Watching the leaves fall from the trees reminds me of how much I am drawn to branches used in decor.  I found some interesting accessories online, and also some out-of-the-box uses for branches. 

First, here are some dynamic images that inspire me these days. 

Image: Wedding Bee

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One of the many magazines I receive every month is a subscription to Real Simple.  I really can’t keep up with the magazines and catalogs that come in the post – I rarely read them cover to cover.  But now and then I’ll glance at them before they end up in the recycling bin.  This month, one article stuck out.  The question presented by Real Simple was “What Does Home Mean to You?”  You can catch the online full article right here.   

From the Real Simple article, a few of my favorite responses were these:

“The sensation of peace on a cozy, rainy Sunday; the feeling of relief when you pull into the driveway after a long trip; a quiet kiss on the head of a baby asleep in my lap; and the warmth of my husband’s arms. Home has been many places for me over the years, but its comforts are defined by simple, blissful moments like these.”  Sarah Bernard, Somersworth, New Hampshire

Image: Real Simple

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Ever since I repurposed some bookshelves into a media center in our guest studio, I’ve had bookcase styling on my mind.  I am always drawn to bookcases where the back has been enhanced with paint or wallpaper.  I took a few hours to decorate my own media bookcases in an inexpensive way. 

But first, here are a few images that really inspire me.

 From Belle Maison

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Lately, I’ve been inspired by several bloggers to embellish some glass objects with frosting.  What finally motivated me were these etched glass wine bottles I swooned over at my favorite shop in St. Helena called ‘Vintage Home’.

Not only did I want to enhance some decor, I also had a practical purpose.  I needed to transform my glass bath cabinet doors from a clear to opaque surface.  So last week I grabbed some of Rustoleum’s ‘Frosted Glass’ spray paint to conduct some experiments.  In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the results. 

I must say that this post was almost titled, “Somebody Stop Me”.  When I’m armed with a product that makes me giddy, I need someone to hold my arms tightly against my body, look deep into my eyes, and say to me:   “PUT DOWN THE CAN.  STEP AWAY FROM THE FROSTED GLASS SPRAY PAINT.”   I didn’t stop using the stuff until the can was empty.  And all of the other glass in my home is now breathing a sigh of relief. 

Here are the five glass objects I enhanced with (yet another) can of spray paint. 

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