Dry! Dry! My Darlings!

 With our most recent landscaping project came several new hydrangeas.

Most of them are still alive, but the drought took it's toll on them in the form of sunburned leaves and no flowers.  The pink variety, however, put on a rather nice show.  This morning I decided to cut a bunch with the intention of drying them.  I find them to be beautiful in all of their stages... growing on the shrub, fresh cut in a bouquet and even dried to be enjoyed throughout the fall and winter months.

 About this time of year I like to cut some of the older, more faded blossoms.  The flower should feel somewhat leathery to the touch.

I strip off all of the leaves and set the stems in a small amount of water (1-2 inches).  There they stay until the water is totally evaporated.  At that point they should be completely dried and ready to be used as decoration.  I have a bunch of blue ones on my dresser that I cut last year.  They are still doing great and even have shades of blue and purple on them.

I also like the look of them tucked into an antique or vintage basket.  Years ago my mom had a friend who dried enough to tuck in amongst the branches of her Christmas tree.  I would imagine that looked very pretty with the white lights illuminating them.

 This pink bouquet will reside on the little table next to my reading chair.  The sun won't touch them here, which is another key to successfully drying them.  Keep them out of direct sunlight.

I decided that this cup and saucer would pair nicely with them.

The pink, blue and yellow flowers coordinate pretty well with the room and I like the brown foliage as it looks "fallish" to me.

My reading time will be an even more pleasant experience with these little signs of the season close at hand.

I usually do my reading after I've finished my office or housework at which point I like to make it a well anticipated event.  In other words, I tend to get comfy in my chair with a beverage and maybe even a cookie at hand. ;).

 A while ago I received a lovely surprise in my mailbox.

This charming tea cup mat handmade by Vee.  So darn cute!!

I have been using it to rest my beverage on being very careful not to spill a drop.

It has a special place on my little reading table where it serves a dual purpose... a darling spot to rest my cup and a gentle reminder of the many kind people I've come to know through this blogging community.

Many of you know Vee and know that she's just returned to her blog after taking a brief and well-earned break.

Vee, if you're reading, welcome back.  You have been missed.

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A note about my title today...  as I was cutting the hydrangeas and thinking about drying them, that popped into my head.  Don't ask me why, it just did and I know it comes from an old movie I remember seeing as a teenager.  Not really remembering much about it other than that it was kind of creepy, I did a search to refresh my memory.  Oh my, no wonder my brother told me recently that the movies my sister and I used to watch scared him.    Back in those days we were fans of movies like The Birds, Madame X and Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

Perhaps I should have chosen a tamer title like, maybe, As The Hydrangeas Dry.  That would conjure up memories of soap operas to me.  Not sure which is worse, old horror movies or soap operas. 

Ha!