Heart And Home: April 2010

Thursday, April 29, 2010

A Beachy "Coffee Tablescape" at Heart and Home

Hey there everyone! How's it going on this fabulous Friday?
I'm linking to Show and Tell Friday. I've also linked this post about a pretty blue tablescape and my meeting with my new friend Delores from Vignette Design - If you haven't seen it already I hope you'll go check it out when you're done here!
Stick around for the end of this post and news about my giveaway. You won't want to miss it!

Around here we're (and when I say we're I mean I'm) preparing for the weekend, and the big 80's birthday party for my new 14 year old. There will be nine thirteen and fourteen year old girls staying here for a sleepover, after a skating party at the old wooden-floored Palladium.

Anyone who's ever done this knows to call it a "sleepover" is really a misnomer. There is rarely any sleeping going on at these things, and that many teenage girls together in one room can get - how can I say this nicely? - very spirited.

After about 2:00 AM they all get a bit punchy, you know? There's usually a lot of squealing and silliness - lots of girl talk for sure.

It will be interesting and I hope I'll still be able to think straight after the weekend....! At the very least I'll be ready for a quiet day alone come Monday! Thank goodness for school and the peace and quiet of a house with everyone away for the day!

I thought I'd create a little beachy vibe in the family room before all those girls took it over with their sleeping bags and makeup and i-pods and cell phones.

Here's how boring things can look without any fun accessories:

(clean but dull!)

I went around and gathered up some objects that reminded me of the ocean,

shopping the house once again!

A table runner, large glass urn/vase, stack of design books

and a pretty scented candle are the focus of the arrangement.

I love the ripples in this vessel.

And I love the color - that pale aqua looks like the ocean on the Gulf of Mexico.

This ball looks kinda beachy - although I have no idea what it's made of! I'd love to have a few of those cool white orbs covered in tiny white seashells that I've seen on other sites.

Just what I need - more stuff!

We used to bring home fish figurines from wherever we were on vacation. This one fits in perfectly here because of the colors. I think we got it in Hawaii, although it could have been from Mexico.

It was a such long time ago- we haven't been on a trip like that in forever. I'm longing for a tropical vacation, without the stress of wearing a bathing suit.

Let's just say I am long past my bikini wearing days...!!

The finished table - creating a beachy vibe without the sand, the sticky sunscreen, or the sunburn!
Or the bathing suit stress! Perfect for me, here on the Redwood Coast!

And now, about my giveaway:

two of my lucky readers

will win a full year's subscription

to Traditional Home Magazine.

You read it, you love it, now win it for one full year!

For an entry do one or all of the following:

Become a follower,

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Wednesday Gratitude #12 at Heart and Home: New Friends and A Daughter"s Wisdom

For a look at Friday's Show and Tell post click here or the home button above.

Greetings my friends! How's it going? Remember the other day when I mentioned the unseasonably warm temperatures we were enjoying? Well, today it rained - all day! What is going on with the weather, I wonder?

If you're here for the first time welcome to Wednesday Gratitude! It's the day to post "whatever makes you happy and your heart sing". If you are joining the party remember to link in below, and mention Heart and Home in your post. Thank you! I'm also posting for Tablescape Thursday and Show and Tell Friday (see below!). Stick around for news about a wonderful giveaway, at the end of this post.

“Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.” - Marcel Proust
Do you recognize this person?

She's the lovely Delores, from Vignette Design. I've been following her inspiring and beautiful blog, and we had been e-mailing back and forth for awhile. Since we don't live too far away from each other we thought it might be fun to actually meet in person. We spent some time together, shopping at Ikea.

I'm so glad we did! I had such a great time! I felt like I was meeting with an old friend I hadn't seen in awhile.

You might think it a bit strange to meet with someone you only know from the internet! At first I wondered: am I turning into one of those people, who makes computer dates? That's a little strange and creepy!! But, do you know what? Nothing about our afternoon was uncomfortable, we clicked just like that!

Delores is warm, and sincere, and funny, and we have the same fabulous taste! We were even dressed the same. No kidding, we looked like twins: jeans, boots, t-shirt, blazer, jewelry. We even have pretty much the same haircut. (But, her hair looks better and she's definitely the cooler, hipper twin!) Here's proof:

It was fun and really great to spend the afternoon with someone who just got it - it being the blogging bug and the reasons behind it. We talked about that a lot, and laughed, and shopped, and had some lunch at the Ikea cafe. (We even ate the same thing: salad and Diet Pepsi!!)

What a great afternoon and the start of a really real friendship. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have met you, Delores!

Look at these gorgeous mums, in one of my favorite colors:

And what do you think of these adorable white bird salt and pepper shakers?

I got them for $3.00 at Pier One.

They are perfect for the bird lover (that's me!)

Today, April 28, my youngest daughter turns 14 years old. In her honor, I've created this tablescape for a family birthday dinner. Because of the gloomy rain I decided to use cheery colors and the place mats I purchased on my shopping trip to Ikea with my new friend Delores, from Vignette Design.
(BTW - you really will love her blog, go check it out as soon as you're done here, and let her know I sent you. She's got a great eye for design, her blog is full of wonderful ideas and beautiful vignettes - just like it's name - and she's got style!)

As we were strolling along inside the store several people stopped to ask me which aisle I had found those mats on! They are very bright and cheerful, perfect for this grey day.

They were $2.99 for four. How could I pass them up?

All the rest of the tablescape items are things I've had for years.

I love the blue stemware in this light.

Aqua colored glass candle sticks,

and blue, glass beaded bobeches add the perfect amount of sparkle!

You already know how much I adore tulips.

These are reaching for the sun.

Inexpensive, dark blue, glass plates add drama.

Bright yellow and pale green linens bring more "sunshine" to the table

A pretty glass beaded dragon fly adds some whimsy, for the birthday girl!

What I've learned from my 14 year old:

1. You can never have too much sparkly nail polish.

2. Laughing is good for you.

3. Pout when you feel down, and forgive and forget quickly and easily.

4. Study (or work) really hard, and then go have fun.

5. Be loyal.

6. Only eat when you are hungry.

7. Sleep late when you are tired.

8. Give hugs and kisses to the people and friends you care about.

9. Squeal with delight at the smallest things.

10. Embrace new technology.

11. Learn about the olden days (the 1980's) for historical reference.

12. Be yourself.

My heart is huge with love and gratitude for her and the joy she brings to my life.

Happy birthday Miss M.

and now for some exciting news:

To help celebrate my daughter's birthday,

two of my lucky readers

will win a full year's subscription

to Traditional Home Magazine.

You read it, you love it, now win it for one full year!

For an entry do one or all of the following:

Become a follower,

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Stair Landing Gets a Makeover at Heart and Home

I'm still here! Heart and Home hasn't moved. This "obsolete address" message is an error. Click on this post, once there click HOME and scroll through to see everything you may have missed this week.... (I'm working on the fix for this problem, thanks for your patience!!)

Good day to you all! Thank you for the lovely comments on Sunday's post. I appreciate the love and kindness and understanding from you - your words of support and empathy really helped me get through the day. You are such great blog-friends!

We had the first really warm day of the season, unseasonably warm really.

So we headed out for a nice long walk along the coast in the morning, and watched Miss Maggie jumping in the surf and chasing seagulls.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing not much of anything!
I did manage a tiny makeover on the stair landing.

Here it is before, with a multi-colored rug runner, looking rather "Fall-ish".

Here it is after, with the rug I found at Ikea.
(More about that trip, and my meeting with Delores coming soon!)

Actually, this is two rugs ($2.99 each - what a deal!) stitched together to make a runner.

I love the stripes!

I love the blue and white!

These two are my little romantic couple, who love each other!

You've seen them before (here), I move them around the house a lot.

The spider plant gets the early morning light and loves life in this corner.

I painted this wall "do-dad" (don't really know what it is, but it looks pretty good here!)

with Krylon white, it was rusty brown when I bought it.

A simple change, which I love as well!

(Small things make me happy!)

Those are the quick transformations for today, shared with you for Susan's Metamorphosis Monday.

Thanks everyone for stopping by!

Remember to leave a comment, I read every one!

Until next time,

Heidi

I'm also linking to Sumo's Sweet Stuff and DIY day at A Soft Place to Land!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Special Sunday Favorite at Heart and Home

Hi everyone. Welcome back today for a Sunday Favorite, originally posted on August 4, 2009: ( Special thanks to Chari at Happy to Design).

Pink Linen

In 1952 my parents were married in Germany, two days before Christmas.

They were given this hand painted Irish linen table cloth and napkin set as a wedding gift.

It has never been out of the box, until today, when I decided to iron it and share it with you.

The original paper tag and ribbon was still tied around it, the tissue paper crispy and yellowing, the box smelling slightly musty.

The cloth and napkins are in perfect condition, except for permanent crease marks, from it having been folded and in a box for 57 years. The colors are still strong, the fabric soft and clean.

I've always admired it. During my visits home, I would often sneak a peak of it folded carefully in it's box in the dining room hutch. I loved to feel the weight of the silky smooth fabric between my fingers, and I liked the colors and the design. I have always wanted it, but could never bring myself to ask for it.

Neither one of my parents could understand why I would be interested in "such an old thing". I couldn't understand why they weren't, and why my mom never used it. I would try to convince her to to take it out when she gave a luncheon for her lady friends. We have always been so different, she and I. Mommy only liked new, modern things.

Two years ago, way too soon, my mom passed away. Sometime later, my dad gave me the table cloth.

I couldn't take it out of the box, until today.

It reminded me too much of my mother, and how different we were, and how difficult it often was for us to understand each other.

It reminded me too much of how much I miss her, every day.

I don't know if I can use the table cloth, or if it will go back into it's box. But I do know in spite of our differences, my mother loved me and always wanted the best for me. And if I had gotten up the nerve to ask her for the pink box with the table cloth in it, she would have gladly given it to me. Because she always wanted me to be happy, and she taught me to live life fully, and to enjoy beautiful things. I know I will always miss my mom. And I will always treasure the table cloth, in or out of the box.

April 24, 2010:
Three years is a long time to live without a mom.

Even though I'm all grown up and a mother myself, I still feel like I need her.

People say it gets easier as time passes, and that may be true.

But occasionally I find myself tearing up at unexpected moments, remembering things about her that made me laugh, or a small, kind thing she'd do for me.

Occasionally I find myself thinking "I've got to call mommy and tell her about this".

Occasionally I find myself gazing at a photo of her, or trying to remember how her voice sounded, or I hear myself saying something she always said.

As I get older, I am starting to look more like her.

As I get older, I am starting to appreciate her more.

As I get older, I realize I will always miss her.

Three years, or any number of years at all, is a long time to live without her.

In memory of my Mother July 24, 1926 -April 25, 2007

Until next time
XO
Heidi

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Wednesday Gratitude #11 at Heart and Home: Birthday Celebrations

It's time for another Wednesday Gratitude! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you are having a great day. If you're new to the meme, it's when you can post about "whatever makes you happy and makes your heart sing!" If you're joining the party, please remember to use the URL of your actual gratitude post, and link back to Heart and Home in your post. Thank you!

I'm also linking to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer. Thanks, Susan!

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." - Henry Ward Beecher

I love birthdays! I was treated like a queen this weekend and had such a wonderful time. I'm so grateful for the good wishes of my friends, and for the outpouring of love from my family who made me feel so special. After a quick breakfast we headed to the Filoli House and Garden in Woodside, where we enjoyed the beautiful gardens and had lunch outdoors in the courtyard. Filoli was built between 1917 and 1919. The name was created by combining the first two letters from the words Fight, Love, Live, from the credo: "Fight for a just cause, Love your fellow man, Live a good life". Good words to live by, I believe! The propety is part of The National Trust For Historic Preservation.

Here are a few pictures of the grounds:

Fragrant Lilac, my favorite!

There are thousands of tulips planted everywhere.

Cherry blossoms

The view through the Yew Allee to the High Place.

Delicate magnolia blossoms

It's so peaceful and beautiful in this place! For more information about Filoli, go here. If you have a chance to visit, I would highly recommend it! I know you would love spending an afternoon there as much as I do!

After touring the Filoli grounds and walking around the mansion, we headed up to San Francisco to spend the rest of the day walking in my favorite city. We decided to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and take in the views. The weather was beautiful, a perfect Spring day. The views were spectacular, and the wind was very brisk. It gave us big appetites for the fabulous dinner we enjoyed that evening in North Beach. There's nothing better than Italian food, served to you by handsome Italian men, after an invigorating afternoon walk across the San Francisco Bay!

The view from SF to Marin/Sausalito area

The exciting City by The Bay, with views of Fort Point below:

Just getting started, I'm all bundled up and ready to walk!

We got home late from a very busy day, tired and happy!

I love celebrating special occasions with my family! I love birthday presents, and cards, and birthday dessert, and streamers and flowers! I'm so thankful for the happy day I was able to spend with my daughters and my husband, celebrating one more candle added to my cake! Or rather, one candle on top of my Lemon souffle with raspberries and caramel sauce. Talk about delicious!! It was as good as it looked, better actually! I'm very thankful daughter #1 is comfortable in the kitchen and likes to try new recipes. She always knows just what to do make the occasion extra special!

And it was! I had an extra special, fun-filled weekend! I love birthdays!!

Thank you for stopping by today! Come back again, soon! Remember to leave a comment, and I'd be honored if you'd like to become a follower.