I have some good friends, David and Robyn, who have been remodeling their country property for the past year.  They are also adding massive amounts of fruit trees and vegetation to their very special 10 acres, located here in Sonoma County. 

David happens to have a very green thumb, and yesterday I had the pleasure of touring his culinary garden, and also watching him and his assistant build a redwood planter box.  

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It’s my belief that ordinary objects can transform into something quite glamorous with some thoughtful accessories.  So why not give your flowers a bit of glitz as well?  Your blooms work hard to give you a show, so give them the gift of their own jewelry.  Glass marble jewelry, that is. 

This is one of the easiest and most rewarding DIY projects I’ve ever done. 

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I had an old wooden frame that was in good condition, but the glass had broken years ago, and I wasn’t crazy about the gold finish.  Rather than replacing the glass, I used it to make a jewelry holder.  

Sneaky Peek:

You savvy bloggers have seen these before I am sure, put together with an old frame and some screen or chicken wire.  I have seen them in boutiques for jewelry display, and also happened to notice the one below at the Antique Fair last month.  I was inspired to make one of my own, but I wanted it to be backed by pretty fabric. 

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Exceptionally beautiful blown glass can stop me in my tracks.  I have been a fan of it ever since observing the Venetians do it best many years ago.  I lack the funds to be a serious collector, and it makes no practical sense now since I have small children.  But collecting some amazing pieces is on my Life’s To Do list. 

I do happen to own just a few pretty things, but they are displayed out of reach of little hands:

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We DIYers know the power of adhesives.  Hot glue, wood glue, and spray adhesive all make my heart go pitter patter. But nothing compares to the magic of Velcro. 

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Sometimes you just need a second pair of eyes to look at your space and pull it all together.

Kelly is a busy mother of three with a darling home in Washington state. Kelly emailed me some photos of her living and dining room, and asked if I could help her pull the spaces together.

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I’m up to my old tricks again, picking up bargain furniture for cheap at the Goodwill thrift store, and transforming into something better for my home. 

Some of you might actually like the “Before” and I have to tell you, I did too, but it was terribly scratched up at the base and on top, and for fifteen dollars, I felt no guilt in painting it.  The finish was also a speckled stain you see on a lot of old furniture, and up close it looked very old fashioned.  So I decided to paint it white for my daughter’s room because it was the perfect size for a narrow wall. 

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It happens every May.  I can never wait until Memorial Day to bring out my white slipcovers in anticipation of summer.  I adore crisp summer whites. 

We have one dining space that sits in the exact center of our home.  It has to function as both a casual and formal space, depending on the occasion.  It has a great view of the rear yard through the French doors, but it was definitely in need of some freshening up. 

I was inspired by this photo of a “casual” dining space featured in this post, where the homeowners chose to formalize their breakfast nook adjacent to their kitchen.  How lovely is this?

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If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your old paint cans, I have a solution for you.  Turn them into planters !

I had a bare patch of fence in my rear yard that was in need of attention. 

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Perhaps I’ve been living under a rock, but there is a new catalog I am getting in the mail for the last few months that features some modern and hip decor that, how shall I say, rocks.

CB2 is a sister store of Crate and Barrel, with a few stores in NYC, LA, Chicago, SF and Berkeley. It features modern decor that is edgy, hip and contemporary. For someone like me who leans traditional, I find myself strangely drawn to many of their modern accessories. Am I the only one left on the planet who is just hearing about this line of affordable decor?

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