paint the town pink!

in my last post, i mentioned some hearts that i had made out of paint chip cards -

but i didn't have a great photo of them to include in the post. i just found those paper hearts in a bin!

i snapped a few quick photos just so i can share them...

so let's consider this my 'Paint the Town Pink!' post Part Two!

continue reading for the details + more ideas...

spice it up!

 if you've been following my posts over the past two weeks, 

you've seen the way that the color red has made a first-time appearance in our winter home decor.

like a pinch of cayenne, ginger, or cinnamon in a great recipe,

we're enjoying the way just a touch of this hue spices up our rooms - and our moods!

that sweet little red wood birdhouse shown above was made by my grandson...

and i love having it on the sideboard in the entry hall where i see it many times a day.

the other red accents in our home are similar - just a small pop of color, but with big impact.

the best part?
i've incorporated this hue into our decor without spending much money at all! 

i already had everything i used (except one red thrifted sweater and one tan & red plaid blanket),

either in the house (in cabinets & closets) or the garage (seasonal decor bins + camping gear!).

continue reading to see how i created some of the 'fast, cheap, & easy' details!

more sweet sweater trees!

today i was moving some things around my studio/office, and discovered some 'forgotten' trees!
i made them awhile back.... and loved them, 

but they don't go with the current brightly colorful scheme in this room.

so, i came up with a quick idea to CAMOUFLAGE them - with sweaters! 

continue reading to see the before & after...

scrap paper tree wall art

i never throw away paper scraps. ever.
(because the moment i DO, i find a use for them! LOL)
when i had some thin strips of wood-patterned paper left over
from my faux wood tree project in my last post, they went into a drawer in my studio.
and just about about a day and a half later, i had a project to use them in:
a piece of contemporary rustic wall art for our gallery wall!

'continue reading' for the really easy details...

friendsgiving fun

i just found these photos from a fall event that i attended several years ago, 

where i spotted some pretty & easy ideas for a simple and rustic dessert table - 

perfect for a gathering of friends on Thanksgiving!

the setup was simple: wood crates provide levels,
and food is presented in bushel baskets and arranged on wood slabs.
a few large branches with fall leaves add scale in the background (without requiring any work at all),
and a handful of small pumpkins scattered along the table add color.

<<< click 'continue reading' to see more tasty details!

fall picnic: a movable feast

Fall is the perfect time of year for a picnic...
enjoying an alfresco meal that is elegant and fancy, plain and simple, or somewhere in the middle.
Keeping basic elements needed for a picnic ready to go in a basket or tote
makes it easy to enjoy a last-minute trip
to enjoy sunset on the beach or a temperate day at the local park...
Don't let the fact that summer is over keep you inside!

...continue reading to see just how easy it can be to create a Movable Feast!

easy 5 minute fall tablescape

ever get one of those calls: "hi! we're in your area and thought we'd stop by..." ???
panic ensues, right? a whirlwind of activity starts the minute you hang up the phone:

throw the messes into the dishwasher and dryer and garage.

peer into the freezer to see if there's something you can whip up to feed guests.

clear the table of papers and projects and.... the TABLE! oh dear.

it's easy to pull something together quickly for a pretty tablescape...

continue reading to see what i pulled off in five short minutes a few days ago!

refresh those dried topiaries!

years ago, i unearthed these two identical topiaries at the bottom of a thrift store bin.

i actually pulled on the first one because i saw the brass urn shape - never expecting anything to be attached.

when i saw the TOPS of the topiaries, i was underwhelmed.
however, i eyed them with my 'well, MAYBE they could be SOMETHING' look, 

and paid the whopping 50 cents each to take them home. 

the photo above was taken in one of my booths at a vintage show, 

where those two cheap topiaries (after a blow-dry cleaning and a bit of 'fluffing') sold for $12. EACH.

one man's trash, right?!!! it's easy to turn junk into decor!

.

i see dried up and worn out topiaries all the time, and chances are you might HAVE one - 

so i thought i'd share some easy tips with you for 'refreshing' them.

continue reading for details...

grocery store flower + herb bouquet

welcome, August!

this last month of the summer season always slows me down. 

i find myself taking more walks, reading more books, just enjoying the 'now'

instead of constantly planning and making lists for all that is coming in the future...

and isn't that what summer is all about? being in the moment? enjoying life?

i take it easy when it comes to decor, as well. take flowers, for example... 

combining a grocery store bunch of mixed flowers with a handful of fresh herbs from my garden, 

i quickly created a stylish and fragrant late-summer bouquet!

continue reading to see my easy tips...

easy canvas awning valance

we decided that the window treatments in our home would be simple and coordinated -

nothing heavy or complex to make the rooms feel closed in.

so white wood blinds went up first for privacy and sun control 

then simple side panels made of canvas dropcloths that fall from floor to ceiling,

adding softness to the hard edges.

when it came to the kitchen window, i needed something different.

and though i STILL haven't found the vintage metal awning i really want for this space,

i came up with a solution that gives the window style in the meantime...

continue reading to see how easy this faux awning valance was to make!

turning the tables...

seems like every day, i see a photo on social media of tables made from wood cable spools.
it's kind of the 'orange crate' diy decor trend of the 70's reborn!

i've STILL not seen anyone do with them what *i* do with them:
pair the wood spool top with metal bases from other tables. 
because, you know, i always have to do things differently than other people!
we have quite a few variations on this theme at home - 
... continue reading to see what i've created!

diy headboard to a-door...

in my book, making do with what you already have simplifies life,

and certainly beats buying more stuff...

when we moved into the new house, i had two choices:

use the same old wood gate as a headboard,

or come up with something new.

i chose 'something new' - but of course i didn't go out and BUY a headboard!

keep reading to see what i did....

5 easy ways to summerize!

 

it's summertime... and the livin' should be easy!

it's time to simplify, lighten up, and create rooms that welcome a casual, fun, active lifestyle

to enjoy over the next few months.
i have a few simple ideas to make your home feel like a resort all summer long
without having to spend a lot of your vacation / stay-cation cash!

here are my top five tips for adding summer style to your rooms:

my hat trick!

decorating with collections is an easy way to bring your own personality into your home, 

and changing them up seasonally is a fun way to change the 'wardrobe' your house wears!

i love straw hats, and have a nice collection (tho it is smaller than it used to be).

displayed in spring and summer, i often hang them on a pegrack or pile them all on a chair.

sometimes, i even hang them on a wall. yes, RIGHT on the wall, as seen here...

it's as simple as putting a few clear pushpins in the wall and plopping a hat on it.

a grouping like this makes it pretty easy to grab one when needed - and hey, it's free wall decor!

then there's that OTHER hat trick... continue reading to see what i used under those chapeaus!

beach in a jar

it's JUNE! that puts me in a summery mood, how about you?

way back in 2013, i shared '5 ways to decorate with seashells' in a post...

while they were all good ideas, i can say that based on pins, re-pins, and blog post visits, 

THIS ONE has been the overwhelming fave every summer since then.

it's a perfect time to revisit this easy summer decor project!

continue reading to see how simple it is to create variations of your own...

create a garden scarecrow using what?!

we finally had nice sunny weather this past weekend,
and i enjoyed working out in the backyard garden on a project that i've had in mind for months.
i am excited to finally share this easy tutorial with you! 

continue reading to see what i was working on... and how you can make one of your own!

re-purpose a fire pit!

when we planned + designed our backyard landscape, a fire pit was on the 'must have' list.

Mom had always wanted one, and i missed the huge one on my farm.

so, we created a spot for it, and then bought a simple metal one - 

no propane gas tanks to lift & carry, just something to safely burn half a firelog for an hour or so.

and we've used it exactly TWICE in the past two years. 

[we live in a canyon - a DRY canyon. high temps and high winds mean high fire risk.

too high to chance it. so, we don't use the firepit.]

one day i moved a round glass tabletop being stored inside the house, and this idea sprang to mind:

take this glass tabletop and put it on the firepit!

i put an inch or so of pea gravel in the bottom of the firepit, to cover the blackened area

and make it look a bit more 'terrarium'-like as a table.

it's perfect for a planter and some lanterns (which look lovely at night!)

and as a place to rest a drink while sitting in the chairs visiting. and we do!

i love that we found a way to USE this piece regularly, instead of having it just sit there...

the domed screen top that normally sits on the firepit is hanging on the wall in the garage,

quickly reachable if we have conditions where a fire is possible. 

wanna' take this idea further? plant succulents INSIDE the fire pit / table base!

if you put them in a removable tray, you'd still have the option of removing them to build a fire.

and of course, you could find a rusty ol' firepit at a yard sale or thrift shop for this project!

see more easy DIY ideas from our backyard here here and here 

shared online:

funky junk interiors |  diy salvaged junk projects #428

summer kickoff: red, white & blue

 over the years i've shared so many 'fast, cheap & easy'TM tips for decorating...

and my faves are always the party themes!

the 'official' start of summer is on the horizon! 

don't you agree that summer parties should be EASY to pull together? 

uncomplicated? fun? whimsical? and inexpensive? i thought you would! 

so let's use stuff we already have - nothing precious or expensive, just simple.

continue reading for one of my easiest centerpieces EVER - plus a few helpful tips...

the grass is greener...

...when it's faux!

because we live in a dry desert climate here in SoCal, we work hard to conserve water.
(which cracks me up, having lived north of Seattle for 18 years with more water than i knew what to DO with!)
one of the things we've done to keep our consumption down
is the choice to install artificial turf when designing our backyard.
the color is perfect all year long, there is NO maintenance - just picking up a few tree leaves and rose petals,
and because all of our landscape plants are on a drip system, no one else needs to come back here.
it's our own private oasis!

continue reading to see how i used faux turf to solve a few challenges...

orange crush

one of the best things about decorating with a neutral palette is flexibility...
it's easy to add in a vibrant new color accent each season, to bring new energy to rooms.
adding in fresh accessories affects your rooms like an exclamation point!

here in the home i share with Mom, that accent color is most often orange.
Mom once painted the front door of my childhood brown and white tract house bright persimmon,
and planted marigolds in matching wood planters on the front porch...
it shocked the neighbors, but delighted me! i thought Mom was a genius! (i still do)

she's basically had a crush on orange for most of her life - it's a happy color! - so it works for us.

there's a secondary hallway in our home, and it's dark. even with a window at the end, it's just dreary.
it has needed a touch of warmth and light and color. of course, i figured that it would be orange!
and when i saw THIS on Pinterest, i knew it was the solution...

continue reading to find out what inspired me!