Hello!  Today I’m bringing you another round of fun finds from across the blogosphere, together with my friend Abi who’s such a great scout!  Take a peek at our picks we rounded up for you for this week:

A fantastic tutorial for a simple envelope pillow brought to you by Madigan Made. 

Here’s one recipe definitely worth trying, simple instructions for how to make lavender essential oil by Condo Blues. 

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Happy Friday friends, I’m bringing you a great giveaway today to kick start the weekend!  I was recently introduced to Attiser, a collection of bedding and linen accessories block printed in India in contemporary colors and in beautiful exotic motifs, created by hand by local artists.

Table linens, curtain panels, bedcovers, shower curtains, pillow covers, quilts and journals are all available at Attiser, and in the various modern color collections from Crimson to Midori to Amethyst. 

I’m loving most of all the beautiful tablecloths, sure to brighten any table with fresh color and pattern. 

Attiser is offering two lucky winners a $75 gift certificate to shop their online store, plus free shipping!

Eligibility to win one of two $75 gift cards to Attiser (plus free shipping):

1. Visit Attiser and pick your favorite item, then come back and name it in a comment.

2. For a second chance to win, either link to this giveaway on Facebook or on Twitter, then leave a comment naming where you linked.

3.  For a third chance to win either Like Attiser on Facebook or follow Attiser on Twitter, then leave a comment here telling whether you Liked or Follow Attiser.

Giveaway ends Monday August 1, 2011 at 8 p.m. PST.  Two winners chosen at random, US and Canada only.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

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You asked for it, so I did it!  Y’all liked the photo tour from last week’s townhome model crashing so much, I went and checked out some more.  These are the models for single family dwellings recently staged, and the homes are under construction in my town.  Being the looky loo that I am, I popped in to take a peek and snap some photos.  Here are a few of the highlights from the best spaces.

The first model I toured was decorated in shades of black, brown, cream and red, not the typical color palette I’m drawn to because black and red together are tricky, but I have to give these home stagers props for pulling off a few wow factor rooms. 

First, this family room in cream and brown with pops of red and black.  That graphic rug completely makes the space, and I love the mixture of large scale and small scale pattern on the pillows, with a few solids and a stripe pillow thrown in too.  The large scale botanical repeats on the window panels while the trim on the panels plays off the solid red pillows.

Opposite the family room is this kitchen with dark mahogany cabinets.  I’m loving the glass front upper cabinets that reach to the ceiling and provide additional storage and display. 

Are you drawn to bold wallpapers but nervous about the commitment?  Follow this cue and use it in the powder room!  It’s the perfect opportunity to add that wow factor in a small space and less expensive too.  Can anyone source this wallpaper?  Because it’s completely fabulous.  A well executed stencil could achieve the same effect.

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Greetings all, the last week of my life has been absolutely crazy!  I’ve been busy putting together several holiday projects in anticipation of another magazine photo shoot later this week, and let me tell ya, it’s such a challenge to style ornaments and twinkle lights when it’s 90 degrees in July.  I’ve got flocking in my hair and glitter in places where it shouldn’t be, and it’s too darn hot outside. 

I have such respect for those who work in the magazine business and are accustomed to this kind of life, whether it’s Christmas in July, pumpkins in April or Easter eggs in October. I’ll have more deets on the photo shoot and be sure to share next week!

Speaking of the talents who work for magazines, today I have the pleasure of bringing you a Q & A with one of my favorite stylists and designers, Mr. Eddie Ross.  I’ve been a fan of Eddie for a long time and even had the pleasure of meeting him a while back at the Alameda Antique Fair.  He is such a source of inspiration to me, and I’m sure to many of you!

I sent some questions to Eddie and he gave me the inside scoop! 

CG: Congratulations on your recent column in Southern Living.  You’ve also been appearing regularly in Woman’s Day.  What inspires your contributions that continue to wow us every month? 

Flea markets, old books or magazines, great finds at the Goodwill…I take it all in and filter it through my experience as an editor and stylist, then present it in a new way.  

Pedestal table makeover for Southern Living, images Jaithan Kochar and Miki Duisterhof (after)

CG: Share a glimpse of a day in the life of styling and shooting for the magazines recently featuring your work.  Who are the people behind Team Eddie? 

Wow, a day in the life, let’s see…so much goes into each story beyond just styling and shooting which makes each project fun and unique.  Also since a lot of what we do is actually shot in our house not a studio we really live with what we are creating.  It gives me a chance to live with the project, then style and prop it in a real way.

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Hello everyone, happy Monday, and I hope you’re all finding ways to stay cool in the sweltering July heat!  Today is the last of the Fair Weather Forum summer link parties, and the topic is ‘Gardening’.  I had big plans to build a planter and feature it today, but life got in the way, funny how that happens!  Maybe later, maybe next year, who knows!

Instead, I opted for a simple art project with a few stems from the one single fern growing in my yard.  My backyard gets mostly afternoon and evening sun, which is great for grapes but not so good for shade loving plants.  However, I do have one small fern plant tucked underneath our deck, and it thrives there year after year. 

I’m fixing up our guest space since we’re expecting a lot of visitors this upcoming tasting season, and I love bringing the outdoors inside.  I was looking for an inexpensive way to create some simple and unique wall art, so I decided to flatten and preserve some of those fern fronds from our garden, and frame them behind glass.

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