We are gathered here today to celebrate the holidays with a bling filled vase and a wicker deer. Cheers to IAVOM and our weekly hostess, Cathy at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com. Follow the link to see more vases.
I seem to recall the deer is actually an antelope and a historical artifact from the Crate & Barrel; though I do enjoy him or her for the holidays. The vase is a roadside find. The bling, gold painted dried Bromeliads and Miniature Pineapples from my garden. I am definitely getting in touch with my Southerness painting dried flowers gold for the holidays. I am certain my mother is smiling in the great beyond.
The merrymakers in the vase:
Red variegated foliage in background is from the shrub, Mammey Croton (Codieum variegatum); wispy green flowers are Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa); red flowers are Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus arboreus); a gold glazed Miniature Pineapple completes the background.
Upside down gold glazed Miniature Pineapple nods along with the Hibiscus.
A single stem of Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata) provides white flowers, foliage and fragrance. The gold glazed dried flowers gracing the edge of the vase are from Aechmea miniata Bromeliads.
That’s all from South Florida this holiday week.
Happy Gardening!!!
The Shrub Queen 
Merry Christmas! Love those pineapples.
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Thanks, Judy. Merry Christmas.
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I am always impressed by your work on the vases. This one is really good š
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Thanks, Jon. I do enjoy the floral challenge.
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Ha! Well done. And I love the notion of a “historical artifact from Crate & Barrel.” Actually, yesterday as I made a wreath, I was wishing I had a spray can of gold paint to embellish the Magnolia seed cones that have fallen in impressive numbers this year but I wasn’t about to pay a visit to the local craft outlet this week…Best wishes for a merry Christmas, Amelia!
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Thanks, Kris. I bought that because I thought it was a reindeer. Oh well. I found an old tube of gold paint who knows why I had it, I would not go out for spray paint this time of year either…
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Oh such a brilliant title, Amelia and what great ways you have utilised flowers and fruit and foliage for this pre-Christmas vase. Wonderful! I really enjoyed studying your vase today š
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Thank you, Cathy. A burst of holiday inspiration, I suppose.
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Merry Christmas, and what a great opening title..bling indeed, or might I say ‘gilding the lily or rather pineapple’.
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Love it…gilding the pineapple..
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Very festive! I like the gilded dried pieces, they provide a beautiful accent.
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Thank you, Eliza. Merry Christmas.
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Painting dried flowers gold is Southern? Does Southern California count?
I gotta tell you this because it is funny. When Brent was a little kid, he observed his mother spray painting cattails and pampas grass flowers, as was popular at the time. She was doing this in the garage when the telephone rang. As she ran to get the telephone, she told Brent to not touch anything, which, of course, was the wrong thing to do. Brent, who was fascinated by the process of applying spray paint, promptly picked up the can of spray paint to see how it worked. (This would be an ideal opportunity for a rude racial comment. hint: Brent and a can of spray paint.) As he handled the can, it hissed at him and startled him so that he dropped the can. As he fled the scene of the crime, he passed his mother as she returned. She asked, “Brent, . . . were you playing with the paint after I told you not to?” (duh!) He answered, “No Momma!”. He was completely unaware that his face was bright orange!
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LOL..boys will be boys, right? Well. in So Cal they are orange and the South gold? One of my brothers spray painted his face brown and my mother had a fit. He was wearing glasses…
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Accidentally?!
In the early 1970s, pampas grass and cattail flowers, and a few other odds and ends, were spray painted all sorts of odd earthy colors. I can remember dried floral trusses of Canary Island date palms. Brent had one in his apartment in the early 1990s.
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Got the can in his hand backwards while painting a model car. The last time he ever did that.
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Was it a model of a Cutlass? That sounds like something an Oldsmobile guy would do.
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Probably an Big Daddy Roth Rat Rod. My brother is probably 10 years older than you and a weird European sports car fan that will put up with Lucas electrics.
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Ew! That guy was from Bell, . . . although he started in Beverly Hills, so, I suppose, he might have at least one redeeming quality.
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Beautiful as ever, Amy. The gold paint takes me back. Makes sense you can feel your mom close at times like this! Merry Christmas and wishes for good health and happiness in the new year.
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Thank you, Susie. Right back at cha! Hope hubs is doing well.
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