Chihuly Nights

If you have never been to a Chihuly Glass Exhibition it is amazing.  I went with a couple of my neighbors this past week at the Dallas Arboretum during one of its special evening exhibits.  Here are just a few of the beautiful works of art.

For more information and tickets please visit
www.chihulygardenandglass.com

Blue Marlins & Turquoise Reeds

Yellow Icicle Tower...shoots up 30 feet and is monumental

More Reeds...Chihuly first made these in a small glassblowing town in Finland

Mirrored Hornets....molten glass is blown into a spiral mold to make the Hornet form.  The glassblower literally has to unscrew the hot glass to remove the form from the mold.

Float Boats

Fiori Sun....made of a thousand blown pieces!

Garden Glass....reflects the artist's affinity for plant-like forms

Scarlet and Yellow Asymmetrical Tower....first exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens near London in 2005

Chihuly's Sun is a 14' diameter globe of red, orange and yellow glass branches

A Lil Christmas Decorating at Home

We decided to have a Holiday Open House this year....the first in our new home.  My friend gave me these fun beverage napkins that became the theme...."GET YOUR MERRY (MARY) ON"!  We made sangria, fondue and my husband's now famous pasta pies!

I did a lot of outdoor decorating this year.  I'm finding working with live garlands, holly, magnolia and pine cones so much easier than digging through boxes and boxes of ornaments in the attic!  Then I can dispose of after the holiday and not take up any storage space!

Get your Merry on and have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Mary

Getting into the Spirit.....

OK, so it's not Rockefeller Center or the White House, but I think this tree at the Dallas Galleria ranks right up there!  And, as you can see, Dallas does have its wintry ice skating rinks (albeit indoors). It was a mere 80 degrees yesterday but in here you'd never know!  That's what I call getting into the Spirit of the Holidays:)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

My Latest Obsession...

Old Fashioned Climbing Roses!  It began with a trip to Cape Cod where I admired all of the spectacular rose covered cottages.  This past spring I got turned on to The Antique Rose Emporium out of Brenham, Texas that  is a mail order nursery for Earth-Kind, Pioneer and old roses.  They offer two gallon, own root, vigorous, easy to grow and fragrant long-lived roses.   I have never grown roses before but the (3) I purchased have been absolutely amazing--fast growing, fragrant and disease resistant!  I am now hooked and have just ordered (5) more!   I am determined to cover my cottage in 'Texas' with roses!

 https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/

                                                                                                             

To the palest of yellows.....






To bright cheerful yellows...




To the apricots.....





To the Palest of Pinks.....






And, my favorite.... the fuchsias!






Here are a few of  the climbing roses I have planted so far ....

Peggy Martin (Survived even Hurricane Katrina) 

Madame Alfred Carriere

Old Blush, Cl.

New Dawn

Zephirine Drouhin

Thanks for visiting! 

 I'd love to hear your rose growing experiences so please feel free to leave a comment!