WEEKEND GETAWAY AND THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AT THE RITZ

I hope you all had a great weekend! Hubby and I traveled to the Florida house for a bit of R & R. He had just returned from two weeks of extensive travel to Europe and the west coast, so he was ready for some down time. It's not always easy for him to "shut down the power plant" but this trip, he did very well. We even made it to the beach twice!

Our first beach day was at Fort Myers beach. We were greeted by a very interesting man weaving beautiful baskets from coconut branches. Take a look at his beautiful work. He told us he was taught by an older gentlemen and that choosing the correct size and shape of the coconut branch is what determines how his basket turns out. It was quite an interesting process to watch as it unfolded into this beautiful basket.

Fort Myers Beach was lovely.

The Ritz Carlton of Naples beach.

After enjoying some great beach time we headed to Naples. By the time we reached Naples the skies were a bit ominous. But beach time was still a good time!

We met our friends for lunch at the Ritz Carlton. It had been quite a few years since my hubby and I had stayed at the Ritz, so the decor had been updated.

The foyer greeted us with the classic beauty that only the Ritz can provide. A gorgeous gold carved table topped with a beautiful floral arrangement of tropical flowers..... it sets the tone for a beautiful tropical Welcome.

A few years ago I took a flower arranging class here, and learned that the Ritz, at that time, had their own floral staff on site. They showed us how to create a beautiful tropical floral piece. I will never forget the gorgeous result when all he started with was a pile of fronds,bird of paradise and other tropicals...just gorgeous!

The grounds and courtyards are always a typical manicured vision. 

The gardens with their beautiful pots of color and vignettes for relaxation are always so inviting.

My hubby loved this tropical Dr. Seuss looking plant!

I am always looking for great ideas for our patios at home and I love this bench! I can picture it at the end of our patio.

If you like this bench too, here is a link where you may purchase one very close to this:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Outdoor-Bench/5157434/product.html

I love this bench too!

I told hubby next year I would love to add a boxwood hedge designed much like below in our side yard near the patio. Then I could add the beautiful concrete bench above into the center of the hedge, instead of using the flowers they used below. Wouldn't that be gorgeous?

Here's where you can find a beautiful bench close to the one above:http://www.thegardengates.com/traditional-curved-garden-bench-p1076.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjw_42eBRDHqcG1psmtneEBEiQAWPL8WAYQEHgqxg1j_LMkzTZ-TsYgW38-2xhOdNoLhqYpyMcaAsGY8P8HAQ

Well it's back to reality, but we sure did have some wonderfully relaxing moments. We all need to recharge, but it doesn't have to be at the Ritz.....turn off the cell phone, get out that chaise, make yourself a nice beachy drink and start soaking up that sun! (with sunscreen of course!) 

I hope you have enjoyed today's blog!  Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

BEAUTIFUL LADY FINGER CENTERPIECE

One of my favorite places my husband and I have traveled to was Paris. We celebrated our anniversary there two years ago and the memories are still fresh in my mind. 

It's difficult for me to pick my "favorite thing" that we saw, experienced or ate, because the entire trip was a dream come true! I must say the Rue Cler street market was pretty high on my list. Fresh produce, fish, cheeses, deli foods,chocolate shops, and the wonderful bakeries! Ahhhh.....the bakeries. Never before have I seen such gorgeous displays of tempting pastries, macarons, cakes and of course the breads!

I recently found a photo of a beautiful Lady Finger centerpiece. It reminded me so much of our days in Paris. I thought I would attempt to create my own version. Of course I did not bake my own Lady Fingers, but I found a great substitute in the grocery store......and here is my LADY FINGER CENTERPIECE!

**Sidenote: My middle daughter gifted me this beautiful lace runner from her recent trip to Belgium.  I just love it!

Below are the items you will need--

1. Hat or floral pins.
2. Moss
3. Fresh roses and babies breath
4. Ribbon
5. 2 packages of Lady Fingers (if you use my size layers)
6. Floral foam for 3 layers  1- 6", 1-8",1-10" (approx. 2 inches thick)

Hot glue gun, scissors, plastic wrap

 2. Cut floral foam (see below)

3. Soak each layer of foam in water and wrap securely in plastic wrap. (you don't want to get your Lady Fingers wet!)

4. Glue layers together leaving perimeter for flowers or babies breath. Poke holes for flowers around each layer. The pattern is up to you. You may also use the babies breath in between.
HINT: I started by placing 4 roses equidistant around each layer perimeter, and built the rest from that point. 

5. Push moss in between flowers so that the plastic wrap and floral foam are not exposed.

6. Place a bead of hot glue on the bottom 1/3 of the lady finger layers and press carefully into place; pressing against the edge of the foam wrapped layer. 

7. Wrap ribbon around the perimeter of each layer. Attach the end of the ribbon with hat/floral pin, sticking it into the foam layer securely. I made sure this was located at the back of the centerpiece, however, the pearl topped pins look very pretty on the ribbon.

****THIS IS NOT EDIBLE****

I hope you have enjoyed today's blog.

This centerpiece is a bit time consuming and should be made the day of the event. The Lady Fingers are fragile and should not be exposed to moisture. 

*** If you are using hearty,fresh picked roses or flowers that can withstand the better part of a day without drooping, water soaked foam may not be necessary.

Options for use of centerpiece:
1. Bridal shower
2. Wedding shower
3. Baby shower
4. Anniversary party
5. Afternoon tea
6. Any party with a French theme
And the list goes on.....use your imagination and have fun!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

au revoir!!

Kathleen

*****
******Don't forget to stop back on Monday! Also, our THE LAVENDER BOUQUET FACEBOOK page has lots of ideas and articles that aren't on the blog. Don't forget to stop by and while you're visiting LIKE us!! That's how we grow! 

DIY PANTRY SHELVING EXTENSIONS

Lately I've been running out of storage in one of my pantries. We have two in the kitchen one small pantry that I use for food items and a large pantry I use for storage of everything from entertaining pieces to items that take up to much space in my kitchen cabinets.

When I mentioned to my husband that I could use some extra storage space he took a look at the pantry. He determined that the two bottom shelves could easily be expanded and still allow me to reach the top two shelves without a problem. I would also have space underneath where boxes of items and other items could be stored.

He ran to Home Depot and bought 2 pieces of 5/8" pine shelving. This was an exact match with what the previous carpenter had used when the shelves were first built. It's very sturdy and can withhold the weight of all of the dishes and other things without a problem. 

After taking his measurements, cutting and installing took about 45 minutes. This is what the pantry looked like with the raw shelving installed. I had an additional 15 inches per shelf x2 plus the tiled floor underneath.

Next step was painting the shelves. My husband used left over trim paint from the kitchen. Benjamin Moore Semi-Gloss Super White. It turned out great! 



 After drying I cut shelf liner and covered the new shelves so that the dishes would have a bit of a cushion and the shelf was protected.


Below is a side view giving you a better idea of how much extra shelving I gained by this simple task. The shelf literally doubled in width. 

The top two shelves remain at a 15 inch depth.The bottom two are now 30 inches deep. Giving me the additional storage space I needed.

Now when I open the pantry doors I can see exactly what I have on each shelf! 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed our pantry project. Do you have a similar pantry situation? Share with us what your solution was to gain more space.

Have a wonderful day!

Kathleen

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TLB'S COLORFUL BLOOMS--GRECIAN URNS & MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! 

BEAUTIFUL MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY

The girls all came home and we spent some great family time together. The temps were in the 90's and one of our air conditioners decided to quit, but never fear, the girls had a plan.

They hopped in the car and made a 911 trip to Wal-Mart, grabbed a pool and all of the makings for a great Strawberry Daiquiris and what a wonderful BIRTHDAY it turned out to be! I love our creative daughters!!

The celebration continued inside when my hubby and daughters continued to amaze me. The girls decorated the house and made my favorite cupcakes! The recipe is something my Mom has used for years and can be found on the Hershey's cocoa can. Our family is obsessed with them. YUMMY!

If you didn't already know I am a big Coco Chanel fan and have been for years. Take a look at how my youngest decorated the cupcakes and the adorable picks that she found to decorate them with on Etsy!

The girls all found poems and phrases that were either my favorites or something they felt was appropriate for me on Etsy, and then framed them. They made them for my TLB office. I just love them!!! 

  COLORFUL BLOOMS & GRECIAN URNS

Today's blog is all about everything that I planted 6 weeks ago. Marigolds are now a sea of yellow as you walk up the sidewalk to the front door. I chose Marigolds for a couple of reasons. #1 Deer don't like them and #2 they are so easy to care for. Food, water and dead heading and they will produce blooms into the Fall.

The urns on the porch each contain a burgundy spike, several Marigolds, two Petunia vines, and two Licorice plants. 

We have used the same urns for the past 4 homes on our porches. I just LOVE them! They are quite heavy and are made of a molded composite material. They originally were the color of "old"  concrete Grecian urns. My husband spray painted them last year for me because black looked much more appealing with this house. I love the details in the urn.

Last year we had Boxwoods planted around the perimeter and one side of the house. Our thoughts are to grow them to windowsill height and let them grow together into a nice tailored hedge.I love a beautiful brick home with a nicely manicured hedge! Boxwood is something deer won't eat...so one day, God willing, there will be a hedge. Until then it's fun to watch them flourish.

Well, that about wraps up the color in the front yard. I am waiting for the second crop of Midnight Salvia (in the forefront of the photo) to bloom once again. And in front of them is a row of the yellow Marigolds. Keeping it simple is what I'm all about!

Wishing you a colorful day!

Kathleen

****Thanks so much for stopping by. See you on Wednesday for a great DIY pantry project!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Wishing you a Happy 4th of July! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kathleen

GREAT 4TH OF JULY HOSTESS GIFT----PICKLED STRAWBERRIES!

The 4th of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 when we declared our independence. We celebrate with parades and picnics. It's a wonderful time to come together to celebrate and be thankful for the freedoms we have in our country today. It's also the first picnic of the year for many of us!

The day is abuzz with BBQ grills everywhere! Delicious food, great family and friends, what could be better? But wait......let's not forget that Host or Hostess that's at the helm of this event making sure everything goes off seamlessly.The thought behind a Host or Hostess gift is one of appreciation and thanks. 

Today I am sharing an easy gift you can make yourself! Kind of a DIY.......

Have you ever heard of Pickled Strawberries? It seems like we pickle anything anymore. Of course we have the usual dill pickles and even watermelon pickles. When I came across this recipe, I thought why not give them a try and then the light bulb came on....this would make a great accompaniment to cheese and crackers for a Hostess gift basket.

The combination of vinegars gives the strawberries a nice taste that would be great on a salad or served with chicken or pork also. It's a bit more savory than the traditional strawberry.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 qt. fresh strawberries
• 4 peppercorns
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. Kosher salt

Instructions

 1. Wash the berries well and then hull them. Load them into a 500 ml mason jar with peppercorns. (See photos)

 2.  Combine vinegars with sugar and salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until solids have dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 min.

3.  Pour liquid over berries into jar. Let cool to room temperature then screw on lid. Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

*****The recipe is easy and takes just a few minutes from start to finish. (http://www.chatelaine.com/recipes/chatelainekitchen/what-to-pickle-next-strawberries/)

Making a festive basket like this takes very little time, but what a thoughtful gift to give.

On a personal note.....I'd like to wish my MOM a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY  today!!!xxx

Wishing you all a safe and delicious 4th of July weekend!

Kathleen

***See you on Monday for Colorful Blooms & Grecian Urns! 

TLB'S BACKYARD STYLE!

It's been so warm here since Summer hit us officially. Is it hot where you live too? I've been working on photo shoots of the patio and front of the house and today it's sweltering. 

This year I mentioned changing up the color combinations and type of flowers that I am using in patio pots. Remember my "Fiesta Colors?" Well, they are in full bloom and providing just the right color I envisioned on the patios. A little Miracle Grow and WOW color explosion!

Take a look and tell me what you think. This is our top patio off the family room. I love outdoor spaces.

Below is part of the lower patio where we added a small flower bed corner this year. We planted Butterfly bushes, Plume grass (slowly growing in the back) and golden Marigolds. No hummingbirds yet. Last year they loved the Lantana...I may have to get some yet this year. They are such a beautiful delicate bird and so fun to watch.

Loungers are ready for this weekend!

Last weeks DIY Grilling Cart is ready for some BBQ'ing!

I'm so pleased with the gorgeous colors. Just what I had envisioned. What do you think? What colors are you using this year?

(Below) This year I added a new cozy vignette for two to our patio. Both patios are so large I decided to start by anchoring the area with an outdoor rug. A new purchase this year is the small table from World Market. By adding just the two chairs and an umbrella it keeps the vignette small and cozy. Just about the size of the tables on the sidewalks in Paris!  

The palms, flowers and lime green lantern give it a bit of color and texture. The red seat cushions are a nice strong add to the look. I took my cue from the red petunias that I just love!

(Below) Under the market umbrella is a place to escape the sun. Notice the DIY napkin/silverware caddy from the blog two weeks ago? The Frontgate round rug is a new add this year also. I love the round shape. It's such a large space, the rug helps to anchor the dining area on the patio.

The lime tablescape blends with all of the green surroundings creating a soft, airy setting.

Thanks for taking a tour of our patios. I hope you enjoyed your visit! Please feel free to leave us a comment.

Have a wonderful day!

Kathleen

P.S. Thanks so much for stopping by. We would love to hear from you!