LAVENDER AND HYDRANGEA LOVE

Today I went outside with great expectations of throwing away the weathered, raggedy looking mums and inpatiens in front of my house and then I paused. They're not dead yet. They are bent and drooping from the wind, rain and cold, but still have lovely blooms. I stood there with the trash can and my gardening gloves and promised them all another week.

This is the lavender plant that I decided not to put in the ground this fall for fear it wouldn't root well enough before the ground froze. It's doing okay in my garden window. I water it every two weeks, as I read that they like dry soil. I have gotten advice that it will live okay in my house until spring and then I got another piece of advice to let it go dormant in a dark cool place. I suppose I would have to water it, too. Any thoughts on this? I get really emotional over this sort of thing.
I was thrilled to find that I could order a bouquet of lavender on eBay, which is pretty cool since my little plant isn't giving much yet. To my surprise, it arrived 2 weeks later via Athens, Greece. The stamps were very interesting and there were two little charms inside as well which I think was very thoughtful. It was totally wrapped in heavy plastic but the scent was unbelievable. Yum!
Daughter Emily brought home 4 of these pictures from the furnishings store she works at as a designer. They are framed French postcards. I'm going to do an arrangement on the wall in my family room, which is next on my To Do list. The room has been on hold since the kitchen took precedence. It's a big project, from furniture to curtains to everything in between. I am really excited to get moving but I think I will wait until the holidays are over.
The thing about dried lavender is that the buds fall off the stems. Never fear, into a porcelain soap dish and into the bathroom they went.

While I was on eBay, I also ordered some dried hydrangeas, which I have done before. The box came today...I shouldn't say box, it was a carton about the size of what my microwave came in. Big heads of purplish green hydrangeas. I was in awe at first and then I thought, "What am I doing with this when my house is in full transition from fall to Christmas and an unfinished kitchen thrown in as well?" I closed the box and managed to find a corner in the den to store it until January. Maybe they will look good next to some red and green poinsettia plants.

I am packing up most of my fall decorations this weekend {besides load after load of laundry}, and just leaving out a few pieces. This will make it easier to start Christmas decorating after Thanksgiving. This year I am going to be early, I will get my tree early and just water the heck out of it, and do what I say I am going to do every year...get it all finished and sit back and enjoy December. Last December with the passing of my father, we didn't get our tree until the 20th of December and I didn't decorate much at all. This year will be different. I have a big box of ornaments from him, the old, scratched mercury glass orbs, and after growing up with these, they now have a home here with my family to enjoy.

So, I'll go back to my laundry and pop on back next week. I hope all of you are having a great weekend. It's 60 degrees here and lovely!! :-)

I'm joining in Marty's party, Table Top Tuesday. Visit A Stroll Thru Life and join in the fun!