Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks 7.15.11 Summer Entertaining

Summer’s here in the northern hemisphere and according to the weather people, it’s been a hot one. Down here in FLA we are finally into our rainy season, which we have sorely needed. The daily (yes, just about every day we have thunderstorms) showers are keeping our volunteer garden alive. We have tomatoes, melons, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydews, on the vine. Talk about a bonus. Very exciting, especially when you realize it is a freebie benefit.

So, how do you stay cool in the heat? Do you stay inside and take a luscious afternoon nap in the AC or go for a dip in the pool? Movies in the AC? Is it too hot to garden when the temp reaches over 100? Do you have parties and cookouts in the evening when it cools off? Maybe a picnic or poolside luncheon? Decorate in style!

           Waverly Sun N Shade Jewel of the Sea Indoor Outdoor 18"x18"  Pillow Cover by SewSusie1 Pretty enough for inside the house and ready to use poolside or in the hammock.

 

                            Mossy Green Pottery Rhubarb Leaf Plate by NancyBloklandPottery  What a lovely serving plate! Imagine this on the table. Even hot dogs will look elegant!

       Personalized Custom Wine Stave Tray by Rock Creek Furniture Co Fabulous way to carry the goodies out to the barbecue! It would make a wonderful wedding or hostess gift, too.

       Glass Pitcher and Glasses with Painted Poppy by Crafts n Nat Elegant (and gorgeous) way to serve lemonade or even ice water. Beautiful.

     Large Red Oak Platter with Carved Sections by Amie Jean Original Love the use of reclaimed wood. Imagine this on your summer table, indoors or outdoors.

     Fabric bowls - set of 2, teal, yellow, orange, purple by Textile Gifts. Fill these babies with snacks or bread. Pretty and summery!

           Turquoise Triangle Cocktail Veil by Cocktail Veils Fantastic idea to keep those pesky insects from dive bombing into your drink. Looks much better than a napkin and the turquoise holds it in place.

          Palm Trees Screen print cotton flour sack towel by Ms Veronicas Love the color (and the look).  These are gorgeous! I use  fabric napkins all the time. Wash, dry, fold, and put away and use again. Better than work, shop, buy, use, throw away.

OK, that’s the eight for the week. What do you think? Good ways to make the summer barbecue the “place to be?” Vote for your favorite. Poll will be in the upper left corner. Winner gets a feature blog interview.

Post by Miss Eileen aka Goofing Off.

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Unpaper Napkins

Having done away with paper napkins in my home years ago, I was happy to find people who embrace the idea of unpaper napkins. When I did it, I was considered a firebrand, one of those long-haired hippie folks. The first time I made cloth napkins, I just grabbed some fabric from my sewing closet, a pair of pinking shears, and cut some squares. Imagine my surprise when I found the way Etsians do napkins! I've made some cute ones but check these out! Here's some examples: Jazz Brunch Cotton Napkins by ME2Designs I love the colors in this fabric. It makes me think of New Orleans and Sunday brunch. Set of four cloth Hanukkah dinner napkins -AprilAdelsonDesigns Sweet napkins just right for potato latkes or jelly doughnuts! Owls and Trees Fabric Napkins from thepurpleoctopus The colors are so vivid, absolutely lovely. They would look great on a Thanksgiving table. I am so glad people are using cloth instead of buying paper. It saves so much money, not to mention trees. We all have to do our part, but these Etsians show how doing our part can be done so beautifully!

Tin Can Flowers Tutorial

I have the hardest time growing flowers in my yard. Maybe it's the trees. I have lots of oak trees, big beautiful oak trees, that give shade and protect the house from the wind. The down side is there is a lot of shade, the ground is acidic, and the soil is poor. I've tried lots of plants, killed them really, no matter how much organic matter or water they get, they still die, so I got very excited when I found this book, Decorating Inside and Out from Leisure Arts, about tin can flowers. It is perfect for the recycler in me. I made them. They look whimsical and cute. All you need are tin and aluminum cans, tin snips, wire, paint, a hammer, 1 nail and paint. Here's how I did it: Save your cans and the lids. You can use any size. Remove the labels. Wash them well, but be careful and watch for sharp edges. Cut the cans from the end to the center using your tin snips. Curl the strips down so they form petals. Next, cut leaves from aluminum cans. Now's the time you need the hammer and nail. With you nail, put 2 holes into the end of the leaves and 2 holes in the center of each flower. Now, take your project outside or somewhere where it is safe to paint. Don't forget to wear a mask so you don't breathe in paint. I paint the centers first. For these flowers, I painted the centers black. When the centers were dry, I covered them and then painted the petals. Then I painted the leaves green. Here's what the flower looks like when the paint is dry. Now, take some wire (green Floral Wire is the best) and run the wire through the holes punched in the leaves and the flowers in the pattern that pleases you best. Now your flowering tin can vine is ready for the fence or anywhere you want some color. Just think, flowers that don't have to be watered, won't die, and will stay blooming right through the winter!