roses, bunnies and candles for spring!

The one word that keeps creeping up this season is BUNNIES! 

And I just found the cutest hand painted blue and white bunny rabbit pitcher on Amazon that’s so perfect for holding lots and lots of flowers!

 

It’s a really nice large size, as you can see here holding 3 dozen roses from Trader Joe’s. 

Also pictured on my breakfast room table are the Songbird Candle Holder from Vagabond House and a tablecloth I recently made from a couple of yards of vintage fabric. 

I love how it looks with all the blues in this room, I especially think it looks fab with this fun rabbit pitcher. 

I've been collecting these great vintage Reader's Digest books just for their colors, designs and the fact they come in handy for adding dimension and character to any setting.   

You may recognize the Songbird Candle Holder from lots of my vignettes over the years. It's one of my favorite little pieces for spring!

Some of my favorite vintage and bargain finds are also pictured here. The table was an alley find for $0! The plates and platters on the wall were thrifted years ago, and some even came from Marshall's.  

The chandelier is new, but has so much character, like a real vintage piece!

Here are some links to some of my favorite spring items:

Rabbit Picher

Songbird Candle Holder

White Bunny Cream & Sugar Bowls 

I hope you're having a great weekend! 

Off I go to the veg garden to plant some lettuce and rainbow chard...

ciao fabiana

 

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farmhouse style for fall 2023

Have you picked up the Autumn issue of Farmhouse Style yet? 🍁🍂

They’re celebrating their fifth year, and this issue is just filled to the brim with fall décor inspiration, fun DIY projects and yummy recipes.

 

As a regular contributor to Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, I have a few season projects and recipes to show you today…  

 

Check out the table runner. It’s made entirely of vintage book pages. I took a damaged book, ripped out the pages and affixed them to contact paper to create this look.

 

Here’s another view of the table that did not appear in this issue. I love how the patina of the old book pages blends in so well with the rustic autumn leaves.

 

And check out these gorgeous Acorn Leaf Plates from Vagabond House. They’re heirloom quality china, and so pretty! 

Also notice the little DIY Votive. It’s also featured in this issue. Pretty gauzy napkins are from Amazon, and most everything else is vintage.

 

Next up is my fun collection of vintage enamel coffee pots. I really love the ones with curvy spouts and the ones with the little glass percolator knobs on top.

 

I styled them here for fall with sunflowers, daisies and autumn leaves from the garden.

 

Here’s the same look but without the autumn leaves. Which look do you prefer? This one would work any time of year, wouldn't it?

This fall issue also featured one of the first projects I created for Farmhouse style, this apple wreath. I still remember how happy and amazed I was when it first appeared in print 5 years ago!

 

One of the cutest projects are these repurposed glass jars made into votives by simply using old book pages, a little baker’s twine and some mod podge. A little pumpkin cut-out adds fall charm to the whole look.

 

I also used these on the tablescape with the book page table runner that I mentioned above. It all goes together hand in hand with the autumn vibe.

 

A Halloween tablescape is up next. I kept it elegant and slightly spooky all with a farmhouse twist. The Farmhouse Stripe Table Linens is what really gives it that home feel, and I used vintage china for added warmth and character.

 

Bright pops of orange marigolds gives it that fun Halloween vibe and of course the black candles bring it all to life.

 

Back to the “Novel Décor” article, they also brought back one of my vintage projects that appeared in their Kitchen Issue. This one using old books as a knife block is quite cheeky, but it works brilliantly!    

And  check out that preppy madras belt. I stole that from my hubby's closet, but he was happy to lend it to me.

Two of my recipes are featured in this fall issue, and first up we have this yummy dessert. I’ve been making this Sweet Potato Chiffon Pie at Thanksgiving for many years, and it’s definitely a family favorite.

The cute napkin featured above is from August Table.

 

The theme for the recipe article is “Favorite Southern Dishes”, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Another favorite Southern recipe is my take on She-Crab Soup.

 

Back in the day, way, way back in the day, they used crab roe for this recipe, but by today’s standards, that’s not sustainable, so here I substituted egg yolks to give it an extra luxurious kick.

The Blue Crab Cheese Board and Pewter Crab Place Card Holders are from Vagabond House.

🍁🍂 All-in-all this is a great issue, 

and given that I love fall soooo much, 

this one definitely has lots for seasonal inspo.🍁🍂 

 

  

 

ciao fabiana

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

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5 favorite new garden books

With the addition of my new potager garden that I designed and installed in January, I have a lovely variety of garden books to share with you. 

These are brand-new books that have proved to be great sources of information and inspiration for me in my own garden.

 

There are six new raised beds surrounded by gravel and filled with edible delights! I did reserve one of those beds for cut flowers, some of which, like Calendula and Pansies, are also perfect for decorating a salad with their pretty blooms.

 

Check out my video of the potager garden from last month:

And this NEW VIDEO.

Now here are the books that helped me in a big way while planning and planting my new veg garden…

 

1. The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed gardening has never been more popular, but it can also be intimidating, especially for beginner gardeners. 

The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening by CaliKim is the perfect guide for newbie growers, offering advice on everything from selecting the best raised bed for the available space and filling it with healthy soil, to planting plans and plant-care tips.

Why is raised bed gardening booming in popularity? 

The benefits are numerous. No matter your yard size, raised beds are the perfect fit. They allow for a controlled growing environment, filled with fertile soil. 

Raised beds help gardeners with less-than-ideal soils, there’s little to no weeding involved, they’re accessible, and they can be as large or as petite as you’d like. 

This book helps with learning how to select the best raised bed for your space, what to fill it with, and tips for staking and trellising plants to save space and improve yields. 

Also included are  DIY plans for building quick and simple beds, info on soil, mulch, watering and fertilizing, tips to maximize production, and much more.

 

 

2. The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening

Container gardens can take up as much or as little room as you’d like. They’re portable, so you can locate them wherever conditions are optimal for plant growth.

 

And you can grow just about any veggie in pots, as long as you have the right container, the right soil blend, and the right care tips.

 

In this book, author Pam Farley of BrownThumbMama.com lines the path to container food gardening success in clear, simple steps.

 

Find a dozen fully illustrated planting plans for themed container food gardens, including a Smoothie Greens Garden, a Spring Stir-Fry Garden, a Spaghetti Sauce Garden, a Salad Greens Garden, and many others in this fun book.

No room? No problem. Lousy soil? Nothing to worry about. Not enough time? Think again. Growing food in containers is fun, easy, and perfect for beginners.

 

3. Sustainable Homestead

If you’re like most homesteaders, the dream is to make the most of your land by working with it, not against it. 

From capturing water and building strong soil to helping your animals live their best lives, The Sustainable Homestead is about making your homestead stronger by achieving synergy between what can seem like different parts.

In this book, new and veteran homesteaders alike can find detailed information to use this year, this month, even this week! 

Angela has spent more than a decade building and strengthening her small acreage homestead and shares the lessons through chapters covering site selection, soil, growing, animals, the role of the homesteader, and much more.

 

4. The Elegant and Edible Garden

Stylish and celebratory, The Elegant and Edible Garden takes food growing to a higher plane, presenting a vision for creating a garden space where food and flowers grow side by side. 

You’ll flatten the learning curve for designing a beautiful, edible garden by sharing common-sense tips and inspiration and ideas from Linda’s own personal experience of starting a garden from scratch, while still allowing your style and personality to shine. 

“This is a book about capturing the romance, the artistry, and the experiential nature of a garden and garden living." 

 

5. Tiny +Wild

Meadows don’t have to be big to make a difference and the perks of creating one, even on a small scale, are many. Tiny but mighty meadows help mitigate climate change, foster biodiversity, sequester carbon, and calm the senses. 

With as little as a few square feet of space, you can create a beautiful, naturalistic planting that supports a diversity of plants, pollinators, and a plethora of other living things, not to mention its visual appeal to human eyes. 

Author and landscape designer Graham Laird Gardner helps you find inspiration in natural spaces so you can successfully site, design, plant, and care for your own small-scale meadow.

Whether you live in the city or in suburbia, perfect places for mini-meadows are everywhere: a small corner of the yard, flanking the front walk, around your mailbox, that little area between the house and driveway, tucked next to the front stoop, in the center of your vegetable garden and so many other places.

The plant lists and charts in Tiny + Wild share the best plants to include in your micro prairie, and Graham offers plenty of practical advice on planting your meadow from seed, transplants, or mature plants, depending on your budget, the site, and your timeline. 

Plus, learn how to care for your wildflower planting, including tips for watering, plant care, and weed management. Discover how small spaces can make a big difference in Tiny & Wild.

 

"The Elegant and Edible Garden" is a vision of the very best things a garden can offer: food, beauty, connection, and a place to breathe.

 

It's a book about designing a garden that is distinctly yours, using edibles as ornamentals, with lots of pictures for inspiration and emulation. If I did it, so can you.

 

Shopping Links:

 

1. The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening

2. The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening

3. Sustainable Homestead

4. The Elegant and Edible Garden

5. Tiny +Wild

ciao! fabiana

 

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