Urning Their Ribbons

You know that I had to tweak them just a little bit!
Layers are an important aspect of good design.

Read Shirlee's cute comments on the last post
for more ideas on urn toppings.

Urned Love

Remember those three white urns from my previous post? As much as I love a nice white urn, these were not nice. The finish was flat, chalky and grungy. They didn't have a finished glaze coat, so of course that meant that they could easily be painted! I used black craft paint. Black just seems to make things a bit classier. I once heard a designer say, "Think of the color of black this way . . .you can wear a cheap pair of white pants or a cheap pair of black pants, but the black pants will always look more expensive." So that's been my design philosophy when I'm trying to class up something with a little paint.
I finished off each urn with a clear coat, floral foam, moss and a pear.

They sit in my kitchen window sill, above my sink, which is really white and not the sickly pink that the picture shows. I always seem to do a post on my windows on cloudy days, so the picture turns out a little off in color.

Proof of an Addiction

These are some of the thrift store treasures I purchased during the past week. Isn't it a delightful display! It's the stuff that makes my heart skip a beat and puts a smile on my face, which is why I have to openly admit that I am addicted! I can't help it. Just look at this stuff:
*an old picnic basket that matches one I already have
*a tarnished silver tray with a lot of character
*two milk glass Sunkist juicers
*a Martha Stewart measuring scoop
*a great frame and a beaded board clock
*three urns (an idea for a future post)
*a vintage vase
*a striped suitcase---you know how I love suitcases
I do admit that I have an addiction, but I justify it by saying that I only have a few addictions (chocolate, thrift stores---you understand, right?!?!). I think it's one of the healthier addictions to have. I haven't gotten to the point that my family would turn me into Oprah because I have a warehouse full of stuff. . . a room full, but not a warehouse full.
Anyway, the first step to recovery is to admit that you have an addiction. I admit it! But I also admit that I'm not willing to give it up. I mean, what's wrong with a little harmless addiction?

Modern Beach Decor

Summer is here and like the rest of the world, our mind is at the beach. We're so sick of the typical beach decor though. For some reasons it's always the tiresome shabby chic stuff. One of the best beach homes we've seen is in the movie "As Good As It Gets" with Dianne Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Have you seen it? The movie is so so (Dianne Keaton was totally annoying), oh but the decor is wonderful! If you have a chance, rent the video. We guarantee you'll love it (the decor, that is).

Here are some great items for a beach home. We hope you'll enjoy them!

This pretty chandeliers is from Arteriors.

This pretty shell is also from Arteriors.

This pretty bedding set is from Wildcat Territory.
This chandelier is from Arteriors.

We'll be adding more products in the near future. In the mean time, if you need help with any of the above line, please email us.

Old Dog, New Tricks

What is it about learning something new? It's both terrifying and exhilarating! That's one reason I started blogging, I wanted the challenge of learning to use a digital camera as well as learning more computer skills----I already have nun chuck skills (bad joke from Napoleon Dynamite movie). After talking for months about starting a blog, my daughter finally made me do it late one night. I am ever so grateful to her. I also have to thank Kim because she has been there to answer my dumb questions via email. We only know each other from blog land---she couldn't even pick me in a line up. Thanks Kim!
A few years ago I decided to take a stained glass class. I'd wanted to do it for about twenty years and the timing was finally right. We had tackled the job of remodeling our kitchen all on our own, (a future post) and I wanted one cabinet door to have a stained glass insert. The class was challenging but fun! Someday, when the time is right again, I plan to take another class.
The entire class had to make a small sun catcher as the first project. Much to the teacher's dismay I chose the door insert to be my second. Luckily, it turned out beautiful, thanks to a little help from the teacher.

Every time I walk into my kitchen and see my stained glass it makes me happy. It reminds me that it's important to continue to learn and that you can teach an old dog new tricks! What have you learned lately?

A Little Tipsy

You may have already seen these cute little planters, often called "Tipsy Pots".
I decided to make one last year and liked it so much I've replanted it this summer. I had a lot of little pots that weren't being used. I prefer to use pots that are much bigger in size because they require less watering. I gathered my pots and arranged them by size. I purchased a piece of rebar from the home improvement store. (Okay, both spell check and the dictionary say that rebar isn't a word, even though that's what we've always called those long roundish metal sticks that you place in concrete foundations.)
I decided upon a nice little shady place right outside my back door and close to an automatic sprinkler. I pounded that metal stick into the ground about a foot or more. Then I added my pots. A little word to the wise here: put the stick through the hole in the bottom of the pot, tip the pot and then fill it with dirt before adding the next pot. Other wise you get a pretty little post of empty pots that suddenly all come crashing down inside each other. I tipped each dirt filled pot, alternating the direction, then I planted my flowers. This year I planted a potato vine in the bottom pot. I love this vine because it's such a beautiful chartreuse color and by the end of summer it will grow and spill out of the pot about four to six feet.
So, if you have some extra pots just lying around you can be a little tipsy too---try it, you like it!