My Colortopia

Hello everyone, and thanks so much to all of you who submitted your tablescapes to the link party yesterday, over 175 submissions (including emails) wow! It’s going to be nearly impossible to choose winners, there are so many beautiful holiday tablescapes to inspire.  I’m having so much fun looking at all of them, there is…

Christmas Tablescape:: A Beach Cottage

G’day friends!  That greeting rolls a little easier off the tongue today since I have a wonderful friend visiting from Australia. I think it’s so fascinating to read how different people in different countries celebrate Christmas around the globe, so earlier this year I asked my friend Sarah of A Beach Cottage to share how…

DIY Faux Bois Vases

I’m not sure it’s readily apparent around here but I have big thing for faux bois. Truth be told I didn’t really know the fancy term for wood lookalike decorative objects until a couple years ago when faux bois starting showing up here and there and all around the design-osphere. I had to recall my…

BOTB 11.20.11

Greetings all, and happy fall!  It’s raining today and the leaves are falling from all of the trees. It’s pretty but kind of sad, I’ll miss all those gorgeous autumn colors. Today it finally feels like winter is on its way, brrrrr!  To take our minds off the approaching chill of winter, how about a…

Decorating with Wood Antiques

Have you ever wondered how to decorate with those antiques you’ve inherited?  Those precious pieces beloved by a grandmother or aunt that have been in the family for decades and now belong to you? It’s a question I received last month from a reader and one many people have struggled with.  Today Courtney from Courtney…

My 25 Essential DIY Tools

Today I was at my local True Value Hardware in search of a new Shop Vac. Our old one was going on eight years and suddenly died on me last weekend for no obvious reason and mid clean up job.  No matter what we tried to do to fix it (cleaning the motor, checking the…

Twenty Great New Children’s Books

I love to take my kids to the library to borrow books and also to the bookstore to look for new favorites. I’m always on the hunt for new books to add to their library or give as gifts to other children. This past weekend we visited the local bookstore which has a great children’s…

Building Benches + The Gift of Good

‘Tis the season, right?  Not only for holiday decorating but also for giving back. Last Friday (on Veterans Day) I was honored to be invited to be part of the The Home Depot Foundation and its continuing mission to improve homes and lives for military families. For the next three years, the Home Depot Foundation…

Design Trends of 2011

Greetings all!  Today I have the best conversation for you to savor. Settle in with your beverage of choice cause it’s just like a group of your favorite gal pals are here with you and we’re all sharing our opinions on trends in design for 2011!  Michelle of Ten June is back for her monthly…

Merry Marabou Feather Tree

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here thanks to Mr. Bublé. After I bought his CD the other day (love it!), we’ve been listening to the sounds of Christmas, which put me in the mood to make things feel like Christmas. Yes it’s early, but I make no apologies. I’d like to…

Chair Makeover for DIY Magazine

Last spring, I received the Coolest Email Ever. It was from one of my most favorite magazines in the universe: Do It Yourself Magazine.  Yes, the  Special Interest Publication by Better Homes & Gardens. The very same DIY Magazine I have looked forward to every three months for years and years and years and I…

Bookshelves Complete

Hey all!  Guess how I spent my weekend?  Filling up those bookcases we built a week ago, yippee!  I love books, and I love decorative objects.  This new wall of bookcases allows me to combine the best of both. I’ve heard such great things about the convenience of Kindle and iPad reading, but for me,…

From Billys To Built-Ins

Hey all, hope you had a fun Halloween yesterday!  My mister and I spent the weekend tackling a storage solution we’ve been meaning to get to for some time. Up in our little guest studio above the garage (affectionately nicknamed the ‘Garage Mahal’) we finally built ourselves a wall of bookcases to store books and…

Why I DIY

Last weekend we had some friends and relatives over and in mid conversation, one of the friends asked me out of genuine curiosity, "Why do you choose to make so many things by yourself?  Why don’t you just buy these things, or pay someone else to do it for you?”  The best short answer I…