Felt Floral Sculptures

How gorgeous is this three-dimensional wall art display. These one-of-a-kind felt floral creations from Etsy seller Modern Maven Colorado are available in an array of 10 colors and sell for $35/square foot. Can you imagine this in a nursery or as a focal wall in a master bedroom? Bea-u-ti-ful!

Creative Ideas for Storage

This homeowner didn't let an inch of potential storage go to waste.

It's been said that necessity is the mother of creation and for these homeowners that may have been the case. When storage is at a premium you have to think outside of the box.

Use the back of a cabinet door

Hang baskets from a towel bar or, in this case, inexpensive pieces that can be found in hardware stores.

Get things off the floor by using open wall space to keep things organized in the mudroom.

Look, it's a suitcase of fun!

Peg boards aren't just for the garage. Those tiny buckets can be purchased at Target for $1 each.

What girl doesn't love her shoes? Renters will love this idea for keeping shoes out of sight.

We spend a lot of money for good looking shoes, why not put them on display?

Functional, attractive and creative are a few adjectives I'd use to describe this idea. A cutlery organizer keeps jewelry from becoming a tangled mess.



Can we ever have too much storage? I think not. Look at your rooms with an open mind when searching for storage solutions. Use wall space, the area under the bed, the back of doors...

Have you seen any creative storage ideas lately?

Hosting a Wine Tasting Party

Wine Tasting at Ciccone Vineyard & Winery last fall. (Madonna's father owns the vineyard!)

Summer vacations are over and the hectic activity of the holiday season hasn't quite begun. This may be the perfect time to host a party for friends and family. Instead of a prep-heavy sit down dinner party, this wine lover would try a wine tasting party instead. Invite each guest (or couple) to bring a favorite bottle of wine. You may want to indicate on the invitation whether the guest should bring a bottle of red or white.

The Basics

Each guest will need both a small white wine glass and a larger, rounded red wine glass. There's no need to spend a fortune on matching glasses. Head to your local Dollar Store or, better yet, your favor thrift store. You can find a great assortment of wine glasses for as low at $1/4 glasses.

Via Escape Hatch Dallas

You'll need a container of some kind for dumping wine between tastings. Also, have carafes or pitchers of water on hand for rinsing your glasses between pours.

Ona Large Pitcher from Crate and Barrel, $26.95

Wine charms are a good way to ensure that guests always know which glass is theirs. These DIY wine charms from Craftevolution are nothing more than craft store hoops and beads.

Ambiance

Making your tasting table special doesn't require you to spend a fortune. The table below is a good example of how to create a beautiful setting using what you have. Use a variety of textures like glass hurricanes for candles, wood cutting boards for your cheeses, woven baskets for holding crackers or breads.

Pottery Barn

Candlelight is a must at a wine tasting. Group empty wine bottles and use as candlesticks for a low cost centerpiece to your buffet table. Be sure to choose unscented candles as you want your guests to be able to appreciate the aroma of the wine and food.




You can't have a party without music. Create a playlist of your favorites. I'd choose artists like Michael Buble, Robin Thicke and Frank Sinatra. Don't have the time, check out this playlist from Playlist.com.

Food

Via Party Frosting

When planning your tasting you may want to choose a variety of foods that will constitute a meal. Cheeses, breads and various spreads, crackers, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, meats and olives are all good choices and will look beautiful when styled on your table at various levels.




Place cheeses on a boards, covering those with the strongest aromas. Be sure to label each cheese and pair with a wine.

Pear-Shaped Cheese Board with Knives and Cork, available at Bed Bath & Beyond, $39.99

If you're pairing cheeses with wines, start with the mildest tasting cheese working to those with stronger flavor. For tips on pairing cheeses and wine visit Wisconson Cheese Cupid.

For a fall wine tasting try the great white pumpkin cheese ball.

Puff Pastry-Wrapped Brie will be on the menu at my wine tasting.

Dessert


No party is complete without dessert. Chocolate is even more delicious when paired with red wine.





Red Wine Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Sweet wines like Moscato d'Asti are beautifully paired with desserts that contain fruits like peaches, pears or apricots.

Pear Upside Down Cake with Pecans

Don't send guests home empty handed. Wine charms, a wine stopper or, of course, a bottle of your favorite wine are a nice favor to send home with guests.

Cheers!

Freshening Up the Entrance for Fall

It happens about this time every year, my front porch flower pots begin to look bedraggled. I try clipping off the sections that can't be saved and tear out what is just plain dried up but the pots end up looking skimpy. It's time to face the facts, fall is upon us and that means freshening up the entrance to the house. A new wreath and welcome mat? Pumpkins, cornstalks.... let the planning begin.

See what I mean? Skimpy!

When I saw the image below I was reminded of a weekend trip my husband and I took to Traverse City, Michigan last fall. Flower boxes in front of the small stores in the shopping district were adorned with natural autumn elements. Isn't this a simple, beautiful presentation?

I hear that there may be a pumpkin shortage this year so prices will be high. (Remember your high school economics class, it's all about supply and demand!) If you like a colorful, lush look but don't want to pay the high prices for lots of pumpkins, fill in with pots of mums instead.

I took this photo last year at a pumpkin farm. Notice the price for hardy mums, just $6.

Or how about woven pumpkins that can be pulled out year after year. They add a nice touch of texture and they won't rot.

Rattan pumpkins like these from Pottery Barn can be found at retailers like Target and Pier I.

If you have a porch swing or bench think about tossing on a few outdoor pillows in fall colors.

Nothing welcomes a guest to your home quite like candlelight.

If you're anxious about unattended candles, try faux candles, they actually make ones that look so real you'd never know the difference. .



It's always nice to see a freshened up entry when I pull in the driveway to my home. I'm looking forward to making a few seasonal changes. How about you? How do you dress up your entry?

Less Than 100 Shopping Days Left!

Now don't panic, but if I counted right there are only 96 shopping days left until Christmas. I know, I know, you haven't even thought about decorating your house for fall yet. But, if you're a holiday junkie like me that means that there are only about 66 days until the boxes of Christmas decorations get pulled out of the attic.

I'm already dreaming of mercury glass candlesticks and white stockings. How about you, do you get fired up for the holidays way too early? Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Katie Brown, The Anti-Martha

Martha Stewart may be the ultimate authority on living the good life but her idea of the good life usually includes projects that go on for days. When I want simple, quick, and reasonably priced my go-to girl is Katie Brown. A midwest native, this busy tv host, author, wife and mother knows how to live beautifully without breaking the bank or spending umpteen hours on a single project.

On her PBS show Katie Brown's Workshop she shares ideas for cooking, entertaining, crafting, decorating and more with a relaxed, girl-next-door quality. Look for her collection of kitchen, bath and bedding at Meijer stores.


A few ideas I found via Katie's blog:

Rose Centerpiece

Try one of Katie's Candle Cocktails, only three "ingredients".

Etched Glass Candle Globes

Katie's home, which was featured in Country Living gives off a relaxed, family-friendly vibe. I would feel completely at home putting my feet up here. Can you imagine doing that at a party at one of Martha's many homes. Her eyes would be darting around the room in search of anyone breaking her house rules. I'm pretty sure she would have a "no shoes on the fancy rugs" policy and would hand out coasters and bottles of club soda for stain removal with every drink served.







Don't get me wrong, Martha Stewart produces beautiful work, but when I want simple and down-to-earth, Katie's my girl. Get more ideas for the decorating, entertaining and cooking at Katie's blog.

Fluffing and Training Your Curtain Panels

These panels are fluffed to perfection.

When you look at the image below what is your first thought? What I see are panels that are a touch of zhushing away from perfection. The panels have a great pattern but it is hard to see past the way they are hung. Hanging panels as high as possible with the hem just kissing the floor draws the eye up and tricks us into thinking the ceilings are higher.

Can't you just imagine someone stepping on the pudding fabric causing it to come crashing down on their head sitcom-style?


Aside from the height of the curtain rod, the panels appear a bit messy and could benefit from a little fluffing. If these panels were in my home I would use a trick that I was taught by a professional seamstress who creates custom made window treatments. She refers to it as "training" the panels. Training your panels is as easy as creating symmetrical pleats with your fingers then loosely holding them in place with a strip of plastic wrap. Don't worry, the plastic wrap won't leave an unsightly wrinkle in your panels.

For long panels use multiple strips of plastic wrap to achieve the most professional look possible.

Leave the plastic wrap in place for a couple of days (more if you can stand it) and the result will be crisp pleats that stay put and give your room a more polished look.

That's all for this week. I'll be back Monday with a new post. Hope you have a beautiful weekend.