Happy Monday everyone, hope you had a fantastic weekend!  We built a 12’ x 12’ cabana on Saturday on our patio and I can’t believe how great it looks!  I’ll show you the whole space later this week, I’ve just got to pull it all together and snap a few pics. 

We spent Sunday in Sonoma, lounging in the Plaza, bliss I tell you.  Balmy and perfect.  The kids ended up a little bronzer and we had a relaxing time, strolling around and popping into a favorite tasting room.  I meant to write about this lavender wreath last night but then got caught up in past episodes of Million Dollar Decorators and could not avert my eyes.  Some peeps are very self absorbed and completely out of touch!  But it makes for great television, I admit I am hooked. 

There are few things in the garden I love more than lavender, so last week I harvested a few plants and crafted a front door wreath.  Here it hangs from my trusty Command hook, so natural and fragrant.

For a simple summer wreath like this one, you’ll need a craft floral ring, floral wire, wire cutters, ribbon, and clippers for your stems (not shown).  I used the 18” craft ring, which requires lavender from 3-4 mature plants.  I imagine you could make the 12” version with 2-3 plants.  Be sure to cut the lavender 12-15” from the top.

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Greetings all, how about another quick round of ‘Best of the Blogosphere’ on this Father’s Day.  Abi and I teamed up to bring you a few fun finds, we hope you enjoy them!

If you’ve ever considered making a slipcover for your sofa, then you must read Part One and Part Two of Honeybear Lane’s slipcover how to posts.

If at first you do succeed, then of course, you may try again to make it even better!  Anne reframed her picture frame wainscoting into a taller board and batten style, and even though she claims pregnancy made her do it, we still love the look!

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Yes, there is another reason why I love June.  June is when the bees start buzzing because like me, they are drawn to nature’s perfect perennial: lavender.  June is the month when (at last!) my French lavender plants are finally ready for harvest.  

I wait patiently all year for these few weeks in June, and I do my best each season to create something new with my two dozen French lavender plants.  I’ve baked cakes and stitched linen eye pillows in the past.  This week, I made lavender lemonade and a summer wreath.   More on the wreath next week, but meanwhile . . .    

Don’t you love lemonade? 

Could anything define summer more than this beverage?  I think only iced tea could compete, but there is something about that taste of citrus poured over ice that forces one to pause and appreciate the simple pleasures of summer.

How to Make Lavender Lemonade

Combine ¾ cup of water with ½ cup of sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a low boil and stir until sugar dissolves, remove from heat.  Add 3-4 organic lavender buds to heated sugar water mixture and allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

Prepare frozen lemonade as directed, minus 1 cup of water.  Remove lavender buds from sugar mixture, then pour sugar water into prepared lemonade and add fresh slices of lemon.  

For color (optional), mix ¼ cup of water with one drop of blue food coloring and one drop of red food coloring. 

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Greetings friends, I have the most special treat for you today!  Michelle of Ten June is a monthly contributor here, and she’s back with an amazing interview she snagged with the latest sensation to hit the design world, Emily Henderson, winner of HGTV’s Design Star and now host of the design show, Secrets From A Stylist.

We’ve witnessed her room reveals over the past year, and each one continues to wow.  We love Emily for her bohemian chic style and magnetic personality. 

This talented stylist is refreshingly down to earth and lucky for us, she agreed to sit down with Michelle and chat about breaking design rules, Nate Berkus, and her forgotten love for DIY.  Grab a snack and get comfortable, because we’re about to learn more secrets from this stylist!

All images from Emily’s portfolio. 

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Q & A between Emily and Michelle:

 

Q:  When styling the accessories in a room, how much is too much?  Do you have any advice as to how to accessorize a space well and add balance without creating chaos?

A:  This is my biggest challenge because I like a LOT of accessories. Like, a LOT.  But here’s what I do, because I’m crazy – I style vignettes using groups of threes or odd numbers.  I keep it balanced by using a healthy combination of weighty/graphic objects (stacks of books or boxes) with more feminine sculptural objects (vases, sculptures, flowers).  Then (and this is the crazy part) I take a picture with my phone and stare at the picture.  If something isn’t “reading” right, then I might have too much stuff, so I edit.  I look at the picture as if it’s a magazine page and think “if I had styled that, what would I change about it?” It’s hard to be objective, so I try and take myself out of it and stare at the picture instead.

 

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I truly love to see bookcases in homes because they are the perfect solution for adding storage and style to your surroundings.  Books and collectibles on display add warmth and personality to any space, whether it’s a living or dining area, bedroom or home office.  To any visitor, a bookcase will communicate what you read, what you collect, and what you love.  Bookcases are a window into your passions and pursuits, and an opportunity for you to put your most favorite things on display. 

The challenge for most people is how to style a bookcase well.  How do you maximize both utility and aesthetic appeal, but also avoid monotony and clutter?   Styling a bookcase is an art, but a job easily tackled if you study those done right.    

Analysis of a well styled bookcase:

It Starts at the Back.  Simple inexpensive bookcases become stunners when their backs are dressed up with paint, fabric or wallpaper.  Eddie’s Billy Bookcase was brought to life with a pattern that accentuates the balanced display of books and collectibles. 

via Eddie Ross

When styled against a backdrop of robin’s egg blue, this collection from the home of model Coco Rochas has visual appeal, and showcases a love of books, antique coffeepots, vases, and glass bottles.     

via Vogue

Think in Layers.  Here is a shelf masterfully styled by Emily Henderson.  Notice the balance achieved between the books alternating in placement from left to right with the ceramics poised on the opposite side.  The middle shelf repeats the books plus ceramics combination, and also provides the opportunity to display smaller collectibles.  Different heights and textures also add to the appeal. 

via HGTV

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