Home and Gardening With Liz

January 6, 2017

Reclaiming the living space after the holidays!

I finally got all the Christmas deco put away. I always use the dining table to stage things and help me get organized (with a padding on top of course) so it was nice to see it freed up once again! The day after Christmas I found these new finials and the deco ball back in my hometown before we headed home. I intended to make an arrangement on the coffee table but they just didn't look good there so I gave them a home on the dining table! They look so much better here especially with the fabric table runner. I had the birds and decided they fit in too.

As soon as the plastic tubs were all put away I got the vacuum out and decided to move some of the furniture around. As you can see I use those furniture movers and it makes the whole process so much easier.

This etagere in the corner got a bit of a makeover this time too.

I emptied it and played around with different things even the new finials, but that was a big flop!

I wanted to see some more color on it so I decided on a fern and my cast iron urn. I removed a few of the items that had been there a while and added family pictures along with a few other things. It's been the same way since I got it 3 years ago so it was due for a new look!

I mentioned a while back that I had a picture to hang above the tv. It's not in keeping with the room's general decorating but it's important to me to display it since Dan's sister had created it. I did a post about how her picture was among 250 pictures that were submitted and also ended up in a book called The Art of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Please visit this link to see the full story "here".

We had it custom framed last year but I couldn't decide on where to hang it. After we moved the tv to this wall I finally saw a spot for it.

This is pretty much the same as before.

This area got a little updating. I just like to move my deco items around to new spots and see it from a different point of view!

It's been bitter cold here 7 deg. this morning but the sun came out briefly in the afternoon which psychologically makes it seem so much warmer!

I brought my "plum" colored pillows back out and will enjoy them until spring I imagine!

I put the game table at the end of the sofa near the wall which I haven't done before. A few things from the etagere ended up on the top and I like it!

A panoramic view of the room.

Next up is the kitchen dining area!

Joining:
Dishing It & Digging It

December 28, 2016

Growing Holiday Plants

I trust you all had a great Christmas and are ready to bring in the New Year!

I always find it rewarding to have a few live plants around especially during the winter months.

I love the color red and use it a lot with my Christmas decorating but I chose a white poinsettia to break up the color scheme a bit.

I've got it sitting on this old water-pump plant-stand my husband's father made for his mom many years ago. Dan stripped it down last summer and I had him paint it a creamy white.

I planted three amaryllis bulbs the first of November. By December 9 this is where they were at. Of course in my ridiculous imagination I dreamt all of the flowers would grow at an even pace and I'd have a fantastic display! Instead I will have a progressive display that will no doubt last a month.

We had to leave for a few days for Christmas and it was nearly open.

When we arrived back home I was greeted by this! I think they are the prettiest Amaryllis I have ever grown. These are called "Barbados"

Next year I'm thinking of growing them in tall glass cylinders to the plant will be better supported. I think I'll mix a little soil with stones for the roots to grow in. I am told they don't like to stay wet for long periods so it will be a delicate balance.

I was inspired by these amaryllis growing in glass cylinders that I saw at Terrain while we visited in Pennsylvania.

These bulbs were encapsulated with a vinyl like covering and didn't need to be watered. I didn't get a close up picture of the bulb though. I think this is smart- especially for people working in offices or who have poor luck growing things. Just watch it grow!

My "Thanksgiving Cactus" which I always refer to as my Christmas Cactus is also blooming but it looks like the bloom time will be stretched out from one side then the other. It's a good thing since it extends the time I can enjoy it.

We had such a wonderful long autumn and were gliding along so happily but then winter weather came in with a bang! It warmed up for a week after I took this picture and some of it melted down but now we're in the deep freeze again! Tis' the season!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year full of great moments!

Stay warm!!

Holiday Fun and Slowing Down!

A while back I planted three amaryllis bulbs called Barbados.

As Christmas drew near they were nearly open but I had to leave to go be with family so I crossed my fingers that they'd be open when I returned!

We went to my sister's on Christmas Eve and had a great dinner with plenty of food to choose from!

Our daughter Chelsea on the right and Jen's daughter in the rear being silly.

Jen lives in a townhouse and the entry has a tall set of stairs with these graduated open stair shelves. This year she decided to do a different theme on each shelf.

She made this manger out of cardboard. Used markers to stain it and create a wood looking finish. They found the nativity pieces at Kirklands.

A woodland scene...

Santa and his elves! It was cute to walk up the steps and check out each level!

After opening gifts the younger cousins and sister in-laws posed with ribbons from their packages.

These kind of pictures will be fun to look back at when they're older!

Our gift to our Grandson was this Labradoodle rocking toy. It'll be a while before he can use it but it will be cute for the nursery in the meantime!

Christmas Day I prepped my mother's dining table with linens and dishes I brought. New carpet had been laid just days before and the house was tore apart too much so there was no Christmas decorating this year. I figured I'd bring in my own festive look!

Our daughter in-law is Italian. Her mother figured out how to do a three way conversation with Facebook chat and she was on the phone with her family in Pennsylvania and Italy when I took this picture. Our grandson is 3 mos. old now and very alert!

I prepared the food throughout the day and we ate around 6 o'clock. I snapped a quick shot before we were seated.

Later on he was was tuckered out and sleeping in his his dad's arms.

Monday morning we met the kids at a local restaurant for breakfast and visited a good while before we had to say our goodbyes. We live a good distance apart so we try to get in as many moments as possible! Our grandson had just been fed and he eventually conked out! He's such a sweet baby!

We got home Monday evening and I was so happy to see the amaryllis flowers opened up! I was snapping pictures as soon as we were in. I feel lucky that it timed out so nicely. It doesn't always go this way when you plant them!