I have a mild obsession with botanical ceramics, so much so I’m incorporating palm and floral motifs into my own work at my local studio. I’m experimenting with different techniques, most recently I used a laser cut palm pressed into clay to create a decorative tray with an irregular edge and olive glazed finish. I…
Whether you travel near or far, from the Florida Keys to French Polynesia, most humans love the allure of an island escape. Tropical style is calming and never out of place in island destinations. There are ways to add a touch of island style to your home without going full tropical or coastal with the…
Spring is the best! It’s when everything outdoors comes back to life, I find new growth inspiring! On the dining room table, I have a group of plants that thrive in indirect sunlight. Our dining room is open to the rest of the house and it’s also in the center of our home so I…
I was cleaning up some plants over the weekend that needed pruning after a long wet winter. We built a potting bench years ago and I still use it all the time, it’s one of the DIY projects that gives back year after year. With spring arriving there’s a lot of preparation to do and…
I was putting together a design plan for my study-turned-library space makeover and picked this floral wallpaper for the walls behind the sofa and the bookcases. I chose it because I wanted our library to have just a touch of an old world feeling since the rest of the furnishings are from the modern era.…
I’ve got art on my mind these days as I’m working on expansion of my own art prints online and also updating spaces around my home with personal and collected pieces. Symmetrical grid art arrangements are timeless, as a pair displayed vertically or horizontally, as a triptych across a sofa or bed, or a large…
This list is a repeat of a post from three years ago and since Friday February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, I thought it worthy of reposting! For me, the most attractive quality in another human is kindness. Loyalty, honesty, and a great sense of humor are wonderful traits to have, but…
Hello and Happy New Year! My holiday was relaxing, I joined some friends for a glass of Prosecco then was in my pajamas by ten on the couch. I think the holiday can be fun in warm weather climates but it’s been raining so much here all I wanted was to stay indoors. Easing back…
Yesterday was sunny so I went on a long walk on the beach, it was gorgeous looking at all the white sand and the blue waters of the Gulf. In contrast, today it’s cold and raining, so I turned on the electric fireplace and made some peppermint tea. My family arrives tomorrow for a week…
It’s been a little quiet around here because I suffered an injury last week that rendered me useless for several days. I had returned from an exceptionally fun family reunion the last weekend in September and was in the middle of a few house projects when all of a sudden my back seized up and…
Rainy day greetings from Northern California. We’ve had 24 hours of rain and everyone here is breathing a sigh of relief, the moisture deters wildfires so everyone is grateful for the rain! While it drizzles outside, I’m painting some cabinets today. I have a fun decorative DIY project to share inspired by my new passion…
I pulled this old book off the bookshelf and was thumbing through its text. Its title is Let’s Bring Back and it’s about all the delightful things from the past that we’ve forgotten in our push to become more modern. The book is an encyclopedia of memorabilia, things like grandfather clocks and fountain pens, model…
I’m a big believer in seasonal breaks so I logged off for a week. It’s been great! I finished up a few projects in Florida, said goodbye to that special place, and closed up the house for a month. I flew home to California mid week and spent a few days reconnecting with my kids,…
I’ve been in Florida a month and for the first few weeks I was working with my laptop on a dining room table, then I finally got around to setting up a home office nook. When we bought this house this space was a breakfast area but since there’s a dining room space on the…