Early Spring Decorating

We have had some unseasonably warm weather even for Texas. 

It has put me in the mood for some spring decor. 

I'm not ready to go all out bunnies and chicks but I did add some greenery. 

I put my favorite decorating element from the 2016 Christmas season away. 

In its place went a lantern from Hobby Lobby. 

It has the same feel.  

This morning I corralled my galvanized containers and my greens.

The lamb's ear looks pretty real.
It came from two different sources but they look very similar.

One bunch is supposed to be chicks and hen.
Real succulents didn't really work for me so faux is a better idea for me.

These galvanized pots also came from Hobby Lobby.
They were regularly $5.99 but were half off.
I love that about Hobby Lobby. If it's not on sale, wait a week and it might be.

Faux boxwood is still making a prominent showing in my late winter/early spring decor.

The heart came from the craft mall that went out of business last February.
The space they vacated because the rent was too high is still empty.
That doesn't seem like good business to me.

Let me share a pet peeve with you.

This is the last ditch effort to prevent the wire from splitting.
I'm sure that a new power cord is in my imminent future.
Why, Apple?
This will be my third in 4 years.
It seems like they could get this figured out.

Have a wonderful evening!
Katie

Five Fall Essentials/ Essential #2- Greenery Clippings

I've come up with five fall essentials for my decor.
Yesterday I showed different plaid throws.
Another must have decor item is fresh clippings from the yard. 

I just recently discovered how wonderful wax leaf ligustrum looks in a fall vignette. 

The clippings last for about a week or more without being in water. 

They have a darling little berry. 

Boxwood is one of my favorites.
I used to have eight huge bushes for clipping.
We pulled those all out because they were so overgrown.
I only have one currently.

  I'd like to get some more for clipping but Bill says they smell like cat pee.

For years we thought the cat was peeing right by our front door.
Nope. It was the boxwoods.

Dwarf Nandina bushes are wonderful for clipping.
The leaf color can be a gorgeous chartreuse color.
Hints of gold and coral begin to appear until the reds appear around Christmas.

They are perfect since Texas is a little bereft of fall color.

Pittosporum

Boxwood

Waxleaf Ligustrum

Waxleaf Ligustrum

That is it for today.
Grab your clippers and gather some fresh greenery for your space.
See you tomorrow.
Katie

Cheap or Free Christmas Decorating

Christmas decorating doesn't have to break the bank account. 

Some of my favorite decorating ideas are cheap or free. 

  

Candy from the dollar store looks adorable in old jars.

Shopping the candy aisle at the grocery works too.

The lollipops? 

So cute. 

 Logs, branches and pinecones are fabulously free. 

 

I've become a huge fan of using the decor provided by the ultimate designer.

 Can you get over the beauty of pine cones?

Even though it is a little messy, I love using greenery from the yard.

It is simple and beautiful.

 Our Yaupon Holly is a plentiful benefactor of greens and berries.

The birds eat these berries so I've no worries about our pets eating them. 

Our animals are way too picky for that.

I hope you are enjoying this day.

Blessings to you,

Katie  
Linking with,
Best of the Weekend  
A Stroll Thru Life 
Savvy Southern Style

Faux Greenery and Flowers

 My sister busted me about a former favorite of mine. 

I had a plethora of faux greenery and flowers.

If you are old enough to remember the 90s, you have to remember faux greenery. 

Everybody had it. 
We had it draped everywhere.
Homemakers had it dripping over bookshelves, picture frames and over the top of the kitchen cabinets. 

I had faux greenery draped, swathed and adorning almost every surface. It was a terrible idea. 

Most of the time it was a dusty, greasy mess.
(Do you say greasy or greazy? Bill says greasy and I say greasy. )
It was even worse with plastic grapes woven in and out.
  My sister pointed out that she doesn't "do" fake flowers or greens ever!
She makes do with pine cones, fresh fruit or flowers, antlers, sea shells and other items that are apropos to the season.

I started to wonder if it was possible to live and decorate without needing a Hobby Lobby floral department fix every now and again.
 I can't say I've been 100 percent successful but I have made progress and I'm in fake floral rehab.

Here are a couple of ways I added the real and nixed the plastic without having a stark environment. 

Lliriope or Monkey grass in a glass jar can be tucked in another container. It lasts about a month. I've got an abundance of this stuff in the yard. Ivy or clippings from shrubs would work as well.
My yard won't miss a thing.

Philodendron is by far the easiest house plant to grow. 

Even I can't kill it.

I trim the vines and re-root them in a vase. I've been doing this groovy thing since the 70s. 
I have even passed the technique onto my offspring. 

The other way I have added color without the silk is with dried flowers. Status is wonderful. It is cheap and it lasts for months.

I ordered these hydrangeas last year from Oregon. I got a big box for $25.00. They still look great a year later.

I love baby's breath. It also lasts a while and is very inexpensive. I found some at Kroger for $3.99 a bunch.

Hobby Lobby and Michaels have a great dried section. I have even gotten feathers to add to arrangements. 
Of course roses from the grocery store are wonderful too. I just turn them upside down to dry. 

Once they are dry they can be used in different arrangements.

I do use faux fruit. I really don't want the family eating my displays all the time. 
So what are my exceptions?
I do have a few bunches of fake flowers.
I like the ones that are made of velvet or velveteen.



Most of my fake ones are from a local wholesale company, Raz Imports. 
I use them in small doses and only as they are blooming in nature. Pansies when they are blooming outside, etc.


My favorite artificial would have to be vintage milner flowers. 
This one is off of one of my grandmother's flapper dresses. 
Love!
If you go with the faux, there are some good quality fakes out there.
I still have a plethora of fake Christmas greens. 
I went with more real last year than I ever have but it sheds so bad and I had to get new greens mid-month. 
What about you? Faux or No?  
Katie