by Trenda
“Dear old world … You are very lovely, And I am glad to be alive in you.” ~ from Anne of Green Gables
It’s May! The darling month when everything seems possible. Look at this sweet description of May Day from The Old Farmer’s Almanac established in 1792.
“With winter’s retreat, colts and calves kick up their heels and frisk over fresh grass, seedlings seek the sun, and birds call for mates….And we humans join their revels for one day: during spring’s “May Day” festival, even serious-minded folk put work aside to enjoy Nature’s exuberance!”
Still quoting The Farmer’s Almanac … “Here are some joyful May Day traditions marking the return of spring and the renewed gift of life.
- Neighbors may leave baskets of flowers on each other’s doorsteps or doorknobs.
- Kids can go barefoot on May Day for the first time.
- People will crown a “May Queen” for the day’s festivities.
- Beekeepers will move bees on May 1st.
- Fishermen expect to catch fish on May Day.
- On May Day morning, if a maiden gathers dew before sunup and sprinkles her face with it, she will enjoy luck and youthful beauty for the rest of the year.
- Farmers often plant corn, cucumbers, and turnips on this day.
- Villagers may hold theatrical battles between “summer” and “winter” that banish the winter.
- The Kentucky Derby starts off the month of May (the first Saturday of the month).
- On May 1st, people in Britain welcome spring by “Bringing in the May,” or gathering cuttings of flowering trees for their homes.
- May 1st in Hawaii is called “Lei Day,” and people will receive prizes this day for wearing the prettiest handmade leis.”
Hanging May Day baskets is an enchanting custom that is fun to incorporate into your own family traditions. Sweet paper cones made from stock card paper with scalloped edges and ribbons are easy to make and are a delightful surprise to find.
Supplies Needed:
- stock card paper (double sided paper if you want a pattern on the inside and outside of your May Day cone)
- scissors
- scalloped edged scissors
- ribbon
- shredded paper or tissue paper
- craft glue
- florist vials, if using fresh flowers
- candy, flowers, little gifts, etc.
Instructions:
- Cut stock card paper into a 7-inch square (I used double-sided stock paper to have prints on both the outside and inside of my May Day gift cones
- Use decorative scissors to cut scallops around the top edge of the square
- Place pencil tip at the bottom of the paper and begin rolling paper around pencil tip to form cone
- Secure outer flap of cone with glue
- Punch holes along scalloped edge approximately 1″ apart, beginning at the top front center
- Thread a 22″ – 24″ length of 1/2″ ribbon through the holes
- Tie ribbon into bow in the front … leaving a 6″ loop at the back of the cone for hanging
- If using fresh flowers, use florist vials and fill with water and flower stems to tuck into the cone, or fill with shredded paper or tissue paper and fill cone with silk flowers,candy, little gifts, etc.
What a lovely surprise to find hanging on your door … a May Day gift cone filled with silk flowers, a package of “Ferrero Rocher, fine hazlenut chocolates” and Unicorn Sparkle Nail Polish. (:
This sweet little May Day cone is filled with silk flowers, a tube of lipstick, and a small bottle of perfume.
Hope your May Day is filled with lots of sunshine and happy surprises!
From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
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This week I’m joining:
Chloe Crabtree with Celebrate & Decorate
Gazing beyond the window at blue skies and spring blossoms, and inside … lace-y tree branches reflected on my grandmother’s glass-topped table … a dreamy place to work!
Instructions for dying Graham Cracker Crumbs
I love using cabin and lodge decor in our cottage. According to the dictionary, another synonym for cabin is cottage.
“Cabins are of many kinds …”
“There’s always the possibility of magic …”
“Everybody feels at home right away. A cabin’s furnishings are simple, often treasured family hand-me-downs. Its sleeping lofts, tucked under the eaves, evoke memories of childhood. Its fireplace or wood stove provides physical and emotional warmth.”
A peek inside our own cottage/cabin walls. Tartan plaid walls topped with crests and a trio of Loon Duck plates “nest” on the walls of our home on the lake. Lots of wood, books and collections exude that cabin-y feeling.
The mirrored cubby in our German “schrank” which loosely translated means cabinet, holds another collection of “treasured family hand-me-downs” from the years we lived in Germany … a German music box, crystal decanters and mugs, pottery, a stein from Oktoberfest, hand painted glasses, a wooden “Smoker” and a special gift from our landlord and friend; a decorative piece that says “Stammtisch” which denotes a table reserved for the regulars.
“In a cabin retreat, pleasure overcomes duty for a little while.” ~ Bill Holm
A rustic blend of frames imbibes that “cabin” feeling … “Home Sweet Home”
In this bedroom the Adirondack decor, warm colors, and the quilted bedding adds cabin charm. A little tree “glows a welcome” and stays up all year decorated cabin-style … wooden bobbers, lures, hand-carved canoes, fish stringers, and twinkle lights adorn it’s boughs.
Cabin decor … Boat Rentals 1/2 Mile
A desk with lots of cubby’s and glimpses of “the outdoors” is tucked away in a little nook, perfect for writing or musing.
A sweet reminder of our own little fisherman.<3
Warm woods and shelves always add cottage and cabin charm.
A little twilight and cottage glow …
Then, what better way is there to add a bit of cabin coziness to a home than to have a Honey Bun Cake baking in the oven; the smells alone conjure up cabin luxury at it’s best! This recipe is an old standby adapted from a favorite Betty Crocker recipe. Our rainy, cool, foggy day in February seemed the perfect time to get out my mixing bowl. Just as the last of our day was slipping away, the fog lifted and the rain stopped in time for a beautiful sunset!
Hope your last days of February are warm and cozy in your own “version of the ten-foot thatched hut.”(: Last blog on “all things winter!” In 2 days, it will be MARCH and the season for all things SPRING … sunshine and shamrocks … bunny’s and The Lamb! 
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To make the woodland centerpiece I took the plastic covering off of 2 blocks of floral foam and hot glued them into the bottom of a woven basket I had. Then I began filling the basket with a collection of grasses, cattails, pine cone floral stems, pheasant feathers and birch twigs I had “amassed” over the years. The tallest part of any arrangement should be in the center, so after anchoring my tallest pieces I began “fanning down” both sides from the center of the arrangement, inserting my filler into the florist foam. The last addition and focal point I added to the arrangement was a metal art piece … a copper stag among metal fir trees. 
For my place settings I used pieces of vintage Hull and Pfaltzgraff pottery, a treasure that Richard found and bought for me at an auction he went to with his brother, Bob. The dishes are a sweet remembrance for both of us since Bob passed away this past October. ❤ The pattern on this stoneware is known as “Brown Drip” pattern, a favorite of both the Hull and Pfaltzgraff Stoneware Companies during the 1930’s.
These simple, rustic napkin rings are made using mini-grapevine wreaths. I downloaded my free 
I love these darling little bean pots and keep collecting them whenever I see them at antique stores. 
They look charming holding BBQ beans for autumn wiener roasts … filled with 
Crystal glasses and little goblets from Germany are etched with grapevines and are rimmed in gold and have golden bases. I love the look of the fragile crystal contrasting with the heavy pottery and the comparison makes the crystal seem even more delicate. 
And this hand painted canoe makes a darling caddy for sweeteners!
A mixture of metals … the copper stag and the goldware add gleam to all the forest browns, moss greens and the deep brown dishes. For a final touch of coziness, I added this little lamp that looks like it was made for my woodland tablescape! The golden lampshade matches the carved canoe and also highlights the goldware and golden goblets while the dark silhouettes of the spruce trees and moose on the lamp shade adds more “depth” to my rustic theme.
You know how I love using every day objects in unusual ways?! I pulled Richard’s cashmere muffler from the closet and thought it made the perfect table runner for my woodland tablescape! The softness of the muffler contrasted with the rough basket centerpiece and it’s color … the same browns and moss-green colors found in the forest!
Juxtaposition/definition by Merriam-Webster: the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. Hmmm … crystal next to pottery, textured, woven centerpiece sitting atop soft, luxurious cashmere, and rustic grapevines mixed with elegant goldware??? I love juxtaposition decorating! (:
After our second Bald Eagle flew off, our “Blue, Super Moon” was just begin to rise and it was gorgeous! I couldn’t help but think of the scripture I had just read that morning …“Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.” Psalms 104:1-3
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These little skaters, with their magnet pedestals actually pirouette around the iced pond when the music box is wound up and playing. 
After dinner coffee and Dutch Almonette cookies are waiting to be served. Crystal mugs, biscuit barrel, and sugar creamer set match the “icicle” look of the frozen pond and snow flocked trees.
White crocheted-edged napkins are tucked inside navy blue napkins and are tied with a simple gold cord which nonchalantly holds the salad and dinner fork. Individual little tealights glow in white holders covered in “snowballs” and personalize each place setting.
