A Wardian Case for Christmas

Thank you if you have wandered over from my Instagram post about my little Christmas scene in my terrarium on a stand. I have had so much fun creating it and I have learned so much about Wardian Cases - they are fascinating.

I have always loved the vintage "terrariums" on stands but other than knowing they were popular in Victorian homes I didn't know much. 

When I first saw mine - and it is not a valuable, older one - I knew it had potential. I did not know that Wardian Cases changed the world. They revolutionized the movements of plants and changed botany forever. I just knew I wanted to put a glittery Christmas scene in mine. But once I began researching them a little I became fascinated. There are so many great articles by Harvard and Kew Gardens about the important work that was done using Wardian Cases to move plants. The first Wardian cases were pretty plain structures intended to transport plants but then the Victorians caught on to the idea and did their thing to make them more ornate. If you love plants I recommend both articles. 

I found mine on Facebook marketplace which is funny because I rarely ever look on there because I have had so many negative experience trying to buy and sell. I will go months without looking then give it a glance. This experience was about par for the course, but I persevered and ended up with my plant stand. After multiple conversations where she assured me it had all of it's 'glass' intact and that it was vintage I arrived to find that all of the glass was missing and had been poorly replaced with plexiglass - and one of those was missing. But I'd spent a lot of time dealing with her in DM's and then driving there (plus I knew it had potential) so I loaded it up. 

I bought a large and fairly unattractive framed print at a yard sale and removed the glass (far more economical then buying glass.)  I cut glass pieces to replace the yellowed plexiglass and used the metal clips inside the frame to hold the glass. Worked perfectly and all I used was a $3 glass cutter from Amazon! The clips were made for glass (not plexi) so it holds them securely. 

I accidentally deleted the listing picture but the mottled finish wasn't great so I gave everything a coat of flat black paint. Many of the older vintage ones have cases that are black or dark green.

Now I could get on with the fun part. I had found a little wooden house that was similar in style to ours.

 I "bricked" it with a little rectangle of sponge and some paint. I was inspired by glittery putz houses so after painting the house and a couple of wooden trees from the Target Dollar Spot I gave it all a coat of extra fine glitter. I love the sparkle. I gathered up some bottle brush trees, quilt batting and some decorative items like pipe cleaners, beaded garland and battery operated lights. 

This was definitely the fun part. Anything goes - glitter, sparkles, fake snow! 

I cut a board to fit inside the bottom of my Wardian Case so I could glue the batting "snow" down and get everything placed just like I wanted it. You could arrange it right in your case but I wanted to secure my little items so that they wouldn't fall over if it got bumped. I made some snowmen from airdry clay and a little front walk from aquarium gravel. This is definitely one of those projects where you could keep adding charming little touches - it's hard to stop. It is so much fun. 

In case you are thinking "I cannot wait to find a Wardian Case" there are some reasonably priced new ones on Amazon. Of course there are some fabulous vintage ones on sites like Chairish and 1stDibs too! As always, check thrift stores and online auctions, estate sales, etc. 

Silhouette Ornaments

I found a bag of drapery rings at my local goodwill a couple of months ago and immediately knew I wanted to use them to make ornaments for the tree in our library.

Fun fact: decades ago when I was in college my mom gave me a bunch of unused wooden drapery rings. I turned them into Christmas ornaments and sold them to make spending money. Some things never change.

I simply searched online for copyright free silhouette images. I decided to do images of little girls and things that Mollie loved as she was growing up - our Goldens, swinging, blowing bubbles, dolls, etc. You could choose any type of imagery that would fit with your holiday decor. They are like little framed artworks.

I also decided to back my ornaments with marbleized paper so they wouldn't be just white on the back if they turned slightly on the tree. That's definitely optional but I look for any opportunity to use marbled paper.

I sprayed my drapery rings gold because my tree is green and my library walls are black. I needed the spark of metallic. If these had been going on a flocked tree or in a brighter room I might have left them wood tone. I do love the gold. 

Then I simply cut out the paper circles (I printed mine on cardstock) and used plain old white glue to put them together. That's it. I added a silky cream bow and put them on my tree. 

To finish off my tree I gathered up an assortment of ornaments. Anything vintage and worn in cream, white, gold or silver. Then I added in newer ornaments from my stash in the same color range. All sizes. I used my faux orange slices from last year. I also thrifted a small box of chandelier prisms a couple of weeks ago for $1.99 (pretty happy about that!) and I added those in along with some gold beaded garland. 

 

I topped the tree off with a bow made from wide ochre colored velvet ribbon that I've used before! 

It just shimmers at night and we are loving the look. All of the decorations except the thrifted drapery ring silhouettes were ornaments, ribbon and garland we had used in previous years. It's amazing how you can pair things differently or use them in different spots and get a completely "new" holiday look. You can see more of this tree on my Instagram.

Christmas and Pink

 

I was going to title this blog post "a pair of perfect pines in pink" because I love alliteration but, sadly, they are actually fir trees! I was so fortunate to receive these trees (plus 2 other items that I'll be sharing soon!) from King of Christmas. 

The minute I saw them I knew that I wanted to put them in my thrifted vintage urns and flank the fireplace. I wanted them to look like there were piles of pink ornaments surrounding them but I knew I had to find a way to secure the ornaments so that the whole set up was Cooper proof!

The solution was an "ornament collar" to go around the base of the tree. It would hold the ornaments in place and still look like they were piled in the urns. 

First I placed my trees, they have a  weighted burlap wrapped base, in the urns and filled in around them with discarded packing materials. Once the trees were secure I cut a piece of coat hanger wire and formed it into a loose circle 

I gathered up all the different pink ornaments and a few gold ones too and randomly threaded them on my wire circle. I used a variety of sizes and finishes. 

Then I simply slid the ornament filled wire around the base of the tree like a 'collar' and nestled it in the urn. I twisted the end of my wire together to make sure it was secure and wouldn't slide off. 

I added white cotton batting to look like fluffy snow and to fill in and hide the wire. You could also do this with greenery. I did add some fresh magnolia because I can't decorate anything without using a bit of magnolia! It looked so festive that all I added was a pink bow on the top. 

The King of Christmas trees come with an option to plug them in or convert to battery operated. I opted to use the clever battery pack which is tucked in the back of the urn under the cotton batting "snow." They have a timer so I don't have to worry about accessing the battery pack or unplugging. They'll just come on every night for everyone to enjoy - including Cooper. You can see all the details in this Instagram video.

I'll be sharing the rest of my KOC products soon but be sure to check out last year's posts about the KOC tree in my Library for more Christmas inspiration.

Greenhouse

As I shared on my Instagram we 'did a thing' over the weekend. While I dream of charming English greenhouses and Victorian conservatories, I am also very excited to have this utilitarian greenhouse to have fun with. We had reached the point where either the ferns could live in our house this winter or people could. They have gotten huge over the years and I have to vacuum up a lot of little leaves when they "winter" inside.

 I ordered it from Amazon, it was inexpensive and arrived in about 3 days. This is the exact one/size I bought (the price fluctuated over the two week period that I considered which one to purchase. Amazon prices are like the stock market ;) so keep an eye out for price changes.)

There aren't any pictures yet with beautiful plants and gardening accessories in it because it is still a construction zone. I had a stack of salvaged bricks so I am currently, slowly, bricking the floor. The first frost deadline is looming so I'm trying to get it done asap! Stay tuned!

Bottle Tree

I have posted quite a few images recently on Instagram of our porch and backyard and our bottle tree has been spotted in the backyard. It recently got a bit of a refresh and I think that's why it has been noticed. 

Do you see it back there? It is beside our little garden pond. It has been in that spot for at least 20 years. 

Are you familiar with bottle trees? They have a long history and were believed to ward off bad spirits and any evil that might involve the people living nearby. Today they are considered to be garden art by many and southern homes have versions of the traditional bottle trees in their gardens. Originally bottles were hung in live trees or put on tree branch stakes driven into the ground. 

For a while I had to use a mix of bottle colors because the cobalt blue ones can be hard to find. You can see in the image below that I had two shades of blue on it when this picture was taken. But my goal was always to have lots of cobalt blue bottles on my bottle tree. 

Strolling through Publix a couple of weeks ago some cobalt blue bottles caught my eye on the water aisle. I stopped. Are they glass? Yes! I grabbed a four pack and took them home. The brand is Saratoga Sparkling Water and it is so good which is a bonus because I wanted to get quite a few more cobalt blue bottles for my bottle tree. Another bonus is that the glass bottles come in two sizes and the labels peel right off. I've linked them in Amazon in case you can't find them at your local grocery store. I mixed the two sizes on my bottle tree because the other bottles were a variety of sizes already. 

My bottle tree has been in that spot by our little garden pond for over 20 years and I've had only 1 bottle break in all those years. I love how it looks with the light shining through the cobalt glass. 

My "tree" is very basic. I used a 4x4 post that had been painted white and was already a little chippy. It has continued to weather over the years and I like that look. We used pieces of rebar as the "branches"  to hold the bottles. We just drilled a snug hole at an angle and used a rubber mallet to drive the rebar in so it is secure. Then you simply slide your bottles on. That's it!

Here Comes FALL!

Fall truly begins at the end of this week and we have had a tease of less humid days here in the South. I love Summer so I let go of that season slowly. I have never decorated for fall before October 1 because Mollie's birthday is September 29th and I always wanted our decor to be all about her birthday party theme and not fall. She is now an adult and has informed me that I'm sticking to an "out dated" rule! So I might start pulling a few touches out next week. What about you? Do you wait for October or go by the equinox at the end of September? Or maybe you started being "fallish" weeks ago? 

Here are a few of my favorite early fall touches (pictures from last year.)

I always ask for a big mum for my late September birthday and the first thing I buy myself is always the little white pumpkins. I can't stop myself. They are my favorite decoration. I prefer my mums in purplish tones, coral, peach or white. What about you? 

Some years my greeter guy gets orange jack-be-littles if the white ones are hard to find. Putting the little pumpkins in my greeter guy by the front door is a favorite touch. Sometimes I call it my squirrel feeder because they run off with the little pumpkins. 

Last fall I couldn't stop marbleizing my faux pumpkins! It was a fun addition to our fall look and I think they'll be back this fall. What's your favorite fall decor item? 

I'll be sharing this years fall decorating on my Instagram account. 

Happy Fall!

Decorating Trends for Spring 2023

I am not a trend follower, per se, BUT when a prediction falls in line with my aesthetic I like to embrace it. I've shared my thoughts on the whole what's in and what's out thought process before (if you like it in your home and it works for you then trendy or not - you do you!!)

I piled one of my huge blue and white fishbowl planters with shells and coral last summer and I enjoyed walking past it in my entry way many times a day. A nod to the sea doesn't have to be a whole themed look. It can be a few shells (or a bowl full!)

BUT the reason I'm excited about this Spring trend forecast is that Veranda mag has predicted "Under the Sea" as a major design player moving in to Spring 2023. I am here for it. Already. And it isn't seasonal for me. I've shared my nod to coastal and shell decor many times before here and here. We can count on Veranda to share some beautiful, elevated coastal looks to inspire us. 

I can't stop looking at this amazing room from the May/June issue of Veranda. It has so many amazing details and confirms my thought that you don't have to live at the beach to embrace your love of the ocean. This home is in the French countryside and belongs to designer Thomas Boog and his wife. 

via Veranda

So many great design ideas to use in your own space. Another great source of inspiration for me is Amanda Lindroth. I just finished her Create Academy course and I can't wait to go through it again. She has just decorated a show house room that has everyone oohing and aahing. I wish I had seen it in person. 

via Veranda

This pile of shells was on a concrete boat dock in the Bahamas about 10 years ago. I couldn't stop looking at the colors, textures and the sheer beauty of these rather large conchs. The meat had been harvested by divers (this was their livelihood) for the restaurant industry and the shells were a by-product they were hoping to sell for extra income. Yep, I helped them out. It cost me some overweight luggage fees but I have enjoyed those shells every day for over a decade. Pretty good investment if you ask me. I knew "under the sea" wasn't a trend for me so the investment was worth it. 

I have moved them around through the years. They are currently lined up on top of some bamboo cabinets in my family room. The cabinets are filled with blue and white, coral that I've thrifted and some lighthouse replicas including Morris Island Light in Charleston.

Vintage shell boxes are a favorite of mine. I rarely see them when thrifting but I snatch them up if I do. The marbled clay pot is holding some pieces of a large vintage coral piece that I accidentally dropped and shattered. It was so fragile. I rescued the bits and I'll enjoy them this way now. 

I'm slowly reclaiming the porch from the pollen and that is where I love to use seashell decor year round most of all. I've sorted a lot of my shells in to this old and worn three tiered silver serving piece. I had this one and it had a few worn places in it so I didn't mind putting it on the porch. I see pieces like this at thrift stores all the time. I love the juxtaposition of the silver and the textured shells. 

Shells and palm tree and sandcastles. All thrifted. 

As always I am a big fan of using items that are personal and memorable and not just purchased. Most of my shells have come from trips we've made. I have shells that I collected as a child mixed in with all the others. I've been a beachcomber since day 1!

What about you? Are you a shell collector?

Easter!

 Happy Easter!

I'm sharing a few favorite Easter images from my Instagram below and linking a few Easter-y blog posts below that. I hope your day is blessed with sweet memories and time with people you want to celebrate a glorious Sunday with. Happy Easter!

Chinoiserie Easter Tree

Favorite Easter Images through the Years

A Perfect Punch for Easter