Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')

Boston Fern(Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')
I have had a Boston fern in every home we have had.  My oldest Boston fern was acquired during our early newlywed days, moved with us from Ontario to Alberta and back, then graced our first four owned homes.  It had a long, long history and really was more like a family member.  I was devastated when it failed to thrive at our last house.  As

Houseplants and Watering Globes

Dollarama is likely quite happy with me!  I discovered their watering globes back in May of 2010 and have been experimenting with them ever since.  We spend upwards of five weeks at a time away from our permanent residence to enjoy our vacation home.  That leaves the dilemna of houseplant watering.  In our case, this is not a huge issue as our kids look after the house while we are away but I'm

Mother-in-Law's Tongue (Sansevieria)

Sansevieria

Sansevieria is commonly called Mother-in-Law's Tongue.  It is a good air purifier that removes toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene and toulene all of which can occur in homes with laminate flooring, panelling, other manmade wood composite building materials, carpeting and upholsteried furniture.  The release of these chemicals is known as off-gassing, something quite common in

LONDON Antique Show

London's 'Battersea International Antique Show' has 140 vendors of some of the most intriguing and diverse pieces this antique enthusiasts has ever seen in in one venue.

 Let's take a look at a sprinkling of treasures.

Loved this display; a series of hardcover books spray painted and glued cover to cover. Propped in a corner it makes a clever pedestal

Sorry, all photo's are with my i-phone, some better than others.

Close up of the above mirror. Yes it is actually adorned with gold spray painted rope!

A pair of stone, pony sized horses that once adorned the entrance of a chateau in France.
 $13,000.00 each

love this floor

As typical, dogs were welcomed, as always

This was my favorite piece. An artist takes door panels, adds wooden boxes behind an opening he creates and adds a scene of great imagination.

Everything is in extreme miniature; desk, bound books with pages, urns ............to true scale. Mesmerizing and difficult to walk away from

Every piece has an overhead light and an open entrance to draw in natural light

Neo-classic elements were prevalent through out the show. Old molds

Antique French sewer elements would make great garden art

Just adore the button placement

A classic British woman of a certain era.....

Hope you enjoyed!
Debra

Epic Cordless, Electric Self-Propelled Mower

Our New Mower
My husband has been looking for a mower solution for quite sometime.  An electric mower was not a practical option for our last two rural properties.  Gasoline fumes triggered respiratory problems so for a couple of years we hired a lawn cutting service.  That had a lot of benefits especially when we were away.  Two years ago we bought a very nice gas powered mower and while it did

Yardworks Cordless Grass Trimmer/Edger

Yardworks Cordless Grass Trimmer/Edger
Yards need weeding, trimming and edging even if you replace the grass with another ground cover.  My husband bought a Yardworks cordless grass trimmer/edger just before we sold our previous house so I had the opportunity to test it on a larger rural lot.  The beauty of this edger is it is battery powered.  Using battery powered yard maintenance equipment

My First New Houseplant at Our New Home

First New Houseplant at Our New HomeOctober 12, 2011

The beauty of houseplants is aside of adding life and vitality to a room while softening the hard edges of the room is they can be used to camouflage those little room idiosyncrasies that can be a bit annoying.  When the Bell satellite television installer ran our lines he made the assumption we would place the television in the corner thus

Houseplant Problem at Our Last House

I have always had an abundance of houseplants in every home we've lived in.  I do mean an abundance too, with houseplants in pretty much every room.  Houseplants are a wonderful natural way to soften a room, bring interest and life into a room and improve air quality.  Our last hose was horrid for houseplants and yet I never did figure out what the problem was.  I honestly believe the house was

DECOREX International 2011

During London Design week one of the venue's was Decorex. A trade show for the design community to source exquisite product and meet pioneering design talent. It did not disappoint. A huge showing of  textiles.......the British are the best.......my opinion, lighting, wall covering and furniture. Let's peek at some of the stars of the show and further trends.

Two to three tone, painted furniture. Actually painted furniture was still hot.

A lovely silk, this chandelier was ethereal in person

Near impossible to capture, this is vertical strips of porcelain which emitted a warm flattering glow.

Reference

Hmmmm, does someone have a storage issue?

 Nail heads still carry the day. Loving these overly large well spaced heads

 What a color palette! If someone told me I would love a citrine, purple and orange living room it would have been taken as a joke, this is stunning......or not.......your thoughts?

"Library" wall covering

Particularly fond of the graphics....cheers!

 My dearest friend Sylvia entering a fabric booth

All the above by Emily Bond

 The British are known for gorgeous and well made draperies. Lined in several layers of flannel they hang beautifully while adding extra insulation.

 The above by Susie Watson Designs

 The best striped fabric was by Ian Mankin

 Lastly, a plethora of wall murals by Surface View, take a look at the website for a wide ranging collection.

Hope you enjoyed a taste of Decorex.  Next and final; London's Battersea Antique Show
Have a great week!
Debra