DIY: Diva Style

I've gotten tired of my dining room centerpiece and have been on the prowl for an update.  I've had my eye on this project for awhile as a possible replacement.  I hit up Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx and Michaels in search of a pot that fit my color scheme and style, but came up empty.  After a few inspirational posts about thrift store finds, I decided to check out a few local stores myself.  I always forget that you can turn a cheapo find into a treasure with a little wisp of spray paint.  As luck would have it, I found 2 pots at Goodwill.  Big win! 

With the pots acquired, I could finally pick up all the items: 6" floral dome (2) and faux boxwood stems (4). I already had the black spray paint leftover from another project.  Be sure to get green floral foam and not white Styrofoam.  As you'll see below, it's nice to have a background that blends with the foliage.  

Though very popular in most current home design, I'm not one for a lot of white, so I decided these guys could use a new color. I did 2 quick coats of spray paint and then set to work on the boxwood.  For each 6" dome, it took nearly 2 stems of the faux boxwood to create a full look. 

The Mardis Gras blooms are still sitting pretty on my dining room table, so I opted for alternate placement of my new topiary displays. 

Now that they have found a new home, I'm not sure I'll move them.  I like them right where they are.  I might just have to find another project for my table centerpiece. Any suggestions?

Herb Garden Prep

Last year, Mr Diva and I trimmed back some very large laurel bushes along our patio (sadly those photos were recently lost in a computer crash).  It made a huge improvement to our backyard, so I've been contemplating the same fate for the holly bushes.

They had become too leggy from years of neglect and were in major need of some pruning.  Winter is a good time to tackle this task before any spring growth begins.  Plus, this bed is going to be home to my new herb garden, so we had even more of a reason to prep this bed.  After about 45 minutes of trimming, here's what we have. 

It's like looking at pale white legs before the tan, but it's worth it.  Come summer time these guys will be looking as good as new.  Next up:  Weeding and Mulching! 

Mardis Gras Time

Lent starts exceptionally late this year, which means I have had lots of time to ponder King Cake!  Not that I need an excuse, but I like to whip up a shrimp and grits dinner in honor of this tasty confection.  You're welcome to try to find a quality cake in your neighborhood, but the folks down in the Delta get it right every time & are truly the best.  Paul's Pastry ships them overnight delivery in a festive box filled with cake, beads, coins and toppings.  You dress the cake when you are ready to serve.  I always leave the bag of almonds off and simply top with icing and sprinkles. (Note: I typically use the sliced almonds in a salad.  I just don't like them with my sweets!)

Fat Tuesday is the last official day in Mardis Gras, which means you have 8 more days to order your king or get invited to party!

Sundays with Manning: Pet Agree

Manning is mostly a good a puppy, but he has his challenges: eating toilet paper, digging in my garden and jumping on new friends.  A few weeks ago I couldn't take it any more and decided to do some research.  I read Cesar's book, but it said pretty much what I already knew.  Our dog needs at least 1 1-hour walk per day.  Well in these temps that's just not going to happen.  So I kept checking out other options on Amazon, a truly great resource/time waster.  After just a little bit of searching, I found the Pet Agree Ultrasonic Trainer.  It's reasonably priced and wouldn't interfere with the Invisible Fence.

 
You simply press the button for 1-2 seconds and it emits a high pitch noise that dogs hate.  Over the last few weeks, I've had lots of workers around the house and Manning has mostly resisted the temptation to jump on them. Huge accomplishment!  He's still tempted to eat TP on a day where he doesn't get enough attention, but Manning's Charmin appetite seems to have diminished ever so slightly.  Now I just need to curtail the digging and I'll be a pseudo happy dog owner.

Howling in the Wind

Backyard Pine Tree

We had a terrible storm sweep through Nashville on Thursday night.  Even after a night of high winds and jarring cracks of lighting, Mr. Diva, Manning and I were still surprised to wake up to the potential loss of 2 trees.  Poteet Tree Service has already been out to inspect and has said the backyard pine needs to go. I won't miss their endless pine needles come this fall, but I started to really worry about our magnolia's prognosis. 

Beloved 'Grisham' Magnolia

Mr. Poteet mentioned removal as an option, but I'm going to see what just removing the damaged branch will do.  I hate to loose the beautiful tree as well as the curb appeal. Definitely more updates to come!

Diva Makeover

I'm not sure if it was the cold weather, my need to nest or a just other blog envy, but I decided that Non-Stop Diva needed a little makeover.  There are so many great blog designs out there for inspiration that it was hard to decide where to start.  Two column vs Three Column?  Buttons or No Buttons?  What to do with the header...

http://www.beantownbaker.com/

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/

 

 

The options are endless. Thankfully, I found Shelia, who helped me clear the clutter of yore.  Yay for another fabulous Etsy find!  If you're reading this on Google reader, you'll need to click over to the actually site to see the transformation. 

Shower Hour

Photos by my fabulous sis

My lovely friends were so sweet to throw a shower for me and Little Miss Diva here in Nashville.  We had quite the spread including tasty bites from The Picnic as well as a fabulous mocktail bar. I was all too thrilled to have a fun drink alternative to water. 

For those ladies who needed a morning cocktail, they had them covered.  Can you see the name on the Champange?  In case you can't, it says Baby Walker established 2011...too fun!  

They also had my little sweet tooth covered with these delicious petit fours from The Perfect Bite.
If your in Nashvegas, she needs to be on your speed dial...oh so tasty!