Here are the guidelines I follow for a successful yard sale every year:

Declutter Every Single Room.   Go through every room in your home the month or week before your sale, asking yourself do you love it, use it, or is it just collecting dust?  Does it hold serious sentimental value?  If not, put in in the ‘yard sale’ pile.  Don’t try to sell things that are broken or worthless, instead recycle or dispose of them, they will detract from the things you’re selling that have actual value.

Get Together.  Enlisting friends and neighbors makes for a fun social scene, and also more things to offer buyers.  Make sure you mention in your ad that it’s a multi family sale!

Advertise.  Online ads on sites like Craigslist and Garage Sale Finder have replaced the local newspaper, so use them strategically.  List the time, specific address, and directions if your home is not so easy to find.  List your categories of goods like “toys” or “linens” and a few big ticket items too.   Keep the sale short, I find it brings more customers.  “Saturday Only, 8 to 11” sells your stuff a lot quicker than “Saturday and Sunday, 8 to 2”.

Signage. Cardboard or poster board work just fine.  Tack up a few large signs on the main road directing traffic to your home, and make sure they’re clear and legible for passing drivers.  Make sure you follow any local ordinances regarding advertising on public streets.

Keep it Clean.  Dusting and cleaning the items before you put them on display will make them more attractive for buyers, so give everything a quick wipe down to get rid of dust or cobwebs.

To Price or Not to Price.  There are different schools of thought, some think it’s best to price everything, others believe you should simply wait for the potential buyer to inquire.  Something in between makes the most sense to me.  I mark the big ticket items, and group the smaller items by price and/or category.  Remember, a lot of your stuff will go unsold and you’ll be carting if off to your local donation center, so consider how much time you want to spend actually marking each item.  Prices (for me) get lower as the sale comes to a close, so being flexible and negotiating prices works to your advantage.

Keep Pets Away.  As charming as your pup may be, many children and adults prefer not to interact with your pet, so keeping your beloved dog inside your home or in your side yard helps to not deter potential buyers.

Prepare for the Lull.  Good coffee, a book or magazines, and a notebook for those who want to ‘think about it’ are a good idea for times when the crowd thins.  .

Have Lots of Change.   The day before, make sure you have plenty of singles and quarters to make change for your buyers.  And be sure to keep your money out of sight or in a safe place away from the main traffic area too.

Free!   I always have a box of “Free” items for little kids to sort through to keep them busy while their parents look through the remainder of stuff for sale.  Parents appreciate not having to pay for stuffed animals or plastic toys their kids fall in love with.  Also, I make a “Free Stuff” sign at the end of every yard sale for folks to rummage through at day’s end, plus it means I’ll have less to cart to the Goodwill.

Don’t Allow Any Item to Reenter your Home.  This is key!  Load up your car immediately at the end of your yard sale and take it all to the Goodwill or other donation site.

What about you?  What’s your best tip, how do you throw a yard sale?  Have you scored any great deals at a local yard sale lately?  Link up, or leave a comment!

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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

Vary Book Placement.  Did you know there are 7 ways to stack books?  Karen from The Art of Doing Stuff teaches us how she styled hers in her IKEA Billy bookcases to break up the columns.  Notice how she doesn’t just stick to books, she adds art and natural objects too.  And don’t you love that reading chair?

via The Art of Doing Stuff

Arrange Books by Color.  Inside this IKEA Expedit, the books are grouped by color, and also displayed both horizontally and vertically.  Practical baskets mix with glass bowls, vases and collectibles to form an aesthetically pleasing display on a brightly painted wall. 

via Style at Home

Hang Something.  There’s no rule you have to keep it all inside.  Why not add one more layer of interest?  Consider using the framing of the bookcases to suspend a dramatic mirror, framed artwork, or sentimental photographs. 

House Beautiful; source unknown

via HGTV

It’s OK to be Single.   Smaller cubbies look simply perfect with a textured or sculptural object placed all by itself.  Notice the use of a single vase or shell in the smaller spaces of John & Sherry’s bookcase, and the fantastic contrast with bold blue and crisp white. 

via Young House Love

Think Oddly.   Objects tend to look better when gathered in odd numbers, and the basic design principle of the rule of threes is cleverly applied in this bookcase featured in Lonny Magazine.  Notice how most of the books are stacked horizontally, but the bookcase becomes so stylish with the varied and perfectly placed decorative objects, prints, and forward facing book covers.  

via Lonny

Varied groupings of three or five are always visually appealing.  This bookcase from the home of Lisa Martensen is an example of a well edited display from her treasure hunts and travels all around the world.  

via D Magazine

Allow Room to Breathe.  With airy shelving, it’s best to not overwhelm and allow for plenty of breathing room around objects.  Deliberate use of open space keeps the eclectic collection on this bookshelf from appearing too cluttered. 

via Viva Terra

With a little concentration, it’s possible to style a bookshelf well with both books and the things you love.  The secret to doing it successfully is truly all in the placement and editing of your favorite objects. 

More Helpful Articles:

22 Ways to Arrange Your Shelves at Real Simple.

Steps for Styling a Bookcase at House Beautiful.

How to Style a Bookcase Like an Interior Designer by Simplified Bee.

Tips for Decorating Shelves or Bookcases at HGTV

How do you display your favorite things on open bookshelves?  Have you struggled with it, or do you have a useful tip to share? 

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I’ll be back to painting something soon I assure you, but today I need to talk about one of the most important things in my life and that is cheese.  Not just any cheese, or your ordinary mass produced American chunks of cheddar, no I’m talking about the cheeses that come from the artisans.  Gather round friends, because I’m about to share with you the secrets to serving a perfect cheese course. 

A cheese course is a great way to start a party, but whether you serve a cheese course before or after a meal is up to you.  It’s an American custom to serve before, and European tradition to serve after the main course. 

To make your cheese course a memorable one, follow these simple tips! 

Choosing the Cheeses.  Create a balanced presentation by choosing a range of cheeses in a variety of flavors, textures, and milk sources (cow, goat and sheep).  Artisan cheeses come in wedges, logs, or rounds, and you’ll find variety in shapes at your local market or specialty store. 

Choose something mild like a jack or cheddar, something in the middle, like a rind cheese (Brie or Camembert) or a goat variety, and something more pungent or intense in flavor like blue cheese (including Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola). 

Don’t serve too many.  A palate is overwhelmed with more than four, so choosing three to four cheeses is ideal, plus it will give the taster a variety of choices for comparison and appreciation. 

Always serve your cheeses at room temperature, and be sure to remove them from the refrigerator an hour before serving. 

Displaying the Cheeses.  It’s helpful to label your cheeses so guests know what they’re nibbling, and it also keeps them from asking “What was this cheese again?”  I use my trusty slate cheese board, and chalkboard markers for labeling.  However, if you don’t have a board or cheese markers, simply place the cheese’s label on your serving plate next to the cheese.  That is the easiest way for both you and guests to remember, and also make a note for future purchase if it becomes a favorite.   

If serving outdoors over a period of time, it’s a good idea to have a dome to protect your cheese from insects or the elements.  I just use my cake plate dome or a cloche. 

Good Company Required!  Cheeses pair perfectly with fresh or dried fruits, many desserts, and of course wine.  I think it’s so important to balance the soft and savory texture of cheese with ripe fruit.  Pears and grapes always work, or you can choose something in season like peaches or apricots.

Bread, nuts and olives are also a natural accompaniment.  When presenting them, keep it simple!  Plain white plates or rustic platters are all you need, just a basket or bowl for your crackers, and a spot for your salty extras.  Use whatever you’ve got in your collection, and simply group them together.  Let the food shine, no need for extravagance.   

The best way for guests to sample the cheeses is on a fresh sliced baguette, however I also like to supply simple water crackers for those who want to taste and don’t want to fill up on bread too quickly.   

Dress Them Up.  Don’t be afraid to get creative and add a little something extra to complement or enhance your cheeses, like fresh herbs, honey or chutney on top. 

When you combine the sweetness of fruit with the saltiness from olives and nuts, you’ll appreciate the savory goodness of different artisan cheeses even more. 

Other suggested accompaniments:

Fruit:  apples, pears, figs, apricots, cherries, berries, grapes, sweet mandarin oranges, ripe or sundried tomatoes and fruit chutneys.  Dried fruits work as well as fresh.   

Nuts:  salted or blanched almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios. 

Meats: prosciutto or salami

Desserts:  fruit tarts or galettes are fantastic when served with a good cheese, which makes the case for serving your cheese course with or as dessert. 

Wine:  There are many opinions on what kind of wine to serve with cheeses.  We’ve served just about all of them from sparkling to white to red with an assortment of cheeses.  Fresher or softer cheeses typically go well with whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Reisling, rind cheeses pair nicely with medium bodied Syrah, Pinot or Chardonnay, and aged or pungent cheeses favor denser reds like Cabernet, or even dessert wines.  If you’re featuring a complex cheese, choose a simpler wine, and vice versa. 

Don’t worry about always choosing the perfect cheese every time since making your selections is part of the food experience.  Experiment with new textures, flavors and varieties!  In the end, when you gather together a balanced medley of cheeses, fruits, and nuts, you’re bound to satisfy both your palate and your guests as well.

Enjoy!

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You know that scene at the end of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ when George Bailey looks around at all his friends and family and Harry toasts, "To my big brother George, the richest man in town!’  It chokes me up every single time!  You too?

The moment in the film is about the importance of friends and a purpose filled life, but here’s what I always get from this classic:  it doesn’t matter how elaborate or modest your home or your lifestyle, the best moments of the holiday season come from the togetherness and good spirits felt from surrounding ourselves with the ones we love.  It has nothing to do with money.

To me, a holiday party is a great opportunity to capture that feeling.  So many people hesitate to throw a party because they’re worried it will cost too much or their home isn’t presentable.  Nonsense!  Every year, our party has grown bigger (we’re talkin’ 80+) but we don’t spend a fortune.  I enlist my friends to help!  Do I hire a caterer?  Nope.  A bartender?  Never.  But a babysitter?  You betcha.

I was inspired to write about our holiday party after I read 101 Party Do’s & Don’ts in the latest issue of House Beautiful.  A worthy read, more tailored to the dinner party, but here’s a few more things I’ve learned over the years about how to make a crowd feel welcome without spending a fortune.

Tips for throwing a less stressful holiday party for a large crowd:  

1) Decorate early!  The weekend after Thanksgiving is decorating weekend!  If you plan to do Black Friday shopping, then I recommend decorating even before Thanksgiving like the retail stores do.  I know that sounds like you’re cheating on T-day, but if you’re throwing a party, get those baubles up early!

Concentrate your holiday decor where people will enter and congregate: the front porch, the entry, your kitchen, family room, dining room, and the powder room.

Your decor need not be elaborate.  Some candles and greenery are all it takes, perhaps some ornaments and twinkle lights strung here and there, just enough to capture the holiday mood.  It doesn’t take much!  Melissa has some great tips today for easy ways to add a touch of Christmas to every room.

Resist the temptation to wait to decorate the week or day before your party, we’re talking about reducing stress, so decorating early is key!

2. Coats and Purses.   The first thing guests do when they arrive is look for a place to store their coat and bag, so you must have a place for their coats and purses.  Set aside a bedroom or a closet away from the party, or invest in a folding coat rack.

3. Have an icebreaker.   Many people love to help at parties so give them a small job if they ask, or play a simple party game.  One year, we wrote out names of movie characters on labels and placed it on everyone’s back when they came in.  They had to ask other party guests for clues until they figured out who they were, and it got everyone talking and laughing right away.

4.  Create ambiance with lighting and music.  Great lighting is key  to setting the perfect mood at a party, so I’m a big believer in having all your main living area switches on dimmers.  It’s easy to do.  Then light a few candles, and turn on the outdoor lights too.  String some twinkle lights too, they add the perfect amount of light to your outdoor areas surrounding your home.

Also, have a playlist of holiday tunes ready to go that lasts several hours.  Pandora radio is great, also your TV cable station often has holiday playlists.  You can make your own CDs or use your iPod, just have lots of merry tunes!

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5.  Distance your food.  For a larger party, serve finger foods or one bite appetizers, nothing guests need to slice.  Keep beverages in one place, food in another, and if you have room, desserts in a third location.  It forces guests to circulate!   I like to keep bowls of pistachios, salty mixes, or chocolate candies scattered around the house in pretty bowls too.

6.  Keep some food warm.  On a winter evening, I believe it’s a good idea to serve some of your food warm, but to also stay away from your oven during a party.     Nothing’s worse than the hostess being tethered to her oven while her guests are in her home (makeup melting from a hot oven, no thanks!).  The way to pull it off?  Rent, borrow, or buy a chaffing dish (or two), or a warming platter.

I learned the hard way to not serve those popovers, hors d’oeuvres or phyllo dough appetizers that require you to stand next to the oven for 8 minutes to judge their perfect brownness.  No no no!  I cook my no fail crowd pleasin’ Stroganoff meatballs and penne alfredo before the party, then set them out in chaffing dishes with a nice warmed ham with rolls, and it’s always enough for a crowd.

Then I never need to set foot in the kitchen except to grab more ice!  Oh, and always make more food than you think you need.  Better to have leftovers than hungry guests!

One way to keep costs (and stress) down is to enlist friends to help!  I always ask a few gals to contribute some appetizers or desserts.  People love to bring chocolate candies, cookies, and other signature holiday recipes or small bites to share.

7.  Keep drinks simple.  We serve some wine (including ours), some beer, but mostly local champagnes.  People are always drawn to the bubbles on festive occasions we find.  Rarely do guest ask for mixed drinks, so we stopped serving them.  Always keep non alcoholic sparkling juices available too, plus juice boxes and water for the kids.     .

8.  Real or plastic?  Plenty of entertainers say "never serve your guests on plastic plates".  Ahem.  I don’t have an extra 80 plates lying around so guess what?  You come to my par-tay, you may dine on melamine or plastic plates.  Sorry, but none of my friends seem to notice or care about that.  But if if bothers you, simply rent or borrow ‘real’ plates.

But while you are free to serve appetizers on plastic or melamine dishes in my opinion, I say never serve wine or champagne in anything but stemmed glassware.  Wine and champagne glasses are cheap (hello Goodwill) or can easily be rented, so at least keep the glassware elegant.  Borrow them if you have to, I always do!

People keep their glasses for hours (use tags or charms to help identify them) but not their plates, so decent stemware is most important.       .

9.  Keep kids occupied.  I set aside a table for kids to do art, and always have a kid friendly Christmas movie playing in another room.  One trick we’ve learned to keep kids calm is to have kids (not parents) remove shoes when they come over.  Something about them being in their socks keeps them relaxed (and mud off your carpet, learned that the hard way too!)

Since we had kids, it’s hard to keep them occupied while we prepare for a crowd, so we invest in a few hours paid to a trusted babysitter to keep the little ones entertained and happy.  If you have a super helpful grandma, aunt, or attentive friends, that works too.  Anyone that can assist with the kids, especially before the party starts, certainly helps!

10.  Stay stocked.  Ice. Toilet paper.  Firewood.  Plates, napkins, utensils.  Have plenty of ‘em.

11. Keep a notebook.  Some things work, some things don’t so keep notes!  The day after the party, write down who attended, what recipes were a hit, and how the party could have flowed better.  Next time, you’ll thank yourself!

On a final note, I’d like to say that you should never be afraid to open up your home to your friends during the holidays because you think it isn’t fancy enough or whatever.

Your home is perfect because it is a reflection of you.  Guests remember two things from a party: the flavors and the feeling.  Not fancy decorations or pretentious displays.

Give them some good flavor in the form of food, spirits, and pleasant scents, send them away with a feeling of good cheer, and your party is a success!

What’s your best tip for making guests feel welcome this time of year?

Images: Country Living, Martha, BH&G

Modern Bird Studios Winner

#562  Carrie of SewVeryCarrie  

True Value Hardware Winners:

#28 Katie at ConsumerKatiesComments

"I just bought my first house!!! I have several projects planned: including painting, trim, molding, hardware, etc. Right now I can only afford a few small things. I’m going to be moving from my apartment and I can’t wait to actually be able to put paint on the walls!"

#101 Shannon who wrote:

"We are working on our bathroom right now and could definitely use the money for refinishing our cabinets, new sinks, hardware and tile! Thanks so much!"

And on a totally random and unrelated topic, I have a little tip to share!  Ever make the mistake I made last week by leaving a water ring or spot on a piece of lovely *antique* or wood furniture?  Here’s a trick I use to make the water stain boo boo go bye bye. 

The Mayo Trick:

1) Don’t panic 2) Apply a coat of mayonnaise to the stain, leave for at least four hours, preferably overnight. 3) Wipe away the next day, there should be no trace of the stain.

Keep it in your bag of tricks and impress your friends at parties.  *Wink*

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One thing I wanted to change this year was the window panels.  The existing dark brown panels with a botanical pattern looked great in summertime contrasted with the crisp white slipcovers.  But in winter, with a brown rug and brown slipcovers, the whole space was looking a little, well, a little too brown.  So I opted for something lighter, and simpler.  Soft green linen look panels customized to fit my French doors.

Let’s face it.  Custom window panels are just to die for.  But they are crazy expensive.  Years ago, when I was working a high-paying full time job, I could afford to splurge on custom window panels in my living room.  Bronze silk double panels, fully lined, and sewn to my exact specifications.  Remember Hilary Swank’s gown from the Oscars of 2000 ?  It was my inspiration for the curtains in my living room that I had made by Calico Corners many years ago.  I still love them to this day.

These days, I don’t have the luxury of custom window panels.  And quite frankly, with the tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the past few years, I wouldn’t pay for custom curtains when I’ve learned how to get the look at a fraction of the cost.

For my everyday dining space, I purchased some insulated sage green panels that resemble linen, but without the wrinkled nature or the high end price.  The standard 84” length is too short and 96” is too long.  Sometimes you can’t find the longer length, or you want to save money by not purchasing the 96” panel.  For me, one of the tricks I use is to lengthen an inexpensive 84” store bought window panel by pulling out the hem and then adding some rings to the top.  I also like to give the panels a quick pleat with my sewing machine. 

The pleat can be done by hand as well, it just takes a little more time.

I attach some wood rings. . .

And I get this custom pleated look, with just a little effort.

To add more length to the bottom, I pull out the hem, iron the seam, then use fusible webbing for a clean, straight, no sew hem. 

Voila ! 

Store bought window panels in a custom length and look.

For the table, I pulled out some favorite green striped scalloped edge placemats, a plain white plate, and some gold rimmed bowls handed down from Mr. CG’s grandmother.

Add some complimentary floral napkins and a beaded napkin ring.

Don’t forget the gold rimmed wine glasses.   Necessary in my house – we love our red wine. 

Add some candlesticks and vanilla pillars.

Loving these fall pumpkins and squash. 

And my fall tablescape is born.

My fall themed dining room in warmer tones.  

Casual, with elegant touches.  And most important at this time in my life?  It’s equipped with kid friendly slipcovers !  As much as I would love cream colored button tufted beauties, that would not be practical.  These dining room chairs have changeable washable velvet slipcovers.  These are the full length Latte velvet from Ballard Designs.   I use the shorter pleated version in the same fabric to cover the side chairs. They put up with a lot of kid smudges, and still look great year after year. 

Over the years, I’ve collected an inspiration folder of amazing, swoon worthy, designer dining room spaces.  (See them featured both here and here.)  But for now what I have is perfectly lovely, and suits our family’s lifestyle so well.  Bon appétit !

Now most people would walk past this piece, and for good reason.  It had a spotty black paint job with gold trim and gold hardware.  It’s a Dorothy Draper knock off, but I’m just not a fan of this paint job.  Funny, because I typically adore classics.  I really loved the lines and the design, just not the traditional black and gold paint - this color combination was simply unsuitable for my blue and white space.

I’m all about freshening a classic piece with great lines in a new and modern way, and I am not alone. 

I loved the detail of this chest, just not the paint job, so I decided to make it my own.  As much as I long to paint everything white, I like to mix it up with dark wood tones or pieces painted something other than white.  

Instead, I chose a fresher, less traditional, more casual style – a slate blue front trimmed in white to enhance the routed detail.  

First, I gave the edges a good sanding.  Then since I was going for a medium tone blue, I used two coats of gray primer instead of white primer to cover the old paint job. 

Next, I gave the dresser three light coats of Rustoleum’s Slate Blue spray paint.  

Finally, I hand painted the ridges with three coats of my own mixture of white primer and cream acrylic paint.  Then I spray painted the hardware and reused it.   

One thing about older dressers:  often, the drawer guides aren’t as sophisticated as modern pieces, so your drawers can scratch up your paint job as they slide back and forth and rub up against one another.  Here’s a little trick.  Apply a thin line of hot glue to the bottom of your drawers and let it completely solidify.  The dried glue will act as a small buffer between your drawers and help protect your paint. 

I also sewed a custom pleated table runner to protect the top of the freshly painted dresser.  To the runner, I added some beading and velvet ribbon for another layer of texture. 

A chest made new for my guests. 

I am certainly enjoying every last one of my garden’s latest blooms of the summer season.  Sigh.  Simple pleasures. 

Even though many would have passed it by, or kept the paint job because “it looks like a classic Dorothy Draper”, I chose instead to paint it blue.  I don’t regret the color choice, or the fact that I rescued it from a spotty paint job. 

After I painted my own find, I was emboldened when I found how some other designers are painting the classic Dorothy Draper style in a fresh new way. 

Century Design Ltd on 1st Dibs

Coral version from Antique Center on 1st Dibs

Ellen Ward Scarborough Antiques

Modern One

Carleton Varney for Kindel Furniture

Gorgeous lines. Fresh color. Classic design with a modern twist.  Just my style.

After some thought, I decided I had less use for a bench, and greater use for a coat rack in my guest space.  I had a bare wall, so why not fashion the headboard into a rack for scarves, sweaters, jackets, robes, or hats for my guests ?   You may recall, I’ve done this before, turning a footboard into a message center with some white and chalkboard paint.   

So I decided to do it again, but this time with a headboard.  I also used a different paint technique to give my coat rack an antiqued look.  Now, the twin headboard has been transformed into an architecturally decorative piece, providing both form and function. 

Follow along and I’ll show how I turned this:

into this: 

First, take a look at the headboard that I brought home from the thrift store.  You’ve seen these before.  They were popular many decades ago.  Not so much anymore. 

The wood was in pretty poor shape.  It would be fine to refurbish the headboard by simply staining or painting it, but it just came across as too old fashioned for my taste, so I repurposed it for a better cause.  

Step One:  I cut the bottom legs off with my compound miter saw.  I’ve recently learned to operate this bad boy, and Mr. CG is cool with that fact that I have a big time crush on him. 

Step Two:  I sanded the piece with a coarse sanding pad to remove any debris or trace of remaining varnish.  This piece was pretty dried out, so not much was there. 

Step Three:  I removed the spindles with a saw from the center for a more modern look, and filled the holes with wood filler. 

Step Four:  I primed my piece with durable primer so my paint job would last. 

For my new coat rack, I wanted to “antique” the appearance of this older piece to pay homage to the fact that my wood had been around for several decades.  I wanted that vintage French distressed paint treatment with creamy white paint and exposed wood edges underneath.  I’ve used this paint trick before to “antique” these candlesticks. 

If you desire the same look, but your wood is in poor condition, or is a paler tone wood like maple or natural oak, then what can happen is when you sand away your creamy white paint, you expose that poor wood condition or pale wood tone underneath.  In such circumstances, I prefer to cheat.  I like to guarantee a rich espresso tone underneath my cream paint.  So I fake it.  Here’s how.

Step Five: Paint just the edges of your piece where you want the “wood” to show through with espresso brown paint.  Allow to dry. 

Step Six: Paint your piece with your color of choice.  I chose to spray with a favorite: Rustoleum’s ‘Heirloom White’.  I allowed the paint to settle for 30 seconds, then I used my fingernail underneath a slightly moistened paper towel to scrape away the white paint and expose the “wood” (brown paint) underneath. 

Note: I have used sandpaper in the past to expose wood edges underneath my paint job.  Sandpaper works just as well, but this is another alternative.  I like this moist wipe away technique because it guarantees the result I want.  And if I scrape too much white paint, I just spray over the smear, and start over. 

Here’s a glance at my finished paint job:

Step Seven:  When my paint was dry, I attached ‘D’ ring hangers to the back of my headboard.  I also attached three brown hooks to the front that I found at my favorite salvage warehouse. 

I’m really crazy about these deep brown iron hooks against the crisp white paint. 

Before and After:

I am loving the “new” architecture of this coat rack.

We’re expecting a lot of guests this autumn during the harvest season, so now they have an extra place for their fall scarves, hats, and mittens. 

The total cost for this rescued and revamped coat rack, including paint and supplies ?  $25 dollars.  Consider making one for your own home for a lot less than retail, and it will be much more original. 

Tiny tangent, please indulge.  You know that scene in the movie ‘The Holiday’ where super gorgeous Jude Law is the widowed father of two girls and they lay under their magical canopy together in the girls’ room?  Okay, so maybe you don’t.  But I remember it, and I wanted to create a canopy over my daughter’s bed.  Nothing too frilly, nothing too drapey, just a bit of poof and the whisper of pink sparkle for her to fall asleep under.  Enter Velcro. 

I cut some tabs and secured them to the fabric and then to the top of her bed.

The result was an instant canopy, and no sewing !

Velcro is also a great solution for keeping your art straight on the wall, or ensuring your precious artifacts stay where they are.  I used it this weekend to secure my cube display to the wall in my master bath.

I was adding some decor to a wall that also has a sliding pocket door.  My little boy repeatedly slides the door in and out because: 1) it’s a door, 2) it slides into a pocket, and 3) that’s what three year old boys like to do. 

I used a bit of Velcro strip to secure the back of my display cubes to the wall, in addition to the nails, and now I have enough staying power to ward off any accidental damage that would occur without the power of Velcro. 

Mission accomplished:

By the way, that reflective backing behind the cubes and shells is just a bit of my favorite silver opulence paint by Pratt and Lambert. 

Have you ever used Velcro in an interesting way ?   Tell us all, and keep it clean.  :-)

We have one dining space that sits in the exact center of our home.  It has to function as both a casual and formal space, depending on the occasion.  It has a great view of the rear yard through the French doors, but it was definitely in need of some freshening up. 

I was inspired by this photo of a “casual” dining space featured in this post, where the homeowners chose to formalize their breakfast nook adjacent to their kitchen.  How lovely is this?

And of course we all love the mixture of white and dark in this dining space from the movie “Something’s Gotta Give”. 

Yesterday, I learned (sadly) that our local Villeroy and Boch outlet store is closing.  Sigh.  But I was able to score a great deal on a beautiful cream table runner and an incredible bowl for the dining room table.  

I also stopped by the local Goodwill store, and would you ever believe that this vase and these two hurricanes came from a thrift store? I am not joking here.  They were each $5.  I think the only reason no one had bought these hurricanes was because they were on opposite ends of the store.  I did the happy dance as they were “reunited, and it feels so good…”.  [Is that bad 80’s song stuck in your head now?] 

I also freshened up the dining room hutch with a medley of some of my favorite white and green objects. 

I absolutely love this buffet and hutch that I purchased five years ago from Crate and Barrel.  It was made in Italy and has a European feel.  It is just about my favorite piece of furniture in my home.  The piece has formal elements, like dark woodwork, glass doors and antique keyholes.  Yet it also has a casual appeal, with its painted interior.  I invested in it because I knew I would love it for years. 

Here is the dining space all freshened up:

And my lovely little tablescape:

Those flowers came from my rose tree and some hydrangea buds in my front yard.  I highly recommend this ‘Iceberg’ floribunda rose for gorgeous white blooms year after year.  Plant it in a large pot if you’re renting your space. 

But after all of this fresh white, I think I prefer my daughter’s designer touch.  She will grow up to be a great decorator because she certainly knows how to make a space feel like her own:

Nothing ever stays perfect in a home filled with children.  But I like it that way.

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