Catch Up On Recent Posts

Monday, May 30, 2011

Celebrating the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave

Happy Memorial Day, everybody!  
A special day to remember and pay tribute to all the brave men and women who serve in the military to keep our country safe and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving up their lives so that we can be free. I salute all the soldiers who have served our country valiantly in the past and continue doing so.

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe Memorial Day. Our day was spent attending the annual memorial day parade(my older daughter plays in the band in the parade),visiting the nurseries, planting our garden, and grilling. Summer is officially here, so let's celebrate!


 I would like to say thank you to Heather and Vanessa, two beautiful sisters at The Picket Fence for featuring my Merry Merry Month of May. I feel honored to be part of their Inspiration Friday weekly party. Please, visit their inspiring blog and I promise you will walk away with so many innovative and creative ideas. 


With the danger of frost gone, I can now safely plant all the flowers and vegetables outside! I love going to my favorite nursery and choosing my flowers. Here are a few glimpses:
 
Onion bulbs ready to be planted: 




 We bought  this flowering cherry  tree and now I have to find an ideal place for it in my yard:  


A Patriotic Tablescape:


With burlap being all the rage nowadays, I thought I will make a round burlap tablecloth and add a patriotic ribbon trim to it. I made a round cutout in the center for the umbrella pole to go through it. This is the first time I worked with burlap and this fabric ravels like crazy... but I like the overall effect it creates. 



 I like the contrast between the burlap and the red and blue ribbon:



Overall cost for the round burlap tablecloth: about $5.50
$4 for 4 yards of burlap for a 70 inch round tablecloth and $1.50 for the ribbon trim

Close-up on the star napkin holders: 



Place-settings:


 I love these cute salt and pepper shakers in patriotic colors. (Dollar Store:$1.50 for the pair)

 My girls baked the cupcakes and made the strawberry-blueberry no-bake cheese cake in patriotic colors:


 Bowl of  watermelon:

God Bless America! 

Thanks for stopping by today. I always appreciate your visits and your sweet comments, so thank you. Linking up with these lovely ladies:

The Tablescaper: Seasonal Sundays











~POPPY~



Monday, May 23, 2011

For The Love of Candles!

I love decorating my home with candles. For very little money it can transform a room with so much ambiance and sets the mood for whatever effect I want to create.
   I love the flickering light of candles and it is so much fun decorating with them.They bring instant color, texture and fragrance to any room and I can change them around as the mood takes me.
    
I love these aqua bottles from Big Lots. They remind me of the beach so much. And the seashells I've collected from all those vacations on the beach. I hot glued some twine around the neck of these bottles and attached some sand collars on the twine. Fill up these bottles with either sand or shells and insert a candle or flowers and it spruces up any room.






What a soothing and relaxing effect it creates in these niches of my powder room!



Closer-view:





Love the ambiance created by this shell candle:


Clear cylindrical glass vases are great tools as home accents. They can be filled up with candles, sands, shells, fruits, flowers and so many other collectibles.

Brightens up a quiet corner of my great room:


  Its so much fun decorating all the niches in my home:



Nothing sets a romantic mood better than saying it with candles!
Don't you agree?


Another clear glass vase filled with water and fresh apple blossoms, rose petals and glass pebbles:


 All these accents make up my romantic tablescape:


A little close-up on the gorgeous table cover:


 Thanks for stopping by and sharing with me the joy of decorating with candles. Your beautiful comments always brighten up my day and fill up my heart with happiness. Please stop by and visit these lovely ladies and you will walk away with a basket full of inspirations and add a dash of color to your life. Thanks again for visiting. Have a wonderful day!