tropical front porch 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...

easy tropical-style light cover

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!

fourth of july decor roundup!

 i'm being lazy right now and NOT creating any new summer decor content
for the Fourth of July.

but that doesn't mean i don't have loads of previous projects

to inspire your celebrations!

click HERE to see ALL of my past fourth of july blog posts & projects
(the first four are yellow - but they'd be perfect in red, white and blue!)

see more inspo on my July Pinterest board

continue viewing post...

display seashells in a gumball machine!

if you're a beach lover like me,
collecting & displaying seashells is a top summertime activity!

i've share many ideas before (linked below this post)
and now i have a different way to show off your shells
by using an unconventional container...

...continue reading for this easy paint & display project!

NEW! sweet sweater 'sandy' cake

a question i am often asked is 'where do you get your ideas from?'
i'm honestly inspired by everything! 
from the color combinations i see in nature to memories of my childhood
to objects i see that make me ask "can i make that out of a sweater?!"
i am never without ideas to investigate (which is why deb doesn't sleep....)

one of my long-time online friends from the 'way back' blogging days (early 90's)
is the most incredible cake decorator and baker i have ever seen.
Sasha (@saucybakes on IG) has a wild imagination and wicked talent,
and her creations never fail to make me
 A. hungry and B. intrigued about replicating them in my own style.

back in 2022 i was inspired by Sasha to create a cake
using sweaters, as my own 'birthday cake',
which then led to creating a faux holiday cake and a faux frosty wintery cake.

a recent post on her IG account showed a 'Little Mermaid' themed cake
with shells and sprinkle 'sand'...
so i started thinking about making a summery 'sand cake'
with a sweater and seashells and a few other elements. 

continue reading to see how i interpreted a beachy theme faux cake!

sandy castles

long gone are the days when i hauled four kids and a carload of toys to the beach...

the chaos was worth it to spend long summer days

on the shores of Lake Tahoe or Puget Sound,

walking the waterline searching for beautiful seashells

and building sand castles (IF there was sand and not broken seashell grapple!).

those memories live on, especially in summertime,

and i've come up with an easy way to add a fun beachy touch to summer decor.

you can create these 'sandy castles' , too -

and it might just be as relaxing as making the real thing!

continue reading to see my sneaky trick...