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Monday, September 27, 2010

Just a Little Autumn......For Now

Sure, the calendar says it's Fall......but most of us here in the West are not convinced just yet. With three-digit temperatures still around we're really having to use our imaginations! But it's almost October.....you have to do SOMETHING..... right?......or at least I do. My solution has been to place a very simple arrangement of dried hydrangeas on my dining room table. I used a basket I already had, filled them with the flowers I picked from my father-in-law's yard a few weeks ago and have simply let dry. Now they're just the perfect gorgeous autumn colors.
Here I've used a table runner

Here's the arrangement from a different angle, using no table runner. I tend to like things a little more on the simple side so I'm really liking it on the bare black wood of the table top.
BUT.......
the trouble is I like them both ways. I'll probably go back and forth with it for the rest of the season.......I love to putter around with things in the house. For now I'm loving my little touch of Fall, and since we have to be away on a business trip for the rest of the week, we'll have this to greet us when we get back home on Monday. They'll look as lovely then as they did yesterday when I first placed them there. Even if the weather still isn't cooperating we'll have our own little piece of Autumn when we walk in the door.
Enjoying the little things,

18 comments:

Ginny Morton said...

Hey, so glad you're back to blogging! Love the arrangement because they do dry to be such pretty autumn colors.

Rachel said...

GORGEOUS!

sheila from life @ #17 said...

wow...I've never seen such a colourful arrangement of hydrangeas...they're just lovely :)

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

I love hydrangeas and these are all so pretty arranged in the basket. Looks like they just came in from the garden. Gorgeous. Thanks so much for linking to TTT. Hugs, Marty

Amy said...

Hi Elaine...so glad to see you "back." Hope all is well with you and your family. The hydrangeas are beautiful.

Love,
Amy

Blondie's Journal said...

I love the way hydrangeas dry and you have a nice collection of colors! I'm like you...I like the basket on and not on the tablecloth!! I would go back and forth, too! ;-D

Happy Table Top Tuesday, Elaine!

XO,
Janie

Susan said...

That is absolutely gorgeous!

Katy said...

Did I understand you to say you just dried them naturally? By that I mean, did you do anything special to them at all? How many seasons do they last like that and I'm just curious as to how you store them, if you do. I think they're gorgeous! One of the prettiest fall arrangements I've seen on the net this year.

Elaine said...

Yes, Katy......that's all I did....just let them dry. I know there are several ways you can do it that are a little more complicated but this has always worked well for me.....specially when I'm pushed for time. To store them I'll probably just tie the stems together when twine and hang them in the attic for next year (or garage rafters would work well too). I usually keep them for only a couple of seasons or so, then do some more since my father-in-law is always so generous with his blooms. Wish I could grow them here in Phoenix! Thanks for the nice compliment on them! :)

Susan said...

Love your flower arrangement! Just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

Your dried hydrangeas are beautiful! Love seeing all those colors together in one arrangement.

Anonymous said...

OMgoodness. I just trimmed my pink and white hydrangeas back today. They blossoms I trimmed were not that nice, but I am going out first thing tomorrow to pick a few for drying! Thanks for the great idea!

Candace said...

Lovely idea! It's been pretty hot here in Southern Cali too and I need something to remind me that Fall is here! I'm fortunate enough to be able to grow some pretty decent hydrangeas here so I'm going to go out since they're already beginning to fade on the bushes a little anyway and make myself an arrangement. Thanks for the idea!

Candace

Jami @ An Oregon Cottage said...

I'm going out to pick some for my table right now- I have the perfect basket! I've always just put them in vases, but the basket makes it much more "fall-ish." Thanks for sharing this at the Tuesday Garden Party. :-)

Ola Mae Morgan said...

Beautiful,,,,

Becky Ettwein said...

Really nice. I didn't know you could do that with hydrangea blossoms.

debbie.fox said...

Elaine, I am also so glad you have time to blog again! I saw this blog on nifty thrifty tuesday blog party and didn't realize it was yours (lol) until I saw it on your fb profile. Love the hydrangas! Our bachelor neighbor here has a huge hydranga plant that hangs over the fence into our yard and he said I can cut off and use whatever I can reach so I'm going to try something similar to what you did. So fun and pretty! Love you!

RoeH said...

I just love your blog!! I'm keeping you on my sidebar. You find the best blogs sometimes just by looking for one subject.