Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all having a great week!

I picked four blogs to feature from my last giveaway.

I decided to feature each blog on a separate post this time.

I am really excited to introduce to you

Gaia, from the blog Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!

Gaia has a very inspiring blog!
As you can see she is also Gorgeous!

All of these beautiful images used for this post were shot by Gaia!

Tell us a little bit about you and your blog?

First of all, thank you! Thank you Maria for having me here among those other wonderful ladies. I'm a daily reader of your wonderful blog and I'm so happy to be here today!! 

Well... Alice's adventures in Wonderland is my blog, my secret shelter where I go every time I can. 

I've started my “adventure” in January 2009 and even if the beginning has been a little bit hard I  immediately loved to blog daily.

My blog is about me, about all the things I love and about my passions. It's a combination of my favourites things, my life and what I found interesting in life. 

I love to share them! I like to take pics and bake, I like to decor and create things with my hands so that's what my blog is about!

I hope to get better and to improve every day! Now I can't stay without it and without all my readers. Among them I've found some truly nice friends and so many talented girls. 

Where are you from?

 I'm Italian. I was born in Tuscany but I've always lived in Bologna. I have two brother Simone, the oldest and Jonatha the youngest. My mom is from Tuscany and my dad is from Umbria. Two of the most beautiful Italian regions. I've lost my dad 3 years ago and since then I've changed a little. I'm trying to be a good person as he was and I have so much in common with him. He was a journalist and a photographer , a photo reporter... My mom is my example, she's my best friend. I'm a combination of both my parents! I'm lucky because I've a wonderful family!

Gaia shot these beautiful photos of Bologna from her window.

What is your occupation? 

This is a good question. I don't work. I was an event organizer for 4 years and one year ago I quit my job. Now I'm looking to do something in my life.I'd love to be an event/wedding organizer again or to open my own store of the things I love, flowers, decors, stationery and many other things.

How would you describe your style?

I don't have a specific style but it is a combination of different styles. I love French Style and north European Style. I love antique market where I find beautiful old things, I love neutral colors, grey, cream, white with a touch of colors. I love stripes and dots.  

What is your favorite room in your home?

My favourite room is the living room. Actually my home is little and the living room is the biggest room! I've decorated it with white sofas and old furniture. I have a big trucks and a very big cupboard that I've made it all by myself!

Who has been your biggest role model? 

My model? My mom definitely and all the talented women! Since I've begun writing my blog I've met so many talented girls. They are my inspiration and they are my reason to improve my skills and become a good person!

Gaia's beautiful mom

My mom is my hero. She knows how to do everything. She's my strength and my friend! We have a fantastic relations. She's my mom, my friend, she's everything!

What do you hope your readers will gain from your lovely blog?

I don't know. I don't like to be presumptuous but I  like to think that they like my blog . I like to think at my blog as a refuge where to escape and where to find beautiful things. I love to meet people and that's a fantastic way to get in touch with new friends!

I think Gaia is a very talented girl!

Don't you love all of Gaia's photographs??

Thank you Gaia!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

All images used for this post are property of  Gaia

The Talented Fifi O' Neill

Photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn

Have you seen these photographs before?

These are photographs of Fifi O' Neill's fisherman's cottage, shot by photographer, Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn, for the Coastal Living Magazine.

These photographs were recently bought by a German Country Living Magazine, who just recently featured this article about Fifi's home in their magazine!

I remember when I first saw these pictures in

Coastal Living, I loved everything about Fifi's relaxed and yet still very elegant style,

I saved this article and used it for inspiration for decorating my own home.

Photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn

I can't tell you how many times I have looked at these photos over the past couple of years.

Photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn

I am so inspired by her style!

Photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn

I would love to have a kitchen (and Fifi's entire fisherman's cottage) just like hers.

Photographs by Deborah Whitlaw Lewellyn

Here are a few more lovely photographs of Fifi's home

shot by photographer Dan Mayers!

Photographs by Dan Mayers

Photographs by Dan Mayers

Photographs by Dan Mayers

Photographs by Dan Mayers

Fifi is writing a new book, it is due out in the spring of 2011!

I also wanted to tell you some exciting news.. Fifi is coming to shoot my home toward the end of July, it could possibly be featured in her new book!

I am very honored, excited and VERY NERVOUS...

Thank you Jennifer, for recommending my little home to Fifi!

Let's just say there is a lot that has to get done around here before this talented lady shows up at my front door!

Fifi has a great Blog!!

Fabulous Fifi

Thank you Fifi!

Photo by Dan Mayers

Hydrangea care, a winner, and an announcement!

Hello Everyone!

I want to thank all of you who stopped in and left me a comment on my hydrangea post.

I wanted to take the time to answer a few of your questions about my hydrangeas.

I want you all to know I do not claim to be a hydrangea expert, I have experienced a lot of difficulty getting mine to grow too.

I wanted to share a few things that I have learned about this beautiful plant.

If you want to learn more about hydrangeas from an expert I really recommend you visit this site

HYDRANGEA HYDRANGEA

It is a very informative website, it provides you with everything you need to know about hydrangeas!

What I fertilize my hydrangeas with~

I fertilize my hydrangeas once to twice a year with compost. We live on a horse ranch and have a very abundant compost pile.

We first of all dug up all of the existing dirt and replaced it with compost from the ranch before planting the hydrangeas.

After you see new growth then you can start to fertilize on a weekly basis.

I do fertilize with a miracle grow that is specifically formulated for hydrangeas.

Never fertilize your plants if the soil has dried out. Always fertilize your plants when they are well hydrated.

Never plant your hydrangeas in afternoon sun!

They thrive when they receive morning sunlight.

It is best to plant them where they will receive morning sun no later than 11:00 a.m.

Like I said in my hydrangea post, my hydrangeas will now receive sun until 1:00 p.m. and I live where it is very hot! So they will burn very quickly. I am hoping to come up with a solution before that happens.

Pruning~ this is a very important topic when it comes to hydrangeas, if not done right it can determine if your plant will bloom the following year. I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to prune my hydrangea shrubs until I stumbled upon this website~

Hydrangeas Hydrangeas

It is important to know what type of hydrangea you have, as there are two types, and type one shouldn't be pruned, and type two can be pruned.

Type one~Mophead and Lacecaps (macrophyllas - usually pink or blue)

This is the type of hydrangea I have.

Buds are produced on old wood.

If you prune these after July then you will be cutting off the blooms that are forming on the old wood for the following summer.

Most likely pruning your hydrangea (mophead and lacecap type) after July will cause your hydrangeas not to bloom the following summer.

However the endless summer hydrangea is known as remontant, if pruned it will regenerate the bloom bud and bloom as usual.

If you have type 2 (Anabelle types and Pee Gee types hydrangeas), then there are a different set of rules for pruning these types.

If you would like to read more on pruning your hydrangea and finding out what kind of hydrangea you have you can click on the link below.

Pruning Hydrangeas!

How to change your hydrangea color from pink to blue~

Last year my hydrangeas were all pink and were turning green.

When I bought them they were blue, they are called Nikko Blue, and I thought they would always stay blue. That isn't the case.

A year ago I added aluminum sulfate to the soil. I was told it would take a year for them to change back to blue. I was excited to see so many of my blooms were blue this year. It worked!

If you would like to read more about how to change the color of your hydrangeas you can click on the link below.

Hydrangeas Hydrangeas

I purchased my hydrangeas from a local nursery.

They were the Monrovia Nikko Blue Hydrangeas.

I fell in love with hydrangeas after I had read an article on them in Martha Stewart Living.

I hope I was able to share some helpful information with all of you.

I know I have spent the past couple of years being frustrated trying to get mine to grow.

There are a lot of helpful tips on this website,

Hydrangeas Hydrangeas.

A Winner

Also there is a winner for the Cabbages and Roses Giveaway!

Congratulations Jeniffer from the blog, Piney Flats Style, she chose the pale raspberry pattern!

It turns out Jeniffer is making over her reading room.

She has Christina's new book, At Home with Country, and

Cabbages and Roses is her inspiration for the makeover!

I hope you enjoy your tablecloth and napkin set Jeniffer.

Thank you Cabbages and Roses for sponsoring such a generous giveaway!!

Thank you for everyone who participated in this giveaway!

I really appreciate it!

An announcement!

I also wanted to share some exciting news with all of you.

I am in the process of starting an online store. I have been working on it for the past few months. That is part of the reason I have been so absent from the blog world. I will be stocking my store with things that I LOVE!

I owe so much to all of you!

I am not a very confident person, and because of all of your encouragement you have given me, I am chasing some of my dreams!!!

THANK YOU!!!

You guys are the BEST!!!

Before I go though I want to share a link to Shannan's garden.

I have been waiting for this girl to share some pictures of her garden.

The name of her blog is Flower Patch Farmgirl!

Her blog is one of the first blogs I found and she inspires me in so many ways!!

If you guys would like to leave a link to your garden in the comment section, I would love to see some of your gardens and if you feel like sharing a gardening tip, I would love that!!!

Have a great weekend!

Maria

p.s. These are photos of our family room, there is a giant t.v. that sits right to the left of the couch. I will share this entire room with you someday!

Jana from Twig also has a special announcement she wants to make about her Vintage Whites Market she holds in Somers, Montana, you can read more about it here

Hi everyone! This is Jana from Twig

Hello everyone this is Jana from the blog Twig!
It's that time again! The Vintage Whites Market will be held this month on June 19th, Saturday from 9 AM until 4 PM! Maria has been kind enough to feature our market, and we really thank you for that! I hope all of you who read and are within driving distance get a chance to come check everything out!

Last month, the best deals went first so make sure and get there early! We will have espresso and yummy treats to keep you busy while waiting in line, and plenty of awesome goodies to keep you busy for the duration of the day.

The address is 269 Burns St. in Somers, MT. Please email me at thevintagewhitesmarket@gmail.com for more information or directions.

Are you looking for anything in particular? Here are a few photos from the last market. All product is updated each time, so expect new and exciting things this time!

Beautiful handmade lampshades...vintage lace....they cast a gorgeous shadow in the living room!

Baked goods from Sandy of Sweet Notions...

Fabric rosette pins and hair clips made by yours truly...

A wine bar made from a vintage radio cabinet...

Complete with a rack for your wine glasses...

There are so many fun items scattered throughout the market....I really hope you'll join us on Saturday...and remember, our markets are monthly throughout the summer!

Make sure to visit http://www.thevintagewhitesmarket.com/ for all the dates and times, and my blog http://twigdecor.blogspot.com/ for updated information!!

Thanks Jana!

I will be back tomorrow with the winner of the giveaway and also some answers to your questions about hydrangeas!

Take Care,

Maria