Amaryllis Blooms!

This lovely Amaryllis blossom is in full bloom in an antique Ironstone bowl on my mantle. When I purchased a large Amaryllis from the nursery last week one of the buds, almost ready to open snapped off. I felt terrible that this had happened. Such beauty, wasted. I decided to place it in a dish of water to see if it would bloom. Boy, it sure did. I was pleasantly surprised to see such exquisite beauty unfold. I may do it on purpose,next time, just to see an Amaryllis blossom from a different perspective.

Winter Garden Structure

Winter gardens can be as magical as a garden in the Summer. I like to think that every season has its virtue. Winter brings out the structure in any garden. I create Allee's whenever I can. In the Summer they can be dripping with Roses, Hops, Grapes or Wisteria.



In the Winter they add interest and are an important focal point when all of the plants have gone dormant. If you live in a snowy climate, Arbors, Allee's, Trellis' and Fencing gives the snow something to cloak itself upon. Making the garden look like a Winter Wonderland. Blue is the signature color for structures in many of my gardens.



This shade of Blue is strong and vibrant in the winter and playful and fanciful as the backdrop for many varieties of vines and climbers in the summer. The structure also defines the space. The other important structure I consider when designing a garden are trees and shrubs. Evergreen and deciduous both have a place in the garden. Note the Crab Apple still has the red fruit hanging on the branches. In January a small flock of Robin's usually stops by and spends the day in the small orchard I have planted in my side yard. They are delightful and remind me that spring is just around the corner.

Intention Tree Ornaments

Ah... Christmas, that magic day when everything is picture perfect. I love to see everything just so before the crush of people, paper, presents, champagne glasses, and sometimes the sheer pandemonium of the moment. I have a few special traditions that I have hung onto for many years.


In early December I go out to a field or forest, and cut down a small Fir Tree. The parameters are simple, it must be small enough to fit into the back of my car and perfectly symmetrical. I am never disappointed and always find just the right one. I bring the tree home, place it in a bucket of water, inside of a beautiful urn which is placed upon the table chosen for that year. Next I get out a pile of manila hang tags, that are pre-strung with white string. I place them on a tray with a vase of various colored pens. Next is the real "Christmas Magic'. When guests come over I ask them to create an "Intention Ornament". The instructions are simple, on one side you write 3 wishes. One for the world. One for your community and One for yourself. On the other side of the tag you create a holiday or winter design, and autograph it. Here is the cool thing, the concept is based upon Tibetan Prayer Flags.
I believe as they do in Tibet that if you put your intentions and wishes out to the universe, the law of attraction kicks in and WOW, the world could possibly be a better place. Happy Holidays.

Arty Moments 2

I have so much fun photographing at my sisters house. Sheila is an assemblage artist. Her work is very personal. She often uses photos of her family, some from many generations ago for the base of her creative endeavors.
She has an interesting home, filled with magic and artistic moments.
Photographing in her home is always interesting, I will usually photograph at the beginning or the end of the day, that is when the natural light reaches deep into the rooms. Sometimes I can find a cool still-life on a book shelf, sideboard or an antique cabinet.






Her bookshelves are an interesting mix of curiosities, and lovely objects, as well as thought provoking reading material. She has a big job, and I am never sure where she finds the time to be so prolific in her creative and artistic works. She is one cool cat.

Making Herb Vinegar is as Easy as 1.2.3.

When I was first working in the Home and Lifestyle field, I was inspired by many talented Authors and Creators of Design, Herb, Garden, Cooking, Entertaining, DIY, and Crafting books. One book taught me how to make Herb Vinegars. I no longer have the book but I remember the title, "Fancy Pantry". What an eye-opener it was to find out how easy the process was.



I was under the impression it took alot of time and effort to create these beauties. I have come to love the lingering effects of making this treat.When I open a bottle of my vinegar I think of the long summer days, the heady smell of Thyme, Rosemary and Dill. I grow organically so I know what is going into each bottle.
I have always delighted in making this seasonal treat and in giving it for Holiday gifts. (When I was younger I used to sell it at Christmas fairs and Boutiques.)
So here is the 411 on making vinegar in no time at all. During the year save your clear wine bottles,soak off the labels in advance. I also pick up bottles during the year if they are a good price point and lovely I will pick up a few. When Autumn arrives I usually have a good collection. The next item is herbs. You can grow your herbs, pick them up at a farmers market or in the organic aisle at your favorite market. Rinse them well and set aside. I sterilize the bottles by filling them with boiling water from my teapot. I let the water cool a bit, and dump out. (You can put this water into your watering cans,to water your plants with.) I then place the smallest herbs into the bottle, I start with one or a combination of Thyme, Marjoram or Basil. I then add tall stems of Rosemary. I use a chopstick to get the herbs arranged artfully. Beauty does matter. Sometimes I will put a sliced Anaheim Chili, or a few cloves of Garlic. Next grab a funnel and fill to the bottle to the top with Vinegar. Now pop the cork in and you are ready to let steep for a few weeks. After it has steeped, add a ribbon and voila, the perfect present. Your friends will enjoy your thoughtful and clever gift!

A Holiday Table

A holiday table should be magical, and memorable. Why not? We go to all of the effort to make sure the food is wonderful and the wine is a perfect match. If your dinner party is small (10 and under) it is fun to do a seating arrangement, it takes your guests a bit out of their comfort zone but try sitting them next to someone they may not know.

They will make new connections and the dinner conversation will be lively and fresh. Remember they have You in common, so they will have something right off the bat to talk about! This Thanksgiving I also printed up a menu. It was a cool thing and fun to see exactly what was being served. Several of my guests had contributed a side-dish to the dinner and it was fun for them to see the entire menu including their dishes in the printed word. A good time was had by all!

Snowy Day

Maine is experiencing the third major snowfall of the season and it is only December 20th. That could mean the Farmers Almanac was right, Big Snows this year. Well how can we turn that into a positive? Snowshoeing, always fun, hanging around a fire with friends, sharing a meal or a drink.



How about tackling some of those home projects, like painting a room, or organizing your closet. My friend Megan (Who lives in LA) has a major winter project. Megan's goal is to cook all of the recipes from Alice Waters newest cookbook, Simple Food. Makes me wish I was in LA and a frequent guest! So no matter where you are, winter is a time to slow down, take stock of who you are, what you have, where you want to go, and how you are going to get there! Enjoy the downtime.

Holiday Traditions

After I have put away the last dish and straightened up after Thanksgiving Dinner, I turn my creative self over to the "Holiday Season". I like to re-create the placement of these holiday treasures that make their way into various rooms of my home every year around this time.


I pop the Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas CD in and and WOW, it is "Christmas". I find joy in using what I have in many different ways.Some years I go all out, others I use just silvers or golds. The mantels and table top being the main focus. My favorite Holiday Beauty is a wreath I made from a box of antique ornaments I had.


It is a treasure trove of holiday magic. I always notice something different or new when I look at it. These traditions help me to find the joy in the season, and looking upon these holiday decorations always brings a smile to my face and a lighter heart.

Flowers On My Table

I think unexpected moments with flowers are an artful surprise in any room. I have placed a few narcissus stems in a small vase, under glass, on a cake pedestal and repeated the theme, quietly on either side of the dome/pedestal.I love to pick flowers that I have grown indoors and make fun table arrangements. Adding candles and votives is a nice trick for turning up the romance factor. Let your dreamy side take over and have fun!
Note the dining table has a sofa on one side and an interesting mix of chairs finish up the ensemble. I am totally smitten with this concept. When I have dinner parties, my guests seem to want to linger, longer. It is comfy cozy and chic. It is also fun for afternoon tea, a game of dominos or even signing Christmas cards!

Paper Whites...

Narcissus are some of the easiest indoor bulbs to grow. Every year I bring my Birdbath from the garden into the house and position in a sunny and warm spot. I fill it with stones and seashells. I then pack it full of bulbs (around 2 dozen).





The trick is to gently screw them into the stone/shell mixture, so the are partially but not fully buried, about a third.You then add water to the top of the rim. Every few days add water. Within a few weeks you will have a fragrant and stunning garden of Narcissus.

A Cool Winter Color Palette

Maine has had two major storms in the past few weeks, I love the light and the shadows
and how the snow sparkles in the sunshine. The snow lies heavy on the branches, and a few cardinals make for a beautiful winter scene. I like all of the shades of white, and find nature to be a great inspiration for a color palette.

My Current Favorite Shop is...

WOW, I have so much fun in Anthropologie stores. They are now scattered across the country. I love what they do with the mix of old and new. It is true merchandising alchemy. I always leave with clever ideas on displaying collections of "stuff". By the way, I love stuff. I think someday it would be nice to be a minimalist.


Yikes, it is so hard because there is so much great stuff out there. I am attracted to antique, rather well used and overly loved objects.I like to use color ways, shapes, era, or something that can pull a collection together in some type of logical yet artful order for display.



To find an Anthropologie Store in your neck of the woods, log onto www.anthropologie.com

Lovely Artful Moments 1

I love to go into homes that are rich with small moments of beauty, or still-lifes. I always think of the great little photos they would make. My friend Lari Washburn is an Artist in Maine. Her home and studio are filled to full with inspirational moments. They reflect the season, her passion for color, and an artful presentation.FMI and to view her portfolio log onto www.lariwashburn.com

Winter Color Considerations

The sun is hanging low in the sky, and reaching far into my home on this almost winter day.
It strikes me that the value of color this time of year is a bit smokey and sepia toned. I like the rusty richness that this
spectrum of light brings to my rooms, facing south.

Fun color choices to think of could be spectrums of whites, I love the toned glowing whites tinted with greens, taupes, violets,peach and shell pink that Sherwin Williams offers, the shades can really set the tone for most other accent colors, which can be changed seasonally.
I used this spectrum of paints for an event in Maine a few years ago. Read on.

This was a small article in Stir Magazine.
Design guru Karen Dominguez-Brann contacted Sherwin-Williams for help with a novel remodeling plan: “All summer I’d been driving past these ice-fishing houses and imagining that I would rent one, French it up, hang a chandelier and have parties with my friends. Imagine a whole little village of anti-fishing-shacks for the women to enjoy. They said, ‘You’re right; it’s crazy — go for it!’” says Dominguez-Brann, and the first-ever Ice Fishing Shackteaux Designer Showcase was born. The execution was simple: Interior designers, architects, builders, furniture makers and boutique owners paid $300 each to shape a shack to their liking, with exterior palettes inspired by the reflection of light on ice. Sherwin-Williams donated the paint, and the proceeds (like all DerbyFest revenue) were donated to Camp Sunshine, a local camp for children with cancer.

Dominguez-Brann is preparing for this year’s event by reformulating the colors to be stronger; otherwise, the bright winter sunlight washes them out: “Picture all of these little houses in the colors of the frozen lake at twilight. The palette will be even better this year!”