tropi-FALL: faux bamboo painted tiki bar

I recently unearthed some of my VERY old project images from a forgotten online source, and though they are very rough, I wanted to share them anyway... since this project plays a part in my current love of tropical style. 

This isn't a tutorial, folks. I'm just sharing a fun project from my past. I was a decorative painter for a decade, painting murals and faux finishes in homes and furniture for my small retail store. 

Back in 2002, my friend and co-worker at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Linda, asked me if I could 'revive' an old piece she had in her garage. I went over to her lovely home on Mercer Island to see it...

...and oh, what I SAW!

August Inspiration: 🌴 Tropi-FALL!

I'm never really ready for summer to end... even though our summers here in Southern California have become triple-digit adventures filled with insane afternoon winds and wildfire smoke. I only venture into our sunny backyard before 7 AM and after 9 PM.

Over the past few years, I've found a way to extend my own tropical style summer decor by including a nod to autumn: Pumpkins that look tropical! By creating some with tropical style, I embrace what I call 'tropiFALL' - a slow transition from summer to autumn that will be enjoyed from August 1st through September 30th. Our heat waves last all the way into early October - then the fall decor and pumpkins get their spotlight! (If you don't know this about SoCal, our 'Locals Summer' BEGINS after Labor Day Weekend - when all of the tourists have exited the beaches and amusement parks 😉)

As always, I'm sharing these ideas to inspire you to try new things in your home decor. I hope that even if tropical style isn't your jam*, you'll see some ways to 'bridge' your summer decor with touches of autumn decor - in YOUR style, and your favorite colors...

View these ideas below without thinking you have to do exactly what I do - picture them in different colorways, with different natural materials that will work in your home, with your theme!

beachy summer color palette

In my mind, all seasonal inspiration begins with nature.

The combinations of color that appear in every natural setting on Earth are flawless... consisting of perfectly coordinated shades and hues, contrasts and compliments.

So when people ask me 'How do you know what colors go together?' or 'How do you pick a color scheme?', I tell them to go outside. Literally! Because it's outside, in nature, every season, that you'll find the 'perfect' color...

Case in Point: the photo shown above, snapped at Newport Beach, California. It contains a perfect summer color scheme inspired by nature...

The palette of varied blues, grays, tans, browns, and whites

is crisp, fresh, and perfectly balanced between cool and warm tones, lights and darks.

This palette can be translated into a sleek modern look or a cozy country style, depending upon your preferences.

Here's one way to create rooms around that palette:

Spring Inspiration for May 🌼

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May arrives like a favorite guest, bringing gifts of sunshine, warmth, and blooming flowers... evidence of Mother Nature rising from her winter slumber, rested and refreshed, and ready for a garden party. 

Flowers seem to me to be the leitmotif of this month, so today I'm sharing inspired ideas using blooms in your tablescapes, home decor, Mothers' Day gifts, and even in your beverages! 


...and just in case you're looking for 'May Day' floral ideas to create right now, see two versions I've made here and here.

Follow along with me as we see what ideas are blooming this month... 

SPRING terra cotta pot garden 'totems'

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This isn't a secret: Deb becomes obsessed with POTS in springtime! I've waxed poetic about my collections here, they are the very first thing I look for at thrift stores and yard sales, and you'll find projects using terra cotta pots for every season of the year here on the blog.

I recently saw an idea on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try... using plain old terra cotta plant pots to create 'garden totems'. It's a simple project that works as art AND a way to store unused pots in style:

This style is made with all the same size pots. Mine use varied sizes because that's what I have on hand - and that's my favorite way to decorate.

Follow along as I show you just how easy this one is...

Spring Inspiration for April 🍃

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'April showers bring May flowers'... after we've done a LOT of work in the garden!

Working in the yard or garden is an activity that we garden lovers can really 'dig in' to in April. Whether you've got pots of herbs on your kitchen windowsill or a full herb, veggie, and flower garden in the back yard - or anything in between - enjoying the relaxing pastime of growing plants is inextricably linked to springtime. 

Even if you aren't a gardener or plant lover who loves having dirt under your fingernails, you can still bring the beauty of a garden into your home as Spring decor - with art, books, fabric printed with flowers, and faux foliage and florals.

I'm sharing some garden-inspired ideas for this month, along with something to help with your spring cleaning enthusiasm, and a few new publications to inspire you. I hope that you'll incorporate the garden aesthetic into your spring decorating and activities... enjoy!

SPRING Easy Crepe Paper Leaves

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Spring cleaning gets me into trouble...
I unearth things I have forgotten about, the Muses jump into action with ideas, and the next thing you know, Deb is busily crafting something instead of cleaning something. Anyone else out there fall victim to this malady?! 

As I pulled a box off of the shelf in my studio closet, a roll of bright chartreuse green crepe paper fell on my head. (The Muses are not concerned with niceties when they want my attention.) I sat it on another shelf, turned around, bumped a small branch lying on the closet floor - and the roll of crepe paper fell off of the other shelf to land right next to the branch. I kid you not! 

The unruly Muses put an idea into my head, and I gave up on cleaning to give that idea a tryout. It worked, was FAST, and so I'm sharing it here in this unplanned blog post! (It's the first day of Spring, which I assume is why the Muses are in action)

Continue reading to see how to bring a touch of spring to your decor in a jiffy - even if the trees aren't budding where you are...

Spring Inspiration for March 🌱

D is for Daffodil. And Delight. And Deb!
This month, in honor of my birthday, I'm sharing some of my favorite things about Spring with you...

I've included a lot of references to flowers to get you into a springtime mood. I'll be picking up some bunches of daffodils and a basil plant at Trader Joe's, as well as wandering through some plant nurseries and garden centers, selecting annual herbs for our garden. 

There's also some beautiful music, a few inspiring quotes, a candle that I can smell even when it's not burning, a sip of something delicious, places I love visiting in springtime, and of course a few decorating ideas and tutorials to help you bring spring inside your home right now... 

WINTER | SPRING: Easy DIY Yarn Nest

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After Valentine's Day, some people leave their red and pink heart decor up until the end of the month. Others remove theirs and bring in spring decor. Which do you do? I didn't decorate for Valentine's Day this year, but wanted to have something that bridges the 'winter to spring' season we are in right now...

This week has been filled with cold, windy, wet, rainy days here in So Cal, with a few 'sunbreaks' along the way. It feels very much like Winter, but I'm still hanging on for springtime to arrive soon... and I love using nests in my spring decor. So I chose to create a cozy 'wintery' nest in the easiest possible way!

Continue reading to see how insanely FAST & EASY this project is, along with some tips on how to style it...

Winter Inspiration for February 💗

February has become synonymous with romance, love, hearts, Valentines, and cupids. While we're still in the depths of winter, the focus on 'love' brings hope and warmth, guiding us toward connection.

I recently learned something about this month's history, and it led me to an expanded understanding of what the end of the winter season has to teach us... but I still don't get why February isn't pronounced the way it is spelled!

Continue reading for what's inspiring me in this last month of winter... 
(links included for your convenience, they are not paid ads)

NEW Sweet Sweater 'Sweetie Pies'!

May I present my newest Sweet Sweater Original creation? 

Say Hello to the 'Sweet Sweater Sweetie Pie'! TM 

I've been thinking about this project for a LONG time... decades, actually. The idea was originally inspired by the art of Mary Engelbreit, resulting in a 'Sweetie Pie' chair that I painted to sell in my shop. (My tiny shop was located next to a pie bakery, and my friend the owner LOVED this chair!) A client saw the chair, bought it, and then requested the same art on a cabinet she already had:

Way back then, I thought of making little felt or sweater pies to coordinate with this theme... a great idea, I just never got around to making any. Until recently, when I discovered a positively CUTE find that made me think 'Oh that is the PERFECT prop for the pies!!!' It was this cute lil' container (it holds lip balm) at my local DAISO store that kicked me into gear:

I purchased two of them and then hustled across the street to the craft store to buy some red pompoms - I already had everything else I needed at home. With February on the horizon, I thought I should share it in time for you to make your own versions for Valentine's Day decor!

Follow along with me as I finally make a ''Sweet Sweater Sweetie Pie'...

Winter Inspiration for January 🕯

Hello, my friends... I hope the new year finds you well!
I'm currently enjoying these rare rainy January days by embracing a slower schedule - filled with reading, journaling, refreshing the house after the holiday season, and considering ideas for future projects. Rather than rushing around making plans and exhausting myself, I'm finding this new approach fills me with much more joy!

Isn't that what we all hope for in January? Energy for a fresh start? 

How nice it is to be able to choose for ourselves just how we will embrace that in our own lives - and as I shared in my last post, I'm listening to Mother Nature and my own energy cycles to make that 'fresh start' one that isn't fueled by expectations and habits that just don't work for me anymore. For instance, I've made the decision to change my habit of creating 'one project per week' content to share here on the blog.

Instead, I'm going to be publishing a post the first week of each month, sharing the things that are currently inspiring me... something I've changed or created in our home, resources I've discovered that I think you might enjoy, books, quotes, music, scents, places I've visited, even a simple recipe once in awhile! You'll still see a full-on project tutorial occasionally, and posts sharing my content when it is published in magazines. 

My hope is that sharing bite-size doses of inspiration at the beginning of each month will encourage you to enjoy the seasons in truly simple ways, inspiring you to join me in embracing the art & craft of seasonal living (not just seasonal decorating) all year long.

Continue reading to see what's inspiring me this month!

WINTER: Celebrating the Return of the Light

Winter arrived on December 21st, 2025, heralded by the solstice and a new moon.

We in the Northern Hemisphere shift from losing light to gaining light each day... and that always makes a big difference in my moods. When I think of decorating my home for the winter season, I think of light. Because in all of its forms and iterations, light brings joy and warmth and hope...

Whatever your decorating style, architecture, or location is, you can harness the joy of light in your home. For decades, my practice has been to leave all of the warm white twinkly lights up after Christmas, as well as to add more candles and some clear glass elements to reflect that light everywhere.

More Ideas Ahead...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Nativity

Because the 'Reason for the Season' is important to me, I've created and shared a lot of nativity scenes over the years...

From repainting ceramic figurines to look like terra cotta and placing ornaments on top of bud vases to turning wood scraps into figures for a 'NativiTIKI', I've put my creative brain to work every holiday season to match my themes. (I have linked my favorites at the end of this post)

This year my nativity is simple and modern in style, which fits the Mid Mod Holiday theme perfectly...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Theme Review

Before the holidays are over, I thought a review of all of my projects + posts for this holiday season would be helpful if you've missed any. I'm linking them below, in the order they appeared on the blog.

Continue Reading...

HOLIDAY: Wrap It Up Mid Mod Style!

 

I'll be honest and say that my favorite 'gift giving' part of Christmas is wrapping the gifts and filling the stockings! I had so much fun over the years finding fun, interesting, maybe educational, and yummy goodies to load up my four kids' stockings each year...

... and yes, I wrapped EVERY item that went into their stockings!

(Truth be told, I did that to slow them down, so Mommy could enjoy a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning before the mayhem began!)

Stockings aren't *just* for hanging from the mantel, tho. 

Continue reading to see a few other ways I've used them during the holidays - plus a fun way to embellish them with Mid Mod style. (And in true 'Deb' style, when I can't find what I want, I MAKE it. So I've included a quick tutorial for making your own wrapping paper design!)

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Inspired Parasol Trees

...and here I thought I was DONE making trees. NOPE!

Inspired by a gorgeous mid-century modern photo, I was planning to create THIS:

As Charles Phoenix says, "I KNOOOOOWWWWWW!!!" Isn't it cool?!!

I ordered some materials online and had a plan. Then I ran outta' time to build it. So I pivoted to create smaller similar versions instead... In any case, I adore these fun and truly EASY paper trees and I think you will, too!

Continue reading for details & tutorials...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod 'Tiered' Trees

 

I have had a lot of fun (and a few mishaps!) creating these trees to share.
The tiered trees are made of wood, and are a recurring element in my holiday decor - showing up with new paint colors, new coverings, and new trim for the past FIVE years! (I've linked them all below the post)

You all know I love to re-use elements, as well as to find ways to use things differently than intended... like vinyl placemats, for example!

As soon as I began cutting shapes out of the vinyl placemats, I thought of making these. Three of the trees have circles of vinyl covering them, and the fourth tree is a skinny styrofoam tree that I gave a makeover to in 2020. This year, it has a new 'coat' of leaves cut from the placemats... and it's my favorite of all four! 

Let's get busy creating! 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod 'Cone' Trees with Ceramic 'Trunks'

The wreaths are made and hung, the ornaments are ready to go on the tree...
now it's time to deck the halls and all of those other places you want some holiday cheer! Sideboards, shelves, mantels, windowsills, and niches in the wall are all great places to use the decorating elements you'll see in this post. 

These are simple 'cone trees', which isn't a new idea - but I think making them with vinyl placemats might be! I've also chosen to add the element of white ceramic vases as 'tree trunks' beneath them... and though this really is an unintended pun,  that one step really elevates this decor.😉

Are you ready to create some of your own?
Grab a vinyl placemat and let's go!

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornaments, Part 2

My last post showed you four of the ornaments I've been busy creating, and this post will share the last three mid-century modern inspired ornaments that I dreamed up.

Ready for THREE tutorials? Let's dive in!...