First Day of Spring!

Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The first day of spring did not disappoint!


I love forsythia! In the picturesque roads of Bucks County, you will find meadows full of this.

Ahhhhhh.

Rural split rail fence flanked by tender blossoms. I want some.

The wonders of bursting Spring!


Weeping plum in full bloom...it takes my breath away.


Magnificent magnolia...


This is real!


Masses of daffodils. So cheery!

Spring wreath, courtesy Black-eyed Susan! Fresh color and contrast.


My favorite reindeer moss nesting pale robin egg blue eggs, just inside my door!

Welcome Spring. Stay awhile.

Graduation Gala

Sweetest Sophie, my dear friend Linda's daughter, graduates from High School this month . When in the world did she get this old? She has been part of my life since her birth and wasn't that just several years ago? Linda is my main support friend in the face of my most overwhelming tasks, and we (Sneelock and myself) could be no less to her as she faced the daunting task of preparing a party for the 100+ guests invited to honor Sophia at a backyard barbecue.

So, we packed the car with...

20 bags of Herr's ketchup flavored potato chips (a requested favorite from the graduate and not available in the Charlotte area). 10 were for the party guests and 10 were for a "Sophia stash"!


Two giant loaves of Susan's sheepherder's bread (archive back to find the recipe).

Fresh gerbera daises in hot pink and orange delivered from Susan's wholesale florist.

Along with these items were multiple boxes of glass straight-sided vases to use on the tables, (Good thing we were driving!) aprons, silver serving trays, samovar for our cucumber drink..the list goes on!

After arriving in Charlotte at about 2:30 a.m. , we got started bright and early the next morning to begin the baking marathon. Linda and I donned our aprons and knuckled down for a day of entertaining chatter , baking and kitchen prep for the next day's event.

First of the schedule was the making of two more of the giant loves of sheepherder's bread for the many guests expected. Each loaf will serve about 20-25! The loaf is impressive as a centerpiece as well. The first batch was rising by noon, and another shortly behind it.

Combined with the two I made ahead of time and brought from Philadelphia, we now had enough for the masses.

I think we must have used at least three giant bags of limes. On the menu was a lime based marinated chicken for grilling, my favorite "green-green salad" with a lime based dressing and an accompanying side salad of black bean, corn and tomato with avocado, also with a lime dressing! We gave Linda's citrus juicer a workout that sounded like she may need to invest in a new one!

While the bread was rising, cookies were being baked , and I whipped up two double batche of my mother's famous brownies (later to be frosted with chocolate butter cream frosting). We were "really cooking" I guess you could say.

We steamed large bundles of asparagus (seen here in an ice water bath) and put them aside to chill for the salad recipe.

Among the tasks for day 2 was shelling and cleaning lb after lb of fresh shrimp.

We set out the serving trays, utensils, table cloths...Linda made a large batch of dill potato salad, and we started praying for good weather. The forecast was for scattered thunder showers right about party time.Oh, dear.

I cut the long stemmed gerberas down to scatter in assorted vintage glasses that I had brought from home. Those colors are just happy!

Linda brought out a darling candle holder/vase that she had purchased years ago on one of our buying trips for Black-eyed Susan. I used hot pink roses along with several of the orange and pink gerberas. I mounded them low and tight to be used as a centerpiece on one of the serving tables. It's hard not to smile when you use these cuties!

We began the task of our "special recipe" for the color of the tinted water to be used in the vases for the tables. Food coloring is added to the water to tint it the desired color, and it takes a little finesse to get it just right! (It's a bit like a science experiment). A drop of green, a drop of yellow...more of this, less of that, a bit more water to dilute the color when needed, and so on. Finally, we arrived at the perfect hint of lime colored water to surround the inner vessels. My cute friend Jan brought fresh ferns from her yard and we picked bright colored green hosta leaves from Linda's yard to add to the water lined glass vases. I love using this glass/glass idea with candles. It's magical and you can choose your water color. Try it!

Of course, Sneelock didn't just come along for the ride! In between playing the ultimate Grandfather role to our darling granddaughters who live in the neighborhood, he found time to run multiple errands, do some pruning, and hang these tiny glass hurricanes from a large tree surrounding the tables. They were lit just before the guests came and added quite a magical glow to the party scene.

Linda stayed up the previous night till the wee hours of the morning going through years of school year photos with Sophia's friends. We printed them and put them on the tables slightly under the glass and candles for all to reminisce about. The small glasses with bright gerberas dotted the tables.

Paul (Linda's husband in blue) and Timm (my daughter's husband) manned the grills and started the chicken, shrimp and chili dogs. The rain was holding out.

A shot of the masses!

A few of Sophie's younger fans! ( My two grand daughters and Sebastian)

Early in the evening, Bella (granddaughter) had mishap with a soccer ball and was in distress. She reluctantly posed for her grandfather to take our photo.

The darling graduate and not so darling lifetime friend. (I agreed to use this only because it was so darn cute of Sophia!)

A photo of the darling mother and daughter team together! How could she have a daughter that age?

The guests lingered. The weather held out. The food fed the multitude. The candles died.

All in all, the event was a success and enjoyed by all.

Sophia has grown into a beautiful young woman of integrity and a joy to all who know her.

Congratulations, Sophia!

The next chapter of life begins.

Let The Party Begin!

Last weekend my friend, Linda and I set the stage for a cool party for my friend and blog follower, Marie! It was kind of a "save the date" party honoring her daughter, Arianna and her fiance, one year to the date prior to their marriage.

Marie has a fabulous home and it didn't take much imagination to pull it off. Set the stage with multiple 2-chair table toppers covered with navy cloths to the floor and burlap overlays, an entryway fit for a ball, a kitchen any master chef would enjoy cooking in, and you have all the components for a real party!

Ariel and Marie wanted something simple, yet elegant, with a designer feeling. Voila! Take a look at the final result.



We used our glass within glass idea to create a long and magical candlelit centerpiece on two different tables. Note the slim ferns and galax leaves submerged in the water. Marie wanted the water tinted a pale lime green. It was a good choice.

A closeup showing the tint of the water and accent leaves.

Each table top had a trio of three vases where we used submerged baby catllyea orchids, ferns, and green roses in various combinations. Such a cheerful combination! Under each trio of vases,we placed photos of the bride and groom, who have been friends since High School! The photos overlapped each other and were placed slightly under the glass vases, but were strategically placed in order to see the faces of the darling couple.

One of my personal favorites!

Marie handed over this beautiful vintage compote when I queried her for something pretty to float some of the flowers in. Look closely and you will see the tiny glass bubbles I added!

Those ferns just speak to my heart!

Marie had these dried hops in her window, acting as valances. I have loved these hops for years, and in fact, not long ago had purchased some for my fall window display. They have a very pungent odor at first, and my staff promptly deemed them unacceptable! They ended up in the basement until they finally made it to the dumpster...and they weren't cheap!!Why did I give in? Marie confirmed that the odor does not last long. In my opinion, it was no big deal...next time, I'll hold my own! Great choice, Marie. Love those hops!

Check out this large glass straight-sided vessel filled with baby orchids. With the tint of lime green water, breathtaking!

A good photo of the dining room table scape. Dotted with long burning tea lights, the look is really inspiring and romantic.

And here is the team! Marie on the far left, Linda in the center and Susan (what's with the pale face....is that for real?!) Marie was slaving over a hot stove cooking vats of rice and shrimp scampi for 50! (What was she thinking?!)

Now, let's see what the wedding looks like one year from now! The bride is a darling and stylish teeny tiny thing (much like her mother!) and I've had a sneak peek at the gown!

If you're having an event and need some inspiration, give us a call.

Chocolate Ganache and Pearls Don't Mix!

I can see that we did not photograph this close enough...here I am holding the chocolate ganache cupcakes and my long pearl necklace! After spending the time to neatly press this pink blouse, I dangled my pearl necklace in the ganache while loading them into the car...not realizing that the chain then rested on my blouse, skirt and layered T all the way into Yardley, making this "chocolate leopard" print on my clothing. Oh dear! My classmates were kind enough to overlook this! As the setting for these ideas, I purchased several yards of a light creamy burlap for only a few dollars a yard for the tablecloth. I used handy tablecloth weights that clip on to the corners of the tablecloth to keep it from blowing up when outdoors on the burlap tablecloth. We had a great time and plenty of good conversation to go along with our shopping, all at a discount for the evening!

Thanks to my cute, stylish friend Lisa, here is a snapshot of our last Black-eyed Susan event, "Inspirations guaranteed not to break the bank"! We spent the evening discussing and demonstrating using items that most of us have at home and use in our everyday living.

For example, goblets filled with dried split peas as a buffer for votive candles. The peas are such a fresh color for summer entertaining, and at only $.80 per bag, oh so affordable!

Hosta leaf cuttings in tinted water.

Fresh hosta leaves from the garden make beautiful (and very stylish) individual place setting accents. I used one drop of green food coloring and several drops of yellow to come up with this lime green water to compliment the color of the hosta leaves.

Scatter some of the dried peas around like confetti!

Lemonade bottles were shown recycled as floral containers for individual gerbera daisies in bright summer colors.

Everyday drinking glasses become pretty individual vases for garden cuttings.
I can see that we did not photograph this close enough...here I am holding the chocolate ganache cupcakes and my long pearl necklace! After spending the time to neatly press this pink blouse, I dangled my pearl necklace in the ganache while loading them into the car...not realizing that the chain then rested on my blouse, skirt and layered T all the way into Yardley, making this "chocolate leopard" print on my clothing. Oh dear! My classmates were kind enough to overlook this!

As the setting for these ideas, I purchased several yards of a light creamy burlap for only a few dollars a yard for the tablecloth. I used handy tablecloth weights that clip on to the corners of the tablecloth to keep it from blowing up when outdoors on the burlap tablecloth.

We had a great time and plenty of good conversation to go along with our shopping, all at a discount for the evening!

There are several more events planned in the next few weeks. Just call the retail store to register. Our next event: "Plates! They're not just for eating anymore!" I love plates and use them as art in the most unexpected places. Traditional, modern, cottage...there is always room for plates in the mix.

Give me a call if you are interested in this evening and be watching for the post of our Fall/Holiday event schedule. Believe it or not, it's coming soon!

Come see the magic.

Susan's Personal Stash...Now Available!

We had a particularly busy week in the retail store last week. To me, that is both good news and bad news! I don't mind telling you that I often have a problem selling the things that I love, and especially right after I have spent hours re merchandising and designing inspiration vignettes. I realize that the whole name of the game is to sell the merchandise, but I still have issues! Of course, I realize that the profitability of the retail division depends on selling the treasures that I have found. In addition to this, good sales translates into work for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the merchandising and while it is definitely my "night shift" , I enjoy the time I spend alone and the creative outlet along with moments of inspiration are really fulfilling. I often wonder how I ever turned this over to others in past times, as I really love this work.

That being said, at the end of the week, as I looked around the store and saw blank spaces and bare walls everywhere, I had to agree with the grave concerns of my staff members as to the condition of the store on the eve of my leaving town for a beach vacation with my darling family members. As often they do, there was encouragement for me to go right home and scour the garage and basement for inventory that might fill in these blanks. Generally, I roll my eyes and scold them for supposing that I could part with personal "inventory" for the betterment of the store...but, as I looked around, I had to admit that it must might be what was needed.

I began the objective rifling through my storage areas for items that I had purchased for my own use and somehow never found a place for in my own home. And, I ended up with a whole van full of favorite purchases that I reluctantly felt I could donate to the cause. (I might say that Sneelock was extremely pleased with the culling and very ready to load up the van!)

This is my stash unloaded in the back of the stockroom! Needless to say, all were totally surprised when I showed up with the requested goods! I had a pang of regret as we began to open the boxes, some purchased from Black-eyed Susan years ago and in their original boxes. Many of my very favorite floral items, containers, art...yes, indeed, some real second thoughts as Connie began to quickly enter the items into inventory and print the price tags before I could snatch them back !

Many of my long time supporters and fans will remember these cut roses! They even have insect bites out of the petals! Assorted colors and looking like they were just cut, they now are available for your homes. How happy and pleasing the colorful bunches look. My gift to the cause!



Here is a collection of some of my absolute favorite hydrangeas, viburnum, queen anne's lace, berries, and chinese lanterns. I had always meant to make a gorgeous wreath from this prized collection. Now, Joanne will put it together for an inspiring wreath to be sold. Sad for me, lucky for you!

And, there's a lot more to choose from! Favorite containers, art and small accents of all kinds to be had.

I think you'd better come in soon before I decide to take it all back home.

Look what I bought!

Last weekend, while away for a short get away to see my youngest daughter, Jessie, I visited a favorite floral supplier. Jessie live in Charlotte,N.C. The weather was most unpleasant, torrential rain for a full two days. While I was looking forward to a relief from our cold spell and most unpleasant weather, I was disappointed. I was not disappointed, however, in the great haul I was able to pack in the van to bring a little spring back to Black-eyed Susan!

Orchids and spring hyacinths ready for Joanne to pot! (They're all out now!)

You can pick these spring blooms up to pot yourself, or have Joanne do it for you. Sweet!

If I didn't know better, I'd think these breathtaking tulips came straight from my friend, Shannon's, garden!



My absolute favorite (and totally lifelike, even to the touch!) phaleanopsis orchid foliage back in stock! Yea!!

This happy little chartreuse fern perfect for completing any space.

Mossy spheres that have been a big request of late from frequent shoppers!

I'm not sure what could be better than these french tulips in orangey-red. They not only look like we had them imported from Holland, they feel like it! Ahhhhhhhh!

I was thrilled to find this giant artichoke sculpture

. Perfect for a coffee table! It's a serious size!

This fern frond with root ball looks as if I picked it right out if the woods behind my house! Oh, so cute.

An assortment of teeny tiny succulents, just perfect for windowsills or deep ledges.

I picked up these rose bushes that could have come straight from the finest nursery. They are ready to "plant" (including the plastic nursery pots!). This shot was taken looking up in my stock room. I couldn't reach them to pull them down, but I think you can still get the vision on their realistic dramatic beauty. I love that color!

It feels good again! After my weekend trip to a favorite supplier, the buckets and full again and the feel of Spring abounds. I hope you'll drop in and see for yourself.