happy friday!

I have been asked from time to time to share some tips and tricks I have picked up over the years in arranging my own floral displays using flowers I have picked up from Trader Joe's, a few trimmings from my own yard and an array of containers.  I will put together a few fun floral arrangements to share, that you will hopefully enjoy using in your own home or as a gift for someone you love.  (Did you see our mother's day flowers?)  So, check back here next week for some fun with flowers :)

In the meantime, have a lovely weekend!

happy flowers for the mom you love.

Like most moms, I love flowers.  I love getting them, I love having them in my home.  I especially love picking up flowers from Trader Joe's and arranging them myself.  The possibilities are endless.  One trick I've learned over the years is how easy orchids are to have in your home and to care for.  In just a few minutes you can put them together in a way that looks like they came from a florist and they will last for weeks and weeks.

First, remove the case they come in...

Next, wrap some moss around their base...

Then, place them in a vase with just about two inches of water only in the bottom...

For a little something extra, you can use twine to tie a little moss around the stem where the orchid is attached to the stick by a less-than-attractive piece of plastic...

Occasionally, add a little more water as you see the level going down, but never much.

They should last for weeks and weeks!

Give some to a friend and keep some for yourself!

They are certain to brighten up any home!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

We love you!

What would the world be without moms!

summer revisited

As I was cleaning out my computer I came across all sorts of old summer pictures that I never shared.  Being out of town for most of the summer and having all sorts of fabulous guest bloggers, I never got around to posting some of these.  And then with a new computer, I kind of forgot they were even there.  I guess I could just toss them, but I love the feeling they give me of the laid back days of summer.  Perhaps, as I am in the midst of holiday madness (yes, the holidays began for me in October and won't slow down until Christmas has passed...), I can at least sit and imagine myself back to the calmness of the beach.  In my relaxed beach mode, I even put together a couple cute summer tutorials that I never shared, but I think if you put the right twist on them you could change them up for the holidays.  If nothing but for myself, I have decided to put together a handful of "summer revisited" posts to share over the next few weeks.  Hope no one minds that this blog will be talking about summer and Christmas simultaneously...

This summer I decided I was going to fix up the little bit of garden area I have on the front patio in Balboa.  So, with a truck full of plants and a good friend to help, we decided we could be landscape designers with the best of them...  or at least have ourselves a good time trying.

With the limited space we have on our front porch, the plants get so lost behind the furniture, so we decided to give the new plants some height...

If I disappear suddenly next week, its because I looked at these pictures too long and had to escape back to the beach.  So, if I am missing, you know where to find me...

Thanks for stopping by and now I am back to the store to finish setting for Christmas.