Making a Tussie Mussie

Story and photos by Katherine McCall

Supplies:

Flowers
For inspiration I used  an example from Geraldine Adamich Laufer of a special tussie-mussie to celebrate and commemorate an engagement:

Sweetheart rose: grace, beauty, love
Azalea: love, romance
Statice: never ceasing remembrance
Mint: warmth of feeling
Ivy: constancy, friendship
Verbena: marriage, faithfulness
Rue: grace, clear, vision, virtue
Scented geranium: preference, conjugal affection
(In the fall, I couldn't find all these plants so I bought pink sweetheart roses at the grocery, then gathered mint, honeysuckle, azaleas, and ivy from my yard.)
Scissors
Floral Tape
Wide (4") satin ribbon
Elastic thread
Needle

Make the ribbon "collar," using the elastic thread, run a stitch along one side of the satin ribbon, leaving some elastic at each end to tie together. This will form a circle or collar of satin ribbon. The elastic will allow you to insert the stems of your tussie mussie in the center. Set aside.

 Cut the stems of your flowers and plants about 6 inches long and strip off the lower leaves.

Begin with the center of the tussie mussie which is usually the largest and most dramatic bloom. I used the pink sweetheart roses. Put several together (3 to 5--odd numbers are best) and hold tightly in your left hand.

Select your next plants and encircle the center flower with them. I used mint for my next row.

Continue adding material in this manner until you are satisfied with the size and arrangement.

I added honeysuckle and double impatiens, then azaleas and some more roses, then ended with some sprays of ivy.

When you are done adding the plants, wrap the stems or "handle" tightly with floral tape for about 3 to 4 inches.

Cut ragged stems even with the floral tape.

Slip satin collar under the tussie mussie and write a note to the recipient telling them the meaning of their floral gift.

And the giveaway winner is ...

Felicia M.! Congratulations, and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Win a free copy of this Christmas book!

To help you with your holiday planning, we're giving away a copy of the 2011 Christmas with Southern Living book to one lucky Coweta County reader! To be entered, just leave an "Enter me" comment to this post by Nov. 30 and we'll choose the winner from all the comments. You don't have to have a Google account to enter, but if you don't please be sure and include your e-mail address so we'll have a way to get in touch with you if you're the winner. Good luck!

Duct Tape on the AT

By Jeff Bishop

Much like those who overpack, a good way to sort the newbies from the old pros is to look and see whether or not they’ve packed Duct Tape. Every experienced hiker carries Duct Tape. Why?

• Duct Tape is your rigging when your pack suddenly suffers a mechanical failure.

• It’s your bandage when you cut yourself.

• It’s what you wrap your feet in when they get blistered.

• You can wrap your food in it.

• You can repair damaged clothing.

• You can use it to spell out an SOS sign in a tree or on the ground.

• When your water bottle leaks, Duct Tape provides the fix.

• Someone at the shelter keeping you from sleeping because they’re snoring too loudly? Try closing their mouth with Duct Tape. There’s almost nothing you can encounter on the Appalachian Trail for which Duct Tape will not provide an instant solution.

How to Create a Straw Bale Garden

Courtesy of Charlotte Nelson

Day 1-3

Water bales thoroughly for first three days. I watered in the a.m. and p.m.

Day 4-6

Once a day, sprinkle each bale with 1/2 cup of Ammonium Nitrate (32-0-0), then thoroughly water. (If you cannot find 32-0-0, get as close as possible to those numbers, for example 30-0-0 or 29-0-0.)

Day 7-9

Once a day, reduce Ammonium Nitrate to 1/4 cup and sprinkle into each bale and water thoroughly.

Day 10

NO MORE AMMONIUM NITRATE. But do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer to each bale and water thoroughly.

Day 11

Plant your garden.

A few hints from my experience:

• I placed 3 inches of potting soil on top of each bale on day 10 after 10-10-10 fertilizer is added.

• Use a spatula to push the transplants into the bale. It opens the bale a little better than your hand. (I plant my squash from seed.)

• Plant each transplant to the first leaves and press straw back together. (I planted roma tomatoes, all kinds of pepper, eggplant, squash, zucchini and you could even do cucumbers, strawberries, cabbage … whatever grows well for you.)

• I choose one day as Miracle Grow day. I use Miracle Grow every other Friday.

• YOU MUST WATER DAILY. I water in the a.m. and then in the p.m.

• NEVER LET THEM DRY OUT. I have found the bales will eventually stay pretty moist and you can judge if the bale is moist enough.

• Tall plants, like corn or okra, supposedly will not do well, but I have not tried them.

How to make paper flowers

By Tina Neely

Supplies

8 to 10 sheets of tissue paper
Scissors
Floral wire or pipe cleaners

Step 1

Open your pack of tissue paper and unfold it, laying it all out flat, stacking eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. (Note: For full, bigger flowers like ours, use the full sheets. For smaller flowers, cut the tissue paper in half, giving you 16 sheets, enough for two flowers out of one pack of tissue.) For more contrast in your flower, consider mixing two coordinating colors of tissue in your stack. It will give it a more vibrant, artful look. Standard tissue paper can be purchased in a large variety of colors and prints in the stationary/gift wrap section of most any store.


Step 2

Make 1- to 1-1/2-inch-wide accordion folds in the tissue, creasing with each fold. It should look similar to a fan when you open the folds.


Step 3

Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire* in half, slip it over the center of the folded tissue and twist tightly. With scissors, trim the ends of the folded tissue into desired shapes. For more rounded petals and a prettier flower, use scissors to round the edges. To make petals that look like dahlias cut the ends in points.

* When selecting the wire fastener, keep in mind how you will be displaying your flowers. For use in a vase, tying onto a package, making a napkin ring or hanging from above, use long pipe cleaners or floral wire. For flowers to be placed on the table or glued to artwork, use a small piece of wire or a twist tie. As always, if you are making these flowers with children use safety scissors and supervise the children.



Step 4

Separate the layers, pulling them away from the center one at a time. Be sure to separate the left and right side towards the center to make the flower’s shape more apparent. Separate carefully since the tissue can tear easily when pulling layers apart.


Fluff as desired and ...

hang your easy-to-make, attractive paper flowers!

Win a copy of "Sisters on the Fly"!

The January/February 2011 issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine includes a feature on some fun women who restore vintage campers and are members of the national group "Sisters on the Fly." A book by the same name, written by Irene Rawlings, tells the history of the organization and includes tips for finding and restoring a camper of your own. There are lots of great photos of Sisters' campers and even recipes for Sister treats such as Bread on a Stick and Tacky Trailer Campfire Trout. We're giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner who is a resident of Coweta County. To enter, just leave a comment to this post before 7 a.m. on Jan. 21, and we'll post the name of the winner later that day. If you don't have a Google account you may still leave a comment, just be sure to include an e-mail address where we can find you if you win! Good luck!