Chalkart and Hydrangea Blooms...

After a busy week, I took a few minutes to create some new art on my Chalkboard Canvas…

 

 

 

I used a favorite quote by Audrey Hepburn in honor of spring and all that is blooming this time of year.

 

 

Speaking of blooms…

 

 

 

 

 

 

My hydrangeas are thriving! I am convinced that I have finally found the secret to trimming hydrangeas. I shared it in my last post How To Trim Hydrangeas…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one has a bit more blue in it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that you can change the color of your hydrangea blooms from pink to blue? By simply adding different nutrients to the soil you can change the color of your blooms. Adding aluminum to the soil or water that is used to water the plant will change pink blooms to blue…cool!  Read this article for more info.

 

 

My favorite thing about having beautiful blooming hydrangea bushes is bringing them inside to enjoy…

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing with...Jennifer Rizzo,  

 

How to trim Hydrangeas…

 

 

 

First, let me say that I am no garden expert! But I must be doing something right because here is how my Hydrangea bushes look this year…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are currently just bursting with buds...I am so excited!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Spring I shared this post about my non blooming Hydrangeas. The bushes were always healthy, but did not produce any blooms…

 

 

 

Last Year…

 

 

 

 

 

This Year…

 

 

 

 

 

I think I finally figured out how to trim them properly so that they will produce blooms the following season. After reading several websites, magazines, and listening to talk radio garden gurus, I just may have the secret…dead wood!

 

 

The trick is to leave the dead or dormant stalks on the plant when you trim them. I was trimming them all wrong. In years past, I would cut the dead stems down to the ground in the fall…leaving just a few inches of stem.

 

To get beautiful blooms…leave the “dead wood” …

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see here where I cut the stalk last fall. Then the new stalks grew from that point…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now they are so happy and healthy and bursting with blooms…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could not resist bringing a few of the early blooms into the house to enjoy…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will be enjoying these blooms...one of my favorites...all summer long!

 

 

 

 

Sharing with...Classy Clutter,  

 

DIY...Tree Stump Table

A while back, I shared a post about having a few dead and dying pine trees removed from our backyard. See full post here.

 

 

 

 

After this huge tree was cut down, I was left with a huge stack of these…

While staring at these beautiful, raw stumps…I envisioned some of them looking more like some of these…

 

 

A Beautiful Mess

 

 

The Art of Doing Stuff

 

 

 

 

 

Nickadoo Tree Trunk Tables

 

 

 

I picked one of my stumps and got to work! There are many tutorials on how to DIY a tree stump table…I followed some of the tips from Karen of The Art of Doing Stuff blog. Her step by step tutorial is excellent!

 

 

I started with this stump…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the tree had been dead for a while before we cut it down, the bark peeled right off with my hands. Then all I had to do was sand the top and sides…

I used several different grits of sandpaper…starting with the roughest 60 grit, then working down to the finest 150 grit. This gave the sides a nice smooth finish…

I noticed that the top of my stump had a couple of deep pits…

 

 

 

I used some Elmer’s Wood Filler and a putty knife to fill the holes. Just apply a couple of coats of putty, sanding between each application…

 

 

 

Next step was to attach some legs. I found this set at Ikea, and they worked perfectly!

I  really liked the color and grain patterns on the sides of the stump…

I decided to stain the sides with a semi transparent stain to enhance, not cover up the variations. I used Wood Classics stain from Sherwin Williams in Pickled White. I also decided to paint the top with some ASCP in Old White…

Somehow I did not get photos of these two simple steps…bad blogger! However, just follow the directions on the can for the stain, let dry overnight, then paint the top with a couple of coats of ASCP – using your blue painters tape to make a nice smooth line…

And here it is! All styled and ready for sale at our shop Hip Chick Designs. I really like the way the white top and grayish sides have a beachy/coastal feel and look!

I love the way it turned out! I think I will make a couple more like this. I also have plans to make a few on casters, and some smaller ones to be used in groupings. Luckily I have a pile of stumps to choose from right in my backyard!

Sharing with:   The Dedicated House, Uncommon Designs,  Bloom Designs,
The Girl Creative, Reasons To Skip The Housework , High Heels and Grills ,
House of Hepworths , Jennifer Rizzo,  Miss Mustard Seed, Serenity Now,
Classy Clutter, French Country Cottage, Remodelaholic,


Happy Mothers Day…

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

Word of the Month ~ May 2013

…tranquility


 

 

 

Definition:   free from agitation of mind and spirit;  free from disturbance and turmoil
 

 

While visiting the beautiful Napa Valley last year, I took this photo outside one of our favorite wineries. I love the tranquility of the bare grape vines,  perfectly aligned, stretching up and over the hill to meet the moody, cloud filled sky, mixed with the wild mustard seed and bits of green grass. I remember standing at this spot, taking this photograph, and feeling so peaceful and thankful to live in such a beautiful place. Every time I look at it, I clear my mind of all the distractions that might be filling my day and enjoy the wonderful memories.

 

…a year of tranquility

 

Style Icon...

Audrey Hepburn is one of Hollywoods style icons. Tomorrow, May 4th, would have been her 84th birthday...and her inspiring quotes and impeccable style live on.

Happy Birthday Audrey Hepburn...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 



Reclaimed Wood Art…

 

 

 

I have had some weathered, aged, reclaimed wood panels just sitting in my garage for awhile…just waiting to be transformed. I handpainted a dandelion design onto this 3 slat reclaimed wood panel...

 

 

 

I like the rustic look of the wood, distressed and natural…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since we are getting ready for our big Open Studio’s Event at the shop this weekend, I have brought this piece to our shop, Hip Chick Designs, to sell.

Price:  $32 - Update - SOLD 5/5/13
Dimensions:  20” x 20” square
Details:  Handpainted white dandelion design on natural reclaimed wood. To be used indoors or in covered outdoor areas since wood is not sealed. Comes ready to hang.

I can also ship if you are not local…contact me for shipping info and rates!


Sharing with:  House of Hepworths