Stuff of Life: When it comes to flowers, should it be faux or no?
Where do we stand on silk flowers? Are they an absolute no-no, the dust-collecting equivalent of culottes and bouffant hairstyles? Or is it OK to incorporate an arrangement that has high-quality faux blooms mixed with dried elements?
I have … ahem … a friend who wants to know.
Flip open any home-decorating magazine — Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens — and you’ll find dozens of beautifully styled rooms with lush floral arrangements adding color and texture.
Remove those flowers, and many of those rooms would lose a little of their oomph. But who can afford to have fresh arrangements sitting around 365 days a year?
Please, interior designers, feel free to weigh in.
Toolbox suggestions
Last month I asked for suggestions on ways to use a handmade vintage toolbox that I recently bought. Several clever readers responded.
Terri McDowell of Overland Park submitted a photograph of a similar vintage tool box that she keeps near her back door to hold her collection of antique water nozzles, garden gloves and nippers.
Judy Sires, of Lenexa, had several ideas for the toolbox.
“First, in the bathroom: Use the bottom portion to store bath towels rolled up and stored on end,” she suggested in an email. “Fill the top with cute scented soaps, small sizes of bath gels, wash cloths, hair clips, small items one needs at hand in the bath.
“Second, take outside to the pool. Beach towels in the bottom, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. in the top. I don’t have kids or grandkids, but I can also see this with toys in the bottom and juice boxes & bagged snacks in the top section.”
Carol Harner of Overland Park had two tips: First, leave it in its rustic state and attach it to a like-colored old farmhouse table to hold craft or scrapbooking supplies, or as a gift-wrapping station with rolls of ribbon attached to the outside.
Harner’s second idea is to mount it on a bathroom wall to hold supplies such as bars of soap, rolls of paper, extra towels or wash cloths. She recommends mounting a towel rack to the bottom, adding accent trims, and either painting it or covering it with a mosaic of tiles.
Barbara McDowell-Whitt’s idea will score the most points with my husband, who was disgruntled by the purchase of the box. McDowell-Whitt of Kansas City suggests keeping it in a prominent place and honoring our beloved Royals by putting team paraphernalia in it, then placing a framed Kansas City Star front page with one of his columns about the Royals near it.
As it turns out, I’m getting ready to redecorate the husband’s office, so this is very timely.
This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Stuff of Life: When it comes to flowers, should it be faux or no?."