Crystal Author
I love spring. I love the fresh colors outside, the flush of new growth on shrubs, my day lilies are already up and will be blooming in another month…the Caladiums are up early this year, no real winter to speak of. And the Carolina Wrens have already returned to their usual nesting site in one of my pots. I posted a few days ago about my early spring table, just a pitcher and a bowl of eggs. I want simple. That’s what I said; “Simple.” So why did I suddenly grab some of my collections and pile them on my table?? I have no answer to that. (Well, I do, but you’ll have to keep reading.)
I found some adorable sheep at TJ Maxx while shopping for new towels. I normally don’t do “cutesy.” I gave away most of my cutesy stuff long ago. (except at Christmas. Christmas cuteness abounds in my home.) The geese and swans, tiny mice, stuffed rag dolls for every season, hearts, you know, the wonderful classic country decor from the 80’s and early 90’s. There is nothing wrong with cute. I’m at a stage in my life where I crave simpler displays of meaningful, more authentic things. I’ve purged. Yes! I have! Don’t roll your eyes when you come into my home and find it loaded with all manner of collections. I know what you’re thinking! “THIS is her home PURGED??” “YIKES.” Yes, I still have stuff and I love my stuff. There’s truly not as much of it, I say. Mr B says it’s just different stuff. But let me have my little self denial thing, OK?
It was the sheep that started this. I was looking at them and I swear I bought them with the idea of sending one each to my Granddaughters for Easter. Promise. But……(as usual, with me, there is a but). BUT they are sooo cute. I’m smitten. Oh boy, any hope of a simple tablescape……escaped. Gone. POOF. First I grabbed my piece of salvaged wood. Then out came some milk glass, then some pressed glass, then some faux fern, and some faux succulents. Then the sheep. Oh my. They trailed down the table in a little mutton parade.
Then I thought……Hmmm….. what if I used my vintage bottles instead?? So away went the milk glass and out came the vintage bottles. I love those bottles. They are marked with places I’ve lived, or have some family connection. Fort Wayne, Indiana, Terre Haute, Indiana, Tampa, Florida, Bear Springs, Colorado. (I know no one in Bear Springs, Colorado. I just liked that bottle.) Important bottles. But I’m not showing those in this post. I’ll show those tomorrow, or maybe in a couple of days. For now let’s just gaze upon the milk glass and those adorable sheep. I can’t even……….. Wait. I hear Mr B calling friends to come over for an intervention. Is he talking about ME???? I don’t really have a problem with stuff……. do I??? I must grab my collections and run. Leaving no evidence.
Create the home you see in your heart. You deserve a sanctuary. Create one, no matter where you live.
Hey everybody! Happy spring!! I was able to do a bit of thrifting a few days ago and came home with $5.00 worth of tarnished silverplate. Yay me! It’s one of my favorite things to use for succulents. They’re so easy to care for. The basics for growing healthy succulents are SUN, SOIL and MOISTURE. Bright, indirect light. Well draining light soil, and careful watering. Water when the soil is dry, don’t let them sit in water, water the soil, not the plant leaves.
Succulents can be tucked into almost any container and last for months with a little care. They’ll last for years if you use faux. I use both real and faux plants. I try to buy faux plants that are so natural looking they fool the eyes of my friends. I like fooling my friends. It’s fun. They think I’m smarter about plants than I really am. I do grow real plants but I’ve learned over the years which ones will tolerate me and actually grow, and which ones hate the sight of me. Mixing faux plants in with real ones makes me look like a genius. I’ll take that.
Back to the results of my thrifting. I love tarnished silver. It has that all important character factor. I look for it whenever I’m out and about. I’ve found pieces at antique shops and flea markets, although the prices are generally a bit higher, I’ll sometimes pay more for an interesting piece. My favorite places to find old silver are Goodwill, Salvation Army and local thrift stores. Silver is still popular and it’s harder to find now, but the hunt is part of the fun for me. Brass is making a comeback and I look for that, as well as copper or pewter. I keep my brass and copper outside until it’s aged before bringing it inside to use. It’s all about the character for me!
When I find 3 pieces of old metal for less than $5.00 I do a little happy dance and consider that a good day. And who doesn’t love a good day?? (Or the opportunity to do a little happy dance!) As far as maintenance goes, I clean my silver every few months, when it’s totally black….by clean I mean I wipe it with a tarnish reducing cloth until it’s not solid black. That’s about it. I never clean my brass, I love it best when it develops that green patina.
Use cactus or succulent soil for live plants. Choose containers that are a couple inches deeper than the depth of your root ball so that you have some room to top dress the container, and more importantly so that when you do water, the soil won’t splash out. If you are planting in a container without drainage holes, use a watering can that has a tiny tip and just moisten the soil when it becomes dry. You can add gravel or moss to top dress the soil, but it isn’t necessary. If you top dress with moss just understand that you’ll have to lift it up to water.
If I’m using mine in a darker part of my home, I move them out to my covered porch or the lanai during the day a few times a week. I bring them back in after they’ve sunbathed. This method worked well for me…for awhile. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know I’m lazy. So taking those nifty containers of succulents back and forth outside got old….. quickly. I threw in the towel…..if I need a plant in a dark area I’m going faux. I’m all about truth here at My Suburban Sanctuary. And the truth is…..I’m no purist. If faux plants look good and are easier to use, well, I’m gonna use them.
I used both faux and real for these new containers, can you spot the difference??
I also use Tillandsia, also known as air plant. I plop those in glass jars…. or any old container I happen to love at the moment…. and add some lichen or bits of bark. Once a month or so I take them outside and mist them with water. Then pop them back in the container. If I want one to “stand above” the container I’ll glue it (use low temp hot glue) to a bit of bark or a thin branch. They’ll live happily for a long time. Air plants are everywhere in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, so when I’m out for a walk I scope out the trees for good specimens. Check to see what grows in your yard, you may be surprised.
Succulents are still riding a wave of popularity. They’re easy to care for, work well with any design style, add subtle color and life to a stack of books, can be tucked into an otherwise boring area and come in a myriad of sizes, colors and shapes. Whew! That’s a lot of good stuff for a humble plant. Look around your home and gather some interesting containers, besides glass jars, colanders and old graters work well for air plants or faux succulents. For live succulents that require actual care, use almost anything that can hold soil and water. Old silver, brass and copper mugs and bowls are great, but consider using wood cheese boxes, or old sewing machine drawers. Line them with plastic first to prevent rot. Use chicken feeders, old cooking pots, soup cans, muffin tins, loaf pans, vintage bowls, the list is as long as your imagination.
Consider adding succulents to your home. They add interest and life and splashes of color. They may be humble but are beautiful in their own right.
Create the home you see in your heart. You deserve a sanctuary, no matter where you live. Start creating yours today.
Calling this idea a craft is a stretch. But it is fun and the idea itself could lead to other creations. I love bird nests. I love what they represent, I love the structure of nests and the engineering capabilities of birds. Some are truly masters of building. And they’re made from whatever the birds can find. The ultimate in upcycling. After I made my wooden bead “wreath,” I had a few extra beads, no plans for them, no ideas, so they went to live in a baggie in my junk craft supply closet…..otherwise known as the place where odd crap goes to die.
I posted a photo of my wreath creation in one of my Facebook groups. You know the kind, where we all share photos of inspiration and our latest design ideas and/or problems and spend way too much time. One of the members (Thank you, Linda Ryan!) said my wood beads reminded her of tiny quail eggs. And so a seed of an idea was planted. It rattled around in the back of my mind for a couple of days and then inspiration struck, as it usually does…..late at night while trying to locate Mr Sandman. He hates me and doesn’t visit very often. On the plus side, not having regular visits from Mr Sandman allows my mind to wander down interesting paths, or as Mr B puts it….the pathway to his personal hell. He fails to enjoy my late night inspirations. Come to think of it, he doesn’t particularly enjoy my daytime mental meanderings either. Sigh. This idea though…..oh man, this one is good!
Bird’s nest. I could make one. Out of twine. And decorate it with bits from the yard. And then the rare, wooden bead bird could lay a couple of wood bead eggs in it. WOWZER! And thus I have a new spring decoration. A twine and bead nest. How did I accomplish this, you ask? Another 5 minute craft. OK, that’s not exactly true…. once you get your supplies it’s a 5 minute project, but gathering your supplies does entail a walk outside, (unless you are like me and have moss and bark in baggies in your closet of death) and collecting a couple of stray feathers from a pillow. And actually forming the nest out of twine. But the rest of it is 5 minutes or less.
Here’s how I did it... I found a length of twine balled up on my workbench in the garage. (The same place I hoard save wire and other bits and bobs. I wrapped the twine loosely around the bottom of a mason jar and then slipped it off. I had a loose coil of twine. Which I then “fluffed” and pulled into a nest shape, plopped it in a shallow silverplate saucer thingy, and went out into the yard to look for nesting material. Spanish moss is perfect for this. If you live in a part of the country that doesn’t have spanish moss hanging from trees, it’s readily available in bags in any craft store.
I grabbed a strand of spanish moss and picked up a twig with lichen and a bit of bark. (I was out of bark in my moss baggie, so had to search a bit for just the right piece.) Those all went into the nest to give it a more natural appearance. Then I robbed one of my feather pillows of a couple of those pesky feathers that always escape and poke me. For once I was glad my pillows shed them. Next I went to the dead end closet, I mean, my craft closet and took down that bag of left over wooden beads. Grabbed a couple and put those in the nest. VOILA! I like it. Those beads do look like little eggs. Maybe. If you squint and the light is just right.
You can create your own version of a nest with twine, thick string, ribbon, or fabric strips. And eggs of….well, whatever roundish thing you can find. Marbles. Small round rocks. Old beads from necklaces long forgotten. Or “real” faux eggs from the craft store. Add moss or lichen from your yard. Pine needles. Bits of straw or hay. Fallen leaves. Pieces of cotton. Anything that would add softness and texture to your little faux nest. Place it in a little saucer, shallow bowl or a tray to help it maintain its shape. Think of the seasonal possibilities. Acorns instead of beads for fall, Barbie doll heads for Halloween….um….maybe not. Tiny mercury glass ornies for Christmas. Have fun with it. Get your kids involved. Or throw a party for your girlfriends and have them bring their own ribbon and supplies. Or you supply the twine…. and they bring the wine. You get the idea. Make a bunch of little fabric scrap nests for a spring luncheon. Or for your spring table.
Moral of this story? Use what you have, let your mind wander, you never know what path it will take and you might end up with something fun. This was fun for me. I laughed at myself more than once. But now I have a twine and bead nest. So there. Happy almost Spring everyone. Thanks for stopping by My Suburban Sanctuary. And remember: You don’t have to live in a large, fancy house to create a home. You deserve a sanctuary. Create the home you see in your heart, no matter where you live.
Looking around my stash of junk for inspiration the other day, I was thinking of ways to decorate an early spring wreath. I wanted something “farmhouse” looking, which to me, means something neutral and simple. I wasn’t “feeling” the usual… I’m completely over grapevine, tired of boxwood, don’t have enough patience to form a book page or music sheet wreath, and don’t really like the traditional spring flower wreaths. Those require storage when the season ends and I have No.Storage. None. I’m not into removing and adding season appropriate embellishments either, which also need to be stored….or worse, thrown out so that I can buy new next season. ugh. Any storage space I had (had being the operative word here) is long gone. My attic is stuffed, my workbench is overflowing, I’m getting close to being invited to star in the next episode of “Hoarder.” And I don’t like the idea of spending money to buy new faux flowers every time I need to update a wreath. I’m cheap frugal.
I don’t know what led me to think of beads. I’m having a temporary lust for all things wood beads. I say temporary because I’m fickle and have the attention span of a gnat. So there’s that. Plus I’ve discovered that in the world of blogging, it’s all about the next post. I barely have time to enjoy hitting the publish button on a post before my brain goes into, “next post frenzy.” So I was also trying to come up with some creative wreath ideas. To feed the blogging machine. I’m trying to slow down and take my own advice, after all, this blog is for YOU, I want it to come naturally, even if it’s not published routinely, and filled with good, easy to make projects. I want to inspire creativity and love of the home you are in. Without spending ginormous amounts of money. As I was saying… I don’t know what led me to think about beads and wreaths.
It was late at night, during one of my insomnia periods. I got up, restless, and wandered through the house. I noticed the golden light from the streetlamp in front of the house bathing my dining room centerpiece in a soft glow. OK, it wasn’t quite that poetic. It was dark, the light came in through the top of the window. I noticed my bead centerpiece. BUT a light went on in my brain. EEGADS! I CAN MAKE A BEAD WREATH! YESSSS!!! Or some variation of those words tumbling around in my sleep deprived mind. I eventually went back to bed… after catching up on episodes of “This is Us” and drinking a glass of water…. and letting the dogs out. If you suffer from insomnia I know you’re with me.
The bead wreath idea stuck with me however, so of course the next morning I googled “bead wreath.” Nothing. I browsed a few sites, Amazon, Joannes, Hobby Lobby. Nada. The idea was burning my brain……who needs Hobby Lobby when you are a hoarder saver of neat stuff?? I went to the garage in search of wire to make my own. Don’t ask me why I save wire, I can’t tell you. But I do. I had a length of wire already coiled hanging above the bench. I grabbed my wire cutters, a pair of needle nosed pliers and began to create my “wreath.”
You will need:
Wire, thick and sturdy enough to form a circle, and hold the shape, but thin enough to be strung through the holes of your wood beads. If you aren’t a wire hoarder (bet you become one after reading this), Home Depot, Lowes, any hardware store will have a variety.
Wood beads of your choice, I used ½ inch. I just removed some from the garland I recently made.
The a fore mentioned needle nose pliers and wire cutters
There isn’t really much to this. Using your wire cutters, cut a length of wire approximately 2 inches longer than the diameter of your wreath. I eyeballed mine. If you’ve followed me for awhile you already know how I feel about measuring. So eyeball it and cut. Use your needle nosed pliers to form a little loop at one end. This will keep your beads from falling off and provide an anchor for the finished loop. String your beads. This literally took less than 5 minutes. I’m serious. I finished it during one commercial break of Fixer Upper. I ended up with a wreath about 13 inches in diameter. But you can make yours larger or smaller. I would imagine that you would need stiff wire for a larger one though….so that it maintains its shape. Mine does droop a bit, and isn’t perfectly round, but the wire is soft enough that it takes to shaping easily. I also noticed as I was stringing the beads that my wire had a plastic coating on it. It was easy to pull and cut off but I wish I had noticed it before I started. Oh well.
Your finished wreath should look something like this
When you get to within about an inch of the end of the wire, run it through the loop you previously made on the other end, take your pliers and make a second loop closing the wreath. Shape it if necessary. Now you can add a bow. Use whatever you have. I had some decorative jute so I used that. I didn’t do anything fancy. Just tied two short lengths to the loops which also hid those quite nicely. (Bonus! when you can hide the ugly parts.) I’m thinking ribbon would be a nice touch, or cloth torn into strips. Add whatever embellishments you want. I wanted mine to have a sort of farmhouse feel so I went with the jute. You could achieve the same look with plain jute twine as well. I do realize that calling this a wreath is a bit of a stretch. But it’s round. It has beads! I’m calling it a wreath. Whatever.
Your bead wreath could also be embellished with ivy or similar faux garland, or even a flower or two, but keep it simple, the focus is the beads. I hope you give this a try. It’s different. It adds texture and interest. Happy early spring people!! And as I always say, Create the home you see in your heart.
Create your sanctuary, no matter where you live.
For a good part of the Country the beginning of March is an ugly time. Winter hangs on. Gone are the picture postcard pretty snow falls, and left behind is the gray and brown slush, the piles of plowed snow, the leaky boots, wet mittens and dented snow shovels. We know spring is coming. It says so on the calendar. I live in Florida, I’ve lived here since the 80’s and I STILL remember late February storms, and blustery March days, longing for sun and warmth.
Most winters in Florida, like the one just passed, are warm, not really winter at all. It’s already been in the 80’s for many days here. For some who live here it’s hard to decorate seasonally. Not for me. Maybe it’s those memories of earlier winters, maybe it’s just turning the page on another month on the calendar, whatever it is, I’ve never had difficulty decorating for the seasons. I was one of “those.” You know them. The ones who go all out for every season and every holiday, no matter how obscure the day. Autumn? Couldn’t wait. It’s my favorite season. Thanksgiving? Yep. Christmas? Of course, beginning Thanksgiving Day night. (or even a couple of weeks before. eegads) Valentines Day? Hearts galore. St Patrick’s? Yes, because I’m Irish, well, a part of me is Irish. And that’s all it takes to decorate for the day. Friends Day? Of course. OK, maybe not Friends Day, but you get the idea. I put my seasonal decor up early and before I even enjoyed it I was making plans for the next holiday/season. If you are like that, embrace it. There’s nothing wrong with being excited about the next season. Even though I’m embracing a simpler style doesn’t mean you have to be like me. (But why wouldn’t you, I’m pretty awesome…. but I digress as usual)
Looking back, I feel sorry for that woman. The woman I used to be. What was the rush? Why did I want time to move so quickly? Why did I feel so compelled to fill my home with temporary decorations? Some of them a bit tacky as I look back, and always over done. I don’t have an answer to those questions. I never took the time to slow down. To savor the moments. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I began to change. To slow down. To savor. Maybe it’s age related, I’m getting close to my 7th decade after all. I WANT time to slow down.
A few years ago, whatever the reason, I began cutting back on decor and putting things out more in line with what the calendar said, not the temperature, and not what I saw at the craft stores and on blogs. Yes, I do understand that bloggers must “jump the gun” to get their posts published so that they can share their ideas with their followers, after all, I’m a blogger now, I get it. And retail stores need to get their seasonal things out before the season, so that we can buy the items we want before the season. We need time to plan, purchase supplies and get projects done before the holiday or season is upon us. But getting projects completed doesn’t mean that one has to actually display them a month before the season. Does it?
Since re-defining my style and wanting a simpler, neutral look, I’ve also embraced a simpler, neutral look in my seasonal decorating. I want my home to whisper the season I’m in, not necessarily scream it. I want to savor each moment of every season. Even the ugly endings. I may whine about the heat and humidity of our endless Florida summers, but I no longer want to opt out and put pumpkins and scarecrows out the first of September. September! WHAT???? WHY??? Isn’t October early enough? OK, I’ll remove the flag displays from the front porch after Labor Day. But no pumpkins! I draw the line until October!
I now enjoy the shorter days of winter by curling up with good books, or snuggling with Mr B and the fur babies, and listening to music. I love my simple after Christmas displays of winter greens and pine cones, and even in Florida we use chunky throws. I leave those even when the mercury says it’s 80° outside, long after it’s ridiculous to have a chunky throw out in Florida. When spring comes I take the time to watch the birds choosing mates, building nests, the ducks returning from harsher climes to lay claim to our pond once more without planning a flag themed summer display for the front porch. I sit outside on summer evenings and enjoy a beautiful sunset, or enjoy a glass of juice in the morning while butterflies flit around my flowers, I don’t think about fall. I missed a lot of those moments before. I was so busy planning for the next holiday, the next season.
Before I actually go all Walt Whitman I guess I’d better get to the reason for this post. Transitioning from winter to early spring. Here in my suburban sanctuary, I’ve embraced the farmhouse style, or at least my version of farmhouse. Since I don’t live in one it must be my version. There are lots of versions of farmhouse style. I’ll talk about those soon, but not today. So here’s what’s happening now. Gone are all the winter greens. I put away most of the lichen displays, and the bleached pine cones are packed up until next October. I got rid of almost all of the cotton stems (to tell the truth I’m sick of cotton stems). I packed up the chunky throws until next winter. I began bringing in spring as I usually do, in the dining room. Fresh greenery and a couple of nests, my natural wood bead garland. Some faux eggs. That’s it.
To bring early spring into your home, it’s as simple as getting your pitchers out. Milk jugs or mason jars. Milk glass or vintage vases. Or rusty cans of unknown heritage. Galvanized watering cans say spring with or without flowers. For now, fill them with simple greenery. I use greens I clip from shrubs in my yard. Unlike fresh flowers, they’ll last for weeks. Look around your yard, I’m betting no matter what part of the world you live in, you have bushes or ground covers. Boxwood, Viburnams, Ivy, etc. Or go to a local florist and buy filler plants if you don’t have anything to clip. Ferns stay lush for a couple of weeks if you keep them in fresh water. Ivy will actually take root in water. Or buy a pot of pothos, ivy or philodendron to add that punch of fresh green. Pick up a faux nest, with or without eggs. Or make your own nest with leaves, pine needles, whatever is in your area and use egg shells from your own kitchen. Add a vintage botanical print and all of a sudden you have spring!
Keeping this look simple means I can change it up easily by adding flowers later for a bit more color. (When the calendar says it’s spring.) Easter isn’t until April this year so there’s no need for bunnies and chicks and pink and green to bring the feeling of early spring to your home. Remove heavy bedding, chunky knit throws and fur pillows. If you love themed throw pillows, look for ones with bird motifs or nests that can also be used for summer. Feathers are still trendy this year. Botanical prints have found new importance. Look around your rooms, remove what feels like winter. Open draperies and curtains to let the sun in. It doesn’t take much. Above all, savor this season. The season of renewal. Slow down. Let spring slowly blossom inside your home just as it does outside. There’s still plenty of time to add bunnies and chicks. What’s the rush??
Create the home you see in your heart. Create your own sanctuary, no matter where you live.
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