happy march ~ small joys

Hello and happy March! I don't know about you, but I'm glad to see February go. Not only because Monkey passed away in February (three weeks ago today 😢), but winters here in northeast Illinois last "forever". Seeing the calendar turn to March at least gives me a little hope. I know it's still technically winter and we could easily have more snow storms, but at least there will be some warmer days here and there. Just the fact that it stays light until almost 6 pm now lifts my spirits.

Small joys...

Plants make me happy! If I can't garden outside right now, I can add to my house plant collection. We have a new, women-owned plant shop in our town and they had a plant sale a few weeks ago. Of course, I had to go and check out the shop. Not only are the owners friendly and helpful, but their shop has so many cool plants, plus they've expanded to include lovely, unique gift items. Three plants came home with me. First up is this pretty striped plant called Parallel Peperomia. It's a perennial that's native to South America. 

This large plant is my favorite and the one I splurged on. It's a Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen. It's native to Thailand, India and China but is also found growing in the wild in the Philippines, New Guinea, Polynesia and Australia. I love the pink leaves!

It would make a beautiful hanging plant in front of the window, but I have a hanging iron chandelier to the right of this window over the dresser (not shown), so the plant wouldn't look good hanging in this particular spot. I had Brian hold it up for me so I could get a visual.

The third plant I bought is commonly known as a snake plant. There's a good deal of varieties: this one is a Sansevieria Laurentii. One thing I like about this plant is that it basically survives on neglect. It doesn't need a lot of light and requires little water.

In the kitchen, I changed the artwork on the wall to one of a brighter, colorful canvas (thrifted a few years ago) instead of my son's large photography print. I love Tim's photography, but the photo was in neutral tones and I was wanting lighter and brighter in the kitchen. I moved the photo print into the living room.

I found a short, neutral, lightweight runner for the kitchen table on Amazon. It's hard to find a short runner. Standard runners are 72" long, which is much too long for my small kitchen table. Sorry for the dimmer photos, but I took these late in the day.

I've always tried to look for small joys in my home and it feels even more important now, with what's going on in Ukraine. Our homes should be our place of comfort and safety. To see these families fleeing for their lives is heartbreaking and beyond comprehension.

What small joys are you finding or bringing into your home right now?

a few minutes of diversion ~ decorating

Hello friends, how is everyone doing? I'm definitely going stir-crazy and have moments where I feel sad and/or anxious, but I know everyone else is feeling the same. The main thing is that we all stay well and healthy. I'm enjoying reading on blogs and social media what everyone is doing to stay sane and upbeat...there's a lot of good ideas out there. I've been puttering with decor and rearranging some things, walking every day outside every day even though the weather is still pretty crappy (it feels good to get some fresh air and exercise; grateful we can at least go outside!), practicing yoga, cleaning out drawers and closets (ho hum!), talking every day via text or phone with friends and family members, reading, and doing even more cooking. I even tried my hand at acrylic painting, though it pretty much looked like a five-year old got into the paints.

To take your mind off the pandemic for a few minutes, I thought I'd share some of my latest putterings with you...

I didn't do much decorating for Easter. If we can't get together with family or friends, I feel there's not much of a point. I do like some of my bunny decor though, so I made a vignette on the dresser in the guest room.

I lightened up the china cabinet for spring and used washi tape to line each shelf.

The washi tape was such an easy, quick way to add a little cheer, so I stuck a couple of strips on the shelves on the kitchen wall, as well.

This yellow spring chick that I've had for years adds a little whimsy under the spider plant.

That's a new philodendron plant on top of the china cabinet. I grabbed a couple of plants when we had to run to Home Depot a few days ago for specialty light bulbs.

Here's the other plant - some sort of succulent - on top of my fridge. 

 The console table in the living room got a couple of small changes. The blue bottle used to be on the ledge of the wall cut-out, and I also added a couple of little bunnies.

le

Do you remember my lamp dilemma in Brian's office? I couldn't decide whether to keep this lamp, as it wasn't the right height with the "window" above the black cube unit. Well, once I put a couple of books under the lamp and added decor to the cube and the shelf, I decided I liked the lamp after all. Brian likes it, too and said the lamp gives off the perfect reading light for when he's sitting in the arm chair. We still need a rug for this room, but I haven't found "just the right one" online yet.

Back to the Coronavirus (my few minutes of decorating diversion are up), Brian and I have been playing cards and board games on the days he's home from work. He's in the emergency services field, so yes, he's still working outside the home. Clementine loves to be wherever we are, which often means right in the middle of one of our games.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this piece that I just read on Facebook.
Love to you all!

******************

We (all of us) are currently going through

a collective traumatic experience.

Trauma is often thought of as "too much, too fast“…

which is exactly what’s happening.

Of course you’re exhausted. Of course you’re afraid.

Of course you’re overwhelmed. Of course you’re

clinging to certainty in the midst of so much unknown.

Of course you aren’t as productive, feeling foggy,

or wondering how you can possibly go through

so many waves of emotions all in the same day.

This all makes so much sense in the context

of our circumstances. Be gentle with yourself.

Have compassion for your process.

Give yourself grace. You are good,

no matter how you are managing

this completely new experience.

(Lisa Olivera)

purifying houseplants

Several people have asked me to write about houseplants and which ones purify the air in your house. Since I'm a plant lover, I was more than happy to do a little research and oblige.

Unfortunately, many of the things in our home ~ particle board, paneling, printing ink, paint, paint varnish and remover, paper napkins and facial tissue, furniture wax, floor waxes, synthetic fibers and plastics ~ are filled with toxins such as trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia. Some of the side effects of these toxins on humans can include headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, irritation of the nose, mouth and throat, drowsiness, increased heart rate, confusion, and liver and kidney damage. Of course, this all depends on factors such as the amount you are exposed to, and the amount of time you're exposed.

Some of the more common and easy-to-care-for plants that help purify the air are:

Spider plant

Draceana

(Source: Home Depot)

Ficus

(Source: Gardening Know How)

Peace Lily

(Source: Walmart)

Snake Plant

The tall plant in the large white pot in front of the fireplace is Snake Plant, also known as Mother-in-Law's Tongue.

This is also a Snake Plant, but a much smaller version. I found this one at IKEA.

Bamboo Palm

(Source: Gardening Know How)

Philodendron

As with any houseplants, if you have pets that might eat these, please check before you buy to make sure the plant isn't poisonous to pets.

Happy weekend!

for the love of plants

There's not many January days in the Midwest where the sun is shining and temperatures are in the 40's. But when it happens, you take advantage of it. Because, heat wave. At least, that's what it feels like when you're used to frigid temps. In this case, we headed up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this past Saturday ~ one of our go-to places to explore and hang out.

(St. Hegwig - Three Holy Women Parish, Milwaukee)

We always stop at the Public Market to browse the different vendors and sometimes get a bite to eat for lunch. 

One of my favorite stores in Milwaukee is Mod Gen ~ they have all kind of unique products and kitschy gift items, plus they have a fabulous selection of plants. And when I saw they were having a 20% off plant sale, well, let's just say I wanted to buy out the store.

So, what came home with me? I restrained myself and only bought two plants:

A Money Tree (which needs to be repotted)...

and a little red air plant.

Another houseplant I picked up recently (at IKEA) was this Gold Dust Croton. If you have an IKEA near you, they have a decent selection of plants and great prices.

Most of my plants are in our spare room because of all the wonderful light this room gets, but it's getting a little crowded in here.

I'm going to be working on some rearranging and also thinking vertically ~ meaning, hanging a plant or two in front of the windows. Hmm, maybe I can find a cool, retro planter like this one!

(Brewed Cafe, Milwaukee)

How about you, do you have a green thumb? Do you have houseplants or perhaps succulents (which I love, but can't keep alive) in your home?

a little bit of everything

 In my last post, I was telling you about how my friend introduced me to a vintage shop...that was the place where I showed you all the outdoor succulents. Well, I also found a couple of lovely treasures there. I came across this stack of Fire King dishes and thought that by the tag, they were either $6 each or perhaps that rather large period after the 6 was a 0, so that the stack of plates (11 of them) was $60. Wrong on both counts. This entire stack of beautiful dishes was only $6!! The owner of the shop told me that this consignee was an elderly woman who simply wanted to get rid of some of her things; she wasn't looking to make money. This is the Primrose pattern which was made from 1960-1962.

I'm keeping them stacked in my kitchen china cabinet ~ so easy to grab a plate at mealtime. I haven't used paper plates in many years. I try to be environmentally friendly, plus it's a cost savings. Not to mention, even just a salad or sandwich looks more inviting on a pretty plate.

 I also found this small vintage print for $3. I was drawn to the little girl with her braid sticking out of her scarf, the bird in the tree, and the worn frame. This print is now part of my gallery wall that I've been working on in the hallway.

Isn't it fun to receive packages in the mail? This pretty rose tureen recently arrived for me from Cathy at My 1929 Charmer. I won it in her blog anniversary giveaway. Thank you, Cathy! If you're not familiar with her blog, go pay Cathy a visit. She has the most beautiful gardens and has a ton of talent with her decorating and vignettes. You will see why her house is called "The Charmer". :-)

 After a very rainy and cool June, the sun finally came out yesterday afternoon and it warmed up a bit, so I was out in the yard for a few hours pulling weeds, trimming neighbor's overhanging trees, sweeping the porch and patio, and watering and moving potted plants. I found this forgotten chair in the garage and decided to use it as garden art.

 Nothing new here. Just thought this area by the patio was looking so pretty with the tiger lilies in full bloom. I sure wish they'd stay that way the entire summer.

 Brought more houseplants outside and put them on the table on my front porch...

 I normally have a bouquet of fresh flowers on my kitchen table and if they don't come from my yard or the roadside, they're from Trader Joes. I usually stick with alstroemeria since they're only $3.99 per bunch. I keep my table simple since it's small and right there in the kitchen. I don't have a formal dining room.

 I moved the bouquet of flowers to the living room for a change of pace...

 and then added this basket with bottles and blooms instead to the kitchen table. The hydrangea and lamb's ear are from my yard.

 I played switcheroo with the vintage utility cart and the red chair. This is the "after" photo. I like this arrangement much better than the "before". Looks more balanced.

 This was the "before"...

 And since I was playing in the kitchen, I also whipped up a batch of my homemade granola:

MEL'S GRANOLA

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1-1/2 cups mixed nuts & seeds (your choice...cashews, almonds, pecans,

 walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas)

1/8 cup each chia seeds, flaxseed meal, & hemp hearts

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1 tsp each salt and cinnamon

1/3 cup olive or coconut oil

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (don't even think of using the fake crap!)

Mix oats - cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive or coconut oil and maple syrup, then pour over oat mixture. Stir until oats are thoroughly coated. Bake in 300F oven for 1/2 hour, stirring halfway through. Let cool on cooling rack and then store in an airtight container. You can add any kind of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, apples, figs, dates, bananas) to the mixture when it's cool, if you'd like. I prefer it as is in the summer...I like it on top of plain Greek yogurt and then topped with fresh blueberries or strawberries.

Brian's had a few vacation days and the lucky guy has been painting our bedroom. After a lot of deliberation, we decided on this light gray - Lattice by Sherwin Williams. So much better than the baby blue it once was! Here's a sneak peek. The room is getting a complete makeover: hardwood flooring, new mattress and headboard, blinds, curtains, furniture, lamps. Will probably take awhile knowing us, but stay tuned.

For those of you in the US, please have a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend!