I know some people are not fond of Halloween, but I have such great childhood memories going trick or treating with my siblings in our small Connecticut town.  There was a cemetery across the street from our Dutch Colonial house. We would run by it really fast imagining all sorts of ghoulish things, squealing the whole way clutching our pillow cases full of candy.

Mom would paint faces on pumpkins and adorn them with straw hats.  There was always a cornstalk wrapped around the lantern post.  She would make our costumes and I am sure many of them would be considered politically incorrect today~~like me as a hobo and my sister as Aunt Jemima!

My parents made all holidays extra special~~even with very little, Mom managed to make each one magical.

Naturally, I wanted to do the same for my children.  Each year, we bring out the black crows, owls, skulls and chemistry bottles and decorate the dining room mantle.

In the living room, the deep mantle serves as the perfect place to put our family-made ceramic pumpkins.

The battery operated frosted glass witches are tucked into the centerpiece on the table.

The kitchen pastry rack is filled with holiday candy and pumpkins.

Several years ago, I purchased these fabric pumpkins at a charity event.

Halloween would not be complete with Mr. Bones.

Or the mummies…..

The same holiday pillows come out every year.

The querky pumpkin ladies are scattered throughout the house.

A Halloween ribboned wreath completes the front door.

Do you have a favorite memory or costume?

Wishing you a safe and Happy Halloween and a boo-tiful day!!

 

I don’t know if I have confessed that I do not like to shop.  I really dread going to the store, especially if I need new clothes or shoes, or heavens forbid, a bathing suit or underwear.

But I do have one or two favorite stores because they don’t feel like a chore, but rather a pleasant experience.  I have written about Camps and Cottages in a previous post, but recently I have been following Molly English on Instagram and spotted these new candles that arrived in her shop.

She graciously mailed one to me and it is HEAVENLY!  The minute I opened the box, the entire room filled with a smell of apple cider, October, Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled up into one intoxicating scent.

Even my daughter, Elisabeth, came into the kitchen after school and said, “What is that amazing smell? It reminds me of the fall and October and everything I love about this time of year.”

Not only is the candle an olfactory celebration, but it is truly beautiful.  This is apparently the smaller size, at approximately 6.5″ tall x 5″ diameter.  The name is Rosy Rings Spicy Apple and will burn for 200 hours. The price is $80.00 but seemed worth it with such a long burning time.

Embedded in the candle are slices of apple, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, small dark red berries (?)~~making this candle beautiful to look at as well as smell.

This is the PERFECT candle for the autumn and would make an excellent hostess gift. You can now find this candle on Amazon here.

Here are some pictures of Camps and Cottages in Laguna Beach, California that I captured during my beach vacation.

Unfortunately I only get to visit in person once a year, but Molly has made ordering directly from her SO easy.  She posts new items that come into the store on Instagram and on her website.

Today was the coolest day since the summer and now with my Spicy Apple candle it, I am getting excited about the fall!!!

A year ago today, I sent my first blog post of Life at Bella Terra.  It was an intimidating moment, because I thought “who would ever want to read this?”  I don’t consider myself a very good writer and I’m really trying to improve upon that.  But your words of encouragement have brought me back to the computer to post again and again.  If it wasn’t for your kindness and support, it would have been easy to just quit.  Thank you for your loyalty and feedback and comments. Truly. From the bottom of my heart.

Each time I send out an email letting you know I’ve created a new post, I am praying you find it interesting, enlightening or even motivating.  I try to share a small piece of loveliness in hopes that I can brighten your day. As I look out into the world, I believe we each need to find sources of joy and create our own beauty.  Whether it be feeling the warmth from a freshly picked tomato, or the scent of a homegrown flower, these moments of perfection can only help feed the soul.

Blogging for me, is a chance to stop and capture a sliver of time, an exquisite photo or a recipe that bursts with flavor. Plus it is forcing me to attack those cluttered corners of the house or undone projects while showing you my progress. But I can honestly say, I am still a long way from feeling confident about creatively illustrating that to you. But I will keep trying.

So here is a look back at the year and some of my favorite photos and posts.

My very first blog post was about the New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen and the fundraising English tea we had here at Bella Terra.

And other events we happily hosted here…..

Recipes shared…..

My Renovations and Restorations….

Travel and leisure…..

Decorating and Design…

The holidays….

Cleaning, Organizing, and Updating…

Sharing our home and yard….

My attempt at art….

Flower arranging..

Our pets…

And a few DIYs….

My online store….

There is still so much to learn, especially better photography, writing and getting my watermarks the same size on every photo.  So thank you again for following me and sharing my blog with others.

PLEASE send in your comments~~What area of interest would you like for me to expand? What are your favorite topics? How often should I post (trying to do a maximum of twice per week)? What can I do to be better for you?  My goals for the next year are to do a contest or giveaway and conduct a real survey into your likes and interests.

Here’s to one year and onto the next!! I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

 

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When I was in 11th grade I worked over the Christmas holidays at our local florist, Johnson Flowers and Gifts in Norwich, Connecticut.  In hindsight, I wish I had paid more attention to the ins and outs of flower arranging, but being 17, I’m sure I was more interested in boys vs. blossoms.

Over the last few years I have been asked to create centerpieces for various charitable events.  In 2012, I offered to make 120 centerpieces for my son’s high school fashion show.  I was promised a committee to help, but funny how those things don’t always work out.  To have a professional do it would have been cost prohibitive so I thought, how hard can this be?  I should know by now that when I hear that question in my head, warning signals should go off.

The centerpiece had to include a keepsake item (etched wine bucket) and be in the school colors (red and white). The good news was the event was a success, the centerpieces were perfect and it only took a few weeks for my back to stop aching.

Leading up to the event, I practiced making various flower arrangements of different sizes, flowers, and containers. Since it has been a while since I made a centerpiece that didn’t consist of putting cut flowers in a vase, I was inspired to do so this weekend.

I went to our local Safeway and purchased a dozen white roses, mini hydrangea, white carnations and green spider mums.

The container is actually one I had purchased online as a sample for the above mentioned event–it has an elegant look but was very affordable. The bowl is 9″ in diameter and 5″ high.

It’s important to use Wet Foam vs. dry foam (I made that mistake once~~dry foam works with artificial flowers).  I purchased a FloraCraft 4 brick pack at Michael’s for $6.99.  The foam is very easy to cut to fit the container you are using.

Soak the foam in a container with clean water for 1-2 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed into the brick.

Since my foam is packed into my bowl, I did not need to secure it with waterproof anchor tape.

Determine what size and shape you want your arrangement.  Using floral shears or garden clippers, cut the stems at a 45 degree angle before inserting them into the foam.  This angle allows for easier insertion and insures maximum water uptake. I started with my roses and created a “dome” to outline the approximate size of the arrangement.

I then used the hydrangeas, spider mums, and carnations to fill in the gaps.  Remember to count your stems and spread them out accordingly.  Make sure stems do not come out on the other side of the foam.

Carnations are such a great filler and can be spread apart to give them more volume .

The spider mums and the carnations were the most difficult to push into the foam. I broke a few in the process. Also, as much as I LOVE hydrangeas, I haven’t had good luck with them once they are cut.  They don’t seem to last as long as other flowers in an arrangement. But I keep trying!

When the arrangement is complete, add water to the bowl and check the water level every day.

Here is the finished product which I placed on the table in the front entry!

Someday when I have lots of time, I would love to have an abundant flower garden where I could experiment with more dramatic arrangements.

Thank you to my two daughters for being hand models~~it’s a bit of a challenge to do the tasks and take photos!