Apricots and Vintage Pyrex



I am not an apricot lover.  I am not a Pyrex collector.  But I am  in love with how beautiful these apricots are in the one vintage Pyrex piece I own.


We picked these apricots, my children and I, from a tree at the bottom of the hill.  They loved the adventure of  climbing ladders to pluck the orange fruit from branches.  I went from little one to little one, holding them up above my head to reach the apricot they spied.  I helped the older ones move and balance ladders so they could climb much higher.  And I took a deep breath and let my 5 year old son grow up a little bit more as he climbed higher and ventured further than ever before.  I held my breath as I watched him, positioning myself to catch him if he fell but he didn’t.  He was careful but steady, cautious but sure.  It was a precious moment to watch.


It’s really not surprising that the only Pyrex I’d love would be blue and white striped.  I love the soft colors and the bright orange of the apricots together.   As complimentary colors, it’s a combination that never grows old.


While I admire the color, my children happily eat fresh apricots (or “ape-er-cots”, as my three year old daughter calls them) and dream of an apricot tree in our own yard.  I sigh with happiness for these golden moments of childhood, when adventure lies in age-old activities such as harvesting fruit from a tree.  This is summer to me, and I wish it would never end.


Jennifer

Turquoise and Pink

I am head over heels for this gorgeous wedding.


I had my once in a lifetime wedding almost 15 years ago, but I’d love to create a luncheon with this wedding as inspiration.  Peonies, blue glass, turquoise ribbon.  It takes my breath away.

Head over to Style Me Pretty to see more.

And can someone please help me find a turquoise cake stand like that?  Wow.  Gorgeous.
What are you inspired by today?

Hopeful Homemaker

A Touch of Color

My number one non-essential wish right now would be to discover a few thousand dollars in my pocket, then whiz through my home updating furniture and adding graphic color and pattern all over the place using paint, wallpaper and, most of all, fabric.

My number one mental/emotional health challenge right now is gray skies.  They’re really getting to me in spite of all my efforts to pretend that it’s sunny.    On a gray day last week I said to my husband, “I want to paint something a bright color.”  (I actually wanted to paint three or four things, but I didn’t say that.  It might have worried him.)  He argued that it wouldn’t change anything, that happiness is something we choose no matter what the weather is outside.

And while I agree with him wholeheartedly, I must also argue that color and paint can start us down the road of cheerfulness on ugly days.  So I fed the family dinner, watched my husband leave for some meetings, let the children play (what is spring break for, after all?) and got out my paint brush.


The formerly all-white cabinet in my dining room got a little makeover.




Not only does the blue look spectacular, the white now pops and the entire piece suddenly has nicer lines and more character.


I’ve always loved the look of shelves painted a contrasting color on the inside.  I’m not sure why I’ve never done it before, but now I’m eying all the shelves in our house.


The dining room is north facing and in the center of our house, so it really gets very little natural light.  I love the butter yellow on the walls for that reason.  It’s the perfect color for the room, and helps to lighten it up.  Now, however, I’ve got a gorgeous splash of paradise in the middle of the room.

I pared down the silver pieces on the shelves.  I’ve got an idea brewing for them, but for now this is great.


Even the view from the kitchen is improved by this reflection in the mirror.


And when I come downstairs this is the first thing I see:


My favorite little gravy boat now enjoys a place on the shelf.  I like how it looks against the blue.


Yes, happiness is a choice.   But paint sure helps.

Jennifer

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