Happy Fourth Of July !!!

Happy Independence Day 2010 from The Little American and family!

Wishing you all a very festive and safe holiday celebration.

(From PBS.org)

History of the Fourth

"WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS..."

Thomas Jefferson's Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence (Library of Congress)

"Taxation without representation!" That was the battle cry of the 13 colonies in America that were forced to pay taxes to England's King George III with no representation in Parliament. As dissatisfaction grew, British troops were sent in to quell any signs of rebellion, and repeated attempts by the colonists to resolve the crisis without war proved fruitless.

On June 11, 1776, the colonies' Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia formed a committee with the express purpose of drafting a document that would formally sever their ties with Great Britain. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. The document was crafted by Jefferson, who was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer. (Nevertheless, a total of 86 changes were made to his draft.) The final version was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4.

[Full Story]

Sharing Blog Posts With Other Social Media Outlets

The "Add This" feature is now available for you to share your favorite Beaux Mondes Designs posts with your friends and family on Twitter,Facebook,Digg and many more social media networks.
For fellow bloggers with an interest in potentially expanding your readership, Add This was named by several media magazines and online blogs as a contributing source for increased traffic on many websites. It's very simple to add and its free. Simply copy an embed code and paste it in "edit html" section under the "Lay Out" tab. Step by step instructions are available on the site.

Happy Sharing

Hydrangea's "Flower Power" wanes in our urban garden

After 6 weeks of our enjoying their vibrant beauty, the Hydrangeas in our garden have begun their departure for the season.

Sadly, the jar you see has the last remaining vintage blue and green blooms from our garden.

There are still a few pink.....



And a scattering of blues

Next to Peonies, Hydrangeas are at the top of the list of my favorite flowers. Fortunately, for me, they grow very well in our region. Their bloom cycle is from early spring to autumn. However, the cycle here ends when the summer temperatures soar above 100 degrees. I'm looking forward to planting Peonies this coming fall in time for the 2011 season.

This is one of the 2 climbing Hydrangea vines we planted last summer which began its crawl up the lattice last.

I recall reading somewhere a horticulturalist quote stating this particular species sleep the first year, creep the second year then leap the third year. We are looking forward to next year's leap.

Finally, I found this interesting read from HydrangeasHydrangeas on how to change the colors of your Hortensia.

Enjoy,
Julio

CHANGE TO PINK

For hydrangea blooms to be pink, the plants must not take up aluminum from the soil. If the soil naturally contains aluminum, one must try to keep it away from the hydrangea's system. Following are a few tricks that might work:

• Add dolomitic lime several times a year. This will help to raise the pH. Shoot for a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2 (If it goes above 6.4 hydrangeas may experience an iron deficiency). Since hydrangeas take up aluminum best at lower pH levels, raising the pH will help to keep the bluing effect of aluminum out of the hydrangea's system.
  
  
• Use a fertilizer with high levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus helps to prevent aluminum from creeping into the system of the hydrangea. Choose a fertilizer close to the ratio of 25/10/10 (Phosphorus is the middle number).
  
  
• In areas that naturally produce blue hydrangeas (soils with aluminum), consider growing pink hydrangeas in large pots. If hydrangeas are grown in pots, it would be best to use soil-less mixtures, since these mixes would probably not have aluminum in them. In a pot, it will be much easier to control the requirements for growing pink hydrangeas.

CHANGE TO BLUE

To obtain a blue hydrangea, aluminum must be present in the soil. To ensure that aluminum is present, aluminum sulfate may be added to the soil around the hydrangeas.

Authorities recommend that a solution of 1/2 oz (1 Tbsp) aluminum sulfate per gallon of water be applied to plants (which are at least 2-3 years old) throughout the growing season. Important: Water plants well in advance of application and put solution on cautiously, as too much can burn the roots.

To make the aluminum available to the plant, the pH of the soil should be low (5.2-5.5). Adding aluminum sulfate will tend to lower the pH of the soil. Another method for lowering the pH is to add organic matter to the soil such as coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, grass clippings etc.

If the soil naturally contains aluminum and is acid (low pH) the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend toward shades of blue and/or purple.

The choice of fertilzer will also affect the color change. A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue color(25/5/30 is good. Potassium is the last number). Superphosphates and bone meal should be avoided when trying to produce blue.

After stating this with much certainty, I hasten to add that it is virtually impossible to turn a hydrangea blue for any length of time if it is planted in soil with no aluminum and that is highly alkaline (chalky). One would have to be very diligent in keeping the soil properly conditioned as stated above.

Perhaps the best idea for growing blue hydrangeas in an area with alkaline soil would be to grow them in very large pots using lots of compost to bring the pH down. The above suggestions for bluing would also work for a potted plant. Reduce the strength of the Aluminum sulfate to 1/4 oz per gallon of water. In a pot, it will be much easier to control the requirements for bluing.

One last suggestions for those who are serious about this process. It is important to have your water tested so that it will not "contaminate" the soil that you have so rigorously balanced. The pH of the water should not be higher than 5.6.

Planting hydrangeas near a concrete foundation or sidewalk will often affect the color since the pH of the soil may be raised considerably by lime leaching out of these structures, making it difficult to obtain blue.

Who Is Robert Tobar?

(Lime love) candy dish

Looking for something unique and artfully whimsy for your next tablescape? Robert Tabor maybe able to help you.

Bio (taken from Roberttabor.com)

Photo: Mary Damiano
Having been described as a Multi-dimensional artist and designer
Tobar has been developing 2D and 3D creative desires for the past
30 years.










(Drag-on and on)

(Bird in hand)

His education and professional work experience has
developed in: Boston, New York City, LA and now warm sunny
South Florida.


(It's all about me)


(Gold gargoyle)

With a degree in Graphic Design and a very unique look at life,
Tobar has enjoyed expressing his creativity not only in graphics,
but window display, costume, prop design and production, for Mattel Toys,
MTV, Nickelodeon, Macy’s, Gibson Guitar or Red Bull to name a few,
he gives a unique twist to whatever comes his way..

(Silver candle sticks)

(Tuxedo candle sticks)

It is with all this previous creative experience that he now brings to
the table his most recent and extensive work of Fantasy shoe sculptures.

Additional Portfolios at; Roberttabor.com
You can also purchase the items above at his etsy store sole sensations.

Father's Day Video

A charming video sent to me from a friend with a Father's Day wish. Happy Fathers Day.

"An Inescapable Actor Of Design"

An interior designer with extraordinary talent and ability to create some of the world's most opulent and sumptuous rooms for private residences,castles,hotels,private jets and yachts.















BOOKS

A creator of 8 design books including 2 new beautiful books about tables.





TABLEWARE

A porcelain artist creating several collections of pure tableaux art.








Anyone obsessed with great design knows the name Alberto Pinto. He is no stranger to the design world. A quick review of his portfolio and you can see why is revered as "An inescapable actor of interior design". I am a huge fan of his classic designs featured above. A Frenchman born in Morroco in 1945, Pinto has built a reputation as a master purveyor of applied arts. From superbly crafted furniture and textiles, to fine ornamental porcelain china, Pinto's remarkable eye for design comes through his work and the result is breathtaking. He studied at the Ecole de Louvre in Paris. From there, he moved to New York City and started a photography agency focusing on architecture and interior design. In 1986, he opened his first interior design firm in Paris. He is a big admirer of the legendary designer David Hick's creative aestetics. He also credits his passion for creating a sense of volume and using amazing colors to his collaborations with famous architect Luis Baragan. His visionary spread to a greater audience when he began reporting for the Conde Nast group's House And Garden magazine. For more information and photos of Pinto's work visit AlbertoPinto.com.
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Fragrances For Dad

With Fathers' Day only 5 days away, I'm sure many of you have already chosen the perfect gift for Dad. If not, or if you're already considering a fragrance for him but not sure what kind, here are my current favorites:

(From top left to right)

Bvlgari Pour Homme Soir- 3.4 oz costs between $30.00-$40.00 3.4 oz.

DESIGN HOUSE - Bvlgari

YEAR INTRODUCED - 2006

FRAGRANCE NOTES - Darjeeling Tea, Bergamot, Musk, Papyrus Amber
RECOMMENDED USE - day or evening

Boss Black- 4 oz costs between $50.00-60.00

DESIGN HOUSE - Hugo Boss

YEAR INTRODUCED - 2000

FRAGRANCE NOTES - clean and fresh with woodsy low notes.

RECOMMENDED USE - casual

L'Homme YSL- 2 oz costs between $35.00-40.00

DESIGN HOUSE - Yves Saint Laurent

YEAR INTRODUCED - 2006

FRAGRANCE NOTES - Cedar Virginia Cedar, Ginger, Violet, Citron, White Pepper, Basil Flower, Ozone, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vetiver
RECOMMENDED USE- day or evening

RL Safari-2.5 oz costs between $35.00-40.00

DESIGN HOUSE - Ralph Lauren

YEAR INTRODUCED - 1992

FRAGRANCE NOTES - a subtle blend of citrus, and eucalyptus, with woodsy and leather notes, very manly.

RECOMMENDED USE - evening

Happy Fathers Day