A Warren Of Rabbits

You have heard of the terms, a gaggle of geese, a pack of dogs, or a pride of lions?  Right?

So what do you call a bunch of rabbits?

I looked it up. 

 A warren of rabbits.

Actually, they were jackrabbits, so they would be called a husk of jackrabbits!

Which is what we had last weekend in Asti.

I counted 3 adult bunnies taking shelter from the 105 degree heat near the house.

They were so hot, they didn't even run away when we got near them!  I felt so sorry for them.

But not as sorry as I felt for this little bunny that my granddaughters discovered in the lawn.

Poor thing, he must have been abandoned by his mom in the heat.

What to do with him?  If we left him there, he would surely be eaten by a hawk, or die from heat exhaustion.

After much discussion, we decided to capture him and get him out of the sun until his mother reclaimed him.  

It was all very exciting!  The girls gave him carrots and water, and we kept him in the shade for the afternoon.   Later, we released him nearby a grown rabbit, which was probably hanging around looking for her baby.

A few hours later, he was gone.

The granddaughters would like to think that they found each other and lived happily ever after!

So would I!

Happy Father's Day!

Fathers young, fathers old
Remembering good times are our gold.

Value earned through guidance given
Helping us go forth in living'.

Each father adding to our trove
A treasure chest of love untold.

Remembering father in our lives
Taking time to realize.

Fatherly love brings wealth to living
Remembering this we go forth in giving.

Fathers young, fathers old
We remember you all
As life unfolds.
Ragini

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Father's Day tablescape from last year here.

Designing An Outdoor Living Room

When designing an outdoor room, the above vision may be what's in our head, but reality soon sets in when we consider all the factors necessary in creating a room that fits our needs and lifestyle.
While the above photo may be gorgeous, most of us don't have the climate, setting or pocketbook for this look.

Still, we've come a long way from the old school lawn chairs that we were perfectly happy with in the back yard in years past.
Today, we want a room outdoors that actually mimics an interior room, complete with all the bells and whistles like overstuffed sink-into sofas, a coffee table, luxurious pillows, throws and even lamps!

OSH

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my client searching for outdoor furniture for her newly constructed deck.  I envisioned two loveseats facing each other, preferably in outdoor gray wicker.  After much consideration, we found this furniture at Orchard Supply Hardware.
Two corner units together form a loveseat, so we bought four and a coffee table too.
Since my client lives on the coast, outdoor wicker was the only consideration as it will hold up to the salt air, moisture and wind.

OSH

This collection allows you to create anything from loveseats to full sofas, and even a sectional.
The club chair is fabulous and it's all so comfortable too.


For accessories, we bought this large galvanized pot which will not rust in the salty air to hold either red geraniums or an ivy topiary.


A galvanized lantern with a battery operated candle won't blow out in the strong wind.

We also bought a galvanized tray for drinks and suzani inspired throw pillows--all from Target.

Pottery Barn

Because the gray wicker furniture is going on a gray stained deck, I am envisioning an outdoor rug like this tribal one from Pottery Barn to give the room contrast and anchor it all.
I can just see the gray furniture on this rug with all the accessories that we bought today.
With the addition of a propane heater, hopefully my client will be able to enjoy her new outdoor living room all the more.  It is going to be amazing!

Southern Living

Here are some tips to consider when designing your outdoor room:

1. Choose furniture that looks like it could live indoors, but can weather the elements.  
2. Resin wicker and teak deep seating furniture are a great choice.
3. Choose fabrics for cushions and pillows out of Sunbrella or other acrylic fabrics that wick away moisture and are resistant to rot and sunlight damage.
4. Anchor it all with an outdoor rug.
5. Have fun accessorizing with lanterns and plants.

Enjoy your new room!

Our Outdoor Room

Outdoor rooms are one of my favorite subjects and pins right now on Pinterest.

I'm always looking for outdoor inspiration, and with summer months upon us, I'm looking for ways to improve our outdoor seating area.

This copper metal table is a recent find from The Foundary and adds a new dimension to our outdoor room.

It is definitely an improvement to the area.

I'm loving how the copper color highlights the colors of the succulents in the faux stone pot.

 

Last year, I painted the wicker furniture black and had new stripe cushions made.

The cushions wintered in the garage, but the furniture stayed outside with no consequence.  

Our outdoor room is the favorite room in the house right now!

Morning coffee spot, afternoon tea spot...

...and evening wine spot, it's the place to be.

 Adding the copper table to the mix gave the seating area a punch!

Did I mention this is also a perfect place for an afternoon nap?

To see more outdoor inspiration, visit my favorite Pinterest board, "Outdoor Dining and Seating," here!

I'm joining Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday.

Rustic Wedding Inspiration

Rustic weddings have been trendy for quite a while now, especially barn weddings.

There is so much room for creativity with a rustic barn wedding.

The possibilities are endless.

I love the juxtaposition of elegant decor in a rustic setting.

The key is lighting. Strings of white lights everywhere and if possible, chandeliers too.

Yards of tule.  Linen and burlap.  Flowers everywhere.

I can't think of a more romantic setting, actually.

When our daughter got married last December, the venue was a rustic log cabin in San Francisco's Presidio. 

 I had a ball decorating it with candles, log slices surrounded with moss and white hydrangeas, all on burlap topped tables.  

This last weekend, we were thrilled to attend a wedding in the High Sierras, where the reception was held in a barn.

 

As you can see, white lights were the key to cozying up the huge cavernous space, as well as hanging paper lanterns that also glowed.  

I was honored to be a part of the creative process behind this romantic, rustic wedding.

Last week, the groom's mother and I bought all the flowers for the centerpieces, aisles and bouquets.

We were so excited to find these galvanized buckets with rope handles and filled them with potted purple Campanula plants.

I loaned out my Mason jars and candles leftover from Ashley's wedding.  

Simple burlap yardage softens the caterer's white tablecloths.

The bride's mother made the quilts on the back wall.

There was so much attention to detail for this wedding, like this "Bride and Groom" tag for their own special table.  The groom's mother clearly had fun finding those special details at places like Etsy and online party resources. 

Oh, and the bouquets?  

A lush bouquet of purple hydrangeas for the bride, and white hydrangeas for the bridesmaids, all tied up in true rustic fashion with burlap and twine.

I'll never forget this moment when the bride and groom walked away from the ceremony, she carrying her bouquet, the two of them holding hands, their future in front of them.

Congratulations Liz and Monte!

This summer is turning out to be the "summer of love!"

Photos 1 - 5 via Pinterest

Culinary Treasures

 Ever since the cabinets were painted green, I've been obsessing over white ironstone.

After much stalking on Ebay, I found a few treasures that I'm excited about, like this covered butter dish.

 And these little pots.  One for horseradish and one for mustard or jam.

The horseradish pot came with a glass lid and a little spoon.

Mr. A hates horseradish, but I love it!  

The plain white mustard pot is military china, stamped U.S.Q.M.C., which means United States Quartermaster Corps.

Mr. A loves mustard, but I'm not a fan!

One thing we both agreed on is this French basket, originally used to hold six bottles of champagne, which we found in Petaluma last weekend at Siena Antiques. 

Perfect size for a picnic too.

A picnic with butter, horseradish, mustard and champagne?

Sure!  Just add bread, roast beef and flutes!

I'm Smitten!

Last night was one of those insomnia nights when the only thing to do is just get up and read.

So, I devoured the latest House Beautiful magazine, loving every article.

But, when I turned to this page, my heart skipped a beat!

I am smitten with this house and Podge Bune, the designer.
There is so much inspiration here, I don't know where to begin.

To begin, she "shops her house."  That blue velvet fabric on her living room sofa was recycled from a client's curtains, and the club chair fabric is from her old dining room curtains.  She has certainly given me the courage to do the same thing in my house.  I cannot wait to recycle my curtains now!


She isn't afraid of DIY projects either.  She painted the dining room chairs in a decorative finish class and added the stones to the living room fireplace, right over the brick.
Oh, and she obviously loves books, evidenced by how she made room for them by raising the ceiling to accommodate her collection.
Raised in England, she doesn't know any other way to decorate.  This house is an accumulation of things collected over a lifetime.  It is charming, cluttered, eclectic and romantic, and I love it!

I love how she took a 1970's ranch home and gave it charm by paneling the walls and ceilings with tongue and groove paneling and painting it all white. 

Then, she painted the outside pink, and trimmed it in green!  Why not?
It's something I would like to do someday.  Create a charming cottage from a generic box.  In fact, it's my Design Bucket List #2, here, when I wrote about "Romancing the Rancher."

"Well, let's just have a riot" is what she said about her rose garden of many colors, but I think that quote may also apply to her home in the Hamptons.  "I take my cue from the garden, where you can have lots of colors and nothing really matches."
It's English Country Style in a fresh, new way.

I'm smitten!

(Photos 1 and 5, House Beautiful, photos 3 and 4, my scans via House Beautiful, photo 2 via Pinterest)