My cousins are staying with us this week, and they’ve traveled all the way from Tucson, Arizona.  Of course, we had to show them a spectacular day in San Francisco.  Despite the typical fog, it was a great day to be in the City by the Bay.  What’s better than clam chowder and crab at Fisherman’s Wharf, a Columbus Day parade, a Blue Angels show, and ending your day with some Ghirardelli chocolate ?  Dungeness crab season has almost begun, so there was no shortage of great seafood dining in the northern part of the City.

Take a tour of the City with me and experience some San Francisco hospitality. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello all you savvy DIYers out there.  Would you like to modernize your kitchen or bath with a new faucet ?  Well my friends over at Price Pfister have generously agreed to giveaway one kitchen or bath faucet to one lucky winner.  Woo hoo – a shiny new faucet !  

It’s all in the details, my friends, and a new faucet may give you just the look you’re looking for. 

And I’ve got plenty of experience with Price Pfister.  You can find their faucets in my kitchen, my guest bath, and my master bath.  I’ve always been pleased with the design and performance of these faucets and I know you will be too. 

So here’s the deal.  One lucky winner will have their choice of one kitchen or one bathroom faucet.  Check out these fancy and fabulous faucets brought to you by Price Pfister.  

Read the rest of this entry »

Our master bedroom hasn’t changed much over the years.  The linens and accessories get rotated over time, but the colors, textures, and wood tones have remained the same.  While I swoon over so many designer rooms, for my personal bedroom, I retreat to the comfort I find in timeless and traditional style.  This is the room where we retire at the end of the day and while I may take design risks in other areas, in this particular space, I seek only two things: simplicity and serenity.  There’s something soothing about the fact that in the midst of remodeling our home, expanding our family, and changing jobs, this room has remained a constant in our lives. 

I’ve always sought to balance the masculine feel of the dark wood tones and olive green rug with the femininity that comes with crystal accents and soft textured linens.  After all, this master bedroom is hers and his.  I’ve never wanted anything too trendy, bright, or jarring here.  Simple creams, bronzes, and pale gray/greens dominate the space.  The wall color is ‘Pueblo’ by Ralph Lauren. 

Read the rest of this entry »

I almost fell over backwards when I saw this key art all over Restoration Hardware’s latest catalog spread.  How cool are these keys so beautifully framed? 

What’s not cool (at least to me) is the price.  At $199 dollars each for an 18 x 18 inch square, I had to choke a bit.  You see, a few months ago I purchased some of these same skeleton keys for $2 dollars each at my favorite local salvage warehouse.  I plan on featuring them in my ‘Home for the Holidays’ Etsy shop – coming later this month.  I always thought they’d be so beautiful framed in a collection.  So I laughed when I saw Restoration Hardware’s images. 

Images via Restoration Hardware

A few days ago, I was doing some discount DIY framing, working on a photograph for my master bedroom.  One of the other projects I finished was my own miniature version of framed skeleton key art. 

These were so easy to make.  The most difficult part is finding the right key.  Luckily, I had my own stash. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Months ago, I acquired an amazing lamp for $30 dollars from a local antique fair.  I wanted so desperately to have a chocolate brown drum lampshade to top it off.  I even considered the $50 dollar version from Restoration Hardware.  But I never bought it because somehow I knew I would find a more inexpensive alternative.  So I waited.  And waited.  And this lamp has been sitting in my living room without a shade since April. 

Then it hit me.  Silly CG.  I had a leftover thift store shade – I should just recover it.  A few weeks ago, I sought out some shantung polyester that looks just like silk from Joann’s Fabics, I came up with my own version. 

Here she is:

After I mastered the art of recovering a simple drum shade, I gave two other shades in my home a new look.   One I slipcovered.  The other I made to look like a couture gown, with shimmery silk like fabric that I pinched and gathered into tons of ruffles. 

Want to see all three ?

Read the rest of this entry »