Have you ever thought about transforming a forgotten keepsake into a stunning floral arrangement? It’s easy, affordable and today I’ll show you how!

At The Rock House Life, we find beauty in every day items and celebrate the art of creative living.
Think of this blog as a little getaway that sparks your imagination, a place to discover unique DIY projects, stunning before-and-after transformations and inspiration to help you uncover the beauty within your own home.

About Me and My Passion

My home is a charming 1920’s farmhouse known as, The Rock House, it’s the heart of all of my creative projects, and the inspiration for this blog.

For over 26 years, I have been a professional photo stylist, specializing in set designs, DIY projects, and styling for catalogs, magazines and TV.  My passion is to uncover the hidden beauty in everyday life and transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. 

 I’m so happy that you’re here and I’d love for you to join me on this creative journey!

Let the Journey begin

Hidden away in our shed are boxes from my childhood home; each one holding a piece of my past.

After my parents passed away, we were at a loss, trying to figure out what to do with all their things. Every decision felt overwhelming at the time.  They lived in our childhood home for over 40 years and it was filled with a lifetime of memories and belongings.

I never thought about how hard it would be to say goodbye to our home, that part of our lives, and all of the memories attached to everything inside. It felt like losing another family member. I just thought we could sell the house and all of their things and it would be fine, but no…..even silly little things, like the cups that my Mom served jello in, suddenly held more meaning than ever before. 

Looking back, I can see that every decision was a struggle because under the surface were feelings of added grief that came along with letting go of each item.

Somehow, we managed to sell or donate some of their things and we decided that it would best to just pack the rest in storage and figure out what to do with it all later.

So, every once in a while, I dig through a couple of boxes, trying to figure out what to do with these little pieces of my past. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane that pulls at my heartstrings. Each piece reminds me of my parents and all of the sweet memories that live deep inside my heart.

Finding a treasure

So, it was one of those days and I decided to go into our shed and randomly pick a box to bring to the dining table. I set it down and carefully opened it , unwrapping each item inside. Among those unwrapped items, I found this beautiful soup tureen that my mom hand-painted years ago at a neighbor’s ceramic workshop—a place where we had lots of mother-daughter painting dates.

Going down memory lane

Seeing that soup tureen just made me smile, like my mom was standing right next to me, back in our old neighbor’s workshop. We had such sweet times there, getting creative with the other ladies in the neighborhood. I haven’t thought about those days in a long time. It’s amazing how a simple object can bring you back in time.
As I write this post, a flood of sweet memories fill my thoughts, and here I am, wiping away the tears. I’m also reminded of how beautiful those simple days of childhood were and how many celebrations we had back them.

About My Mom

Let me tell you about my mom—she really lit up at a party! She absolutely loved being surrounded by people and was in her element when the house was filled with friends, family, laughter and excitement . Our door was always open, and people dropped by whenever they wanted. My Mom would rush to the door with a big smile and open arms. You can’t imagine how much she enjoyed those surprise visits and anticipated them with something tasty to share with her guests. She enjoyed those surprise visits but what she really looked forward to was having a big party, bringing out her elegant dishes, beautiful table linens and in the fall, serving soup in this beautiful tureen that she painted.

She had a way of making everyone feel at home and making any occasion feel special.  So when I unpacked the soup tureen, the other day, I knew that I wanted to do something special, that would honor my Mom and this beautiful piece.  I just couldn’t picture myself serving soup in it; that’s definitely not my thing. Instead, I saw it transformed into an incredible centerpiece, something fancy that would have wow’d my Mom.

I thought about it for a little while and decided that an asymmetrical floral design would be perfect. So, I headed to Trader Joe’s, to see what flowers I could find for the design I had in mind. 

The supplies

Here’s what I found:
Hydrangeas, Wax Flowers, Eucalyptus, Evergreens, and Spray Roses.
Just wait until you hear how much I spent on the flowers! 

How I arranged the flowers

I began by placing floral foam at the base and
created a grid over the opening with floral tape. 

Create the foundational shape

To create the  asymenntircal design, I started by placing the greens,
to form the skeletal shape of the arrangement.

Add the largest floral with the most visual weight

I added the largest flowers at the base of the arrangement.
This lower placement helps to anchor these Hydrangeas in the composition
because they carry the most visual weight.

Add a pop of color

For a pop of color, I added spray roses in varying depths.

Add wax flowers or filler flowers

I added wax flowers to fill in gaps and cover bare spots,
making sure that the opening of the tureen was not exposed. 

Add flowers to balance the arrangement

One more hydrangea was added to balance out the arrangement.

How much did it cost?

Here’s the finished piece!
Woohoo!!
I spent a whopping $23 on the flowers! 
Can you believe it?

It looks like something you’d see
at a posh hotel or a grand entryway
and I only spent $23.

She would be proud!

I was Inspired by my mom’s talent for creating a beautiful home on a budget.
I think she would have loved to see her soup tureen get this kind of makeover.

Honoring her memory

This makeover is a small way of honoring my Mom and I just miss her every day.
I had so much love and respect for both of my parents and the words Honor your Father and Mother kept coming to mind as I wrote this post. So, here’s the quote:
Ephesians 6: 2-3 “Honor your Father and Mother-“which is the first commandment with a promise-so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth. 

In that case, I’ll probably live to be 110. 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner

You know what, my friends?  Time goes by so quickly, I hope this post encourages you to take a moment to cherish and honor those who fill your life with love.

If you have sentimental items packed away, why not give one a new life and make an arrangement for someone you love. What a lovely way to celebrate a piece of your personal history?

Come back and see what I do next with this piece!

Check back next week for another beautiful and creative use for this soup tureen.
I can’t wait to show you what I did! See you soon!

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