When we were little our mom would take us on walks. A LOT of walks. We went in every season, every kind of weather and as we would walk she would say, “smell girls, smell!” and we would all stop and take deep sniffs of the air. I can’t speak for Heather but I’m fairly certain that at the time I didn’t fully appreciate just what I was smelling.
But, somewhere along the line, the aromas of the different seasons began to seep into my pores and become apart of my very being. I might have been a city girl but I could smell a change in the weather as well as any farmer! Which would make perfect sense seeing that I am a farmer’s daughter’s daughter.
As soon as the first daffodils begin poking their way through the ground each year I have to call that farmer’s daughter and tell her.
She says it makes her heart ache. She is a farmer’s daughter, after all. And she knows what she is missing. They might now live where there is plenty of sunshine but there aren’t very many daffodils…or hyacinths…or bearded iris (her favorite!).
Of course when she tells me it makes her heart ache it makes my heart ache too. In that strange, bittersweet kind of way where you aren’t sure if you want to cry or laugh. So you do a little of both.
I know she would love seeing this daffodil centerpiece set on top of a tablecloth which belonged to her mother. She would ask me if I had purchased the pots as is and I would tell her that I simply took plain terracotta pots and did a quick white-wash. Glass pieces of varying shapes and sizes provide the perfect little stands for showing them off.
Being a farmer’s daughter means she is also very practical so she would really like that this centerpiece can do dual purpose as Spring mantel decor. She might even go over to one of those pots and stick a finger in the dirt just for fun.
I wouldn’t put it past her!
And she would bury her head right into those daffodils and inhale their subtle, sweet aroma.
She would be the first to be invited to my home for a Spring brunch. OK…maybe it would be a tie for first place with my sister.
*I’ll be sharing more details from my Spring Brunch Buffet later on this week so be sure to come back for that*
And, there is no doubt in my mind that she would be so proud when she is outside playing with her grandchildren and one of them lifts their nose into the air and says, “smell Nonna, smell!”
This post is just the latest stop on the It’s a Spring Thing Blog Hop!
There have been some incredible projects shared so far!
Lemon and Blueberry Butter Cake from Cupcakes and Crinoline. Spring Tablescape and Dining Room from Dear Lillie. Spring Scrap Wood Sign from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia. Easy Spring Centerpiece from Simply Klassic Home. Spring Mantel from Fox Hollow Cottage. Spring/Summertime Crafts from Debbiedoos. Tips for Decorating a Spring Mantel from Setting for Four. Spring Chevron Tote Bag from JoJo & Eloise.
“Hop” over tomorrow and visit Maryann from Domestically Speaking. Plus, still to come is KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms, Courtney from French Country Cottage, and Jennifer from Jennifer Rizzo
Be sure to follow along and on March 18 we’ll all be hosting one HUGE It’s a Spring Thing! Linky Party where you can link up your spring and Easter posts. Hope you’ll join us!
Thanks so much for joining me today at the Fence,
I know that smell, Vanessa! It always makes me happy, too, because I know Spring has really arrived and the ground and plants are waking up again. Your daffodils look wonderful in the pots. They look great on your mantel altogether. You can’t get simpler or more Springy than that!
Ahhh..the sweet smell of springtime! I know it well and have many, many fond memories of sharing those “walks” with my Grandmothers. I love your daffodils in whitewashed pots…they’re cheery…just like spring! I have a few more weeks to wait but Spring’s coming! xo
Your daffodil arrangements are so pretty!! Also, I love your memory about taking walks with your mom and smelling Spring! It’s really sweet things like that that sticks with us in life, right? I actually love the smell of freshly cut grass that should start wafting in about a month. 🙂
Blessings,
Leslie
So simple & pretty! I love the daffodils in the pots on the mantel! They just scream spring!
LOVE these, Vanessa … AND your sweet and sentimental post! What a great idea to place your wonderfully whitewashed pots on glass (love how you flipped a couple of them over). Isn’t it amazing how certain smells can take us right back to our childhood?
Thank you, Vanessa, for the walk down memory lane! It makes my heart happy just thinking of those days spent taking walks with my darling daughters. PLEASE bring some flowers when you come to Arizona soon! Love you, Mom
Gorgeous… loving the yellow and those cute pots. Love your sweet story too.
This is ABSOLUTELY lovely, Vanessa. The flowers are so pretty and fresh. Your table sings, SPRING with it’s light and airy feeling. The memories and story, PRICELESS!! Love it!!!
xo
Angelina
What a wonderful story. It made me tear up thinking about my mom when she was alive. Daffodils and the smell of spring was her favorite time. She used to say there was a certain smell in the air. Thanks for bringing this memory back for me.
Cynthia
Beautiful Vanessa, just beautiful. the flowers in their white-washed pots on their glass pedestals AND your sweet story. Happy Spring!
Daffys are one of the first things to pop up here for us. I love the sweet little yellow faces. They sure look pretty all dolled up! Happy Spring!
Beautiful story and centerpiece!! The smells of spring are priceless aren’t they! Love the cheery yellow daffodils and how you staggered the heights of them for your table!
So pretty, Vanessa and beautifully written. I do love going outside in the different seasons and taking in a deep breath. So cleansing.
Such a lovely story and such a beautiful centerpiece!
They are the sweetest things and I loved your story…
Blessings,
Cindy
Oh, Vanessa, your tablescape and your story are both so sweet. Daffodils are so very pretty! My grandmother is the one who was always introducing me to wonderful smells and the simple beauty of the world. Most things I did not become aware of until I was an adult, but obviously they were sitting there in my brain — in the deep dark recesses. Having grown up in Louisiana, the smell of a warm summer rain was one of those buried memories. Shortly after The Man & I moved to AZ with our then “tween and almost tween,” we experienced our first desert rain. When that rain started, I was immediately assailed with the smell and started squealing and calling the “tween and almost tween” outside so they could experience such wonder. I think they actually thought I had lost my mind, but I had done my job; I had imprinted that wonderful smell on my young, because they truly get it now that they are adults with kiddos!
Carol
Oh this is so beautiful. I love that you elevated the pots on glass containers, lovely. Hugs, Marty
Love the spring centerpieces!
Just stunning Vanessa! I love how you displayed them on glass, unexpected yet so beautiful! I think all the pots I aged have broken…after seeing how gorgeous yours are I might just have to make a stop at the dollar store soon for more pots. Have a wonderful day.
XO
Kristin
Vanessa, I love this tribute to your Farmer’s Daughter mama… and I’m certain she would love your simply perfect daffodil mantel as much as I do! Nicely done. (Of course, THIS Nonna’s favorite line was “smell, Nonna, smell!” I’ve heard my Little Man say it many times. Thanks for the memories today. 🙂
SO pretty!!
This is such a pretty idea, Vanessa! I’ve got the pots and the white paint just sitting around, so will have to give this a go!
Always love to read your beautiful stories….and beautiful table and mantel Vanessa!
What a beautiful centerpiece and lovely story, Vanessa. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Beauty from such a simple idea, I love daffodils, sadly it’s the end of our Summer now and we are heading into Autumn so a nice surprise to see Spring bulbs again.
Lee 🙂
I love this project – especially as it can transcend the usual Spring holidays. And that’s initially why I clicked over here from your post on Hometalk. But your story about your Mom, and how she would appreciate these potted bits of Spring… that actually captured my heart. What a sweet homage to your Mom. 🙂