The Enchanted Rose: A Tutorial

I have so many fond memories that are tied to Disney's animated, musical film version of Beauty and the Beast.  I remember when my mom and dad took my sister and me to see it in the theater shortly after it premiered; it was actually released on my birthday, a fact that I've enjoyed for a long time.  I remember dressing up and acting out the story, with Mom playing the role of the narrator while my sister and I played all of the other characters, and I remember how my sister used to love one particular bit near the end of the movie, where a wardrobe--enchanted and come to life--leaps off a balcony, singing an operatic musical note as her battle-cry.  

Somewhere along the line, my family acquired a book of Disney-themed parties, and for my eleventh--I think--birthday, I had the Beauty and the Beast themed party from that book.  My friends and I played a relay game where we balanced--on our two hands and our heads--three 'candlesticks' that were made out of cardboard tubes and construction paper, pretending to be the film's enchanted candelabra, Lumiére.  I remember the birthday cake that was made to look like the enchanted teapot, Mrs. Potts, and her little teacup son, Chip; I also remember 'Beastly Baked Potatoes', which were cleverly made to resemble the character for which they were named.  

I also recall when I was a little older--around sixteen, I believe--when I discovered the Broadway musical version of the tale, and wouldn't rest until my mom and dad bought us tickets to see the show when it came to town.  It was a theater-experience that was nothing short of sublime, and I was moved to tears by the tugging of my heartstrings and the sheer beauty of it all.  And I completely geeked out when my favorite television show, Once Upon A Time, did their own version of the Beauty and the Beast story in last year's Valentine's Day episode.  It was heartwrenching, and fabulous.

Now, all of that is yet another roundabout way of introducing my true focus of this post, which is the tutorial on how to make your very own version of the movie's infamous floating enchanted rose in a bell jar.  My designs for my little girl's nursery have included as many pretty, girly things as I could possibly think up...and/or manage to include...within reason.  Mom has some lovely bell jars around the house, and I kept looking at them and thinking, If I could find a bell jar of my own, I know I could something that would look like that enchanted rose. And, well--I did find a way to put together my own illusion of a rose floating in mid-air under the shelter of a bell jar!  I shall share with you how it can be done forthwith.

You will need:

- A mantelpiece clock, like the one below

- Wood paste, like this stuff
- Some duct tape
- Spray paint, of the color of your choice. I chose silver, to mimic a mirror.
- A hot glue gun
- Two clear or white buttons. It is very important that they have no color!
- Some transparent thread, like this, or fine fishing line
- A silk rose
- A needle and scissors

First, you'll want to dismantle the clock, removing the clock itself and all of its machinery until you're left with simply the clock's base and the bell jar.  Cogsworth would be horrified, I know.  Please forgive my rather haphazard illustrations...I was working in pen, and wanted to get the drawings done quickly, before Lil' Princess woke up from her nap.  

Place some of the duct tape on the underside of the clock's base, and then fill in any of the holes from where the clock was formerly attached to the base, using the wood paste.  Allow the paste to dry, and then sand over it a little, so that the filled-in holes are hidden.  Next, spray paint the base.  As I have already said, I had mine painted silver, so that it mimics the look of a mirror--another inanimate object that is predominantly featured in the film as a major plot device.  Allow it to dry, and there!  You're finished with that part of the project!

You want for the buttons that you are using to be clear or white, at least, because they will be helping to create the illusion that the rose is magically suspended in midair within the bell jar.  Take the two buttons and secure them, one at each end, to a short bit of the clear thread or fishing line.  I used about an inch and a half for mine, but the length of the thread really depends on the size and height of your bell jar.  You can make adjustments accordingly.

Cut the silk rose to a length that will fit under the bell jar, leaving it short enough to have room both above and below it, when you hold it inside the bell jar.  You might have to prune a few petals and rearrange and reattach some of the leaves, to make the rose fit within the jar in the manner that you find to look the best.

Carefully attach one of the buttons into the rose by parting the rose's petals and using the hot glue gun to plant a dollop of glue inside.  Press the button onto the hot glue to secure it inside of the rose.  Take the other button, at the other end of the string, and attach it into the center of the inside of the bell jar.  The rose should now appear--when you place the bell jar on a flat surface--to magically float in the air.  The transparent thread and the buttons create the illusion!

To complete your Beauty and the Beast inspired work of art, simply place the bell jar on its base, set it on a shelf or dresser or table top somewhere, and enjoy its whimsical, and...dare I say...enchanting charm. ;D

I found my mantelpiece clock at a thrift store, and it cost under $10, and the silk rose cost less than $3 at the craft store.  All of the other materials, I already had access to--so if you play your cards right, this project is beautiful and inexpensive!  I'm quite happy with how the one that I put together for Lil' Princess turned out.

Until I write again...

À bientôt!

--Cait

Defining Country Chic

Have you ever used a term to describe something, and yet never really sat down and thought about what the term meant, exactly, to you?  This was a thought that occurred to me when I was recently asked--by one of my aunts--about the theme of the gender reveal party that Mr. Darcy and I will be having for our baby on Saturday.

What is "country chic"?

From the numerous times that I've browsed Google's image search, Pinterest, and various other websites, I've learned that this is a style term that can mean a whole lot of different things, to a whole lot of different people.  That's part of its charm, naturally. :)  However, in this blog post, I'm going to attempt to define what the "country chic" style means, in my own eyes.

To start off with, here's a few pictures that I've pulled from the vastly obliging world wide web; these are the images that I felt best expressed the look that we'll be going for with this party.

(The following images are from Pinterest and Google's image search.)

I love the look of mismatched containers and simple flower arrangements.  These are both important elements of the country chic style: nothing ever seems to be too matchy-matchy, and it's never, ever fussy.  It's casually but thoughtfully put together, with an emphasis on a worn-in patina and a cozy, homey sort of prettiness. 

Another staple element of the country chic style is Mason jars.  They can be any size, in a variety of colors, opaque and clear, embellished or not...but where there's a country-style design theme, there will almost certainly be Mason jars.  And why not?  They're sturdy and they look fabulous without your having to over-think how you're going to put them together.  Also, I ought to add, like the ubiquitous Little Black Dress that the world is so very (justly so) fond of...

Mason jars pair well with pretty much ev-er-y-thing.   

Again, we have wildflowers and mismatched vessels, with an emphasis on the nicely-aged and weather-worn look of the non-flower items' surfaces.  But now I'd like to point out another element of the country chic design, which a friend described to me in her definition of the country chic style--and that is the color palette.  Country chic style can vary between vibrant, saturated bright colors and soft, whispering pastels, but those colors will always be firmly based in nature.  You won't find any neons here, I'm afraid.  You will, however, find the aforementioned natural colors and a host of lovely neutrals: shades from wood, burlap, natural fibers such as cotton, and others.

So there we have a few examples of the elements of country chic design: mismatched flower containers and tableware and cutlery--simple flower arrangements gathered from the side of the road, the flower market, your own backyard, or a conveniently-blooming meadow (if you see any such place, do let me know...they're in rather short supply around here...)--Mason jars, in whatever size you want, with whatever embellishments you want--and a color palette that mixes natural neutrals with brights and pastels.  This is by no means an exhaustive definition of the elements that composed the country chic style, of course...it's just the handful of examples that I've chosen to highlight for my own interpretation of it, for this particular occasion.  :)

I suppose that ultimately, I would have to agree with my friend's definition of the country chic style: it holds both natural and vibrant colors, it's aged and worn in without being worn-out and deteriorating.  It's country in that it includes wildflowers, burlap, and an unpretentious sort of coziness, and it's chic in that it holds a unified, well-thought-out scheme of colors and materials.  With the country chic style, you get wildflowers in a collection of sparkling clear glass Mason jars; there is a crisp white linen table cloth with a burlap-and-lace table topper; there is faded turquoise paired with rough-hewn wood and fine silver flatware.  It's cheerful, cozy, and sophisticated without seeming as though it's trying to be.  

And how does that translate for the gender reveal party on Saturday?

This is just the base of my ideas for the decorations, but I think it gives a suitable picture of what I'm planning to include.  There will be lots of pink and blue for the table decor, in both the gingham pattern and solids.  We'll also have pink and blue balloons placed here and there; I'm thinking of trying to make a pair of question marks to decorate either side of the front door.  We'll also hopefully have some of the flowers from the backyard: fuschia pink roses and blue-tinted hydrangeas, if there are enough of them blooming to use them for arrangements.  And of course, there will be some burlap and twine involved.

We've got a bunch of dear, dear friends and family who are planning to attend--some of them are traveling a ways in order to be present for the grand reveal.  I'm so, so incredibly honored and happy to be looking forward to the company of everyone who is planning to be there with us on this special day, whether they're from out of town or from the local area.  Auntie Jenn is going to make a special blue punch for the party, and Auntie Micah is making the cake--I'm anxious to try both!  And baby's bonne-maman--that's my Mom!--is joining forces with me to make an amazing finger-foods menu, which is to include "Texas caviar" and tortilla chips, individual veggie-and-dip cups, fruit kabobs and antipasto kabobs, a hummus-esque dip from one of Giada de Laurentiis' cookbooks, and...cherry pie pops.

Sheesh.  Now I'm really hungry again, after talking about all of that food!  I think it's time for me to put an end to my rambling and let everyone go, for now.  ;)

À bientôt!

-- Cait