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Garden, Home & Party

~ My love of gardening, making home comfortable and entertaining friends and family.

Garden, Home & Party

Monthly Archives: June 2014

{Home} Essentials…a mailbox

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Accessories; details, House and Home

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

mailboxes

Sometimes it’s the little things, the essentials of life, that can surprise us with a punch of unexpected design beauty.  Such is the case with the utilitarian mailbox. Here in Southern California, in the newer housing areas, mailboxes are built to house several boxes within one structure, usually situated street-side, in the middle of a row of 4-6 houses.  If you’re lucky enough to live where your mailbox is on your property, sometimes you are required to situate the box curbside to afford the mail man/woman) ease of delivery without leaving his/her vehicle.  We live in an older housing tract where you still have the option of having a mailbox near, or even installed in your front door.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

As reported of late, the U.S. Postal Service seems to be struggling.  A detailed feature on this topic can be found HERE.

Their [USPS] model has changed with 1st Class mail volumes down over recent years as we simply mail fewer letters and pay more bills via the internet.  The cash cow was dying, and farmer Donahoe came up with plans to ‘trim the herd’ and reduce services, post offices and days of service to reflect living within their revenue stream as required by Congress. –Analog Sherpa

Certain this will date me, I’ll be sad to see mailboxes go away.  Maybe they never will, but if they do, the enjoyment of the written invitation, thank you note, and birthday card will be one step closer to their demise as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the ease of email.  Even texting has served me well.  My longtime friend, Linda, lives on Bainbridge Island, WA while I live in Irvine, CA.  We used to write letters to each other to stay in touch, now hardly a day goes by when we don’t catch up with each other via email.  A great comfort to me as I enjoy her friendship and would be sad if I couldn’t talk to her as frequently.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

Rather than give any attention to the gloomy prospect of mail actually going the way of the Pony Express, I decided to embrace the beauty of the mailbox.  I’m here to share with you some of the prettiest, and one or two most interesting, if not comical, mailboxes found online.

I have to start with this one…if only there had been one of these in our neighborhood when our sons were wee lads.  They might have written more letters to their grandma in Arizona!

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes{source} 

This is my all-time favorite, in part because it’s red, and because it’s found in my favorite travel destination, England.  The classic British mailbox.  What’s not to love?  You can buy similar mailboxes on line HERE.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, home

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

I digress, back to the mailboxes here in the U.S.  I like the dual purpose of this mailbox, it handles mail, newspaper and bonus, a pretty box of flowers. I’ve planted vines around posts that hold mailboxes for clients before, it always dresses up the mailbox a bit.  Maybe even the postman/woman  appreciate a pretty mailbox.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

The mailbox below is not what first drew me to this image.  Don’t you love the arched door and transom, stone pediment, stone facade, urn, wooden bench and boot scraper…not to mention the little door-side mailbox?!

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

This door, painted a pale Tiffany blue, and the mailbox within the door are great.  One little personal note on mailboxes that go into your house…I’ve always had a just a tiny fear phobia that someone would put something in the slot, like a snake or something.  Maybe I had a dream  nightmare about that once, but I’ve always been timid about putting the slot for mail into my house.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

I like the idea of the mailbox being painted the same color as the door.  Even though you cannot see the full mailbox, this box looks homemade, appealing for what looks like a stone cottage. {*sigh}

Garden, Home and Party:  essentials, mailboxes

{source}

No words, aside from “yes, please”…

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

The take away is, there are some gorgeous mailboxes out there.  You may have one.  If not, you can buy one.  This one is available on Amazon.

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: essentials, mailboxes

 

What does your mailbox look like?  I’d love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Outdoor living

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

summer living

Saturday, June 21, 6:51 AM officially marks the beginning of summer solstice.  If you visit my blog regularly, it comes as no surprise that as I’ve matured I find summer doesn’t hold as much joy for me as it did when I was in school.  This is attributable to one main fact…I hate really don’t like the heat.   But, a few years back I made up my mind to make the best of every season, to live in the now and be grateful for whatever the hour, day, month, season has to offer.  As opposed to wishing for Autumn sometime around July 15th.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{Hatfield House}

So, I thought it would be helpful to reinforce my positive attitude towards summer; an exercise to remind me of the joys of each season.  Try to show myself, and you, that I mean what I say.  I am embracing the season of summer!

This will be a little personal, since not everyone feels the same about summer’s features/benefits, but hopefully there will be a few images that make you happy for this upcoming season.  In fact, I hope you’ll share with me what you love most about summer, maybe some of your summer-joy will rub off on me.

 

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Summer vegetables, especially if you’re able to grow them in your own backyard.  If life were perfect I’d have a vegetable plot like the above, but in reality I don’t have enough sun to grow more than herbs.  If I had more sun, this planter below would be my speed.  I like the simplicity of it.  Function over form?!

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Outdoor living.  After most of us have been trapped indoors for several months due to weather, we all long to be outdoors, right?  It’s the juxtaposition of the seasons that make us appreciate the change in weather.  Whether you’re enjoying the shade of a tree with a cool beverage, or sitting on a porch swing watching the world [or neighbors] go by, summer creates the ideal climate (most of the time) to slow down and smell the barbecue.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

Garden, Home and Party: Summer assets

{design chic}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{tumblr}

Outdoor Dining.  Ahhh, one of the best things about summer for me is dining al fresco.  We are fortunate to have a minimal number of bugs, i.e. mosquitoes, so we can enjoy the cooler evenings outside on the patio.  What is it about eating outdoors that feels so special?  I don’t know, but I love it.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Pools and Picnics.  I don’t get the opportunity to do either of these activities often enough, but they are a strong symbol of summer’s potential for me.  We’ll be hitting the pool in our community when our granddaughter visits in August, and we may pack a picnic or two during that same time.  Even if it’s in the backyard, that’s the beauty of a 3 1/2 year old…they aren’t fussy about the particulars.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{tumblr}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source unknown}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

Summer indoors.  I’ve read many a blog post that confirms this:  Most of us like to lighten things up a bit during the warmer months.  I confess, there’s a part of me that wishes I had a second home by a lake or bay.  I would consider using a few wicker pieces and a blue and white color palate.  Stripes would play a roll and I’d probably set some of natures summer bounty around, as accessories.  

Garden, Home and Party: Summer assets

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source unknown}

Summer plants. One of my favorite things about summer are the plants in gardens, parks and neighborhoods.  Even without blossoms, trees and shrubs usually look happy and healthy.  Who doesn’t love hydrangea?

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets{My good friend, Cayley, her courtyard garden}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's bounty

{source unknown}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Indoor plants. I tend to buy more indoor plants during the warmer months.  It seems easier to rotate them around as needed and I can give them some outdoor time on a nice day.  They add so much to a room.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source unknown}

Something to sip.  Whether you’re sipping sweet tea, or at day’s end, something stronger, a bar set-up seems summery to me.  I guess I could find a good reason to admire a well laid bar during any season, but these examples are especially summer-like.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

{source}

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets{source}

Read a book, or two! Summer has always seemed an ideal time to put my feet up and read.  I listen to Audible books while working around the house, but I still love a book in my hands, that tactile experience takes me back, and I’m sentimental about that experience.

Garden, Home and Party: Summer's assets

So tell me, what are  your favorite things about Summer?  I wish you a summer filled with all you wish for.

{Party} Wedding bouquets

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Family, Flowers, Personal Information

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

wedding bouquets

As June is traditionally considered the wedding month, I thought I would share some images from our son and daughter-in-laws December 2012 wedding.  I have published posts on the build up HERE and HERE.  Unfortunately, the photographer had to be coerced into finally delivering on the photographs.  We received the full set of pictures in August of 2013.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding bouquets

Rather than share with you a host of pictures, like the overzealous traveler who shows you slides (did I just age myself?  I meant digital images) of their latest vacation, I will show you a few of the pictures and zero in on the topic of wedding bouquets.  Like most brides, my DIL is a talented designer and had a specific vision of how she wanted her wedding to be.  For the reception, the 100 guests were all at one long table, candlelight was used over traditional lighting.  [This is why getting the pictures from the photographer was essential, most photographs taken by friends were taken with a phone and were too dark]

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding bouquets

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding bouquets

DIL’s vision was extraordinary by it’s unique blend of ‘winter wedding meets English castle’  feel to the setting, and thereby all components of the evening. The wedding was staged at the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art.  Dinosaurs were abundant.  The wedding ceremony took place in the African Mammal room and the reception took place across the hall in the American Mammal room.  Her attention to detail transported guests and the feel of the rooms was magical.

Sarah’s bouquet complimented the theme, as did her maid of honor and bridesmaid’s bouquets.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding bouquets

{Sarah’s bouquet, held by her mom, during the ceremony.  Note:  The bouquet probably weighed in at 10 lbs or so}

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{Bridesmaid bouquet}

After seeing the first picture of the wedding (top of post) my bff blog friend, Victoria, suggested I do a post about wedding bouquets {thank you, Victoria}.  I’m always eager to have a suggestion for a post since I’ve been known to have dry spells, creatively speaking.  So here are some beautiful examples of wedding bouquets I found online.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{source}

In my day the trend in wedding bouquets was all white flowers.  I love the variety of unique plant material that is added to bouquets today,and the color variations of the flowers.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding bouquets

{source}

Ranunculas and Roses, with petite daisies and the sage green leaves of a eucalyptus branch makes for a beautiful bouquet.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{source}

The beauty of planning a wedding in today’s world is that there are literally thousands, if not millions of ideas floating out there.  Between Pinterest and dozens of blogs dedicated to weddings, you can be inspired and possibly confused by the abundance of ideas.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets{source}

I can imagine using Sunflowers for a late summer / early fall wedding.  I love this bouquet.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{source}

This bouquet is right up my alley, peonies, roses and ranunculas, all in soft ballet slipper pinks and whites…sigh.  Aren’t they beautiful?!

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{source}

The lavish use of gardenias, such a delightful choice.  I once heard of a wedding where on all of the windows at the reception hall, there were fresh gardenia wreathes hung.  The fragrance would be fabulous.  Hopefully, none of your guests would have allergies.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

{enchanted forest wedding  photo by Emily Steffen // flowers by Johnny and Dottie via Pinterest}

The tree ferns in the bouquet above give it a magical fairy-like feel.

Garden, Home and Party: Wedding Bouquets

 {source}

 I really like the bright orange flowers with dusty miller and the purple thistle in this bouquet.  I also like the diminutive size of the bouquet.

 If you were planning your wedding today, what would your wedding bouquet look like?

 

 

{Garden, Home and Party} Front Doors, a curbside welcome

04 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Architectural elements, House and Home

≈ 46 Comments

Tags

front doors

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

Is there anything as inviting as a great front door?  I use the word great because to my way of thinking it doesn’t have to be a grand door to be welcoming.  A simple door to a country home holds as much appeal for me as an European, hand carved beauty {almost}.  Still, I find that when I pass a home with a pretty front door, I begin to imagine a welcoming interior.  I realize this may be a complete fantasy, but it works for me.  {According to my husband (who I met while working at Disneyland) I live in Fantasyland all of the time, he’s right}

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

I love the idea of a screen door to let the cool breeze of summer in, but this screen door is one of the first I’ve seen that looks like it was custom made to enhance this beautiful entry.   In our home we installed a Dutch door to allow the westerly breezes in, fortunately we don’t get too many bugs!

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{unknown}

A stone facade would be pretty terrific.  Unfortunately, here in Southern California, unless you build a custom home, most of the tract homes, even when semi-customized, don’t have stone surrounds.  The other feature I find noteworthy on this pair of doors is the centered door pulls.  The symmetry of the pulls and panels remind me of the doors you see in London.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

I like the contrast of the pretty orange door with the white trim and side lights.  I also love the door knocker.  Notice the boot scraper to the right of the front door?  The side lights and dormer are leaded glass, pretty spectacular, don’t you think?

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know I lean more towards a cottage over a mansion.  Not that I don’t appreciate a good ol’ historic mansion and would take the opportunity to live in one if offered, preferably in England, please .   The arched door and stone fireplace insist on a cozy interior…could this be Bilbo Baggins home?  I love the roof line.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

This door has the “wow factor” in spades.  From the fresh apple green paint to the pillars flanking the door, highly polished brass essentials, and the arched frame set in a brick facade…yes, please!

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

If I had a beach house, this is what the door would look like.  It’s a Dutch door, but I love that it has a doggie door in it as well as great looking door hardware. No doorbell needed, just ring the string of bells tied to the right of the frame.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{source}

Isn’t this amazing?  I imagine this door, and the house mansion attached is located in some incredible, estate-strewn area.  I love the door surround and the subtly of green and white plants.  Curb appeal is taken to an entirely different level in this neighborhood.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors{source}

To prove my point about cottage vs. mansion.  I could be content in this Southern Living Cottage of the Year.  I’d have to remove that palm, which doesn’t belong in this yard {in my humble landscape preferences opinion}.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

{tumblr}

Pretty vibrant color but I like the details on the surround that ties it all together.  I don’t remember which tumblr I got this image from but I suspect the door is on a home in another country.  I like the address, painted into the stone crest above the beautifully carved doors.

Garden, Home and Party: Front Doors

This is the front door to our home, photographed in the winter.  I’m thinking there might be a dark blue or black door in our future.  Should I leave the side lights white or paint the doors and side panels, if and when we paint?

 

 

 

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