EAB Designs

Historic Monuments

This weekend, we visited Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA.   Established in 1847, it was designed in a rural garden style and given the name "Hollywood" from the many holly trees on the property. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's the final resting place of two Presidents (James Monroe & John Tyler), as well as Jefferson Davis and thousands of Confederate soldiers.  Its rolling hills and winding paths overlook the James River and you can walk through the beautiful grounds and ponder history.

 

DIY Note Cards for Gift Giving

 

These handmade lace notecards take just minutes to make, are super inexpensive and are perfect for gift giving or thank you cards.  Bundle four of them together with a pretty bow, add a gift tag and you have a charming and thoughtful little gift. 

While it's so convenient to send off a quick email or text message, I do try and send handwritten notes whenever I can.  I know I always love when I discover one in my own mailbox.

Whenever I come across plain note cards on clearance, I try to pick up a package.  I found a box of 50 of these Anna Griffin cards on clearance at Michael's for under $5.  You can find beautiful lace yardage at your local fabric stores.  Look in the bridal section and don't forget to check the clearance section where they have great buys on lace remnants.  I use my Scotch Advanced Tape Glider to attach the lace to the cards. (The tape glider is fabulous by the way & I use it all the time!)  Just run a few strips down the edges and center of the cards and the lace adheres beautifully.

Spring is here & summer is on the way because...

 

our '69 VW Crew Cab is back out on the road,

 

fresh flowers can be found all around the house,

and tickets have been purchased for outdoor summer concerts & picnics on the lawn at Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center.  (Less than 10 minutes from our house!)  Looking forward to hearing the B 52's; Rain (A Tribute to the Beatles); Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen; and more!  Can't wait.

The Gardens of Colonial Williamsburg

As I'm in the process of planning our own kitchen garden, it was the perfect time to visit the gardens at Colonial Williamsburg.  This is one of my particular favorites.

A central area of raised beds, sourrounded by a white picket fence and floral borders.

I'm not certain what the name of this climbing flower is, but you'll find it adorning the tops of many of the picket fences around town.

Another beautiful spot, this garden is located directly across the street from the previous one.

Deep red tulips accent this symmetrical garden design.

You'll find many boxwood gardens which are beautiful all on their own.

A favorite feature in all of these gardens are the brick-lined and pea gravel paths.

I came home with lots of inspiration and a Colonial Williamsburg gardening book to help with designing our own little garden.

A Visit to the College of William & Mary

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Easter weekend.  We just returned from a weekend away to visit our girls at college and deliver a few Easter treats.  First stop was the College of William and Mary.

Founded in 1693, it's the second-oldest university in the United States.  The campus is beautiful and it was a perfect weekend to explore.

This is Crim Dell bridge on campus.  Urban legend has it that if two lovers cross the bridge together and kiss at the crest of it, they will be together forever.  However, if that couple separates at any point thereafter, the lady must throw her ex-lover off of the bridge and into the water to break the curse of being single forever.

Another campus tradition is to swim the Crim Dell pond prior to graduation.  We came across a few snapping turtles enjoying a swim.  (Can you spot this one?) Our daughter has taken a swim in the pond, but has a few more years to attempt the last two legendary tasks. (Jumping the wall of the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg after hours and streaking through the sunken garden on campus).  These three events make up the W&M Triathlon.

Spring is a great time to visit, as the tulips, dogwoods and wisteria are in full bloom.

The campus has cozy wooded areas and beautiful Georgian and Anglo-Dutch architecture.  This is Barrett Hall, our daughter's dorm.  From the campus, we headed across the street to Colonial Williamsburg.  Next time, I'll share a few pictures of the gardens there which are always inspiring.

Happy Easter!

to read more about my decoupage eggs, visit here                     

Small Flower Arrangements, Spring Centerpieces

I've always been a fan of petite centerpieces with flowers of all one color.  White flowers are a particular favorite - the beautiful scent from these stock filled the entire room.

I'm also a fan of mercury glass and actually use my mercury glass votives as petite vases.  To protect the finish of the votives, I tuck in small plastic sandwich bags to hold the water.  Once the water is added, I trim the bag so it's hidden from view once the flowers are added.

For a dinner party on Saturday, I lined the petite arrangements down the center of the table and placed tea light candles in between each one.  I love mixing the iron tea light holders, and copper chargers with the mercury glass.

New white lace trim was dipped in tea to obtain a vintage feel and the eggs were dyed in tea as well.