Happy Warm Winter January 24, 2012

I love the way this seating turned out. A friend made the storage boxes with hinged tops for the base, I bought the extra dense foam for the seat cushions, took home two HUGE rolls in my small SUV, and found different fabrics to cover the many back cushions. I added lights for the holiday season, but found I liked them so much, they are staying. The seating is large enough to sleep on.

The coffee table was another find at Netties Consignment Shop. It is very heavy off white, solid wood, with shabby chic dents, chips and painted areas rubbed off. I liked the pierced side area, seemed to go with the Moroccan vibe I was doing for the living roo. What I especially liked about this coffee table was it's huge size, three feet by four feet, and large enough to balance out the large seating area and have 6 -8 people around it to feast on food, at one of my friends gatherings. It came in handy over the holidays.

I procrastinated for months (oh really ) on making the cushion covers, but once I decided to do this, it took less than a few hours. I made them with a Paisley linen fabric from Calico Corners.

I am done. My vision is complete and I am happy with the results. Party anyone?

The Pomegranate

About 5 weeks ago I bought a beautiful red shiny pomegranate from the grocery store. It was as large as a softball, and took up my entire palm. It sat in a bowl on my tiny kitchen island, then I moved it to the butcher block cutting board, then moving again and again, if I needed the space it sat on.

Today when I felt it, I could press it a bit, and decided that it was time to open it up and see if it was still edible.

I carefully cut only one slice in the pomegranate, and then gently pulled it apart. My pink

" Life is Good" shirt now has bright red spots on it, but I don't mind.

Separating the seeds from the white membrane, I spent about a half hour until the entire fruit was released from it's beautiful red jacket. And it was amazing. Red jewels bursting with juice, only a few immature seeds and a few iffy seeds. The fruit gave up almost two cups of seeds.

I put the pomegranate seeds in a blue glazed bowl on the counter. I left a tablespoon near it so that I could spoon a few seeds and snack on them. They were so sweet, not too tart. The evening was young and I found myself going back to that bowl many times over the hours.

Finally, here I sit in my office, at my work table, with the blue bowl and the tablespoon, eating all of the remaining pomegranate jewel like seeds. With much joy.

One of my small pleasures of the holiday season. Is there no fruit more beautiful than a pomegranate? I think not.

Carnelian Beauty Detail

Newest Jewelry Creations

I love to design necklaces, many of you already know this. I will showcase some of these pieces here periodically. I also can accept Mastercard, Visa and now Discover Cards. The holidays are just 3 months from now. I also ship in gift boxes with gift card. Thinking ahead.

Necklace top, red jade, carnelian, silver

Necklace middle, a pendant from Afghanistan, lapis lazuli, carnelian, silver
Necklace bottom, crazy lace agate, magnesite, silver

Signs of Autumn - September 2011

The humidity has gone for now and I can feel the seasons slowly changing down here in South Florida. The garden is overgrown and just before, I began the job of trimming. The gardens need mulching and weeding and soon I will go to the garden center and buy many bags of eucalyptus mulch. I like eucalyptus mulch because it does not harbor ticks. Sammie hates ticks.

Each year I have taken photos of the gardens as they change. These are the latest.

The iron mesh table and 3 chairs are a newish acquisition from Nettie's Consignment shop, after she moved into larger quarters. She is a great source of unusual and fun outdoor and indoor furniture and collectibles. I began my Fiesta plate collection because of Nettie's.

I just bought a new used Shabby Chic coffee table from Nettie's and she has two of my large pieces there for sale. I had to clear out to make visual space. The coffee table is off white and large enough for at least six of us to sit around it and have a feast.

Saturday I hope to have some friends over for a Moroccan meal to celebrate my new Moroccan space. Appetizers on the new table. Olives, flatbread, hummous, and wine. yummy.

Collections

A Moroccan Vibe

I have been living with an uncomfortable tiny sofa for too long, so catching the current Moroccan decorating vibe, I created a corner cushion seating with the help from a friend who is an excellent carpenter and a local woman who made cushion covers. The fabric is a Suzzani print on linen, purchased at Calico Corners. I have 2 more prints to be used on additional back cushions and some more large 27 inch cushions. I tossed on a lot of pillows, and now I have a place to relax with friends.

I will have a Moroccan inspired dinner party here in a few weeks with some friends who return from the UK. I will serve a chicken tagine , spiced and nutty couscous and flatbreads, olives and whatever else I can find here in South Florida.

Two lanterns on sale at Anthropologie and some small hanging votive lanterns complete the look. Two open back bookcases purchased at IKEA, where else! add interest and show off my books and my basket collection.