My mother-in-law absolutely loves nature – flowers, plants, birds, etc. She’s kind of obsessive about it, which is no secret to anyone who knows her (Hi, Linda!). I remember one time she had us pull over on the side of the road so she could get out of the car and get some mistletoe out of a tree she saw. Apparently, we have very different flora and fauna here in Texas than they have in Missouri.
This weekend, my in-laws were in town for DS’s birthday and we went down to one of the big parks to take him on the little train that goes around the perimeter. When we were leaving, my MIL found this really interesting ball of Spanish Moss (at least we *think* it’s Spanish Moss) on the ground. It covers the trees in this particular park, and I guess a gust of wind blew this ball out of the tree. She couldn’t wait to take it home with her. I was so jealous, because I wanted some, too.
As we were driving out of the parking lot, I shouted, “Look Linda! There’s more! Let’s pull over!” DH and my FIL sat in the car with the boy while Linda and I ran around picking up more moss. We even found a tree branch covered with moss, twigs, and beautiful lichens.
I took three of the moss balls and added them to an empty urn I picked up not long ago at Tuesday Morning. How darling is this? Don’t you just love the little floral elements coming out of the moss?
I decided to use the branch as a centerpiece on my dining room table. I added some of the extra moss I gathered and some candles. I really like the rustic look of this when it’s combined with the sterling silver candle holder. The outside of our house is much more rustic than the inside, and since the dining room is the first room you see when you come in the front door, I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time.
It’s still a work-in-progress, as I need to add some other items to the display, but I’m loving the way it’s turning out.
What have you done to bring nature inside your home?
P.S. You’ll also be glad to know that I found the gator and supplies for making Valentine’s goodies for DS’s schoolmates today. It was a very successful shopping day!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You blog header might be my all time favorite. Did you design it?
Love your wall color and the bringing in of nature as well. Of course, without the great photography skills, I wouldn’t have noticed either!
Thanks so much, Denise! I actually picked up my blog template at http://www.suckmylolly.com. She has some super cute designs…that are free!