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Showing posts with label tiki style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tiki style. Show all posts

8.08.2023

TROPI-fall decor in our Shasta trailer!

fall,tropical style,pumpkins,outdoors,decorating,glamping,beach style,tiki style,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,glamping decor,tropical camping decor,tropical glamping,Shasta trailer decor.
before i start sharing NEW pumpkin & fall decor ideas,
i wanted to time-travel back to last September and show you
my 'TROPI-fall' pumpkins in a different kind of setting!

though i don't share many photos of our home here on the blog,
all of our rooms and decor have a tropical vibe.
since we are unable to travel to Hawai'i now, we 'live Aloha' here at home.

as summer wanes and autumn approaches, 
i bridge the seasons with pumpkins that i create in beachy, tropical styles...
faux painted bamboo and sand, coconut tiki mugs with stems, and more.

so would it surprise you to learn that i ALSO use tropical decor
in our Shasta camping trailer, Miss Dot?!!!


i 'shop the house' for decor elements that fit the season or theme
of the campout we're going to
(we are members of three different trailer groups),
put them into a storage bin, load it up, and then
have as much fun decorating Miss Dot as i do decorating our home...

continue reading to see how Miss Dot looks with TROPI-fall decor!

7.26.2023

'Christmas in July': SanTIKI mug

summer,tiki style,beach style,coastal style,painting,DIY,diy decorating,holiday,Christmas Decor,Christmas,trash to treasure,tutorial,up-cycling,re-purposed,vintage,santa mugs,vintage santa mugs,tiki mugs,
the summer heat must be getting to me,
because i'm jumping on the 'Christmas in July' theme. 
👀 WHAT???!!!! 

truth is i've been dealing with some.... stuff... and my creativity is ebbing.
i've run out of time and frankly the energy to complete the diy projects i started.

but as i was perusing photos of past projects,
i found one that i created + photographed back in late fall 2019, but never shared it.
since it just happens to fit the 'Christmas in July' theme that we're seeing everywhere,
i've decided that NOW is the time!

(granted, it's got a summer vibe,
 but it's made out of something decidedly Christmassy... so it works!)
 
...continue reading to see how Santa became a tiki!

7.19.2023

tropical tiki transformation

beach style,coastal style,colorful home,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,on the porch,outdoors,summer,tiki style,tropical style,wreaths,painting,re-purposing,up-cycling, painted plastic tiki mask,outdoor tiki decor,outdoor decor.
our backyard in Southern California underwent a transformation back in 2020....
when the pandemic shutdown happened and we had to cancel our trip to Kauai, Hawaii,
we decided to bring Hawaii to us!
i shared some of those backyard diy projects here on the blog back then
(the bamboo tiki bar, the tiki totem pole, and others - all linked below this post).

the project i'm sharing today wasn't a planned one - 
i saw something in a store and thought 'hmnn. that COULD look really good if i....'
and so i bought the item, brought it home, and worked some magic on it with paint.

it couldn't have been easier to transform a really cheap looking tiki mask
into something with much more of our own tropical style.

continue reading to see how it started... and how it's going now!

7.12.2023

tropical front porch decor

summer,tropical style,coastal style,beach style,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,colorful home,wreaths,tiki style,outdoors,outdoor decor,summer front porch decor,tropical decor,tropical wreath,tiki culture,tiki mask,tiki decor.
i always tell people 'i see things differently'... 
that means i use elements & materials in ways they weren't intended to be used.
and i RE-use things i've created before in new ways.

this tropical look on our front porch is a perfect example!

in past posts, i've shared how i raided the garden shed for fall porch decor,
using items meant for the garden to decorate with. 
here i've used paper & bamboo party decorations...
continue reading to see what i used 'differently' to get this summer vibe...

7.05.2023

easy tropical-style light cover

tutorial,coastal style,beach style,DIY,decorating,re-purposed,diy decorating,summer,up-cycling,tiki style,lighting,tropical home decor,beach hat light cover,summer home decor.

the summer heat arrived here on June 30th,
so i've been busy completing some fun new EASY projects around our home
(which has a tropical, tiki vibe going on all year long!)
since these projects work perfectly well as 'summer' season decor content,
 i thought i'd share them here on the blog this month!
so... let's get tropical!

first up, a ridiculously EASY way to make a builder-grade light fixture
look a lot more fun for summer... in just two steps!

continue reading to see what i did!

10.25.2022

happy MAHALOween!

i read that term - happy MAHALOween - on a tiki bar's website.
when this fun phrase gave me a way to incorporate my love of
tropicana decor and tiki culture into October celebrations, i was IN!

(truth is, i'm not really into Halloween anymore - fall, yes. pumpkins, YES!
the 'scary horror bloody zombie creepy clowns and witches' kinda' decor? nah.)

since i have NO intention of dressing up in costume, 
 i simply decided to give a pumpkin a costume. with a tiki mask!

continue reading for the details and an easy paint tutorial...

10.11.2022

coconut tiki mug pumpkins!

fall,pumpkins,re-purposed,up-cycling,tropical style,DIY,diy decorating,tiki style,home decor,coconut pumpkins,coconut tiki mug pumpkins,tropical pumpkins, tiki style pumpkins,use what you have decorating,tutorial.

i was cleaning our indoor tiki bar the other day,
and as i moved some of the tiki mug collection off of a shelf to dust it,
i sat the two ceramic coconut mugs upside down on the bar top.
my hand stopped in mid-air as i looked at what i had done
and an idea came to mind...

 yes, i turn a LOT of different things into pumpkins!
first it was plates. now it's mugs. 
and it's so easy it's not even funny!

continue reading to see the details...

9.27.2022

NEW! faux painted bamboo pumpkins

fall,pumpkins,painting,faux finish,DIY,diy decorating,tutorial,neutrals,tiki style,coastal style,beach style,Halloween,boho style,re-purposed,home decor,fall home decor,autumn home decor,painted pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,faux bamboo,bamboo decor,bamboo pumpkins.
my penchant for tropical decor and tiki culture inspired this new pumpkin project...

our So Cal home is filled with tikis and bamboo and leafy palm fabrics,
because during the pandemic lockdown we had to cancel our trip to Hawaii
and decided to just make HOME feel as much like Hawaii as we could.
and we love it!
so, i like to create seasonal decor for us that coordinates with that theme.
pumpkins that look like they are made from bamboo are a perfect fit!

continue reading for my paint tutorial...

7.30.2021

painted pineapple planters

beach style,coastal style,tropical style,painting,summer,DIY,diy decorating,colorful home,decorating,dollar store crafts,tiki style,, summer home decor, tropical home decor, beach home decor, summer home decor, summer decorating, planters, succulents, pineapple crafts, 99 cents only stores.
i'm in a tropical state of mind, if you can't tell...
since i can't visit the island this year, i'm creating a tropical vibe here at home!

when i ran across an item at the 99 Cents Only store recently,
i immediately saw how i could easily transform it into a tropical decor accent...

continue reading for the easy how-to!

7.20.2020

faux painted bamboo mirror

art, beach style, boho style, coastal style, DIY, diy decorating, faux finish, furniture, junk makeover, painting, summer, tiki style, tropical style, wall art, tropical decorating, faux bamboo, bamboo furniture, tiki style, faux painting
 when we moved into this house four years ago,
our decorating modus operandi was truly 'use what you have'...
more than 90% of the furniture we used came from my mom's old house
(1% came from mine - my grandpa's dresser and my farmhouse table!)
the mirror we have in our entry hall came from the guest room at the last house,
where it matched a dresser with a 'bleached oak' finish.

honestly, i love the mirror here...
it bounces light from the kitchen into an area that is lacking light.
but mercy, the original frame! i just haven't been sure about what to DO to it.
i contemplated a simple black satin stain or paint finish at one point,
but ruled it out as being too dark for this area of our home.

then two days ago, a brainstorm hit, and in just a few hours 
that mirror was made completely new using a faux paint treatment.

continue reading to see more details - including the 'before and after' shot... 

7.16.2020

scrap wood tikis

art class, beach style, DIY, diy decorating, junk makeover, just for fun, neutrals, on the porch, outdoors, painting, re-purposing, salvaged, summer, tiki style, trash to treasure, wall art, tropical style, woodcrafts
last winter, i created a lot of tropical & tiki decor
as part of our fun 'Happy HULA-days' Christmas theme.

you've seen posts sharing most of it appearing in our current summertime decor,
bringing a tropical vibe to our home and yard for us to enjoy
during this 'staycation' that is lasting a whole lot longer than anyone anticipated.

one of my projects during quarantine has been the front entry of our home...
which isn't a porch but a 'vestibule' - and is really hard to decorate.
i came up with a simple solution using last December's holiday entry decor:

continue reading to see how i re-used my own tikis made from scrap wood!

6.18.2020

NEW sweet sweater summer decor!

art class, beach style, coastal style, crafting, decorating, diy decorating, junk makeover, just for fun, original designs, re-purposing, sweaters, Sweet Sweater Kakamora, thrifted, tiki style, tropical style, Sweet Sweater Sandbabies, summer home decor, summer diy decor
yes, yes, i HAVE lost my everlovin' mind, thankyouverymuch!

last Christmas, in the midst of my flurry of decorating in our Happy HULAdays theme,
i created some last-minute decor using.... you guessed it.... sweaters.
one photo of that project was part of this post back in December,
but really, the idea was so fun that it needs a bit more exposure.

with my mind on tikis and tropical style for summer, 
it's time to put them in the spotlight -
PLUS another beachy sweater creation from a few years back!

...continue reading for a bit of summer-y sweater fun!

6.12.2020

tropical gift bag wall art

art, art class, boho style, color, crafting, DIY, diy decorating, dollar store crafts, gift wrapping, paper crafts, re-purposing, summer, tiki style, tropical style, up-cycling, wall art, tropical leaf wall art
along with the plethora of tikis i've been creating,
i've added some other tropical decor elements to our home for summer...
elements like this leafy wall art, made from a plastic gift / tote bag!

continue reading for the easiest art project ever...

6.09.2020

tiki garden markers

art, crafting, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, garden art, garden, just for fun, junk makeover, outdoors, painting, re-purposing, summer, tiki style, up-cycling, trash to treasure, painted tikis, tiki art
in March, we worked on the raised herb garden in the backyard,
ordering plants online from our local nursery - who offered curbside no-contact pickup of our order
during our state's 'Shelter at Home' quarantine.
social distance gardening - who knew??!

the garden needed some plant markers,
so i came up with a way to utilize an item that we have a plethora of around here.
and that worked great - for awhile.
but with the recent infusion of tiki decor in our yard,
those original plant markers just didn't fit anymore. so i gave them a makeover!

continue reading to see their old and utterly ridiculous (and FUN!) new look!

6.06.2020

repurposed tiki signs

art, beach style, color, Christmas Decor Themes, Christmas Decor, crafting, DIY, diy decorating, faux finish, garden art, junk makeover, makeover, outdoors, re-purposing, summer, tiki style, woodcrafts, painted signs, handpainted signs, tropical decor, tiki bar, tiki totem, giant scrabble tiles, colorful home decor, summer home decor, diy summer decor
these signs appeared in my past two posts... one for each recent project.
do they look familiar to you? they should - you've seen them before!
  i shared them LAST YEAR as part of our Happy HULAdays theme - but they didn't look like this.

when i wanted signs to accompany recent tiki projects in our backyard,
i knew these pieces would work perfectly... and with a little paint, they did!
it's just one more way i can decorate using what i already have here at home.
if i can use summer tiki decor at Christmastime,
then i can re-purpose my Christmas decor as summer decor!

continue reading to see the before & after shots (and find out a secret about them)...

5.28.2020

a tipsy tiki totem pole

art, beach style, Christmas Decor Themes, Christmas tree, coastal style, color, Disneyland, DIY, diy decorating, garden art, junk makeover, makeover, re-purposing, summer, tiki style, weekend makeover, tiki culture, tropical backyard decor, tropical decor, restyled decor
you may have seen the sign that says 'Tipsy Tiki Bar' in my last post...
that's connected to another recent 'restyle' of an old project.
a week before the tiki bar came into being, Mom had an idea for something else in our backyard.

she shared her idea with me, and i liked the fact that it was basically a way to re-use items
from our Happy HULA-days theme last Christmas.
i started noodling the 'how' of the project... and remembered a favorite feature at Disneyland.
yup. there's something there that my grandpa Ward helped to build in 1963
that we enjoy to this day, and that inspired this project!

continue reading to see how i re-used our Christmas decor!

5.25.2020

build a backyard tiki bar in a sandbox!

beach style, boho style, coastal style, color, diy decorating, DIY, entertaining, junk makeover, makeover, outdoors, re-purposing, summer, style, tiki style, trash to treasure, weekend makeover
you guys, i discovered that my kids actually listen to me!
i mentioned to two of my daughters that i was sad that i couldn't go to the beach (thank you, Covid19).
and do you know what they did? they sent me a backyard sandbox for Mothers' Day!!!
"now you can get your toes in the sand, Mom!" 

little did my darlings know that they were kicking off my first project of the summer...
one that caused us to re-think EVERYthing about our backyard.
because.... if you can't go TO Hawai'i, then bring Hawai'i to YOU!

 i recently shared my salvaged wood potting bench in this posti built that last summer, 
then took it down and put all of the elements in other places.
well...... as the plan for the sandbox unfolded, i pulled all of it out again.
because you know me, i love to just keep making one thing into another....

continue reading to see how a sandbox and a potting bench became a TIKI BAR!

5.21.2020

junk makeover: beachy wood signs

#MAYkeovers, art class, beach style, coastal style, color, color palettes, DIY, diy decorating, junk makeover, just for fun, painting, outdoors, spring, summer, tiki style, weekend makeover, backyard decor, home decor, colorful decor
many many many vacations have been cancelled or rescheduled this year,
by many many disappointed people. myself included.
there were no planned excursions to Hawai'i this year for us,
but because it is a place that my Mom and Dad loved, and now i love,
it has a special place in our hearts. even if we can't GET there.

here's my take on that: if you can't go to the islands, then bring the islands to YOU!
and that's exactly what my Mom and i have been working on in our backyard.

continue reading to see just one of the recent projects we've undertaken
to add some tropical charm to our 'staycation location'...

12.26.2019

tiki style tablescape

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday
our Hawaiian holiday style continues onto the dining table...
using what we had on hand already, along with a few simple and inexpensive additions,
i was able to create a table that reflected the island style of our 'Happy HULAdays' Christmas decor theme!

as always, i try to keep the decor simple and easily removed, so we can play games or craft here.
'continue reading' to see the details...

12.25.2019

totally tiki-tastic holiday!

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday, nativity
our Happy HULAdays theme begins at the front door, 
with a totally terrific tiki welcome...
i made these guys by simply painting faces on planks of pine wood from our garage.
if you look closely, you can see that i used the grain of the wood as part of each face design.

the 'Happy HULA days' sign is a piece of plywood washed with brown paint, then hand-lettered.
the HULA letters were painted onto a few of my giant letter tiles, and glued onto the plywood.
tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday, nativity
you might recognize a few of those tiki faces... 
on the left: Olaf from Frozen (complete with twig arms and hair), a stylized Small World clock face, and a completely doe-like face that just came outta' my paintbrush that way!
on the right: a sun-like face inspired by Small World, a tiki face discovered online, 
Santiki - also discovered online - and finally, Baymax from Big Hero 6. that's for my Dad <3

the 'enter with the spirit of Aloha' sign is one my Mom bought in Hawaii and has had for years
(it was in the tropical backyard weekend makeover i did for my Mom)

... and the fun is just beginning!
continue reading to see MORE of the tikis that i gathered and created for our decor this year!