Tuesday Tablescape

Does your mind begin to think about travel this time of year? The weather can seem a little dreary over the winter and that can cause us to look forward to resuming outside activities and travel. Ironcially, today is National Plan for Vacation Day. If you ever felt my creativity can lean toward the crazy side, this table will absolutely confirm those suspicions!! 

This vintage doll Winnebago is a treasure from my sister's and my childhood. Since my husband and I now travel by motorhome, I had to incorporate it in my centerpiece!

A portion of some of our travel books can assist anyone with finding the ideal location for adventure.

Realistically, we will not be comfortable taking a long road trip at any point soon. In the meantime, we will plan for little getaways beginning in the warm weather. We did the same thing last summer and fall when we went to outstanding state parks midweek to explore historic sites when no one else was around. 

Maybe rather than plan your next vacation quite yet, it's a good day to reflect on previous memorable trips. What was your favorite? Most memorable? Remember that you don't necessarily have to pack up and hit the road to take a vacation. 

A Pop of Color and Cheer

Look what's now blooming on our windowsill! 

Each year my husband gets me amaryllis and/or paperwhite bulbs at Christmastime and I always enjoy growing them. Not only is it interesting to watch them grow, but they add a lovely pop of color and cheer during dreary wintertime.

This year's amaryllis is a bit different from those I have received in the past because this bulb is encased in a wax shell. This newer trend permits one to grow a lovely flower without any effort. Simply place it in a sunny windowsill and watch it bloom! It does not require being planted in soil and there is no need to water it. The wax coating actually contians enough moisture to sustain it until it reaches maturity. A wire base keeps the bulb in place without tipping or falling over.

I simply placed it in its place on the windowsill and we began observing. Like most forced bulbs, the growth is accelerated and rewarding. I used to take paperwhites to my class each January where we suspended them in glass vessels along the windows. We had such a good time journaling our observations, measuring the daily growth of stems and roots and charting the bud development as we learned about the plant growing process.

As you can see, I have one bud which has not yet begun to open. I have done some research and there is conflicting information about the longterm viability of a waxed amaryllis bulb. Some say that once the bulb finishes its blooming cycle, it should be discarded as it will never rebloom. Others maintain that the wax covering may be carefully removed, the bulb potted and that it will reproduce blossoms. I have nothing to lose and so I will definitely try the latter. In the meantime, we are certainly enjoying the pop of color and cheer...especially on this rainy, winter day! 

I hope you experienced some 

color and cheer today! 

Warm Wishes on a Cold Winter Evening

We had an ideal dusting of snow today. It was not enough to stick to the pavement and just enough to make the trees look beautiful. 

This weather makes my winter mantel look quite fitting!

On New Year's Day when I undecorated, I decided that I just wasn't ready to pack away the garland and so I removed the Christmas ribbon and the ornaments which were all wired in and inserted some crocheted snowflakes instead. I think it will be cozy to enjoy our lighted garland throughout January on cold winter evenings.

This snowman (actually an oversized cookie jar) reminds me of January, so I put him on a burlap runner and added pinecones. Some candles sit on the other end of the mantel.

I put my snow owl and some greenery on a miniature bale of authentic cotton and added it to the hearth.

If you look out the door in the picture below, you will see the blue sky.

It's visible in this picture, too.

I just happened to take these photos during "blue hour". It occurs during the last stages of evening twilight and it is explained in the following definition which I copied and pasted from Wikipedia: 

The blue hour (from French l'heure bleue) is the period of twilight in the morning or evening, during the civil and nautical stages, when the sun is at a significant depth below the horizon and residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade.

I send you warm wishes on this cold winter evening. Have a blessed weekend, too!

 

Happy National Winter Skin Relief Day!

Winter weather can be harsh on our skin, so let's talk about its care since it is National Winter Skin Relief Day. What products do you find most effective? 

While I like only liquid soap for hand washing, I rely on bar soap for bath/shower use. Of the latter, I have two favorites (both of which I have mentioned in posts over the years). A friend introduced me to Trader Joe's Oatmeal and Honey Soap several years ago and I continue to use this product. It smells good, is mild and effective. 

The other soap I use is Power Berries by Dial. These glycerin bars smell great, although I will say that it seems to me that they were more fragrant in the past. Gentle and lathery, I enjoy this pretty soap.

For me, the only worthy body lotion is actually body cream from Bath and Body Works. It is thick and absorbs well, leaving my skin soft any season of the year. I am fond of most of their scents, but the one I like the most is Cucumber Melon. While it is considered to be retired, it is available at various times throughout the year and so I was happy to get a few tubes during recent online super sales (with additional coupon savings)!

When it comes to hand cream, absolutely nothing works for me like Gold Bond (CVS's own impostor brand is equally effective). It's not at all greasy and leaves my hands feeling very hydrated.

Do your heels ever feel rough and dry? I used so many different products before discovering Bath and Body Work's sugar scrubs which are available in many great scents. It is not specifically intended for heels, but that's how I use it. Just a little dab for each foot is all that's needed to keep my heels smooth.

In addition to using the products which best suit our needs for skin relief, it's important to drink enough water and eat a balanced diet to keep our bodies and skin healthy...and don't forget to keep hands covered when going out in extreme temperatures since cold weather is damaging to skin.

May your day be as flawless as your skin! 

Winter Porch

We began our Christmas undecorating last Saturday and I must say that everything always looks so plain in comparison. Still, it is fun to weave some snowmen and penguins in the winter decor. My mother has her winter front porch ready.

She has collected snowmen for many years, so she has a nice collection of the frozen cuties in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles. I think this guy looks perfect on the garden stool. 

He complements the doormat she already had and...

the wreath she received as a gift this Christmas.

Our own porch changeover was very simple. Of course the window wreaths came down and I left the pine greenery in place, but just replaced the Christmas plaid ribbon with a burlap-looking style. I pulled down the ornaments that were there for the season and inserted these plastic snowflakes. It's not complicated or elaborate.

It certainly isn't close to being porch weather, but we did enjoy some sunshine and temperatures in the upper 40s the past few days, which is not bad for winter!