Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Dried Hydrangeas?

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Here's a little secret...

if you mix real dried hydrangeas...
with silk dried hydrangeas...

it's hard to tell they aren't all real!  I don't listen to those designers that tell you to get rid of all your silk flowers!  I think nice silk flowers in moderation look fine!  
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All good things must come to an end...our warm, spring-like weather is gone.  San Jose had record breaking high temperatures for 10 days straight (71-77 degrees)!  Today it's only going to be in the 50s with showers.  We really need the rain so I guess this is good but I'll miss that warm weather!

47 comments:

Marilyn said...

Cindy,

The hydrangeas are gorgeous, and look perfect displayed on your tiered dish.

I have to add that your new banner is exquisite!! It really conveys your vision of a romantic home, and showcases your talents much more effectively. Love it!

Linda said...

Nice idea to mix them - beautiful as always!
Wishing I had your "low" temperatures lol Woke to -24 this am. Stay warm!
Linda

Cottagecheap said...

As a person, in the midwest recovering from BELOW zero temps last week, I scoff at your 50 degrees and would be out in a pair of shorts if it were 50!

LOL

I love the hydrangeas. My new place has a hydrangea bush that I am going to be watching this summer and cultivating! Maybe next year I get to have pretty!

Glenda/MidSouth said...

I love hydrangeas and I like the way you have them displayed. I agree with you about the silk flowers It was 17 degrees this morning and tomorrow is suppose to be in the 50's. I am ready for Spring.
Glenda

Anonymous said...

Scoffing here also at your 50 degrees...in the midwest LOL. We're ALL the way up to a smokin' 16 degrees right now. Your warm temps wil be back so hang in.

Love your hydrangeas!

Joy of Northern Indiana

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Your arrangement looks lovely! Nice tip also.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy! I haven't commented in a while but I Love your new look!!! The ribbon embroid pillow is just gorgeous; makes me want to start doing it again too! The hydrangeas I adore and I agree if you pick a flower that you have to touch to see if its real then I ignore designers' snobbiness toward silks!!!lol They look so pretty in this post; That 3 tier stand is so much fun to work with! Love it! Have a great week! Sincerely Jeannette (BTW its 25 here so I would welcome 50's)!

Shabbee Chick said...

Stop bragging about your weather, you meanie! Just kidding!!!! We think high 50's is balmy here!!!! Love the hydrangea idea. We can totally put some in your header if you want...let me know.

A Southern Rose said...

Your flowers are very pretty. I mix real fowers and silk ones all of the time. No one knows. Well now they do! Have a beautiful day!
Hugs,
Lee Laurie

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

Very pretty!

And I think you're right that "good" ones can look nice.

www.MaisonStGermain.com said...

lOVE your new banner...so pretty! Hydrangeas are such fabulous flowers. I like to hang them from my beams. Great idea of mixing them. Who could tell?
~Debra

just a little bit shabby said...

Love the hydrangeas. We're on
a yo-yo here in south Texas, first cold then 70's..that is why every one is sick here! I grew up in the midwest and loved it but just can't take the cold weather any more. We'll all be praying for Spring real soon!!!
Sandyt

Tanya said...

I agree with you. I have become a bit of a silk flower snob. I want them to look very real and mixing them is a great idea. I have a wreath on my door with real dried greenery and artificial and I think it looks pretty good!

Risa said...

I'd kill for that weather here! :-) I love hydrangeas, they were a major flower in my wedding arrangements and now my mom's house is filled with the flowers from the centerpieces (dried of course).

Becky Garrison said...

As for the flowers, I totally agree - a few sikl flowers are fine, you just don't want to overdo it!

As for the weather, on the other side of the country (in the ddep south, no less) we've been having a few days that didn't get above freezing, with lows in the teens and wind chills below zero. I'd LOVE to have a few days in the 50's! Blessings, Becky G.

Terri Steffes said...

Excellent advice. Those of us who live in the cold midwest and even colder north rely on silks to give us some hope that spring is on its way! I love seeing your dried flowers with the silk.

Elzie said...

I would have been glad with "only" the 50F. Here we have about 30F and I'm tired of this cold weather now. They have even promised us snow and strong winds the coming weekend. Doesn't it sound nice LOL?
Hope you have a nice day.
Love Elzie

Debbie said...

Hi Cindy - I just wanted to say I LOVE the header on your blog - what you did with those photos of your own home look "yummy & delicious" - seriously - they look they should be in a magazine. I know you must love coming home to such a lovely home every day. Bye!
Debbie

Anonymous said...

Love your hydrangeas displayed on your tiered server. I may have to resort to silk hydrangeas myself. I tried to dry some and the poor little things swiveled up into cusps of their former selves.

Four Paws and Co said...

I agree & your hydrangeas are beautiful! So much for our warm weather, huh? ♥ Diane

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip! I agree with you on the silk flowers. There are good silk's and very very bad silks.

Glenda said...

Frankly I don't listen to designers. If they look real enough I get them. I just change them out.

Yep, it's turning cold again. I was just thinking a few days ago, how we have had warm weather during winter. But this is California the sunny state. I still have things blooming up here.

Ciao

Helen said...

Hi Cindy! It never occurred to me to mix real and silk ... what a great idea! I so love hydrangeas.

Anonymous said...

I am SO looking for one of those tiered plates.:)

Amy said...

I'll have to try that Cindy. I just love hydrangeas so I will definitely be using your trick. I'm with you...nice silk flowers are really okay. Living in the Northeast, we have to have some silks this time of year! Amy :)

Charmingdesigns said...

That is so funny that you put the weather forecast on there. I've been checking it every day... I'll be visiting San Jose Fri thru Tue...I live in Oregon...does it have to rain when we visit...darn.LOL. love your flowers. laurie

Pink Slippers said...

I think it looks nice. I too am looking forward to the rain. My puppy ate our backyard hose so it has been very difficult to get everything watered. I mentioned you on my blog today and will again on Friday. How you inspired me and the chocolate bunny.
Wendy

Carolyn said...

Hi Cindy,
Another great idea and I love your new blog header also!
Carolyn

ksarra said...

Hi Cindy, I had a friend who would actually LIGHTLY mist dried hydrangeas with spray paint, and the look was soooo pretty.

Sandy~Romantique Inspirations~ said...

I agree with you 100% - in moderation. For me in the winter is very hard with lack of windows with not enough sun especially in Michigan..to not use artificial flowers..

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy!
I mix real dried flowers with silk flowers too! They make silk flowers that look so real and aged that it's easy to fool the eye into thinking the entire arrangement is dried. I love the look on your tiered stand.

Karin

I'll gladly take 50 degree temps right now :)

Meadowsweet Days said...

Hi Cindy,
We design with good quality hydrangeas throughout the year, and the really good suppliers have hydrangeas in all of the different phases of growth along with how they should appear seasonally ie. fresh look early in the spring/summer, more of a dried look in the fall. We also design with real dried hydrangeas and sometimes the better quality silks are better than the dried and don't leave the mess behind. A must when dealing with silks, is that their color should always be botanically correct and then most times you cannot tell the difference. Looks really pretty on the tiered dish.

Carol

Anonymous said...

Love your Hydrangeas. And I know we need the rain but I miss the warm weather just a little bit.

bj said...

The hydrangeas are lovely...real or not.
I remember from our days on RMS when everyone kept saying to throw out the faux, silk flowers and plants...I just laughed because some of the silks are just fabulous. I don't have a LOT but I do have some that I use year 'round and love!
I like your mixing real with faux...looks great.

sandra/tx said...

Congrats on the rain. Would you send some our way please? :-)

Cottage Rose said...

Hello Cindy; I love Hydrangeas, I have two planted this past summer, so I hope to see some very blue balls this year... I love some silk flowers too so of the ones they have out now look so real.

Have a great week.

hugs;
Alaura

Tara said...

Cindy

It'll be a lONG time before we see those temps in New York!

Lorri said...

I love the look you have created. So delicate and beautiful. I really enjoy your blog and look forward each day to reading it.
Lorri

Queenie's Vintage Finds said...

I agree....I think that silk flowers and dried flowers are beautiful together...bringing the outdoors inside is always such nice touch. I would love to dry some of my summer blue hydrangeas this year...they are my favorite flower...right up there with the rose. Do you have any special tips for drying hydrangeas? I hang roses upside down in a dark closet,to dry them, but I've never tried to dry hydrangeas. I'd love to keep some of the blue color. Yours' look beautiful displayed on your tier.

Penny Sue said...

Hi there Cindy,

Just wanted to say that in my opinion, there are some really great "fake" flowers out there. Hydrangeas seem to be very well replicated. I love them. Yours look so pretty on your tiered plates.

I picked up an awesome chandelier for $40.00 at Homegoods yesterday. I was there for an enamel cast iron dutch oven. They didn't have what I wanted, so... as I wandered around, I found this chandelier in the oddest of places. It was just sitting on the floor in the garden decoration section... not the lighting. When I looked at the price tag, I could only think "If I don't get this light, I'll kick my butt if I go home without it." When I get my new camera figured out, the software for transfering pics... I'll post a copy of it to my blog.

Hope you are doing well... and I love your new banner.

Hugs,
Penny Sue

Anonymous said...

CINDY,
THE HYDRANGEAS AND ANGELS ARE EQUISITE....THE PICTURES SHOULD BE IN A MAGAZINE. I LOVE TO COME HERE TO YOUR ROMANTIC HOME.
debbie

Marie Reed said...

That is an amazing idea! I would have never thought of mixing them:)

Dixie said...

hydrangeas, my favorites! love your display... may I borrow this one... ;)

hugs. Dixie

Gayla said...

Cool.. congratultions on your new look, the new banner, and the new Etsy shop!!! You are really getting it going on!!! And, uh... I don't feel too sorry for ya about the upcoming "unsettled" weather... haha... not with all the flower photos and everything! Hugs... from the frozen tundra. Midwest is up to the fifties today, but look out for the weekend....

Karen said...

I agree! I think a few silks around the house are fine. Especially very good quality ones. I used to work for a designer here in So. Cal and she only carried fine silks, and I think they look lovely tucked here and there. Especially greenery.
Beautiful post! Thanks for sharing!
Speaking of weather, it's been 80 here for over the past 10 days. I'm ready for WINTER!!!
HAGD

Mary said...

how beautiful -- it almost looks like a fanciful wedding cake! :)
xoxo,
Mary

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