EAB Designs

Christmas Greens

With another wintry mix in the forecast for this afternoon and tonight, I decided to brush the snow off our evergreens and do some outdoor decorating this morning. I collected a variety of holly, boxwood, cedar and blue spruce from our property to place in our iron planters and urns.  The soil acts as as an oasis floral foam when arranging the cuttings, and if kept damp, the evergreen cuttings will stay fresh through the entire holiday season.

 

 

White lights were wired through 12" grapevine spheres to sit on the bed of fresh greens.  The lights with brown wire are a bit more difficult to find, but definitely worth the effort as they blend in so well with the grapevine.

 

Promise to share pictures of our evergreen wreath later.  I need to head off to the local market to select some fresh fruit to finish decorating it. 

First Snowfall

Saturday we enjoyed our first snow of the season with large beautiful snowflakes falling most of the day.  Looks like our outdoor decorating will have to wait until nature's beauty has melted away.

 

Autumn in Northern Virginia

After several days of rain, the sun came out for a brief time today so I quickly headed outdoors.  Of course, I took along my camera so I could share all of our beautiful fall colors with you.  I threw on my cap and sunscreen (a must to keep those freckles at bay) and headed out for my walk. The reds and yellows were so vibrant with the sun shining on them.

One of the advantages of living here are the many parks.  We're lucky to have one right across the road from us so I took a walk through the winding path to take a few photos there.  I love acorns, and unlike last year, they now seem to be in abundance.

Returning home, I took a stroll through our yard.  Remember my favorite hydrangeas that I used in my summer arrangements for their beautiful creamy white color?  Well, now they have turned into gorgeous shades of bronze and pink - perfect for my table this Saturday evening.

Right beside our home, we have a very old, seventy foot black walnut tree. For those of you not familiar with black walnuts, the tree starts dropping its nuts in September and continues through October.  The nuts are enclosed in hard green hulls (about the size of clementines) and when they hit our roof and skylights it sounds like we're under attack!  I cannot even estimate the number of walnuts we pick up each fall - countless bags!  It's shear joy when the last nut falls and very entertaining to watch the squirrels carry them around in their mouths.

Hope you enjoyed coming along on my walk.  Note to self:  next time wear my wellies, lots of rain brings lots of mud!

Our Front Porch

 

Have you ever driven by someone's house and envisioned what the inside might look like based on the front porch?  I know I have.  I love decorating our porch...okay I sometimes obsess over it.  I especially enjoy making seasonal changes; such as a new wreath on the front door, pumpkins and gourds in the urns, or a mix of seasonal holiday greens with sparkling white lights.  In the summer, I place a raised wire plant basket inside each urn to create a topiary effect.  I love the simplicity of all white flowers mixed with different shades of green foliage.  This year I added in a splash of color.  With daily watering and lots of trimming, they'll continue to look this great until the pumpkins and mums arrive in the fall!

Turning back to the inside of the house...thank you for all of your emails and sweet comments regarding my burlap runners.  I will be taking a short trip this weekend, but when I return I promise to answer all of your email questions about the stenciling process.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Finials

 

 

I collect finials and you can find some in just about every room of our home.  These are just a few of my favorites.  I am drawn to their architectural appeal, beautiful carving and distressed edges.  Discovered tucked away in corners of antique stores, garden/salvage shops or flea markets; they are one of my favorite decorating elements.

S is for Summer Fruits

For me, summer officially arrives once there are plenty of these sweet dark beauties available..

as well as lots of these delicious fuzzy peaches...

I simply cannot stop eating them - for breakfast, snacks or baked in wonderful crisps and cobblers to celebrate the taste of summer.

 

        

 

A favorite spot - my herb garden

 

Planting an herb garden is a wonderful addition to your garden, as well as to your lifestyle, especially if you enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients.  I love heading outdoors to clip whatever I may need to prepare dinner.  Our herb garden is in a raised bed, which receives sun most of the day.  However, on a rainy or overcast day, like today, the garden is most beautiful.  It's then that you can see all of the lovely different shades of green.  In our area, the oregano, thyme, chives, tarragon, mint and sage are perennial and return each year.

 

In the spring, I plant at least four sweet basil plants.  By the end of summer, this little plant will be a couple feet tall.  We all love bruschetta and on many warm summer evenings, we will make an entire meal out of just that....so delicious!  Parsley, cilantro, rosemary and lemon verbena are also planted each spring.

 

Our raised bed is made from cedar, so it will last us many years.  All I do in the spring is work in some compost and lay down a fresh layer of mulch which keeps any weeds from sprouting.  The best part is, the more you clip, the faster they grow!  This results in an abundance to use in recipes and for decorating platters as well.

Delivery from David Austin Roses

Came home from running errands and found this surprise on my porch.  My Abraham Darby English garden bare root roses have arrived for planting!

 

They don't look like much now....

But soon, they will blossom into these beauties...

 

I purchased these from David Austin Roses last fall and they ship them in the spring, just in time for planting.  I can hardly wait until early summer to see them in bloom.

Signs of Spring

 

Walking around our property, I look for signs of spring.  Our daffodils are at peak bloom, the hydrangea leaves are just beginning to bud, my perennial herbs are sprouting in the herb garden and you can hear flocks of birds in the trees.  However, with well below average temperatures, it still feels like winter.  For today, nature's beauty will inspire me from the indoors.

March Roars In Like A Lion

   

Although much of the country has received more snow than they wanted this winter, in our area we have only received a couple dustings.  However, a late storm came in last night and this is what we awoke to.  Schools are closed and sweet husband is outside shoveling the driveway.  Lots of warm cider and sledding to come this afternoon.

 

A view from our kitchen window.  Based on the birdfeeder, I'd guess we have about 6 - 7 inches.  Hard to believe spring sports have already begun and my daughter should have been on the tennis courts this afternoon.