Burgundy Bromeliad Terrarium

Wanted to share this terrarium I put together over the weekend....

The glass urn is actually quite large - about 18" tall - and the two deep burgundy plants are tillandsias: the same genus as the ubiquitous gray "air plants" so popular right now.
Love how the chartreuse reindeer moss makes them appear darker and even more dramatic.
This terrarium will be entered in a fun contest being sponsored by Potted in Los Angeles -
here is the link if you'd like to see what other wonderful creations have been submitted....
Terrarium Contest

Hope to see you at.....
Home Sweet Home
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Potpourri Party
Show Off Your Cottage Monday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Well Made Wednesday

Vintage Owl Figurine - Halloween Candle

This little guy was cast from a vintage Westmoreland glass toothpick holder and a real candle, then hand poured in white beeswax.
Love the way it seems to stand alert, wings widespread, excited about the imminent arrival of Halloween!

Will be sharing this over at.....
Wow Us Wednesdays
White Wednesday
Vintage Thingie Thursday
and
Show and Tell Friday

Morning Coffee....

Let me show you a corner of our home that has remained unchanged literally for years....

The Chinese rug hanging on the wall was a flea market find some thirty years ago, the basket we purchased in a Guatemalan market on our 1978 trip through Central America.
Other things have been added over time....
The painting was an early eBay find, the fabric flowers I had to have, even though they're fake, because I love brugmansia.

The rocking chair gets quite a lot of use, as it faces the living room couch.
Every morning I take my mug of coffee to the end of the sofa, sink down and lean into its large, upholstered arm, and do my best to acknowledge the day.
Many mornings, but especially on weekends, the husband sits across from me, in this rocking chair, and together we review the progress of ongoing house projects, or share details of the most recent pet misadventure.

Every home has one of these special places, where ordinary things are quietly discussed over the last sips of morning coffee.......

Hope to see you at.....
Home Sweet Home
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Potpourri Party

Show Off Your Cottage Monday
and
Whatever You Want Wednesday

How Faux Will You Go?

Seems that many of our personal likes and dislikes can be traced to what was in fashion as we grew up.

I had an older flea market friend in the 1970's who couldn't believe I collected Roseville pottery (it was still quite affordable then).
Seems he remembered it scattered on tables in his family's home and his memories of it made him quite immune to the beauty of a piece like this.....

Instead of Roseville I grew up with artificial flowers.
In the early 1960's it was quite common to have arrangements of plastic flowers and wax fruit scattered throughout the house - on sideboards, coffee tables and in out-of-the-way dark spots that were not suitable for plants.

Although much of this decorating trend has since been rejected as just plain tacky, I'll always have a place in my heart and home for those vintage plastic grape clusters.....

At an estate sale quite some time ago I found a wonderful assortment of them in mouth-watering colors, and I knew I was hooked.
Drop them in some vintage wicker, surround with art pottery and candles, and Voila! - Vintage Faux!

I'm off to...
Home Sweet Home
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
and
Show Off Your Cottage Monday

wondering...
Have you reclaimed some special home decor memories of your own?

Candle Tablescape

Happy September everyone!
For the past month or so I've been preoccupied with casting a collection of original candle molds that will work together grouped as a centerpiece.
Here is a quick glimpse of where I think this project is going.....

Looking forward to having something stunning put together in time for holiday celebrations -

Sharing this with the the first installment of 

Well Made Wednesday

at

An Oregon Cottage

Vintage Pottery in the Garden

A great way to add interest to container plants is to decorate with vintage pottery and ceramics.

Here a bulb pot of miniature hosta and babies' tears plays host to a screaming orange mushroom figurine from the 1970's.

The color is so loud that it almost looks poisonous -

but luckily this is one shiny, ceramic, safe mushroom.

Bloom Day August 2011 - Giant White Flowers

Seems that most of what's blooming in my San Francisco garden right now is big, white and fragrant!

There is Impatiens tinctoria.....

The 30 year old Brugmansia.....so fragrant in the early evening -

And the Burmese Honeysuckle (human hand for comparison).

Fragrance, to me, is such an important component of a garden, that I'm just really happy that these three guys are doing so well.
This is my first contribution to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, and I hope to have something to share from my small garden every month.