Living With Lis

Tables

2012-12-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

I have been drawn to this style of table for sometime. The rustic look seems so much easier to deal with when you have children or grandchildren. No worries about scratches and scrapes!

The legs are gorgeous on this table.

Awesome chairs.

Very soothing.

These benches are fabulous! Spills? No problem, just whisk off the slipcovers and wash!

I really want real wood chairs, but the prices are so far out of my budget! I may have to start collecting mismatched chairs.

Beautiful.

Just a delightful mix of rustic and refined and graphic.

Entryway Makeover

2012-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Earlier this fall I decided to redo my entryway. I never get tired of looking through design magazines and books, and they always inspire me to try new looks.

So the entryway went from black furniture with red accents to pale blue and creams with gold.

The little settee used to be in my bedroom, but I love it out here. Gold faux bamboo table adds a touch of glamour. And of course Stella thinks she needs to be in the photo!

Black buffet has been painted with chalk paint and waxed for a tough finish on top. Chair fabric matches the settee. Mercury glass, some filled with paper whites for simple Christmas decor.

Sparkly and serene.

Elf on the Shelf

2012-11-29T10:40:00.003-08:00

My school teacher daughter, Sarah, told my daughter Robin (mom of twins, Jack and Lola) about this book. It comes with the story and a little stuffed Elf. The Elf watches over the children and returns to the North Pole each evening to report to Santa about the children's behavior. He returns every morning and the twins never know where they will find him!

My daughter and son-in-law are coming up with wonderful ideas that thrill my grandchildren. The fun part is that she emails a photo to myself and my other daughters each morning and we look forward to it. This morning she was a little late getting it out and was inundated with text messages asking where our morning cheer, aka Elfy, was!

Click here to order the book.

Elf book

Here is where Elfy has been found in the morning!

Fishing with Buzz Lightyear and Barbie! He is using candy canes, which were surprises for the twins because he reported their good behavior!

Pretending to be in the Macy's day Parade. Hanging from the helium balloons!

Riding Tyrannosaurus Rex and leading a parade of farm animals.

Hanging from a wreath at Grandma's house

But this was the best of all!

The day after Thanksgiving we go tree hunting. My daughter told the twins that Elfy had a special surprise. When they got to the tree farm, there was Elfy waiting in a tree.

We walked around the corner and there he was!

Lola was so excited to see him!!

Jack is still trying to figure out how he got there.

Putting a New Top on your Dining Table

2012-11-18T08:38:00.001-08:00

As the holidays approach, I started thinking again about enlarging my dining table. We have nine people in our immediate family and growing. The furniture companies offer little in the way of large tables, and what they do have is way out of my price range. So my wheels started turning and I decided I could do it myself!

I documented the process with photos, it was not difficult, and the result is the perfect size table.

I started with a table I purchased from the Restoration Hardware Outlet store. It is a solid wood, double pedestal base and the price was excellent because the top was scratched. A $2300.00 table for $200.00.

I went to Lowe's and bought two sheets of birch plywood, at $44.00 each. They were very strong and heavy and had a nice real wood finish. I originally made a top that was eight by eight, but that was just too big so I cut 18 inched off one side. It made a huge difference in the feel of the table. Still large, but not too far away from each other.

I used strips of wood, 1x2's and 1x4's (extra pieces I had already) about three feet long and attached them to the underside with wood screws. This ensured that the the two sheets of birch stayed at the same level, held them together and provided stability.

I also bought five strips of trim to finish the edges of the birch sheets, here is a close up.

I applied these strips with a combination of wood glue and finishing nails, hiding the nails with a nail sinker.

I left all the imperfections because it is the look I was going for. Then I applied a coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to both the tabletop and the base, followed by a coat of her Dark Soft wax and one more of her Clear wax.

http://www.anniesloan.com/index.html

The wax, applied but not yet buffed.

The final product! I still have not buffed the wax, I am letting it set up for two days to ensure it's durability.

It very comfortably seats twelve, but can handle up to sixteen and still not feel over crowded.

The total cost for this project, less the original base, is about $120.00.
Bon Appetit!

Harry Potter 2012

2012-10-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

The costumes were amazing, the fire was awesome and the rain held off! Our Harry Potter party was filled with so many wonderful costumes this year. Everyone from Harry himself to Severus Snape was represented in fine form.

As the guests arrived they were greeted by Professor McGonagall at the door with a signature cocktail.

They were then "sorted" with the Sorting Hat and put in one of the four houses of the school, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Griffindore.

The Fat Portrait Lady seems happy with her assigned school!

Hagrid not so much.

A dinner of Chili and cornbread was served at long tables on the patio. Each table had it's school banner hanging above it, as well as floating pumpkins and candles. A roaring fire kept everyone warm.

The evil Lucius Malfoy

Fleur Delacour and Nearly Headless Nick

Gilderoy Lockhart and Augusta Longbottom

Snape surveys his fire

Then poses with Minerva

The Malfoys

The Fat Portrait lady and someone in a glamour wig!

Rubeus Hagrid

A wild Stag!

Just plain scary!

The lovely Rita Skeeter

Alaster "Madeye" Moody and Bellatrix Lestrange

Frightful Knockturn Alley

Tiki torches lined the path to the Quiddich field

The way Muggles arrive!

The way Wizards arrive!

The house banners displayed on dessert

Dobby and Hedwig guard the food table

The dining hall

Hermione and Draco fraternizing!

Hedwig and the Wild Stag

An entire family of HP fans!

The weasleys

Game time!

A wild game of Quiddich

So much fun!

HARRY POTTER PARTY

2012-10-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last year my daughters and I hosted a Harry Potter Party!

We sent out "Owl Posts" for invitations, had a game of find the golden snitch, a taste test and HP trivia. It was so much fun and everyone did such a wonderful job of creating costumes, we decided to make it an annual event.

Here are some decorations from last year's party!

The 93/4 platform of course!

The only way for wizards to arrive.

Fleur and Sirius greet the Muggles who arrive the normal way.

The school banners.

Honeydukes in all it's glory!

A huge hit with all the guests!

We strung fishing line at the ceiling, which became invisible at night. Then we attached "floating" pumpkins and candles.

The effect was perfect, it was the favorite room!

Pumpkin Juice of course!

Hedwig and Dobby watch over dinner.

The barn was where the taste test was held. I copied the Knockturn Alley sign. Using a jigsaw I cut out the fingers, then painted the sign and added the words.

The original:

The copy with guests at the barn.

Costumes, of course, are de rigueur.

Here are some fabulous examples of last years outfits!

Dolores Umbridge and her ever present cat!

Professor McGonagall and Snape

Fluer and McGonagall serving drinks! A Rare McGonagall smile!

Sybil Trelawney adjusting her glasses.

Dueling Sirius's.

Rosmerte and Narcissa Malfoy plotting together!

Voldermort and Dumbledore, that head just called out to be Voldermort!

Moaning Myrtle and Nearly Headless Nick, the most amazing costumes!

Hagrid and Harry share a Butterbeer.

Trying to decipher the clues!

Molly Weasley, Narcissa and, is that a Golden Snitch?

Beautiful Bellatrix strikes again!

Harry himself!

The Owl Posts for this year have been sent. If you did not receive one, here are what they look like!

These are the envelopes, the font is a HP script you can download here:

http://members.outpost10f.com/~lindax/harrypotter/fonts.html

The invitation was printed on sketching paper, it feels like parchment.

This is the train ticket we included with each invitation.

A packet of Floo Powder was included for the wizards convenience! We found little parchment envelopes and filled each of them with a little salt.

I can't wait to share photos from this year's party. The guests are so creative and the costumes will be delightful!

Fall Is In The Air

2012-10-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

I woke early this morning, excited, my mind tumbling with ideas. You see, today is the official start of the

2012 Holiday Season!

Yes, for me the first day of October marks the beginning of what has become my favorite time of year. Decorating, Thanksgiving, Christmas Trees, Halloween, Jack and Lola's birthday, Baking Day, all of it filled with good food, good friends and most importantly, family.

We plan to add some new traditions this year. The menfolk are planning a boy's day out and they are all going to a Seahawks game together. Us girls are going to add the Nutcracker Ballet. It will be wonderful to see it again through the eyes of my Granddaughter who loves all things ballet!

Our traditions abound and each year I can play them over in my head like a slide show. They get sweeter every year, I think it must have something to do with age!

I have to confess, I started the decorating part a little early, so here are some of my vignettes!

First, a photo of my helper, Stella.

The Happy Halloween banner is made form Kraft paper and is a Martha Stewart item. Love her stuff.

I collect these whimsical figures. I just love them.

Hedwig watches over all!

This was my very first one, it says "charmed life" and it reflects how I have always felt about my life no matter the circumstances!

Very scary!

Mercury glass and crystal, what could be better for sparkle.

Fall color in the glass containers

Gourds are so wonderful

Sparkly

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB DINNER

2012-09-19T08:38:00.001-07:00

This month it was my turn to host our book club dinner. My pick for the book was A Slave in the White House, by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor. It follows the life of Paul Jennings, a slave on the plantation of James and Dolley Madison. He goes with them to the White House and later buys his freedom. Ironically he ends up helping Dolley Madison when she becomes destitute after President Madison dies. The book is pieced together through letters and journal entries resulting in a fascinating look at slavery in the nineteenth century.

Of course, as anyone who is a member of a book club knows, the meetings are all about the dinner and talking about life. Our group is a wonderful mix of ages, working women and stay at home moms. We share about our lives, good and bad, and offer support to each other. Everyone needs a group like this!

We started with a signature drink, cosmos, and cheese plate. My kitchen has a large butcher block island, perfect for gathering around.

Four cheeses, grapes, dried persimmons, nuts and olives make a pretty plate that tastes good too!

The dining table was set with blue Spode plates and dark wood chargers. I was going for a late summer woodland theme. Off I went into our woods foraging for foliage and inspiration. I came across these wonderful fungi and knew I had to use them. I clipped blackberry branches, salal and ferns. Then I gathered some moss and took my basketful to the house to start arranging. Here are the results!

I put the two fungi on a mercury glass stemmed bowl surrounded with the blackberries, ferns and moss. Then I filled four small mercury glass vases with the rest of the foliage.

I just love this. Look at the tiny little fern growing out of the fungus.

Dinner started with a salad. Arugula and Bibb lettuces with sliced peaches, blue cheese, and almonds. It was finished with a plum vinaigrette. A slice of Parmesan bread was added on the side.

The main course was herb crusted salmon. The salmon was spring Chinook accompanied by heirloom tomato salad and baby eggplant. The baby eggplants were filled with sun dried tomatoes with goat cheese followed by a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar. Delish!

Several white wines, crisp and cold,were served with dinner.

Dessert was apple pie made with the apples off our ancient apple trees. It was served with homemade ice cream, spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Another wonderful evening with "the girls"!

OLD BUILDING RESTORATION

2012-08-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, have I been enjoying summer or what?

I think it has been three weeks since I did a post. The weather has been gorgeous and we have been spending as much of our days as possible poolside!

Back to blogging!

On our property we have a wonderful old brick building. The bricks to build it were hauled trunk load by trunk load by my husband's grandfather. They came from an old kiln at the Three lakes Lumber Company.

I believe the building was built in the 30's.

The brick building used to be connected by a makeshift breezeway to the main house, which burned down in 2002. The grandparents slept in the main house with the only daughter and the three boys slept upstairs in the brick building. The lower part was used as storage for canned goods and as a root cellar and later as a laundry room.

My talented brother is going to help me start the restoration next year. I plan to take this fall and winter to come up with a plan.

Here are some photos of the building.

This is the front of the building. The windows are original, but the doors are new and have to go!

I love the detail over the windows.

A path leads around the side of the building to old cement steps in the back. This is the upstairs where the boys slept. The cement stairs are leaning but they are wonderful and I hope to save them.

Is that little window adorable or what? When the house burned down the roof was burned off the building so it is new and the gables need some detail.

It would be wonderful to make it into a little guest house.

Here are photos of wonderful examples of old buildings other people have saved.

Our building has to have shutters. I will be on the hunt for old ones, or a new set we can age.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

2012-07-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

We are lucky enough to live on the farm my husband's grandfather homesteaded. He bought the first parcel July 5, 1912, so what else could we do but hold a centennial party!

Grandpa John was quite a man. He worked for tree conservation, fought to bring electricity to the farmers, worked to bring in the local hospital, and belonged to and worked tirelessly in many organizations, among them, the VFW, Granges, soil conservation districts and more.

He immigrated to this country in 1905 at the age of 14 1/2. By 1912 he bought his first 20 acres, by 1917 he was fighting for this country. We honored him this weekend with a party that almost all his living relatives came to.

What a legacy!

An incredible article in the Seattle newspaper circa 1961

One of his many obituaries.

He was proud to serve!

Because he was one of the first tree farmers in the country, promoting sustainable and responsible harvesting, we thought it appropriate to use a piece of one of his trees and mark some of the rings with major events. We have his birth in 1890 and his great great grandchildren's birth in 2008 and everything in between!

We couldn't leave out the little guy who marks all our celebrations!

We had archival papers, like the document when he became a U.S. citizen, enlarged, then displayed them on the wall for guests to read.

The table holds towels and water shoes and badminton rackets for games in the pool!

The bar!

Our signature drink was a lemon drop, with four simple syrups to flavor them, mint, rosemary, rose and lavender.

Long tables set up for dining, we added votives as the evening wore on.

Comfortable seating around the pool. I caught one of the cows eating my roses earlier in the day!

The day before and the day after it rained, but the day of was sunny and beautiful!

We displayed both the Italian and American flag to honor his heritage and his new country!

What a wonderful day.

DINING ROOM PROGRESS

2012-07-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my progress on my dining room, you know it has been kind of slow going. I wanted to get it just right so I am taking my time. I ordered about eight swatches for the curtains and all the panels twice before getting the color right. I think you'll like it!

I also found an amazing pair of Italian candle sconces at a store downtown, they are just beautiful.

My plan is to be able to dine by candlelight!

The blue curtains are perfect!

It's hard to see because I cannot get a photo of both sconces in one shot, but they are on either side of the large bay window.

The color of the little blue birds in the chinoiserie wallpaper are the exact color of the curtains.

patio update!

2012-07-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

I love the look of long drapes on an outdoor patio. They not only block the hot late afternoon sun, but they look beautiful when there is a gentle breeze. So, I decided to put some up! Of course I did not want to spend the money for curtains and rods and installation that I have seen in the design magazines, so I did it myself. The rods are from overstock.com and they are very good quality, here is the link.

www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Bold-Pole-90-to-144-inch-Adjustable-Curtain-Rod-Set/4224989/product.html

I bought two sets because the span is so long and I wanted good support.

The curtains are from Ikea, I think they were $19 a panel! Then I took extra wooden rings I had laying around and spray painted them black and they work great.

Here are some photos of the finished product with a few garden shots as well!

The curtains separate these spaces and make the covered area look like a room.

The pots look so good with just one statement plant. Very elegant. The chartreuse smoke bush is amazing. I went a little crazy on these, they pair beautifully with the pale pink David Austin rose, Eglantyne.

So pretty!

These three pots have one Hydrangea in them, so simple and beautiful.

I LOVE A PARADE

2012-07-03T04:57:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a hometown parade. The kids on bikes, the drill teams, the horses, the princesses and of course the very best, the veterans. Our little town has many parades throughout the year and I have to admit I haven't been for a while. Time to go celebrate a little Americana!

The veterans always bring a lump to my throat, why is that? Maybe it is the way the look, so proud and patriotic, it is my favorite part of the parade.

Have a wonderful fourth, eat lots of great food, talk about our amazing country and be safe!

Pool Time

2012-06-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

The citrus green pillows and towels are just the touch needed to complete the look on my terrace. It is fresh and soothing at the same time.

The Elfin Thyme is filling in beautifully. By the end of summer the lines between the stone should be solid.

Rockin' Robin

2012-06-21T19:11:00.004-07:00

My daughter Robin and son-in-law John built a beautiful home three years ago. It is classic brick with a two story center and wings on either side. It has been wonderful watching my daughter's decorating style develop over the past few years.

She is fearless in her use of color.

Her home is dramatic and has a great sense of her family. She uses photographs liberally as artwork throughout the house with style. The twins rooms are filled with pattern and color and they are divine. Let's have a look!

This is the playroom, the blue is so bright and primary, which children love. My favorite thing is the wire strung on the wall that the twins artwork is hung on.

A play kitchen and giant blackboard add to the fun!

LOLA'S ROOM

Each of the twins has a book rack hung on the wall to display their favorite books. These are like pieces of art in themselves.

Lola's room is painted a smokey lavender and it is so soothing. The prints are from a children's book. Lola is all about ballet and they are perfect for her.

Are these adorable or what?

Above her bed.

The opposite side of the room, a set of old Bobbsey Twin Books.

JACK'S ROOM

Jack's room is a beautiful shade of blue with an airplane and globe motif.

A large map and reading couch for story time.

Jack's book rack, I love it!

Mom framed all the artwork in both rooms, it makes it original and personal.

Globes and an antique lamp base.

More globes and the noise canceler, aka, the fan.

This is the little formal living room. It is warm and inviting, the deep brown is a rich, wonderful color.

The mantle.

Another view.

Kitty is very comfortable.

The master bedroom is a wonderful cocoon, the curtains let the light filter through softly and it is lovely.

Simple and precious!

There is a sandbox hidden in there, painted black to blend in. You can have all the accouterments your children need and still have beautiful gardens!

A talented man her husband is!

A lovely bar...

on a wonderful stainless steel cart.

The view from the kitchen. There is nothing better than an old barn!

WINDOWS

2012-06-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed all the steel windows in new homes? I know they are common in old houses, especially in Europe, but I had not noticed them in new construction until recently.

They are beautiful and I can only imagine that they last forever and are so easy to care for. If I was in the process of designing and building a new home I would definitely give these serious consideration!

Sleek, they work well in minimalist design.

Just incredibly beautiful.

Just think, no warping or rotting and never need repainting!

With shutters, fabulous!

What a gorgeous kitchen.

It would seem all shapes and sizes are possible.

They can work in every design from traditional to modern!

Huge windows, but they seem to fade into the background making you feel like the gardens are closer.

This is beyond beautiful!

POOLSIDE GLAMOUR

2012-06-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

The sun is coming up and it promises to be one of our gorgeous days in the Pacific Northwest! Before long the weather will be warm enough for pool time!

I am always on the lookout for a cute bathing suit, one piece styles, a little retro, are my favorite. Lounge wear is also on my radar, cover-ups, long flowing dresses, little tanks, soft loose pants.

Here are some wonderful examples.

Soon we will be floating on our pool lounge chairs sipping a lovely cool drink and the rains of spring will be a distant memory! Well, I can hope can't I?

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY...

2012-06-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

June has arrived with the gorgeous roses and beautiful peonies that I love.

Unfortunately, it packed buckets of rain in it's suitcase.

I swear, if I did not know better, I would think it was October! So I decided to live vicariously through my blog.

Here are photos of outdoor dining areas and patios. I am hoping they lift our spirits a little bit, until we can actually use the real thing!

Of course I love this photo. The green pillows absolutely add the final needed punch. I was so inspired by it that I got online and did some research for reasonably priced bolsters for my black and white striped cushions. I will only use Sunbrella fabric because it doesn't fade, but even more importantly I can get any stain off it fairly easily.

I found these pillows on a site called Home Decorators. The 19 x 12 inch pillow is on sale for $20, and the 22 x 9 inch bolster is $19. Excellent prices for Sunbrella fabric.

The pink umbrella is a great touch!

Monochromatic and sophisticated.

Again, the spring green color is wonderful!

Do you think I like black and white striped fabric?

Refreshing.

Gorgeous.

Love it!

I love this pool set up.

The idea of a chandelier in a tree is intriguing.

I like this because the fireplace does not take over the terrace. So many times they are way too big.

Also, the lantern is awesome!

Dreamy!

Love how lush this is, would not want to be responsible for keeping the pool clean!

This furniture is to die for!

A NEW MAN IN MY LIFE!

2012-05-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

A dream come true, the luckiest girl in the world, life is good.

Any of these titles would apply.

All my life I have loved horses. As some of you know, I started riding lessons last fall. I had wanted to for so long and I finally felt I had the time to commit to my dream. I loved it! I started hunt seat or English riding and it was a so fun. Difficult but fun. The other side of the barn was full of Dressage horses and I would just stare at them. They are so beautiful. They are highly disciplined and spirited animals. Most are Friesians or Warmbloods, very large horses.

Truly, they are athletes.

Finally I approached the trainer, Morgan, and asked if she thought I was ready to try dressage. She said I was and arranged for me to lease half of a Friesian named Bunny to start. Before I could Bunny developed an injury requiring her to be turned out for the summer.

The rest is a whirlwind. Morgan got a call from an old friend who used to ride at the stables. He was moving to Arizona and could not afford to take his horse. Could Morgan find a good home for it? If she could he was willing to give the horse away.

And that folks is how I came to be the proud owner of a beautiful black Oldenburg Warmblood named Benson. He is gorgeous, sweet, huge and rusty.

In other words, perfect for me to learn on.

I will let the pictures do the talking.

Isn't he beautiful. His first day at the barn. He is a little nervous in his new surroundings.

Getting his first bath. He was so good, letting me scrub him and condition his mane and tail.

Settling into his stall, enjoying his dinner.

Dressed in his saddle and bridle, eyeing me. He is getting lots of apples and carrots to help feel more at home. He would follow my every move wondering if I was going to give him another treat!

Camera shy!

He is a handful!

Is someone getting me another carrot?

I love his face.

I want to say thank you to my husband for his unquestioning support of my dream. It is a huge commitment and he never once wavered on Benson becoming part of our family.

We Remember

2012-05-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

Words seem inadequate.

Never be afraid to say thank you to a veteran. It seems a small thing, but whenever I have it is clear it matters.

Take time to remember those whom we have lost this Memorial Day.

THANK YOU

HYDRANGEAS

2012-05-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite shrubs for the garden. They are beautiful mass planted or mixed in with other shrubs trees and perennials. They are also stunning potted up on the terrace. There are so many varieties. Two of my favorites are Annabelle and Oakleaf.

There are many questions about growing this wonderful bush and I am no expert, but this is a great site for finding answers

http://www.americanhydrangeasociety.org

The Oakleaf is one of my favorites because it provides so many seasons of interest.

Here it is on full bloom, the leaves are so pretty with their oak leaf shape, hence the name!

Beautiful fall color.

Peeling bark and twisted stems are a great addition to the winter garden.

These Annabelle Hydrangeas are beautiful on either side of the old arbor.

They work equally well in formal and informal settings.

More Annabelle's.

Lovely spilling into the gravel.

They work perfectly with Boxwoods.

Love this walkway!

I can see myself swapping out the Ivy Geraniums for Hydrangeas in my urns!

Of course anything would look wonderful with the stone work in this garden.

A close up of the garden above.

Another angle.

A profusion of loveliness!

Front planted with grasses, what a great idea!

Beautifully potted.

KELLY HARMON

2012-05-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have seen her work around the web and every time it stops me in my tracks. Absolutely breathtaking. I love all her designs, most especially what she does with stables.

She designs barns and stalls for her gorgeous Arabians that you or I would be happy to live in. The details in her work are something else. She uses religious symbols in many of her designs and they are fabulous.

I am crazy about her and her designs.

Enjoy!

Soft washed colors, I love them.

These cement watering troughs are wonderful. It can't be that hard to build one.

Like I said, I would be happy to sleep here!

I am becoming more and more taken with shutters.

Again the soft washes and finishes, must learn how it is done.

Kelly's studio, with access for her horses of course.

Such a statement with such simplicity. Don't you want to know what is behind those shutters?

This architectural piece is stunning.

A country lane to die for! Not to mention the horse and dress!

Another gorgeous kitchen.

Lovely!

I love old wood, it has a life and story all it's own.

This is so beautiful, that horse, those doors, that brick!

The piece above the door makes the barn. Well, the cupola doesn't hurt either.

Take in all the details. A lesson in how pulling together the right pieces with the right patina's makes the room.

This reminds me of the garden in a previous post by John Saladino. Those gates are perfection.

OUTDOOR LIVING, SETTING THE SCENE

2012-05-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

A good friend emailed me the other day. She was getting ready to replace her cushions on her terrace and could not decide what to buy. Her practical self was pulling her toward a pattern to hide stains and spills. My reply was swift and exacting. No patterned cushions!! They are always dated looking and way too busy. (There are exceptions. A gorgeous high end cushion with a Greek Key design, or something along those lines is wonderful, but it has to be just right.)

My firm belief is solid or stripes. Stick with this and you won't go wrong.

Don't be afraid to try things and then live with them for a time to know if they are right or not. I did. The lovely hanging iron wall baskets have come down and are for sale in a shop downtown. Once I added the classic pillars and urns to my yard they just looked too busy and a touch Victorian, which is not my look. In addition, I am leaning toward filling my pots with just foliage and greenery. I did a huge boxwood in one and hostas in two others and I love how it looks.

It makes me think, as we go on in our designing does our taste get simpler, or do we learn the value of shape and texture so we need much less busyness and color?

I have been spending a great amount of time studying books and blogs. It can take several attempts to get it right. If it doesn't work, change it.

Below are some examples of what I am writing about. Study the photos and see how the simplicity of color use causes you to see what nature offers so much better.

When you choose a shrub or plant to use, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT. The is nothing worse than a yard full of a bazillion different plants. It says you have no idea what you are trying to achieve. Repetition of plants is soothing and makes a much larger statement.

Read books, study and check out all the wonderful garden blogs.

One of my favs, www.taradillard.blogspot.com

Happy gardening!

The black and white cushions with all the white woodwork is perfect with the greenery.

Very little color is needed.

Carolyn Rohem does beautiful tablescapes. Again, the use of just one color with the backdrop of green is all that is needed.

This is lovely like it is, but I like it because you could throw any accent color into it and have a whole new look.

Shingles are just the best. The touch of blue is lovely, but it would be just as beautiful with a neutral shade.

All earth tones, it is very soothing. Who wouldn't want to spend the evening dining at this table!

Elegant, green and white, natural wood, soft gray stone.

One of my favorites. Shingles again, just a hint of color, solid black cushions are a statement.

White cushions and topiary. It really is all you need. Just beautiful.

The ivy covered walls are divine!

Similar to a previous photo, solid cushions and light blue hydrangeas. Repeat the flower/shrub.

Carolyn Rohem again.

Lush!

The double chaise in the corner is calling my name.

The use of solid cushions allows the addition of patterned pillows for more interest.

I love this cabana.

But then I love black and white stripes!

LANDSCAPING, AGAIN

2012-05-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

It has been ridiculously long since my last post, but life is like that. Between yard work, Mother's Day, and getting the pool ready to open for the season I lost track of time. We had glorious weather for Mother's Day weekend. 78 degrees!

It was wonderful. My four children came home along with husbands and significant others and of course our grandchildren. They made a delightful dinner of Ina Garten's lemon shrimp linguine, caramel chocolate cake and all manner of refreshing drinks. We laid in the sun and swam and floated and just relaxed. Life does not get any better.

I have been studying and reading all the landscaping books I can. I have been particularly enamored by the writings of Tara Dillard. She has a fabulous blog www.taradillard.blogspot.com, I have read every post and gleaned so much from it. She is always teaching about focal points and axis and I am trying to soak it all in.

She also has many books out, two I am studying now are

The Garden View and Landscaping Your Home,

the latter is a compilation of writings from various gardeners. Both offer excellent advice and inspiration.

This is the view from our pool. As I mentioned before, the hill drops off and the view extends out over the pasture and the woodland . I have been trying to decide how to handle this area.

We built a little retaining wall this weekend, but my plan is to back plant it with Cotoneastor that will hold the bank and gracefully flow over the top of the little wall. The berries are beautiful in winter and it is evergreen.

Here is the wall, which will be spayed with a mixture of buttermilk and tomato fertilizer to age it.

Here is the Cotoneaster I want to use.

This is the side yard where I grow tomatoes and herbs and pumpkins. Last year I put this arbor in, but after learning more about axis and focal points I realized I needed to add one at the other end of the path. This is the view from the back yard by the pool.

This is the view from the front of the house. I want to find some vintage iron fence pieces to put behind the box woods and tie into the arbor which i planted with Clematis today.

Remember the large columns I told you about, they were drug out of blackberries at an auction for a pittance? For my Mother's day present I asked my strapping boys to set them in the garden for me. It took all four of them, but they did it! Today I planted them and I just love them. They turned out just like the picture in my mind.

OK, enough work, time to relax.

Grandma and Lola enjoying the pool.

Lola having some girl time with Sarah, or as Lola calls her, my best friend.

ESPALIER

2012-05-03T09:16:00.003-07:00

es·pal·ier (-splyr, -y)

1. A tree or shrub that is trained to grow in a flat plane against a wall, often in a symmetrical pattern.

2. A trellis or other framework on which an espalier is grown.

[French, from Italian spalliera, shoulder support, from spalla, shoulder.

As often happens, I become a little obsessed with something once I start to research it. I planted the gorgeous espaliered apple tree in my garden and it is just splendid. The way it fills the space vertically without taking up the entire bed really makes it a valuable addition to small gardens.

Many years ago I bought this topiary book because I was working with Ivy on forms for the indoors. I had not looked at it in years. It is timeless and the photography is beautiful.

There are so many options when working with espaliered trees and shrubs. With enough patience you can train just about anything that branches into an espalier. Not having a lot of patience, I bought one already finished.

Here are some examples.

Lovely against a brick wall.

They also do well in pots.

Adding another layer to the pyramidalis screen with an espaliered tree adds so much interest to this garden.

Old weathered buildings are the best.

This just makes the fence look so much better.

Ivy is evergreen and grows fast,but you would have to really keep on top of the trimming to contain it.

This is so wonderful, the hedge of boxwoods is just the right finishing touch.

A feast for the eyes!

In Europe they grow their orchards this way to make picking the fruit so much easier. Doesn't that just make sense?

An example of an evergreen. I am thinking of trying this but more of the ball style.

We can all dream, can't we? One pigeon coop to go please.