Showing posts with label Home and Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home and Garden. Show all posts

Saturday, June 12, 2010

{Real Party} French Themed Birthday Party

My friend Chris, at Celebrations at Home, hosted this amazing French themed birthday party for her husband, inspired by their time together in France...before children.

Chris used decor she already had in such beautiful and creative ways!

As guests arrived, they were greeted with French wine and champagne. The bar area was set with a pvc pipe frame system to hold old frames and "C" for Chuck. Curtain panels frames the vignette, an old chest acted as a bar, and she iced the champagne in a garden urn.

I just love the menu! Guests experienced a little taste of France with goat cheese toasts w/ caramelized onions, brie tarts with strawberry preserves, mini quiches, and "french" fries served in paper cones with a fleur de lis embellishment. And old suit case was used to serve the toasts, and a pictures from their trip created a memory "banner" above.

You can read the entire post and get more behind the scenes decor tips at

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

DIY Colored Vases

World's easiest DIY: Colored Vases via Your Home & Garden Magazine

Materials needed:
*glass jars and bottles
*oil bases emulsion paint
*turpentine

Directions:
1. Take a selection of empty jars and bottles in various sizes and shapes and soak off the labels in warm soapy water.

2. Mix a little leftover oil paint (choose your color) with a dash of turpentine so your paint is of a good pouring consistency.

3. Pour a small amount into your empty jar and swirl around carefully until the paint covers the entire inside surface. Pour away any excess paint.

4. Once the paint is thoroughly dry, use the jar to display cut flowers. Mix different shapes of jars and coordinating colors for the best effect.

5. Have fun!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Posh Tots

I thought I would post the link that was *the* inspiration for me when my husband uttered the famous last words..."find a playhouse online and I will build it".

I have always secretly adored the magnificent eye-candy at Posh Tots whose brand is
"The Most Extraordinary Children's Furnishings in the World".

They sell high-end custom children & baby furniture, luxury baby bedding, nursery furnishing, designer diaper bags, playhouses and even fantasy beds, just about everything you'd ever need to pamper your child (boy or girl) and feather their nest in custom luxury. It's always been a dream, of course, that anything on Posh Tots would ever end up in my home!

Then I happened to find it...and it just so happened to be on Posh Tots. Imagine that.
I fell so *in love* with an adorable Victorian cottage on Posh Tots, and it was only $24,000.00, but there has never been anything wrong with my taste!

So I found the plans online for $29.99 ~
and my husband built it.

Here is the playhouse vision that I shared with him, and you'll have to check out my daughter's Playhouse Warming / 4th Birthday party to see just how close he came to the original. It's remarkable, and let's just say I'm extremely impressed and grateful for my husband's talent...and willingness to make one of my dreams come true.

...and he saved us thousands...and thousands of dollars! =)

I also posted some other custom items they sell - and added the price tags just for fun. Enjoy!

Victorian Playhouse - $23,4000.00

Baby Doll and Me Rocking Horse - $140.00

Destiny Gown - $695.00

Mosaic Garden Versatile Dresser - $3,900.00

Sweet Slumber Bi Level Versatile Dresser - $5,000.00

Sweet Slumber Bi Level Versatile Dresser - $3,400.00

Sweet Slumber Armoire - $3,900.00

Madison Mosaic Desk with Optional Chair and Hutch - $2,850.00

Guinevere's Chiffarobe - $2,200.00

Guinevere's Four-Post Bed and Bedding - $4,200.00

Cherub Dreams Round Crib II - $1,350.00

Mirabelle Convertible Crib - $3,200.00

Princess Coach Iron Crib - $3,700.00

Fantasy Carriage Crib - $19,995.00

and just for kicks - the Fantasy Coach - $47,000.00!!

I'm sure my husband is hoping I *don't* find the plans to the Fantasy Coach online!

Dare to Dream.....

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Vintage Spring Tablescape

I just love Dandelion and Grey ~ their blog is just so, so inspiring. You definitely have to
spend some time over there just soaking up the inspiration.

And I love that a vintage breakfast that Erin was putting together for her sweetheart
quickly became a lovely and impromptu photo shoot.

The overall look was casual and vintage-inspired; a plank of wood topped with vintage
books was used as a table runner, tea towels from Ikea as placemats, charming mismatched patterned plates from Anthropologie, yellow basket from Home Goods, and with antique napkins and silverware.

Add some fresh melon-colored tulips and you have yourself a charming tablescape.

Photography by Olive Juice Photo

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Weekend Project: DIY Wallpaper Bookshelf

When I found this great DIY weekend project on Pepper Design Blog to enhance
bookshelves, cabinets and media centers with paint and/or wallpaper I was so inspired.
What a great way to decorate and update your environment in a relatively inexpensive
and creative way! I love to do fabulous for less!

Canadian House & Home stripped kitchen cabinets to reveal neatly stacked
dishes and a vintage print (via Centsational Girl).

What about fabric? There are so many options to choose from… cutting templates (out of foam core, etc.) to fit the back of your shelf and ‘upholstering’ the board is a great option that can be replaced as often as you’d like. For a more direct application, fold fabric edges in (for a makeshift hem) and use colorful pushpins to pin fabric to each corner.

For a smaller commitment (isn’t this perfect for the office or guest room?) Apartment Therapy
shares a tutorial for lining a bookshelf in this black and white paisley print.

{DIY Bookshelf Wallpapering}

a Materials: Bookcase, wallpaper (fabric, drawer lining paper, photos, magazine clippings, etc), wallpaper primer & paste, scissors, popsicle stick or wallpaper smoother, damp rag

{1.} Measure the back of each shelf (if you can remove individual shelves, pull all out and take one large measurement). Carefully cut wallpaper to match.

{2.} Install wallpaper using wallpaper primer & paste (a decoupage material would work well, too). Smooth all bubbles & wrinkles as you work (you can use a popsicle stick or wallpaper smoother) and wipe excess glue with a damp rag.

{3.} Let dry overnight!


Article, images and post adapted from Pepper Design Blog

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

My Love of Armoires

If you have ever been to my home, you would find an armoire in just about every room of the house. In fact, as I type this I am doing a mental survey of each room and with the exception of 2 bathrooms, there is indeed an armoire in every room of our home, and some rooms have 2.

The possibilities are endless. It's a very versatile piece of furniture that not only can serve as a focal decor piece but it can also serve as the main storage in that room - keeping an overall tidy appearance to any room once the armoire doors are closed.

It's fairly simple to take an old vintage armoire and customize it with fabulous colors and patterns. Try refurbishing an old one by painting it a new color and installing shelves, lining the shelves with patterned paper, hanging clothing rods, hooks, or chipboard, hanging mirrors, adding storage bins, or even cutting a hole out of the back so that computer or television wires can reach the outlets.

You can solve storage solutions in every room of the house.

In a bedroom use it for clothing storage, an out of season wardrobe closet, a place to
store your accessories (handbags, purses, scarves and jewelry), as a make-up counter,
or entertainment center.

In your family or living room you can also use it as an entertainment center, or store games and kid's activities, organize your hobby equipment or craft supplies, hide music and instruments, or archive your memories (scrapbooks, photo albums, etc.)

In the bathroom you can store your linens or keep cleaning supplies on hand.

Armoires make great virtual computer offices in a spare room or a teen's room, or provide extra storage in the kitchen for pantry items or pots & pans. In a laundry room you can have a ready-made laundry center for sorting & folding.

Use them as a liquor cabinet/bar, to house fancy china, or in a greenroom for
gardening supplies.

You can tell that I am just in love with armoires and the creative and unique ways to use them in non-traditional ways!

Here are some photos to inspire you to organize and de-clutter!


photo credits
images (1, 2) found on lily-gonline; image (3) found on All Pretty Little Things; images (4, 5) found on Morgan Moore; image (6) found on Little Loveables; image (7) found on Canberrasgotstyle; image (8) found on Paperjewels; image (9) found via Southern Living; image (10) found via Laura Ashley; image (11) found via Ladies Home Journal;image (12, 13) found via Better Homes and Gardens; image (14) found via Kitchenisms; image (15) found via The Furniture.Com; image (16) found via Martha Stewart; image (17, 18, 19) found via Pottery Barn; image (20) found via Anthropologie