Allium Floral Fireworks Centerpiece

When the globes of allium flowers burst so big in the spring, they’re always a surprise. I know they’re there, lurking under the soil surface, but each year the bulbs spread and the display gets more spectacular.

But what’s more surprising is the fireworks display that remains after the first burst. It just lasts and lasts. Yes it’s a bit neutral in color, but you can spraypaint dried allium flowers any color you want, or dust them with twinkly sparkly powder. Each year, a landscaping business near us paints its huge allium globes purple to keep the color going into the summer.

I popped dried alliums into a quick and easy table centerpiece in our sunroom:

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Empty Frames, Full of Promises

Blog inspiration can come from the craziest sources! Our basement flooded and destroyed some things in picture frames. Thankfully more sentimental images weren’t ruined — like a beguiling photo of my husband’s sister dressed in red when they were young and vacationing in Kashmir, or a funny bathroom humor painting made by my late uncle who always wanted to be an artist. He rediscovered his passion too late in life. Don’t wait! I was recently thinking about a photo I took of my sister in a black dress wearing a white lampshade on her head, for a college photography class, back when we developed film in a darkroom. I was afraid to find that image among the ruins, but it was not there. Whew.

Thankfully only cheap posters wound up among the wet cardboard boxes and papers awaiting their fate in the recycling bin.

Now we have a collection of empty frames. There is a certain promise and hope to empty frames, isn’t there? Let’s see …

From Hege in France:

From Tine K Home:

Found at Kulunka Deco blog:

Via Elle Interior:

Pinned by HGTV’s Emily Henderson:

I’m uncertain of the original source of this creatively simple bedroom. If you know, please leave a comment and I’ll credit it:

Pinned by Megan Peters:

Collection via Etsy seller KatyBitsandPieces:

Via Vintage Revivals blog:

Found at La Maison D’Anna G.:

I don’t know the original source of this image; if you do please comment:

Available for purchase at Mothology:

Via The Selby:

Via Yatzer:

From Real Simple:

Via Brooklyn Limestone:

Now that our basement will be cleaned up and reorganized, you may find a future blog post about an arrangement of empty frames! After all, we have now vowed to keep everything that can be affected by water off the floor.





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Indian Wood Printing Blocks with Crusty Paint

Wood printing blocks from India are pretty enough in plain wood, but they can be even prettier when crusted with old paint, showing off the bold colors of India. I scored this one with a fantastic circus of color from an eBay seller:

It makes me wonder, what did this wood printing block make with all those colors? Who carved it? Did the block printer get these colors all over his hands too?

It lives in our living room, sometimes on a side table, sometimes on the coffee table, but always in sight where we can appreciate its vibrant ink colors.

It’s hard to find wood printing blocks from India with ink still on them. Most of the time the blocks are washed and then stamped with white ink so they photograph well for sales pictures. But I was able to dig up some beautiful photos of colorful printing blocks …

Little old blocks from India, from Daydreams from a Handmade Prairie Life:

Colorful printing blocks shown at the Quilter’s Market:

Gorgeous!!!

Wooden blocks available from The Well-Cooked Life:

More blocks with color shown at Pascale’s Paintings:

I’ve posted this image previously. It’s from Soma, textile creators and exporters in India:

I like the wood printing blocks so much better when paint is left on them. It plays up the whole point of the wood blocks – to make colorful designs.

 





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