Tuesday, August 12, 2008, by Leigh Anne
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How about joining me today for a walk through my late summer garden - there’s plenty to see.
Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
Wish you were here to see it in person! Happy last days of summer.
Popularity: 18% [?]
Categories: Nest
Thursday, August 7, 2008, by Leigh Anne
As I shared with you on my Monday post, which was really Tuesday because I was a day late, I just got back from attending the National Convention for the direct sales company I am a part of it.
I like to take gifts for members of my first line team who are attending. If possible, I like to make it something homemade. Mainly because I enjoy the creative process - connecting head, heart and hands.
I found a darling idea for some personalized moleskin notebooks on a blog I visit - House on Hill Road. Erin had created these darling notebooks using some fabric and her sewing machine. She was so helpful when I emailed her with a few questions as I tried to figure out the best foot to use on the machine, etc . Thank you Erin!
I copied the idea and just changed the word to “Achieve” which was the theme for our convention and used orange and pink fabric which also went along with our theme. After a little practice of “writing” with my sewing machine, I think they turned out great.
Each one had its own unique personality as my “machine writing” varied!
I made each of my first line a flower pen in pink or orange and then tied it all together with some pink and orange ribbon.
I hope my team members enjoy them!
I purchased the moleskin notebooks at Barnes & Noble - they come in a 3 pack. I also found that an open toed foot (so I could see where I was going) worked best on the sewing machine. I did draw on the lettering first very lightly and then just erased it after I was done.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Categories: Nest
Thursday, July 31, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I just had to share…
If you were to stop by my house this is what would greet you at my front door…
Isn’t this crazy, out of control clemetis ’jackmanii’ incredible!! I think it likes it there. It has totally taken over the rose that is underneath it.
Wish you could all stop by and see it in person. Enjoy the photo!
Popularity: 34% [?]
Categories: Nest
Monday, June 9, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I am not really sure if addiction is the right word but I admit I really love aprons.
I have always been an apron wearer - even before it was the “in” thing to do! (If you didn’t know, aprons are really “in” right now!)
Thanks to my 4-H sewing teacher in the 3rd grade the first thing I ever learned to sew was an apron.
I wear an apron a lot - anytime I am in the kitchen (I am a very messy cook), when I am cleaning the house (I am a very messy cleaner) and when I am in the garden (yes, I am a messy gardener too).
And much to my two teenage daughter’s horror I have even been known to go out in public with my apron on!
I have quite a collection of aprons. A friend jokingly (or maybe she wasn’t joking) said that I had an apron to match every outfit! I have aprons I have bought, ones that have been made by friends and lately I have gotten into making my own aprons.
I even joined an apron swap I found on a blog I visit. Here is the apron I made for Tracy in Alabama - hope she likes it.
While I was at it I had to make another new one for myself too!
And in case you are wondering - those are not my slim little hips. My hips have birthed four babies! That is my slim hipped 14 year old dancer daughter. Thanks for being my model Tessa.
Since we are on the topic of aprons I thought I’d share with you the story of one of my favorite aprons.
Fourteen years ago I was on a “girl’s weekend away” with my Beach Babe group. On the way to the beach I was reading aloud excerpts from the book Living a Beautiful Life.
When I read the following section all 5 of us burst out laughing…
“When I return from the office I put on an attractive apron and unwind by freshening up the house. Somehow this simple act - putting on an apron - sets the stage for my tidying up ritual and I go about the apartment attending to little things.”
We got a huge kick out of it and have joked about it over the years. The idea of each of us getting home from work and putting on an attractive apron to “tidy up” was just too funny.
Well, the next time we got together, April, one of the group had a gift for each of us - yep, you guessed it - an “attractive apron”.
Here they are! (Yes, the top part of the apron is detachable and also doubles as hot pot holders!)
I don’t think this is what Alexandra Stoddard, author of Living a Beautiful Life, had in mind but we sure have gotten a lot of enjoyment and laughs out of them! They have managed to show up at various events, parties, BBQ’s, holiday gatherings, even the wedding reception of one of the Beach Babe’s daughters!
So next time you have some “freshening” up to do - don’t forget the attractive apron!
Popularity: 36% [?]
Categories: Nest
Tuesday, June 3, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I am a little late with my posting this week. We are in the middle of high school graduation and there are 25 graduation related activities on our calendar so I am doing my best to keep up!
Since I have a gardening theme going on Mondays the last couple of weeks I thought I’d share with you one of my containers I put together this past week. (even though it is Tuesday today!)
I am really late in getting my flower pots planted this year. Mother’s Day is usually my target date but this year it just didn’t happen.
Since I seem to work well under pressure I decided that the graduation party we hosted in our garden this past Saturday would be my deadline!
The past year I have had fun trying some new plants in my pots - trying to get away from the typical geraniums, marigolds, lobelia, pansies, petunias etc. I have tried to use more perennials. Not only does it save me money in the long run because these plants come back up year after year, but I found them to be lower maintenance too. Not as much deadheading!
Last year I read an article in Fine Gardening about “Thrillers, Fillers & Spillers…a surefire recipe for planting success.” The concept is that in each of your flower pots you should have at least one of each - a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.
A thriller is an anchor plant, a centerpiece plant. They are attention getters, usually tall, upright plants. They tend to have more structure to them and become the backbone or framework for the other plants in the pot.
I select my thriller plant first. The color and texture of the thriller helps me as I choose the filler and spiller.
My thriller in this pot was a fun new grass I found - Electric Pink Cordyline Banksii. The great magenta pink color of the this plant became the theme for the pot.
Next, the Filler. A Filler is a plant that will fill in and surround the Thriller. They tend to mound and fill up the pot. I usually put 2-3 fillers in a pot. I like my pots to look full fast so I tend to cram in as many as I can - remember I’m an impatient person!
My Fillers in this pot are a great new geranium I found Crystal Palace Gem. It has a great bright lime leaf. It gets a red flower but I will cut the flower off as the red just won’t go with the colors of the pot!
I also used one of my favorite annuals - Coleus. This particular one is Peter’s Wonder and the green and magenta colors go perfect with the rest of the plants. I use to think you could only use coleus in the shade but I was wrong! Mine thrive in full sun too.
The third filler is a Purple Shamrock Hebe. It has a great lime green variegation with purple stems.
Finally - my Spiller. I only had room for one Spiller in this pot but will sometimes use a couple. The Spillers are placed toward the edge of the pot and they will drape and flow over the edge of the pot as they grow. The Spiller I used is a diascia, one of my favorite Spillers. I love the colorful, dainty little flower.
Do you have a favorite plant you like to use in your containers that is different or “not the norm”? I’d love to hear.
Happy Planting!
Popularity: 32% [?]
Categories: Nest
Wednesday, April 9, 2008, by Leigh Anne
“The place life happens”
Last week I decided to tackle another “Declutter” project. I have already shared my Declutter the Desk project and my Pantry Organization.
Now it was time to tackle the kitchen corner cabinet - do you have one of those? It is amazing how much stuff you can fit into one!
When you open the cabinet door and look in - it really doesn’t look that bad, does it? Not totally organized but nothing falls out on you!
Well, I started pulling things out and I felt like I was reaching into Mary Poppin’s carpet bag - things just kept coming and coming and coming! I ended up with this pile on my counter.
Yikes! Yes - all of that came out of that small corner cabinet.
An assortment of all kinds of different rubber/plastic containers. I think there was about 5-6 lids for every one storage container - what happened to all the bottoms???
I decided to get rid of all the storage containers I had - yes, all of them and start over. I made a donation to Goodwill and bought a new box of disposable storage containers from Ziploc - love those things. I also found a really cool food storage container organizer at The Container Store. It wouldn’t fit in my corner cabinet so I had to clean out one of the bottom cabinets for it to fit into. I love it!
My corner cabinet now looks like this….
It is now the perfect home for my food processor, and a few other kitchen tools I use all the time. Now really - how many storage containers does one person need? Have you counted how many you have recently?
What declutter project have you tackled lately? I am onto my master bedroom and what lurks under the bed!! Scary!
Popularity: 61% [?]
Categories: Nest, Organizational Tips
Thursday, March 6, 2008, by Leigh Anne
Nest - “the place life happens”
I am introducing a new blog “category” today - Nest. I will be sharing a new Nest post every week or so. Nest posts will have to do with the home - “the place life happens.”
I look forward to sharing some fun tips and ideas that I use and passing along ones you share with me for making our nest more fun, more comfortable and an enjoyable place to be.
I chose the word nest because a nest is a “a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.”
Whether your nest is a house, an apartment, a condo, a trailer or on a limb of a tree it can be a retreat and a refuge. A resting place for ourselves and those we love.
Spring is here and that means Easter is not far behind.
One of our families favorite Easter traditions (besides the visit from the Easter Bunny and all that chocolate) is growing our own Easter grass.
Easter is only a couple of weeks away so it is time to get it started. It is quick and easy to do.
All you need is some kind of container. I am using a fun, square metal container I found at the craft store. You can also use a plastic lined Easter basket or clay pot. Use your imagination. You just don’t want any drainage holes in the bottom.
Fill your container with potting soil to within an inch of the top.
Sprinkle rye grass seed over the soil. You can buy wheat seed at the local “Feed and Seed” store. I actually found mine at the craft store! (Craft Warehouse in Portland)
For extra thick grass, put a light layer of soil over the top of the seeds and then sprinkle with a second layer. Spritz with water, place in the sun and within a few days your grass should begin to sprout. Spritz with water as needed to keep soil damp (not wet).
You can also “cut” the grass as it grows to keep it from getting too long and leggy.
It makes a fun centerpiece for your Easter Dinner or Brunch table.
Popularity: 43% [?]
Categories: Nest, Traditions
My number one priority
has been and will always be
my family.
But I also feel strongly
that it is possible
for women to incorporate
all their interests,
goals and ambitions
into a balanced life.
I love working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as
their number one priority.
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