~A Fall Apple-Themed Tablescape Party Idea~

Last weekend, we were in Omaha visiting my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Monkey.  On Sunday, Jane (d-i-l) wanted to take us to an apple orchard for some good ol' apple pickin' before we started the trip home.

About an hour south of Omaha is a lovely town called Nebraska City where the Kimmel Orchard is located. The farm was started in the 1850s but the orchard and vineyard was established in 1925 and, over the years, has developed into a huge and impressive place.

There are acres and acres of vegetables and fruits...

enormous vineyards used to produce a variety of wines...

and fun things for the kids to do (there is also a huge pumpkin patch but I failed to take a picture of it).

 

But, since we were limited on time, we came to do this...pick apples!!  You're probably wondering...what in the world does an orchard have to do with a fall tablescape??  Well, hold your ponies.  While going up and down the many rows of apple trees, we came across this....

The most adorable apple-themed tablescape for, of all people, 2nd-graders!!  There was a woman standing nearby who had set it up and was waiting for her guests to arrive.  I didn't want to be rude by drooling and aahing over what she had created so I just snapped a few pictures.

Carafes full of apple juice waiting to refill the canning jars that were topped with lids and straws, caramel apples and caramel corn served in painted berry baskets....

 and sitting atop wooden crates were plates and plates of apple donuts.  Talk about sugar overload but who cares when you're being served these wonderful delights!!  All of these sweet treats were being sold in the apple barn, by the way, and I'm sure this is where she got all of her edibles.

 

The centerpiece was a lovely fall floral bouquet and there were smaller bouquets placed here and there down the long tables.  You can also see apples being displayed in small wooden baskets and gallon jars.

No fall party would be complete without apples for dunking!  Very thoughtful idea to hang towels on the handles of the galvanized tub for drying those dripping wet faces.

The 'entrance' to their little party was a banner made of colorful hankies.

At the other end was a pennant banner.  I didn't look closely to see how they were made nor the theme of that banner.  Now the children might not appreciate how adorable the theme and setup is for this party but I think this is a very creative idea for an adult party, fall tea or luncheon.  This is right up my decorating style and something simple to create.  Don't you agree?

 

I would have loved to stay longer but we had to hit the road for the long 7-hour drive home.  Between the three of us, we were able to gather about two bushels of apples.  We had to sample a few while picking and they were so, SO good!  Thankfully, Monkey wanted to bring her wagon along!  Yes, the sun was bright but it was a most beautiful day for gathering apples. 

 

Until next time ~

p.s.  I betcha you're wondering what I'm going to do with my bounty, huh?  First of all, I'm going to make some crockpot apple butter and then I'll probably do some canning for future apple pies and cobblers.  I also came across a recipe for apple-ring pancakes that I can't wait to try.  If they taste as good as they look, I'll share the recipe with you. ;)

You'll find me partying here...
Stone Gable's Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits

~DIY Detergent Recipes~

Have you started making your own soap detergents and cleaners yet?  My youngest started on the bandwagon about a year or so ago searching for safer ways to keep her family and home clean.  She is the one who brought to my attention how UNsafe many of the ingredients are in products that I have used for years.  So, I've been changing the way that I clean.

 

 Laundry Detergent.  There are lots of recipes out there, for both dry and liquid concoctions, with slight variations here and there.  So you may want to do a bit of Google searching to see which one would work for you.  This is the recipe that I found some time back and have been using it for several months now.  Ingredients needed:
4 lb. 12 oz. box of Borax
4 lb. box of Baking Soda
3 lb. 7 oz. box of Super Washing Soda
4 bars of Ivory soap (or any natural soap such as Fels Naptha, Castile or Zote), grated
3 lb. container of OxyClean**

**Our clothes weren't quite as bright as I would have liked, so I ended up adding OxyClean.  An ingredient seen in many of the soap recipes I've found.  Much better!!

Note:  I have a front-loading washing machine and this is perfectly safe to use.  I use about 2 to 3 Tbsp. (little less than 1/4 cup) per load.  I haven't found anything that says to use more for top-loading machines.

I had a couple of bars of the Castile soap and decided to use it along with the Ivory.  Some soaps are easy to grate and some are not.  Ivory is a softer bar and grated very easily while the Castile bar is harder and took a little bit more effort to grate.  I found that using a regular ol' cheese grater was actually faster and easier than using my mini food processor.  Could have been my machine, I don't know.

Fabric Softener.  We use well water out here in the country and it is a very hard water with lots of mineral content.  To a large bottle of regular ol' vinegar, I add at least 30 to 40 drops of lavender oil (for fragrance).  Add about one-half cup to the rinse section of your washing machine.
You could use any essential oil but I use the lavender because of its calming effect.  This particular oil is not overpowering and I could probably add more oil if I wanted a stronger fragrance.  I just order mine on Amazon.  The vinegar is not only great at softening our clothes but to clean the gunk out of the washing machine!  I need to do a post about all the different uses for vinegar.

 Dishwasher Detergent.  I've finally used up my stash of over-the-counter dishwasher pods and am able to use this recipe that I found on Pinterest; first posted on  Liz Marie's blog.  Needed ingredients:
4 lb. 12 oz. box of Borax
3 lb. 7 oz. box of Super Washing Soda
Large container of Lemi-Shine (citric acid or Fruit Fresh has also been recommended)
1 cup of regular or Kosher Salt (works as a softening agent)

 Pour all your ingredients into a large trash bag.  Close the top of the bag with one hand and use your other to, basically, knead the ingredients together mixing and breaking down any clumps.  This also helps keep 'dust' particles from floating around in the air that you don't want to be breathing.  You don't want to be digging your hands into the mixture as it can be a little hard on the skin.

 Hold the bag over the large container that you'll be using for storage and cut a slit close to the bottom of the bag.  Much easier than trying to pour it from the top! ;)

 I am using one of my cherished enamel pots to store my soap, which is about 8 inches tall so you can see that it makes quite a large amount.

 Now all I need to do is create a cute little label to put on the front!

 

 My dishes went from this (can you see the cloudiness on the glass?)....

 

 ...to this!  Look at that shine!!

I didn't figure up the cost of what I spent on ingredients for my soap recipes but I can guarantee you that it's a whole lot cheaper than the name brands...and much safer to use, too.  Plus, a little goes a long ways!  I'm a believer.

How about you?  If you've jumped on the bandwagon, I'd love to know about your recipes.  If not, I encourage you to at least make a small batch to see what you think.

Oh, don't forget!  The giveaway for my Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook ends tomorrow, November 15th.  If you haven't entered yet, you've still got time.  Go here to get your name in the drawing.

Have a sparkling, sunshine-y day today!!
Blessings~

 

~Right Under My Nose~

A few posts back, I shared with you my new pieces of ironstone that I recently added to my collection.  As a footnote, I said that I was looking for a small soup tureen and this is why...

This is the little coffee station area next to the kitchen stove.  I love using my ironstone for daily use...one sugar bowl for sugar and one for sweetener, and the spoon rest for the stirring spoon.  I used to have a salt/pepper shaker set here but the cork stoppers kept falling inside!

Anyway.  You see the lovely hot chocolate container in the background?  Adds to the decor, doesn't it?  I can't drink straight black coffee (even with cream and sugar) but rather am more of a flavored-coffee drinker and found that adding hot chocolate mix is just the fix I need.  So this container sits on the counter every day.  Very convenient but not very pretty.

Well, now look at what's in it's place!  A cute little tureen.  Maybe for veggies?  I don't know.  So petite with lovely lines and details.  And guess what? I didn't have to go shopping for it. Nope. I already had it!! 

Last week, I was scouting around, in the cabinet I use to house my ironstone collection, for something to use in my fall decorating.  Lo and behold, back in the corner of the top shelf I found this little beauty.  I had forgotten all about it.  But, apparently, the image of it was still in the recesses of my mind because this is EXACTLY what I was looking for.  What a knucklehead I am! :/  If I had just looked at the pictures in the post I did about my collection, I would have seen it there!!

It's been right under my nose the entire time.  I couldn't believe it.  I grabbed one of my beautiful, vintage soup spoons to use for scooping and now I have something lovely to store my hot chocolate mix.  Even Mr. Bill noticed the change and commented on how much better the service area looks now.  I agree.

 

Today is an absolutely beautiful day...fresh, clean, lots of sunshine and muddy.  We had a torrential downpour yesterday and received four inches of much needed moisture.  We haven't received this much rain, at one time, in a long, long time.  So we don't mind a bit of muddiness.  We are thankful.  I pray that today has been a wonderful day for you as well.

 

Blessings~

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~An Old-Fashioned Flower~

A while back, I discovered peonies.  Though I had heard of them, I never really paid any attention to them until now.  Oh my.  I am in love!

Be still my heart!  The soft pink color of this one gets me every time.

 Peonies are considered an old-fashioned flower having been around for hundreds of years originating in Asia.  Over the years, several varieties have been developed.  Single flower, semi-double and double-flower producing blooms that can be anywhere from 4 to 6 inches to 10 inches wide!  Can you imagine??

 Peonies are a very low maintenance flower requiring little care.  It''s not uncommon for plants to live for over a hundred years!  Definitely well worth the investment, don't you think?  Fragrances vary from one flower variety to another...none whatsoever to slight to very fragrant.

 The one thing that drew me to these magnificent flowers...well, actually, two...is that they fit the definition ~ to a T ~ of being a cottage style flower.  Which is what most people consider them to be.  They are often seen in fields and in many a farmhouse garden.  The other is the blossom itself.  The soft, billowy petals.  I don't know, but there's just something about them that beckons me.

 One problem with these flowers is that they bloom only once during the season.  Drats!  Wouldn't it be lovely to have blossoms like these all summer long?  Oh goodness.  Thankfully, each variety is categorized with a bloom date rating that can spread out over a period of six weeks.  If one plans wisely, you could have several varieties that bloom at different times giving you a longer season of enjoying the beautiful blossoms.

The other problem is that it takes several years for the plant to mature before it actually starts producing the type of flowers like you see above.  So one has to be patient.  Waaahh!!  I did find out that peonies can be dried and will last for years.  Yay!  Can you imagine the beautiful bouquets?

 Well, I've decided I just HAD to have some of these babies and I've been looking in several of the local nurseries in the big city and even in the home/garden centers, but couldn't find them anywhere.  So I started searching online to order some.  It's a good thing I decided to do it now as I found out that fall is the best time to plant bare root peonies (the best way to go).  Gardeners are taking orders now with delivery to take place mid-September to mid-October.

"Sarah Bernhardt"....very late bloomer, large blossoms and fragrant.

 After going back and forth, and forth and back, I finally decided on these three.  These babies aren't cheap.  They can range in price from about $18 to $100!  I cannot imagine paying that much for one plant!!  I did manage to get plants for an average of about $22 a piece, so I was pleased overall.

"Red Charm"...blooms early and very fragrant.

I have alot of purples and pinks in my flower beds.  I don't know why but it seems that's what colors are most prominent in the garden centers around here.  I wanted a soft, faded pink but the few I picked were already sold out with this particular nursery.

"Coral Charm"....blooms mid season and has a mild fragrance.

I have only one red flower in my gardens so the beautiful red one is really going to add some pop!  And I don't have any coral at all so I thought it was a nice contrast.  I am so excited to add these to my flower gardens!!   Now, lots of waiting is in store but I pray that it will all be worthwhile.

What's new in your flower beds this year?

~Creating a Terrarium~

I can remember, many moons ago in my early 20s, that terrariums were quite popular.  Maybe it had something to do with the hippie generation.  Not that I was a hippie or anything.  Quite far from it!  Even though my green thumb was not even a a tiny bit green and I had no idea what I was doing, I tried my hand at making one.  And, if I recall, it didn't do so well.  I believe terrariums went by the wayside for a good many years and now it seems they are making a comeback.  Or else I've been living in the dark ages!!

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 Anyway, after seeing them on the internet and in a few blogs lately, I decided that I would try my hand at it again.  But I didn't quite know what type container to use so I started doing some searching to give me ideas to tuck away in the back of my mind for that " some day" when I was ready to create one.  I love the details of this one.  Reminds me of the beautiful greenhouses that were used by the wealthy many years ago.

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 I know I've seen a full-size version of this one somewhere but can't recall exactly where.  Can you imagine strolling through a beautiful greenhouse like this, taking care of your plants or overseeing the work that your gardener did?  If I had a beautiful one like this, I'd most definitely have a gardener ;)

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 Talk about refurbishing.  Have you ever wondered what to do with your old wall sconces that you're not using anymore?  How about using them as mini terrariums!  I personally don't care for the color but this is one super clever idea!!

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 Or how about a mini, mini terrarium?  I can imagine having one of these on my desk or sewing area while I work.  Or on a windowsill in the kitchen while washing dishes.  It would be so therapeutic, don't you think?

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 Too small?  Okay, how about refurbishing an old aquarium.  I mean a really BIG aquarium!  I don't know how much more work it would take to maintain one like this though.  I always picture terrariums as being somewhat maintenance free.

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 I like the idea of creating clusters of terrariums.

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Now this is being creative!  Old, antique, okay... vintage canning jars, cloches and small bottles.  I think the idea of using different mediums to create the unique contrasts of a garden in a jar is my favorite.  How in the world does one get a small plant into such a tiny opening?  Reminds me of the old ship in the bottle thing.  I still haven't figured that one out.

 I really hadn't planned on creating a terrarium yet but when I was in Lowe's over the weekend, buying replacement plants that didn't survive the extreme heat we had last summer, I spotted some pretty terrariums for sale.  Okay, while I'm here.... Not knowing exactly what I was going to do, I went ahead and purchased several different plants, went to Wally World and picked up some aquarium gravel (I thought the smaller rocks would go better with the small plants) and some Spanish moss (I couldn't find the Sphagnum moss that was recommended).  Got the lidded jar at Target for six bucks.

 The guy at Lowe's wasn't that helpful.  He just gave me some general ideas and said to "get them over in that area".  So, after going back and forth trying to decide which combinations would look best AND survive, I opted for some ground cover plants and especially some with small leaves.  I'm amazed at the beauty in such tiny things.

 This is a ground cover called Platt's Black.  Talk about tiny!!  Reminds me of what one would see on the floor of a really lush forest.

 I wanted a small-leaf Caladium but, since I couldn't find one, I chose the Stained Glassworks Coleus instead.

 This is another ground cover plant called Whitewater Prostrate Speedwell.  Look at those tiny leaves!!

Sorry that this one is so fuzzy but it was the only picture I took of this Vinca Vine.

I've never had a fern and, even though I wasn't sure I was going to use it in the terrarium, brought it home as a "just in case'....if I didn't use it there I could surely use it somewhere else in the house.  One can never have too many plants, you know.

 Some of the instructions I found as how to construct the terrarium recommended activated charcoal to keep down the mildew and smell.  I forgot to buy some and decided to try some regular charcoal.  I got out my trusty hammer, put the charcoal in a couple of layers of plastic bags and pounded away.  Note to self:  do it outside next time.  It does make a bit of a mess.  Will it hurt my plants?  I have no idea.

I placed a layer of moss in the bottom to help absorb moisture, a layer of the gravel, a small amount of charcoal and then another layer of moss to prevent the soil from sifting to the bottom. I ended up doing my layers several times as I felt I had them too thick.  Once satisfied, I added a couple of inches of potting soil on top of that. 

I realized that if I put my plants in the jar as is, it would be too crowded so I broke them into smaller sections.  I manhandled them pretty badly as I arranged and rearranged them to my liking.  I'm hoping they'll survive after all that.  The Vinca Vine ended up being a tad tall even though I scrunched it down pretty good.

I created a little vignette of the remaining pieces of plants.  I figured if I botched up the terrarium and the plants didn't make it, I will have the 'leftovers' to try again.

The plants aren't supposed to touch the glass wall, but I couldn't get them in the center very well.

For the time being, the plants are displayed on my vintage sewing table where they get some sun on the north side of the room.  I think I'll put the terrarium on the ledge above the kitchen sink.  The plant vignette will probably go upstairs in my sewing/craft room.  Obviously, I ended up not using the fern but I'm going to replant it.  Maybe as a hanging plant?  For now, it will sit on the bottom shelf of a little plant stand I have in the breakfast area until I decide where to put this homeless little beauty.

I'm not the best gardener in the world, but I have managed to keep most of my plants alive and thriving somewhat.  And I'm glad as I do enjoy having them in my home.  How green is your thumb?

Have a blessed day~

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