Of course, as this is My Own Meme, whatever I did on IAVOM could never be classed as cheating, and I could change the rules on a whim, not that there are hard and fast rules for the meme anyway.
The upshot of it is, that it’s bloomin’ cold outside and I was given a couple of bunches of white carnations this week, so using them in today’s vase was a win-win scenario. With yet another hectic coming-up-to-Christmas week, the flowers originally sat in an empty milk jug for a couple of days before I got round to doing anything with them, and even then they were trimmed and just ‘shoved’ into a vase that was clearly too small for them., so I am doing them a favour by removing a few stems and placing them in this tall and shapely black vase instead. The vase came from our local charity ‘tip shop’ and cost next to nothing, but I like the profile of it, which reminds me of a pair of long legs in elegant silky wide-leg trousers (not anything my short legs would ever be seen in!).
I had considered adding a touch of greenery, but decided instead that the simplicity of the white blooms and black vase needed no further augmentation. With the ‘cheating’ thought in my head, it brought to mind the simple card game ‘Cheat’, a game introduced by my brother when we were young teenagers, and which he was suspiciously good at. Very simply, the pack of cards is dealt out to 3 or more players, and the first player plays at least one card face down saying what it is eg “two jacks”; the next player has to follow suit with cards of the following denomination, queens in this instance, and so on. The object is to be the first to empty your hand, so you try and ‘cheat’ by putting down whatever cards you think you can get away with when it’s your turn. If you are challenged, you have to pick up the pile of cards if you have cheated, whilst the challenger picks them up if you haven’t. Hence the prop, ‘Cards for Kids’, guaranteed fun for all the family and a great way for children to learn about working with numbers (not sure about the cheating though!).
If you have time to grab some material to shove into a vase or jamjar this week, please join in with IAVOM by adding the usual links to and from this post.
Rambling in the Garden 
Elegant!
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They do look lovely in that slender vase Cathy. You always manage to find some great bargains. I am glad you have cheated a bit, as I have too! 😉 Here is my ‘vase’ for this week.
Thanks as always!
It seemed a good use of the flowers I was given, as they had been a bit of an encumbrance up till then, which was a shame… 😉
Nice and simple in black and white. I don’t think it is cheating, you put something in a vase on Monday with props! I like your take on the vase, it seems a bit art nouveau to me. Thanks for hosting, here is my bus! https://theshrubqueen.com/2022/12/12/in-a-vase-on-monday-the-holiday-bus-returns-again/
Thought I had replied to this – was saying it was a very new vase as it still had a label underneath!
Ah, it’s the first starring role.
Ah no,, new as in modern and not vintage, and I will have used it before
That vase is elegant and the simple white carnations were just the right thing to fill it, Cathy. I “cheated” after a fashion myself this week by cutting flowers on Saturday because I knew we were supposed to have pouring rain on Sunday. As it turned out the rain was more akin to light showers and I arranged what I’d cut on Sunday as usual. There isn’t much suitable for a vase in the garden at the moment but hopefully the rain will help. We’ve had more than an inch, which these days is unusual! Here’s my post https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2022/12/in-vase-on-monday-different-spins-on.html
Thanks Kris – I had felt a little guilty about just shoving the carnations in any old vase to begin with
Cathy, the carnations look marvelous in that vase! I would love to find such a nicely shaped vase as a bargain! Things are settling down somewhat here so I took a few minutes to join in this week. Thanks for hosting.
Good to know that things are beginning to settle down for you both – it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Hmm, unfortunately it’s too easy to buy cheap vases in charity shops and car boot sakes here!
Yes, after a bit of setback things are getting better again. Thanks Cathy.
I’m not into card games much but love your simple IVOM. Isn’t there a song about white carnations.
Not sure about a song, Beverley, and have to admit to not playing cards for some time, other on my laptop… 😉
Most stylish indeed Cathy. I like carnations especially the scented ones. Thank you as your little prop has given me an idea for a seasonal present for my great- niece and her little brother, when they eventually learn to play together! As for a vase I’m afraid I’ve been completely thwarted by the elements today.
Thanks Anna – in the old days before IAVOM I used to buy myself red carnations, or pinks. Not scented though…
It’s definitely a modern vase, Amelia, and still has a label on the base! I thought a black background would set the flowers off better, but it just made things look washed out!
I love your post title. I am definitely going to have to steal it if I continue to post IAVOM through the Winter months. It gives me license to cheat too, a bit of eye-rolling here in my area of Southern NJ. Southern NJ is the keyword, it is getting cold, icy some mornings, and there is nothing much blooming in my garden. I was shocked to find one type of flower blooming in December. Thanks for hosting this great challenge. It’s making me smile. I sure love your white carnations, and it will be a wonderful excuse to look for fresh flowers in Produce Junction on the weekends to cheat with a bit.
Sorry I am a bit late getting back to you – we were without heating for a few days here and haveb been hibernating!! It’s curious, as New Jersey has never sounded to me as if it woud be a chilly place at all, but I think I need to go and check it out on a map of the US! Hmm, as for ‘cheating’, I would say avoid shop bought (by you) flowers if it all possible – try twigs or foliage or moss, or other random things from your garden
Will do…
Yes, it is cold here in the winter. Not like the Northeast, we are Mid-Atlantic. Because we are near the ocean, about fifty miles away, we don’t get too many massive storms…unless a N’or Easter comes roaring up the coast. We once had two and a half feet. A lot for here. I live only 20 minutes away from Philadelphia, across the river from us.
That gives me a better picture, thank you
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Very pretty and elegant. It’s not cheating at all, and as you say…it’s your meme. Nothing blooms in my garden here in the Upper Midwest US from late October through early March, so I would have to “cheat” during all that time. 😉
There are things blooming in the garden though, Beth, but pretty frozen at the moment!
Back when I posted a few vases of flowers to this meme, very few flowers were from my own garden. Most were from work. I do not consider it cheating though.
And of course it wasn’t, Tony, as I have always encouraged ‘garnering locally’, so workplace is fine.
I do not grow many flowers in my own garden anyway, since I can not eat them.
I was never good at cheating, but admire your audacity. I could learn and have learnt a lot from you regarding plants, flowers, arranging, and clever wit! I may have to think of a few cheats during the next few weeks too. Fab vase and elegant flowers too.
I learned to take a few risks when playing Cheat with my brother, but that would as far as my cheating has ever gone, Noelle!