Saturday, May 8, 2010

Garden Walk-Happy Mother's Day




Red Spotted Purple Butterfly


 I love walking through my garden and discovering what has bloomed or watching  butterflies find a safe place to land.   I enjoy watching the many varieties of birds that frequent my backyard.   They are nesting, taking bird baths and singing happy little songs this sunny day.   Yesterday I took a walk through my  garden and took a few pictures along the way.   


My knockout roses are truly "knockouts" this spring and just covered with blooms.  I am amazed at this wonderful rose and how easy it is to grow!





These beautiful peonies were among a few plants in the yard when I moved in 15 years ago.  The fuschia pink color is so bold and the scent is wonderful.


I am fortunate to have several older plants and I just keep dividing them.


The roses I planted on my arbor and garden gate are finally growing.  One rose is still much taller than the other but they are both blooming well.  This variety is a knockout climber and is supposed to rebloom all summer.  This is the second full growing season in my garden,  so I'm anxious to see how much they will grow this year and how well they bloom.  I hope they reach the top of the arbor this year. 
 I just love the red color with
the white arbor!       








I still have much planting to do...but just wanted to take a day to enjoy my garden instead of working in it.    Hope your day is wonderful!  

Happy Mother's Day!  


    

Sunday, May 2, 2010

"Pursuing" Tablescapes


Yesterday was May Day and my church held a ladies tea with a bible study focused on "Pursuing God".   The tables themes were to feature purses in a creative  tablescape.   Everyone used their creative talents and came up
with 9 completely different  tables! 
 What fun we had as hostesses decorating our tables and no two were alike.       




This table had a large zebra  purse filled with silk flowers in black and red as the centerpiece.  How beautiful this table was!   The hostess coordinated zebra fabric as placemats and used red accents and a table square in the center of a black tablecloth. 
   So elegant!


This table was decorated by a mother/daugher team and featured a beautiful fresh flower arrangement in a large blue straw purse.  I loved this table and the details were amazing..little placecards,  silver napkin rings with blue and green napkins.  The black chargers were layered with the clear plastic plates that we used as the serving plate.  They put leaves under the clear plates as an added detail.  The runners are so beautiful and the entire table was stunning! 


A sweet young friend of mine decorated this table.  She found a very large purse and covered it entirely with purple flowers...( she admitted it did take some time) she filled it full of goodies and flowers and what a centerpiece it made!
The green mat and the chargers looked fabulous with the pink and black zebra fabric as placemats she used.   

Don't you just love those adorable napkins!
Such fun colors.


This hostess did this "extra" table on short notice and didn't she do an amazing job!   She bought almost everything at Hobby Lobby as we were there shopping at the same time.  She used bright cheerful spring colors and added a few great books from her collection and floated  beautiful pink roses from her garden in small crystal bowls.   Such a pretty and cheerful table.


 


Our Women's Ministry leader did two tables, she is an incredible hostess and  owned  her own catering and special event company.  She put together a stunning table with black and silver accents, feathers and hot fuschia pink flowers.  Every detail was included even the backs of the chairs were decorated!







The second table was equally beautiful...black candlesticks  and fresh flowers tucked in a purse were used for the centerpiece.  I love the black and white damask table runner.   Silver charges and wonderful details completed the tablesetting.




This hostess featured a dramatic black and red tablescape.  The black purse was filled with a beautiful silk arrangement.  The black candle and red votives made for  dramatic lighting.  She featured a framed scripture and beautiful ruby red and silver chargers for each setting. 
High styled elegance!




The table I decorated featured my favorite spring colors of bright pink and lime green.  I used gift bags "purses" and filled them full of  coordinating tissue paper and pink gerbera daises.  I used lime green straw placemats and  used the cutest polka dotted paper plates as my "chargers" . We used clear plastic plates to serve  the food on  for easy cleanup.   I got almost everything for my table at Hobby Lobby and Hallmark.


I embellished the gift bags with stick on flowers and jewels and found a few purse accessories with pink zebra and leopard prints.   Love that they came with coordinating pens and pads!   




The napkin rings are from Hobby Lobby ( half- price) and are small vases that you can use for silk or fill with water for real flowers.  I will definitely be using these again! 






I found this cute green polka dot fabric and  chose a bright pink material to make napkins..I lined the backs with the fuschia color so I could reverse them for two different looks.  I'm not a seamtress but they turned out just fine.   I  used fabric glue to hem them with and placed them sideways into the napkin rings and inserted a silk gerbera daisy to coordinate with the rest of the tablescape.


 


I just love this spring look!

We all had a great time of  music,  food 
and  fellowship  


 



P.S.  There was one table I didn't get to photograph as my camera battery died at the most inappropriate  time.   The hostess worked so hard on her table and it was stunning!  I hope to get pictures from someone else to feature it on a later post. 


I'm linking this week with:

Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday
Marty's Tabletop Tuesday
Martha's Favorite Tea Cup Tuesday
and Susan's BNOTP Tablescape Thursdays

Have fun at all the parties!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Spring Teapot, Pink Bunny and 4 chics


I'm joining Chari's Sunday Favorites today!
Hope you go check out everyone's favorite posts!  Thanks Chari for being such a gracious hostess!
Congratulations again on your blog birthday!! 


Spring officially started over a month ago, but in my garden spring really just 'sprung' this week.  I have enjoyed watching everything come to life. I finally have enough bloomers in my garden to make a bouquet of irises, roses and english daises!   


One of my sweet girlfriends and her husband saw this adorable teapot in Cracker Barrel and thought I needed it for my collection!  Thanks Tina and Don ..so in honor of such a lovely gift I just had to set a little tea party table to celebrate!



The teapot's colors are perfect for my favorite flower petaled cake turned teapot stand, as well as the April Cornell placemats I purchased on my trip to Texas. 


I bought these knowing that my favorite dishes would match this pattern.  The placemats are reversible and plaid on the alternate side..I love that I can get two looks for the price of one!  



The napkins are in the plaid and I added another lime green napkin I've had for years as the color was a match.  I added the sweet little bunny napkin rings from Hobby Lobby.     



Layered favorites







The teacups are from Hobby Lobby (half-price) and actually have matching plates.  I used my little GW found rose petaled  soap dishes for a saucer and to perch the egg cups on.   


 

I bought this little topiary at JoAnn's Fabric on sale...it's perfect for a small spring/Easter centerpiece.



I found this pitcher at GW just last week for $4.98.  We used it for all the entries of my giveaway (see last post)  I love the shape and the flower motiff made it a perfect addition to my spring collection of dishes.   I use pitchers for flower vases, since they are heavier and the mouth is wider than most vases.   


This adorable bunny was given to me years ago. I just love her..she is so pretty and the colors in her outfit are soft and sweet.  I found the little candleholder/pedestal she is sitting on for $1.00 at a thrift store.    



I love her shoes......



and purse!

These little chicks were tossed in the bottom of my shopping bag in Texas ...without my knowledge and when I found them their little faces seem to say:
 Are you my Mother?? 

I guess I'm stuck with them since I took them across state lines!  In the meantime  I made them little nests in my egg cups until they are big enough to lay their own eggs!   



Hope you take time out of your busy schedule to make a cup of tea and enjoy spring..or better yet have a tea party of your own.   


 

I'll be linking with:
Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday, Linda's  Nifty Thrifty Tuesday , Marty's Tabletop Tuesday, Susan at BTNOP's Tablescape Thursday,  Cindy's  Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday and 
Beverly's Pink Saturday!




Sunday, April 25, 2010

And the Winner is.....




Mr. Bloomers did the honors and drew the lucky winner....  


out of my bargain G.W. find ( the price is still visible)


 The winner of my first giveaway is.... Suzanne at Midwestern Gone Idahoan!  


Sorry it's on its' side...I don't know how to fix it!  But wanted to keep it real..LOL...


Thanks to everyone for entering !!!


Congratulations to Suzanne
Please email me your mailng address to