Golf Blossoms in Atlanta - FedEx Cup Tour Championship by Coca-Cola at East Lake

Robert and I had fun at the FedEx Cup Tour Championship by Coca-Cola here in Atlanta.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

I took some photos of the flower arrangements that I thought were pretty. Here is one in the Champions Tent on the 17th green.
  

Photo Credit: CK Worley

 Another on the walkway at the 18th.
It's always a good thing to take photos of the arrangements that you like and keep them for future reference. You can copy them later and look like a real professional florist!


 And here are the trophies surrounded by roses! Really beautiful.  Jordan Spieth won today. He’s 22 years old and just won 11 million dollars. What a day!

Photo Credit: CK Worley

The tournament is held at East Lake Golf Club. Once one of the worst sections of the city now is one of the better areas in town thanks to developer Tom Cousins.  He bought the nearly bankrupt club,  restored the clubhouse which was designed by architect Neel Reid in 1914 and began transforming the surrounding community. He build the first charter school in Atlanta and began building mixed income housing there. Cousins also began First Tee of East Lake. The program exposes disadvantaged youth to the game of golf. It’s growing into a great community.

East Lake Golf Club then and now.

Bobby Jones on the 6th Green in 1927.  c/o eastlakegolfclub.com

Photo Credit: SportingATL

                         

Valentine's Day- Candy Hearts, Chalk Paint on cups, Homemade Cards and How to make a pretty vase

St. Valentine was ordered to prison for teaching Christianity and (since solders were not allowed to marry their sweethearts) performing marriage ceremonies for them against Roman rule. Once in prison it’s said that he healed the jailers daughter and before he was executed wrote a note to her which said, “From your Valentine” and that’s how this holiday got started - or so I've heard.

So Happy Almost Valentine’s DAY! Just a few fun things you can do to make your Valentines happy and easy. I started out by going to the dollar store and collecting different size glass containers to see what would inspire me.

Valentine's Day is for the most part a flower and candy day. I decided to mix them up. Just by placing a smaller vase into a larger one it gave me enough room to add some candy hearts around the perimeter.

Once that was done I added the water to the center (be careful not to splash onto the candy) and added the roses. Pretty.

Next I had two short round vases with one being slightly larger than the other and decided to fill the bottom with candy hearts and the top with M&M’s. Tape the two vases together and add a ribbon. Perfect teachers gift!

They can then use the containers for whatever they want.  I used these to store Q-tips and cotton balls.

How about this one. I got these cups at the dollar store and taped them off with that painters blue tape. One I taped just the top and bottom. The other I taped all but the front panels. Next I sprayed them both with chalk paint.

Use a stick of chalk to write whatever you feel. When you’re kids or your husband wakes up in the morning they can have a special note from you on their cups. You can use them every morning as little chalk board reminders of your love. (Birthdays, Anniversaries or simple calendar).

Lastly is a home made Valentine’s card. I did this on a plan index card but you can use colored cardboard as well. Mix up a tiny bit of confectionary sugar and water into a paste and this will act as a glue for your heart message. Place it in a clear sandwich bag and you’re off to the races. This one says: "Hey Babe - Whuz up? - Cutie Pie. You are awesome - sweet - my BFF. You have a real nice laugh. Ask me 4 one kiss. I hope u say yes. Call me - Love Gabe".


Valentine’s Day is a holiday of the heart so no matter what you do or don’t do just remember that it’s a lovely tradition to have one day to express your love. It’s a healthy habit to wake up every morning wondering what you can do to make your someone special feel like everyday is Valentine’s Day.

Hostess Gift for the Holidays- Taking a clear glass vase and making it special!

I once heard Kathie Lee Gifford complain about people bringing flowers to a dinner party and how she would have to stop everything to look for a vase, cut the stems and arrange the flowers. I have to admit that I never viewed a gift of flowers in this way but I can see how it could cause some folks stress.
This is a wonderful way to bring flowers to a dinner party and not cause pressure or tension to your host. Present your flowers in a custom vase that she can keep forever! This is a great idea for teacher gifts as well.

First you get a clear glass vase. I got mine from the Dollar Store. Everyone knows how much I appreciate the Dollar Store.
Next, wash it out with warm soapy water and dry it thoroughly. Now choose a basic design and get the colors you will need. The paint type needs to be acrylic enamel. For this project I used white, red, burnt umber, yellow, green and orange.

Choose and simple design and don’t be discouraged if your pattern isn’t perfect. I used simple white lines as branches and have a few cardinals placed here and there. They look fine so don’t try to make them too precise. A splash of green, yellow and orange finishes the painting part of this project.
Once you are happy with your design just put the vase into a cold oven. Set the temperature to 325 degrees. When the oven is ready, set the timer to one hour then turn off the oven. Leave the vase until cool. Overnight is best. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN UNTIL IT IS COOL-You don’t want to shock the glass with a burst of cold outside air.
Once the oven is cool your paint is baked onto the vase. You can wash it gently with warm soapy water when needed and the paint won’t come off.

Fill with your favorite flowers and it’s ready to become a special hostess gift. This vase is a great conversation starter and your flowers will be welcomed at any gathering.
It’s always fun to be creative and this hand painted vase may even result in another dinner invitation!

Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea) - Tastes great!

I had mentioned Purslane in my Garden Party blog and promised myself that I would expand on this interesting herb at a future time. Ladies and Gentleman, the time is now.
Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea) is a rich source of vitamins and minerals with vitamins A, B, C, and E, along with iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, and lithium. Purslane has more beta-carotene than spinach. It’s also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, more than some fish oils.



The leaves, stems and flower buds are eatable. The flowers range from white, pink, rose, yellow, orange and lavender. The taste is similar to watercress or spinach.
I’ve seen many recipes for Purslane on line, such as a tomato and cucumber salad. The antioxidant properties are significantly decreased if frying and boiling so it’s best to eat it raw in a salad or when making vegetable juice if possible. Sautéed or gently stewed stems and leaves can be served as side dish with fish and poultry. (It tends to get a bit slimy if overcooked.) You can also use Purslane on sandwiches instead of lettuce or pickles. I’ve heard that you can soak the stems in apple cider vinegar for a couple days in an air tight container and they come out tasting just like pickle relish.



It’s a common trailing weed and once it’s planted will take over whatever space it’s in (much like mint) so make sure it’s contained in a small space. They look like baby jade plants and can be considered a weed by many trying for a perfect lawn. It’s very drought tolerant and will seed itself so again be careful where you plant it.
You can file this one under the phrase, “Who Knew?”