Green Arrangements, Beautiful & Free

When I set the greenery in my window box, a little part of me oh-ed and ah-ed.  It looked so pretty.  The greenery of outside against the white paired with the light brown of the natural wood and the burlap took away my decorator breath.  I took the picture and fell in love.  This is me.  This is what I like in a home all wrapped up into one picture:

It really started with greenery from my front yard.  While Burl played in the front yard, I attacked my shrubs that line our property.  (Property sounds like we have lots of land.  As if...just a little slab of grass with a house.)  I snipped a few stems of our rosemary that is budding.  I snipped and collected and made some beautiful arrangements instead of buying flowers.  

This was the day that I decided that green was my favorite color.  The cluster of oval shape leaves in that rich, green color in white vases is gorgeous.  Something about it is so natural and simple and I love it.

The fun came when I started placing them.  What's better than white and green together?  White, green, and brown.  Not just any brown.  Not just the color brown.  I prefer a natural brown.    I want to use the word "dimension" when describing the brown I prefer, but that might be too fancy.  Let's keep it real and just talk about the brown of something that is from nature.  The wood of the frame.  The weave of the burlap.  The twigs in the wreath.

My blood is really pumping now because this is me.  This is 100% my look.  White and natural and a pop of color.  Don't think I'm exaggerating...I'm a little bit giddy right now and I'm glancing at the shrubs outside my window thinking, "I need more!!!"

White wasn't the only color of my vases.  I went with some clear glass as well.  

My little tip for the day (besides using greenery from bushes in place of fancy flower arrangements): save all those glass jars that food comes in.  I'm sure we hardly ever buy ready-made-foods from the center isles of the grocery store, but on those rare occasions we do, save the jars!  Use them for vases.  Vases to keep and vases to use to give away.

jelly jars

spaghetti sauce jars

salsa jars

caper jars (my favorite mini size)
applesauce jars (my favorite large size, pictured here)

Do the puzzles scattered on the floor take away from the greenery or does it give it a nice lived in look?  Nice lived in look?  That's what I thought.  Welcome to my house.  We keep it real.

Once again, the lovely white and green combo paired against the rich, {dimensional} brown of the burlap cover and the light khaki of the stacked starfish?  I love those starfish that I dove for on that scuba trip to Fiji I went on in college.  Oops, I mean that I bought 3/$1 at Panama City.

Ladies and gents, go get those branches.  Don't leave them alone.  Or, come get mine.  I have enough to share.  Or ask your neighbors.  Or grab some from brush piles on the street.  Been there-done all of that.  There is no shame in my game.  And there is no need for perfect flower arrangements at my house.  I love my free greenery.  Love.