Wednesday Gratitude # 27: A Miracle Party and Sunny Mornings at Heart and Home

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

Welcome to my Pink Saturday addition to the Miracle Party taking place today!

Read on to find out more about Colette, and how you can help

others, by simply leaving a comment.

Unlike the foggy mornings I usually wake up to

 during the summer months around here,

 the sun was streaming

through the windows today, bright and early.

It looked so pretty with the sunlight shimmering on the crystal and glass,

and bouncing off the flower petals.

I felt really grateful for a bright beginning to the day.

I'm trying to be more aware, and to notice and appreciate the little moments in life that bring me joy.

That is one of the reasons I started

Wednesday Gratitude.

Some days, I'm just not feeling it.

I know I have so much to be grateful for,

but it's easy for me to fall into the "woe is me behavior"

when things aren't going exactly my way.

That's not something I'm proud of, and I'm working on it, everyday.

I guess it's human nature to see the bad, as well as the good, in life.

I'd just like to notice the good more often.

(Like the brilliance of the color of these alstroemeria lilies:)

I know we all have moments when we're not feeling the joy.

I'm thankful that, for me, most of the time

my down moments are no big deal.

But some of us face days and months and years

 of HUGE, life-threatening, life-changing challenges.

How we choose to face them speaks volumes about our character.

And sometimes, we just need a little help from a friend.

My friend Kelee, at the Katillac Shack,

has decided to use her creativity in interior design to help others.

 Kelee is an amazing women!

She's sweet, and funny, and talented, and most of all,

 loving and supportive.

Recently, she was able to pull off an incredible feat for a friend in need.

Colette was battling cancer,

living in a run-down, depressing rental space that was anything but healing.

Kelee was there, with open arms and ideas, paint and fabric and love.

She got together with some other amazing people

 with Guidepost magazine as a sponsor, and Design Gives Back.

Kelee helped transform Colette's sad sick-room into a space filled with light and beauty.

(You can see the transformed room at Kelee's place

 starting on August 27.)

Now, she wants to be able to do it again, for someone else.

Everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend like Kelee.

The MIRACLE PARTY is August 27 - 31

Stop by  How Sweet the Sound , Country Wings in Phoenix,

and the Katillac Shack.

Each comment you leave at those sites will earn $1 for Design Gives Back

For more of the story, go to the Katillac Shack.

Help provide another healing space transformation. 

Just by leaving a comment,

and, you will also be entered in a drawing for fabulous prizes

(art! magazines! and a sewing machine!).

I'd be so grateful if you'd drop by the Katillac Shack

to support Kelee and her work.

And send a comment and a hug to Colette,

who, although she was given only a 5 -15% chance,

 beat the cancer and can wake up smiling at the sun, every day.

Until next time

XO

Heidi

Remember to LEAVE A COMMENT HERE, TOO!!

 Don't be a lurker! I love to hear from you.

(And, if you like what you see, subscribe or follow along with Heart and Home.
 The buttons are on the sidebar)

       

linking to Works for Me Wed., Wobble Over Wednesdays,  Welcome Weds., Follow Me Wednesday, Pink Saturday, and Show and Tell Friday, (and I'm going to let Wednesday Gratitude run a little longer this time, until August 31. Share your stories of gratitude and inspiration! All others will be deleted...thank you!!XOXO)

Pink Flowers in Abundance at Heart and Home

Happy Pink Saturday! I'm honored that you decided to drop by for a visit today, thanks so much for stopping at  Heart and Home!

I'm joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. 

Go check out her pretty pinks when you're done here!

The hydrangeas are just starting to bloom out on the side deck.

I've never been very lucky with these plants, and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Whatever the case, the few blossoms that are starting to open on this plant make me very happy!

Inside, I've got some pretty alstroemerias that have a hint of pink on their petals.

They seem so graceful and delicate,

although they are very hardy and last a long time as a cut flower.

On the back deck, the new fuchsia is busting out with blooms all over the place!

Double, deep pink blossoms swing in the breeze, and attract the hummingbirds.

I love my little spot of paradise - my deck gardens bring me so much joy!

Over the years I've had to adjust my expectations of an old-fashioned country rose garden,

and instead I plant anything that will survive long, shady mornings,

 hot, full sun in the afternoons, and brisk ocean breezes on most days.

It's tricky, but after almost 11 years living here,  I think I've finally gotten the hang of it!

I'm eagerly anticipating the first blossom on this fuchsia, seen here last year.  I love the pale, pale pink double blossoms, they remind me of a dancer's tutu!

Did you turn fuchsia flowers into dancing ballerinas when you were little?

I did, and I remember getting in so much trouble for pulling the blossoms off my mother's cherished plants! 

Don't you just love how much pleasure and happiness a simple grocery store bunch of flowers can bring to your home? I always pop a bunch into my cart before I leave the store, and rarely go without flowers in the house. If I can't find any I like, I'll cut branches and bring in clippings from outside.

Nature is wonderfully abundant around here, another reason I love our spot on the redwood coast.

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

For a wealth of interesting information about anything flower related, you might like Order Flowers , check it out!

Heart and Home Celebrates a Special Pink Saturday

Good Morning All!
I hope you're having a great start to a long Memorial Day Weekend.
I'm going to make sure to take a moment during this busy and fun-filled three days to think about the reason behind this holiday, and to give thanks and remember those who made the greatest sacrifice to serve our country, today and in times long gone.

Now, on to the celebration! It's Pink Saturday, and a very special two year anniversary for our lovely Hostess with the Mostess:  Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.  When you're done here be sure to drop by at Beverly's to say hello, and wish her a happy anniversary. Tell her Heidi at Heart and Home sent you!


For her two year anniversary I collected some flowers:


 Soft pink fuschias:

Brilliant pink roses and impatiens:

Baby pink Cecil Brunner roses:

A little symbol of love:

Alstromeria lilies in all their pink glory:

These two nifty,spunky pink fellas:

And last but not least, this yummy pink confection.

It's not a celebration without something good and sweet to eat, in my opinion!

Yum!

Happy Anniversary, Dear Beverly. Congratulations on two years of Pink Saturdays!

Thank you for making this a fun place to gather every week, for introducing so many bloggers to each other, and for encouraging our friendships and the sharing of beauty and ideas.

I look forward to participating in many more happy Pink Saturdays with you!

All pictures above from past Pink Saturday Posts. To read the entire post, click on the link!

As a special thank you to my readers and followers use this code anytime for 10% of any purchase at Overstock.com.

Ready?  Here it is: 121728

Remember, leave a comment and let me know you were here!

until next time

XO

Heidi

Pink Bling at Heart and Home

Good morning and welcome!

Thanks for dropping by for Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Beverly is getting ready to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Pink Saturday on May 29.

That's quite an achievement, and I hope you'll drop by HSTS with congratulations, and to peek in at some of the other participants' posts!

There is always a lot of pretty PINK to see, so go have a look!

My birthday was almost one month ago. But that didn't stop me from celebrating it again a few days ago.

My girlfriend and I agree that the birthday girl gets to decide when the celebrating stops!

So I said "Party on!"

She took me to lunch and showered me with gifts.

We ate outside under an umbrella and watched the world go by as we sipped our Arnold Palmers.
We can really get crazy like that!
I had a delicious seared ahi salad, and an even more delicious dessert. It was a beautiful Tiramisu, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY written in chocolate on the edge of the plate.
Then the waiters sang happy birthday to me - the 39 year old.

I was willing to let that little white lie slip, but I don't think they were fooled for a second.
They were nice enough to pretend with me for awhile!
Not that I'd go back to that age, but still, I'd love to go back to the weight I was at that age.
And back to the wrinkle-free me.

 

These are some of the pretty gifts from my friend.  I told you she spoiled me!  How lucky am I?
I love and adore them, and had to share them with you.
Get a load of that bracelet. It's so understated!!

Some might argue that it isn't sensible to wear something like that at my age, but I disagree.
It's the perfect amount of sparkly and blingy for me!
The little box has it's own bling, and pictures of beautiful roses and the Eiffel tower, which I love and adore as well.

From now on, I'll keep these in the box, in their own little velvet bag.

This ring and earrings belonged to my very fashionable Mother. I remember playing dress up in them when I was tiny.

Now, they belong to me.  I wear them whenever the mood strikes, which would make my mom happy.

She loved her jewelry, and she loved looking her best.

She never wore jeans, and always had on high-heeled shoes, even when she climbed the pyramids in Mexico.

I did a little research and found out these pieces were manufactured by Castle Cliff, probably in the early 50's.
This jewelry, "sold in only the finest department stores, was impeccably produced in bold yet startlingly intricate designs." The company produced jewelry from 1918 - 1977, when the Lucien Piccard
company purchased it.

If I know my mom, these pieces matched the perfect dress, shoes, gloves, and handbag.
Now, I wear them with my jeans and t-shirts, and my pearl necklace and chunky chains.

They are so me, and I like knowing I'm wearing something "Bold Yet Startlingly Intricate".

I think those words describe me to a "T"!!

My husband would most likely agree, especially the "startlingly intricate" part.
Although he would probably call it something else...
Until next time,
XO
Heidi

Remember to leave a comment, and go see Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound!

A Giveaway and Pink Saturday at Heart and Home

Happy Pink Saturday! I'm glad you're back and hope you're having a great day. There is exciting information about my giveaway at the end of this post so stick around!

Flowers bursting out all around us:

The garden beginning to bloom:

Streamers streaming in the dining room:

Gifts piled high on the sideboard:

 Fruity desserts ready to be served:

That can only mean one thing around here: it's Spring, and  birthday season at our house.  My husband's, mine and my daughter's, all in quick succession.

There's been a lot of partying and celebrating in this house!

Now it's time to slow down and enjoy the tulips,

 and stop to smell the lavender!

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,

Leave a comment,

Link to Heart and Home in a post!

You get an entry for each.

Of course you can enter more than once!

Let me know which you've done.

A winner will be chosen by

random drawing Friday May 7.

Good luck!

(Filoli Gardens Spring 2010)

Until next time,
XO
Heidi
 
Thank you Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound, for Pink Saturday!

Heart and Home and Sweet Birthday Blossoms

Hello my friends, I hope you're having a great day. Thanks for stopping by! 

I had a lovely surprise in the garden the other day. After all the rain and the trauma of the falling tree (which has now been reduced to a pile of cut up stumps and some split logs at the side of our house) I haven't spent much time in my garden. I did manage to get some pots planted for my side deck, but still have a lot to do to catch up with the Spring planting. I love it when I can sit on the deck and enjoy all the different, colorful blooms trailing up and over the edges of their containers. But for now, there aren't many flowers out there, and I am content gazing at the green, tree-covered hills that surround our home.

I was so happy when I discovered these pale pink Cecil Brunner roses blooming on the vine which covers the trellis near our front door! (That's it up there in my blog header.)  I'm considering these an early birthday present (mine's on Saturday!), and because I can't have a party with you I'll share these two little roses instead.

Aren't they just perfect? What a welcome surprise after all this wet weather. Everything else is so beat down and sad looking, and the daffodils have already stopped blooming. All that's left of them is their long green stems and leaves, which I need to braid down into bundles to tidy up the flower beds.

These beauties are teeny-tiny, only the size of quarter, with just the slightest rose scent. In all my rushing around I might have missed them, since I wasn't expecting to see anything blooming out there for quite awhile.

I'm glad I noticed them. This is a good example of why I should "stop to smell the roses" more often! They brought joy to my day, and I want to spread some of that joy to you.

"Light pink roses, or the pale pink rose, sends a message of joy, gladness, admiration, grace and sweetness. Pink roses, or a single pink rose, in general, conveys and expressess happiness and gracefulness" (from Rose Gardening Made Easy) - I'm happy to share some of that gladness and grace with you -  and the feeling of delight I get when I see a rose blooming in my garden.

Have a great day! Your comments make mine, so I hope you'll remember to leave one! And a reminder that Friday is the last day to enter the drawing over at Kelee's place the Katillac Shack, so go check it out. You'll be so glad you did!

Until next time,
XO
Heidi

Linking to Show and Tell at Cindy's  and Pink Saturday with Beverly. Thank you, ladies!

Easter Greetings from Heart and Home

Hello to you all on the days before Easter. I'm linking to Show and Tell Friday, at Cindy's Romantic Home,  and Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound, is having another Pink Saturday party.  She has asked us to show our pinks, yellows and greens! I'm happy to show you the decorations my youngest daughter put up for us around the house the other day. I sat with a heatpad on my back, and watched her as she very carefully chose just the right spot for each and every item out of the big "Easter box".

I think she did a great job, and brought the Easter spirit into our house just in time!

These little vintage style chicks and bunnies have taken up a temporary home on the living room mantel.

This one with the blush in her cheeks and wearing 

 her Easter bonnet looks ready for the Easter Parade!

This dapper little guy looks like he's in charge of hiding eggs!

While the littlest chick just looks perplexed!

My daughters decorated the curly willow branches with fancy painted and embellished eggs. This is a  German Easter tradition that my mother followed during her childhood, and kept up while I was growing up. It's not Easter around here until the egg tree is up! 

We've been collecting and decorating hollowed out eggs for years.

Many of these are over 20 years old.  Some were decorated by my girls when they were just toddlers. They're pretty fragile, and during the rest of the year they are stored in egg cartons, wrapped in tissue.

The paper mache' eggs were made in Germany. When I was young I would always get several of these eggs in my Easter basket, filled with delicious German chocolates. We have quite a few of them, scattered around the house. I love the whimsical, traditional illustrations on them!  They remind me of my childhood, and the German books that were read to me when I was little.

This big bunny is carrying branches of pussy-willow, stopping by to wish you and yours a very Happy Easter!  I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and laughter!

I'll be on a short blog-break next week,  enjoying some time with my family for Spring break! I look forward to visiting with you all when I get back. Wednesday Gratitude will resume the week of April 11. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi