An ode to summer

Summer is beginning its graceful exit.
How do I know that fall is slowly returning?

The acorns have been falling for a week. Leaves are beginning to slowly turn a color other than green and a few have even dropped. The figs are ready and the tomatoes are filling up my neighborhood's kitchens. The spiders are out in full force in my garden, the critters are going after the grubs under my "grass" and many of the hydrangeas are leathery.

Here's what I'll miss about summer. The taste and color of figs.

  New French Country by Linda Dannenberg

 All that potential with the luscious, ripe grapes.

New French Country by Linda Dannenberg

A late afternoon snack on a lazy day. The screened porch is a god-send during mosquito season~ now.

 

Cultivated Pleasures by Elizabeth Saft

On a vacation with a view, fresh fruit, comfy chairs and guests due any moment. 

Italian Style by Jane Gordon-Clark

A spur of the moment dinner outside.

Set With Style by Caroline Clifton-Mogg

Parking in the loggia with friends and family for the entire evening.

Set With Style by Caroline Clifton-Mogg

Picking the ripe peaches, then biting into your peach with the juice dribbling down your chin...and everyone else's also! No shame here. (Anyone have a napkin?)

 

New French Country by Linda Dannenberg

Strolling through the garden and eating tomatoes just like a peach!

Essentially French by Josephine Ryan

I found this wonderful recipe and plan on making a few tomato pies this weekend to share. Would you like to join me? Here is the recipe.

 

French Chic by Florence de Dampierre

I have plenty of basil to spare. We experimented and planted the "regular" basil and Italian basil seeds from Franchi Sementi. The leaves are large and puckered and very sweet. Right now, we have fresh pesto several times a week. Soon, we'll freeze ice cube-size batches for the winter.

French Chic by Florence de Dampierre

This is my 100th post and I am celebrating by offering a wreath giveaway.

Be sure to check HERE to learn how to win a hydrangea wreath for your fall decor! The deadline to enter is this Sunday, August 22nd.  

Comment often!

Thank you, Cindy, at My Romantic Home, for Show & Tell Friday.

 

A special 100th celebration!

This week marks my 100th post in this blogosphere! 

I have made many friends and learned so much from all of you. I feel as if we are in it together!

To celebrate, I am offering a 24" hydrangea wreath created out of the many hydrangea bushes we have. Since the hydrangea blooms are still drying (can't rush this stage), I will have to substitute a photo similar to what I'll be creating:

credit

These are a few of the hydrangeas (as they were before drying) that I'll be using:

Simply Flowers by Barbara Milo Ohrbach

Here is how you can win.

All you have to do is make a comment on this or any post by the upcoming Sunday, August 22nd. Be sure to include your name and/or blogger name. With each comment, your name goes into the box. If you become a follower, you receive another chance. Comment every day and you'll have 6 chances to win! If you mention Rose et Lis' giveaway on your blog, you earn yet another chance to win.

The winner will be selected and announced next Monday, August 23rd. If I don't hear from the winner within 7 days, a new winner will be chosen.

And now I am off to design centerpieces for a wedding. Yes, it is a Tuesday evening wedding! Ciao!

 Unknown source   If you know who took this photo, please let me know.

Seeing red

An eye popper. Loaded with energy. Regal. Commanding. Red is certainly a high voltage color.

Wouldn't these descriptions all be appropriate for this Fortuny dress?

Silk by Mary Schoeser   Photo by Claudio Franzini

Red is seen in nature everywhere.

Using red in your home is a consideration that you would give much thought to. You can start off in small doses with accessories...

 Interiors Now by Angelika Taschen  Photo by David Hiepler & Fritz Brunier

This charming screen could be placed most anywhere.

H&G 10-06     Screen by Edelman Metalworks

Getting braver, the red jolts of color nicely compliment the robin's egg blue walls and deep purple accents of the bedding. The purple and red join in the rug to pull it all together.

House Beautiful    Photo by Ditte Isager

Deciding to color your walls is next. In Italy, this would be a no brainer. Get out the red ochre pigment and start brushing.  

 Mediterranean Color   Book and photo by Jeffrey Becom

 

In the office setting, the red Venetian plaster is a rich addition to the otherwise contemporary, but sedate design. 

 Real Illusions, Inc.

The random gold leaf applied to this red wall dresses up the dark color in an exciting way.

 Art & Decoration   November-December 2003  

Here, red foil is first applied to the wall and then stained to achieve the depth you see. Tammy Anthony, of Buford, Georgia, is the decorative artist who designed this finish.

 credit 

In this bath, the beautifully peaceful stencil is on top of a wall finished with a mixture of acrylic wax and a water-based stain.

 

credit        Artist unknown

This red marbleized wallpaper beautifully complements the powder room's antique fixtures. The paper is called Pheasant in Orange by Twigs, available at John Roselli.  

 House Beautiful   Photo by Simon Watson

Michele Molek, of Fashionable Finishes in Southern Pines, NC, created this extraordinary dining room with a combination of foil, metallic plaster and inlaid Modello designs. Cool room!

Lastly, here is an up-to-date, traditional library that shows off its wood panels with a luxuriously rich, high gloss r-e-d. The warm colors are cozy and inviting, especially with the fire going in the evening.

Belle magazine      Photo by Richard Powers

Would you decorate with red in your home? I would love to see more examples.

I will be offering a hydrangea wreath to the lucky winner of my 100th post celebration giveaway! Be sure to check in this week for the details.

And while you're at it, hop on over to Mona's place, Providence Ltd., to try your chances on winning three, beautiful leather books!

This goes with That

That is how my garden grows. Maybe we should call it creative chaos!

Late summer in Bay Village is in full swing. We are located just two blocks from Lake Erie (No, you cannot see across the lake!) and have the benefit of being next to what looks like a big ocean without the salt. Ironically, there is a huge salt mine located under the lake, with its access on Whiskey Island, a mere half mile from downtown Cleveland. We are within a quarter mile of the lake, which means that our fall season is longer and warmer than the outlying areas and we are able to grow more tender plants. We also stay warmer all winter with less snow. Yeah!

Are you familiar with the nicotiana plant, otherwise known as the flowering tobacco?

The flowers are white and fragrant. One caveat about nicotiana- it easily self sows. Look closely at the next photo. You can see the white flowers amongst the green seed pods. When the pods mature, they will burst open and scatter the seeds. The next summer, you will find babies in the oddest places. Fortunately, they are easy to remove. We let it do its thing and pull out what we don't want.

 Mmmm, can you smell this? The datura topiary is close to the nicotiana in the garden. It smells divine in the evening also.

Ligularia is an underused perennial. Its daisly-like gold flowers bloom in the mid summer.  The leaves are a deep green with a burgundy tinge and are huge.

We hollowed out this birch log to fill with flowers last summer for my daughter's wedding. This spring, we brought it outside and thought- why not? So, we planted it with ferns and placed it under the dappled shade of the lilacs.

I wish you a happy weekend!

If only you could smell this gardenia with me!

Don't forget to join me next week for my 100th post!

I'll be giving away a hydrangea wreath with the hydrangeas from my garden. I have been picking them daily and filling up all available vases with the blooms to dry them. I am running out of room!

Thank you, Cindy, at My Romantic Home, for Show & Tell Friday.

Thank you, Jessica, at A Few of My Favorite Things, for Favorite Things Friday. 

Thank you, Artie at Color Outside the Lines for Vignette Friday.

Inspirations underfoot

I am loving the fabulous rugs that are out now. There are endless varieties to choose from with colors to die for. The rugs are also one of my best inspirations for wall finishes. Be it to imitate the pattern or pull out the color nuances from the rug, I find myself looking down quite a bit!

Here are some of my latest favorites.

Shekarlou by Zollanvari

A nice, somewhat muted color combo. You could pull the walls, ceiling, furniture and accessories all from this rug.

Modern Garous by Whitecliffe Imports

I am always in the mood for a "skin"!

Python by Marc Phillips

This is a great tone-on-tone for a totally neutral room in white or cream or greige.

Agra by Marc Phillips

A fun tone-on-tone.

 

Cut Lennon by Rugs by Robinson

This rug is like a painting!

 Moroccan History by Jenny Jones Rugs

A traditional damask in neutrals that resembles wallpaper. Lovely.

 

A Tamarian rug

The next two lovelies are also by Tamarian.

 

These next two are by Marc Phillips Rugs with a chinoiserie feeling to them.

 

Another contemporary rug with an almost neutral combination of colors.

Twist by Marc Phillips

This should be hung on the wall! It reminds me of Marcia Myers' paintings, one of my favorite artists.

 

Fresco by Rugs by Robinson

What are your favorite rug vendors? Would you go with a bold pattern?

 

Which style are you?

Here are some of my favorite garden containers.

Which style do you like?

Photos courtesy of: Authentic Provence, Jardinique, Bacsac, Garden Urns Guide

Dont' forget to visit next week to celebrate my 100th post and win the hydrangea wreath!