Winter Garden

During the winter months, I like to have fresh flowers and new green plants around the house to remind us that Spring is just around the corner.  

This weekend, I made a trip to the greenhouse. 

 I found this Rosemary "tree" half-off.  The scent is fabulous. 

It will be great for cooking too. 

I also fell in love with this sweet little plant, Baby Tears (awe...) 

I've been wanting to put together a few Terrariums.
Like this:

I went thrifting in search of a few glass cloches.
No luck, they were either not available or too expensive.

 I had a few glass jars stashed away...

and the little plants fit in them perfectly.

With the exception of the plants, I was able to assemble my Terrariums using what I already had. 

A little bit of green goes a long way.

Thanks for visiting.  

Linked up to:

Tatertots and Jello

Funky Junk 

The Duvet vs. The Coverlet

Recently, I have noticed a heated debate brewing in the design world.  

The Duvet vs. The Coverlet

I decided to weigh in on the topic out of sheer love for my Duvet.

Underneath my duvet is the warmest, coziest place on Earth. 

 No matter what the day brings, 

I know I get to go there every night.

 I can make my bed in less than 30 seconds. One shake of the down comforter, a couple karate chops to the pillows, and it actually looks good.

The new theory is that the Duvet is sloppy and bulky. 

  The Coverlet is more tailored and streamlined.

  

However, could your Baby be this comfortable on a coverlet?

All things considered, my vote is for the Duvet.  I can't imagine life without it.

Check out these links to hear what other people are saying:

Down with Duvets via The Wall Street Journal

The debate over at The Nest

 Janell Beals article over at  Houzz.  

The iVillage Garden Web 

Make the Bed You Want to Get Into @ The Nesting Place

What side are you on?

Please click HERE for information on my Affordable On-Line Design Consultation Service.

Valentines Table with Christmas Decor

This Sunday I hosted a dinner party in honor of our Daughter and Grandmothers Birthdays.  

Between Church, Catechism and our usual Sunday routine, it left us with 2 hours to clean the house,

cook dinner for twelve and set the table.

 Most importantly, set the table. 

I didn't prepare ahead.

I had to use what I had on hand.  

There was no time to panic.

I thought maybe I could pull off a Valentines Day theme by using some of my red Christmas Decor.

 It was quick, easy, cost nothing and appeared to be thought out.

Even Murphie (who can't resist a sunny corner in the dining room) dressed up to match.

The kids are excited about having "Valentines" decorations.

Do you decorate for Valentines Day?  

Linking up to The Stories of A2Z Valentines Party.

Bathroom Upgrades

Our builder-grade bathroom has been on our renovation wish list for a while.  A full blown reno is not in the budget.

By using basic staging, I gave it a low cost upgrade for less than $100.  

Thick new towels from Target added a little luxury to the Whatchamacallit.

I added a frame around the mirror using a thick picture frame moulding from home depot.  There are a ton of tutorials out there for this project.  I happen to think Janells is the best.

The light oak vanity got a coat of cream colored paint and new off-the-shelf hardware.

Blue candles from Target and the sconce came from the Pottery Barn Outlet.

The tile floor was updated with off-white grout paint.  

The old grout was dark and gave the tile a dated feel. 

 It was a super easy project.

The grout paint came from Home Depot and was applied with a toothbrush.

(Tile After)

(Tile Before)

(Before)

(Before)

(Before)

And now:

(After)

Thanks for visiting.  I am so excited to have reached 300 followers today.

 You are all so talented and inspiring.

Adding Textiles

In my humble opinion, nothing makes a bigger change in a space than adding Textiles.

Our Breakfast Nook is the busiest little corner of our home.
 Until recently, it was seriously lacking a personality:

(Before)

I've always avoided fabrics there for obvious reasons.

(Before)


I decided it was time to take my own advice.  

I found a practical rug at Target for a reasonable price.

It's dark enough to hide stains and synthetic so, it's easy to clean.

The drapes were updated in my last post, the chandy got some new duds,

and the trim was spruced up with a fresh coat of paint.

Thanks for visiting.

P.S. I was amazed at the rug selection at Target.com. 

 I had no idea...if you haven't checked it out, you must.

Bold Striped DIY Drapes

Before sharing today's exciting  drapery makeover,  I wanted to announce that my E-Book "DIY Interior Design For Real People" is currently available in a gigantic bundle of 76+ DIY related E-books ($34.95 for the complete bundle) for the next five days only. Please click here for details.

Also, just a quick notice that I am now accepting new online design clients. For information on my affordable online design service, please click here. 

Every year when the Christmas decorations come down, it's inevitable that something big is going to happen.  The house always feels sterile after the twinkling lights and glittery ornaments are put away.  This is the time of year that I usually do something dramatic...

This year, it was the drapes.  

I wanted a bold, graphic pattern.  I love what stripes can do for a space (check out The Nester's Drapes).   I wanted a print that was geometric and large in scale.  And definitely black and cream.

 I couldn't find a fabric that I liked so, I resorted to my usual ways and made my own.  

They were originally plain off white cotton twill drapes from Restoration Hardware.  They were a bit pricey so, I didn't want to do anything permanent.

I used black twill fabric cut into 14" wide stripes 

and attached them to my plain canvas drapes with fusible fabric webbing.  

Then, using the same technique,  I covered the raw edge with black grosgrain ribbon.

Here is what they looked before...

(Before)

(Before)

and now...

(After)

These drapes could also be easily created with ready made panels cut into strips and sewn together.  The technique I used is not permanent.  Something to consider before starting this project.

(After)

For more simple, cost effective, DIY projects, Please click here. 

If you take on this project or any other DIY project from this list, please feel free share it on my facebook page.  Feel free to Pin any photos from this blog :) 

Thanks for stopping by.