Look How Much Spring Five Dollars Buys You

Christmas decs came down yesterday and now the house is looking kinda bare. Working on more permanent ways to remedy that, like perhaps some new artwork and some kind of festive-in-a-non-holidays-way treatment for the front window. I don't know if I'm ready to go full-on spring quite yet; I kind of feel like we've been robbed of winter thus far. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not missing the bitter cold, but a bit more snow to help enjoy cozy days inside would be alright, until it's the proper time of year. It's been so warm, my daffs came up, I think it was early December, and that kind of weirds me out.

But regardless, I couldn't resist this bouquet at Whole Foods yesterday, for $5! They must have been cleaning out the cooler post holidays. Way more that $5 worth of loveliness here. And actually, it's not really too spring-y. Just every so cheery.

♡,

Erin

P.S. I am loving the Hipstamatic Foodie SnapPak. I think it's $.99. As you can see, it's great for flower shots too!

Martha Stewart Living January '12

Well just before I sat down to do this post, I checked the mail and there was the February MSL. So do quickly run to your newsstand of choice (real or virtual) and try to grab the January issue (we're only one week into the month after all, not too late to enjoy a January mag at all!), because despite it's skinniness, it's chock full of, hehehe, "good things". 

First off, Martha takes us on a tour of her new homekeeping room in a converted outbuilding at her Bedford, NY farm. Lots of great organizing ideas for supplies of all sorts, and I have to admit, her work/storage pieces for Home Decorators Collection are pretty sweet. Running all over the house trying to gather shipping supplies to send off Little Green Vintage orders makes me especially covet this packing station.

A little spread on staying warm stylishly had three ensembles, country rustic, city chic and this middle-of-the-road option that was my fav.

Loved this cheery little workspace.

Easy-peasy diy gilded bookends definitely look like more than the sum of their parts.

Last weekend Greg and I went to Sage American Bistro for the first time and we had a fabulous frisée salad, so it was kind of fun to come across the above left in the Easy Entertaining menu. Sage's version was tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette and included goat cheese, bacon, pickled red onions, and was topped with a poached egg rather than hard-cooked. Yum. And in a story on the combo of lemon, parsley, and parmesan, this bread with prosciutto and egg stood out, kinda reminiscent of Northstar Café's prosciutto and poached eggs, which is out of this world. 

Loved the white and gray palate of this kitchen. Carrera marble counters ♥. 

Need some of this. Not sure for what yet, but if I'm going to get craft-y this year, it sounds like a nice versatile thing to have on hand.

And finally, on the subject of making, a great article chock full of beautiful knitting projects.

Like these gorgeous stool covers...

and this cozy modern blanket. I think getting some supplies and some form of beginner instruction might finally be in order this month. I've been inclined to try knitting for awhile, and this spread is great motivation to get started.  

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

♡,

Erin

X-Mas Décor

As promised. Starting off with our Charlie Brown-est of trees, actually a windfall branch from the maple out back, 

stuck in the urn I bought once-upon-a-time for some verdant curly willow that kicked off shortly after transplant. We decided not to commit to hauling home and finding a place for a big tree, and most all the little ones we saw on last weekend were a little too rotund for this corner. Unfortunately after it was all said and done I did come across a few ickle ones that would have worked. Definitely next year we'll look harder to start with me thinks.

We did drag in some greens (cedar, ivy, boxwood, and blue spruce, thank you previous owners of our house for your excellent evergreen planting choices) from the yard and made little bundles for the front and kitchen windows. 

With double faced satin ribbon and white lights (in the front) things came together nicely, inspired by this image from Anthology mag via Apartment Therapy.

(Kitchen window.)

I set out my grandmother's sled each year. Used by she, my dad and aunt, and then myself, it's got three generations of snowy child entertaining and probably 100 years under it's belt. 

Paperwhites are blooming. Excellent timing.

Greeting card display as horizontal space is at a bit of a premium in the living room.

Greeting from a different time. Postcard sent to my great grandmother in 1918.

Decided to leave the antlers I found on Old Worthington Market Day au natural for now and finally just hung them up over the telly. They seemed game for a bit of adornment.

And finally last but not least, this Santa with his sack of presents, sled, and reindeer have been around in my family forever.

I've had so much fun scoping out holiday decorating ideas on Pinterest and around blogland this year. Sort of makes me hope I catch the holiday spirit earlier next year so that perhaps I can tackle some of the fun projects I've saved.

For a couple more lovely holiday décor blog posts check out junkaholique and lobster and swan. They're two of my faves any day of the year, and both ladies have given me serious sweet little tree envy. :)

♡,

Erin

Feeling Clingy

As in I'm not yet ready to say goodbye to fall. It's still just way too autumnal outside to be listening to x-mas music and thinking about pressies. The weather has been pretty good, no sign of the white stuff, and there are still tons of good-looking leaves around, both high (still on the trees) and low (like all over the backyard that need to make it to the curb).

Tulips are ok in November if they're orange, right? And these only came from Virginia by way of Whole Foods, so it wasn't too ungreen of me to bring them home I maintain. 

Just got these gorgeous, fiery poms from PomLove over the weekend and put them right up to show my allegiance to the third season of the year right up through Thanksgiving. (These replaced the pretty summery ones I mentioned here.)

And I'm keeping my pumpkins too.

But in reality, I know I've got to get busy on some holiday prep. I would like to make rather than buy most of the gifts I give this year. And I have neglected The Little Green Vintage Shop for oh so long now, between working on our basement and another project relating to the career I got degreed to do. I know I promised to update it with oodles of vintage goodies, and possibly some handmade ones as well, literally months ago. Well, the oodles are still sitting about, waiting to be given the chance to be adopted. I just have to find the time and good light to photo them.

Alright then, to work!

♡,

Erin

How My Garden Grew

Well, there was no hot sunshine nor pool involved in my trip to Florida. It poured rain my entire visit, until Monday when I flew home. However there were plenty of birthday cupcakes, and it was wonderful to meet our newborn niece and play, play, play with the 3rd birthday girl.

The day before I left, I took these pics of the front garden. I had just replaced some spent summer plants with some new specimens including these violas and the cabbage below. 

And this fuchsia celosia.

More work to do for sure next spring and summer towards my English cottage-y vision. 

Don't have the variety name at hand, but I swear this is the most gorgeous orange mum I've ever met.

Things are looking a bit shabbier now two weeks on, however my dahlias are still going strong. (You knew there'd be dahlias. Seriously, I am so smitten with these flowers.)

Putting together this post has definitely given me some needed cheer. It was a chilly, rainy day here in Oh-hi-yo. It feels like winter is right around the corner.

My dad is currently visiting and we're back at refinishing the finished side of our basement. The good news is it's starting to look more like rooms and less like a multi-chambered dungeon.

Apologies for being a bad blogger for the last almost two weeks. I just needed a bit of a break from the interwebs. (Well, I definitely didn't go completely cold turkey, I'm way too addicted for that. But I did cut back some.) But it's good to be back.

♡,

Erin 

Golden Highlights

This weekend we were back at the basement, this time with help from Greg's Mom and Dad. But there was an escape from the dungeon (as I'm sort of starting to think of it) by Greg's Mom and I long enough to take in the Farmer's Market (as per the usual for me, as you already know).

I've wanted to try one of Sassafras Bakery's (super cute website) lovely goodies for awhile. As by the time we were ready to pack it in and return home, it was nearly 11:00 and I was still sans breakfast, I finally just couldn't resist any longer, and upon being told it was the last chance, brought home this gorgeous peach basil scone. (Last chance because Ohio peaches are nearly gone till next year. Boo.) And oh boy, it was as good as it looks! 

Also on offer at the market was the new fall edition of Edible Columbus, published quarterly and devoted to covering the wonderful producers and purveyors in the region.

So before getting back to work, I brewed up a cup and took a load off. (I swear the sweet fall palette of this assemblage is a happy coincidence!) 

So happy to see Honeyrun Farm featured! (See previous Farmer's Market tribute.)

(At risk of it seeming like this blog is completely devoted to farmers markets and dahlias) later in the afternoon I plucked these lovelies from my own front garden!...

and jammed them into a few little arrangements for around the house. I've been hooked on fresh flowers on the dining table for quite awhile now, and after sticking some in the office and spare bedroom for the benefit of our Labor Day weekend guests, I've now gotten used to peeking into these rooms and having cheery bouquets sitting there staring back at me. So for now, while they're abundantly free for the cutting, I think I'm going to keep indulging.

Anywho, progress was made in the basement; optimistic projection is that we'll be watching college bowl games down there. Pessimistic, the Super Bowl.

Back soon.

♡,

Erin