Chickadee Home Nest

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday Share Your Style at http://www.nominimalisthere.com/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Thursdays From My Front Porch to Yours at http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/

Share Your Style Thursdays at http://www.nominimalisthere.com

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Freedom Fridays at http://www.myturnforus.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fridays at 7 pm, Link Party Palooza: http://lilluna.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Saturdays at http://www.lifeonlakeshoredrive.com/

Saturdays at Sundays at Home: http://www.thoughtsfromalice.com/

Sundays at Silver Pennies: http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/

Sundays at Rustic and Refined: http://www.rustic-refined.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Fall-to-Thanksgiving Home Tour

2015-11-08T23:00:00.001-05:00

Well, here we are! We’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving in a few short weeks, so most of us are quickly shifting to “the holidays.” Every time I say or hear “the holidays” I put Thanksgiving and Christmas (my favorite time of the year) into a package, and I think that’s helping me to see them as bookends—Thanksgiving is the beginning and Christmas—well, in our case the Epiphany—is the end. If I don’t look at it this way, then I feel {more} rushed to get to Christmas, and I certainly don’t want to rush a day when we are intentional in our giving thanks!

In the last few weeks I gave you a tour of our front porch (here), which included a picture of our screened porch decked out in teal and orange—loved that combination every time I glanced out there! (I updated that space too, but oops! didn’t take pictures. I’ll try to add one or two in the next few days. I did keep the teal and orange!)

Here’s what I’ve done now, putting Halloween away (no more jack-o-lanterns or tiny orange lights on the front porch) and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

C’mon in! Let’s visit for a while! I bet we’ll talk mostly decorating and homemaking—that’s fine with me!

Welcome to our cottage. I hope you’ll find it warm and inviting, and that maybe you’ll leave with some inspiration or ideas of things to do in my home. That’s what happens to me—I don’t necessarily want to copy what I see, but it surely inspires me to see beautiful things, AND it often reminds me of things I have and had forgotten! (Does that happen to you too? Please say yes!! Maybe we have too much stuff to keep track of?? Never!!!)

The terra cotta jack-o-lanterns are replaced by a basket overflowing with pinecones, preserved orange slices and fall leaves, and a metal pumpkin.

This is the scene that will greet you as you reach the door. C’mon, c’mon in!

The buffet has just a touch of fall—a small sunflower-and-berries-and-twigs arrangement to balance the African violets that felt a little “spring-y” but HAVE to stay because they are so happy there!

My Southern Living Ballard Designs tiered basket is a decorating workhorse. It’s so versatile! (I’ve done many posts using this basket. You can see it here and here, and just in time for “the holidays,” here you can see how I used it at our hot chocolate station. Simply search my blog for “tiered” and you’ll be able to see the many iterations of this awesome piece!)

The china cabinet was re-styled (you knew that, didn’t you?), from a simple fall decor ~

~ BEFORE ~

to a decidedly Thanksgiving decor ~

~ NOW ~

The turkey plates are out! And readily accessible to use in our everyday lives.

Royal Stafford turkey plates, and

Friendly Village turkey plates

I just love this bucolic farm scene, don’t you? Living on a farm is not on my wish list, but for Thanksgiving it sure has a romantic ring…

And of course, fall pictures of some of the baby chickadees~

Cleaning up the yard I found these remnants of a tiny Summer’s End hydrangea—a sweet end-of-summer gift to bring inside.With its beautiful pink and green I think it’ll dry beautifully!

I hope you’ve gotten some easy, very do-able decorating ideas to bring fall and Thanksgiving into your home. I bet you noticed that—AGAIN—I took an easy approach with the china cabinet. I had the foundation for fall, and simply added a few dishes and other touches to move into Thanksgiving. That’s my kind of decorating!

Since we celebrate the Epiphany AND we buy a live tree, we probably won’t be getting our tree until the second weekend in December, but I think I’ll decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, thanks to Pinterest in large part, I’m anxious to bring Christmas to our home (I asked Mr. Chickadee (I was kidding, really) what he thought of my starting to decorate for Christmas now…a very firm NO!! LOL

When will you start your Christmas decorating? If you have a live tree does that impact when you decorate? I can’t wait!

Wishing you a happy “holiday season” that allows you to enjoy fall/Thanksgiving while looking forward to the most wonderful time of the year.

And now I leave you with one more collage—celebrating God’s artistry, right from our front door!

Don’t forget to pin these ideas, and I invite you to follow me at Pinterest too! I love Pinterest, so I’ll help you find the good stuff!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are for sale. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Make it Pretty Monday at http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Monday Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday Share Your Style at http://www.nominimalisthere.com/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Thursdays From My Front Porch to Yours at http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/

Share Your Style Thursdays at http://www.nominimalisthere.com

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Freedom Fridays at http://www.myturnforus.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Porch Fall Decor Ideas

2015-10-29T23:16:00.001-04:00

It’s late fall, and here in Ohio we’ve been blessed with the absolutely most beautiful fall colors ever. Yes, even I, who dreads the end of summer, have thoroughly enjoyed fall this year. Bright, blue skies, just-slightly cooler weather (great for sleeping with the windows open!), and the gorgeous color! What gifts God gives us!

So this year it’s been easy to “get in the mood” and allow fall into our home! Welcome!

A simple garland, wrapped around your porch light, is especially lovely at night when the light is on. (And by the way, this picture has been one of my most popular pins on Pinterest!)

Twigs in a vintage wicker plant stand, wrapped with a garland and orange lights, accompanied by a wrought iron pumpkin filled with pumpkins and a candle, adds contrast and texture to the front porch.

A close-up for the garland for the twigs.

A small nod to Halloween—for the grandchickadees, of course!

And last but not least, of course, the screened porch. You didn’t think I’d ignore that favorite spot, did you?!

Because we can see this “room” from inside our home, decorating it is a ‘must’ for me, and this year I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the combination of teal and orange. It’s amazing how color can bring such pleasure!

Again we’re careening into Thanksgiving, and then, of course, that most wonderful time of the year! Next post I’ll share the inside decor that will carry us through Thanksgiving, and then…the BIG switch!

I’ve seen lots of great outdoor decor in your blogs and on Pinterest this year, and I haven’t tired of it yet, so please continue to share your beautiful homes and touches…they’re great inspiration. I hope mine was inspirational as well!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Monday Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Thursday, From My Front Porch to Yours at http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

A Tour: Outdoor Living on the Screened Porch

2015-09-07T22:13:00.001-04:00

Our screened porch, which I’ve featured in many posts because it’s such a favorite place, has a new look! Like an outdoor room, its decor evolves as plants grow, a new piece of furniture is added, or our needs change. But regardless, our screened porch is actual living space for us for as long as the weather allows. I work here, I read my Bible out here, I have my morning coffee here, I have my breakfast (and lunch when I’m home!) out here, I write posts, I Pinterest, and I snoooooze here! Oh, and I COOK out here (more on that in a minute!). Plus, of course, Mr. Chickadee and I—and our whole family—enjoy meals out here whenever possible. Our babies play out here, have breakfast in their jammies here, make milkshakes and butter out here, take naps out here, play out here, and say goodnight to the day here. Our son always tells me that he feels like he’s on vacation on the rare days when only he and I get to sit out here and visit. That makes this mama’s heart sing.(I have many posts around our front and screened porches where you can see other versions of the decor. You can use the Search option in my blog to find them, but you can see some of them here, here,and here.)

It’s such a calming space. It’s where I greet the day most mornings. Sometimes I even set my alarm to catch the first rays of the day here. In this precious corner of this great big world I thank God for His gifts.

A new look:

This is how our screened porch looked about a month ago. We’d bought the rug (at Lowe’s, on clearance—a happy surprise at the register!) and decided we wanted to add more large plants, so we bought two Areca palms and moved the ficus from the front porch.

A brand-new look and feel for very little $$$$, because the palms were on sale as well! All of a sudden, by adding the plants, the feel of the room was changed, and it now feels like a {screened} conservatory or solarium! How fancy!

I was so enthralled with our new room that I decided to try TWO rugs for more coverage:

Yes!!! Love it!

And how happy are these African violets and the Streptocarpus* (more on that in a minute!), basking in the morning sun?

*This big plant—I now know is a Streptocarpus—is such a happy bloomer! I’ve had it for many years, but didn’t know what it was. In fact, a year or two ago I asked for your help in identifying it. Well, I stumbled upon its name as I researched my Africans!

One corner of the “conservatory.”

One piece that makes this space so functional for outdoor living is the table. It’s teak, which makes it very durable, and as a drop leaf, it can fold away to mere inches, yet it opens to give us ample room for dining, or for serving in the screened porch when all the family is over and we choose to eat at the picnic table, which easily accommodates all of us.

1 table 3 ways:

A few more peeks at this little piece of heaven:

Mid-August/early September the PeeGee Hydrangeas are in their full glory.

I love you in the morning…

This is the view from the patio into the screened porch, and…

Looking out onto the patio.

From my perch at the table this is my view…a combination of pretties, memories in the shells we have collected over the years, displayed in a printer’s tray, and the fun for the baby Chickadees:

The theatre seats were once brown and drab, and using Annie Sloane Chalk Paint in Duck Egg (see post here) I was able to add {pretty} seating in the screened porch. (And like the table, this, too, is a versatile piece, since it folds like one long folding chair!)

And now, welcome to my {outdoor} kitchen.

Remember I told you I cook out on the screened porch? Yep! And here’s my secret: The Longaberger picnic basket hides a cooking plate! Who needs a fancy outdoor kitchen when I can have one right outside our full kitchen?! A few years ago I thought the answer to quickly throwing a meal together when I got home from work (and keeping the cooking smells out of the house!) was a gas grill, but we eventually went back to our charcoal Weber because we prefer the flavor, and yet, though it’s right outside the screened porch door, I usually turn to the hot plate, or my electric pressure cooker.

And did you notice the vintage Skotch coolers? One serves as a table between the chair and the theatre seats, and the other, by the door to the patio, holds the charcoal.

…and in the afternoon.

I love you in the evening…

As evening falls and the blue hour develops, I often light candles to enjoy the magic moments and listen to the night sounds—in the safety of my screened-in porch, of course! No critters for me!

More candlelight.

…and underneath the moon!!!

Goodnight, Moon. Goodnight, All.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When would you like to stop over? Early in the morning to share a cup of coffee? Midday for ice-cold lemonade? Dinner by candlelight? Just let me know and we’ll be ready for you!

Do you or have you ever had a screened porch? How often do you enjoy it? What features or pieces do you think are invaluable in a screened porch (I’d like to have a hammock, but space does not permit, so we bought an folding cot :)!)

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Monday Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Summer Flowers

2015-08-11T23:55:00.001-04:00

Mid-August…some schools here in central Ohio start tomorrow! Yikes! 1. Where did summer go, and 2. Who ever thought of starting school in the middle of August??? Don’t those administrators and school boards have children of their own??!! Don’t they know they’re “robbing” our children of carefree summer days??!!

The burning bushes are starting to turn ever so slightly, and I see the landscape crew gathering brown, dry leaves. But not in our garden!! Oh, no…not here! Our neighbor emailed us a week or two ago, observing that the leaves on their birch were turning, and my response was that the word “fall” would not be heard around here, even as our own birch starts its annual demise. Boohoo… I’m keeping my head safely planted in the sand.

Our flowers are still happy, and so I wanted to share them with you, as summer’s last hurrah. I may (or may not) have a fall tablescape for you next week—it depends on my ability to cope with the fact, my friends. Blogging is a bit like retail, isn’t it? We need to get our posts out early enough for them to be of value and inspiration to our readers, so in that vein I may be able to do a fall post—the sacrifices I make….We’ll see. (I LOVE summer, remember??)

Besides capturing the beauty and textures of the garden, I also love to photograph the light-and-shadow play in the garden. The metal wheel at the right edge is the wheel to our antique hand plow that I’ve dragged around from house to house for easily 20 years. You can see the beautiful handles on it here, where I photographed our Chickadee Baby Love’s tussie mussie.The hostas in the garden are new this year—a gift from my friend and hairdresser! Don’t you love perennials that bring back memories of people who shared them with you?

This nook is primarily red, white, and blue until August, when the purple coneflowers join in and start to prepare us for the change in seasons. Summer is red, white, and blue, until it’s time for a change in the “theme.”

The red…

The blue, and the white.

I love how coneflowers brighten the landscape with wild abandon.

And then, of course, my beloved PeeGee hydrangeas burst forth in their soothing white. One day they’re buds, the next, it seems, they’re in full bloom. We held our Baby Love’s baptismal reception here at our home in mid-August when the hydrangeas were at their peak, so every year they remind me of that happy day.

Ummm…do you see dry leaves??? I don’t!! What leaves??

Which is more beautiful? The one yet to burst, or the one almost there? It’s hard to decide.

And guess who else likes the PeeGee hydrangeas?

This is the second year for this Endless Summer hydrangea, and she grew “demurely” this summer. I have high hopes for her next summer, now that I moved her to a sunnier spot, but I am thankful that she gave us blooms in time for the little tea party we had after Baby Love’s piano recital (that’s another post!).

She IS lovely, isn’t she?

These are last year’s geraniums! And they came from cuttings from the year before (you can see my post about rooting cuttings here). I was so crazy about this Calliope Red geranium that I didn’t want to run the risk of not finding it again, so we took the plants to our office over the winter, and they survived (though a little leggy by spring). We’ll certainly do that again this year—that way we get nice big plants early! They sure are happy in the berry cart, aren’t they?

So, Mary, Mary (not) quite contrary, how did your garden grow this year? We had so much rain in the spring and early summer that ours took a while to “catch,” but then, in the end, some of them took off and gave us a good show. I hope yours did too. Enjoy what’s left of summer!! The snow will fly in these here parts all too soon!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Dance Recital Tussie-Mussie

2015-07-29T01:40:00.001-04:00

For Chickadee Baby Love’s first dance recital three years ago, I came up with the idea of making a tussie-mussie for her, as a way to give her her flowers. When her second recital came around, I thought it would be nice to make another one for her (you can see two versions HERE, and more to come), and have made one for every recital since (two last year and two this year, for her piano and dance recitals). This year, at age 7, when she didn’t see one in my hands after her dance recital, she asked me if I had made one for her! Oh, my happy heart! She likes them! She likes the fact that I make them for her!

The Columbus Dance Arts Academy puts on an incredible program to showcase the incredible talent of their students. It has become such a big event that this year it was held at a theatre in downtown Columbus (Ohio)! (Which also explains why the dancers need to wear heavy makeup!) Baby Love was—appropriately, I thought—a Love Bug!

And here’s our very own Love Bug, aka Baby Love, enjoying the treats that accompanied her tussie-mussie. (More on the treat bags later :) )

Given her dance number, I set out to coordinate her tussie-mussie to the theme and to her costume~

The ~~lady~~ Love Bugs are buttons I found at Jo-Ann. Don’t they look right at home nestled in the hydrangeas in our yard?

For the “roses” in the tussie-mussie I used Hershey’s kisses (how appropriate is that, kisses for our precious baby?!), wrapped in red tulle. I added silk rose leaves to make them more realistic, plus ivy and other greenery.

Her favorite, of course, was the fat ~~lady~~ Love Bug, made out of a Tootsie Roll Pop that I covered in red felt and added a pompom for its head. Little googly eyes and rhinestones on her antennae, and she was ready to attend the recital! (Since I’ve saved all her tussie-mussies and have them displayed in her room here at out house, the Love Bug and kisses were not eaten. There were plenty of treats to accompany the tussie-mussie and for her little brothers who benefit from her performance.

Tussie-mussies need handles, in order to not crush them or damage the decorations, so another Love Bug button graced the top of the handle.

THIS is what a Love Bug looks like!

And this…

And just in case you’re wondering why all the fuss, it’s for that smile…those sweet eyes..those beautiful curls…but most of all, it’s for her most beautiful heart.

I am blessed to be her Ata (ah-tah), and that she is my Baby Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The tussie-mussie idea came about as I thought about a gift to give her after her first recital, and I’m glad I’ve been able to carry it on to now have it be a tradition, because I find that it’s not easy to come up with ideas that relate to the theme. I hope you’ll share the ideas you’ve come up with for recital gifts, because I’m sure many of our blog friends will welcome them!

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Red, White & Blue Inspiration, Part 2

2015-06-23T01:44:00.001-04:00

Hi, All! I love patriotic holidays and red, white & blue so much that I have tons of pictures to share, even after last week’s post (here). While last week was mostly about red, white & blue gardens and other great inspiration from our trip to Newport Beach, California, this post is more about home—our home specifically.

The table is set! Won’t you join me for a patriotic luncheon? I used my Ballard Designs Southern Living tiered basket (love, love, love it—it’s so versatile!) as the main attraction and to save room on the table by using it to hold the dishes, napkins, mugs, etc.

The flag is actually a scarf (coincidentally, a souvenir from our Newport Beach visit). The Warren Kimble Colonial sugar and creamer are ready for the coffee to accompany dessert, which includes fresh fruit: cherries in a pewter star dish (a GREAT gift from a friend many years ago), and strawberries in a blue-and-white bowl. The silver underplate for the strawberries complements the pewter star dish and adds a bit of “ummph” to the bowl, rather than setting it directly on the table.

As you know…no holiday decorating is complete at our house until the china cabinet is done! As you also know, I’m The Lazy Decorator, so a few touches of red added to the blue-and-white Spode Delamere, and voilà! A subtle “salute” to a patriotic holiday!

After our luncheon many of the pieces found a home in the china cabinet.

These flag stirrers were a great find (wish I remembered where!), as was the blue-and-white pitcher—DO remember where I found it—at a second-hand store!

Hardly is there a time when you don’t find blue hydrangeas somewhere in our home—and a great addition they are to our red, white and blue decor!

For some reason I feel like people are decorating earlier for the Fourth this year—have you noticed that? I don’t mean stores—they had Fourth of July merchandise out in March, I believe! Do you think it’s the earlier-and-earlier Christmas decorating habit that is spreading even to the Fourth? Will be, like the stores, be decorating for the Fourth in June? Or just carry it over from Memorial Day right into the Fourth?

Speaking of Memorial Day, I have one more picture to share with you! We were in Florida over Memorial Day weekend, and thinking ahead, I took the flag scarf, AND A SMALL FLAG, in order to observe that day while we were there~

Remembering those who serve and have served is important—even while on vacation. Thank you to all of them, and their families.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since I’m seeing more patriotic deco, I’m feeling pressure to get my decorations out. I also want to get my posts done, in the hopes that they’ll offer some ideas and inspiration to you. I get so many ideas and inspiration from you all, that it’s the least I can do! :) That’s what blog friends are for, right? Next week’s post will be the front porch, so stay tuned!

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Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

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Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

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Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

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Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Red, White & Blue/Patriotic Touches

2015-06-16T00:57:00.001-04:00

Hi, there! I’ve been gone for quite a while! I have no explanation as to why I’ve been out of blogland, except to say that I don’t know where the last six weeks have gone! I hope you’re enjoying your summer!

Those of you who follow me (thank you!!) or know me, know that I absolutely love to celebrate patriotic holidays, so it’s not surprising that it’s the Fourth of July, my second-favorite holiday (second only to Christmas and its true meaning), that brings me out again!

The Fourth of July is such an awesome opportunity to not only celebrate our freedom, but to reflect on it and what it means. Having left Cuba as a young child, my parents brought my little brother and me to this great country seeking not financial gain, or a better standard of living…oh, no…it was something much more fundamental than that. We sought only FREEDOM. Knowing what the loss of freedom really is, once re-gained it is all the more precious.

I suppose there’s some sort of psychological connection in this, given that the Cuban flag and the American flag are both RED, WHITE, and BLUE, but those colors, in just about any display or item, stir something in me that I find hard to articulate—PRIDE, LOVE OF COUNTRY, FREEDOM, RECOGNIZING THE PRICE THAT SO MANY HAVE PAID—INCLUDING THEIR FAMILIES—TO GIVE US OUR FREEDOM.

OUR AMERICAN FLAG, The Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village Golf Club. Love the SIZE of this flag, and I even love the servicemen and women crouched before it.

The Cuban flag. (Source: Wikipedia)

So now that I’ve explained my love for all things RED, WHITE, and BLUE, I wanted to share some pictures I took while we were in the Newport Beach/Corona del Mar (California) area last June. They were ALL DECKED OUT for the patriotic days of summer, and I was lovin’ it!

The shark topiaries along Highway A1A in Newport Beach are ready for the Fourth of July—sunglasses and all!

Here’s the whole ~~family~~ school, dressed in their patriotic best!

The landscaping at our hotel was also ready for the patriotic holidays…a flower show after my own heart! I don’t seem to have much luck with lobelias here in Ohio, but they flourish in these parts of California, and they’re the perfect blue for a RED, WHITE, and BLUE garden!

Did you notice the agapanthus (also known as Lily of the Nile) in the prior picture? We were there during the June gloom, but these are so striking and add such beauty and texture to the garden! No wonder they’re planted everywhere!

These beauties would be AWESOME in our RED, WHITE, and BLUE garden!

I know, I know…this has NOTHING to do with red, white and blue, or patriotic gardens, but I just had to share these gorgeous palm trees with you, since these, too, are favorites.

Juxtaposition (http://www.juxtaposition.com/) is ALWAYS on my must-visit list when we’re in the Orange County/Newport Beach area. Great, interesting selection (more pix below!), and who.can.beat the scene?? You can see it in the reflection? That is, if you can tear away from trying to see all the patriotic details in the window! It is right across the Pacific! We of course also visited the Starbucks there in the Crystal Cove “strip” center (it’s a crime to call it a strip center!), and of course sat outside to just absorb the view into our very bones!

How’s this for another beautiful patriotic display?

Lots of blue and white clothes, artfully displayed with touches of red.

A w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l book (more below!), by, of course, Mary Emmerling.

What a treasure trove of Americana this book offers!

Another beautiful patriotic display…this is the shop to visit for RED, WHITE & BLUE decor!

Which of these would you like? The woven handbags/beach bags? The gorgeous blue shirt, or the white (in the softest, yummiest fabric!)? Or the scarf? or necklace?

Okay, now look carefully…half the bike is OUTSIDE, the other half is INSIDE! LOL And so pretty to boot!

The flower shop with the bicycle. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the name—I’d love to give them credit for their beautiful displays, so if you know what it is, please share! Oh, and did you notice the flower baskets by the door are, yes…RED, WHITE, and BLUE?

Even the store signs create a patriotic scheme! (And by the way, we had DELICIOUS pastries at Rendez Vous!)

Well, are you MORE in the mood for the Fourth of July—or any patriotic holiday—after this run through Newport Beach? I certainly am! I hope to be back soon with some more RED, WHITE, and BLUE, so early wishes for a happy and safe Fourth of July! In the meantime, I hope to visit many of you for more inspiration!

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Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

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Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

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Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Making Monday at http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Homemade Bird Bath DIY

2015-04-06T23:26:00.001-04:00

I’m ready for spring and summer, are you?? We had a beautiful Easter weekend, though a little on the chilly side because it was pretty breezy, but it was sunny and the grass had dried out from Friday’s heavy rains, which meant that, much to my relief, we were able to have our Easter egg hunt for the grandchickadees outside. That’s a good thing, because they can get pretty carried away reaching for an egg! LOL You’d think there was GOLD in them thar eggs!! :) Just chocolate and junk, which is GOLD to them!

Anyway, back to spring and birdbaths and planning ahead, I have a BIRD BATH DIY to share with you today!

For several years I’ve wanted to get a bird bath for our backyard, but when it comes right down to it I don’t want to spend the money on the ones I like, because, of course, I like the pricey ones. Duh, right? Who doesn’t?!

Thinkin’, thinkin’ thinkin’

Aha!!

I’d been using this flower pot/planter for several years, tucked in the landscaping as I like to do, ~

but this is part of a bigger piece.

When we moved to this house (only 10 years ago…) for some reason that I don’t recall, nor do I understand, we took some things to my mom’s house. Late last summer we finally got around to getting our belongings out of her basement, and there was the rest of the pot!

This is what it’s supposed to look like ~

Pretty neat, huh? My mother gave it to me years ago (certainly more than 10!! Right?) and I was happy to have it again. It looks beautiful when the flowers are full and robust. I’d always wanted to paint it, so as I was debating what to plant in it,

Eureka!

(BTW, that’s a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes, per Wikipedia…just a little trivia)

I could transplant the flowers to the bottom, larger bowl, and use the smaller top one as a bird bath!

First,and I transplanted what I’d had in the smaller bowl to the bottom bowl.

Steps for making your bird bath:

Step 1: Paint the bowls/flower pot(s) you’re going to use.

Since my bowls are plastic, I used a spray paint for plastic, (I think it was by Krylon. Sorry, no pictures of that step.)

Step 2: Make it leakproof ~

Out came the good ole duct tape, applied to the OUTSIDE of the pot, over the drainage holes.

This is how it looked from the inside with only the duct tape.

To the INSIDE drainage holes I applied E6000—around the rim of the holes and all over the tape itself.

Step 3: Turn it over, fill it with water, and sit back and enjoy the visitors to your backyard!! Really, that’s all there is to it!

And here’s the finished product!! ~

Are you wondering why I’m not showing you the bird bath with the water in it? I sure am!! Just plain forgot to take pictures—that happens, you know? As it turns out the pot was a little big for birdies, and I didn’t want birdies drowning in my bird bath! Since the bowl has ridges on the inside, I set a large flowerpot saucer in it, which is less deep, and the lip gives them a place to rest.

There you have it! A quick, easy bird bath. All it took was 10+ years to get all the pieces back together!

As it turns out, I’m very happy with our new bird bath. I like that it’s unique, and I like the flowers as part of the bird bath. But mostly, I like the visitors it brings to our yard. :)

There are so many homemade bird baths out there—are any of them your creations? This one sure was simple to make, so if you want to replicate it, keep an eye out for a tiered planter. Hey, it’s almost garage-sale season—who knows? It might be right around the corner from you! Good luck!!

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Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

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Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays Creative Collection at http://thecardswedrew.com/

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Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Making Monday at http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/

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Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Mondays at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Children’s Easter Table at Bunnyville

2015-03-31T22:41:00.000-04:00

I posted this Bunnyville table a few years ago, and this year again Sweet Baby Love came over and we set Bunnyville up! It was precious that this year (she’s 7 now) she remembered so many of the houses, and was actually looking for specific ones! We didn’t set a table; we just set Bunnyville up. I have tons of pictures, of course, but not ready for posting. When I read the sweet comments from the first time it was posted I was inspired to share it again. Happy Easter 2015! May you celebrate His Resurrection in peace and joy. ~Zuni

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I started collecting pieces for "Bunnyville” in the '90s, well before grandbabies came along. They graced many a spring/Easter family gathering, and at one we even did a “tour” of Bunnyville—I served as the tour guide, showing our guests the “park,” the “wedding chapel,” the “downtown” area…. But for several years now Bunnyville hasn’t been laid out, until I decided that Sweet Baby Love, who is five, was ready to see and enjoy Bunnyville.

And enjoy she did! Each one she took out of its box was accompanied by “Oh, look how cute!”

I let her arrange and re-arrange to her heart’s content, and make up stories about them as she played happily.

Once she headed home, I set a pretend table for her and her little brothers, using their Bunnykins dishes that were their dad’s and uncle’s (we’ve bought a third set, of the same vintage, for Baby #3)~~

The silverware was also our sons’—in fact, this fork has even met with the disposal, but I gently straightened it back, and now the marks it bears are just proof of having fed two generations of babies.

Beatrix Potter’s “Peber” Rabbit, as SBL called him when she was little, is one of my favorites, so when our DIL bought one for each of the three babies at Barnes & Noble last year, I bought these two, just in case one or two more babies come along. I knew they would be well used in the meantime. I filled them with the egg napkin rings my mother made years ago that I used (see http://chickadeehomenest.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-table-vignettes.html (you may need to use the CONTROL key to link…I’m having problems with my links)).

I used the carrots in last year’s Easter post too—I like the color and texture they provide, and the tiny clothes pins with carrots on them are perfect for holding the place card.

You don’t see these “Bunnyville” pieces anymore, but I loved the details and the sweet stories you can create around them then, and still love them today. Here are some of my favorites:

Mama Bunny with an apron full of her babies—there are three more around her back—is SBL’s favorite, and it, along with the one shown above of the hollow tree full of babies, are my two favorites. And see the bunny at her mushroom house window? She’s setting a pie on the window sill.

And this is the playground at Bunnyville Park. There are lovely swings from the trees, and birdie couples singing from their nests, and what would a playground be without some ornery bunnies climbing not a tree, but a GIANT CARROT?! Bunnies are very active, you know.

In this “egg house” we see a bunny’s tail end, standing on her tiny bed, complete with pillow, curtains, and tiny slippers, and outside we see that she’s actually joining her brother in sliding right out the window!

Happy Easter to you and yours, as you celebrate and rejoice in the blessings of the season.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! And if you like what you see a lot, maybe you’d like to +1 this post or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!

I invite you to follow me. If you’ll let me know that you’re following, I’ll be sure to follow you back.

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Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

From my nest to yours, ~Zuni

Irises—Urban Garden

2015-03-29T00:29:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago I did a post about the Urban Oasis I “found” when I went to get my hair done. I went at just the right time, and was able to capture the most amazing display of tulips in a small urban piece of land that doesn’t even belong to the gardener!

Here’s a glimpse of it ~

You can see the rest of the post here

But this gentleman doesn’t just do tulips…oh, no…He also has planted IRISES, and again, my timing was perfect. Although the tulips will bloom first (and they haven’t yet), since we’re all so anxious for spring I thought I’d share his gift to the world now, in anticipation of spring and the riot of color I hope to see again this year.

No narrative needed. I invite you to sit back and enjoy not only the simple beauty of this urban lot, but also the fact that a single man created it, for all to enjoy.

And finally, I leave you with this sweetness:

Has spring arrived in your corner of the world? Or are you, like me, dreaming about it still? If you are, I hope these pictures will bring H O P E that yes, spring will come. (It was 18°here this morning, so H O P E is important!)

As we celebrate this joys season of Christ’s Resurrection, I wish you joy and peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

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Fridays Creative Collection at http://thecardswedrew.com/

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Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

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Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Spring Decorations

2015-03-22T22:17:00.001-04:00

Well, it’s still March, and here in central Ohio the sun in shining brighter and is teasing us into thinking that it’s spring, but walk outside and you’ll be quickly reminded that, nope, not yet. This morning it was 29° when I got up! That’s below

f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g!! BRRRRRR

But Easter will be here in two weeks, so it’s time to put our Easter bonnets on and at least decorate as though it’s spring!

First, I’ll share what I’ve done inside, then we’ll move to the outside.

Recently it occurred to me that my MIL’s writing desk was too hidden where we had it, and so with a little help from Mr. CHN we switched it with the buffet, and I like it! We’ve never had the writing desk in this spot, and it seems to open up the room so much! Perfect for spring!

So here’s the spring vignette for the writing desk~

This sweet teacup, with violets and yellow “violets” said spring to me as I searched through my collection, so she was chose to join the spring vignette.

The right side of the writing desk holds a vintage crystal bowl filled with marble eggs, and can you see the teeny, tiny lights on the twigs to the right? Here they are, lit!

I just love these little lights in the evening! We bought them years ago in a boutique, and I’ll tell you, I’ve gotten our money’s worth out of them! I added more twigs to make them more natural, and we keep them in the blue-and-white umbrella stand year-round. They’re great for seasonal decorating. I’ve decorated them with felt hearts for Valentine’s Day and several other holidays.

And as you walk in, this is what you would see ~

(Here’s a silly little secret: Unless we’re having extreme heat or cold, we keep our front door open, since we have the storm door. Which means everyone and anyone who walks by can peek in as they walk by, and our neighborhood is a walking neighborhood—lots of folks are out all the time. So after I’ve done something that would be visible from outside, I take my own stroll out there (sometimes I drag Mr. CHN with me), and I peek in (yes, into our own home!), because you know…you have to see what your neighbors are seeing as they walk by!) LOL Now I’m SURE no blogger EVER looks in houses as they walk or drive by, right?

Another touch of spring and Easter is my Southern Living Ballard Designs tiered basket. Boy does this basket get a workout! It’s so versatile, and we have the perfect spot for it on our tall counter/bar, which is what I need there—something tall that makes a statement! This basket is one big,tall basket! I love the handle on it—like a shovel handle!

The feather wreath (top shelf of basket) and the glass eggs on the bottom shelf were great garage sale finds a couple of years ago, and the papier-mâché eggs are from Tuesday Morning a few years ago. They’re made in Germany, and the designs are just precious.Now that we’re expecting another chickadee, I hope I can find one more! <3

While in the mood, I also did a little something on the dining room table and the screened porch :)

These are candles that I actually have on eBay to sell, but as I took pictures of them on our table I decided they added a nice touch of spring color to the table, so I’ll enjoy them until they go to another happy home!

Because we have such a direct view of our screened porch and beyond, it’s important that we have nice seasonal touches out there. Forsythia and GIANT eggs (another garage sale find), as well as a few more marble ones were a quick addition that says “SPRING.” (I’m always in search of my first glimpse of {real} forsythia. It’s a sure sign that spring is coming!)

And finally, the front door and porch ~

Welcome! A simple forsythia bouquet, tied with glittery green and white tulle, provides a simple-yet-colorful touch. Since we have a storm door, the arrangements on the door must be “crushable,” and this one is!

And, when you come over for a visit, this is what you’ll see on the front porch! (It’ll be lovely out here when it’s warmer, so maybe you should wait a month or so, but please do stop by!)

I’ll leave you with shadow play, which as you know, I love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for stopping by. Tell me, what have you done in terms of spring decor? Are you in the mood yet? What early spring flower tells you it’s spring? (BTW, I also watch for crocuses. They’re so brave to sometimes bloom right through the snow!)

I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Making Monday at http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays Creative Collection at http://thecardswedrew.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

Fridays at The Thrifty Groove at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday at The Girl Creative at http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Easy Ways to Style Your China Cabinet for the Seasons

2015-03-15T17:43:00.000-04:00

Easy Ways

to Style

Your China Cabinet

by Chickadee Home Nest

As I thought about this post it occurred to me, “My blog should really be called “The Lazy Decorator,”” because if there’s an easy way to do something, or a shortcut—I’m there!

And here’s a perfect example: Many of you know that I like to decorate/refresh our china cabinet for the seasons and holidays. I find that if I leave it be for very long it starts to feel lifeless, like it’s there as a shrine, or as a “Hands off: This stuff isn’t meant to be touched and used!” That’s exactly why I took the doors off—I wanted our china cabinet to be approachable and inviting, and to serve as active storage.

Here’s how it looked before, with the doors ~

Then, with the doors removed ~

So much more inviting, don’t you think? It’s as if it’s saying, “Come on over and use the stuff here! Live with it! Enjoy it!” And, as you can see, in each of the two pictures it’s decorated for the season or holiday: Valentines above, Spring below. You can see the whole post here.

My challenge for today’s post was to keep the foundational pieces I’ve had in the china cabinet for almost three months and change only the embellishments, hoping to show you that it doesn’t take a total re-do to bring your china to life and keep it current for the season or the holiday.

Here’s the china cabinet with what turned out to be the foundational pieces that have carried me from post-Christmas until now:

From there, still keeping the foundational pieces—the white pieces—I moved to early Spring~

Notice that I left the snowy little trees, after all, it was only February and we still had LOTS of snow (and lots to come!). I even kept the deer on top, though you can hardly see them in this picture. So I simply added the violet tea cups and the violets as we i-n-c-h-e-d into Spring, because I was sooooo ready for some color and signs of Spring! You can see the full post here.

Here’s a close-up of the early splash of Spring color~

Yesterday and this morning we had lots of rain. Welcome, because it got rid of the last bits of snow we had left (which we thought would be around at least until, oh, JUNE!!), so I was inspired to get with the program and do a bit of Spring and Easter decorating. Yea!! AND…sunshine later in the day!

First on the list…you guessed it! The china cabinet! As I’ve mentioned before, our floor plan is very open, so as the china cabinet goes, so goes the mood and the season at our house!

So on with my challenge, and here’s today’s Spring china cabinet~

Notice the foundational pieces remain exactly the same. I was tempted to switch some pieces out as I rummaged through my Easter and Spring bins, but nope! I stuck to my challenge of using the same white pieces one more time. A few silk flowers tucked in here and there, and the addition of my favorite Nicodemus chubby robin and bunny, and voilà! We have a Spring china cabinet with minimal effort! (I did switch the deer out for a chippy basket painted in Annie Sloan Duck Egg. It was time for them to go hibernate until winter!)

In the early Spring version this sterling compote held dried roses with touches of preserved cedar. A nestful of eggs and a splash of color from the daffodils, and it says Spring!

These glass “cups” are votives now repurposed as vases, and the silver “vase” is a salt or pepper shaker.

Wow!! I have these “crocuses” in yellow and pink. I wasn’t sure which I was going to prefer, but once I put the pink in the white sugar bowl, I didn’t even try the yellow! Love the splash of happy color!

In its previous rendition this Pfaltzgraff creamer held vintage knives, and the cloche simply had a tiny sprig of baby’s breath. Just one little crocus for a bit of color.

Just some speckled eggs in the Waterford goblet—the colors go well with the robin and bunny.

Forsythia!! Every year I search for the first forsythia bloom…JOY! It means Spring really has arrived! For now, only in the silk version, but it does the trick!

Gotta have chickadees in our china cabinet! Did you notice they’re a salt-and-pepper set?

I absolutely love this darling little spoon, though I don’t know exactly what its intended purpose was—do you? I’ve always thought of it and used it as a jelly spoon, but I’m not sure about that. I’d love to know if you know!

You’ve seen this darling silver cup before, I’m sure. It was in an auction box lot! What a find! In the previous display it only held the baby’s breath, and liking the white, I simply added a sprig of {faux} stephanotis.

Okay…here’s one change I forgot about! In the former displays I had a darling miniature milk glass sugar bowl where the glass one now sits. I’d had it on Etsy, and when I saw that Beverly, from How Sweet the Sound (here) holds a Blog Shop where you can add the items you have for sale on Etsy, eBay, or your blog, I added my Etsy items. Lo and behold, Beverly herself bought the sweet sugar bowl and another milk glass vase! If you have items for sale, be sure to visit her!

This little silver tray and “bronzy” spoon were already there on the china cabinet. I simply added the “grass” and daffodils. This spoon is perfect for the Spring setting—it always reminds me of a hosta Patriot leaf.

So…have I convinced you about how easy it is to update your china cabinet and enticed you to use yours as a seasonal display? I can’t wait to hear from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Making Monday at http://gracelangdon.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

DIY Design Wednesdays at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Thursday Share Your Style at http://northernnesting.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Fridays Creative Collection at http://thecardswedrew.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

Fridays at The Thrifty Groove at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday at The Girl Creative at http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Purple Passion Easter Table

2015-03-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Hi, there! How ready are you for Easter? Me: Nope!

Have you bought the Easter-basket goodies? Me: Huh-uh!

Do you have your menu set? No!! I can’t make up my mind with all the Pinterest ideas I keep pinning!! Help!!

Have you made at least one of the Easter decorations or vignettes you’ve pinned? Me: Not a one. :( I think I’m living vicariously through Pinterest. :(

Okay…but have you at least set the time for your gathering and invited guests???? Me: Kind’a….sorta….the guests know we’re doing SOMETHING. Time to be determined.

Do you have a plan for your table yet? Me: Ummmm….no (in a meek voice).

I may not have it all together—at all—

…but I can help YOU!!

Well, with the table at least. :)

I’ve seen several PURPLE EASTER TABLES this year, so I thought I’d bring last year’s PURPLE table out again, seeing as PURPLE might be getting to be a trend. I hope it serves as inspiration and helps you get on track. Happy Easter to all! I hope the Easter bunny stops by your house, and I wish you the true blessings and joy of Easter.

I’d seen a gorgeous purple table on tumblr that served as a huge inspiration, but alas, woe is me…I don’t have the gorgeous amethyst Ajka goblets that ‘scaper (I haven’t been able to identify him/her, though believe me, I’ve tried, because I so wanted close ups of this table!) has. They’re pricey…I don’t think I can justify them for one.table. Oh, I’m sure I’d use them and sooooo thoroughly enjoy having them, but reason must prevail at times, I think someone once said. :(

So this is the Chickadee Home Nest version of a purple table, just in time for Easter, and spring, and flowers.

I’ve used these Limoges dishes for several tablescapes, and I’ve so enjoyed them. They were purchased at a local antique shop on a day when reason {happily} did not prevail. I remember the day well…summer-almost-fall sunny day. I almost ran to my car, clutching them in my arms, sure that they were going to call me back because they’d made a mistake on the price, but happily, they didn’t! The “chargers” are Lenox Eternal dinner plates.

I have eight of these dishes, but three different floral patterns.

Four of these beauties live with us.

And two of these…

And two of these!

And their rims are just as beautiful ~

Hmmmm, lovely, yes? And…

Another one.

It’s funny…I just realized, as I wrote about how beautiful they are,that I do that quite often—I talk about the beauty of items, as from afar; as though they don’t belong to me. And it occurs to me that that might sound like I’m going on and on about “things” I own, but it’s not that at all. I marvel at the mastery in all things beautiful, and I so enjoy others’ talents and vision in creating beautiful things. It’s really about them, and the creative process. I have vivid memories of my sweet grandmother doing that too, like admiring the stitchery in fine linens the same way…as just stating a fact. I’m just happy that these beautiful creations live with me so I can enjoy them!

So how did I partner these lovelies?

With lots of purples, to bring out the purple in them. I wrote about the silver goblets recently (a happy auction find!), and the crystal wines are big favorites of mine. The pattern is Pristine, made by Reizart at the time, which was eventually bought by Gorham. The pattern was discontinued in the early 70s. Unlike Waterford that is so heavy (and I also l-o-v-e), these stems are delicate and paper thin. Of the original set of 12 (waters, wines, and sherbets each) only a couple have small chips! I’m so glad I still have them and still like them!

Were you wondering if I’d forgotten the napkins? :) Nope! They’re here! I decided to do something different with them and stack them on a silver server (not visible in this picture), tied with a shimmery purple ribbon. They will be passed around the table, just like the bread will be, when all my imaginary guests are seated. (The real Easter table this year will involve birds and nests. :) )

Lots of purple.

As I often do, the grandchickadee’s high chair is part of the ensemble, this time with a mix of purple and white flowers. Little does he know that his high chair serves another purpose when he’s not here! :)

The centerpiece was created to give the illusion of a runner, extending the full length of the open center of the table.

Have you noticed the challenge of silverware placement on round placemats? The placemats don’t appear to be too small, but because we lose the valuable real estate of the corners, we have to get a little creative. So I moved the salad forks and teaspoons up a bit and liked it!

Some of the details (you know I love details!).

And now, as they say in Hollywood…

It’s a wrap!

So, do you think I need those purple Ajka goblets? (There’s only one right answer, you know…because I’ll be reporting the results of this unbiased, statistically sound survey to Mr. CHN so he understands my “need.”)

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fabulously Creative Fridays at http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

Design it Friday at http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/

Friday Party Junk at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Simply Sweet Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Imparting Grace at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

My Outdoor Office and Other Summer Dreams

2015-03-07T22:52:00.001-05:00

I’m dreamin’ of warm summer days—aren’t we all?! A couple of nights ago the overnight forecast was for between zero and -5°…yes, that’s right: MINUS FIVE DEGREES! In March! Our grandchildren in southern Ohio have missed almost the entire last three weeks of school because of snow and or too-low temperatures!

BUT…it’s looking BETTER! Our local weatherman (the one we watch is a “he”) is now teasing us with a possible HEATWAVE of high 40s next week! Oh, joy! That has me thinking not of spring…no, I’m going in for the full SUMMER DREAMS!!!

As I glanced out to our snowy scene beyond our screened porch the other day my heart wished I could go sit out there for a spell (as you know, the screened porch is my favorite space in our cottage). I thought of the naps our babies (and yes, I too!) have taken out there, the quiet times sitting there doing “nothing” but being, the puttering and happy hours, rocking our babies out there as night falls, visits to blogging friends, birthday celebrated there…and yes, actually working out there.

Working is much more palatable when I can work here:

Just look at that GREEN! Awash in sunshine! And in the protective shade of the porch, a blooming Gerbera daisy, and the happy/going-crazy purple flowers that I don’t know what they are (help! I’d love to know if you know!!). I’ve had that plant—in the same pot!!—for at least 8 years! Sometimes, when she’s wintering indoors, she still blooms, but she’s happiest in the summer—just like I am!

A close-up might helps those of you serious gardeners to help me identify her. The precious Gerbera was a birthday present from our grandchickadees last summer (yes, I even have a summer birthday—August—the HOTTEST month of the year, and perfect for me!).

This is the sweet note the chickadees’ sweet Mamá added to it: “Thank you for being such a good “Ata” and helping us bloom and grow! OXOX Happy Birthday.” Oh, this Ata does love that daisy!! (I used it in last summer’s Last Hurrah post here.)

But I digress…get me on the topic of summer and I’m off in every direction possible!

One beautiful August day last summer I was fortunate enough to be able to work from home, and as I do every chance I get, I took my laptop to my “outdoor office.” It occurred to me that I needed to capture the blessing—that very moment! Notice that there’s no fancy staging…no glistening glass of iced tea with lemon slices and a bit of mint from my garden. No lovely napkin, or coaster, or long and beautiful iced tea spoon. Just simple, easy, real life happening: Laptop, mouse, Bluetooth, Bible, pen and paper.

First…ahhhh…a moment (or two or three or more) to breathe, to read His Word, to reflect, to write, while basking in His glorious gifts.

My up-close view.

This winter I have been working hard to not complain much about His ways with the weather, as I know I don’t know ~~much~~ anything about His reasons. But even through my strongest effort He knows that in my little human heart I CAN.NOT.WAIT until I am feeling, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling His summer gifts:

~ Bright sunshine (I dare not complain…we’ve had many sunny days this winter);

~ WARM sunshine;

~ Birds singing (they’re singing their little hearts out already; I think they’re as anxious as I am for summer days!);

~ The sound of gentle breezes murmuring through the leaves instead of winds howling through the bare branches;

~ Our wind chimes playing their soft, tinkling music in the breeze;

~ The scent of fresh grass and dirt waking from their long and frozen sleep.

Oh, and I’ve promised myself that I WILL.NOT complain about a hot summer! :) Please hold me to that!

How ‘bout you? Are you as ready for spring and/or summer as I am? Are you dreaming in spring and summer colors yet? Are you the type who wants to be OUTSIDE every moment of summer? I kid that I’m like a little kid in the summer…I.DON’T.WANT.TO.COME.INSIDE!!!

Oh, and I’ve often wondered if my love for summer has anything to do with the fact that I was born in August. What do you think? Do you love the season in which you were born more than the others?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

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Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Monday’s Blue Monday at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Market Yourself Monday at http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/

Monday Just Something I Whipped Up at http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

CraftOManiac Monday at http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/

Mondays Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Tuesday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia,

Tuesday’s Simply Klassics at http://www.simplyklassichome.com/

Too Cute Tuesday at http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/

Wednesday at Tea Rose Home at http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/

Wednesday’s Hoo’s Got Talent at http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

DIY Design Wednesdays at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

Fridays at The Thrifty Groove at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

Friday Bacon Time’s party at http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com

Fridays at Bloom Designs Online at http://bloomdesignsonline.com

Friday at Shine on Fridays,

Fridays at Stuff and Nonsense,

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday Favs at http://www.naptimecrafters.com

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

Saturday Strut Your Stuff at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

Spotlight Saturday at http://www.classyclutter.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Peter Rabbit Birthday Party

2015-02-28T23:46:00.001-05:00

Easter will be here in just a few weeks, so while we’re thinking of bunnies and Easter flowers I thought it would be timely to share our chickadee’s 2-year-old Peter Rabbit birthday party. Thinking that by his third birthday he might be more interested in not-so-sweet things such as turtles and superheroes, his mamá and I decided it was a now-or-never moment to do one more baby-theme party. (And aren’t I blessed to be able to be an integral part of the chickadees’ birthday parties?!)

I’ve always loved Peter Rabbit—especially his escapade into Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden, so over the years (and I DO mean over the years, as in since my boys were little), I’ve bought quite a few cute Peter Rabbit things. Once the chickadees came along, even more were added, but I had NO.IDEA how much of it I had! It was so fun to start gathering it all for his party!

We had three food stations, simply because, as is usually the case with our family gatherings, food is one of the main attractions—only second to the babies and family present. We pushed the table back into the bay window, and the Peter Rabbit canvas (found by our DIL at GW right before the party!) became the absolutely perfect backdrop.

We served cucumber and Boursin cheese tea sandwiches (left), an array of fresh veggies tumbling out of a large flowerpot, Brussels sprouts and bacon in a honey mustard glaze, and chicken salad in lettuce and cabbage leaf beds.

A close-up of the fresh veggies tumbling out of a flower pot.

The Wedgwood bowl we used for the Brussels sprouts is really a berry bowl with drainage holes at the bottom, but how could we resist using it for Mr. McGregor’s vegetables? Lettuce leaves solved the problem beautifully!

The next food station was for drinks and desserts—yes, of course, carrot cake cupcakes!

Here’s where we were able to showcase a good portion of the Peter Rabbit collection, along with blue bunny Peeps, an Easter egg tree with tiny carrots, and a Peter vignette. We purchased the darling Meri Meri Peter Rabbit wheelbarrows as well as the cupcake liners, but I’m thankful that our son and DIL like to use “real” plates and silverware for their parties, so we didn’t purchase the other Peter Rabbit paper products.

And what farm would be complete without chickens? Our DIL’s grandmother’s s&p shaker set were the perfect touch.

Aren’t these wheelbarrows the absolute sweetest?! You can see that the babies’ Bunnykins bowl was also in use (behind the wheelbarrows).

Are you noticing the carrots on the cupcakes yet? I’ll tell you about those in a minute. Yes, they’re edible. :)

The little ones’ drinks were in carrot-adorned plastic bottles (psssst…remember when I made them for Baby Love Chickadee’s shabby chic lil cowgirl birthday party here? I like to use these because 1) they have a lid, and 2) they’re plastic, so they’re safe—oh, and 3) They’re so, so cute! And please don’t tell anyone, but they’re nothing more than Nestle chocolate milk bottles!) It just so happened that in my stash of Easter goodies I had the darling carrots to add to them (somehow we just know when we see things that someday we’re going to need them, don’t we?). My rusty carrier seemed like the perfect “garden fence” to corral the bottles.

Watering cans (oh, I have maybe a dozen or more, for someday), and rattan (?) carrots (you can see them better here and here, and if you look carefully you’ll see the teeny carrot “clothespins” used as name card holders…again, a someday purchase). The base for this vignette is a vintage metal Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd. Peter Rabbit tray I had to have, from an auction.

Our third station was in the dining room, where we used my tiered basket for potted herbs and extra cupcakes.

I promised I would tell you about the carrots on the carrot-cake cupcakes. They were sooooo fun to make! I’d never worked with marzipan before, and although I could’ve used the carrots that I instead used for the drink bottles, I just had it in my head that I wanted to MAKE the carrots!

Using food coloring, I made the marzipan orange, molded it into teeny carrots, complete with the cross lines, and used fresh dill as their tops.

That ornery Peter just had to try them!

Mr. McGregor’s harvest, all lined up in garden rows, accompanied a sweet Peter Rabbit puzzle and book in the family room.

The chicken-wire cloche was a good way to keep Peter away from the fresh fruit, and yes, that’s the darling chickadee.

The drink station of course had to have…V8 VEGETABLE JUICE, along with other refreshments.

We used the chickadees’ darling Peter Rabbit Easter “baskets” as the base for the chickadee’s balloons.

And finally, the chickadee’s own cupcake—on his Bunnykins dish, of course!

On his 2nd birthday he wore the outfit his Papá wore for Easter many years ago, exactly as he did, with knee socks and high-top leather boots. Do you think that makes this Ata’s heart happy? :)

I’m so excited about sharing this fun birthday party with you! I hope you enjoyed it! Their birthday parties are so much fun!

I can’t wait to hear from you! And if you’ve worked with marzipan I want to hear about that too, and the masterpieces you’ve created. It wasn’t hard to work with it at all, so I’ll certainly be using it again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Wednesday at Tea Rose Home at http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/

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Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

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Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Easing Into Spring—Adding Color to the China Cabinet

2015-02-24T23:29:00.001-05:00

I am not complaining…compared to what the folks in the northeast are enduring with the snow and wind and ice, it’s a cakewalk in Ohio, although last night we broke records with temps in the –14 range (yes, that’s MINUS FOURTEEN DEGREES!), and the possibility for more record-breakers this week remains strong. It’s that time of year when we tend to get a little cabin fever and our thoughts start to turn to a little milder scene.

Since violets are the flower of February, and I’m not ready to put my Nippon violet hot chocolate cups away (see post HERE), I decided to add them to the china cabinet. Two for the price of one: I get to enjoy them longer, plus we get a much-needed shot of spring color.

Here’s the china cabinet BEFORE—Very calm and serene. It worked well for after the colors and the hustle and bustle of Christmas. But it was starting to look a little…two wintry, perhaps? A little too similar to what’s all around us??

It was time for a touch of spring, and the sparkle of a bit of crystal~

I’m always amazed at the impact from just a bit of tweaking. There’s no need to completely re-do some things; a bit of color brings us a fresh and lively feel.

The sparkle of the Waterford Alana wine goblets adds more depth and texture to the still-snowy scene…

…other touches of crystal, silver, and wood add more change and contrast.

And finally, the roses from our pre-Valentine’s dinner party, now aged to perfection, offer a bit of color without going into spring colors just yet. I’m okay for a few more weeks (sigh).

How do you spring into spring? :) Ease into it as I need to do, or do you jump in with both feet? Are you there yet, or are you waiting for a magic moment that tells you it’s time?

Here’s hoping for an early thaw and spring!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

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Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

Fridays at The Thrifty Groove at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

AFTER a bit of spring tweaking~

Sweet Violets Nippon Tea Cups

2015-02-16T14:07:00.001-05:00

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." Mark Twain

I’m not sure when or why it started, but my sweet, dear grandmother, who has now been gone for 25+ years, started giving me violet pieces, I’d guess when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Mostly she gave me porcelain pill boxes—darling little footed things that to this day I cherish and display in our old secretary. That will be another post to share—soon!

Even though my sister-in-law and I live exactly one hour away from each other—or perhaps for that very reason—we make the effort to have lunch once every month or so, to share our many passions: family, home, all things beautiful, auctions…believe me, those are loooonnnggg, lovely lunches. And yes, there’s also the occasional tear, and memories shared too. With the holidays and the busy new year we’ve missed a few lunches, and recently she sent me this picture, saying, “Look what I got.”~ I texted back, “OMG! I HAVE to have them!! I’m trying to collect violet things because Ati [my grandmother] used to get them for me. Can I buy them from you?”

She replied, “I knew you would love them. I got them just for you! They were meant to be a surprise that I didn’t keep. You’ll just have to wait so I can surprise you.”

I asked, “How did you know I love violet things?”

She simply said, “I listen when you talk.”

Now, isn’t that what we all want and need? To have things that are near to our hearts and shared be heard? That comment touched my heart.

The Saturday before Valentine’s Day we had a small dinner party at our house, and she and my brother were invited…I am happy to report that the sweet, darling violet tea cups (I’m pretty sure they’re actually hot-chocolate cups) are now at home in our china cabinet! That’s another post, for another day too. :)

She brought them over as a hostess gift, with a lovely, vintage-looking card—with what else? Violets, of course!

Don’t you just love the ring and cuff detail on the soft, feminine hand?

For the card vignette I used the tea/chocolate cups, as well as two violet dishes I’ve had for quite some time…

The one on top was my own long-ago purchase, and the soft-yellow one was a gift my MIL allowed me to choose as a birthday present. Nosegays of tiny flowers and gold flourishes…lovely and feminine.

And I wonder if she knew~she probably did, because she just knows things like this~that February’s birth flower is the violet ?

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the violet signifies watchfulness, loyalty, and faithfulness. It also says, “Give a violet to someone to let them know you'll always be there for them.” I like to think we will be there for each other for many years to come.

Violet Tea Party ~

I’ve been so anxious to do a sweet tea party vignette with these cups, and today, being a sunny, beautiful-but-bitterly-cold day was the perfect day to play [indoors].

It’s tea (or hot chocolate) for two…I truly hope some day she and I will be able to enjoy tea together, at my table, with her darling gift.

Look at the detail! Those of you who know me well know that I love detail and workmanship. These little darlings say “Nippon” and “Hand Painted”—just what I love! I’d like to think my sweet grandmother would’ve gotten these for me as well, and I’m so happy to now have some from my sister-in-law.

The rims of the cups and saucers have a beautiful scalloped detail.

The gold demitasse spoons are of course perfect for these tiny cups. I’ve had them for many years and was happy to use them today!

Hand-painted porcelain, violets, pearls, and vintage cutwork runner…my kind of tea party!

Oh, yes, and silver! Have you ever tried the Melaleuca G’Day tea? It’s delicious, and because it contains tea tree oil (did I say “tea” tree oil?!), it was perfect for the occasion!

Fostoria Willowmere footed sugar and creamer.

So what’s your pleasure? Tea or hot chocolate? I’ll have them ready; let me know when you’ll be arriving!

And do you have a definitive answer on whether they’re tea cups or hot chocolate cups? Like I said, I think they were originally intended for hot chocolate, in the days when items had intended purposes, but today we can thankfully be more carefree about those things, so when you join me, you’ll certainly be able to enjoy the use of the cups—for tea OR hot chocolate!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

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Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

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Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

It’s a Winter Wonderland!

2015-02-01T21:32:00.001-05:00

Hello, all! I hope those of you in the throes of snow measured in feet (as in 36+ inches in some parts of our world) are safe and able to see its beauty, even with the ccccooooolllldddd and the inconveniences. And those of you in sunny, warm climates—well, you just might enjoy seeing some of the beauty that we’ve enjoyed this winter in central Ohio. (I know, I know…those of you who stop in often know I’m a summer-kind-of-girl and you’re scratching your heads wondering if I’ve lost mine, but I’m always in awe of the WINTER WONDERLAND that snow creates. What a gift!)

These pictures were taken during and after several snow falls, simply because I can’t help but pull the camera out to try to capture the beauty that my eyes capture each and every time. A camera, of course, can’t really capture it, but I hope you will enjoy their simple scenes, all taken from inside our home. Not much more to say, so sit back in your favorite chair with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee in hand—especially if you’re in warm weather right now; you might feel a chill :)—and enjoy.

This just might be one of my all-time favorite pictures that I’ve taken. You might recall that we live in a community of cottages, and my sweet neighbor across the street and I take pictures of each other’s homes and send them to each other! I sent this one to her today, because their home looks like it’s a Christmas package! It’s taken from our front window…toooo cccccoooolllddd to go outside. It was around zero on this particular day!

From our bedroom window, the bucolic scene is accented by the beautiful snow mounded on every branch.

The purple plum looks as beautiful full of snow as it does in bloom.

Another tree, by the front porch, is also laden with snow.

As we walk out our bedroom doors this is the view we have, and I am always struck by the beauty of the snow. Did you notice the Christmas tree to the left? This is one of those scenes that was much more intense and beautiful than what the camera was able to capture. (I shouldn’t blame it all on the camera; it can do much more than I can tell it to do!)

Our view from our dining room window. You can see the deer antlers on the table, which was still sporting the centerpiece featuring the deer my husband gave me for Christmas. You can see that post here.

And our screened porch…

And Mother Nature knew our Christmas vignette needed a little tweaking…snow to make it just so.

The wood “boot”—that’s what the log looks like!—was made by my brother. It looks beautiful when the winds aren’t howling and I can light the candles out there!

I can’t tell you how much I love this crooked pine tree! :)

I hope you enjoyed our WINTER WONDERLAND. Are you as smitten with snow scenes as I am? Do you take the pictures from the safety of your warm cocoon, or are you out there in it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Throwback Thursdays at http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com/throwback-thursday-2/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Be Inspired Friday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Post-Christmas Winter Vignettes

2015-01-24T22:23:00.001-05:00

Whew! Observing the Twelve Days of Christmas and celebrating the Epiphany (you can see my post on the Epiphany/Three Kings celebration here) easily brings our de-Christmasing to mid-January, but I can now report that, save a wintery sleigh in creams and evergreens, there’s not a shred of evidence of Christmas decor left at our house! Every year I feel as though we’ve decorated less, but it’s because I’ve changed how we do it. We used to decorate the tree and the house on the same day, but now I’ve started decorating in a more piecemeal fashion. Only when we start to put it away do I realize how much I (yes, I take full responsibility here…) have managed to bring up from the basement. Lugging it down to the basement is never as much fun as bringing it up...funny thing… And just think, in 10 short months we’ll be doing it again, or at least thinking about it!

But the house is serene now, and though I love, love, love everything about Christmas, the serenity does my soul good.

I thought the china cabinet we had through Christmas would carry me over into winter…remember me saying that? I even did a blog post on it, you might remember:

A few tweaks, and I’d be done…or so I thought.

Once the reds started disappearing, the china cabinet vignettes just didn’t do it for me. Our china cabinet is in such a central location in our open-floorplan home, that it truly sets the tone and has a huge impact on the feeling in the house. Changes were in order…

So now it’s quite simple, in whites and touches of snowy bottlebrush trees:

As I worked on the china cabinet I wanted to use some restraint (a difficult thing for me, but it does come easier in January, I’ve noticed). I kept thinking about our winters here in central Ohio: “winter,” “quiet,” “snow,” “pines and evergreens,”—and “deer…lots of deer.” The deer thought allowed me to keep the deer my husband had just given me for Christmas out, but in a much quieter setting—like seeing them out in the fields, quietly grazing. Their former home on our table (you can see them in a centerpiece here) was much too much for this quiet season. (I choose to call it the “quiet season,” but a lot of people in central Ohio suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), a sad or depressed mood that is directly tied to the lack of light, mostly caused by the usual cloud cover.) I’m thankful to not suffer from SAD, and in fact, as the years pass, these January days are nice, quiet days for me. Don’t get me wrong, though. By the time sunlight returns, I’m very, very happy to have it!

I also kept my beloved log cabin, sans the Christmas touches. The vintage cruet set lightens things up a bit and brings some bling to the otherwise-dark scene.

Can you hear the quiet?

The ubiquitous chickadees, of course, nestled on a pewter tray, next to a vintage silverplate toast caddy.

This tiny silver cup is a favorite—you’ve seen it before, haven’t you? Filled with greens and the baby’s breath left from the roses we had for the Three Kings celebration, it continues the green-and-white winter theme.

More silver and white, with a touch of rustic in the old wood spindles. The silver “vase” is actually the bottom of a salt/pepper shaker. I got the set at an auction, exactly for this purpose! The other one sits on my nightstand holding dried hydrangeas.

Over the years I’ve come to accumulate quite a few white pieces. Perfect any time of year!

Several readers have asked about my log candles, and if they are for sale, as my brother makes them. I just love the earthiness that they bring to any setting! And yes, his wife has a booth at an antique mall and is now carrying them there. Email me if you’d like to contact her. In the center picture below you can get a glimpse at others he’s made for me. It was our simple centerpiece for our dinner with our little chickadees on the Epiphany.

You might recall that we had a large family picture over the buffet, then at Christmas that was replaced with a wreath. Now there’s a mirror there! ~

This mirror is quite old and very, very heavy. I hope it doesn’t bring the wall down, but it didn’t in its former home in our bathroom. I’ve wanted to hang it here for a while now. I’m really looking forward to putting seasonal wreaths on it, but for now, it’s the serene look! We’ve had the rectangular mirrored candle holder for a few years (you can see it here), and though we used it over Christmas it was allowed to stay since it fit it with our January sensibilities.

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I know many of you de-Christmas pretty soon after Christmas. What’s your inclination for your post-Christmas decor? Serene/quiet? Or do you continue the color and vibrancy of Christmas? And Valentine’s? Are you decorating for that already? I don’t think I will until early February, so I can enjoy my quiet decor for a little while. And in my famous words… “I won’t do much for that.” We’ll see… :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

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Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

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Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Three Kings/Epiphany Celebration

2015-01-19T01:35:00.001-05:00

We hosted our Three Kings/Epiphany celebration the weekend following January 6th, as the kiddies were all back to school and there were bedtimes to observe. However, we had put the chickadees’ slippers by our tree, and the gracious Three Kings~Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar (or in Spanish, as our Chickadees know them: Melchor, Gaspar y Baltazar) did come to our home!

I think they must coordinate with Santa, because knowing the overload of gifts Santa left, they leave just a few things—all of which are amazingly well received. :) They also save time by not wrapping their gifts, but rather leaving them out for easy finding. (If you look closely you can see their slippers, where they placed a smaller gift or two.)

After the gift opening we had dinner. Though they know the story well, we continue to reinforce it for the little chickadees, thus each of their places had a Baby Jesus from the many nativity scenes we have, and the three adults’ places each had a King. The Holy Family was the central piece—the centerpiece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My friend Maria of Dreams and Epiphanies also does a Three Kings celebration (be sure to visit hers; it’s a lovely affair every year) and we emailed back and forth about our plans for our celebrations. I told her I wanted to do something rustic, as the real setting was, but I was having a hard time envisioning what I would use, and my heart wanted a fancier setting. She gave me “permission” when she reminded me that the Three Kings had brought quite fancy gifts…THANK YOU, MARIA.

I was able to take the Friday before the party off, so I had a most wonderful, albeit exhausting, day creating!

I knew I wanted to use a beautiful nativity scene my husband had given me several years ago but that is too fragile for the little chickadees, and I knew I wanted it raised high above the table where I would be serving hors-d'oeuvres, again, in an effort to keep the importance of the day and the cause for celebration central.

As I ~~rummaged~~ searched through my linens, I ran across this favorite tablecloth that I got last year and have only used for a table that I’ve yet to post (maybe November/December 2015!), and that was the piece that set the tone for me! (I find it so interesting how a single piece—a serving piece, a tablecloth, a particular dish, is what always gives me the final direction and inspiration!)

For Christmas our son Todd and his wife had given us the beautiful driftwood star from Pottery Barn that was perfect for over the table and the nativity scene~I wish it weren’t so hard to see under the ribbon. It was more visible in real life. :) ~

The evening before our party the table was prepped with most of the serving dishes, consisting of the mix I envisioned: crowns and silver and rustic wood pieces (my brother’s handiwork), and crystal…oh, my! (Again, thank you, Maria!)

Our celebrating the Epiphany in our home started when our grand-chickadees were old enough to understand about the Three Kings coming to honor the King of Kings, and since there are now quite a few other chickadees in our extended family, we wanted to include them (and their parents :)) as well. So the party is for them.

We gather them ‘round to talk about the Baby and the Three Kings. This year we had treat bags for them~

Each treat bag had:

3 Rolos (to represent the crowns of the Three Kings)

Gold chocolate coins (to represent the gifts they brought to the Baby)

and

A heart lollipop (to remind them of how much God and Jesus love them).

The treats were nestled in brown-paper gift filler, representing Baby Jesus’s bed.

Baby Love Chickadee read two Bible verses to them,

then we talked about the meaning of the day. Don’t you just love their little faces??

We had crowns for the to wear, and when I asked to take the picture of these three kings they immediately grabbed whatever toy they could find to represent the gifts!

And then we ate!

THE FOOD~ (Not to be missed, the crackers still in packages…:( ) The rush to get the food on the table AND take pictures is a challenge sometimes—do you find that too??) I really wanted pictures of the food, but feeding our guests was more important!

To end the Christmas season we used our Christmas dessert plates.

THE DRINKS~

Cold beverages~ Ice cream punch with a “crown” ice ring,

I LOVE punch bowls! I even have a Pinterest board devoted to punch bowls! I have four or five very nice ones, but you’d never know it, would you? I use the sterling one my MIL gave us many years ago every chance I get. I just.love.it! And I’ve amassed quite a collection of punch cups (many from my mother, others that I’ve collected myself), which allows us to not have to resort to disposables when we have a large crowd, which is exactly why I’ve collected them. If you’d like to go this route, they’re still easy to find, and they wash perfectly in the dishwasher, so no fear of hand washing there!

and Limoncello ~

When Maria and her husband, Lee, came to visit us last fall, they had just returned from a wonderful trip to Venice, and they brought us a bottle of Limoncello, directly from Venice! What a gracious treat! I had meant to serve it at our family Christmas brunch but completely forgot, so it worked out perfectly to serve it at our Epiphany party! Boy, was it a hit!

I love to use cordials, so serving Limoncello was a perfect excuse to bring them out! I usually use them to serve Bailey’s straight (another YUM!), so now I have another excuse to use them!

And the Cuban hot chocolate (thick, and creamy, and rich, and cinnamon-y with a hint of espresso—YUM!) was a big hit again this year and has become a tradition that I’m happy to indulge. I prepared the station with add-ons, and used my favorite space-saving Southern Living Ballard Designs tiered basket for yet more punch cups and mugs at the hot chocolate station~

Mini chocolate chips (that are about the cutest thing you’ll ever see!), whipped cream, and yes…sugar for those who just might want the hot chocolate richer and sweeter than it already was!

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Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

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Throwback Thursdays at http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com/throwback-thursday-2/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

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Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

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Fresh-Cut Fridays at http://rosevignettes.blogspot.com

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Winter China Cabinet!

2015-01-03T22:20:00.001-05:00

Hello, there! Happy new year! To those of you who have taken the time to visit and to comment, and to Pin and to follow since I’ve been blogging, this is a good time to say a big THANK YOU! You have no idea how much it means to me to have you visit my little ol’ blog! If you’re new to CHN, WELCOME! I hope you’ll like what you find here and that you too, will become part of my Chickadee family.

I gave you a peek at my winter china cabinet in my last post (here), so it’s time to show you a bit more detail. I did the china cabinet early enough (late November/early December) that I didn’t want it to be Christmassy—I wanted it to be wintery. It in fact carried us through Christmas—it didn’t make me cringe when I glanced in that direction, as though it were out of place—and it’s still feeling…well, wintery! (Although here in central Ohio we thankfully haven’t seen much of Old Man Winter--yet.)

As I write, our Christmas tree is still up, still giving off its warm glow of the white lights and the old, familiar ornaments. The garland is still on the banister (sans stockings), and the nativity scenes are still out, because in our Cuban tradition we celebrate the Epiphany, so the 12 days of Christmas are important to us. At our house, it’s still the Christmas season! Since the baby chickadees don’t know the date yet (well, Baby Love sort of does, but she doesn’t know they come on the 6th.) we’re going to have our annual Three Kings party on Saturday the 10th. We’re hoping the tree holds up—so far so good!

As many of you know, I love red, so to me, red isn’t just for Christmas. After the Epiphany I’ll remove the bottlebrush trees with ornaments on them and leave the plain ones—after all, pine trees and evergreens (especially with snow on them!) are certainly a part of winter! And the real holly will still have berries, so I may or may not remove the holly and the berries. If I do, it’ll be to get them put away with Christmas things.

I wanted to share this close-up tell you about the red square container in the center--$1 at Goodwill, and I love it!! I’ll use that for many years to come. I think the tiny cloche on the left was also a GW find that I like.

The wreaths on the Putz houses are certainly a Christmas touch, so they’ll get put away soon. The crooked little candle(s) and the very old, tin candle clips were my pleasant surprise this year! I’d forgotten that I had them! I was wishing I had some candle clips, and as I rummaged through Christmas decorations, there they were, in the darling vintage candle boxes, which also found a home in the china cabinet decor:

See one there as a pedestal to the bottlebrush tree?

And here’s the other one! I went after them at an auction, because I wanted the tiny, old candles (almost the size of a birthday candle, but OLD), and the other goodies came along!

I was so happy to have found the candle clips that I used them on the shelves as well, along with my cranberry glass pitcher and Friendly Village. Actually, as I recall now, the Friendly Village dishes were the inspiration for this china cabinet display!

Another Putz house, dressed for Christmas—wouldn’t it be precious to live in one of these?! The old spools (or bobbins?? Someone please enlighten me!) add a rustic touch that I like at Christmas, and the vintage deer are actually Baby Love’s—my mother gave them to her and I’ve got them for safekeeping. :)

The snowy Friendly Village plates seemed just perfect for this winter china cabinet. Did you notice it also snowed around them, and that the chimneys are spewing smoke? (That’s one of the great things about blogging; it allows us to become little girls again and engage our childlike imaginations!)

This Crate and Barrel wood “boat” has been a great item for just about any seasonal display. It now holds the pinecone roses I’ve also used on many occasions (for a close-up to see their detail click here (spring china cabinet display)), preserved cedar (one of my faves for Christmas and winter decorating), and faux greens and berries.

I’ve visited many of you since New Year’s and I see that many of you took your Christmas trees and decorations down right away, and I imagine that was the chore of choice this weekend, for those who hadn’t been able to get to it before now. Have you ever thought about celebrating the 12 days of Christmas? When our boys were little we’d have little gifts for them each day, in anticipation of the Three Kings’ arrival, then the Three Kings would leave them some gifts under the tree (fewer than Santa brought, and less $$$$). It’s our family’s way of keeping a cultural tradition alive by sharing it with our grandchildren now. I’ll be posting pictures of the Three Kings party next week!

Again, I wish you all a very, very good year, filled with many blessings. Thanks again! ~Zuni

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

A Rustic Christmas Deer Tablescape

2014-12-26T22:38:00.001-05:00

Two posts in one day! And here I’ve been absent for weeks! This is the companion post to my earlier one, A Pinecone Cheese Ball (http://chickadeehomenest.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-pinecone-cheese-ball.html). I thought the two would work well for a New Year’s Eve party.
For years I’ve thought I “needed” a pair of deer (the tabletop kind, not the barn/field kind), but I hadn’t really seen the ones I wanted. My mother has the Fitz and Floyd ones that are gorgeous, and those are some I’ve considered, but I just haven’t been sure about which ones, so I haven’t pushed real hard to get some…until this year, when I did our Christmas china cabinet in Friendly Village ~
Then I got kind of serious about finding just the ones. It wasn’t an exhaustive search, but I kept an eye out for some I liked (and that I liked the price!), but nothing was jumping out at me…until…Mr. Chickadee and I walked into Harick’s, a favorite shop near our home in Shawnee Hills. You know how the music plays and the light shines upon the Christmas tree that Clark spots (Christmas Vacation)? That’s exactly what happened when I spotted the deer.
But they were pricey—more than I wanted to spend, and I get pretty stubborn about what I’m willing to pay. So we kept looking around and I told Mr. C that there were 3 or 4 things I’d want to take home, one of them being the deer, if only the price were right. Yep…you’re ahead of me, aren’t you? Guess what was under our tree when Santa came?!

When I “gently” questioned Santa about losing his mind he told me the owner agreed to hold them for him while we were there, and agreed to a fabulous price “adjustment.” I’m going with that, so I can enjoy them to the fullest! I know you’ll see these guys a lot over the coming years, now that I finally have my deer!

But you know we bloggers can’t leave things plain and simple. They needed to be nestled and fussed over, of course, to create the after-Christmas-yet-Christmassy centerpiece tablescape I wanted.

Now that’s more like it, isn’t it? Candles and “snow” and pinecones and berries and greenery.

I took a ton of pictures, because I want to show you the detail on them—the fur, or hair (my research says it’s one and the same) is quite visible, though they’re made of some sort of resin, I guess.

And did you notice the bark candle in front of the deer lying down? My brother has been making tons of these for me—they are really, really cool, and perfect for my love of woodland settings.

I think I’ll be leaving this “centerpiece” up for quite a while—certainly into January—though admittedly it has to be moved for any meal involving more than the two of us. Mr. Chickadee sits at the end of the table, so that works. I sit right in front of them, but I’ve been able to set my place just fine, which means I’ve been enjoying them up close.

I’m always curious about centerpieces—what do you do? Do you leave a large one like this up and work around it? If we do anything here at home for New Year’s Eve I’ll probably just move it back and continue with the woodland theme to not get too fancy this year, and I’ll do a simple buffet around it. For our New Year’s Day pork and sauerkraut it’ll surely need to be moved.

I’m wishing you and yours a happy New Year and the best in 2015!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!
NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!
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From my nest to yours~
Zuni

A Pinecone Cheese Ball

2014-12-26T20:54:00.001-05:00

Hi, All. I haven’t been around much this month. I had tons of pictures ready for a post or two or three, then Mr. Chickadee and I BOTH got sick and were out of commission for about 10 days total—3 1/2 of those days completely out of commission, in bed. Wow! That played havoc with the Christmas preparations! But it could’ve been worse—we could’ve been sick right at Christmas, like so many people are. We we were at almost 100% by our early Christmas in our home, and we had a nice, sweet time. I hope you had a nice, healthy Christmas.

Today I’m doing two quick posts, to share a couple of winter ideas that will work for New Year’s Eve too.

I made a pinecone cheese ball years ago, when I saw the idea in one of my beloved Christmas books. Getting my books out was one of the things that didn’t get done this year, so I turned to Pinterest for a refresher—they’re all over Pinterest! I’m still sharing it, though, with a bit of detail on the very simple how-to.

The beauty of this “recipe” is that it’s so pretty, yet so easy. I took it to my mother’s for our family’s traditional Cuban Christmas Eve dinner (27 of us for a sit-down dinner!), and even the guys thought it was pretty neat!

“Recipe”: You can use any cheese ball recipe, or for that matter you can buy a cheese ball—how easy is that?! (Mine was ~~a concoction~~ my own creation of cream cheese, bleu cheese dressing, white-meat canned chicken, one packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing, chopped walnuts and Craisins.) Shape the cheese ball mixture into a pinecone shape (it can be “lying” down or “sitting”) and set it on a large lettuce leaf. Starting at the bottom, work the almonds in rows until the whole cheese ball is covered (that part is a little tedious…)then cup your hands around the cheese ball and gently push the almonds up a bit until you think it looks like a pinecone. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and fresh cranberries or Craisins.

When you’re ready to bring it out make sure you have the due drum roll (a la Clark’s in Christmas Vacation). Serve with crackers and enjoy!!

My next post will also be a quick one of a reindeer and pinecones centerpiece, so this pinecone cheese ball would be perfect for it!

Did you come up with an easy WOW!! recipe this Christmas? Quick with a WOW! factor is the best, isn’t it?

I’m wishing you all a happy Christmas season and if I don’t “see” you before the new year I wish you the very best in 2015!

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Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

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