My Bedroom

I've been in my usual January frenzy of cleaning out, re-organizing, re-decorating and such. Its part of my annual routine. Every year, as I clean up the Christmas decorations, sweep up the pine needles, and pack it all away, I have this deep urge for a fresh new look about the house. I know that spring is still far away and I'm not ready to invest either major time or major money into this re-do project, but I need the change. I need my house to feel new again. I need surprises that delight my senses every time I walk into the room.
Right now I'm working on my bedroom. I dug out some of the remnant fabric that I'd hoarded and stitched up an easy duvet cover so that my old comforter has a fresh new life. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the project was. All straight seams and nice long seams too... that always goes quickly. The pattern called for buttons and fabric loops as buttonholes, but that was more than I was willing to do. I used simple velcro dots to close up the end of it. It works nicely and I'm quite happy with it. The green paisley fabric gives a deeper, more sophisticated look to the bed now.
Next, I replaced the balloon shades that I had under the curtains with some very simple Roman shades. Again, my stash of hoarded remnants came to the rescue. For this, I had a Buttercream General Store Stripe from Waverly at my disposal. Under the yellow floral curtains they add just the right pop to the windows. The Roman shades were almost as easy as the duvet cover. I had to invest in some skinny dowels to give the shade a shape as it rises and closes, but that was only a few dollars at the local hardware store.
So, now I'm looking hard at the furniture arrangement. I'm looking for ideas about how I want to arrange the furniture so that the rooms looks new and inviting. I want it to whisper to me when I walk in "come in, come in, rest, enjoy".
My current focus is the footboard end of the bed. I have a large upholstered bench that has long sat there. In my previous (single) life, my white wicker loveseat had that spot for itself. That loveseat is now part of the front porch collection and has been banned from the house itself as "too girly" by the male inhabitants here (funny, it doesn't bother them at all on the porch, they rather seem to enjoy it)
But I'm thinking about using something different this time... something less expected, maybe. I've thought about positioning my little writing desk at the end of the bed. It looks sweet there, but I'm a little concerned that I'll be continually knocking things off of it in the night. The other look that calls to me right now is a skirted round table (you know, the cheapy decorator rounds from the discount store) with my two slipper chairs (stolen back from the guest room) on either side. I think if might look sweet.
I'm also thinking that it might beckon us for a little tete-a-tete, drinks (mugs of tea or cocoa maybe?) before bed, but it could still also be clear for the actual nighttime sleeping (so nothing is in danger of crashing to the floor in the middle of the night).
After all, as much as the Budget Bon Vivant wants the fantastic decorator look ---- I do have to be practical after all.

Making My Flowers Last and Last

When I’m buying flowers for myself, I look especially for blossoms that are still closed – buds essentially. This way I can enjoy them opening as well as enjoy the open, full bloom. They last longer this way. Friends who are avid gardeners tell me that this also means that the flower was likely cut in the early morning which is also supposed to be better for the life of the blossom. I give the buds a gentle squeeze with my fingertips too. I want it to feel firm and fresh to my touch. Often budget flowers (especially roses) are mushy feeling and soft under my fingers. This is a sign that the bud is already rotting and dying. It may never open and if it does it won’t be lush and wonderful. It certainly won’t have the lifespan of the fresh, firm young bud. Just because I’m on a budget doesn’t mean I’m not a fussy buyer.

Now that the flowers are home – I want to ensure that they last as long as possible and provide the most enjoyment for me. I could just stick them in a vase and pour in the little packet of stuff that comes with them. But then, my poor flowers are unlikely to last a week. This is another reason to avoid the pre-packaged bouquets at the grocery store. They add to the temptation to just stick them in water --- after all, they’re already arranged, aren’t they?

When I first get the blooms home, I cut the stems down. I need to cut at least ½ an inch off the bottom, but usually I’ll cut quite a bit more. I set my vase on the countertop, fairly close to the edge. I hold the flowers near to the countertop with the stems dipping below the counter. This lets me see the vase and the flowers together in perspective. I can judge how tall the flower want to be for that particular vase. I cut my stems at an angle with super sharp scissors. Don’t use a knife – it’s an invitation to cutting your hand. If you can do it, cutting the stems under running water also seems to help a bit. Usually, this is more than I can manage. While I’m at it with the scissors, I strip off any leaves that will be below the water, or even likely to touch the water. They will rot and cause decay that quickly spread to the plant itself. Out they go.

I fill my vase about 1/3 full with warmish water. Sometimes I do add the packet of stuff that comes with the flowers, other times I add just a small splash of bleach. It seems to help keep the algae down and that adds to the lifespan of the flowers. I take the bouquet apart and arrange the flowers in the vase. I start out by putting in blooms at an angle, rather than straight up and down. This creates a nice circumference to the final creation. I have a thing about symmetry, so I try to keep track of that as well.

Each morning, I try to change the water in the vase. The more consistent I am about this, the longer my flowers seem to last. If the weather is hot and sticky, I also add a couple of ice cubes to the vase each afternoon or evening. When I’m getting ice for our drinks at dinner, I just slip a couple of cubes in the vase too. Keeping the water cool like this seems to help the life of the blooms as well.

After the better part of a week, some of my blooms are beginning to look sad. I take the entire arrangement apart. The sad looking blooms are tossed right away. No sense in waiting for them to die completely and spread their decay to the other blooms. The blooms that are still good are re-cut with my scissors. I take off another ½ inch or so. I wash out the vase and clean it well. Then I fill it with fresh water and another tiny splash of bleach and I rearrange the blossoms that remain to make a fresh and lovely bouquet. Sometimes, I need to use a different vase – one with a smaller opening or a different shape, in order to accommodate the reduced number of flowers.

By taking care of my flowers like this, supermarket bouquets typically last me two weeks or more. My home can always have fresh flowers – at little impact to my budget. That is definitely bon vivant.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Flowers are fun, flirty, and feminine. They are an inexpensive way to feel pampered and decadent --- IF you shop for them in frugal ways and use them in luscious, luxurious ways. Coming home after a busy, trying day to a vase of fresh flowers sitting on the coffee table, kitchen table, or nightstand is an understated extravagance. In my book, flowers brighten and improve any space. I love a vase of lilacs or lavender blossoms in the bathroom, peeking out at me from the back of the commode. A tall fluted vase of oriental lilies on my dressing table scents the air with their sexy, spice aroma. I adore my current pitcher of all white flowers, roses, daisies, mums, and carnations in the kitchen. A spray of Chinese lanterns, dried and proud can grace any livingroom elegantly. Flowers inspire. They reward, console, pamper and soothe.
However, frequent visits to your local florist are simply not in the budget bon vivant financial statement. As with everything else, I do visit my florist for educational purposes. I look carefully at floral combinations, vases, unusual arrangements and such. I need to learn, so that I can make my own decadent treat. But for acquiring my blossoms, I turn to other sources.
I use my local mega grocery story regularly. I avoid the prepackaged bouquets like the plague. They nearly always contain cheap flowers and too few of them. This is another place where more of one simple thing is just MORE. I buy the bunches of one single type of flower --- in my grocery store they are generally 3 bunches for $12.
I also love the farmer’s market for flowers. Again, there are some pricey bouquets that someone has lovingly put together and wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbon. These are for the less budget conscious than I. Here again, I am looking for loose, floppy bunches of flowers, freshly cut from someone’s garden that morning. I find that I do better when I’m shopping at the tent of a farmer who has a few flowers on the side, rather than a “flower farmer” who is primarily selling flowers.
I also watch the side of the road. No, I don’t mean that I poach on someone else’s gardening. I watch for those somewhat suspicious looking trucks that park in rest areas, pull offs, and empty parking lots selling flowers, fish, or furniture. I avoid the fish and furniture, but for flowers, what do I have to lose? Often times, these trucks have terrific deals on roses or seasonal flowers. They’re as fresh as the grocery store flowers and often fresher.