WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING...WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?

I started to recap all the events of last year and it was TMI, even for me - who lived it...
You would have given up reading after the first couple of events because I had massive amounts of pictures.
I have a hard time talking without pictures - I'm a very visual person.  Plus, they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so then I don't have to say as much.

After looking at that ridiculously long post I decided to break it up.  Because I like the pictures.  And I like not having to say as much.

So, here's a little bit of what I've been up to lately.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  And way less words.

2019 was a busy year.
It started out normal...or as normal as can be expected for a slightly weird person...
(and then someone shook the crazy tree and crazy rained down on us for the next several months...)

My son went to Patagonia on a wedding photo shoot and sent us back some amazing photographs..

Penguin Island

His talent takes my breath away.  

And Patagonia is GORGEOUS   

(You can follow him on Instagram at Jamezillasaurus or check out his website here.)

Our friends introduced us to a great burger restaurant - Hopdoddy Burger Bar.
The truffle french fries...oh, my...
A big thumbs up.

The Hubs with friends

And about this time I grabbed some clever friends and decided to further complicate my life by offering classes in my home to friends, clients, their friends, etc., so...
We decided to call it 'Making HOME'.

Relying heavily on my clever friends,  we organized a few MakingHOME classes before the crazies hit...

Valentines...

With a demonstration of a romantic dinner for two of Salmon cooked in parchment...

see recipes here

Spring...

We taught how to make your own mayonnaise, dressings, and individual layer cakes...

see recipes here

and made this fun sign...

Easter...

Garden Class 

at Betty's amazing garden

adding more photos here because how can I not ?

her yard is amazing

(see recipes, etc. from classes at MakingHOME )

Stay tuned for more....

GARDEN SEASON!

I am redesigning the backyard.

I'm not really ready to get started gardening, but The Hubs is chomping at the bit to get at it.  

He spent two days over Presidents Weekend putting in 4 new rose bushes for me, including these two gorgeous specimens. 

Abraham Darby

Classic Woman

That's true love for you.  

The soil here is clay and chock full of boulders, 

but he managed to get the proper sized holes dug and these beauties planted.

 I can't wait to bring the blooms into the house - grow, grow, grow!

For him, it is relaxing and fulfilling.  For me, time consuming.

I do love a beautiful garden, and ours right now is a bit on the rough side.

Its a cross between overgrown/neglected and dying, 

thanks to our remodel/construction and the drought

.. and I'm looking for more of a cross between English Cottage Garden and Downton Abbey.

In other words, the free flowing feeling of a cottage garden,

with a little more order and structure

and a lot less work

So, to the internet I went to research English gardens 

and found this website called Pictures of England. 

The Cotswolds was the logical place to look for an English country garden.

It is, after all, the English countryside. 

Now England is calling me again.

After you see these photos, it will be calling you, too.

It would be rude not to answer....

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QUESTIONS FROM READERS

I'm looking for a paint color for second floor hallway. Wall to wall carpet is navy blue. Wood trim and built in wood linen closet is Benjamin Moore white wing. I'd like a color that would be good so we hang pictures on the wall.

Right now walls are white wing. There is no exterior light to the hallway, just painted white wing paneled 1900 doors to bedrooms and bathroom.

Regards,
Jan | 

Hi Jan,

I'm thinking a soft greige (beige with gray undertone - or gray with beige undertone...), not too dark, but enough of a color to pop against the white woodwork.  

Try Edgecomb Gray BM 

or Sea Salt BM.  

You could also look at Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige - less gray, but goes with everything!

SMALL WORLD - DIY TERRARIUMS

BIG IMPACT...

I have lately been exploring the world of the terrarium - 

It would be the perfect thing to put near my kitchen window.

They bring nature and the garden right to your face - and they are beautiful!

First I wanted to know if I could keep them alive...

I'm the Great Houseplant Killer in my family...

Don't leave one in my care.  

Ever.

Refinery 29

They do seem easy to care for, requiring only sporadic, minimal water 

as they create their own little microclimate in their container

and the glass (especially if it has a lid) creates a greenhouse effect.

Pinterest

They need bright indirect light, but not direct sunlight as that, combined with the glass container, 

would fry them quickly.

Flickr

My kitchen window looks out onto a covered patio - no direct sun - the perfect spot.

Instructables

I have plenty of glass containers to try, but not all have lids, 

and a lid seems to allow more control of the terrarium environment.

weegreenspot

If the glass fogs up a little and there is too much moisture - 

Flickr

removing the lid for a minute or two can correct it.  

Centro Garden

Put it back on when the fog is gone and it prevents further evaporation 

making it possible to go for long periods without adding moisture.

Then I saw these solutions for containers without lids...

Flickr

Glass orb... great idea!

Zest it Up

wooden disk with a knob -

problem solved!

Better Homes and Gardens

Here's a link from Better Homes and Gardens on how to make them 

and a tutorial from Martha Stewart...if you'd like to join me in this experiment. 

For more beautiful inspiration, here's a link to my Pinterest board Terrariums and Topiaries.

If you have tried these small world gardens with success, I would love to hear about it!

QUESTION FROM A READER

Hi there,
I have oak kitchen cabinets in a kitchen/ dining room in one.  The dining room table and hutch are oak as well.  I need a suggestion for a paint colour to bring out the set.  The oak isn't really light, yet not too dark.  I have lots of light coming in from dining area.  Can you suggest a colour for the walls and drapery?  It is painted a sage green and I would like to make a change.  The trim is white and I want to leave the trim the same  ( counter top has different brown in it)  I look forward to hearing from you

Regards,
Carol | 

Hi Carol,

To bring out a warm color - go the polar opposite.  Try a cool gray toned color.  For example, the opposite on the color wheel to red, is green.  The opposite of orange, is blue.  The opposite of yellow, is purple.  Red, orange and yellow are warm colors, and their opposites, or the colors that bring out their best, are cool colors (green, blue and purple).  You have lived with green for a while and want a change, so I would try a gray with a blue or purple undertone to bring out the warm tones of your wood.  

You can go gray and try these with a blue or purple undertone.

BM Abalone (Purple)

BM Pebble Beach (Blue)

BM Rockport Gray (smidge of Purple)

BM Eternity (Blue)

BM Sandlot Gray (Purple)

BM Wet Concrete (Purple)

Or you can go color and try these with a gray undertone.

BM Pleasant Valley

BM Slate Blue

BM Mauve Desert

BM Victorian Mauve

GOOD LUCK!