Texas Ranger Day and a Big Star Texas Night

Just in case you did not know, I live in the small country town of Burton, Texas.  It has a population of about 269 people and I am the florist.  About 3 months ago myself and a few other business owners re-formed the Burton Chamber of Commerce.  The town had one in the past, but it fizzled out in the 70's. 

 (little history here: Burton was bi-passed in the 

50's or 60's just like Radiator Springs in the Cars Movie, pretty much drying up the town)

The first thing the newly formed Chamber of Commerce needed to do was sign up members and raise some funds.  So we decided to have an old fashioned street dance with Gary P. Nunn.  Burton is also home to the late legendary Texas Ranger Captain McNelly.  So we joined forces with the Burton Heritage Society and together we created the first annual " Texas Ranger Day and a Big Star Texas Night". 

I helped to create a Logo for the town, which was then put on shirts and this big sign, 

thanks to my Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Gail.

We made a Lil Ranger Town out of boxes and wild mustang saw horses to rope with hula hoop lassos,

 thanks to Susan and Kim and George.

We strung lights and bunting made from bandannas across the street to hang over the crowd as they danced under the Big Star Texas Night,  thanks to my brother Wyatt.  

There was a fajita and bean cook-off and Texas Ranger reenactments at the old Train Depot.

Here is one of our local Artisans, Blacksmith Ricky Wegner.

He's my third cousin and makes the most amazing utensils out of metal objects such as

 wrenches and railroad spikes.

I know they look like torture devices, but when you are barbecuing, 

 a man might need one of these utensils.

Here is one of the history markers in our town, I have my florist and home in the drugstore building.  

We would love  for you to drop in for a visit, there is plenty to do in see in and around the Burton area.  

To find out more information, check out the Burton Chamber of Commerce website at: www.BurtonTexas.org

and the Burton Heritage Society's website at: www.BurtonHeritageSociety.org

All images on this post are via, me.

Flowers for Friday.

I had a large, colorful order to fill this week and I am so happy to pull it off , plus now I can pay for this conditioned air that is keeping me alive through this EXTREME SUMMER.  

Hope you all enjoy your weekend.  Love, Heidi

 Romo loves the grass.

All images via Me.

Wish List

                A Rose covered chicken coop, filled with chickens. Found Here


A garden full of all my favorite flowers & organic veggies.  Found Here


A pretty hammock to lie under a giant shade tree and read or nap.
Found Here


This wicker basket that is big enough for an ice chest, from Ikea to keep my drinks cold and look pretty at the same time.    Found Here


This bicycle to ride around with my husband and little boy, plus save some gas and save the planet.
Found Here


This Thing-a-ma-jiggy to cut wood for my outdoor living room fireplace.
Found Here

                                                                     Country Living


Found Here.   This little number to where while I swim....

                                      Here                     Austin Patterson Disston

or Here

Desire to Inspire

or maybe, Here

Oh look!!!  There I am,  just kidding.  I got a bit carried away.
Image via Vanity Fair and that is the beautiful Kirsten Dunst.

Thanks to LOVE.

Just wanted to say that I survived V-Day and that I have the greatest customers.  After all was said and done, my little store doubled what it did last year for Valentine's Day.  Thanks to Love, maybe the economy is improving or perhaps the credit card companies have been extending credit.  What ever the case may be, I am grateful.  Here is a little peek into my world.  Enjoy, Heidi

The Nesting Co. Blog Makeover.

Some of you out there might not know this since Heidi Claire is pretty much my secret alternative life where I live, but , my full-time job is owning and single handily running a florist in the small town of Burton, Texas.  I also have lots of neat stuff I sell in my shop and now you too have access to it since I gave my blog well deserved makeover.  I will be adding cool new stuff so I will keep ya posted.  Click HERE and be transported to my Shop Blog.  Enjoy, Heidi

The Nesting Co.

Balancing Act

Period Living

I'm back!  With some time to do some deep down soul searching I have decided to continue my blog and do what I do best, hunt down and share the romantic, timeless images quotes and inspiring DIY stuff.  Some of the last few post were aimed for my sister to see since she is in reno mode herself.  I thought long and hard and realized that sharing ideas and helping to inspire someone is not superficial at all.  And as for moving goes, it looks like for the happiness of my husband and my child, we are staying put, but one day there will be long vacations Down Under, mark my words.  I realized that the whole moving ordeal was my primal fight or flight instinct.  All I have wanted to do for the past 2 years is fly as far away as possible and it was because of the stress of my family and work.  So I eliminated the biggest stressors in each department and I feel like I can breathe now and not want fly away.  Always remember this, "When you say YES to something, you are always saying NO to something else".  It is all about balance.  I have felt so obligated to do and go to things, well guess what?  If it is not working for me and my little family, I am not going to do it.  This time is slipping away and my little boy is growing up, the rest of the people and organizations will just have to deal because my little family  is worth me being very selfish about.  As I step off my soap box, I would like to thank you all for hanging in there with me.  I hope that I can inspire you and make you laugh,  perhaps even teach you a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Love, Heidi

This is me.

 The other day I got this crazy idea to take a picture of myself in a mirror like I have seen all around blog land.  I see lots of blogs and lots of blogger's families, but what I really like to see is the actual blogger so I can put a face with the name.  I am using our old camera since my mortician husband took my new one to a mortician's convention and left it at the hotel.  I clearly remember telling him not to take it because what was he going to take pictures of, other morticians?  Gross.  Well, so long new camera, and who ever has it now is enjoying all of the pictures I took of my little boy rolling snow balls during our blizzard and his little crack showing.

This one is a little better.  You can see on my cheek a blotchy red patch which has turned out to be a ringworm. Nice, I have koodies.

Since my folks paid for me to have braces, I better smile with my teeth.  Notice I did not photoshop out my angry elevens between my brows, I earned those babies from squinting in the Texas sun.  I have always felt vain and concieted  about taking my own picture.  When my friend heard me say that once she told me to get over it. Hope you enjoyed my shoot, now I dare all of you to do the same.  Heidi

My Image has been Approved.

My credit card is about to expire in Jan. so I decided to create a personalized one. I uploaded one of my images from the tropical summer wedding I did this year and decided to share it with any other Capital One Visa card holders. So if you also want to create your very own personalized Visa card, the Tropical Bouquet is available. Enjoy, Heidi

Image via Capital One Visa.

Harry has the best junk.

My good friend Harry has an Estate Sale business and the best Junk Store in the area. I asked him if I could play around with some of his stuff and set up a table scape along with a fab flower centerpiece, shoot it and share it on my blog. He loved the idea. I got this far and couldn't resist. The flowers don't come until tomorrow, I'll just have to take more pics with the flowers later. Everything on the table is for sale except the mirrors, they are mine(I have an addiction).

Email me if you would like more info on an item or even to purchase.

Email address: TheNestingCompany@yahoo.com Enjoy, Heidi

Image via Me, Heidi Jaster.

Image via Me, Heidi Jaster

Image via Me, Heidi Jaster.

Meet Romeo.

We had a great weekend, almost exactly the way I imagined it. My acid reflux let me know that I have to lay off the vino and my little boy learned not to immediately stuff a marshmallow in his mouth just after he blew the flames off of it. Heartburn and burnt lips, other than that it was so far the best Halloween we have ever had. Here is our cat Romeo posing next to an arrangement I did on Saturday. Enjoy, Heidi

Image via me, Heidi Jaster.

Hello, my name is Heidi Jaster and I am an Interior Stylist.

A great friend of mine told me recently that one way to find out what your bliss is, is to imagine that you are at a party and you are introducing yourself to someone. Imagine you do not have your current job, but a dream job of something you absolutely love doing even if it does not make any money or really isn't considered a job. O.K.

Enjoy the tour of my store that I have styled and photographed.

Welcome to my shop. Everything you see that is blue and white is new to the store. Last week I bought out an antiques dealer all of her blue and white at the fall antiques show.

Thank you Anna Spiro for inspiring me.

I also sell calenders and stationary of high quality, vintage reproduction prints.

I am always in Hunting Mode, yes this is a bird house made from a tea pot.

I am loving all of this blue and white.

Here are artist erasers.

(I had to make a sign, customers thought they were soap, rocks and not sure)

There is some sort of friendship with blue and white and shells. It's like peanut butter and jelly.
I am almost complete with painting all of my doors black, inside and out.
Don't they just say "Pow!"
Old lace $1 per piece.

Yes, that is a old garden gate with a lawn mower, hanging on the wall.
The gate and all of the green shutters came from my Grandma's homestead.
Customers frown when I tell them that they are not for sale. Sorry:(
One rule: I buy what I like.

I am an expert of making something out of nothing.
Here is my Faux Coral (oak branches spray painted red).

Mercury glass, old letters and disco balls, oh my.

I hope you enjoyed my store. I do take credit for hunting down all of this stuff, arranging it and also photographing it. I am looking for the next step in my life and I know without a doubt that if I were a stylist, I would ROCK! So if there are any Australian Home and Garden Magazines out there reading this, I am willing to move. Did I mention that I'm a kick butt Florist and Gardner? That's another post. Heidi

All images on post are via Heidi Claire, which is me, Heidi Jaster.

You asked for it.

The mirrors seem to open up the room and they reflect my energy while I work. This sink is in my dining room area.

After doing my post on mirrors and how I use them, some of you where curious to see. My kitchen has not yet undergone the transformation that I had liked(this is how it has looked for the past 15 years), since last year I took out a loan for the job, but other projects ended up costing more causing us to postpone the kitchen again. I love having mirror facing me at my work stations like the sink and the stove. While I am working at them I can carry a conversation with someone in the room and it feels more comfortable than always turning around. They also act like windows.

I took a cheap little kitchen table and screwed in 2 eye screws into it, (I said hooks in pic) and hung a curtain to hide my bigger appliances like mixer, blender and steamer. In both of my pics you can see how curtains are a cheap way to hide a multitude of sins. Say NO to wallpaper boarders, remember I did this 15 years ago, I do not condone wallpaper boarders. This is my plan to do to my old pie safe that I am currently using as a pantry, it will end up in my beach house. It would look so much better in my kitchen if it had doors or a curtain but the convenience has won over style at this point. I will give you the full update when the renovation does happen.

Image via Raised in Cotton.

Thanks for following the ramblings of a crazy woman. Enjoy, Heidi