My Backyard Living Room
We used to have a dining set out here, this year we switched things up and created an outdoor living room. No walls to hold me back – I brought on some serious color and patterns – crewel work, ethnic prints and neon colors – they are all at work in this setup. We are loving it…
Playing Under The Table And Dreaming…
As a child, I was thrilled to hang out underneath a heavily skirted table that my mother kept in our living room. I would drag pillows and a flashlight into this dark, cozy world and my imagination would take off. I created a small room of my own and I loved it…
Jello Jars and “Jargaritas” For Alfresco Fun
When packing up a meal to eat alfresco, the convenience of a single serve package is hard to resist – however – the additional cost and unnecessary trash is a turn off for me. Here are some earth-friendly ways to pack up single servings for a meal out in the open air…
Picnic Pots
When eating outdoors, it is best to protect food from annoying flies with some sort of food cover. By attaching a drawer pull to the bottom of a terracotta pot, I created a unique food cover of my own…
Kitchen Window Herb Garden
My kids love it when I plant herbs in the garden – the idea of eating the leaves of a plant is exciting for them. I placed a small box outside the window of our kitchen that only contains herbs – when we need seasoning for our meals the girls can open the window and clip fresh herbs for us…
Kids’ Sticker Art – Set Them Up & Let Them Go
Next time you’re at the office supply store, pick up a package of index cards, coding stickers and thin markers. Your kids will love to make these simple & fun cards…
Grass Table
Why create a small lawn on top of a garden table? Just because. The idea popped into my head, so I had to make it happen. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I’m into it for now…
Garden Globes
Do you ever need a bit of light in the garden, but candles won’t do? Here’s a trick that’s fast and easy…
Paintbrush Vase
Here’s a quick trick for making a one of a kind vase using rubber bands and some paintbrushes. You’ll need a lot of paintbrushes, a jar and some rubber bands…
Boring Vases Get “Hosed”
Flower arrangements are usually delivered in basic glass vases. I think we all have that moment when the flowers pass and we wonder if we should chuck or donate the left over vase to a thrift store. Recently, I came up with a simple way to transform these generic vessels into something you might actually want to display…
Having A Party? Bring Out The Laundry Basket
A vintage laundry basket is transformed into a wine cooler with the addition of a plastic liner. You’ll need a laundry basket, plastic drop cloth, jute, a large sewing needle and scissors…
Grapefruit Planter
My daughters love grapefruit – it’s their favorite breakfast. As I was cleaning the morning dishes – I couldn’t toss this leftover skin – the cheerful yellow color and the perfect shape reminded me of brightly colored pottery – which got me thinking…
Make Your Own Bottled Water
Instead of placing a pitcher of water or a bottle of San Pellegrino on the table – try reusing a great looking wine bottle to hold your water. Every so often, I find old wine bottles at resale shops and I can’t resist buying them. The older, Italian wine bottles have a lovely shape. I clean them thoroughly with a bottle brush and fill them with chilled tap water…
More Candlestick Tricks
I love to have something interesting on the table when I entertain. I filled a crystal decanter with water, placed a clipping from our pear tree inside and stuck a candle into the opening to create this look…
Toast Spoons On A Sunday Morning
Toast spoons – not the everyday breakfast, but certainly fun for a Sunday morning treat for the kids…
Candlestick Tricks
I found these ceiling fixtures at a garage sale this weekend – I paid $8.00 for the pair. Using a candle adhesive – I stuck candles into the socket and gave these old fixtures a new life as candlesticks…
Twine Vases
I love the look of spools of twine – I decorate with them often. To make these – I dropped a plastic shot glass into the center of a spool of twine, filled it with water and added short cut flowers…
For $3.99 A Bunch – Fern Leaves Can Go A Long Way
I love leaves of all types, but I think fern fronds are my favorite. Ferns have an earthy appeal for me – they remind me of walking in the woods, springtime and greenhouses. In the floral section of the supermarket you can always find fern leaves and usually they are priced at under $4.00 a bunch. Here are a few ways you can decorate with these inexpensive beauties…
Pretend Produce – For A Healthy Imagination
My 5 year old daughter loves to pretend that she is a shop owner – it keeps her happily occupied for at least an hour or more. The other day, I made some felt fruits and vegetables and we set up an imaginary roadside stand – complete with twine, bags and signs. Now I have to keep an eye peeled at garage sales for a scale…
It’s Easy Being Green
For St. Patrick’s Day, try serving up green meals all day long! My kids love this sort of thing. Bring your child to the store and let them help you create a green menu – or get your supplies on your own and surprise them!