Posters to consider for 2009

christophniemann.com

nickdewar.com

P.Allen Smith speaks...

Nationally renowned Arkansan gardener, P. Allen Smith spoke Saturday at the Jacksonville Art & Antique Show. While a student at the University of Manchester, Mr. Smith was inspired by retracing steps of the journey made by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams several decades ago throughout gardens in England. A gifted and entertaining story-teller, Mr. Smith offered a number of gardening words of advice as well as comical tales of roosters, horse manure, and lords and ladies in England. He suggested using inexpensive, faux roping purchased at Walmart as a foundation combined with fresh boughs and branches of greenery at holiday time. He encouraged the use of decorative LED lighting rather than traditional incandescent bulbs as a way to conserve energy in seasonal displays. PAS endorsed the use of herbs and plants in biodegradable peat pots from Bonnie plants as an alternative to the countless plastic pots characteristically used by nurseries and are rapidly filling up our landfills. Attendees were delighted to take along with them a sample of these pots, each filled with an herb. I took home flat leafed parsley!

Renny Reynolds speaks...

The Jacksonville Art &Antiques Show features a number of lectures in concurrence with fund raising efforts this past week. I attended a lecture given by Renny Reynolds, previously an event planner in New York; he now devotes his efforts exclusively to landscaping garden spaces. A skillful orator who employs humor and his knowledge as a trained landscaper while speaking, Mr. Reynolds presented commentary accompanied by a delightful slide show of pictures from a previous commission in Litchfield County, Connecticut as well as his farm in Pennsylvania. Hortulus Farm, owned by RR and his partner is situated in Bucks County and a constant work in progress for them. Partial to creatures and indigenous wildlife including water fowl, RR describes a comical tale about two exotic black swans that truly “flew the coop”. According to RR, when he and his partner pass to eternity, the Hortulus Farm will become public gardens and take on non-profit status. Read more at the Hortulus Farm blog.

An interesting note: RR uses mushroom mulch as a soil addition when planting large trees and shrubbery.

It was well worth my journey into the city to listen to Mr. Reynolds and I hope to visit the farm myself some day, for sure. Tomorrow, I will attend a lecture by P.Allen Smith.

Giving thanks for all...

Goop

Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website features many healthy and delicious options for the Thanksgiving table. I believe a subscription to the website is required to view. I received the posting through email.

I am on the lookout for pumpkin ice cream in the freezer section,

which sounds divine to me!

Cirque du Soleil

Kooza was amazing, humorous, artsy, frightening,

musical, diverse, silly, creative.

~Congratulations to the Obama family~

Pass a vote!

Happy Hallowe'en

A gorgeous book...

Chock full of exquisite photography, this book is a delightful treat.

And the price is right if purchased on Amazon.

Knock, knock....who's there?

Boot scrapers aren't the only architectural elements to admire
while wandering the streets of Old Town Alexandria.

Door knockers, many aged, greet passersby with unique variety.

A falcon or an eagle, perhaps.

A pouncing lion, I believe

Fox, a reference to the sport of fox hunting here in Virgina.

a Maltese Cross and fish

Victorian-inspired, with elaborate scroll work

Blair House,
replicated from the door of the Blair House,
the guest house across the street from the White House

Horse and bit, an equine influence

Simple and austere

The Eagle has Landed

Claddagh, revealing a Celtic influence

A Lion to Guard Us

This example appears very English to me. Perhaps it is Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

a foxy fellow

Dogwood, official flower for the Commonwealth of Virginia

In England this is known as the "Doctors" door knocker.

An eagle that has been in this door for some time.

A lady's hand holding a ball

giggle, giggle....

Fall front porches

pointers for regal rooms in your home

photo credit: Washington Post

Designers deliver results accompanied by a high price. Here are some helpful and more frugal tips for creating lovely rooms in your home.

For a more timely look, select a fabric and update the style of your present upholstered furniture employing these tips .

The waterfall table would not be for me...not a fan of acrylic.

Add plenty of matting on all sides of your framed pieces for a more lush, rich look. I have framed inexpensive posters using this technique for a nicely-finished appeal.

Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship 2008

The Colonel and I slipped over to Baltimore Country Club on Friday to watch the seniors play a little golf. It was a gorgeous fall setting with truly no crowds.

Smile...it's good for you!

Cut and paste finger puppets can be fun.

Watch out, here I come!

additional boot scrapers....

A Governess of Last Resort

Although predictable, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is easy to watch when the setting and scenery, period apparel and male suitors are all gorgeous!

A scene involving slices of cucumber induced a chuckle or two...out loud.