Growing Amaryllis

 

 

It’s December and windy and cold and we do have snow on the ground….just a little but enough to make you know it’s winter even though the calendar states it’s fall for a few more weeks. 

Planting season is way behind us where I live but there are always these little kits you see in the stores. 

They look pretty easy.  Open up a box and there is a sack of dirt and a nice looking bulb inside.

 

How hard can it be?  Pour the dirt in a pot, stick the bulb in and water…..and wait….and wait…and wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some even come with their own pretty pot like mine did.

I have been waiting for THREE Decembers and have yet to have a flower!  Each year I finally get tired of looking at the green stem and place the whole project out in the garage.  Sometime in the late fall I will rediscover it with it’s little green head peeking up from the soil begging me to give it another chance.

 

Hey! This year things are looking better!  Look at that healthy bulb and thick stem!

 

And look at the blooms I have going on!

I think the garden centers would call this a double!

I must have finally caught on to this forced bulb project.

 

 

 There is a reason my town calls me the

Silk Plant Lady! :)

 

These beauties are being delivered to my customer’s home tomorrow for her mantle along with some silk garlands, wreaths and floral arrangements.

The flowers don’t look so shiny in real life.  Sorry I didn’t capture the best picture.

 

Do you have the knack of growing amaryllis?  I would love to have a REAL flower in my home for Christmas but I just don’t seem to have any luck with them. 

Any pointers for me?

I’m joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life today

Isn’t this what the Season is all about?

We still have three days until December and I have already received and enjoyed a Christmas present!

My friend Paulette and I are in the same Bible Study group, we exercise together and we are both on the Church Decorating Committee.  We really don’t exchange gifts however.

Saturday, four of us gathered to prepare our church for advent.  We were scurrying around hanging wreaths and garlands, lighting and decorating trees and on and on.  A couple of hours into this Paulette had disappeared for a few minutes.  She soon brought out a pot of coffee from the church kitchen and told us to all sit down for a few minutes.  In her little bag this dear friend pulled out a loaf of cranberry bread, Christmas napkins in a cute little holder AND a gift.  In front of each of us she placed this pretty little Christmas tin.  Tucked inside was a Christmas mug by Spode.  We were all oohhing and aahhing and telling her she shouldn’t have.  Loving dishes in any form I was really glad she did! :) 

 

So we wouldn’t feel badly she shared her secret.  At the end of last season she found these beautifully detailed cups at Dillards for around 90% off the list price of $30.00. 

We all sat smiling, eating our cranberry bread and listening to the Christmas CD she also thought to bring along.  What a thoughtful friend she is.

It really got me thinking about looking out for great deals such as this at the end of the season.

But for now, I will be enjoying my new pretty cup several days in December and thinking of my friend Paulette as I sip a hot cup of coffee or two.

 

 

 

 

 

When can a Turkey be called “Stately”?

 

Four days before Thanksgiving I discovered a garage sale find from the summer.  I could have been looking at this stately bird all of November.  I still have the sticker on the plate… $5.00.

 

This came in a box with a certificate of authenticity (NOW you are impressed, I know!)  It says Sixth issue in the Edward Marshall Boehm Gamebirds of North American Plate Collection.  Never has a turkey looked so Purdy.

 

 

Doing a little plate flipping I see I have another Game Bird Plate by Boehm.  Below is the California Quail in the series.  These plates are made in England and are fine Bone China.  The quail plate came from an antique store in Nags Head, N.C.  I paid $20 for this one, but just love their little head feathers.  They do look regal to me. 

 

I keep this plate out in my husband’s Man Cave  ~~~~ family room.

 

In closing this post today I want to  show a picture I have posted before.  I’m sure many of you haven’t seen it.

This was taken just a couple of days after we moved into our new home.  My daughter went into her bathroom and this is what she found looking back at her!  We didn’t have blinds up at the time.  We got a huge laugh over our Peepin’ Tom after Jamie got past the scare! LOL!

Do you have wild turkeys in your area?

 

 

 

 

 

Have fun preparing for the big Turkey Day!

Donna

Wedding Reception Tables with Silver Trays and White Pumpkins

My daughter and I had a vision and it came together beautifully.  Our family loves fall and while we were planning the reception we were determined to use mostly real white pumpkins in with our tablescapes for the reception.

I have been collecting white urns and silver trays for close to a year.  With the help of my floral friend Damon, this all came together for us.

Some pumpkins were glittered

Each table had a silver tray, a pumpkin and flowers.  Most of the trays I picked up at thrift stores.

Some were in my own personal collection

 

 

 

 

Some were monogrammed with glitter

 

 

 

We rented this giant candelabra for the head table.  It had a silver glittered Cinderella pumpkin perched on top.

So pretty!

 

Some pumpkins were carved and used as vases

 

The table below was Mr. Brown Socks and my table with the vintage bride and groom

 

 

The big, tall urns were from thrift stores

Carnation topiaries dressed up the head table

 

 

I LOVED these monogrammed pumpkins with the largest pumpkin having a “C” for their last name and staggering sizes for the initials for their first names.

I didn’t get a lot of pictures at night but so glad we have this so you can see how pretty it was illuminated.  Christmas lights were inserted from the bottom to light these.

Notice lights of the city in the background.

This was the prettiest room!

 

These apothecary jars were filled with flowers at the bar

 

These pictures were taken at midnight as we were leaving to go home

Such FUN we had!

 

The little mercury candle holders did have votives in them as time drew near for the guests to arrive.  We used white barley to fill in. They were take home favors for our guests.

 

 

 

Most all of the pumpkins were real.  They held up great during the five weeks I babied them in my basement!

 

 

The pumpkins with drilled holes were so pretty at night.  We used a battery operated candle which was meant for Halloween. It glowed beautifully.  Got them at Home Depot.

 

This was the guest book table

 

 

 

Notice how the lid to the pumpkin is perched on the side of the arrangement.  I loved that!

This is what the table looked like after we cleared everything off the individual tables.  Luckily I didn’t have to take it all home that night.  They gave me a couple of days to wrap all the breakables.

I am joining Susan today at Between Naps on the Porch for

Tablescape Thursday.

 

 

For the first time I am excited to join Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday!

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing our wedding reception with me.  Such memories we will have for a lifetime!

 

Donna

Changing Fall from Orange to White

I’m not sure why because I LOVE color but I have taken on a new love affair with white and more specifically white pumpkins.

  

This variety is called Blue Plate and it is just as beautiful as it was in early October.  The farmers all told me the white ones wouldn’t keep until early November…the time of our reception.

 

 

 

This apothecary jar is filled with some white glittered pumpkins left from my daughter’s wedding reception.  Some have a fine coating of silver glitter white others I sprinkled with what I call a “sugar coating”.  The glitter was from Martha’s line which I purchased at Michaels…along with the very fine silver.

 

Because I am known as the “Silk Plant Lady” or worse yet seller of “Fake Flowers”, I must tell you these sweet little pumpkins are real.  They were actually free!  The farmer’s wife told us to take any of the mini pumpkins and gourds for no charge!

Have you ever??

 

I just adore the two little pumpkins perched on top of the vintage pedestals.  Not sure what these were originally used for but I found them for around 50 cents at thrift stores.  Aren’t they adorable with the mini pumpkins?

 

I love these nesteled in with my creamy white and brown transferware platter and the little Bountiful ceramic sign.

 

I do think the mini pumpkins are starting to turn more yellow but they are at least six weeks old.  They look more white in real life.

 

Mr. Tom Turkey sits proudly watching over  everything.  He was a TJ Maxx find.

 

Let’s all enjoy the beauty which is fall for at least another week.

 

Won’t you join we at A Stroll Thru Life with Marty as we enjoy all the Tabletops being shared this week?!

Bread Machine version of Outback Bread

The leaves are falling and the forecast hints of snow.  Sounds to me like it’s time to pull down the bread machine from up high in the pantry.

 

 

 

You have got to try this recipe!  I can’t tell you how good it is!

 

The ingredients

 

 

Ummm, so pretty and smells good already

 

Step by step procedure

 

 

It’s really not hard to do

 

 

Believe me…your guests will not care that these don’t look magazine perfect.  I served these for a Supper Club meal we hosted last fall and were they ever a hit!  I’ve never seen so much bread eaten.  Great, great flavor!

 

 

Outback Steakhouse Honey Wheat Bushman Bread

Bread Machine

1 1/2 c. warm water

2 T. butter, softened

1/2 c. honey

2 c. bread flour

2 c. wheat flour

1 T. cocoa

1 T. sugar

2 tsp. instant coffee

1 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. yeast (1 pkg.)

3 T. cornmeal (optional for dusting)

Place all ingredients in the bread machine and process on dough setting.  The dough will be a little on the wet side and sticky, but if it seems too wet add a bit more flour.  When dough is done let it rise for on an hour.  Remove from pan, punch down, and divide into eight portions.  Shape each portion into loaves about 6-8 inches long and 2 inches wide.  Sprinkle all sides with cornmeal and place them on 2 cookie sheets.  Cover and let rise 1 hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

Serve with a cup of soup for a perfect late fall lunch.

I am joining Michael at Designs by Gollum today for Foodie Friday.

Thank you so much for the nice comments you left regarding my daughter’s wedding!   Next week I will share some photos of the centerpieces from the reception. The overall look turned out just perfect.

See you over at Michael’s!

Donna