Adding some green

Yesterday I used the sunny afternoon to visit the nursery around the corner to purchase first greens to decorate the house for the holidays. Just a couple of branches are enough to make it work for me. I do like simple arrangements best. Candles and all my other decorations take care of the rest.








There is a wreath with lights on the front door, greeting us in the dark when we come home. We will add and refresh the greens as the days go by, decorating the Christmas tree in mid December. I use a fresh evergreen garland over the mantel, but I will do it in the next weeks. This way it will still be fragrant by Christmas Day!

Do you use fresh greens?


xx
Victoria



Pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Trick or Treat?

I am all for treat....





Enjoy!

xx
Victoria


Pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Halloween at my window ledge

Year after year I dread a little the Halloween decoration outside my house. I am still not fully accustomed to the scary and monstrous decorations. I'd rather have something harvest- autumn related, perhaps a garden fairy and some trolls sitting around. But no such luck.
My son pulls out skulls and skeletons, chopped of arms with realistically drawn blood flow, creepy ghosts and murderous ghouls. My appeal to have mercy with the many small children in the neighborhood gets swept away. This is exactly what they like he assures me...
Well, I let him do his deco job and hope for the best.
Inside I have learned to tame the monsters and do what I do best: play with what I have and what the garden offers.
The pumpkins will be put to use in the kitchen and can be replaced as needed. The candles came from a party chain store and everything else has been in the house. There is plenty of Virginia Creeper in the garden...





Come Halloween Eve, we'll sit outside, bowls filled with candy and this year I promised to have a fog machine at the ready...
perhaps some of the gruesome details will be disguised!

Happy Friday you all!
XX
Victoria

Color explosion

Today I woke early from the birds practicing their scales and the sunshine beckoned me outside.



It's sheer madness, color explosions, nature celebrates spring with such vibrancy. I was so enchanted I set up our Saturday breakfast -rather late - spring fashion style: colors, flowers and the scent of fresh coffee and rolls!


Good morning, world!

Have a lovely weekend, I will post on my newly finished project on Monday! I am still so excited!

XX
Victoria



Pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Sunny Sunday

Our table set for breakfast...



And then... an Easter egg hunt in the garden.



Later we ventured out for the first bike ride this spring... through the park, along the river to the next little town for lunch and back!




And of course I found something to delight the designer's heart...





...along the way! A new (relocated) shop in Bronxville, NY. Just can't remember the name....something East...not to be missed on Pondfield Road! They sell Dash & Albert rugs!
I will have to come back to explore...

XX
Victoria



All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Easter welcome

We are getting ready for Easter.



All started with a good garden cleaning, to make sure the Easter Bunny finds his way through beds of Daffodils and Bluebells...then came the window cleaning to let in as much sunshine as possible after the gray winter days.


Now it's on to decorating our house with greens, flowers, eggs, Easter decorations!


The weather promises to be lovely, so there will be an Easter egg hunt in the garden. I love preparing for Easter. We have our Polish - German traditions, we paint some eggs and have an Easter brunch with friends on Sunday. It is so cheerful and we enjoy the first time outdoors in the garden and on the deck. We cook lamb and beans and we have baskets filled with Easter eggs...


Last year's table...

My mom embroidered this sweet Easter table cloth and after washing I still have to iron it to have it ready for Sunday!


Isn't it so nice? I am so happy to have something made by my mom in my house.
Thank you, it's filled with so many memories!


Happy Easter!

XX
Victoria



Pictures by V.Zlotkowski