Thanksgiving Archives - Linda Nelson

GRAB YOUR PRUNERS AND TAKE A BOUGH!

November 22, 2015

‘Tis the season to make some evergreen statements, be it bud vases…..

©Linda Nelson 2015

fresh bouquets……

©Linda Nelson 2015

or front porch arrangements!

©Linda Nelson 2015

A pair of hand pruners, a few vessels or containers and some fresh cut greenery are all you’ll need. There’s no need to wait for December, either. Feathery boughs of cedar, juniper, arborvitae, microbiota, chamaecyperus, fir and spruce fit right in with and nicely complement all those decorative Thanksgiving trimmings.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Two of my favorite trees to snip from are Japanese umbrella pine(Sciadopitys verticillata) for it’s leathery-like whorled needles…..

©Linda Nelson 2015

and white fir(Abies concolor) for it’s clean, citrusy scent.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Both were ones I bought live and that served as my Christmas trees many years ago. My, how they’ve grown! The Japanese umbrella pine was a very pricey purchase. I slapped down a hundred bucks for what resembled a three-foot Charlie Brown tree; I just had to have it. My kids were very young at that time, and were absolutely mortified. “Mom….. this is not a Christmas tree!”

Assemble your outdoor arrangements in containers filled with damp soil or old potting mix. Make use of decorative plastic nursery pots if you live in an area where freezing weather is a concern. If you hate that idea and absolutely must use your cherished glazed pots, simply make your arrangement in an old plastic pot then insert it inside the nice one. I also use that approach when choosing to work with metal pails, as frozen soil expands and could bust open the pail’s seam.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Embellish with baubles of your choice, and you’re all set!

©Linda Nelson 2015

I made this arrangement just for the birds; after all, they deserve a pretty feeding station, right?

©Linda Nelson 2015

Well, there you have it.

Now, grab your pruners and take a bough!

GRAB YOUR PRUNERS AND TAKE A BOUGH! Read More »

WHAT COLOR(S) WILL YOUR THANKSGIVING BE?

November 11, 2015

I thought I’d share a collection of color swatches compiled from goings-on at the createaerie. Perhaps they will evoke in you some Thanksgiving table setting or decorating ideas. However, if you already have that all planned out, then maybe these images might entice you to treat yourself to a wardrobe accessory…….. or two…….or three. Just let your color driven passions lead you. The outcome will, indeed, be very lovely.

I find the subjects pictured below simply visually delicious.

I hope you do too.

Enjoy!

©Linda Nelson 2015

WHAT COLOR(S) WILL YOUR THANKSGIVING BE? Read More »

ONCE “UPOD” A NUTTY TIME…..

October 27, 2015

there were lovely flowers in a garden…….

and they smiled bright the whole summer through.

When autumn made its debut the flowers faded away………

leaving behind not only memories, but pods encapsulating the promise of new life.

Then along came Linda, who had her own agenda, and rewrote the script.

With a gesture of entitlement and pruners in hand, she plucked and robbed them of their dignity……

dressed them in paint……

and cast them in roles as, “…..decorative baubles, delighting my eyes and adorning my home.”

After that, she headed for the pantry to indignify other contenders, like year-old forgotten walnuts stashed as far back in the pantry as could be. “Silly nuts,” she exclaimed, “you weren’t meant to be eaten, you were meant to be repurposed!”

She slathered the nuts with layers of gesso tinted in various colors. After the paint dried she lightly sanded them down to reveal the colored layers.

But, Linda wasn’t yet satisfied. She felt these nuts had more potential than simply sitting pretty in a bowl. The “aha” moment surfaced, and she got busy……

….. busy making little napkin rings, perfect for adorning a Thanksgiving table setting.

What’s the moral of this story?

Never hold back your nutty ideas!

ONCE “UPOD” A NUTTY TIME….. Read More »