The Legend of the Silver Pine Cone

Silver Pine Cones

Hi Guys,

Today I'm going to tell you the old German folktale of The Legend of the Silver Pine Cone. I hope you have gathered your pinecones by now because we will be painting two of them silver.

Pine Cones Ready to be Painted

First, choose two well shaped pine cones. Paint them with silver acrylic paint. If you wish, you can add glitter while the paint is still wet. Do this over a newspaper so your work surface remains clean.

When your pine cones are dry, tie two together with a ribbon. You can give these as hostess gifts, along with the legend, when you are invited to holiday parties.

Here is the legend that goes along with the silver pine cones:

There once lived a poor family without enough food to eat or enough wood for their fire. The mother decided to go into the forest to search for pine cones. She was planning to use the pine cones to build a fire for her family, and she was also hoping she could sell some of them to get money to buy food.

After walking for hours, the mother finally reached the forest and started gathering pine cones into her basket. Suddenly, she heard a voice say, "Why are you stealing my pine cones?" With that, an elf appeared beside her.

She explained her sad story to the elf. With a crooked smile, the elf said, "Go into the next forest. The pine cones there are much better."

Hesitantly, the mother set off to the next forest, which was even farther away. When she reached it, she was very tired. She leaned against a tree and set her basket on the ground.

The moment she set down her basket, dozens of pine cones started falling to the ground. Filled with renewed energy, she gathered all the pine cones into her basket and returned home.

Tired again, once she returned home, she set down the basket for a moment on her doorstep. When she looked down at the basket of pine cones, they had all turned to silver.

The family would never be poor again.

Because of this legend, many people believe that a silver pine cone is lucky. It is customary to keep one on your dresser or hearth to make sure good fortune comes your way.

That's my tip (or story) for today.

b

The Month of October

Burning Bush, Mum, and Japanese Maple

Hi Guys,

I just finished reading an entry on Facebook by one of my friends. She said that her mood matched today's dark, dreary weather. I was sitting on the sofa at the time, looking out our sliding glass doors, wondering to myself how she can be in a bad mood with such resounding beauty surrounding us this time of year.

October is a month of dichotomies. One day it can be in the 70's and the next in the 50's with freeze warnings at night. Our Honeysuckle plant in the front has lost almost all it's leaves. I will cut it back and put the vines in a vase. The Honeysuckle plants growing up the lattice work on the deck are still in bloom, however, and not quite ready to be cut back. My Geraniums in the window box are still blooming and so are my Impatiens, Begonias, and Mandevilla plants.

Japanese Maple

October is my favorite month of the year. Just looking out my windows can give me a thrill as the beautiful colors cascade from the colorful trees touching the sky down to the flowers on the ground.

Honeysuckle in Bloom

Mums and Gourd

Honeysuckle dried

Mandevilla in Bloom

I couldn't resist taking some pictures just around my yard. Maybe they will perk up my friend's mood. How can you look at all this beauty and not smile.

Burning Bush

My tip for today is to enjoy nature's beauty.

b

View from My Deck

Decorating an Occasional Table

Decorated Table,  Zippy & Gracie

Hi Guys,

Bare Laminate Table

When my mother passed away, she left me some very beautiful furniture. She also left me some furniture that I was not too crazy about. One of those pieces was a round, laminate occasional table. I knew I wanted to put it in the living room between the two windows, but I couldn't use it the way it was because it was just too  plain and ugly. I needed to come up with a way to make it beautiful. I had a couple options. I could paint it, or cover it. I chose the latter.

Table with White Tablecloth

I first used a sheer, square white tablecloth. I added a lamp that my son had made in school along with books, an orchid plant and a hand made dish filled with decorative rocks.

I also tried a navy blue, round tablecloth. I added a bowl of green apples and some crystal birds.

Table with Blue Tablecloth

Woodland Scene

I then decided to mix the two tablecloths and put the square, white tablecloth over the navy blue one. I added crystal trees, deer, and rabbits. I made a little woodland vignette.

I finally settled on the double tablecloths, books, dish, and orchid plant. I flanked the table with two very different chairs. One very formal chair and the other a very comfortable lounge chair. I hung an abstract picture in a black frame above the table. I love the look and it is a lovely place to sit and read or visit with friends.

That's my tip for today.

b

Final Version

Ready for Trick or Treaters

Mum and Pumpkin on Front Porch

Hi Guys,

I had a wonderful time getting our house ready for the onslaught of trick or treaters on Halloween. I love to dress up as the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz and have been known to scare away teenagers with my wicked laugh. Since then, I've toned it down and do a quieter version.

Front Porch Ready for Trick or Treaters

Front Porch with Troll Mask and Gracie & Zippy

I love handing out the candy and seeing the little children in their myriad of costumes...everything from Princesses to Darth Vader. Of course, we make a big deal out of the children we know and always give them extra treats. The dogs also love the excitement of greeting the children at the door and the children love to pet them.

Ceramic Jack-O-Lanterns Made by My Son

When my son was young, he and I would spend hours carving elaborate pumpkins. We would use patterns and special little saws and would make witches, black cats, and skeleton jack-o-lanterns. We would put a candle in each one and put one on every step leading up to the front door so they were visible from the street. It was the highlight of the neighborhood. Now that he's grown, we no longer make the elaborate jack-o-lanterns, but I still have wonderful memories of those days.

Remember to have some money on hand for the children collecting for Unicef. Every little bit helps.

I hope you enjoy Halloween as much as I do!

That's my tip for today.

b

Fall Shade Garden

Update Your Spices

Our Spice Cabinet

Hi Guys,

Today's tip doesn't have anything to do with decorating, but with cooking. Last night my husband and I decided that we wanted to make something in the slow cooker for Sunday night's dinner with our family. We decided to make a nice pork roast with a cranberry glaze. I looked through the ingredients list to see what we needed to purchase, and found that a lot of my herbs and spices were horribly out of date...one even said it expired in 2005.

Now that the holiday season is coming up, my tip for you is to go through your spice cabinet to see if any of your herbs or spices have expired. If they have, purchase new ones so you will be ready for holiday cooking and baking.

Another thing to update at this time of year is your medicine cabinet. Throw out pills, salves, and cold medicines such as cough medicine and cough drops that have expired. Purchase new cold remedies so you will have them on hand if you need them in the middle of the night.

Women, throw out any make-up that is older than six months. This includes moisturizer, make-up, eye liner, eye shadow, blush, lipstick, and especially mascara as the bacteria can be harmful to your eyes. While you're at it, wash your make-up brushes in mild shampoo, rinse thoroughly, and squeeze gently with a towel. Let them air dry.

That's my tip for today.

b

Decorating with Apples

Apples on a Cake Plate

Hi Guys,

Pumpkins and Mums

Fall in New England. There is nothing quite like it in the world. The tour busses are lined up in Lexington Center taking in the history on their way up to Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Peak leaf peeping season hasn't quite hit us because we've had a very warm fall.

Leaves and Pumpkins

Our Deck

I've included some shots of trees that have or are starting to turn color. I also included pictures of some of the ways my neighbors have decorated their homes with fall plants and pumpkins.

Wreath Made Out of Apples

Apples in a Decorative Bowl

Apples in a Line on a Tray

Since this is officially apple season, I've shown you some ways to decorate using apples. I chose to use Granny Smith apples, but you can use any kind of apples you desire. They not only look good, but they  give off a lovely fragrance, are inexpensive, and last longer than fresh flowers. You can decorate your kitchen, dining room, or your living room. You can put a big bowl of apples in your entry or make a wreath to hang on your front door. Remember to tell your family that these are for decoration and not for eating, otherwise your centerpiece may be gone in a day or two.

Hollowed out Apples with Tea Lights

If you are going to have a party, hollow out a few apples and insert tea lights and line them up down the center of your table, or set them around the room, or around the food. These apples will only last a few hours, so do this right before you plan to use them.

Mums

Have fun with apples...they're not just for eating.


That's my tip for today.

Trees Beginning to Turn

b

Trees Turning Color

A Beautiful Maple Tree

Awkward Corners

Corner TV Stand

Hi Guys,

Do you have an empty corner in a room that looks like it needs something, but you don't know what?
Well I have a few ideas for you.

One idea is to fill it with furniture. We bought a corner TV stand for better viewing, plus it fills the corner. In the opposite corner, I bought a corner curio cabinet for my mother's Hummel collection.

Dining Room With Ficus Tree

Bare Corner in Dining Room

We had an empty wall in the dining room which needed something, so I bought a faux Ficus tree, and it fit beautifully. I strung Christmas lights on the tree which I light for special occasions during the year, not just at Christmastime. I chose to use an artificial tree because I have found that Ficus trees just do not like to live indoors, especially in my house.

Palm Plant in Living Room

I filled the empty corner of my living room with an artificial Palm plant. It adds beauty to the room as well as bringing a little of the outdoors in. If I had a green thumb and remembered to water my plants, I would probably have had a live Palm since it gets a good amount of sun in that spot, but since I'm not very good at taking care of plants, I chose the most realistic artificial plant I could find.

Flowers in the Front Hall

I made an arrangement of Magnolias and grasses for the empty space in the front hall. I change it out with an arrangement of Tulips and Forsythia in the spring.

Empty Kitchen Corner

Decorative Plate in Kitchen

My kitchen is shaped like a U, so I have two empty corners. I chose decorative plates to put in the corners. One is a hand painted picture of fields which reminds me of my home in Iowa, and the other is a platter which I actually use, so it solves my problem of where to store it.

A rocking chair makes a good corner piece in a bedroom or child's room.

I hope this gives you some ideas for filling those empty, awkward corners in your home.

That's my tip for today.

b

Window Treatments

Work/Craft Room

Hi Guys,

Window treatments run the gamut from inexpensive roll up shades to formal curtains with swags and jabots. What you choose to put on your windows depends on what you need or want for that particular room.

If you need light control or privacy, choose a blind (cellular for a bathroom or bedroom, wooden if you want a more formal look, vertical for very large windows like sliders, and you can even get fabric covered vertical or horizontal blinds if you want a very formal look). You can add a valence to the blind for a more formal or finished look.

If you do not need to control the light or privacy, you can buy curtain panels or valences that reflect the use of the room. If it is a family room or kitchen, choose something that is fun and rather informal. If your room is contemporary, choose a contemporary print that goes with the colors in the room. If you have a formal  room, like a living room, choose silk or velvet panels with a decorative valence and perhaps sheers underneath.

Kitchen Window

Bare Kitchen Window

Family Room Blinds

If you like the look of bare windows, then don't use any window treatments at all. We have a large window in our kitchen which has nothing on it and I love it. The other window in the kitchen has a blind with a valence made out of the kick board which goes under the cabinets. I chose vertical blinds for the sliders, which open out to the deck, because the afternoon sun comes streaming in those windows.

Master Bedroom Window

Guest Bathroom

You will want privacy in your bedroom and bathroom. We used wooden blinds in our bedrooms. I hung curtain panels in the master bedroom and used valences in the guest room. I purchased contemporary curtain panels for my work/craft room.


We also chose a wooden blind for our guest bathroom. I bought some fabric and made a valence which ties in with the shower curtain. The master bathroom has a top down, bottom up cellular blind. I keep the top down a bit to let light in. I purchased the valence that matches our bedspread to hang above the blind.

I have sheers in the living room and dining room. I hung scarf valences on the two windows in the living room and left the sheers in the dining room plain.

When you begin thinking about window treatments, look through catalogs and magazines to see what you like. Keep in mind the needs of the room. You can go on line to find draperies as well as looking through catalogs like Country Curtains, Crate & Barrel, and JC Penney, or stores like Bed Bath & Beyond. Blinds are readily available at Home Depot, Blinds to Go, and Lowes.

You won't feel overwhelmed if you do your homework and take it one room at a time. If you have a problem, you can always ask me.

Living Room Sheers

That's my tip for today.

b

Gathering Pine Cones

Hi Guys,

This is just a quick tip to let you know that now is a good time to gather pine cones for winter decorating.

The next time you go for a walk, take a plastic bag with you and fill it with pine cones. In future blogs, I will show you how to use pine cones to decorate your home. If you can find tiny little cones, like the ones in the picture below, gather a lot of them and you can make pine cone balls as ornaments or to put in a decorative bowl.

So get out there and get your exercise and bring home lots of pine cones.

That's my tip for today.

b

Pine Cone Balls