friday field trip — pleasure in simple things

Tag: friday field trip

in the fabric mood

September

It is very hard for me to admit that summer is coming to an end. It is my favorite season, by far!

We all have our end of season traditions and I’m no exception. One of mine is to start looking for some fabric to make velvet pumpkins. Last year I also started making velvet acorns to go with my woodland themed holiday décor for 2013.

So, for today’s Friday field trip, I am taking you to my favorite fabric store – Mood in New York City. If you watch Project Runway on television you may recognize the name as the store used by the show’s fashion designer contestants. Located in the fashion district of Manhattan, it is a popular place for students of fashion design to shop for supplies.

Although I do often shop for fabric at the local craft store, it does not compare to the selection available at Mood. And, fabric is one of those things I prefer not to purchase online… I need to see and feel the fabrics I am selecting for my projects.

At Mood, I can be sure to find a huge selection of fabric to admire! Starting downstairs, in the home décor section, I start by looking at upholstery fabric. I have a couple chairs to upholster and I want to find just the right fabric. I have brought my handy paint color swatches – they make it so much easier to compare paint colors to the colors of various fabrics.

So many great choices…it is hard to choose! Can you guess what I decided to purchase? You may recognize some of these fabrics in upcoming projects!

pleasure in simple things visits Mood fabric in NYC

I am always a sucker for a great awning stripe! There are plenty to choose from at Mood in New York City.

My next stop is upstairs to the apparel fabric section. Here I will look for velvets that I use to make velvet pumpkins and velvet acorns. It is so inspiring to find so many different choices and my creative juices are in overdrive! My budget limits me to only a couple choices, but it is so fun to pick up some new fabrics and to imagine the pieces I will create!

Upholstery fabric…check! Velvets…check! Mission accomplished! That’s it for today’s trip! I had fun discussing my projects with the Mood staff and talking about some of the new fabric trends. Mood is always an awesome and inspiring place to visit!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

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

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seaside summer lunch

August

In an attempt to squeeze every last sun-filled second out of summer, today I am taking some time to have lunch with a friend at the beach and you can join me for today’s Friday field trip.

This is the time of year when I panic to think I haven’t truly appreciated my favorite season! Couldn’t I have done more summer ‘stuff?’ The season change already threatens with some cooler nights…one night has already been flannel worthy! Shouldn’t I have taken more time to make s’mores, attend an outdoor concert, or float in a tube on Long Island Sound? So, today I am fitting in some summer ‘stuff’ by having a lunch that truly celebrates summer in all its glory…

What do you think I am having for lunch? Lobster roll?…Hamburger? Nope!… Pizza! Pizza may not sound much like typical summer food, but with fresh, seasonal, limited- time garden tomatoes, how can you beat this plum pie with pesto? So seasonal and so good!

And, for dessert…doesn’t this scream summer?

Hope you enjoyed our quick summer lunch. Have a wonderful weekend! I hope you will stop back on Tuesday when I continue to celebrate summer by sharing my top summer obsessions of 2014. :)

Thank you for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on seaside summer lunch | field trips, inspiration, sand & sea

beauty by the sea

July

Come visit an iconic New England seaside resort located on the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island…today on Friday field trip!

If you are a beach lover, Ocean House is the definitive beachside luxury that inspires at every turn…the kind of place dreams of made of…I am excited to share some photos of this ‘must see’ location with you for today’s field trip – especially for my friends that have never been to this area of the country.

It really is impossible to include enough photos to give an accurate sense of the beauty of this destination and the incredible attention to detail displayed throughout the property. (I will post additional photos on my Facebook page to help!).

The resort originally opened in 1868 and was a widely recognized summer destination back in the 1800s. After welcoming guests for more than 136 years (and surviving the Great Hurricane of 1938), Ocean House was rebuilt replicating the original exterior design. Isn’t it amazing?

One of only seventy-six hotels in the world to hold a Forbes Five Star rating, the Ocean House offers 49 spacious guest rooms, 15 extraordinary suites, and 6 gourmet and casual al fresco dining options.

Boasting a 650-foot private white sand beach and world-class amenities, Ocean House is the ultimate New England resort destination.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed visiting this iconic New England spot with me today for Friday field trip. Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Finding Silver Pennies and Coastal Charm.

2 comments » | field trips, sand & sea, travel

april showers bring may flowers

May

Who visits a flower nursery on a cold and rainy day? Apparently, I do!

Although I usually plan my visits for the summertime, I recently decided to make a trip to White Flower Farm on an April day.

I expected a different seasonal view, but certainly did not expect a day that turned out so cold that I dreamed of wearing mittens!

You, my friends, are a wee bit luckier than I; since you can visit White Flower Farm from the comfort of your own home on today’s Friday field trip…no mittens required!

White Flower Farm, both a working nursery and a private residence, is located in Litchfield, Connecticut and is an awesome place! If you are an avid gardener, you may be familiar with the nursery, even if you live outside the area, since they do a huge mail order business. I ordered from them long before I decided to make my first location trip.

The visit turned out to be an inspiring one as I discovered the beauty in the preseason garden. My typical visit is in July when the trees are filled with leaves and all the perennials are in bloom. This quiet, somber day gave a special quietness and sense of promise to the gardens. And, the trees looked so majestic in their bare state!

Unfortunately, I was forced to take ‘rest stops’ in the heated gift shop to thaw out my frigid fingers! Of course I would not have dropped in; if not for the cold hands! ;)

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut for today’s Friday field trip…definitely worth a trip if you are in the area! By the way, White Flower Farm takes its name from their first perennial border, the all-white garden (and my favorite) called the Moon Garden because the white flowers gleam even by moonlight! Have a fantastic weekend!

And, thank you so very much for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, Mona’s Picturesque, Fridays Unfolded, and Crafts a la Mode.

3 comments » | field trips, garden, travel

happy easter!

April

Today is Good Friday and I want to wish all my friends who celebrate, a blessed Easter! I am excited that my family will all be together for the holiday and I hope that you too are surrounded by the ones you love this weekend.

For Friday field trip today, I have assembled some Easter posts in one place in case you need some last minute Easter inspiration…links from past posts…Enjoy!

favorite ways to decorate eggs

a vintage egg cup collection

eggs from natural dyes

a recipe for Easter butter cookies

some Easter nostalgia

Easter basket ideas for the college set

growing eggs in eggshells

diy easy paper egg holders/place cards & (grass heads for the kids!)

dyed eggs for coastal décor

dye for creating eggs in shades of gray

Thank you so much for visiting!

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

Comments Off on happy easter! | field trips, holiday, inspiration

outside the color palette?

April

For Friday field trip today, I am adding the first accessory to my newly ~~decorated~~ painted guest room.

I hadn’t really planned to redo any rooms upstairs. Honest. But, one of the bedrooms desperately needed painting and that (of course) started the whole ball rolling! That, my friends, is not the surprising part since it doesn’t usually take much to get me going in the redecorating direction! The surprising part? My new room color isn’t part of my usual color palette!

The color palette I created for my downstairs rooms from a photo I took of an oyster shell. I color matched my paint colors to the colors I took from the photo.

I agonized over paint swatches for a good month – finally deciding on a color called ‘shortbread’ from the Martha Stewart Living paint line at Home Depot.

As a yellow/gold tone – it was a departure from my usual coastal colors. Once the room was cleaned and painted (even though my free time should really have been devoted to tax preparation!) I decided to use my limited funds on a bed frame and bedding so the room could be utilized as a guest room right away. The rest I can complete a little at a time when the mood (or funds) are right.

I chose a bed frame in a gray/brown (driftwood looking) color from Ikea and proceeded to stalk all the home stores for bedding. I decided on a gray textured spread at Home Goods and picked out some contrasting pillows – limiting myself to just two. I also picked up a sheet set in a color that looked surprisingly similar to the color of the shortbread paint. Basics completed! Ready for guests!

Now, for my first official accessory for the new room, I am planting some pansies in a beautiful gold tone chippy planter that I found at Anthropologie. The pot cost me $8 and I picked up some pansies at Home Depot – my first accessory cost under $15 and I love it!

You know – now that I really look at that room – the shortbread paint could easily be called marsh grass or coastal twilight…don’t you think? ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Little Red House, Craftberry Bush, Coastal Charm, and Mona’s Picturesque.

Comments Off on outside the color palette? | diy, field trips, garden, style

visiting anthro home office

March

I checked one off the list! The ‘places I need to visit in Philly’ list…I visited the Anthropologie Headquarters!

Actually – the Urban Outfitters home office. Urban Outfitters is the parent company for Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN. So, for today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing a few photos of the public areas I visited at the headquarters located at Philadelphia’s Naval Shipyard. The Navy Yard is a collection of historic buildings (and battleships!) on the waterfront and open daily for public visitation. It is easily accessible by shuttle just a few miles from the center of the city. Though it is now closed for any naval activities, the 1,200 acre business campus sits on what was once the country’s very first naval shipyard!

The creative and inspiring atmosphere (with great food) inside the Urban home office makes every visitor wish they were an employee! You can see in this photo, just like in the stores – dogs are welcome! In the Anthro building, I actually saw a dog watching a TV as he sat in his little dog bed next to his owner’s desk! (True story! And, he was watching a show about dogs!)

Some of the historic Navy Yard artifacts are clearly embraced in the decor:

There are two wonderful places to have lunch – both are open to the public.

Yup, it is called The Navy Yard for a reason…I don’t know of any other lunch spots with a battleship view!

One wall makes for an impromptu museum:

Like the stores, unique and inspiring surroundings are everywhere:

If you look closely at this photo, you may spot the employee exercise area on the upper floor.

And here is my prime destination…Building No. 10…

The building containing the Anthropologie headquarters…I won’t show you the inside since it is not open to the public, but I will say that I was NOT disappointed! Oh, and here is an example of one of the many daily happenings while walking by one of the company buildings…the beginnings of a photo shoot:

I hope you enjoyed sharing some photos of the areas open to the public at the Urban Outfitters home office…and, if you should find yourself in Philly sometime – check it out! Because, like the stores, the home office is unique, fun, and inspiring!

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

Comments Off on visiting anthro home office | field trips, inspiration, style

a valentine delivery

February

This year is my favorite Valentine’s Day.

For Friday field trip today I am sharing the reason why.

I don’t have any big dinner plans…I didn’t receive a romantic gift…

I was given the opportunity to create and deliver fresh flower arrangements to residents of senior living facilities in my hometown.

The arrangements were created by some of the members of my garden club. With some basic flower choices from a local wholesaler and some miscellaneous containers collected by members, arrangements were lovingly put together one night this week.

The gals got together – clippers and gloves in hand – enjoying conversation and indulging in refreshments homemade by some of the members.

There is such a joy in giving Valentines to people that may not otherwise receive them, and although I did not personally know any of the residents receiving the gifts of flowers, strong connections to all the nursing facilities visited made the impact of the gesture very real to me.

If you belong to a garden club, consider adding this activity to your calendar for next year :)…if you don’t belong to a garden club, think about inviting a group of friends over next February for a special Valentine activity. Cute containers can be collected all year at yard sales or from flower arrangements you receive. (Just remember to keep the arrangements small since there is usually limited space in resident rooms. Also, call the residence in advance to find out about any special needs.)

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful evening. Here is my Valentine gift to you…the best ‘set the mood’ songs of all time! Enjoy!

Here in the Northeast we are again getting blanketed with snow. Luckily, the Valentine’s Day arrangements have all been safely delivered. :)

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | field trips, garden, inspiration

super bowl 2014 review

February

For Friday field trip today I am sharing a few photos from my trip into New York City last weekend to celebrate Super Bowl XLVIII. Also, I am including some links to my favorite Super Bowl moments – none of which are clips of the actual game!

This year, the pregame frenzy associated with the Super Bowl was amped up in our area…for the very first time, the Super Bowl was played in the Northeast – my part of the country – hosted by New York and New Jersey. So, of course I couldn’t resist checking out all the excitement associated with this nationally recognized sporting event and cultural phenomenon we call “the Super Bowl.”

No, I didn’t attend the game – I traveled into New York City to check out all the pregame craziness! And, craziness there was!

Craziness was witnessed from the time I got onto the train in Connecticut heading to New York City, where people were popping opening bottles of champagne at 9:45am – drinking to celebrate their favorite team’s anticipated win the following day!

And in New York City, Times Square hadn’t seen such action since New Year’s Eve…where the entire area from 34th to 44th was turned into ‘Super Bowl Boulevard’ celebrating all things football. The week-long schedule of events culminated on Saturday with contests, freebies, interactive booths, visiting NFL players signing autographs for the crowd, and a photo ‘op’ with the Vince Lombardi trophy (stand in line to get a photo with a hunk of metal shaped as a football…I don’t think so!).

There was a time when I would watch the Super Bowl every year. Not to watch the game, mind you. I couldn’t miss the commercials! Or, the halftime show. Now the commercials are all available on YouTube before the game is even played…and, the halftime show is just as accessible online after the big contest. This eliminates any reason for me to actually tune in to see ‘the big game.’

And if you were wondering, no…the ‘Puppy Love’ commercial was not my favorite commercial. I like an ad that uses a little humor, is cleverly done, and best uses talent that makes sense in promoting the product. These were my top three favorites in no particular order:

Top Super Bowl 2014 Commercial Ellen,

Top Super Bowl 2014 Commercial Tim,

Top Super Bowl 2014 Commercial Anna.

There was also one commercial that was notable and worth watching…it starred the 10 year old Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (who was gifted a Maserati for her role in this ad)…awesome job and wonderful photography. You can see the Superbowl XLVIII Maserati commercial here.

As for the halftime show – this year, the Bruno Mars concert was definitely worth a watch in real time – Congrats to Pepsi and Bruno for an awesome halftime performance! No wardrobe malfunctions or gimmicks here…just straight up talent and a wonderful display of showmanship:

Some Bruno Mars Super Bowl performance highlights are here.

A real cool part of being in New York City Saturday pregame – aside from all the energy surrounding me – as I battled the crowds to get back to Grand Central Station to head home, I was able to watch the Super Bowl inspired contest results determining what colors would light the Empire State Building.

All week prior to the ‘big game’, the colors illuminating the building were determined by tweeting NFL fans. Each night, the colors (I have admitted I am color obsessed, so this was right up my alley.) displayed on the building were determined by the largest number of tweeting fans…orange and blue if Broncos fans tweeted the most…blue and green if Seahawks fans tweeted the most.

Here is the closing ceremony light show for the Seahawks:

You can see the Empire State Building Super Bowl XLVIII Light Show here.

So that’s my Super Bowl 2014 review…hope you enjoyed it…if you expected game highlights, sorry…that’s not my thing. I only enjoy watching football games where I know the people playing. ;) Not that I would mind knowing Eric Decker personally!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on super bowl 2014 review | celebrity, field trips, superbowl 2014 review

persian cotton candy

January

I am excited for Friday field trip today to share a dessert from another culture. For Valentine’s Day this year I can serve a dessert that I find new and exciting… So, move over chocolate… this year I am serving Persian cotton candy!

I enjoy exploring other cultures and having a friend from the Middle East helps me learn about foods from that part of the world. Remember that wonderful Persian Love Cake I made last year?

My latest food introduction was a Middle Eastern dessert that compares with our cotton candy. It is made from sugar like the American variety, but also contains shortening, flour, and cardamom and has a very delicate flavor.

Interesting, isn’t it?

Because it is sold in a box, the challenge is to find a pretty way to serve it to guests. It is very soft and separates into strands easily. I found out from my friend that it is often packed into a glass to give the candy a shape and it can be served with nuts.

Since pistachios are so often used in Middle Eastern cuisine, I decided to use some chopped pistachios as a garnish for my cotton candy dessert.

And, on one of my presentations, I could not resist adding a pool of honey. I know – the ingredient is mostly sugar, so why add honey? But, it tastes really good!

I hope you enjoyed exploring another culture with me as I tried Persian Cotton Candy.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a really wonderful weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | field trips, food & festivities

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Tag: friday field trip

in the fabric mood

seaside summer lunch

beauty by the sea

april showers bring may flowers

happy easter!

outside the color palette?

visiting anthro home office

a valentine delivery

super bowl 2014 review

persian cotton candy