I’ve been buying and using strawberries from the local market while waiting for the ones in my garden to ripen.
There are many delicious ways to enjoy strawberries. This season, I’ve been incorporating strawberries into drinks, salads, deserts {Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp}, and as a simple snack dipped in chocolate/caramel/whipped cream. I will be sharing a few of these ideas and recipes with you in the coming blog post and into July.
With a few weeks of Spring left and before the start of Summer, I always look forward to seeing peonies blooming in my garden. Their long sturdy stems are great for cutting and easy to arrange in vases for displaying. Peonies are beautiful flowers, you can’t go wrong no matter how they are displayed.
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Simple, sweet and no fuss flower arrangement.
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Mix and match a collection of glass vases and bottles . . .
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. . . filled with peony buds and small bunches of flowers for an instant grouping of flowers. By adding a tray for the vases will create cohesiveness.
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In about two days these peony buds will be in full bloom.
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A beautiful contrast of Rustic old bucket against white peonies gave the flower arrangement a little “shabby chic” look.
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This is one of my favorite little spots near our back door where we enter and leave the house. So nice to be greeted with flowers every time I entered the house.
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One large pink peony was all that was needed to fill this white bowl.
Beautiful!
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posted by: Kay
For Mother’s Day … I shouldn’t … but I do… like to help Bill with ideas. The simplest things to give are sometimes not obvious for him to think of. When Bill has a great plan, the kids think he’s pretty cool. That’s why I like to ….. but I shouldn’t.
Flowers and chocolates are the classic combination to give for any occasion. Putting a simple twist on the idea can make it more special and personal. Find a few pretty containers and fill them with Mom’s favorite flowers. Arrange the flowers by grouping the same ones together. Then top it off with her favorite chocolate truffles.
I look forward to these gifts again and again.
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A great thing about simple flower arrangements is that they are easy for the kids to help out with and put together. Each one could be moved to another part of the house, wherever Mom wants to enjoy it. .
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Simply beautiful ranunculus, I could be quite content with just that.
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Fran’s Chocolates have been a favorite of mine for 20+ years. I remember going to the tiniest chocolate shop {about the size of a walk-in closet…maybe just a tad bigger} to buy some of the best chocolate truffles. Often times Fran Bigelow would be in the back room making it. Fran’s Chocolates have outgrown that space and expanded to three retail locations throughout the Seattle area. Today, Fran Bigelow is very well known and is considered one of the best chocolatiers in the country. .
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Fran’s Chocolates are made with the highest quality ingredients, hand made in small batches from start to finish. The chocolate truffles are rich and creamy with a crispy thin outer shell. Their salted caramels are dipped twice in a special blend of chocolate made by Valrhona and carefully sprinkled with gray or smoked salt. 
The attention to detail is utmost from the start of the first ingredient to the beautiful hand-tied satin ribbon bow on the package.
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Having fun with this picture of Bill at Fran’s Chocolates in Bellevue.
Fran’s Chocolates, truffles, smoked salt caramels and other confectionery are available at many specialty retail stores throughout the United States. To find the best selection go online at Fran’s Chocolates or visit one of Fran’s Chocolates boutiques.
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Fresh flowers with chocolate truffles is a wonderful combination to give for Mother’s Day.
images/sources: Fran’s Chocolates packaging 1 / packaging 2
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posted by: Kay
Enjoying the beautiful weather this week with no rain insight until Friday. Yesterday the temperature was in the low 80s °F, warm sunshine, and blue sky. Today will be similar but a little warmer. Enjoying it all, rain or shine.
These pictures were taken last week early in the morning after the rain had subsided from 24 hours of continuous rainfall. How these seemingly delicate flowers could withstand so much and look vibrant and beautiful through it all. I love seeing all the little rain droplets still clinging to the plants and being surrounded by the clean fresh scent after the rain.
By late afternoon, the rain picked right back up again …..
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White bluebells surrounded by silver-green lamb’s ear plants.
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pretty vibrant pink tulips
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bluebells and more bluebells to come {see all in bloom Here}
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Pink apple blossoms ….. I’m hoping for a bountiful apple crop season this year.
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My May calendar is filling up quickly {not including the kids’ activities}. Here are some of the things going on at our house along with a little sneak peek of blog ideas for this month.
{print April showers bring May flowers calendar, Here}
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All printables are for personal use only.
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posted by: Kay
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This past Sunday I had an unexpected and wonderful surprise from a friend. Hannah helped my good friend Ruthie put together an event and afterward she came home with a large tray of wheat grass and daffodils. Ruthie knew I would enjoy decorating with it.
Thank you Ruthie!
Wheatgrass is available at most grocery stores in the produce department and some home and garden retailers. While I will be decorating with it, most people will buy and use wheatgrass as nourishment for their bodies by juicing it. In terms of nutrition, it is rich in chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. A multipurpose plant to enjoy as a drink and for decorating.
Here’s how I used wheatgrass and daffodils to decorate my house…
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The containers wheatgrass came in were not the best for displaying. A simple solution was to wrap a long strip of white paper around the sides to cover it up. A white tray was used to hold two containers together.
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Simple arrangements of wheatgrass and daffodils lined the center of the table.
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The plastic containers were removed and replaced with bowls and cups from my kitchen for this display.
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Fill a large bucket with wheatgrass and scatter a few eggs on top to greet visitors at the front door on Easter Sunday.
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posted by: Kay
