Parting is such sweet sorrow . . .

I love Little Man (an expensive splurge), but I always felt that he was really more my sister's style so a few months ago I wrapped him up and we parted ways.

 Little Man looks right at home at my sister's house.

I like the "sweet" part of the line because it made me truly happy to see Little Man sitting serenely in my sister's morning room when I visited last week.

I know my dear friend Susan felt the same way when she wrapped up this beautiful vase to give me as a "bathroom completion" gift - she was the one who recommended our wonderful contractor.

What makes this vase so special is the story behind it.

Susan purchased it in the early 80's when she was teaching in West Berlin and she recounted stories of going through Checkpoint Charlie with friends to enter East Berlin to shop and dine.

But like me seeing Little Man at my sister's house, Susan knows when she visits that the beautiful vase will be on display.

Susan has no blue in her house which is why she thought of me not only with the vase, but also a beautiful linen tablecloth that belonged to her mother.

Rather than sitting forgotten in a cupboard, the items are loved - this is a pic from December 2016 when Susan first gave me the tablecloth.

And here it is out on the beach for a tea party last spring.

So many of you are talking about simplifying and purging and the difficulty of letting go, but I challenge you to part with something like sweet Rita of Panoply did when she sent me these gorgeous linens

or May Alice of Chateau Chic when she parted with the fabulous sugar bowl I use as a vase.

 I hope Linda of @linsals, who sent me the beautiful beach pail painting, enjoys seeing it on display in my She Shed.

I promise you, the parting is sweet and it's one less thing to dust!

Fall Baskets

Welcome to the Bountiful Fall Baskets Blog Hop organized by Amber of Follow the Yellow Brick Home.

If you are following the Hop from the beginning, 

then you were just in West Virginia at Panoply where you got to see the beautiful home of my friend Rita- isn't her style great!

Baskets are one of my mainstays throughout the year - adding a little seasonal decor is an easy decor fix.

I love to add flowers to baskets both inside

and outside for a pop of color.

Peaches, pomegranates and blood oranges are just the right colors for a fall display.

My vintage look shopping cart had been in the garden, but I like it in the entry filled with faux pumpkins and real flowers from the garden.

I know very little about flower arranging, but that doesn't keep me from having a bit of fun.

This arrangement began with ornamental cabbage from the garden and a few Mexican sunflowers - I added flowers from Trader Joe's to give it lots of color.

Although I loved it on the dining room table, I like it better in the living room -

it's fun to see how it mimics the colors in the plaid throw on the sofa.

This big metal basket is one of my favorites.

 I began with roses in a glass jar then added leftover greenery and some old twigs I had in the shed.

With the house full of baskets, I got busy outside.

I like using baskets around the garden to add height.

 Nasturtiums are a perfect fall flower for the old cruiser that's hanging out by my shed these days.

Pansies and mums in an old basket sit on a rickety rocker Steve found on the street.

And there, along the fence, is an old chair holding a picnic basket full of mums.

Pansies last nearly year round in that 30 year old grapevine basket.

All the baskets definitely add color to my garden that has been neglected for too long.

And this little visitor seems to like the baskets of flowers.

Now it's time to head to the desert home of Marti at A Stroll Thru Life to see how she is using baskets this fall.

Enjoy the rest of the Bountiful Fall Basket Blog Hop - there is so much inspiration from this wonderful group of bloggers.

  Follow The Yellow Brick Home      Common Ground             Our Southern Home             Decor To Adore

               Petite Haus                  My Thrift Store Addiction                    Panoply                        Art and Sand

            A Stroll Thru Life                 Let's Add Sprinkles             Belle Bleu Interiors        Have A Daily Cup of Mrs.                                                                                                                                                            Olson

          The Painted Hinge                The Crowned Goat              Beauty for Ashes                White Arrows Home

           Thistle Key Lane                  The Tattered Pew                 Joy In Our Home

An InLinkz Link-up

A Map and a Plan

Earlier this month I was approached by Mapiful about a collaboration and I jumped at the chance

because the website was so easy to use, you can create almost any map and you choose your own labels for the map.

I love the label @juliennelle chose for her map and the caption for the map shared on #mapiful by @siwzen is so touching.

Mapiful requested that I post a pic on Instagram 

and share my story as to why I chose the particular map.

Part of the joy of a vacation is the anticipation so it's fun for now to look at this little display in the guest room.

After hanging the map on the old door, 

I hung a wire basket and went to my shed to find faux flowers -

tulips seemed like the obvious choice in my homage to Amsterdam.

While I was in the shed I spotted the book, A Paris Apartment 

which led to me looking around the house for other books with a Paris theme or title.

This little display will remain until Christmas decor takes over, but by that time, we should have our dates nailed down and the tickets purchased.

By then my daughter-in-law and I will be busy actually looking for a Paris apartment to rent.