Garden Benches

I love benches! All shapes and sizes…especially outside in the garden or yard. I also love benches on the front porch or back patio…

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Traditional Home

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By placing a bench under a shade tree, on a brick patio, or just tucked between some beautiful flowering shrubs, you can create multiple destinations throughout your yard. This is a perfect way to make use of an otherwise unused corner, and adds visual interest as well.

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How about adding several brightly painted benches around an outdoor fire pit? What a wonderful spot to enjoy a summer evening with family and friends!

via pinterest

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via Things That Inspire

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Whether you choose stone, iron, brightly painted, or naturally rustic…adding a garden bench is the perfect addition to any yard or outdoor space.

I am currently working on a make-over for a bench I use on my front porch. Here is a little sneak peek at the before…

Do you have a favorite spot in your garden or yard? What kind of bench would you add to your outdoor spaces?

Grass Candles…

Today I want to share with you one of the easiest spring projects I have completed this year…if not ever!

Embellishing pillar candles with blades of real grass…

Step 1 :

All you need is a few white pillar candles, and a few grass clippings from your own yard…

If you don’t have grass available in your yard, you can always use wheat grass blades. They can be found at most nurseries in seed form. They grow amazingly fast, just plant in soil, water, and the blades will begin to grow in a matter of days!


Step 2 :

Just use regular white glue to adhere each blade around the candles. Be sure to vary the length of your blades so they look like naturally growing grass…

Once again, I love being able to just go outside and use natural elements to decorate for the different seasons. Sometimes the simplest touches can be all you need…

How are you decorating your table for spring? What is your favorite way to bring the outside in?

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Uncommon Designs, Between Naps on the Porch, The Brambleberry Cottage, House of Hepworths,
Finding Fabulous, Chic on a Shoestring, Freckled Laundry, The Shabby Nest, Addicted 2 Decorating
Serenity Now, Classy Clutter, Thrifty Decor Chick, 320 Sycamore

Angry Birds!…

No, I am not talking about these birds…

In fact, I have never played the Angry Birds game so I am not really sure what these guys are even angry about!

I am referring more to ones that look like this…

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And lately they have been making me a little angry! Why?…because as far as I know, they are the culprits to this…

As I have mentioned before, we have a lake cabin, and we currently have this little bistro table and chairs sitting out on the covered patio.

For some reason, the birds have been pecking the seat cushions and have ruined all four chairs!

What are they so angry about?!

From the looks of it, they seem to be after the foam padding underneath the blue vinyl cover. There are big holes, with big chunks of foam missing on each chair. There must be some very comfy and cozy nests out there!

To be honest…I am not positive it is the birds that have done this since I have never seen them in action. We just happened to find them looking like this when we arrived for the weekend recently. However, there is some evidence (aka droppings – yuck!) left behind, so I assume we are blaming the right suspects…

The good news is that I have been wanting to re-cover these chairs for a while. Thanks to these angry/comfy birds, this project has moved to the top of the list!

Now I am off to find some fun new fabric. I will be needing new foam as well, and while we are at it, I think I will just build new seats all together, and start from scratch.

Stay tuned!

Do you have any angry critters in your neck of the woods? How are you sprucing up your outdoor furniture for the season?

Spotlight ~ Art I love…

The other day I received my daily post from The Foundry, and was instantly in love with the artwork of Jill Ricci…

Jill Ricci is a mixed-media artist based in New York City. I love how she layers paper, graffiti and text, with gold leaf and even beads. The Moroccan theme on this collection is especially interesting. Each time you visit one of her pieces you see something different and new. As Jill simply puts it “I hope that the person viewing my work will linger, trying to discover hidden imagery and text and depending on their life experience, find their own meaning or interpretation.”

Here is a look at some of her past collections…

I could use one of her pieces as the starting point to design an entire room! You can read more about Jill Ricci on her website found here. Jill Ricci is also the co-director & co-owner of Parlor Gallery located in Asbury Park, NJ.

If you have not heard of The Foundry yet, you should definitely take some time to visit their site here. They put out a daily post featuring home and lifestyle products at incredible prices…some items offered at up to 70% off! Each daily post includes 4-7 different events, offering selections of products from a variety of home living categories. The items in each “event” are offered on a 3 day (72 hour) basis…so if you like it, buy it! because it will not last for long. Check it out and let me know what you think.

What kind of artwork do you have in your home? What are some of your favorite home design resources?

All artwork featured via Jill Ricci

Spring Mantel…

Happy first day of Spring!


The beautiful weather, and bright yellow daffodils blooming  in my yard, have inspired me to create this beachy, bunny, spring mantel décor…

After clipping the daffodils from my front yard, I placed them into this bright blue vase from Crate & Barrel. I love the colors together…

I added some brightly colored eggs and bunnies for Easter. I am also using some favorite beachy items like the starfish and huge shell that was once my fathers, and is now one of my favorite pieces…

I have had this carved wooden bunny for years, and the glass float balls were found on the California coast by my Aunt many, many years ago,  then passed along to me…

I love the fact that the items used on my beachy, spring mantel have so many memories and sentimental meaning to me and my family.

How are you decorating your mantel for spring? What are your favorite family items around your home?

Linking up to…The Lettered Cottage, The Brambleberry Cottage, Saved by Suzy,
Beyond the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Serenity Now,
tater tots & jello

Shoes…for furniture?!

Yes… apparently even couches and chairs love new shoes!

I recently found a company called PRETTYPEGS that manufacture and sell furniture legs, specifically designed for Ikea sofas and beds. Their tagline is “shoe your furniture” and they have many styles to choose from.

Prettypegs

I love this idea! Not just because I love shoes…which I do! But also because I am very particular about certain styles of furniture legs. Leg style can dramatically change the look and feel of any piece of furniture.

Prettypegs

Whether your style is sleek and modern, or more casual and funky…changing out the legs on your furniture is the perfect way to add color and personality to your room.

Prettypegs

Why not have several sets of “shoes” to choose from…and change them out from season to season? After all, we do it with pillows and throws. Adding a new style or colored leg can quickly update and refresh a sofa…giving your room a whole new look and feel!

Prettypegs are made in Sweden and all of their products are custom made. Some are even made by hand! All for around $30…that’s half the price of a new custom made pillow, and way less than buying yourself a new pair of shoes!

Have you ever changed out the legs on your furniture? What are your favorite ways to give your room a quick and easy update?

DIY Cherry Blossom…

If you read my blog regularly…you know I like to “bring the outside in” when I decorate my home. I frequently grab a basket, my clippers, and head out to my yard or neighborhood to collect flowers, branches, pinecones, leaves, and whatever I find interesting. I love using natural elements inside during every season.

While browsing Pinterest…I saw a fun way of bringing in that natural element even if you don’t have it in your own backyard…

Better Homes & Gardens

Although it has been an early Spring in California…it has been raining here (finally) for the last several days. As a result, all of the cherry tree branches are wet and soggy and losing their blossoms. It’s the closet thing we get to snow…thousands of  little white petals blowing across the yard…so pretty!

However, now I have missed the opportunity to have the real blooms…so I decided to snip a few branches and make my own…

Cute, simple, and oh so easy to make…all with items I already had on hand! Follow these step by step directions and make your own!

First, I collected some branches – I used these for a past project so already had them on hand. Find a ceramic pot, vase, or any container you would like to use. I did not have any floral foam…so I just cut some foam squares from a roll I already had and used for my little chair make over seen here.

Add some floral moss to cover the foam…

For the flowers, I just used regular white copy paper! I cut out freehand flower shapes , and glued 2 together to make them with 7-8 petals each…

As you can see, they start out flat. In order to get them curved into a blooming flower shape - I just placed each flower into the palm of my hand and pressed the middle to form the cupped shape…

Then, simply glue randomly onto your bare branches…

That’s it! A simple way to bring a little of the outside in for Spring…

Sitting on my living room table…

A perfect way to spend a rainy day inside…with my constant companion and “helper”…

How are you decorating for Spring? Where do you get your inspiration?


Linking up to - Serenity Now, Hi Sugarplum,Young House Love, The Great Indoors, Beyond the Picket Fence, Finding Fabulous, Chic on a Shoestring, Remodelaholic, Freckled Laundry, Addicted 2 Decorating, House of Hepworths, Shabby Creek Cottage, The Shabby Nest, Classy Clutter, Between Naps on the Porch, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Centsational Girl