Holiday Weekends are Made for Projects

Memorial Day weekend is almost here. Yes, there will be a couple of barbecues and a Friday girl's night, but the extra day off will give me plenty of time to take care of a few small projects that I've been wanting finish. My plans include a couple of quick updates to a few old pieces that are in need of a face lift.

Our sad little piano bench will be treated to a little cover up with some blue and white ikat fabric.

I found this Robert Allen fabric on sale at Hancock Fabrics.

I'm also planning on giving this little $5 yard sale beauty her own makeover. A coat of glossy white paint should help. There just might be a little nail head trim in her future too.



I'm signing off until Tuesday when I hope to be back to show you these two projects completed.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Adding Some Color to the Kitchen

One of the challenges of living in a home with an open floor plan is planning for a cohesive look for the rooms. If you stand in the entry of my home you can basically see at least a portion of each of the main rooms on the first floor. Since I've recently made some updates to my great room and entry area, the kitchen now needs an update as well.

Our great room opens directly into the kitchen which is currently decorated in neutrals. I know, pretty dull, right?



While my higher ticket pieces in the great room are neutral colors, I'm working on adding blues, golds and greens to the space.



When I saw these decorative plates at my favorite little boutique I thought they would help bridge the gap between the kitchen and great room.




I've always loved the look of mismatched groupings of plates hung on a wall. My thought was that these plates could be the jumping off point of an arrangement. Hunting through my cabinets I found a few more plates that might also work and laid them out together.




The larger square plate incorporates all of the colors nicely. Additions to the collection would need to be made, but it seems like a good start. It's just a small wall in a corner where the plates would be hung.


If I decide to go with this look I have a William Morris print that would work well in the room too. Again, it has all of the colors found in the plates.



Everyone was so helpful when I needed suggestions for the finish of my coffee table. I'm asking for help again. What do you think about adding red to the mix of gold, blue and green?

Glossy Black Gets the Thumbs Up

The ongoing drama surrounding the finish for my coffee table seems to have come to a pleasant end. The previous finish was a bit to rusty and old world for my current design aesthetic.





When I tried to update and lighten the look with Rub 'N Buff, the results were less than stellar.





I wish I had I listened to the lovely Karla who initially suggested that I paint the base black. No worries though, it all turned out fine. A few coats of gloss black spray paint did the trick. All's well that ends well!

Cutting Gardens

My cutting garden provides me with an ever-changing variety of flowers all spring and summer long.

Everyone has their personal opinion of what constitutes a splurge purchase for the home. For some people it's a high end piece of furniture. For others it might be hardwood flooring, granite counter tops or luxurious bedding. Some are happy with more simple luxuries like scented candles or fragrant soaps. My idea of a splurge is to have fresh flowers in the house 365 days a year. While I'd love huge arrangements of roses year round, I tend to stick to less expensive flowers most of the time. For just $4 I can grab a bouquet of carnations from the grocery store that will last about 2 weeks. However, in the summer I can save on fresh flowers all together by simply stepping out to my garden and picking a couple of blooms from my own yard.

A few years back I decided to start a cutting garden. Each year I try to add to the garden so that there is always something blooming. Not only does it provide color in my yard, it also allows me to have a ready supply of flowers for arrangements indoors.

Currently blooming in my garden:

Purple iris, yellow iris, and daisies

Earlier in the season I had tulips, daffodils and hyacinth. Later in the summer I'll have a selection of lilies, hostas, and black-eyed Susan.

A perfect example of a spring cutting garden

Kings Plant Barn

While there is the initial investment for plants and bulbs, all of the flowers in my cutting garden are perennials that will return year after year. Many of the plants spread rapidly allowing me to divide them for use in other areas of my yard and providing me with more flowers for indoor use.

If you live in a rental property or apartment and don't have the ability to plant a cutting garden, consider a container garden filled with annuals that will bloom all summer and allow for you to clip a few blooms to bring inside.

Potted Garden Designs, Inc.

Better Homes and Gardens suggests using a mixture of perennials and annuals in a cutting garden. Annuals allow for a bit of experimentation while the perennials will guarantee you a new crop of flowers each year. Information about the best perennials for cutting can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens site.

Green Living Made Easy

Found While Blog Hopping

I love discovering new blogs and DIY projects. This week while blog hopping I found a couple of fun DIY projects and also a great blog that is destined to be one of my favorites.

I am absolutely in love with the eclectic style of Kristin from Kristen F. Davis Designs. Kristen is an independent decorative painter in the Atalanta area.

Look at this great faux bamboo headboard she created in her master bedroom.


How fun is Kristin's living room? She painted the artwork above the sofa. Thrift stores, Target and Marhall's were among her sources for many of the pieces you see here.



Have an old dresser that's heading for the trash? Don't toss it to the curb just yet. A can of paint and an old piece of mirror could yield a dresser like this one from Whatever: What Matters Most.



Found Via Design Sponge, Samantha Baldwin of New York's Home-to-Home Design Examiner
came up with this great DIY Felt Suzani Pillow. Wouldn't these be perfect in a little girl's room?


Hope this provided a little inspiration for your weekend. Have a good one.

You Can't Go Wrong With Thomas Paul

My new Thomas Paul pillow from CSN Stores

When CSN Stores asked me to review a product I jumped at the chance. If you have visited their site you already know that you could literally spend hours looking at everything from furniture to bathroom vanities to cookware. My choice was the gorgeous Thomas Paul pillow pictured above.

I love this side of the pillow for the spring and summer months, but flip the pillow over and I get a look that will work well in the fall and winter.




I'm already picturing this pillow on my white sofa surrounded by red pillows in the winter, but it would look fab-u-lous next to lavender or yellow pillows right now.

If you love the great prints by Thomas Paul, CSN is the place to be. They carry a nice selection of Thomas Paul merchandise.

Flock Tote in Brown

This would be a cute alternative to a gym bag.

Zinnia Rug in Ebony and Cream

I love the large graphic pattern on this rug.

Robin Rug in Powder Blue

Wouldn't this be adorable in a child's room?

If you are extremely particular about good service like I am, have no fear. My order was placed early last week and I received an e-mail Friday afternoon informing me that my product had been shipped. The order arrived on my porch Tuesday afternoon. I'm pleased with the quality of not only the fabric, but also the construction of the pillow insert which is 95/5% feather/down.

You can't go wrong with Thomas Paul and you can't go wrong with CSN Stores.

Breakfast in Bed

Image via Doubletree Hotel

When my husband and I had our first child we cherished the weekends when we each treated the other to one day of sleeping in. My husband would get up with our son on Saturday mornings and I took Sundays. It wasn't long after our younger child arrived that a new weekend tradition was born, breakfast in bed on your morning off. My husband was actually the one who started this tradition one Saturday morning by bringing me coffee and a bagel and turning on the television to "Interior Motives" with Christopher Lowell. (Does anyone else remember that show?) I was hooked.


Now that our children are older, we both enjoy sleeping in on the weekends. Whoever wakes first grabs the newspaper and makes the coffee.




With our anniversary coming up next month I'll plan to make him a special breakfast in bed. I might have to bring out the big guns and make my favorite, Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce.



In my opinion, the presentation of the breakfast is what makes the gesture memorable.

Image via Interior Concepts by Wanda Shorton

Now is the time to dust off that wedding china and crystal that you've been saving for a special occasion.

Even a simple muffin from the neighborhood bakery would look mouth watering when placed on this china.

Image via Country Living

If you have any flowers currently blooming in your yard, snip one to place in a bud vase on your breakfast in bed tray. I love this bud vase from Jonathan Adler available for $24.95 from Barnes & Noble.

Breakfast in bed calls for a great tray. I like the convenience of this reversible breakfast in bed tray from Stacks and Stacks ($39, free shipping) that can be used with or without legs.
Finally, don't forget the extra elements like additional pillows, a soft throw blanket and crisp sheets that make dining in bed special. Check retailers like TJ Maxx and Home Goods to find great deals on these items.

I'd love to be served breakfast in bed here.

Lily Pulizer for Garnet Hill

Try making breakfast in bed for yourself this weekend or serve it to the ones you love. It's a great way to start the day!

Not Loving It

Remember last week when I asked for opinions on changing the finish of my coffee table? I couldn't decide if I wanted to go silver or gold. Most of those who weighed in were on Team Silver. That was the direction I had been leaning as well. Over the weekend I spent nearly 2 hours with a tube of Rub 'n Buff and a paint brush hoping to get a finish that resembled silver leaf.



Sadly, that is not the look I achieved with this product. While it was easy to apply, buffing did not produce the lustre that I'd been promised. The image below appears a little darker than the true color. In person the table base is a pale, dull silver.





Suffice it to say, I'm not satisfied. It's back to the drawing board. With my white sofa and light carpet, I'm wondering if I should paint it black for a little contrast or would that clash with the blues in the room? Hmmm, something to think about.

The Humble Hosta

Hosta leaves secured to a mason jar are the finishing touch for this floral arrangement from Southern Living.

The weather was ideal for gardening in my neck of the woods this weekend. I spent hours and hours separating plants, removing ugly shrubs, transplanting, etc... To save money while creating a beautiful landscape, I try to rely mainly on perennials. Annuals look great and provide color all season, but purchasing new ones each spring/summer can cost $100's. One of my all-time favorite perennials is the simple hosta.

Martha Stewart

Hostas are extremely hardy and tend to multiply each year.

Susan's Garden

Every couple of years I divide my hostas to fill in areas where I need new plants. The best time to separate hostas is either the spring or fall.

Better Homes and Gardens

Shady areas are perfect for growing hostas. I love the look of groups of hostas encircling the base of a tree.

Grouping a variety of hostas adds interest to an area.

Via Doo's Perennials

Since they are so plentiful, trim a few leaves and bring them indoors to enjoy too. Try filling a collection of glass vessels with hosta leaves and place on a silver tray to get the look of this hosta arrangement from Martha Stewart.

Opinions Anyone?

When your design taste changes but you don't have the resources to buy a house full of furniture, a good solution is to rework pieces that you already own. For instance, I switched out my slipcovers on my sofa and painted a few pieces. Since making those changes though, there are a couple of pieces in my great room that now seem to clash with my made over items.

My coffee table worked well with my former style:





But I'm not thrilled with the way the finish clashes with the updates I've been making:

A close-up of the finish

Personally, I think the bronzey finish makes the table appear heavy beside the white sofa. While I like the shape of the table and think it could work in the room, I'm not certain what to do with it. I'm torn between going with antique gold or silver. I'm also open to going in another direction if anyone has a suggestion.

Any and all opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.