DIY Decorating: Kitchenette Centerpiece

In the ongoing effort to spruce up and refresh the house, I decided that we needed a new centerpiece for the kitchenette table

Super simple...

I bought this not vintage Fiesta Disc Pitcher, in Scarlet, from JC Penny's last December, when they were getting rid of all of their Fiestaware for 50% off (so sad they don't carry Fiestaware anymore).  Since then, it has been sitting on my counter tucked behind some junk important paperwork... languishing, un-noticed... but not unloved.

So... I moved it to the kitchenette table and filled it with some faux hydrangeas from Michaels'... incidentally, also 50% off.  (cheap-cheap!)

But the best part of this super simple micro-mini make-over is the cool salt and pepper shakers I found at My Friends and I antique shop in Fremont for $5.00.

 
I love the shape and color.  There is no mark on the bottom, so I don't know who the maker is (I think the number on the bottom was the antique's shop booth/vendor number) or how old they are, but I would say they look like they are from the 50's...that is just a completely uneducated guess.

I'm afraid to do any looking online...which would surely lead to buying online...which would lead to collecting and displaying...and, sigh...I don't need another thing to collect...

Okay, maybe just a quick look...

 

And one parting picture...Bonnie is a bit perturbed that I was taking pictures of the silly shakers and absolutely not petting her!  Shame on me!

Pet me, pet me now!

I'm linking this up with The Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday...be sure to pop over and check out the rest of the link-ups!

A Walk in the Garden

When we bought our house in 2009, we inherited several fruit trees planted by the previous owner:  two cherry trees, three lemon trees, a banana tree (long since removed...poor ugly tree), one pear tree, one pomagrante tree (or shrub?  not sure which) and a loquat tree.  I didn't even know what a loquat was in 2009!

Wikipedia says:
Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar...The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe....The fruits are the sweetest when soft and orange. The flavour is a mix of peach, citrus and mild mango.

I have since learned to love them, although the peeling and eating of them is much messier than the Wikipedia description leads one to believe!

Anyway...I spent a few minutes the other evening checking out how the fruit trees are coming along...it was a lovely warm evening and it was real nice to stroll around, camera in hand, to see what's growing...

The Loquat:

The tree is really ugly far more tropical looking than I like...but the flowers are so fragrant and the fruit so yummy, I can't bear to remove it...

 

The tree is just loaded with fruit...

 

Some not ripe...

 

And some almost ready to become jam!

The Pear:

So...

 

...many...

...many...

 

...pears!

The Pomagranate:

The Pomegranate is loaded with flowers!  Last year I had a pretty good crop and made some awesome pomagranate jelly.  I just finished off my last jar...such a sad, but delicious moment...

 

I can hardly wait until the fall to make some more!  Come on!  Grow...grow!

The Cherry:

Oh my...where do I begin...this is a sad tale, be sure to grab a hankie to wipe your eyes...

For the last two years we have had a pretty dismal showing on the cherries.  What we have had...is an ugly case of black cherry aphids.  Ack!

So this year I made sure to spray the trees in early spring...right after they flowered...

 

Which is exactly the wrong time to spray the trees...according to UC Davis.

 

Which is why I have shriveled dead cherries...

 

And a tree full of black cherry aphids!

So...no home-grown cherries, or cherry pies, or cherry jelly.  Good thing I live in a little valley full of farms and orchards...including a cherry stand!

Check back...I'm doing some online Google-ing to prepare for the next battle in Word War A!