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From My Garden

 A beautiful hibiscus blossom in my garden. It looks like red velvet.

Tory Burch

Like everyone else, I adore this iconic Tory Burch sunroom. A favorite piece of mine is the quirky orb. When I was in HG yesterday, I saw this jute one. Not exactly the same, but very similar. And likely a fraction of the price as the things in her home tend to be crazy expensive. My lanai is becoming a favorite space in my home.

My Lanai

I mentioned in an earlier post getting a Dash & Albert Catamaran indoor/outdoor rug for the lanai. I had not seen this rug in person, and as luck would have it, I found a brand new Dash & Albert Catamaran runner on eBay super cheap and bought it. I really wanted to see the rug in person before deciding on a large one for the lanai. Now having seen it, I do think the quality is great and it does not look like an outdoor rug at all. 

My Foyer

Not sure if I will use this in the foyer or elsewhere, but it has convinced me to get a large one for the lanai. 

Yesterday at Lowe's I saw this amazing palm tree - it is Coccothrinax Crinita from Cuba - nicknamed the Old Man Palm because its trunk looks like an old man's beard. It it quite extraordinary and I have the perfect spot for it. My sprinkler guy is Cuban and his family in Miami is in the nursery business, so I will have him source it for me along with some other things.

Thank you for the advice on growing a gardenia. I am convinced to try one. I am very against using chemicals in the garden, so I like to make sure I am not getting plants that require spraying.

Amanda Lindroth and Old Florida

Tommy Bahama/Kayu

I had a lovely day in the garden yesterday and got lots done. I did take an hour to come inside for a great Zoom presentation by Amanda Lindroth. I find many of these interior design zooms I get invitations to are a waste of my time and I either leave it or multi-task, but this one was wonderful. She spent much of it talking about growing up in Florida in the sixties and seventies and Florida style and of course the Bahamas where she is based now. She talked about....

*Jack Rogers sandals that I live in - 

Jack Rogers - Southern Living

*Slim Aarons photography and vintage Lilly Pulitzer. Amanda mentioned the smell of the Lilly Pulitzer store because of the unique smell of the fabric and how when you shopped at Lilly in Palm Beach they would wrap your purchase in a cellophane bag with ribbons matching the fabric you chose. 

Slim Arrons - Vintage Lilly Pulitzer

*The John Deering estate in Miami that I would love to visit -

Vizcaya

*I was fascinated to learn that she grew up in a stark Danish modern house as did I as our styles now are very similar and not at all like the homes we grew up in. She said she had to learn about pattern and color because her mother slipcovered everything in white cotton duck. The house I lived in during law school was very grand and in the summers the owners pulled up all the antique oriental rugs and covered all the furniture in white cotton duck. It's a great look. Bunny Williams does this in light blue in her Punta Cana home.

Bunny Williams

*Since moving to Florida, I rarely buy cut flowers and Amanda mentioned how in the Bahamas they are very hard to come by and very expensive, so she cuts palm fronds and bougainvillea and gardenias from the garden. I have lots of palms and bougainvillea, and would love a gardenia bush, but have read they are difficult. I would love to plant one near the lanai to enjoy the smell while sitting out there.

Gardenia

 *That every room needs books even if you don't read them  - I'm not sure she meant the kitchen and bathrooms - LOL - but I agree.

Bunny Williams

There are so many more gems to share I think I will do a Part 2 of this post. Hope you enjoyed it. And that cute little raffia pouch pictured at the top arrives today in the mail.

Great Find

 

I found this rattan, cane, and raffia bar cart at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. If you sign up with them, you get 20% off plus free shipping bringing the price down to $128.00. Bar carts can be used for a zillion things beyond booze - I love using one as a bedside table, for example. This one has an Amanda Lindroth or Serena & Lily vibe going on at a great price point. I just ordered one for my guest bedroom. The black and natural colors gives it a British Colonial feel that I really like.

The one below is at Serena & Lily for $448.00 for the same size.

Pumpkins

Heirloom pumpkins

 I LOVE decorating for Halloween and my favorite part is all the heirloom pumpkins/squash available nowadays. Trader Joe's is a great source, but many other grocery store chains now offer them. I much prefer the colors and textures of the heirloom like white, blue, and peach. I think they are gorgeous and traditional orange pumpkins are not my thing.

I raised the issue yesterday of pumpkins lasting in my new hot tropical climate. I am talking here uncarved pumpkins. I used to display mine through Thanksgiving in NOVA.

I learned a couple tricks I intend to try to extend their life. These techniques work anywhere - pumpkins do not like cold, heat, or rain.

First, clean your pumpkin with diluted bleach or a bleach disinfectant wipe to kill mold and bacteria. 

Second, coat the pumpkin with acrylic, paste wax, WD-40, or Vaseline. Those decorative gourds they sell, for example, are coated with varnish and last for years.

These techniques should extend the life of your pumpkins even in hot climates.