The Mansion on Forsyth Park

We stayed at the ultra hip, cool and chic: Mansion on Forsyth Park. It was one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in. There were surprises around every corner. They have a 250 milllion dollar chandelier collection that I will show you tomorrow. Let's take a look around, shall we?

This was a very cool lounge where you could sit and relax and have a drink.

These beautiful knobs were on the doors.

This is the ball room.

Here is a nice little corner to catch your breath. Cynthia and Annette relax after a long flight.

Going to the elevator, these flowers were displayed in this very unique way.

When you got into the elevators and if you looked up, you would see this. Lighted from behind.
These are the hallways to the rooms. The carpet was beautiful. Crush velvet curtains everywhere. Pop art lined the walls (can't say I was crazy about the art).
We opened the door to find these beautiful beds. White on white with crushed velvet pillows and drapes. A mirrored night stand.

A wonderful green apple crushed velvet chair, with some bling to read by.

The bathroom was stunning. Once again: marble, crushed velvet, and crystal completed the look.

One side was the shower, the other side the toilet.

We had a candelabra and this cool mirror. But who ordered up the dead baby picture? ( I know it is a doll, but just the same) Hated it!

Over all this hotel was stunning! I definitely want to bring my handsome husband.

Outdoor Wednesday - Window boxes of Charleston

Please join our hostess at A Southern Daydreamer for more beautiful outdoor spaces.
As we were riding our beach cruisers around Charleston, I saw all these beautiful window boxes. Each one different. Each one a masterpiece of color, texture and intricacy.

Some plants we knew right away, some not at all, and some we debated the name.

Some were the windows only decoration. Others were paired with shutters or wrought iron.
Many different styles blended to form the most amazing display, complimenting each house.

I loved the ones that dripped with ivy.

This is one of my favorites. It has it all. Shutters, wrought iron, texture, and color!

This one was right outside our hotel in Charleston, The Vendue Inn. They were lined up down the block. They were a beautiful sight.

I'm Back...

I'm back from 5 days of thoroughly enjoying myself with two of my best friends in Savannah and Charleston. We had a FABULOUS time. Full of fun, laughter, and excitment! I'm working on the pictures and will be doing a post later this morning for Outdoor Wednesday. Stay tuned!

Tablescape Thursday - New Bride

Please join our hostess, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch for more beautiful and unique tablescapes.
As you might have heard, my daughter Alyssa was married two weeks ago and went on a great honeymoon to Northern Europe. She arrived home on Sat., and on Sun. she and Greg came by to open their wedding gifts. Everyone was so generous. This is a tablescape made with her china.
The china is "Opal Innocence" by Lenox. It is so beautiful and sweet. It will go with so many things and she will never tire of the pattern. Opal Innocence is Lenox's number one selling pattern. Who knew?
These champagne/water flutes are mine. They are from Anthropologie. I've had them for a while and I thought they would go perfect with her dishes. She received a set of these velvet placemats and a matching Opal Innocence tablecloth (that is stored at the in-laws for now) as gifts.
These are the matching wine glasses that go with the china. They are full lead crystal and they are beautiful (also by Lenox).
The dreamy candlesticks were a gift to her from me! They are from Home Goods, but I thought they would look nice with the china.

White iceberg roses in the center of the table (from my front garden).

The tea/coffee cups are so beautiful. She also received all the accessories that accompany her china. Lucky her!
I used my silver chargers (note to self, get Alyssa chargers for Christmas) and my Towle silver.

I added white napkins with "bling" napkin rings from zgallerie.

Here is a closer look.

Here are the rose bushes that are in full bloom and providing endless white roses for the house.

Thank you for stopping by.

Outdoor Wednesday - The Back Garden

Please join our hostess at A Southern Daydreamer for more beautiful outdoor settings.
I've decided to show some of my back garden today before it gets too hot here and the plants start to look worn out and droopy. This little bunny is one of the welcomed of his kind. I've had to put up chicken wire along our fence to keep all the other bunnies out. They like to eat the grass and the flowers. My dogs like to hunt them down. So really, I'm just saving their lives!

A view from the patio.

These two rose bushes grow madly on the side of my house. The purple one is "Angel Face" and it smells sooo good. I can't remember the name of the other, but it starts out bright yellow and orange and fades to a pinky orange. It is very vibrant.
This is the view from my kitchen window. Petunias grow like crazy in this spot. It is perfect for them.

This little vignette is off my patio, under my kitchen window.

You can't really see it in this picture, but this weeping birch tree has a curvy trunk. I bought the container from Horchow a fee years ago. The shipping was more than the pot!

I got this cute little table at Home Goods. I love it.

Here is a picture of my patio. I put that small table on the other side of the loveseat and put the table in the picture above where that table was.

This is a picture of my fountain. I love the soft sound of water flowing that it makes. It really makes you feel cooler on a hot day! Thank you for stopping by.

Getting some height in the garden

I've always had a hard time growing things in my back garden. It is beautiful in the spring and in the fall, but in the summer things die on me left and right. I get hot sun all day back there. So over the years I've narrowed it down to just a few types of plants and flowers that can tolerate the heat and dryness. I have iceberg roses, petunias, geraniums, alyssum, ivy, lavender, and sweet pea bushes along with palm trees that make up the bulk of the garden. I needed some color at a different level and I came across these great planters.
(Please excuse the string, left over from a party, didn't see it until I saw the picture). These planters are basically a metal stick with prongs on the bottom that dig into the dirt and have a pot holder on top that holds a 15 gallon pot. It is important that the pot is so big, that way it doesn't dry out fast. Mine hold: geranium, the wave petunias, licorice plant. I cut them back in the winter (about January) and you can see their progress now.
These are stuck in a wine barrel, but you can stick them straight into the ground. I was afraid they wouldn't stand up to the Santa Ana winds, but so far so good. They also make ones that have a wide round base so that you can stick them on the patio if you want.
I bought them at Armstrong Nurseries. They are there again this year. They come in 3 heights with both the pronged bottom and the round bottom. They seem to sell out fast. They usually arrive in March/April. I'm sure they would order them if you wanted them. Of course, the planter and pots are sold separately.

Great Find!

I found these beautiful hanging planters for a fraction of the retail price. I was wondering around at Roger's Gardens (I often go there for inspiration) and I saw these beautiful planters. The problem was that there were $150 each, planted! I loved them and knew that they would go perfectly in my back garden. But...way to much money. So I decided to see if I could find anything similar online. And I did! I found the hanging baskets at a place called www.simplyplanters.com They were on sale for $39.99 each! Jackpot!!! I then went to my local Home Depot and picked up the mixed pre-planted plastic planter for $12.99 each. I just took off the plastic hangers and set the pre-planted plastic pot inside the containers. I did not transplant them, because it gets so hot in my backyard that anything planted in moss is dry as a bone in a couple of hours. I can't keep it watered. The plants are thriving and the baskets look great!