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

Can You "Spot" the Newest Ornament?

You didn't really think I'd decorate my new King of Christmas Tree and not include leopard print in some way, did you??

I decided to go big and incorporate leopard print by including the leopard itself! I found these leopard shapes back in the summer. I could immediately imagine them on my tree. I liked that they were a little larger. It adds a nice variation in scale and it only takes a few to make an impact on the tree. 

I painted the first one or two in "traditional" leopard tones - golden tans and black spots. 

And then, I wondered about a fun colored leopard and tried a couple of blue ones! 

Now I can't decide! Tan only? Blue only? Or both on the tree? 

What do you think? 

Be sure to keep following along because I still have a couple more DIY ornaments to create for the tree. I'm not finished yet!

Summer Flowers

Fresh flowers are one of the greatest joys of summer living - whether you can pick a complete arrangement from your yard or if you simply add a few picked beauties to your weekly store bought bouquets.

I'm sharing some of the flowers that have brightened up our spaces, inside and out, so far this summer. 

I added a few hosta leaves to this bright bouquet of store bought spray roses. Hostas are one of my favorite sources for greenery. I love the large leaves and I have solid and variegated plants to choose from.

All flowers from the yard - hydrangea, plumbago, angel wing begonia and hosta leaves.

Mollie had Trader Joe's peonies in July. They were fabulous and lasted forever!

Grocery store bouquets of alstromeria last forever too. This little bouquet was on the side table next to my "spot" in the family room. 

As far as I'm concerned it's hard to beat a bunch of free branches in a glass vase. You can go as large as you want! 

I cut lots of hydrangeas to bring inside when my bushes are in full bloom. I tuck them everywhere.

It's also fun to have a big vase full too!

I shared how we love to visit sunflower farms here and here.

It's so much fun to gather large bouquets to take home. 

What's your favorite summer flower?

Just Peachy!

 Peaches are at their peak in the Deep South and we can't get enough!

They are such a beautiful fruit and our whole kitchen smells "peachy" because we bought a ton from Mercier's Orchard in North Georgia. We went to preview a wedding venue with friends - they've asked me to style and coordinate their wedding which is going to be so much fun and so special. The venue was beautiful and not far from the best fruit orchard in North Georgia. Serendipity!

Peaches are a tender fruit so they have to be eaten quickly or you have to do "something" with them. 

The first thing I did was use some slices to garnish sparkling rose. It only takes seconds to add a special little touch to things and it makes all the difference. 

Our absolute favorite way to use peaches is to first grill them. If you haven't been eating grilled peaches on everything and anything you are missing out. It gives them the best taste and texture. 

Simply split your peaches and remove the pit. I use our electric grill on medium heat. I give the grill a light spray of avocado oil and then place the peach skin side down on the grill. Grill for about 6 minutes and then flip the peach and grill for 4-6 more minutes. 

They are delicious on summer salads - we used mixed greens or baby spinach, burrata (just pinch off bite size pieces), toasted pecans and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. You can add grilled chicken for a heartier salad. All those fresh tastes together - so delicious. 

We really like using our grilled peaches Caprese style. Instead of tomatoes with mozzarella we use our grilled peaches. Snip some fresh basil from the herb garden and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

And grilled peaches make the best summery dessert. 

Just place your grilled peach half in a small bowl, add a dip of creamy vanilla ice cream, a sprig of mint and drizzle with your favorite local honey. So simple but so delicious!

We have so many peaches that we are trying something new! I cut my peaches in half, removed the pits and put them in freezer baggies. Later on when we want grilled peaches with our dinner or some ice cream I'm going to pull them out, thaw them and grill them right up! I think it will work perfectly.

A touch of peachy summer after the growing season is over!

Coastal Grandmother or Coastal Grandmillenial?

"Coastal Grandmother" rages on as the trend of Summer 2022. Of course, it doesn't hurt that we are all currently obsessed with the latest AD feature on Nancy Meyer's home that was recently redecorated by Mark D. Sikes.

I'm not a trend follower but as I posted here and here, I've been a coastal grandmother for decades. Here's the thing about the trend (and I'd like to add "chic" to the moniker CG to up it's game a touch!) - making a shift to coastal grandmother does not require a huge investment in decor items or a complete redo of a room. It's all about an appreciation for enjoying life's little pleasures.

A lot of the home decor style aspect of coastal grandmother takes it's cue from Nancy Meyers films or Ina Garten's cooking and lifestyle posts.  Now, we all know these are homes and spaces created with larger budgets than many of us have, but because the look is simpler than Grandmillenial and other styles it's easier to recreate the look. Or just add a few touches of CG to your home for a little bit of Summery flair. Perhaps we might coin the term "Coastal Grandmillenial Chic" for those of us who are a little more colorful or collected in our decor preference?

What can you do with things you have on hand or items that are inexpensive and easy to find? Here are some quick and easy tips!!

Do you have... baskets? Yes, then pile them up to use in the kitchen. Fill them with lemons or limes to use in refreshing summer drinks or to make your daily water a little more exciting! If you don't have baskets they are easily collected from a thrift sore for as little as 25 cents! Grab a few. Look for rattan or wicker place mats while you are there too. Natural fiber accessories are key to this look. But you don't have to go crazy - just add as little or as much as you like. 

Fresh flowers are such a beautiful coastal grandmother touch. You don't need expensive flowers or fancy vases. You can pick flowers from your yard (or the roadside) and place them in something as simple as a clear vase or drinking glass even. 

Vases are always in abundance at the thrift store for a dollar if you don't have anything at home already. Dot them around the house - kitchen counter, sofa table, bedside table.

You can splurge on grocery store flowers or a small fern (place in a little basket) to add a touch of life to a room. Potted herbs are a great choice too because they are pretty, aromatic and useful. 

What's a coastal grandmother without a few seashells?? Just grab those shells you've collected on previous beach trips and pile them in a bowl on the coffee table or the middle of the dining table. They don't have to be museum specimens! Just show off their natural beauty. Don't have any sea shells that you collected personally? I found bags of seashells at the dollar store and Goodwill. You don't need sign that say "Beach" or kitschy coastal items. A few shells, a piece of driftwood or other natural finds are just the right touch. 

Lamps and candles are a nice CG touch as well - adding atmosphere to the porch, kitchen or living areas in ways that overhead lighting can't do.

 I'm really enjoying a citronella + vetiver candle from Bath and Body Works because it smells good and keeps mosquitos away. I'm using it on my screened porch just in case one sneaks in. I also love candles from Candlefish in Charleston SC. I prefer to use only white candles in my home and Candlefish creates white candles in hundreds of scents - you can even create your own signature scent. I've never done it because I love so many of the ones they have in their library of scents!

So, are you strictly a Coastal Grandmother by definition using minimal color like Nancy Meyers or do you think you're a little more "Coastal Grandmillenial Chic" (using my new terminology!) like I am? All of the items below are things that I use in my summery decor and some are items I use year round - natural materials, a mixture of textures and metals, a touch of coastal decor and shells, plants and/or flowers and definitely blue and white. 

Chinoiserie Carpet Balls

Carpet Balls are pretty much just what they sound like - they were originally used for playing a bowling type game inside on carpet. The game originated in Scotland (according to most sources) in the 19th century.

 The game is played much like Bocci, Boules or British Lawn Bowling - just inside on carpet. The porcelain balls were originally painted with plaid, stripe or small flower designs in greens and reds. 

I'm not sure when the chinoiserie designs began appearing on them but all colors and designs of carpet balls have become very popular collectors items.

 They can range in price from a few dollars at a thrift store to hundreds for very old celadon glazed ones. 

I have found all of mine in thrift stores for just a few dollars each. 

I don't see them often but I grab them when I do. 

Be sure to check local vintage shops, eBay and Etsy as well.

 Check online auction/estate sale spots like Auction Ninja. 

I've seen them at estate sales in person and online.

If  you haven't had any luck thrifting some or finding any vintage ones 

new chinoiserie carpet balls are readily available as a decor accent. 

I'll link some below. 

A reasonably priced set of 6 on Amazon.

These are slightly larger 4" carpet balls and come in a set of 3 from Amazon.