Be Good to Mama | Mother's Day Inspiration

Up until my mid-20's everything I knew about gardening I learned from my mother (pictured above snorkeling in the Bahamas). She's no expert by any means, but she did teach me how to correctly plant store-bought impatiens, and tomatoes and that knowledge will get you pretty far.

My mother catching a snooze.

You don't just plop them in the ground. Oh, no. You carefully remove them from their containers by turning them upside down and tapping the perimeter and bottom of the pot until it is jostled loose, making sure not to "tug" on the stem. You massage the roots and then place them in a hole twice the root-ball size with a 1:1 mix of garden soil/compost and the dirt that's already there, plus a pinch of fertilizer. The roots should be fully sub-merged and level with the rest of the garden. The plants get watered immediately and the dirt gently compressed around the plant, as you would tuck in a toddler.

Mom, fishing in Grandpa Dursch's canal.

Gardening requires a gentle touch, finesse and patience. From the first time helping her in the backyard plant annual flowers along the woodland border, I was hooked.

Eventually my love for gardening, landscaping and the outdoors led me to help found an urban garden collective, sow my home-grown vegetables from seeds, and experiment with all kinds of growth habitats and plant species from shade container gardening (I love my ferns), to raised bed vegetable patches. I've never owned a home or cultivated my own land, but I've always had an outdoor garden and sitting area of some sort wherever I've plopped my bags. 

I think our love of plants and pretty-manicured gardens is genetic; my great grandfather, Frank Dursch, was a landscaper and gardener who maintained the Dupont's estate in New England. I never met him, but I did get a chance to visit his lovely estate in Pennsylvania (that our family unfortunately sold) complete with a full English rose garden, a hand-diverted canal stream with waterfalls, and canoe dock.

In honor of my humble beginnings in horticulture, I pay homage to my mother each year by treating her to a garden-themed Mother's Day. It is something special we share, and my little way of showing her how much she means to me.

A few years back I bought tickets to the 2nd Annual Mother's Day garden tour. Last year we enjoyed Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's spring plant sale and walked the grounds. This year, albeit early, I took her to Fredericksburg for Historic Home + Garden Week. Over the course of the day, we visited 5 historic sites including Belmont, Snowden, Chatham and Kenmore Plantation.

The first part of the day was overcast and chilly, but by 2 P.M. the clouds parted to reveal a brilliant blue sky and bright sun. We had so much fun walking the grounds and peeking into the past through guided tours. Living vicariously through others is priceless, and while only one of the properties we visited still remained a private home, it was a thrill to the imagination to picture life on one of these estates; definitely worth the $30 price tag!



Whether it is a delivered flower arrangement with a special note, Sunday brunch or handmade slippers, make sure you be good to your mama this year, and show her just how much you appreciate her. After all, we wouldn't be here without 'em.

Mother's Day is May 12th; do you have your gift procured, your plans figured out?

If you have the time and want to bypass the pre-arranged florals this year, plan something fun and unique! How about packing a stellar picnic and heading to Maymont (*Their annual Abbey Mother's Day Tea is already full) or lunch and a container gardening class at Lavender Field Farms? Splurge on champagne brunch at The Jefferson, or if you're short on dough, head to Agecroft Hall on May 12th for free admission and evening concert by the Richmond Concert Band.

DIY Bamboo Curtain Rods

Since we are running headlong into seasons of warmer weather, I am going to be turning my attention from the inside of my home to the outside where I can play in the sun, breeze and dirt!

We've got our work cut out for us with projects ranging from a new terraced veggie patch out front to installing a slate walkway to designing an outdoor potting area, not to mention the fact that we will be "farming" over in a friend's full-sun yard this summer because of my 'mostly shade' one.

While the mornings are still a chilly 40˚ and the soil in the new garden bed is resting after last weeks tilling and while the sweet potato slips are sunning in the window yet to be submerged in earth, I have a few indoor tasks left to tackle.

Indoor Task Area #1: The Living Room

     1. Revamp window dressings
     2. Lay new area rug + restyle room
     3. Make/Purchase new art
     4. Hang new art
     5. Create wood shelf for radiator



Let's just take a stab at #1 shall we? That, below, is what my current window dressings look like: ivory scrim fabric draped over a found birch branch, hung via mono-filament.

Creative, sure. Inexpensive, you bet (Total cost $0). But this is just not cutting it for me anymore. I actually like the curtain material and the price. I even like the rustic feel of the rod, but I have to get onto a step stool to open or close the curtains. I never hemmed them, so I'm afraid to wash them in fear of shredding them to bits. Naturally they are covered in years of dust! YUCK.

I am not ashamed at my ill attempt at decorating on a shoestring. I've actually received compliments on the use of found materials in my decor style. In honesty, this was just a quick and super cheap alternative when I moved in five years ago, when I was self-employed and just getting by. But, I'll admit, it is time for my window dressings to grow up! I just don't want to pay an arm and a leg and another arm for good style...And you don't have to!

A few weeks back I purchased some curtain tie-backs and clips from Tuesday Morning which were priced 66% below retail. This week I found a thick piece of previously foraged and cut bamboo lying around (It seems to grow everywhere around here) and stained it a mix of Bombay Mahogany and black acrylic paint to match (Thanks Lynn!). I hung the tiebacks as the rod supports on one of the windows just to try it out and voila!

I think that is a vast improvement, don't you? Total cost? A real bargain at only $25 per window and it rivals any pottery barn look. See detailed breakdown at the end of this post.

(Now for all you interior decorators out there, let me just give a slight disclaimer. I am a renter; I am not allowed to paint or put screws of any kind into the plaster walls. I know how to hang curtains the right way; I'm just limited by 1. my lease and protective landlord, and 2. the height of my step ladder.)

The rest of the bamboo is curing and won't be ready for several months (bummer). In the meantime I did, however, wash the curtains and lay out the new rug. This handmade jute beauty I bought from RugsUSA.com for a mere $99 fits much better in the space than my smaller estate-sale oriental. And to my surprise, the curtains did not shred in the laundry machine, or knot together, but came out much softer with a tighter weave! I'll hem them eventually...

Tasks #1 (part 1 of 3) and #2 complete!

Total cost breakdown per window (x 3 windows):

bamboo - free
stain, borrowed from neighbor - free
paint, on hand - free
curtains - free
tiebacks - $9.99 for 2 ($30)
clip rings - $14.99 for 14 ($45)
__________________________________________
Total project cost - $75

TaDa!

The vintage Turkish kilim pillow cases have arrived! They were delivered precisely 6 days after ordering, ahem, all the way from Turkey, mind you! I was quite flabbergasted and thrilled it was so quick. The etsy shop said it was "5 day expedited shipping through UPS," but let's just say I wasn't holding my breath. I just went on with my daily life, enjoying each moment, with the knowledge and pleasant expectation of their arrival. I imagined how they would look, how I would feel once they took form on my couch, and I smiled a lot. Underneath, I was excited, giddy, like a child on Christmas Eve.

My pillows arrived when i was literally knee-deep in dirt and worms, helping Ron replace rotted-out retaining beams in the front garden in order to re-terrace and create a veggie patch. Much to Ron's chagrin, I absolutely could not wait to open my package and get to decorating. Heavy, two-person lifting behind us, I figured the garden was something one person could handle alone for a few minutes.

Instant room facelift. The perfect accompaniment to my taupe couch and rustic, ethnic vibe.
I can hardly imagine what the room looked and felt like without them!

Problem is, I can't stop there. Now the $60 estate sale oriental i purchased 2 years ago just doesn't work in anymore...the colors are more navy and blue than adobe earth tones. Luckily, I knew exactly what I wanted and where to find one on the cheap! RugsUSA.com; hundreds of rugs at discount prices, and wouldn't you know that right now they are having a Shamrock Savings Sale of 50-80% off.

I purchased this 5'x8' handspun jute rug for under $100!

This girl likes good deals...Let me rephrase: This girl LOVES good deals! And affordable items that are high-quality and/or handmade. Along with the satisfaction of finding a good deal,  I really do enjoy the feeling of happily anticipating the arrival of a package. I think we would all be able to manifest our desires more quickly if we were to rest assured of their coming true with the same certainty we have over an ordered parcel's delivery, just without the tracking info. Tracking info is for doubters. Because the truth is, we just don't know exactly when what we want is going to arrive. Desires don't always manifest on our timetable, and dreams don't come true for doubters.

All this internet shopping and home-rearranging and the Debbie Downer voice in my head goes something like this. "How materialistic! How utterly mainstream and consumer you are! And spending away your inheritance when you don't even have a job, on items you don't really need! Wasting your time surfing the web, pinning pictures of things you can't afford, houses you won't ever live in and places you can't even dream to visit, when you should be doing something productive! Get up! Clean the house! Get a job! Figure out what you want to do in the world and do it already! Keep doing this and you'll end up with no money, no life and just things, useless things!"

GULP. 

Sometimes, I'll admit, I succumb to this voice which some may call practicality, others, the inner parent, but I'm wiser now than I used to be. I know the full benefit of dreaming, of contemplating joy, of harnessing happiness through some choice acquisitions or cherished moments. If a couple pillows and a rug make me happy, create a more welcoming space and fill me with ease and lift me up, then you bet I am going to open my wallet. But, I am still going to hunt around for the best bargains first.

;)

If i listened to that voice, I would be thwarting my own growth and the innate ability I have to create a life of joy for myself. Have no fear, take the plunge and do what makes you happy.

Istanbul, not Constantinople

House Beautiful

An Indian Summer. Photo by Jordi Canosa.

During my downtime over the past several weeks,  I've been scouring the internet for antique kilim rug pillows to dress up my plain taupe couch. The moss green velvet ones previously inhabiting this spot have been repositioned in the bedroom, so i've been left with a plain couch, no lumbar support and 4 embarrassingly-naked feather inserts.

I've been coming across inspiring images likes the ones above: rustic, yet cozy interiors dappled with mix-match ethnic prints and patterns on everything from rugs and pillows to coverlets and upholstery. Given my penchant for re-decorating every six months or so, i figure the most budget friendly option, in order to add more of a "well traveled woman" look to my home, would be pillows, inexpensive as things go and easy to swap out with my ever-changing moods.

via tumblr

For items like this, when no local source is known, i shop the mecca of handmade creations: etsy. Firstly, for the wide international variety; second, to support artisans and enjoy competitive pricing. I found several shops selling kilim and suzani pillows, in prices varying from $30-$120 each plus shipping (International shipping prices vary from $5+ but many sellers offer discounts for bundling more than one item). Native and tribal fabrics are still all the trendy rage right now and if I were to purchase such from one of those "members-only" design sites like, say, One Kings Lane or The Foundary, i'd be looking at a pair of antique kilim pillows for $175 + shipping, if i can find them in my color/style and if they haven't already been snagged! I'm a girl on a budget (and severely limited income), so $30 per handmade pillow cover sounds about right to me.

After days, yes days, of pinning and marking my favorites on etsy, exporting pics and collaging pillow combinations together in Photoshop to see which ones i liked as a family, i came to a decision:

The fab four shown above are coming home to me, soon, so very soon, thanks to an etsy shop called yastk from Istanbul, Turkey. I spent $164 including shipping on all four, a sure steal for these handmade beauties. I'll post pics when the living room is sitting pretty with the new acquisitions.

Until then, take a look-see at my favorite etsy shops for similar antique rug pillows and add a little bohemian tribal chic to your home!

• Yatsk
• Kilim Decor
• Decolic
• Mother's Atelier
• Sukan
• Yunershop

Humble Abode Tour: Bedroom

The afternoon sun is so brilliant this time of year! It hangs low and shines right in my humble Westover Hills apartment. It is some of the only sun i get in this place, since it is a very wooded neighborhood. Needless to say, I cherish the bright rays, and am taking the utmost advantage of it: forcing bulbs on my nightstand and nursing an abandoned orchid and two Boston ferns (radiator) back to life. I can't help but love my bedroom during these rare sunburst moments, so I've taken a few pictures to share the love.

My birthday present paperwhites, thanks to Noel, in bloom on my night stand. They smell intoxicating, and the scent travels all the way to the living room!

The bed cover is a vintage popcorn chenille found in Cville for only $10. In front of the bed lies a vintage clay water pitcher picked up by my grandparents in a Mexican market and a ceramic Chinese style octagonal side table bought at Homegoods for $75.

I've got three rugs in the room, an oriental scored at an online auction for only $58, a vintage Navajo hand-woven rug --another score from my world-traveling Grandparents-- and a modern Turkish Kilim, pulling the red, pinks and oranges from the wall art to the floor.

Across from the bed is the all-important vintage wardrobe, a thrift-store steal at just $61. It contains my collection of vintage and spring/summer dresses, scarves, and shoes. Alternate storage (woven bins, vintage suitcases, picnic baskets) abound in my teeny apartment. It's smart storage: functional and aesthetic.

Deck the Halls!

Sir Davis, our Douglas Fir Christmas Tree on the lot of
Hanover Pines Christmas Tree Farm in Beaverdam, Virginia.
(Before the blessings and prayers and sacrificial rites.)
We go every year, on the Sunday before Christmas,
and hike a few acres to find the perfect winter companion.
We liked the curly-Q top ala Dr. Seuss. $75 later, he's happy at home.

I'm decking the halls this winter with all things natural:
pinecones, feathers, berries, moss, twigs, herbs, dried fruit,
and evergreen boughs, wreaths and branches in
Fir, Cedar, Cypress, and Magnolia.
It's a veritable winter woodland wonderland in here!
It smells of the woods, herbs, and rotting fruit.

This awesome bush on my boyfriend's property has a whole lotta these blue berries.
We have no idea what it is, but it is simply brimming with them.
I made sure to leave some for the birdies nesting nearby
and trimmed a box-full for wreath making.
With several bunches left over, i slipped them into vintage apothecary jars
and scattered them throughout the house.

A large driftwood plank is adorned with vintage postcards,
and a treasured vintage pic of a young Shirley Temple-esque girl,
sitting on the lap of St. Nick. Blue lights add some festive cheer.

Inside the wooden dish on the crate coffee table is an aromatic collection:

driftwood
dried lemon slices
sage
rosemary
holly
and a pomegranate

Above: Leftover holly and greens find a festive home
snuggled amid the vines of my handmade wreath
and stacked gourds,
still fresh from All Saints Day,
transform into a jolly snowman
with clove eyes and a bamboo skewer nose.

Humble Adode Tour: Flashback

To say i rearrange my apartment often would be an understatement. I do it every week practically. Its a joyous pastime of recycling, revamping, and reinvigorating.The same item, tired and boring in one room, can be re-awoken in another with different light, furniture and placement. Now, question is, how can i make a career out of this habit?

Above are some snapshots of my bedroom and living room over the past year.