host.

It ended up being a very enjoyable evening…Hoda was everything you would imagine a talk show host to be…very enthusiastic and engaging. In a light-hearted way, she told a detailed account of the almost thirty rejections she received before she landed her first job as a newscaster…saying, “it only takes one.” Even when she brought up the fact that she survived both cancer and divorce in the same year; her positive attitude was infectious.

I know you will enjoy this charming memoir by Hoda Kotb in this month’s giveaway. Good luck!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend, Jackie

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easter nostalgia

March 1, 2013

Can you believe Easter is in March and it is already March? This week, Friday field trip is a little trip back in memory to Easter’s past. I will also be sharing some Easter basket ‘goody’ ideas for Easter bunnies ;)

Easter was so fun when the children were young… leaving the carrot with the front teeth marks on the kitchen table so the kids could find it in awe; sure that the Easter bunny had visited and quickly thinking about the treats in store as they scrambled to rifle through their baskets!

My kids are college students now and Easter is celebrated a little differently. It still retains its awe, but in a much different way. It is the one holiday in our family where everyone is together, so it makes for a very special day.

In the morning, my kids still discover filled Easter baskets on Easter morning. They are the Easter baskets I made for them…yes, wove them….when they were babies. My daughter had a thing for yellow when she was small so hers was accented in yellow and filled with yellow ‘grass’. For my son, I made an apple basket and dyed it blue.

The basket contents these days are little different than when they were small, but I think the baskets are just as well received. Not as much candy in recent years, although their favorite candies are still included. My son loves Lindt truffles (red) and my daughter loves pear jelly beans. Jelly Belly brand jelly beans have always been a tradition in the Easter baskets. Each basket receives an assortment box, but my daughter always gets an additional extra bag filled exclusively with the pear flavored variety…that Easter bunny is just so darn thoughtful!

In recent years, egg hunts in the living room are replaced with a GPS egg hunt throughout the town and beyond with teams of twenty-somethings scrambling to locate the hidden eggs and be the first back to grandma’s house.

My young niece and nephews still search the yard for filled plastic eggs that my sister has strategically placed around my mother’s yard. When that is completed and trading of the contents ensues, everyone makes a guess as to how many jelly beans are in the huge glass jar my mom has filled and whose contents were accurately counted the day before. The person with the closest guess wins the entire jar (…and, may or may not share with the group lol). We always think my sister, the math teacher, is sure to win; but that is never the case.

An “oldie but goodie.” I started making these as a Kindergarten room mother…cellophane is shaped into a cone and is filled with anything orange…candy, goldfish, etc…fun!

My favorite part of Easter? Taking the annual ‘goofy cousins’ photo at some point during the day. And, I still love coloring eggs with my daughter which we schedule best we can sometime before Easter. What makes your Easter special?

Do you have trouble thinking of items to include in your child’s Easter baskets as they become college age? Necessities are always appreciated…you can’t miss with socks and underwear! Commercial washers and dryers are brutal on these items! Here is a list of possible goodies to choose from in a variety of price ranges. Remember to consider the recipient’s special interest or college major to make the items more personal. Have fun with it! Send me an email if you need some suggestions.

Easter Basket Gift Ideas

I found these for my nursing student’s Easter basket :)

Candy – favorites or novelty
Band-Aids
Alix & Ani bracelet
James Patrick Keil bracelet
Vitamins, aspirins, etc.
Any toiletry item
Toothbrush economy pack
Lottery tickets
ITunes certificate
Train/bus ticket to come home for a family function
Laundry card, token, or coins
Dunkin Donut or Starbucks certificates
Printer cartridge
Drug store, gas station or Amazon certificate
Chegg money for renting textbooks
Paper cups/plates/utensils
A gift certificate to something local to their school
Key covers – they have fun ones in Home Depot
Cell phone covers – can be personalized/decorated
Family photo – a recent one or one from childhood
Concert or sporting event tickets local to their school
Easter motif socks or boxers
I found these hair brushes in a pattern my daughter is sure to love!
Laundry bag or laundry bag for delicates
Hair elastics
Nail polish pen
Emery boards in funky pattern
Flash drives (these come in silly patterns – surfboards, Legos, sushi, etc.)

I hope you enjoyed today’s Easter nostalgia and some tips for Easter basket gifts. I hope my Easter nostalgia caused you to reminisce about some special moments of your own Easter’s past.

Stop back tomorrow when I will announce February’s book giveaway winner and the giveaway selection for March.

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you so much for visiting, Jackie

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sweet & handpainted for baby

February 26, 2013

Today I am making a baby gift for a friend and thought I would share the DIY instructions so you can create one for your favorite little one. I love to paint baby clothes with original designs…this particular one is not difficult to create and can be accomplished quite easily no matter what your skill level. This particular design creates a garment that is also very appropriate as an Easter gift. I am breaking it down into simple steps that can be fit into your day between other activities.

Start out by purchasing your desired baby garment in an appropriate size for your recipient. If the gift is for a baby that has not yet arrived, I recommend not getting the 0-3 month size. Newborns vary in size and you don’t want to risk it being too small. Always better to go bigger rather than smaller! I prefer 100% cotton items for babies and I check the label to be sure I am purchasing an all-cotton item. Wash and dry the garment to be sure any shrinking is done before you paint your design. Paint also adheres better to a washed garment.

While your garment is in the dryer, you can make your stencil and assemble your materials. For the first part of the project, you will need the paint color you decide to use for the lollipop…pick a pastel pink, blue, or yellow. I mixed my color, but you can purchase or use craft paint in the exact color you desire. You will also need a stencil brush and a stencil. No need for a fancy stencil. I used a piece of cardstock…you can use a piece of a gift box, cereal box, or any miscellaneous cardboard that is ready for the recycling bin. After you locate a piece, simply cut out a 2 1/2” circle.

Insert a piece of cardboard between the front and back of the garment to protect the back side of the garment in case the paint bleeds through.

Hold the stencil firmly in place and paint the color you have chosen using an up and down motion with the stencil brush…using an up and down motion will prevent paint from seeping under the edges of the stencil.

Let the paint dry thoroughly.

Iron the painted area, keeping the cardboard inserted and putting a clean rag over the design first to protect your iron. This step will set the paint.

Now you will need a cotton swab, clear glitter paint, dimensional paint in a color close to the one you used for your circle, a dimensional paint in an off-white or beige for the stick of the lollipop, and a scrap of 3/8” ribbon – I like a polka dot ribbon, but any ribbon in a coordinating color will do (just make sure it is colorfast).

Next, use a cotton swab (one of my favorite ‘go-to’ utensils) to put glitter onto your painted circle.

Then, use a dimensional paint to add a spiral to your painted circle, starting from the middle of the spiral and painting free hand to the outside of the circle. Then, paint the stick of the lollipop. You may also decide to personalize the gift with the baby’s name. If you decide to do this, wait until all the other paint is dry to reduce the risk of smudging it.

Let this dry overnight before sewing on a ribbon embellishment. Be aware that small items can be potential choking items for small children. I brush a little clear nail polish on the edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying.

I have used this same design idea to embellish a canvas tote bag, using three lollipops (pink, blue, and yellow) side by side and personalizing with the baby’s name.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on creating an adorable painted garment for your next baby gift. Have fun with it!

I will be sharing this week at Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Nest, Craftionary, A Pinch of Joy, and Crafts a la Mode.

Thanks so much for visiting! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a vintage egg cup collection

February 22, 2013

For Friday field trip this week, I am taking you with me for a cup of tea to the home of a friend. She collects vintage egg cups and I thought with the Easter holiday approaching, it would be a fun thing to share with you. The vintage egg cups are scattered throughout my friend’s beautiful old home located in a historic district. I have always been fascinated with her collection and had fun examining it once again while we chatted over tea.

My favorite piece is definitely the sweet little chick egg cup in the opening photo. The egg cup below holds some incense, but most of the egg cups throughout the house are empty. How fun would it be to fill them with colored Easter eggs?

This piece was really unique to the collection because it was the only one of clear glass…

Some of the pieces looked extremely old, like the striped one in the photo below…

This piece proudly displays the owner’s heritage…

The collection displayed on the stove held wishbones from Thanksgivings gone by…

Roosters seem to be a popular egg cup motif…I love these with the pink interiors…

I hope you enjoyed sharing this vintage egg cup collection with me. I don’t have photos of every egg cup I saw, but I do have additional photos I will post to my facebook in case you are interested in seeing more from the collection. I am also sharing at the Inspiration Gallery, Crafts a la Mode, Common Ground, The Charm of Home, and Craftionary.

Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a gift of saffron

February 19, 2013

I enjoy some Middle Eastern foods, but as far as preparing authentic dishes myself, I can’t say I have a big Middle Eastern selection in my personal repertoire. Like many people I know, I have made hummus and I have toasted pita bread to make my own chips…not much else.

Many years ago, when I landed my first ‘real’ job I made a good friend that was of Middle Eastern heritage…not yet a U.S. citizen when we first met. He taught me how to make baklava…if you can perfect only one Middle Eastern recipe, believe me, this is the one to perfect!

I was thrilled to learn how to make an authentic baklava and for many years this became my ‘go to’ dessert to make and bring to parties and holiday gatherings.

Like the cool discovery of baklava with my friend long ago, a recent discovery with a new friend has gotten me excited once again about Middle Eastern flavors. This time, the motivation was a gift of a Middle Eastern spice called saffron from this friend’s native country…the largest producer of the spice. Most people have heard of saffron, but I don’t think many know exactly what it is. Saffron is the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus. And because these stigmas need to be collected by hand, and only a few are contained in each individual flower, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world!

I discovered rosewater as an ingredient for the first time when I learned to make baklava. Now in much the same way, I am exploring saffron and cardamom ….and using these flavors in combinations with additional Middle Eastern flavors of the rosewater and pistachios. Using these flavors in various combinations and recipes really illustrates to me that there is so much more to Middle Eastern cuisine than just hummus and baklava.

One of my favorite recipes is the one I found for Persian Love Cake from a 2005 issue of Bon Appetit (aah, the beauty of the internet!). This cake really embraces a subtle saffron flavor as well as cardamom, rosewater, and pistachio. It is so wonderfully delicious, it was gone – devoured by my family – before I could even finish making the candied rose petal garnish!

If you are a frequent visitor to my blog, you know how I get on my ‘secret ingredient’ kicks… In true Iron Chef style, in my house we have been experimenting with our gift of saffron as our secret ingredient…recipes for appetizers, main dishes, and desserts are being explored…the Persian Love Cake is a wonderful example.

Photo of Persian Love Cake…a recipe that embraces the Middle Eastern flavors of saffron, rosewater, pistachio, and cardamom.

Thanks for sharing my gift of saffron. I would love to hear about your favorite Middle Eastern recipes. My next project will be using the wonderful golden-yellow hue of saffron as an Easter egg dye…

I am also sharing at A Pinch of Joy.

Thanks for visiting, Jackie

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winter whiteness

February 15, 2013

friday field trip…a walk through a white weekend

“You wake up on a winter morning and pull up the shade, and what lay there the evening before is no longer there–the sodden gray yard, the dog droppings, the tire tracks in the frozen mud, the broken lawn chair you forgot to take in last fall. All this has disappeared overnight, and what you look out on is not the snow of Narnia but the snow of home, which is no less shimmering and white as it falls. The earth is covered with it, and it is falling still in silence so deep that you can hear its silence. It is snow to be shoveled, to make driving even worse than usual, snow to be joked about and cursed at, but unless the child in you is entirely dead, it is snow, too, that can make the heart beat faster when it catches you by surprise that way, before your defenses are up. It is snow that can awaken memories of things more wonderful than anything you ever knew or dreamed.”

~ Frederick Buechner, “Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale”

“Whenever she turned her steep focus to me, I felt the warmth that flowers must feel when they bloom through the snow, under the first concentrated rays of the sun.”

~ Janet Fitch, “White Oleander”

“I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: It brings people together while time stands still. Cozy couples lazily meandered the streets and children trudged sleds and chased snowballs. No one seemed to be in a rush to experience anything other than the glory of the day, with each other, whenever and however it happened”

~ Rachel Cohn, “Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares”