Sunday, September 30, 2012

Favorite Flower Combinations in 2012 - Part One

Cottage garden. May 1, 2012
Shades of purple and pink tumble and intertwine along one of the paths in the cottage garden. In the correct zones, these perennials are reliably drought tolerant and will provide a long bloom season.

To recreate this combination in a hot, full sun location, use the following plants (Click the links for each plant to read previous in-depth articles):

Perennial heliotrope (heliotropium amplexicaule). Zones 7-11, deer resistant
Wine cups (callirhoe involucrata). Zones 3-9, NOT deer or rabbit resistant
Salvia greggii 'Diane'. Zones 7-9, deer resistant
Salvia nemorosa Bordeaux 'Steel Blue'. Zones 4-8, deer resistant



Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Late week random musings.....


Hi there and Happy Friday. Another week gone by.......wow they are going fast! Even though I think some of these random posts might be short, they inevitably end up being rather chock full as I keep on adding to them and by weeks end...I have one heck of a long post, but its normally up through the weekend, so its a few days worth:)
 I am still recuperating from my party last weekend, did very much enjoy the leftovers and had a few friends stop over to help me polish them off (cannot stand seeing waste)! I love how the "after effects" of a great party linger well into the week after.............
See exhibit A.
A plate full left of the fabulous French pastries......yum!

And exhibit B.


All the pretty flowers I received still going strong and condensing  some arrangements to maximize their staying power.

Other than that, trying to get going on more projects in my house, doing two E-design jobs, and that along with all my other non blogging commitments has me really busy....as in wishing there were more than 24 hours in the day kind of busy!
So let's begin shall we with all the randomness that has come to make up these random musing posts.....
For those who have not seen, may I present my completed formal powder room........
And the back powder room is pretty much done as well..............


I went to for a lovely breakfast/brunch the other day to a friends house, who had some pretty fall decor out on display, here's a peek....



Love these mugs! I have to find them......


Love seeing autumn branches as she displayed them here......

How cute is this picture? My friend sent it to me of her pooch celebrating his birthday, too adorable to not share!

We have some new lighting going up around here...FINALLY! My bathroom the sconces I was waiting on for about 8 months finally showed up and are being put up in the next few days. You might have seen my new dining room chandelier which I am loving as well as the absolutely gorgeous crystal sconces for the living room.....super happy with the lighting so far!!

Stunning new sconces for the living room

Close up!

The gorgeous new chandelier for the dining room finally came and got hung!

Dough bowls...you know I love them and I have a really great new resource, so kept one for myself and filled it with lemons and artichokes.....



Any good  new books or movies lately? I am soo excited over the release of Les Miserables in December!! Anyone else with me on that? I know its going to be fabulous......
Click on arrow to watch the trailer....looks amazing and the music always gives me goosebumps!



Very off the interior design topic, but I caught tale end of something which captivated my attention and that is the focus in some schools and amongst educators on "CPA va GPA". I was intrigued about what CPA means, it stands for "character point average", its a movement towards taking a closer look at character education vs. traditional education......there was a very interesting article put out by the New York Times that you may or may not have seen, in any case click here for link if you are interested......(particularly interesting for those who have school aged children)


A little store biz...the big buzz is my very special napkin rings, click here if you missed my post on them, worth seeing they are amazing!





Also getting in 5 of these oversized tole trays......antiqued and painted with gorgeous florals! Email me if interested, don't think they will go on the online shop so just email me if you have any questions!





So that's my randomness for this week! Lots of rain around here this weekend.....good weekend for a movie and to catch up on all kinds of things that have fallen to the wayside.  What are you up to this weekend? Hope whatever you are doing is enjoyable and relaxing!


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Thursday, September 27, 2012

the union


Have you heard about the Biltmore's Union opening this November?  It's one huge retail space being filled with small (200-500 square foot) "boutique" style versions of all your favorite local and independently owned Phoenix faves in shopping and dining.  And guess who will be there?  The Willows!  We are so excited and can't wait for the big grand opening!  It is sure to be full of fun.  Now back to work.  We only have a month left to get this place looking fabulous...


We will let you know about the upcoming events as they come up!

Say hello to my newest line on The Enchanted Home shop!


Good morning! These special pieces deserve a post all their own! OK,  going back to Brimfield where I met with a wonderfully talented silversmith who handcrafts the most exquisite napkin rings, I placed an order immediately because I fell in love and instantly recognized something special when I saw it.....there was immediately a lot of interest from my current customers. Without putting them up in my store, I got several orders. I introduced them at a very competitive price of $45.00 a ring. These are like little jewels for a table..truly special custom made pieces.
 
Each and every one  is made to order and he will customize if need be. Napkin rings just like this sell for hundreds on other sites. These are special indeed and I am happy to say they finally have their own little spot up on my online shop. To start I will feature 12-14  different styles but there are many others so if what you are looking for is not there, just email me and I can nearly guarantee you it can be done! Case in point one of my customers was having an elegant tea party theme for her daughters bridal shower....so he is making beautiful teacup napkin rings...truly the sky is the limit. The workmanship and attention to details speaks for themselves.
 I will continue to offer these at $45.00 for another few weeks but in the near future, they will go up. Here's a look at these exquisite little creations....

Very important as one of my customers made me aware..THESE ARE MADE IN THE GOOD OL' USA!! Conceptualized, handcrafted, and sent from USA! That practically makes them priceless:)
For all you chinoiserie fans...love this!

Am always  sucker for anything equestrian....love the horse!

Chinoiserie lady with parasol

The sly fox and pair of birds

Love the squirrel pulling the cart, just look at the wheel detailing.....any animal can be ordered


Check out the tortoise on the hare......

A little boy and his pet pig

A bunch of different styles

Dogs going down slide..so sweet!
One of my faves...the animal conga line!

And how charming is the three hares talking!

How sweet, the three little dachshunds in a tub.

Have to get this....a golden!

Santa holding a tree....perfect for the holidays!

Just got in a few orders yesterday....feast your eyes on the beauty and workmanship!
Little boy blue

Chinoiserie lady

3 hares

Dogs going down slide

Fox and pair of birds

One of four Santas

Three pups in a tub

Animal conga line

Reflecting girl

Dachshund pulling cart (love the filligree wheels) available with 6 different animals

Chinoiserie man

Another Santa

Have a favorite? I love them all...honestly its hard to pick just one or two! They are now on my online shop today for now under New Arrivals click here to visit.. As always, feel free to email me with any questions.  Click here to email. These take approx. 3-4 weeks to get to you once an order is placed. Amazing holiday gift idea!! Thanks as always for stopping in and wishing you a wonderful day!

PS On a non napkin ring note....many of you inquired about my darling cherub porcelain soap dish and asked when it would be up for sale..it is as of today. Click here for link!
They held my monogrammed soap bar perfectly!




Have a fabulous day.....
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