Inspirations by D: April 2013

A Great Selection of Mother's Day Gifts

images:Layla Grayce

Can you believe that April is almost over? It seems like only yesterday that we entered this month.

Soon it will be the month of "Moms", I mean "May". May is a special month dedicated to Mothers.

Since Mother's Day is quickly approaching, it is now the time to find some stylish

and unique gifts that show how much our mom means to us!

I myself have been browsing around at cute gifts, but what do you give a mom that has everything?

This year, Layla Grayce has posted a Mother's Day blog post suggesting the top

ten gift ideas and essentials for mom and is offering 15% off these gifts

with code 4URMOM valid through 5/1.

I have selected a few of my favorites below;

The Lollia Relax Shea Butter Handcreme allows moms on the go, a moment of luxury

amidst a busy day. Lets face it, we can't go wrong with this one because we all need

a bit of softness for our skin. I love the Rosanna Ikat Coral & Grey Handbag for days

that moms are on the go on everyday errands, a road trip or simply to the beach.

The printed Portico is a unique combination of sophistication and whimsy.

The collection features pouch bags as well for cosmetics or any items you may carry along.

The third is the Drops of Jupiter Earl Grey Gold Earrings, they are simple, yet elegant.

The stunning graphite glass crystal is encased in 14k gold plate on these feminine drop earrings.

This is my very favorite because every woman deserves a bit of elegance.

So do you have any favorites from the Layla Grayce Mother's Day blog post?

(Disclaimer) This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Layla Grayce. All Opinions are 100% mine.

Planting Pinata Lavender

This past weekend I stopped by my local hardware store to look for supplies for a project.

As we walked up and down the aisles, I noticed that they did not have all the supplies I needed.

I decided to head over to the gardening section of the store.

And there it was, Pinata Lavender. I love lavender for their fragrance and the little things

you can do with them when harvested. I just had to get some for my garden.

I posted below how to plant and care for these for those interested in planting lavender.

These are a mounding perennial which means that they grow and bloom over the spring,

summer and into fall, then die back to the ground in winter returning in each spring from their roots.

A great tip for planting this type of lavender in borders is to plant them either in the center

or toward the back since they tend to grow taller than other flowers and plants.

To make a huge visual impact, plant the same variety and color perennial in one area.

This is commonly referred to as a mass plantings.

In combination planters, use tall perennials as the centerpiece surrounded by mounding

varieties with contrasting flowers and foliage. Then add trailing varieties to cascade

over the edge of the planter. Annual flowers can be added to fill in between blooming cycles.

Prepare the area for planting by conditioning the soil. Loosen the soil and incorporate an organic soil conditioner according to directions.

Dig a hole 2 times the width of the root ball and a depth slightly less than the height of the root ball. Allow the top surface of the root ball to rest 1/2 inch higher than the soil line.
For container grown plants, carefully remove plant by squeezing container and slowly removing the root ball. Never pull on the plant trunk. Instead let the root ball slide out by tipping the container. If the plant is heavily rooted, loosen roots by gently pulling a few away from the root ball. This encourages stronger root growth. Set root ball in hole making sure the top of the root ball is slightly higher (1/2 inch) than ground level. Place soil mix under root ball if too low. Back fill soil mix around plant to ground level and tamp lightly removing all air pockets.
Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the plant. Add more soil mix around plant if necessary after watering. Apply root stimulator to encourage new root growth and fast establishment.
Add a 2-3" layer of mulch around plant to conserve soil moisture and eliminate future weeds.
Fertilize just before and during the plants active growing cycle. Fertilization should begin just prior to new growth and end three or four weeks before the first frost.
Choose an all-purpose fertilizer recommended for flowering and/or foliage plants. Frequency will depend on the type of fertilizer. Liquid (water soluble) and granular quick release fertilizer, require more frequent application; slow release granular fertilizer requires less.
Perennials are pruned to increase flower production and new growth.
Perennials that go dormant should be allowed to die back. Prune them in late winter or early spring. This encourages new growth and flowers.
Perennials that do not die back completely can be selectively pruned in early spring to remove dead and damaged limbs.
Removing old flowers prevents the plant from setting seed and encourages new blooms.
Always water slowly and deeply making sure the root ball is completely saturated.
Don't water at night if possible. Watering in the morning helps prevent disease.
Plants in containers may require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. This will depend on plant variety, pot size and soil.

I hope that these are helpful tips from Lowes.

Happy Gardening!

Linked to:

The Adventure Bite

Zinc Door offers 10% off Regina Andrew Decor

Regina Andrew Lighting Seeded Recycled Glass Vessel Lamp

I love this lamp! It would be perfect in my bedroom. Have you seen the other things that
Zinc Door carries? Have you checked them out lately? Now is a great time to stock up on
stylish and unique gifts for the home. Zinc Door features modern furniture, accessories and decor.
Plus, now through 5/14, Zinc Door is offering 10% off Regina Andrew Decor with promo code RA10 & 15% off Capel Rugs with code RUGSALE! Their rugs are beautiful. I just want to grab it all.
Don't miss your chance to shop great gifts like the Regina Andrew Polished Horn & Brass Bowl
or the Regina Andrew Ivory Grey Shagreen Hex Tray.

If you know someone who is looking for a new look for their home, tell them about Zinc Door!

Recovery and Magnets

This week has been tough. Do you remember when I told you my little guy was sick on this "post"?

Guess who caught what he had? Yep, yours truly. I've been in bed for days, what an

awful thing to have and to think that my munchkin had this.

My poor little angel, thankfully he is well now. I am slowly recovering.

Since I've been out of the loop for a while, I haven't gotten anything done.

I did manage to get an order out today.

I love receiving well packaged items don't' you? My latest gift to myself came from this gal.

I love her packaging, it's like getting a gift from a friend.

When I send out my items,I make sure it is ready for gift giving.
Whether it's for the buyer or another recipient.

That's just me!

Now, graduation and Mother's Day are next month and I have only a few items left y'all.

These blue magnets are perfect for such an occasion. The photos do no justice, none.

They are so beautiful in person. I wish I could just reach out your screen and show them to you.

Stop by the shop and show your love. Hope that you have a wonderful day!

Make Heart Shaped Sugar Cubes

These are pretty easy to make and can be done in any shape.

All you need are the items above, but you may opt for a regular square shaped
mold or other shapes. I also could have tinted the hearts to make them look extra cute,
but I don't like food dye in my coffee:-)

1.So you start with a cup of sugar.

2. Add three to four teaspoons of water.

3. Mix the sugar with the water to the consistency of what looks wet sand, but not too moist.

4. Put the moist sugar into your mold pressing firmly so you don't leave air bubbles.

5. Place the mold with sugar in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

6. Then place it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool.

7. Once they are cool, pop them out of the mold and you will have your sugar hearts.

This is truly a great way to impress your guests!

They will wonder where you got the lovely shaped sugar from.

Hope that you enjoy!

Linked to:
Craftberry Bush
LilLuna
Ginger Snap Crafts
Not Just a Housewife
Salt Tree
The Dedicated House
I Should be Mopping the Floor
Tutus & Tea Parties
Love and Laundry
The Frugal Girls
Bloom Designs
The 36th Avenue
I Gotta Create
Horrific Knits

Homemade Tea with no Teabags

Hello friends, I hope that you enjoyed your weekend! We had a sleepless weekend.

My poor little boy caught a stomach virus from school and has been sick all weekend.

He was unable to hold down liquids and you know the danger with that is dehydration.

We took him to the ER and they only gave us medicine to help with the obvious symptoms.

Now he is feverish. This virus is contagious, so it gets passed around over & over in his school.

I was also a bit under the weather, but not with a stomach virus.

I made some homemade tea with natural dried herbs; chamomile and linden leaves.

1. It's pretty simple, all I do is add the herbs to two cups of water; a teaspoon of chamomile and

half a teaspoon of the linden leaves. You can also add ginger or anise to this if you like.

2.Simmer for a few of minutes until the water is hot & tinted.
3. Remove from heat, then strain it.

4. Add honey or sugar and even perhaps a teaspoonful of fresh squeezed lime juice if you like.

There you have it, simple and homemade and no teabags.
This is a soothing tea for colds, cramps, headaches and other ailments.
I hope that you enjoy & now I'm off to take care of my little guy.

Linking to:
Lowercase Letters
Sew Chatty

Making Memories...

I'm back from my vacation friends and it's good to be back!

My 40 days of no blogging and no internet, really helped me clear
my mind and focus on a list of things that are important to me.

Today I'm sharing some random photos from our Easter Weekend.
It was beautiful and I enjoyed every aspect of it.

We shared the Resurrection story with the kids as we do every year
as a reminder of what Easter is all about.

I used paper gift bags instead of baskets for gifts this year.
I decorated them and filled them with goodies. It was easier to carry than baskets,
and that way they didn't have extra baskets to carry around.

The children enjoyed egg hunting and they had a blast with the cracking
of the eggs. We adapted a Greek Egg game, the eggs are suppose to be
a rich red, but the coloring was a challenge, so I got them eggs with confetti
inside. I did not anticipate the fun they would have with this game.

The eggs are to be dyed red because it represents the blood that Jesus shed for us.
The cracking or crashing of the eggs symbolizes Christ breaking out of the Tomb;
"Christ is Risen, Indeed He Has Risen."

When someone crashed their egg against another person's egg, the confetti flew out,
a celebration of our Lord's Resurrection.

Then all the children gathered their Easter eggs from the egg hunt
and they opened them up to find their goodies inside.

Dinner was delicious, thanks to our friends Michelle & Charles who provided the meal.

We had a blessed weekend and hope that you did too.

What did you do Easter Weekend?

Party Post UBP 2013

Welcome to the Inspirations by D blog!

This is my third blog party and it's a great way to meet new bloggers.
First off, thank you so much for stopping by, and if you comment below,
I want to thank you for taking the time for doing so.
I enjoy all your visits and hope that you'll continue to drop by for inspiration.

I'm D and I am a mom to an energetic and loving little boy,

step mom to a great teenager and a wife to a wonderful man.

I come from a design, fashion and marketing background.
After working in the Fashion Industry for many years,
I hung up my heels, got married, moved around the world a few times,
settled in the country side and I have never looked back.

I enjoy DIY projects, photography, travel, crafting, family time and a prayerful life.

I blog about crafts, gardening, blog tutorials, little moments in my day to day living & more!
You never know what I have up my sleeve, so visit often.

This blog also serves as an extension to my Etsy Shop "Inspirations by D".
You should drop by!

It would be wonderful if you would follow or subscribe to the blog.

I can't wait to meet you all, the party is all week long and with some amazing prizes, so hop in.

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