Azaleas Indoors

We had chilly weather last night but we will be in the 70s today.  Spring is bursting out everywhere here.  I brought some azaleas indoors for a few pretty photos of them in the living room.  We had a lot of rain yesterday and there were a lot of azalea flowers on the ground and falling off the branches.  I decided to play with them and think it upped the pretty look!

I threw a white blanket on the sofa to catch the loose azalea flowers.





I had shot the photos with one set of pillows and decided to try another set.  These two pillows are actually more of a burgundy.  I think the last time I used them was in the Fall.   Do you have a favorite?




It's funny because I thought I didn't like these pillows in here and they were banished to upstairs but now they work.  Maybe it's the light this time of year affecting how the pillows appear.
 



Early in the morning with the sun hitting the back of the flowers and the aqua pillows that live on the sofa a lot.




We had our first tulip come up.












Meanwhile the curtain craziness is continuing....I have lost count on how many I have tried in the dining room.



Jan

Azaleas In February

I know, I know, all I am talking about is everything blooming here.  But it's just so strange for it to be happening so early.  It's been so warm for this time of year and every day there is something new blooming.  I love seeing everything coming out of hibernation.  I am enjoying seeing and using what Mother Nature is providing right now.





I don't think I shared my Christmas gift to myself this year on the blog.  Turquoise or aqua plates have been catching my eye. French antique Sarreguemines majolica plate in a very vivid shade of blue and featuring two birds perched in a cherry tree.

Now when I say this was a gift to myself, it was!  I have never traveled outside the country except for one short trip to Mexico in the 1980s.  This plate went over the Atlantic Ocean from France to my humble abode in the Deep South.  I was so excited when it arrived, I took a photo of the postage stamp!








My new addition...well additions.  I was fortunate to find the pretty one to the right over seas as well.  So it's a vignette of Valentine's roses, card, azaleas and french plates along with pinecones and a small container of tulips.




I have been trying different looks with them.







It was late March last year when I was able to bring azaleas inside.





The pansies took forever to have flowers this year and I don't know why.









I brought in a big branch of azaleas so they would show really pretty.  That's a tip, if you want your flowers to stand out then use a lot!





Meanwhile the hunt for new drapes for the dining room continues........and yes it has been challenging! I hope you have a great week!


Jan

Faux Spring

We have had so little cold weather this winter.  It's been unusually warm and many flowering plants and trees think it's time to bloom here.  They don't know it isn't Spring so I call it our Faux Spring.

Some Japanese Magnolias blooming closer to downtown are magical right now.  They don't know it's early February.  They don't know people are shoveling feet of snow from their yards a few hundred miles away.  All they know is the sun is shining warm on their leaves and it's time to bloom and give us all something beautiful to look at. It's time to open the brightly colored petals to display for our winter worn eyes.

And it is still winter...no way around it. A frost or dip in temperatures one night will end the kaleidoscope color show of Japanese magnolias, azaleas and camellias blooming. But the flowers don't know it February.  And right now, looking above us on the branches, we don't have to know either.

Lightness and laughter are a short distance away.  My daughter is a wordsmith and wrote the best of this post and a couple of photos included.




Sssh...it doesn't know it's February in this special place I happened upon.








































































White Japanese Magnolia blooms, I think the first I have been aware of seeing around here.









Jan

Navy with Roses

I hope you are doing good.   There is a table for us with a definite Spring feeling to it.  It is wonderful to be outside and enjoy the weather.  There is something about beautiful fabric and flowers decorating a table on the back porch.  It feels like it's a special day and a present to yourself.  Let's go out back and grab a plate.



There is a rainbow of color and roses rule the look. Blue willow dinner plates pick up the blue from the navy rose patterned tablecloth. I had such a fabulous Saturday night that I tried to write a song about it.  I have gotten stuck and I thought you might be able to help me with it.






So I got the song started and it goes like this. (y’all laugh with me now, this is for fun)

Cause it’s a dynamite night….

Got a box of blonde

and a bag of chocolate

with no child in sight.

It’s a dynamite night…

Got a new magazine of pretty homes.

Mine is out of style, and that just makes me smile…

Cause orange shag carpet used to be in everyone’s file.

Cause it’s a dynamite night.

Gonna kiss my husband goodbye so he can pay for me and my dynamite night….

Blogging is fun but I hear it just pays oh so slight

Now you know what I was doing Saturday night

Got a box of blonde

and a bag of chocolate

with no child in sight……

Jan