JBigg: Life in Kentucky: July 2012

Hydrangea Hunting

Oh how I love hydrangeas even though I don't have a single one in my own yard.

When I was visiting family and friends in Illinois, I decided to go on a hydrangea hunt to see if I could find the gorgeous blues and pinks.

Here are the blues that I found in a friend's yards.

Aren't these blues just gorgeous?

I did a little research and did you know that it is much easier to change the pink hydrangeas to blue ones than changing the blue to pink?

The mophead hydrangea have the ability to change the color of the blooms based on the chemistry of the soil. When they are grown in alkaline soil, the blooms colors are pinker; but when grown in acidic soil, the blooms are blue.

I read that they do like water and the leaves will droop if they do not get enough. Too much water, and the leaves will begin to get brown or black marks on the edges.

Now for the pinks in another friend's yard.

You can see a little mix in one of these mopheads, do you see the second one from the top and how it is a mix of blue and pink?

Aren't they all just fabulous. I love both colors and they always bring back memories from my childhood of my grandmother's yard when they were blooming along the entire side of her house.

Do you have a preference for the color of hydrangea you like? - Judy

Linking to:

Susan at BetweenNaps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill
My entry into Make the Scene Monday #33 is sponsored by Appliances Online & Bosch Washing Machines.

Meet Me Monday at You're Talking Too Much
Favorite Photo Monday

The Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jeans on Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

DIY by Design for Swing Into Spring

Ivy and Elephants for What’s It Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here on Thursday

Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner

Kristen’s Creations for Share Your Creations on Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday at the French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Stuff and Nonsense for Friday's Unfolded

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Natasha in OZ for Say G'day Saturday

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

First Blogging Anniversary

This week will mark my first year blogging anniversary. It doesn't seem like I have been blogging a year; when I started, I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to blog about. I really just started to help my friend JoAnn with her blog. My blog began with a few tabletop vignettes, outdoor posts, vacations, then slowing developed into tablescapes. That's where I found what I really like to blog about, beautiful tablescapes.

I do want to thank all of you for visiting and leaving kind messages. To celebrate, I have created a tablescape using pink and white and a centerpiece featuring my crepe myrtle blooms.

Come along and help me celebrate:

I have loved crepe myrtles for years, I remember traveling in the South during the hot, hot summer and seeing the crepe myrtles with their brilliant blooms. While so many other flowers, shrubs and trees had bloomed out, or were wilting in the heat, the crepes were just gorgeous.

I had my husband cut the branches because they were covered in bees and I was too afraid of getting stung. No problem, he didn't get a single string. I was standing back with a container for them and too fearful to get close and ready to run. My crepe myrtles are miniature so don't grow as tall as their cousins.

Back in the house, I placed them in my little white teapot and kept the arrangement low so no interference with conversation at the table especially since I am a big talker.

For my stemware, I chose my pink Fostoria Heritage water goblets then added four green wine glasses. I was happy I added the green, it went well with the green leaves in the plates and seemed to pop when I sat them on the table.

I was hurrying through Marshall's recently and spied the pink salad plates. I think the flower is a peony which blooms in the Spring but the color works well on this summer tablescape.

The dinner plates are inexpensive but have some nice beading on them.You can see I left the teapot lid on the table next to the pot, it was just too cute to remove.

The pink napkins are from Kohl's and are circled with silver napkin rings.

The tablecloth is a floral embroidered and from Germany (purchased on eBay). I think of it as a tabletop piece because it is very small and only measures 32"x32". I added a white larger tablecloth underneath to make the table a little more elegant.

The flowers on the crepe myrtle are very delicate, I could hardly touch them and they were falling on the table. I didn't really mind, I love seeing them scattered around. You certainly could not cut them a day ahead for your table or house.They will stain your tablecloth I found out but the stain did come out with a little spray.

Thanks for stopping in and sharing my blogiversary with me - Judy

Linking to these great parties:

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at the House in the Roses

Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

The Delectable Home
Meet Me Monday at You're Talking Too Much

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jeans on Tuesday

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen on Wednesday

Centerpiece Wednesday at the Style Sisters

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

DIY by Design for Sizzle Into Summer

Ivy and Elephants for What’s It Wednesday

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here on Thursday

Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner

Kristen’s Creations for Share Your Creations on Thursday

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life

Feathered Nest Friday at the French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Stuff and Nonsense for Friday's Unfolded

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound

Natasha in OZ for Say G'day Saturday

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

Brenda's Whimsy

I am sharing the whimsy of my friend, Brenda, today. She lives in a cozy white cottage in a small town and loves the color red and lots of whimsy. She is so talented and so creative. Take a look at her yard and all of her whimsy and creativity.

As you pull into Brenda's driveway, you see this cute bench she has painted yellow and decorated her lamp post with red netting and green and white ribbon. She has a beautiful hibiscus plant with red blooms growing next to the bench.

Her front porch has pink chairs and some bright orange and pink pillows.

She added a wreath to the door made from the same netting and ribbon on the lamp post. Take a look at her ferns sitting in red pots.

Brenda's creativity continues to the side of her house where she has a small garden just outside her breezeway.

Remember, Brenda loves red, so check out this child's chair painted red, the red lantern, and the red bike.

The red bike now decorated with flowers is the biggest eye catcher in her garden. It's so Brenda, she loves to ride her other bike down the road, over the railroad track and into town. She might stop at the grocery story or the library.

I taught school with Brenda for 24 years before I moved. I do enjoy visiting with her when I return. You can see more of her garden on the back side of the breezeway if you look through the screens.

Thanks for stopping by to see Brenda's Whimsy - Judy

Linking to:

Susan at BetweenNaps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

Meet Me Monday at You're Talking Too Much
Favorite Photo Monday

The Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jeans on Tuesday

Wimsey Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

DIY by Design for Swing Into Spring

Ivy and Elephants for What’s It Wednesday

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here on Thursday

Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner

Kristen’s Creations for Share Your Creations on Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday at the French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Stuff and Nonsense for Friday's Unfolded

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Natasha in OZ for Say G'day Saturday

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Yellow and Black Tablescape

Welcome to my Yellow and Black Tablescape. Take a look:

My inspiration for the tablescape came from my tablecloth which is an embroidered/print/cut work tablecloth from Germany and purchased on eBay for a very reasonable price.

The daisies for the centerpiece came from my daughter's flower garden and are perfect with the tablecloth. They are so bright and cheerful, I just love their center color. The vase is Fiestaware.

Both sets of glasses are from the Dollar Store so not much expense there. I try to buy extra ones in case of breakage. Sure seems like glasses slip right out of my hand when I am washing them. I do try and put them in the dishwasher most of the time.

The yellow dinner plate and salad plate are Fiestaware. The black flatware is from Walmart, not expensive but not the best quality.

I always love to look at color combinations when I am creating tablescapes. I enjoy seeing what combinations look pleasing to my eye then hope everyone else likes it too.