Christmas Gift Wrapping

I know that I am making up for lost time but, before the moment is totally gone I wanted to talk about wrapping Christmas presents.  Even though this holiday was rushed at the end, something I truly hate, and I wasn't able to give my full attention to the wrapping of my presents, I normally thoroughly enjoy making my gifts look pretty.  I have a few examples below of the gifts I wrapped this year.  They are not my best but, they give you an idea, anyway.

A Post-Christmas Christmas Home Tour

It has been a wonderful week here in Groton.  My husband, Tom, has been home keeping me company as we have traveled all over Massachusetts and Connecticut visiting family members. My Christmas season was so busy this year that I was not able to post a Christmas tour of my home.  So, in my somewhat typical fashion, I am going to have a post-Christmastime post which includes Christmas elements. Last year I produced a gingerbread house village after Christmas. (You can see that here if you would like.) I think I am starting a tradition and I am OK with it because I have a hard time with letting go of Christmas 🎄.

Merry Christmas 2018

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

Decorating With Evergreens for Christmas

Hi Everyone!  How are you doing with all of your Christmas stuff?  Well, since I haven't posted for a while I think you can guess how mine is going :).  One week ago today I held a holiday greens garland workshop at the request of a local interior design company.  I had so much fun doing it and I think the ladies who joined us that night did, as well.  This is an example of what we made.  It was meant to be a table centerpiece or you could place it on your mantle also.

The Joy of Gingerbread Houses

Hi there and welcome!  As always, it has been busy in my little sphere of the world.  We have had three birthdays in my family in the last week and, professionally, I am preparing to lead a workshop on making a holiday greens garland.  That is happening tonight so, I will soon be off to finalize those preparations.

However, over the past weekend my daughter purchased gingerbread kits for all of my grandchildren to make gingerbread houses.  It looked like so much fun that it reminded me of the gingerbread village I made last year right after Christmas.  I hadn't had time to make it during the Christmas season...looks like a trend :/.

Tools and Tips for Holiday Entertaining

Hello, everyone!  How was your Thanksgiving?  Mine was wonderful with lots of food, family and conversation.  Now that Thanksgiving 2018 is over and the Christmas season is upon us, I am being somewhat retrospective and thought I would share some things I have learned through the years of holiday entertaining, actually entertaining in general, that might be helpful to you as you move into the holiday season.

Anticipating the Holidays

Hello, everybody.  How is it going out there?  Are you excited with the anticipation of Thanksgiving?  I am hosting this year and starting to freak out, just a little bit, thinking about all the "stuff" I have to do to get ready for the crowd of twenty people I am having.  Yes, twenty!  Lots and lots of loved ones.  And, lots and lots of fun.  No need to freak out :).  Right?

Using a Eucalyptus Garland as a Thanksgiving Centerpiece

A big trend I have been seeing in the wedding flower world this year has been the eucalyptus garland table runner.  Instead of having the traditional floral centerpiece or cluster of candles, what really seems to be in vogue right now is a garland running down the center of the table made of silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus.  The last wedding I did the bride discussed having this kind of table runner but, opted to DIY her own centerpieces instead.  However, a wedding I am doing in 2019 is talking about using eucalyptus garlands as centerpieces, as well.  So, I set out to make one and ended up using it in a Thanksgiving-inspired tablescape.

Fall Flowers for an October Wedding

I am excited to share some of my photos from the last wedding I did a few weeks ago.  I always wish I had taken more photos but, there is so much going on that there is never enough time!

This is the first picture I was able to take but, it really doesn't show the whole story.  There were tons of other flowers all over the studio but, it was time to go to work.  I snapped this picture and off I went with my wonderful crew to make the bouquets!

Setting a Harvest Table

Do any of you feet like you don't have enough time to get all of the things done you want to?  I am almost positive you do or, at least, have in the past.  Well, that is how I have been feeling lately.  So much so, that I almost didn't decorate my home for the fall.  Very sad.  However, one day I just started doing it and all of a sudden I became very excited about fall and all of its colorful decorations!

Here is a glimpse of what I did with my dining room~

Gussying Up Barn

Well, hello there!  It has been a while since my last post.  Life has been busy and complicated for me lately but thankfully, I am getting back into the groove.  Here are some of the fun reasons why I have been away for a while :) ~

Eight Fall Favorites in New England

Well, summer is almost officially over with fall ushering in on Friday.  As always, I am sad to see summer go but, I have to remember that I love fall, too! It is my second favorite season and living here in New England there are tons of fun, fun things to look forward to with the new season approaching.  Here are a few of my fall favorites:

The Professional Photos are in for Carolyn and Daniel's Wedding!

Today I am super excited to finally be sharing the professional photos of a wedding I did last August for Carolyn and Daniel!  All the elements of this wedding were absolutely gorgeous!  The venue was gorgeous, the bride and groom were gorgeous, the wedding party was gorgeous and, dare I say, the flowers were gorgeous too :).

Zinnia: A Transitional Summer to Fall Flower

Hi there!  I have been away on vacation and am trying very hard to get back into the swing of regular life.  I have to tell you it is hard!  I love summer and am very sad to see it go!  However, fall is my next favorite season so, hopefully, I will be able to transition through OK :).

I think right now I can relate with zinnias.  They seem to have one foot in summer and another one in fall.  They are a funny little flower.  You plant them with all of your other annuals in late spring/early summer and they kind of just hum along without you even noticing.  And then, all of a sudden in August they are blooming in all of their glory and carry through right into September~ ushering in fall colors, without us really being aware!

Home Garden and Farm Stand Flowers for Farm-to-Table Fun

About a week and a half ago my daughter-in-law, Jessica, asked me to help her with some floral arranging she was going to be needing to do in the near future.  She needed to make some centerpieces for an event she was helping out with.  She wanted them to be kind of farm-to-table and had discovered an organic farm right down the street from her house that had a cut-your-own flower garden.  It was so much fun and I liked the idea of a farm-to-table event.  I began to think of the kind of arrangements you could make for something like that. Since I am always desiring to practice the art of floral arranging, I began to wonder if there is a farm around me that offered pick-your-own flowers.  I was hoping to experiment!

I soon remembered that I do!  It is Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, only two towns away from me.  So, on a day I just needed to do something fun I made my way over to the farm.  The staff was very helpful and the fields were full of zinnias, dahlias and sunflowers.  There were lots of hummingbirds...and bees...all over the flowers.  If you look hard at this photo you will see one of the hummingbirds.

Experimenting with Stencils

Hey, there!  How is your summer going?  I know, I know, it is almost over!  I am in denial about that fact myself but, I am sure most of you are in the process of resigning yourselves to it, as well.  Actually, summer has been a bit feisty here lately with heavy downpours day after day around.  The rain has kept me inside more than I like in the last few weeks and has forced me to think about inside crafts.

$12 Inspiration

Hi Everyone!  How is your summer going?  Mine is going very well.  I have been enjoying family and fun all summer.  I think that is why it has been so long since my last post :).

 Since I have been neglectful to all things "social media" lately,  I needed to get back in the game but, I also needed a little inspiration.  So, where did I go for inspiration?  My local grocery store!  It's a strange choice but, I was in a time crunch situation and I have actually had good luck there in the past~

Creating a Colorful Display

Hi, Everyone!  How is your summer going?  Mine is going wonderfully, with lots of things going on, which is always fun.  I hope you are doing all sorts of great activities this summer, too!

My intention today was to show you how to make a colorful display using some of the items you may have in your home already, augmented with some seasonal things you can find in your favorite stores.

Features of a Seaside Cottage

Hey there!  I am just returning from a much needed vacation.  It was wonderful with lots of relaxation time.  That is what my husband and I needed and we enjoyed every moment of it.  The vacation was great!  Before I come back to "real life" I wanted to share some of the extraordinary elements of living in a vintage seaside community with all of its charm and quintessential features.

Happy Birthday, America!!!

Hi, All!  Happy 4th of July!!!  How are you celebrating the holiday?  I am going to a pool where we are members with my husband, my daughter and her family.  I think she is bringing some friends along, as well.  After pool time, we are going to her house for a cook-out.  Should be fun sharing time and enjoying good food :).

Designs and Events is going on vacation for a few weeks so, I won’t be blogging for awhile.  There might be a picture or two popping up on Instagram so, check us out over there, if you'd like :).  We will be back soon but, until then:

 Have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.  Celebrate joy and freedom!

Getting the Cape House Ready for Another Summer

Hey, Everyone!  How are you all doing?  I have been busy with all sorts of life things lately.  Keeping it all together can be a chore, don't you think?  Thankfully, there's a little place on Cape Cod that my family and I use as a refuge in the summer.  Last weekend, my husband and I finally got it all shiny and clean for another year of fun!

Tussie Mussies and the Language of Flowers

Hello, Everyone!  I hope you are having beautiful summer weather like I am here in Massachusetts.  Before I begin to tell you about the project I worked on this week, I will admit to you that it has been an epic fail!  This has not been my best work but, because I really like the idea of this project so much, I am going to share it with you anyway :).

A Wreath for the Barn---Maybe!

Hello, all!  Hope you have been enjoying the last bits of spring as summer is quickly approaching.  It has been a hodge-podge of a week for me.  I think the long weekend (although great!) may have messed me up for getting anything really productive done.  I have been a day off---all week!  However, I did finally get a project done that I have been meaning to do for weeks.

Getting the Shed Ready for Summer and the Wedding Season

Welcome back, everyone!  Spring is a busy time for me and this week has been no exception.  I have been working in my garden trying to get it ready for the summer.  While continuing to do that, I have also been trying to get my shed ready for all the fun we will be having in there, as well as, getting it ready for a few meetings with some lovely brides.

My Red, White and Blue Garden

Hi there!  It has been a few weeks since my last post and I am not sure where the time has gone.  All I know is that is has been busy in my little life, as I am sure it has been in yours.  Lately, I have been trying to get my yard ready for the summer.  I have a few meetings coming up having to do with my floral design business and I wanted the yard to look nice.  It is hard work and I am pretty sure that is where my time has gone~

Art in Bloom at the MFA

Welcome back, everyone! 
Have you ever been to an art-in-bloom event?  Do you have any idea what I am talking about?  An art-in-bloom event is one where a piece of art, be it a painting, sculpture, sketch or any other art form, is interpreted through floral material.  Flowers and other plant materials are arranged in such a way as to offer another or mimicking perspective of the piece.

Cinco De Mayo Get Together Inspiration

I admit it.  I am fibbing a little bit on this one today.  It is the end of April in Massachusetts.  There is no way we have this much color outdoors or on our decks and patios but, Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and this deck setting is so colorful and Cinco de Mayo-like that I just decided to go with it!

A Mixture of Rustic and Elegant: Wedding Boutonnieres and Corsages

I know everyone is getting sick of the complaining but the weather really has stunk here in the Northeast this spring...if you want to call it that!  To get my mind off of the weather and to have some fun, I decided to practice my craft and create a few photo ops at the same time :).

Most often when I am doing the flowers for my weddings everything is so rush-rush that I do not have time to stage nice photos of the flowers when they are completed.  Much care is needed to keep the flowers fresh and beautiful.  It is such a disappointment after all the work that goes into the whole process not to get lovely photos after all.  So, while the weather was simply awful, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and played around with flowers one day and photographed them the next.  Pure bliss for a floral designer!

Out of these five floral elements (tea rose, lisianthus, rosemary, eucalyptus and waxflower) I created some boutonnieres and a couple of corsages.

Glimpses of My Trip to Sea Island, Georgia

Welcome, all.  It started last April when my son and his family returned from their first trip to Sea Island, Georgia.  The trip was a business trip but our son brought his family along because he had heard that the resort was quite something and he wanted to share it with them.  It turned out to be more than quite something and when the same conference decided to meet again this April at Sea Island the whole family was determined to return.  This time, however, they invited my husband and me to join them!  So, we made our plane reservations and started to look forward to the trip.  Unfortunately for us, the weather turned out to be not as wonderful as the resort but, we made it work anyway.

Upon arriving at The Cloister at Sea Island you immediately step into the three story, Spanish villa inspired, massive lobby.  With the weather often in the 55 to 60 degree area with showers or full out rain, this room became a favorite of ours and many of the other guests.  There were actually many, many common and lovely areas around the hotel in which to curl up with a good book, which was really nice.

Looking Forward to Warmer Weather and Looking Back at a Special Garden Party

Hi there!  I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter like I did.  Thankfully, the weather cooperated long enough to have an Easter egg hunt outside.  However, the weather since then has not been spring-like, at all!  It's been cold, rainy and cloudy.  Not nice.  To life my spirits, I have decided to reminisce about warmer days and to share one of the special events I had the pleasure of being a part of during sunnier times.

Touches of Easter and Spring

Hi, everyone!  How are you doing?  Are you getting ready for Easter?  I am hosting this year so, I certainly am!  Last week I shared some of the Easter/Spring decorations in my living/dining room with you.  {I also did a little complaining about our recent weather, as well :)} You can read that story here, if you would like.  Today I am moving onto another room or two in my house to finish up with my mini Easter/Spring decorating series--just before Easter arrives.

"Where is Spring?" and Preparing for Easter

Hi, guys!  It has been crazy here in my little life lately.  We have had four, yes four, nor'easters in the last three+ weeks.  During the first storm my daughter, Amanda, the one with four children, lost power for a day or so, just long enough for her husband to borrow a generator.  The power came back on before they could install it but it was a trying time, nonetheless.  Storm #2 brought severe tree devastation and both of my daughters with their new babies and other small children lost power for days and needed to come to my house.  Luckily, I did have power.  I say "I" because my husband was away on business so, it was just me at home.  We women held down the fort :).   Storm #3 found me sick on the couch with a mystery bug and my 81 year-old mother who lives two hours away with no power for two full days!  I was frantic and could not help her.  Thankfully, she had the police and nice neighbors checking in on her.  Finally and blessedly, the storm that came last night turned out to be barely a storm at all.  So now my mom has power.  My daughters have power.  Things are well.  All of this is to say, "IT IS TIME FOR SPRING!!!"

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail Wreath

Welcome, all!  Yet another Nor'easter came rolling through Massachusetts yesterday and into the night. Aside from some sizable tree limbs down, 13+ inches of snow and a short power outage, we fared pretty well. The storm had been forecasted for days so, on Tuesday I headed out to Michael's to find something creative to do while I expected to be housebound.  As it turned out, the storm didn't get into full swing until nearly suppertime so, I was able to get out in the morning and do a few errands.

Out with the Old and In with the New: Painting and Restyling an Old Hutch

Hi Everyone!  How are you doing?  I was somewhat missing-in-action when it came to my blog last week, although I did repost my St. Patrick's Day Favors.  I just think they are fun for St. Patty's Day  :).   The truth of the matter, however, is that I was having a hard time feeling inspired.  I think perhaps, being in the middle of February and having Valentine's Day and all of its loveliness over, I found myself in a creative slump. I guess I just needed a week off.  Thankfully, because of a project my husband has been working on for me over the last few weeks, I am back and now have a new "reveal" to share with all of you!

St. Patrick's Day Favors

For some reason I don't usually do much in the way of celebrating St. Patrick's Day but, I was restless to find something springlike lately and discovered a recipe online for St. Patrick's Day Rice Krispie Treats.  It inspired me to create these favors.   You can find the recipe here.  I'll be showing you some of the steps I took to make the treats but, you will get the whole recipe on the above website.

Homemade Valentine's Cookies

Hello there!  Happy Valentine's Day again!  I hope you don't mind if a share this post from my archives with you today.  It seemed apropos being Valentine's Day and all.  I made these cookies years ago when I first started blogging and thought they were sooo pretty but, most of you never saw the post.  So, I thought I would share it one more time.  And, for the record, these cookies are delicious!  Especially if you enjoy thick, sweet frosting like I do!  Don't you just love the cookie below and to the left with the small  heart stenciled on it ?  It looks like the heart is bleeding.  I just noticed that!  Haha!

Valentine Suggestions and Vignettes!

Happy Valentine's Day, Everybody!  I am just dropping by to share a few Valentine vignettes one more time and, perhaps, share a few ideas for celebrating the holiday if you are totally stumped for what to do.

Cornstarch Ornaments: A New Valentine Craft...For Me!

Hi, All!  I am so glad you stopped by!  Every Valentine's Day, I look forward to finding something new to enhance the holiday: be it a new craft, new yummy recipe or a new decoration.  This year, my discovery has been in these really fun homemade cornstarch ornaments.

The Kindness of Others and Aunt Barbara's Potato Plus Casserole Recipe

Hello there!  I can't believe January is already done and we are moving quickly into February.  As many of you know, January has been a very busy month for me and my family with the birth of two new grandbabies!  What I haven't told you is that one day before the first new grandbaby was born my granddaughter, Stella, had a frightful fall while skiing in New Hampshire.  We experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, all in a few days in the same week.  Thankfully and miraculously, although still in pain with broken ribs and a broken vertebrae, my granddaughter will fully recover.  Without getting into detail to protect her privacy, we are thankful beyond belief that the accident did not result in permanent damage and that, eventually, she will be totally fine.

Taking a Wintry Walk in a Wild Life Sanctuary

Welcome, all!  I am trying to get back into the swing of things after the excitement of the births of my two newest grand babies a few weeks ago.  I have to admit that is a hard thing to do but, I am trying, nonetheless.  I won't go on and on about the babies but...who am I kidding?  If you'd like to get a glimpse of the babies, you can check them out here ;).

Part of getting "back into the swing of things" is to start blogging again and reconnecting with all of you. Today, I thought it would be fun to tell you about a cool wild life sanctuary we have right here in my town of Groton. I discovered it last year after living here for more years than I would like to admit.  I am pretty embarrassed about that!

Double Blessings!

Hi, Everyone!  I am dropping in today just for a second to explain why I might be taking a week or two off from blogging.  Last week turned out to be quite a week for my family!  Rather than using too many words, I feel it is best to show you the story in pictures.

First, there came our new grandson, Finn~  He arrived on Monday, weighing 7 lbs. 4 ounces :).

A "Winter Meets Spring" Bouquet

Hi, Everyone!  I wasn't sure if I would be posting much this month or not because my two daughters were due to give birth in January.  Well, guess what!!  One baby has been born!  We welcomed a new grandson into the world on Monday and his name is Finn Thomas (middle name).  Thomas is my husband's name so there are thrills all around!  Mom and baby are doing very, very well and we are so thrilled!

Some of My Favorite Photos from 2017

Welcome!  As January is inching along, I am currently doing some house cleaning: literally and figuratively.  In this process, I have been going over the hundreds of photos I took in 2017.  As a blogger and participant in social media, I seem to take zillions of photos but, only a very few make it to "print".  Since there is so much work involved with the whole process and I really did come to love several of them, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites with you one more time before we get much farther into 2018.  Some of the photos are from Instagram.  Some are from this blog.  Some were your favorites and some were ones that only a mother could love since they were not overly popular on social media~~~I loved them anyway ;).

My Winter Gingerbread Village

Welcome!  Well, 2018 has come in with a bang!  I am sitting here at my computer watching out the window as a "blizzard" unfolds before my eyes.  The snow falling is lovely and so far, there are no heavy winds so, all is good!  Hopefully, the storm won't be as bad as they have forecasted.


Every year after Christmas I seem to need to ease out of the holidays.  I either have to do some kind of transitional decorating or I do a craft to ease into full-blown winter. This year, since most of my holiday decorations are still up (They will be coming down very soon. I promise.), I decided to go with a craft.  I came upon a clearance section last week while doing some after Christmas shopping and decided to purchase three gingerbread house kits, one large and two small.  The total cost of the three homes was $5.50.  Not bad for a fun craft!