An idea came to me in the middle of the night.  What if I could create my own candleholders and planters with plastic items purchased from the local market ?  I’m pretty sure it was the night that HGTV Design Star challenged the contestants to design the white room with nothing but items from the grocery store.

I knew that cement wouldn’t stick to plastic, so why not use plastic forms from my kitchen as molds for candleholders ?  I started testing this invention last weekend to see if I could create something wonderful out of something mundane.  After a few rounds of trial and error, my creation took form. 

You’d never guess that these lovelies were created out of yogurt cups and plastic storage containers. 

How perfect are these for lighting a twilight path to your door ?

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Sonoma County, California is most famous for its wineries.  Within its borders there is a town called Sebastopol that is more famous for its orchards and antiques.  Weekend treasure hunters can visit the flea market, a dozen antique shops, and find great salvage, all within a three mile radius on a Saturday morning. 

I go looking for great finds in Sebastopol at least once a month.  One of my favorite stops is Ray’s Trading Company, offering some of the best salvage and vintage finds around, as well as great reproductions.  The proprietors can answer any question about anything in their warehouse, and they are never shy about telling you if something is a reproduction or a true antique.  I ask a lot of questions and I always get an education. 

My apologies in advance for the quality of these photos – they were taken with my iPhone since my camera battery died.  

Inside Ray’s, you can find all sorts of antique knobs, pulls, keys, crystals, and doorknockers. 

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Hello friends, and happy Friday!   Today I bring you an online shop that I completely love.  Let me introduce you to the amazing company called HouseHold Words – offering matte vinyl wall decals for your home or office, made to order in 35 colors.   The owner, Mandie, is a digital graphic artist living in Ohio, and loving what she creates in her Etsy shop. 

Can anything be better than loving what you do by creating beautiful things ?  To me, that is the definition of true success.

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I have a thing for French style chairs with pretty legs.  I am drawn to any piece with traditional lines, and love to revamp something and give it modern flair.

I really needed an extra chair in my new home office for a co-worker or a visitor.  So when I spotted one on the floor of the local thrift for $15 dollars, I quickly grabbed it with the intention of repainting and recovering the seat.  In anticipation of my friend Amanda’s Decorating Dilemma’s party at Serenity Now, yesterday I repainted the chair, and recovered the seat this morning. 

Here’s a glimpse of the Before and After:

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There’s a little saying that goes through my head every time I see woodwork that is extremely unattractive.  I don’t know where I picked it up.  Was it during those embarrassing days as a teenage cheerleader?  Is it from a movie? The little ditty goes something like this:

“U.G.L.Y. You ain’t got no alibi, you ugly, yeah yeah, you ugly.”

Sometimes you own see a piece of furniture, and at that moment it strikes you.  You simply must grab some paint and transform the piece that very instant.  When I feel the need, the need for speed, I turn to my trusty spray paint. 

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