Martha Stewart screwed by Nellie and Half-Pint

 

I guess 8 straight hours of Martha-centric programming was too much perfection for the Hallmark network's core audience of mouth-breathing Snackwell's inhaling housewives and glue gun sniffing craft-whores, so they replaced it with Little House on the Prairie reruns. Ouch. And while I was perusing the Hallmark website for vital information, I discovered that Shannen Doherty and her lopsided eyeballs are starring in a Hallmark Original Movie about pumpkins (I'm not kidding) called Growing the Big One. Kadooze to you, Brenda!

Posted via email from HELLywood

Pretty Things...Christmas Garland

Drape these delicate garlands over your mantle, banister, or mirrors this holiday season and enjoy all the magic and beauty they bring to your decor.  Many can be used any time of the year!

 tinsel garland

 metallic garland

 ice crystal garland

yarn, pompom, sock garland

 bay leaf and pomegranate garland

 

ribbon garland

all images: MarthaStewart.com

The Secret Garden: Inspiration

Recently I've become obsessed with landscaping our yard, which was left unattended for almost 10 years before we bought our historic property. We've been concentrating on the inside of the house so far, but I'm tired of looking at its lack of curb appeal...and I'm sure our neighbours are as well.

Turning an unkempt yard into something stunning is a daunting task, for sure. I've spent many days already raking, digging up weeds and moving plants around...only to realise that not much has changed. My motivation upon surveying my progress has waned time after time. But, after reading through the current issue of Martha Stewart Living...I was inspired yet again, so I thought I'd share.

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In the March 2009 issue, be sure to read about gardener, Marney Bean, who started her garden more than 20 years ago. At her New Hampshire farm, Bean made the classic mistakes of every beginning gardener {me!}...but as her passion for plants grew, her garden became a brilliant study in composition.
I was inspired by her sprawling, plant-filled yard with its rhythmic and unified plantings, tones, textures, series of paths and borders, low rock walls and sense of intimate seclusion. I'm sure you will be too.









An old cherry tree (Prunus serotina) brings a sense of history -- and plenty of shade -- to Bean's verdant perennial borders.





















This spot is where Bean first cultivated her garden more than 20 years ago. It has since grown into a sprawling, plant-filled series of paths and borders.





















The view from a far, wooded edge of the property shows off a healthy, organic lawn.



















'Miss Kim' lilac standards are beautiful even when they aren't in flower, and they add a sense of formality to Bean's herb garden.














These sinuous lines delineating the bed and the lawn were made by tracing the arcs of an outstretched garden hose and then cutting the design into the ground, a trick Bean had read about.

Excerpts and photos: Martha Stewart Living