The lure of boxes ~

With summer ending, and autumn approaching with all of  the up-coming holidays I have been a little obsessed with boxes.

It all started out with the photo below. This is a box my daughter put together as Christmas centerpiece for her table. She has since used it for lots of other occasions. It is just the right size to hold two pony packs of annuals, and when it isn't being used for holiday decor she often fills it this way for an instant bouquet and then later plants the flowers. 

I really wanted one but to get a box with the dimensions I desired I would need to make one.

So...

...off to Home Depot where I purchased one 1x6x8 foot piece of pine. I Cut it to size and nailed it together. By the way, as it turned out boxes aren't that easy to make...at least not on the first try.

But with a little effort I got it together... 

I decided to stain it and as I wanted an industrial/rustic look the corner braces and old drawer pulls I found in the barn added just the right details.

Voila!

For right now, for your benefit I filled it with some things I had around the house but what I am really looking forward to using it as a centerpiece on my dining room table with autumnal decorations and then for Christmas, filled with ornaments and maybe some little trees.

Now I must get busy and make another one because as it turned out this is a bit too big for my kitchen table, and I would like one to use in there too. if this keeps up I will soon be an expert...maybe I will ad some stencils to the next one. That might look good.

Has the box craze captured your attention, if so there are some wonderful inspirations for using them on Pinterest.

Have fun!

 

this post has been linked to: http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Trivia ~

It's funny how you can get attached to some ordinary things that aren't really precious or particularly rare.

This little mahogany commode is like that for me. I really don't know where it originally came from, probably some estate sale several years ago. My mother always kept it in her bathroom and when it came to me it seemed natural to do the same.

For some reason I just love it.

  

It is very petite and just the right size for this spot. I like glancing through the doorway from my bedroom and seeing it.  It also serves a practical and mundane purpose as a place to store extra toilet tissue.

C'est la vie

Thank you for visiting

I hope your day is filled with an appreciation of simple things.

Almost too good ~

Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. This was something I saw on Decor Steals, passed it by and then wished that I had bought it. I told myself that if they ever offered it again I would get one. Well they did and I did.

It came and it is wonderful, but a lot larger than I expected...I guess I was so blinded by how much I liked it that I didn't pay attention to the dimensions.

The problem is that at this size it has so many uses I can't decide where to put it.

In the kitchen to hold vegetables...or utensils,

in the bathroom to store towels, 

 filled with potted succulents, dried flowers, or African violets.

Maybe inside my pantry, to store canned goods.

You can see the dilemma, this is just too neat!

So, right now it is sitting on the cutting table in my workroom waiting for me to decide...hummmm, 

it would also be great to store all of my sewing notions, yarn, or art supplies...

See what I mean. 

Thank you for visiting

Have a happy and fun day.

Les pêches ~

For some reason the peaches have been extra delicious this year, to me peaches speak of summer and are best enjoyed when in season.

They could of course be used to make jam, a pie, or even grilled, but I think that I enjoy them the most simply cut into a bowl and savored for their freshness. And of course...

they are very, very beautiful!

Speaking of peach pies, my mother-in-law Lola who was a wonderful cook made the best pies, the one I remember the most is a peach pie she made for a picnic lunch that we had on the road up to Yosemite one summer.

She got up early that morning to make it and when cut into it was still warm...utterly delicious.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you are enjoying the bounty of summer.

A nice exception ~

It has been a very hot summer and with our drought problems and trying to cut back as much as possible on watering, the garden hasn't looked it's best, but a nice exception to this has been Gomphrena, Fireworks. This is a new plant for me, I planted three of them early in the spring from 4 inch pots, and they have been blooming almost continuously. They send out airy stems 24 to 30 inches tall with pretty little puffs of pink flowers. I read online that they make good cut flowers so I thought I would give them a try...

...and here is the result.

 If you want to see a really talented floral designer go to Frolic she makes the most beautiful, bountiful, inspiring, flower arrangements using just what is on hand. You can also view her bouquets on Pinterest.

I left the bouquet right where I made it, on the kitchen island. Flowers make just about any room special.

If they do make good cut flowers I certainly know where I can get more, but no matter what next spring I will definitely be planting more gomphrenas.

Thank you for visiting I hope you have a beautiful day.

Summer fun ~

One of the best things about summer are all of the fun, free concerts in our area.

I went to one last week at the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum. Concerts are held here every Friday night during the months of July and August. Admission free if you are a member, and standard admission price if you aren't.

The gates open at 5:00pm for picnickers and the music starts at 6:00pm. Its nice to get there early and find just the right spot to have a glass of wine and eat before the music starts.

 It is so beautiful here and to add to the enjoyment the

The resident Peacocks are out in full...one came up to me while I was eating and daintily pecked at a piece of bread in my lap. 

The music is fun and casual, varying from week to week.   

The sunsets are glorious.

 A typical Southern California event, complete with palm trees.

This weekend I am trying another type of outdoor entertainment, Shakespeare in the Park at Griffith Park, I have never been before so it will be a bit of an adventure. They will be performing one of my favorite plays, Taming of the Screw. Shakespeare outside on a summer evening doesn't that sound great.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you are having a wonderful summer.