from fresh to faded...

 Two weeks ago, I was working at my second job (visual stylist for a charity resale store),

and at lunchtime, I walked to the nearby grocery store for a sandwich.

 Just inside the door, I passed the floral case,

and next to it was a funnel of plastic-wrapped rose bunches, all looking a 'little' weary.

You've all seen those bouquets - 
the ones with a few drooping flower heads and some browning outer petals?

They were priced at a mere $1.99 each,
so I grabbed a bunch of white and a bunch of rusty orange roses,

and took them back to the store (along with my chicken salad on sourdough, and sweet tea).

After I ate lunch, I popped the roses into a vase of water and put them into this display:

I figured they could live there for the weekend, freshening up the display,

and then I'd toss them out the next week. Cheap props, just the way I like 'em!!!
Only, when I came back, they had begun to dry in perfect form....

so I didn't throw them out.

I wrapped each bunch up in our store's tan tissue paper, and took them home.
They just kept drying, all wrapped up, 

without losing petals or bending or looking forlorn.

That's when I decided to keep them indefinitely - and decorate with them!

 I tucked the tissue-wrapped bundles of roses into a burlap market bag on the dresser in my office.
The fading color of the white roses coordinates perfectly with my neutral decor,
(which is why the rusty orange ones don't show in this photo, they are tucked down into the paper)

and the soft lingering rose scent is a welcome addition to this area near my desk.

I may never throw these out.
I may let them continue to dry out, eventually de-heading them from the stems

and adding them to a bowl of potpourri or layer the inside of a nest with them.

I've added fresh flowers to my decor for years,
letting the blooms dry in place and enhance the decor for weeks afterward:

 Hydrangeas are one of the easiest flowers to let dry 'en scene', as are roses.
Gardenias and Narcissus / Daffodils also dry well.

In August of 2013, my best friend of 37 years passed away.
I created a bouquet for her memorial service from fiery orange roses and lilies,

inspired by her fiery red hair and spirit.

I saved a few of the roses that I didn't put in the arrangement,  and I still have them...
the perfectly dried petals nest in a special teacup here in my office.

Those rose petals mean the world to me, because they are a connection to her.

This isn't just true for REAL flowers, either...
Long ago, I found a bunch of vintage fabric roses at a thrift store - for a song.

I cleaned them, then wrapped them up in a bit of vintage sheet music.
I displayed them lying on the table (this one made from a vintage peach-painted door)

and the simplicity of the display was timeless.

Finding beautiful decorative elements isn't about what you spend...
I'm getting a lot of lasting enjoyment out of two simple and cheap bouquets.
It's about the value you coax out of the elements.

Next time you grab flowers at the market, 

think about how you can extend their contribution to your decor...
choose flowers that will dry well, and enjoy them from fresh to faded.

.
PS: That lampshade in the photo up above?
I'll share its secret in my next post !

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.

I snapped that image at Newport Beach, California in April.
It contains a perfect summer color scheme:

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 as a sleek modern look or a cozy country style.

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

Can you see it?
The palette of varied blues, grays, tans, browns, and whites?
It's there in all of the details, materials, and surfaces.

We've changed the proportion of color use from the beach photos -
instead of blue being the primary color, neutral tans secondary, and white accents,
We have white as the overwhelming primary color here, with neutral tans secondary,
then touches of blue as an accent. 

In my small Cottage, the color scheme remains the same in each room - 

white backdrops, neutral surfaces, and blue accents.
That helps the small spaces flow into one another and feel larger.
In a home with larger rooms and more space, blue could be used on some walls and furnishings.

Even the simplest accent - like an old door turned into a bulletin board - plays on that palette.
The decor is simple, fresh, and brings the feeling of summer days at the beach indoors.

A photo of a place you love to spend time is a PERFECT starting point for your decor!
If you love to go there on vacation, why not decorate your home to reflect that place, 

and enjoy it every day?!

[I've actually just completed a decor project with EXACTLY that premise, 

and will be sharing it in upcoming posts.]

So what says 'Summer' to you?
 The beach? The mountains? The lake? Mexico? Hawaii?
Find your inspiration and color schemes in the locales you love,
and bring that summer feeling HOME!