Happy Halloween!

Just to clarify, these are NOT my dogs (and I'm sure that Bailey is very grateful that I never got into the whole dress-up thing) but I thought these were too cute & funny not to share.  Most of the dogs I've seen don't seem to be to thrilled wearing their costumes but I do get a chuckle at how incredibly creative people can be. Happy Halloween, especially to all those good natured pups!  But remember, they know where you sleep!

This Year’s Fall/Winter Window Box Display

Happy Halloween Everyone!  As fall turns to late fall and with winter around the corner, I decided it was time to redesign the window boxes that hang on our Garden Shed.  The new display was made entirely from items I found in the garden and woods around the house. In the new window box, items from front to back are: white pine branches, old dried blue/purple/pink hydrangeas, boxwood branches, hydrangea tree blossoms, arborvitae branches, branches of rust/burgundy oak leaves, and branches from a Japanese maple patio plant.

I don’t know how long the arrangement will hold up but I did push each stem down into the well-watered soil in the box, hoping it would help their longevity.  Time will tell, but as long as we can keep heavy snow from doing damage, I’m hoping the materials will last through the winter season.

The "Before."  The cascading bridal veil plant was all that remained of the summer flowering plants. Since it wouldn’t be long before the freezing temps turned it brown, I decided to start from scratch.  I gave the bridal veil a drastic “haircut” and then began covering it with pine branches.  I continued to add and rearrange the natural elements until I was satisfied.

Natural elements that flourish during the summer season and then change in color and texture in the fall can be reincarnated in useful decorative ways and given a new look.  Other items that could be incorporated into your planters include:  pine cones, mini pumpkins and squash, twigs for height or added texture, curly willow branches, birch branches, mums, dried grasses, moss or wicker balls/spheres.  I even considered adding some beautiful, light green Christmas balls for a little sparkle but I think I’ll wait another month or so for that addition.

Repurpose, reuse, & recycle - even with natural materials. I’m extremely pleased with how my window boxes turned out this fall.  Thank you Mother Nature! 

The Winter Window Box Debate

Last year's Fall window box

A hard frost/freeze finally fell upon the area last night so it's now time to change out my window box display for the winter.  In the past few years, I've used ornamental cabbages in the fall because even after they freeze & die, they still have an interesting shape that lasts throughout the winter.  Note: I've also learned that you don't want the old dead cabbages near your entry/exit doors because the smell can be quite unpleasant.  Unfortunately this year, my cabbages got "leggy," grew strangely, and had to be put out of their (my) misery, so now I need a different window box filler.  It's not really necessary to fill a planter for the winter but I hate seeing them look so sad & empty and it's actually a bit depressing.

As I contemplate my next design, here are some photos that I'm using as inspiration:

At the moment, I’m leaning towards trying a design using sticks, dried hydrangea, & evergreen and boxwood branches.  Stay tuned….

Need Color Inspiration? Look to Nature!

Ever notice how the colors in nature are perfectly harmonious?  You can look at a forest, a sandy beach leading down to the shore, a pile of rocks, a field of flowers or any natural scene and find millions of colors that beautifully complement each other.  Mother Nature is the ultimate colorist.

If you need color inspiration and just don’t know where to start, or if you aren’t sure what colors really work together: look out the window.  You could visit a local park, go down to a nearby lake, take a drive in the country or just step outside and look around you.  Use the colors you see in nature as a jumping off point to help guide you in choosing a color palette that speaks to you.  Then, use your color inspiration to guide you in bringing new colors into your existing rooms by choosing new decorative accents, new paint colors, or, if you’re ready for a completely new look, redecorate an entire space.

Note: I used Adobe Photoshop (eyedropper tool) to isolate colors in my photos. The color combinations you can find in any photo (or in nature) are limitless.

The following photos show how adding small or large infusions of color can have an impact in a room and also by using warmer or cooler tones it can change the mood.

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo: HGTV

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo: House Beautiful

Inspiring Fall Colors

A Once Beautiful Old Tree can Still Keep on Giving

An old decaying tree stump can add texture and interest in the garden. It can also be the perfect place to set a pretty pot of flowers. The old decayed bark, green moss, sprouting mushrooms and undulating surface can add lovely texture to the landscape. Proving once again, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Cabbage Wow Factor

For a uniquely beautiful outdoor/indoor centerpiece, try a terra cotta pot filled with ornamental cabbages. Get small, inexpensive ornamental cabbage plants in the spring and fill different planters with them. They look lovely in their pots all summer long but by the beginning of fall, they are huge and gorgeous! They make a simple but bold statement piece. Note: If your dogs love veggies, watch out - one day, while the planter was sitting on the porch, Bailey ate an entire cabbage, which is why they eventually ended up on the table. Accidental inspiration :)

Back in the Saddle Again...

As the days of summer disappear and the leaves turn their beautiful fall colors, many of us are turning our attention, once again, towards home projects. As it happens to all of us now & then, life events had gotten in the way of my blogging but I have decided to restart my posts & continue to share my remodeling and decorating adventures/projects again. Hopefully you will find some useful advice or at least some food for thought when diving into your own projects – maybe you’ll even be inspired to try something new.

As I restart my blogging adventure, I have some sad news to report - We lost another member of our house dog team: Drucker, our much beloved 15 year old Cocker Spaniel, passed away in May.

He was a great source of pure love & joy in my life and sometimes I feel like I can hardly breath without him. However, I know his beautiful heart & soul would want us to find happiness and contentment again. Drucker always had a happy, joyous, content disposition (from the first moment we saw him until the day he died) and he was always a trooper, even though he had many health problems over the years. He filled my world with pure happiness and made my life feel complete. Hopefully Drucker and his sister Callie are now chasing balls and napping together somewhere in the great beyond. They are both greatly missed but stay forever in my heart.

On the flip side of the coin, the now lone house dog, Bailey, doesn’t seem to miss his “siblings” to much. He LOVES having all the attention at all times and enjoys not being slowed down by any older dogs. I think he’s been dreaming of these days for a while. J He always wants to stick his nose into EVERY thing, and he loves to supervise, so I think that role will be sufficiently filled.

So here’s to restarting the journey, minus a couple members of our team, but still moving down the road to exciting new endeavors…