Category: Decorating

Holiday Traditions

What holiday traditions do you remember? What are the traditions you’ll pass down from generation to generation….

We have a tradition of purchasing ornaments everywhere we go. We have also made some by hand in our early marriage years when we couldn’t afford to go anywhere or do anything.

Ornaments celebrate our memories, memories of moments in time where we were on family trips or celebrated family accomplishments or hobbies.

We have ornaments that represent dance, soccer, tennis, golf and we have beach vacation ornaments or amazing ornaments from trips abroad. We also have ornaments that we made because we had no money to purchase them., they are meaningful and special in their own way and we remember making them with family members.

They don’ take up a lot of room and they are cheaper and easier than buying art or vases or (insert large souvenir) and they are so easy to pack and they provide that same joy of remembrance when you unpack it each year and hang it on your tree. You remember the moment, the experience that you had in that moment or on that trip.

They are not expensive and yet, they represent the journey of your life experiences…. VALUE that! YOU are you… and you have your own traditions, trips, experiences and more that can be expressed through ornaments….

I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas with a traditional Christmas Tree but this tradition means a lot to me…. what means a lot to you?

wine bottle watering system

Drunken flowers

How to set up a plant watering system

I know we are basically home all summer and we have time to water the plants every single day, but it gets tiresome sometimes. Every day you have to pull out the hose or a pitcher and water, water, water….

My mom used to say, necessity is the mother of invention, so when we went out of town to a friends shore house for the weekend, I didn’t feel like asking someone to water the plants, so I got to Googling… is that a word?

Here’s where I got creative…

Remember those little watering globes for houseplants? I wondered if a wine bottle would work the same way.

I summoned empty wine bottles from my neighbors and I stuck a bottle, filled with water, in heavily watered soil upside down and let it go! Luckily for me, I had a friend come by and check on them. Some plants needed a extra drink or two but generally, the method worked. The bottles drained too fast for the hot weather, so I went to Amazon. I found terra-cotta watering spikes and I quickly ordered them. Here’s the link! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=watering+spikes+for+outdoor+plants&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

The Amazon reviews said they were fragile but they arrived in tact! Whew!

I watered all my plants super thoroughly to soften the soil, I then soaked the spikes in water to get them ready to insert and I carefully inserted them into the soil so that they were right above or at soil level.

So here’s the bottom line! IT WORKS! The plants definitely drink at their own pace, some faster and some slower due to sun, heat etc. On super hot days your thirstiest plants, which for me is a potted tomato plant and basil plant, will require additional watering because they get so hot they can’t get the water fast enough… but it truly works at keeping your plants hydrated and allows me to not have to monitor them so closely! I’m a fan of my new watering system… even if it looks like my plants have a drinking problem!

I hope this helps you as well! Share this tip with all your plant loving friends! Stay hydrated!

Martha Stewart – Here I come!

I am a trained Interior Designer but have not practiced in a while!   Recently…. My daughter told me she never liked the lime green that I had painted her walls when she was 5!  LOL!   I tried so hard not to decorate a room in traditional pinks and purple “girl” colors when she was little…. I chose a great palate with lime green and raspberry  that was fun and youthful, not too little girly that would transition into teens and I do feel like I did that effectively.

Now she’s 17 and about to go off to college and we are re-doing her room for Christmas into a more “mature” palate.   Why, you ask, would I re-decorate her room before she leaves us in 6 months?  Well, first of all, I’m ready for a change but secondly, I want her to enjoy it for a while and own it …. I want it to feel like “hers” before she leaves so she can enjoy it as “hers” when she comes back!

I’ll post some before and after shots but the “before” will depend on when she doesn’t have clothes strewn all over the room and on the floor (remember, she is still a teenager)

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The “green/blue” lattice and solid will be in the adjacent bath and her room will be a soft gray paint from Benjamin Moore #harbourgray with a geometric print on the window and different scale prints for pillows and accent trim.

With today’s more gray palates being more “in style” it’s hard to transition the “golds” into the gray palates but with some fabrics, I think we can effectively do just that!

Stay tuned for some before and after shots!  It may take a month but I’ll get there!

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What room in your house do you want to re-do?   Some people don’t place a lot of emphasis on this sort of thing but I think our interior has so much to do with our mood and our energy!  We need to get energy out of a space…  whether we want calm or energizing,  bright and bold or muted and serene.    What’s your ideal space look like?  Clean and simple, colorful, neutral, or do you have a favorite color that really makes you feel good?

Happy New Year

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Does anyone else feel like they are just coming out of their summer “fog”?   I am.  It seems to take a while to get back in the groove after having no schedule in the summer.  Don’t get me wrong… summer was productive.  It wasn’t just sitting by the pool and sipping drinks….. we got a lot of projects done around the house but it has seriously taken me until MID- October to feel like things are settling into a groove!  Crazy!

So… The reason I said “Happy New Year” is because I think August or September (depending on when your school starts)  should be the NEW YEAR!    It’s a time when we start over…. refresh…. get into a routine again after a summer of being less structured.   Kids go back to school, Mom’s start to get things in order around the house.. and maybe start to take care of themselves again.   Work schedules out of the house seem more relaxed during the summer because everyone is on vacation here and there and Fall, well, everyone is back to business!   Even the calendars you buy at the store either begin in January or  academic calendars begin in EITHER July or August? How confusing!

I seem to place less emphasis on the “new year” in January and seem to feel a lot more inclined to start over and start fresh in September?  How about you?

I begin to eat healthy again after a summer of indulgences…. I begin to exercise again because there is a routine and I begin to organize after a summer of having everyone in the house.   September seems to be MY new year!

So… I am taking it on… Got new glasses to start off the “new me” and I’m back to cooking healthy and eating better!   I’m reflecting on the past with perspective… and dreaming of my future.

Are you ready to see some posts because I took most of the summer off?  What do you want to hear more of?  Here are my passions:  Decorating, entertaining, fashion & accessorizing, product junkie, food and cooking, parenting, travel,  some DIY projects, and Organization and business!   I feel like my years of experience can serve me well as I’m venturing into the “mature adult” phase of my life!  Tell me what you want to hear more of!  I’d love to share!

What do home decor, Campbell soup, football, royalty, Scouts, military, sororities and fraternities all have in common?

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This little symbol… is the Fleur de Lis!    Do you recognize it?   You have probably seen it in home decor accents, The New Orleans Saints, scepters,  and crowns and flags of royalty and of european countries, the Scouts… the military, some sororities and fraternities and even vintage Campbell’s Soup labels used to have this little symbol on it!  It’s a super star!    It’s French in origin…. Fleur means “flower” and Lis means “Lily”.

If you are curious in nature… click on the link to learn more!   Fleur de Lis

Anyway… I just LIKE it!  I LOVE it in the new eSBe Designs Mardi Gras collection!!!   It’s timeless….and detailed per our designer!  It truly is a piece of art to be worn proudly and timelessly for years.. but for now… Enjoy it’s beauty…. and if you happen to relate to the organizations or nationalities that it represents, even better!

These pieces can make a great addition to any jewelry wardrobe or make a great gift for someone who identifies with this symbol!   Enjoy!

Where else have you seen this little symbol?  I’d love to know!

Mardi Gras Gold Necklace ($99) with Sundial Collection Agate necklace ($85)

  
 

It’s all in the Details!

Spring Update!

Okay.. I need to start out by saying that these light fixtures are NOT in my home but I do like them!  I saw them at a bar in a hotel a month or so ago.   10 years ago, when I moved into my home, I had an eclectic style… fairly transitional!   I have a lot of family furniture pieces and I’ve updated them with some current fabrics  and to my husbands’ dismay,   I think it’s time for a redo on some.
After many years of being married, and finally getting the house “finished” so it seems, its always time for a little update.    Just like a wardrobe… it’s all in the accessories and some foundation pieces!
Foundation pieces can be your large upholstered pieces or window dressings…. accessories can be lamps and light fixtures!
We will be updating our kitchen this Spring and I’m looking for some barrel shade lamps to go over my island – KIND of like this one.  (not sure about the crystals)  but it’s a great way to update a room without a total overhaul!
What room do you want to update?

Which one?

So, I’m renovating my kitchen, and I’m just curious do you prefer the top or the bottom cooktop? SERIOUSLY would love your comments!  🙂  

Surprise Party!

SWEET 16!

My daughter turned 16 last week… and we had already agreed not to have a “Sweet 16” party in the modern sense…. inviting 50 or more kids or something like that.   My daughter wanted something more intimate with some close friends…. but I definitely wanted it to feel special for her.
I find it funny how different boys and girls are too!  My son was totally peplexed by even THIS amount of work to make her 16th birthday special…. as he doesn’t want a party at all…. but then again… he’s almost 18!  🙂
Anyway… I was excited to pull of some fun surprises to make her 16th special.
First… a Surprise Sleepover with close friends….. The girls totally loved being part of the surprise!
Second… Disco lights, fun music with  a club-like theme in the basement complete with CANDY BAR and snacks!
Third… A “photo booth” type set up where the girls could take fun photos of themselves all night!

 

I was told that the HIT of the party was the Candy Bar!   In this sugar averse culture we live in… and trust me… we don’t eat much sugar around here…. THIS was definitely a treat! And of course… it is called SWEET 16 for some reason, right?   Sweedish Fish seemed to be the big hit… just saying.

 

I pulled this surpise off in just a week….. so I went to Oriental Trading Comlpany and ordered the Photo Booth essentials….. mustashes and lips on sticks… “frames” and the little white board bubbles to write captions on…. the girls had fun!  I pulled out some accessories from my costume box such as boas and fun sunglasses and hats and they just took selfies all night!    One friend had a selfie stick…. I think that would have been a good gift for the Birthday Girl too but I didn’t think of that one! 😉    I did take a few of the photos the “old fashioned” way with me taking the photo!
Anyway…. It was a fun filled evening…. Pretty simple to pull off and tons of fun!   I do believe it will be a birtday to remember and THAT is the best thing a Mom can do!
Good luck with your party planning!   Post other fun ideas you’ve tried or wanted to!  I’d love to hear
what you have done!
Theda