Bloomin' Tuesday...

A couple of weeks ago our son was married in Colorado and we had a reception that night, and last Friday some of us flew to Texas for a reception that the bride's family hosted. This week I have a different type of Bloomin' Tuesday post that focuses on the wedding cakes from both of those receptions. Both cakes were adorned with beautiful and unique blossoms, and, I might add, that both tasted exquisite! Here's the cake from our reception. (I took all these photos with my iPhone so please excuse the poor images.) The cake was a pewter gray with an ombre flower that went from dark yellow to white.

One amazing thing about this cake is that the baker does not like to use fondant, so she makes everything with a buttercream frosting -- including those petals on the flower! Her work with the buttercream is so fine and smooth that it resembles fondant.

Created by Marci at Colorado Rose Cake Company in Berthoud, CO

The cake at the reception in Texas this last weekend was another stunning cake with gorgeous blossoms, ruffles, and an intricate "lace-like" feature. It was one of the most beautiful cakes I've ever seen.

 Created by Rosalyn at Cakes by Rosalyn in Caddo Mills, TX

So that's my Bloomin' Tuesday post this week. It's not often that I get to feature beautiful flowers that are good enough to eat!

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye something... 

owlish. 

Clockwise, starting top left:

Love Bird Rice-Filled Heating Pad
Treetop Friends Decal
Owl Soap
Owl Bracelet
Vintage Owl Necklace

Wishing you a whimsical weekend!

Bloomin' Tuesday -- A Wedding...

We had a beautiful weekend with family and friends celebrating our son and his bride's wedding. I thought I'd share some photos of the flowers that were at the reception on this Bloomin' Tuesday post. Here's a sampling of some unprofessional photos that I took before the festivities began. All the flowers were arranged by Sarah, owner of Painted Primrose, in Niwot, Colorado. Sarah has been the florist for all six of our children's weddings. She is simply amazing.

The venue for most of our children's wedding receptions has been our backyard. April in Colorado, however, is not a reliable month for sunshine here, so we chose another venue this time around. We had the reception in a renovated Firehouse turned Art Gallery in our hometown. It is a fabulous space that combines an historical landmark with a modern art gallery.

The bride chose the colors of shades of gray and yellow. We chose mercury glass for the vases which brought in the gray color and a beautiful combination of yellow and white blossoms with succulents for the centerpieces that mimicked the brides bouquet.

For me, flowers are one of the most important features at a wedding. They bring color, life, fragrance and romance to a wedding and reception. Sarah did a fabulous job of helping create a beautiful and romantic setting for the reception.

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

 I spy with my Etsy eye...

a magical wedding weekend!

Clockwise, starting top left:

Wedding Cake Forks
Ampersand Art Print
Mason Jar Candle Holders
Wedding Cake Topper
Fine Art Print
Pearl Earrings

We're celebrating!

Blooming Tuesday...

I think spring has finally sprung in Colorado. I have a few beautiful blossoms coming up. From our rock garden...

I think I can assume we are going to have a bumper crop of pears this year...

It's no wonder the Columbine is the state flower of Colorado. Look at this beauty...

We're gearing up for our son's wedding this Saturday. I'm looking forward to showing you the beautiful flowers that the bride and groom chose for the bridal bouquet, centerpieces, etc!

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye...

Easter morning.

Clockwise, starting top left:
Nest Print
Rabbit Print Pillow
Bunny Brooch
Linen Blanket
Felt Lambs

Wishing you a meaningful Easter.

Bloomin' Tuesday...

Geesh! I am so fragmented these days. We have a wedding in 11 days and I keep getting sidetracked! Does that happen to you? I'll go into a room set on performing a certain task that needs to get done, and I'll get totally sidetracked and lose an hour...or two...or five! It's 10am and I haven't crossed anything off my list. I did, however, decide where to plant these beauties...

Their new home will be a "birdbath" in our flower garden. I don't feel too obligated to fill this particular birdbath with water, because we have other birdbaths for birdie hygiene!

Here's one little birdie that is perfectly content to be surrounded by flowers...

Because of Him...

He lives. 

He suffered and atoned for our sins. 

He is my Savior and Redeemer, and he can be yours.

Wishing you a meaningful Easter. 

 

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye something... 

verdant. 

Clockwise, starting top left:

 Metal "April" Sign

Spring Photograph

Vintage Industrial Drawers

Concrete Planter

Vintage Scale

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

Thankful Thoughts...

Yesterday, while it was still early and few people were out, I went on a long walk near our home. I never get tired of this view. Our town is situated just east of Longs Peak (the snow-capped mountain in the distance). Winter, spring, summer and fall the view of this beautiful summit never disappoints...

Like many places in the U.S. we've had a cold winter. We're just beginning to see green grass and buds on trees. It'll be weeks before all the trees have blossomed and leafed out, but spring is in the air and with it a sense of renewal and optimism.

As I walked I could hear the trill and chirps of a variety of birds. They are busy feathering their nests and preparing for good things to come.

Like many families we've faced some hard challenges the last few years, but individually and as a family we have been blessed in many, many ways. It was easy to relax and count those blessings as I took in these beautiful scenes.

One of my favorite sayings is...

Work in place of worry, 

faith in place of fear.

                  Lucile Tate

 I love the hope and conviction those words give me.

Sometimes our lives get tangled up and messy, but even in those times one can find beauty.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye... 

a hint of spring green.

Clockwise, starting top left:

Pewter Plate

Lumbar Pillows 

Twig Brooch 

Earrings

Platter

Wishing you a warm weekend.

Placemat Pillow...

I've shared this idea about five times already on my blog, but here I go again! For the last few days I've searched for a new pillow that would add a touch of color to our recently reupholstered glider rocker.  I couldn't find anything I had to have. I eventually found myself at Target looking in their pillow aisle. When I can't find a pillow that I like in the pillow aisle, I go to the linens. There I can often find a placemat that can easily be converted to a pillow, and this was no exception.

This placemat is from Target's Threshold line. It's the perfect placemat to convert to a pillow because it has a lining on the back. In other words, it is two pieces of fabric sewn together -- the front piece of the placemat and a back lining.

You'll need 15 minutes at the most to make this pillow. Use a seam ripper or sharp pair of scissors and open a hole in the bottom seam of the placemat that is large enough to fit your hand through -- about 5 inches. This particular placemat had topstitching and the seam, so I had to go through both of those stitches to create the opening.

Then, fill the placemat with Poly-Fil Fiber or another filling of choice. In my opinion, there's nothing like the feel of a down feather pillow!

Hint:  Sometimes I will buy an inexpensive Aller-Ease Down Alternative Pillow at Target, cut it open, and use the filling for my sewing projects. It's messy, but it makes a beautiful down-like pillow.

When you have it filled to your liking, simply stitch the seam back together. You can do this with a sewing machine or by hand.

What you have left is this beautiful pillow...

Cost:

Placemat: $3.99

Filling: $2 - $5

Needle & Thread

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye somthing...

childlike.

Clockwise, starting top left:

"Walter" the Lambswool Plush Toy

"I Love You" Temporary Tattoo

Mouse Doll

Baby Size Side Chair

Birdie Night Lights

Tissue Tassel Garland

Wishing you a magical weekend!

Recovering Cushions for another Glider Rocker...

A few weeks ago I gave a much needed face lift to a worn out glider rocker in our play room. When that project was completed, I knew I needed to transpose another glider rocker that we had in our study. The upholstery was tired and old and in need of replacing...

I scoured the internet and finally came upon a few fabrics that I thought I might like, so I ordered some swatches. 

Clockwise, starting top left:

Swavelle Mill Creek Donnetta Aspen

Premier Prints Dakota Blend Taupe 

Richloom Verti Kiwi

Ordering the fabric swatches was a really good move. There's nothing like seeing the prints in person. I chose Swavelle Mill Creek Donnetta Aspen for a couple of reasons. First, I liked the hint of green in the fabric, and, second, I loved how the fabric mimicked the accent wall I had already painted in the study...

I recovered the existing cushions the same way I've always done it. Go here for a tutorial. Here's the finished project.

A side note: The true color of the fabric is somewhere in between the color on the fabric swatch and the colors shown in the recovered cushions. There's a hint of taupe/green in the fabric.

My favorite part of the cushions is the tufted covered buttons on the top cushion...

It feels good to check another project off the list. Here's the "before and after" photo we all love to see...

It cost about $30 to refinish these cushions -- $22 for the fabric and $8 for the buttons. It's amazing what a difference can be made with such a small amount of money!