Real Decorating for Real People
This angel is adorable and goes together fast with a piece of four by four a couple of cuts and some paint. This whimsical angel is the perfect accessory for decorating a flower or vegetable garden. Her wings provide a resting place for small birds, and her cheery face watches over plants in bloom. Exterior paint…
Everytime I look at the blueberry pie photo I want to make one, and they are easy enough that I can! I think by now you know that many of my recipes come from my local grocery store, Publix. I love them. Publix has a service called “Apron’s Simple Meals” and it is all part…
Grab a yard of holiday fabric and go to town with these simple instructions for holiday hot pads and napkins. Here’s an easy way to add a little 4th of July fun to your picnic table this year with a star shaped hot pad, or it could be a placemat, and some matching napkins. This…
This is the fastest 4th of July centerpiece idea around. Just grab a white vase, red tissue paper, a dozen flags and you’re done! A great centerpiece is a good start to a pretty holiday table. For 4th of July, one of our more casual holidays, I like to keep things inexpensive, simple and quick. Here’s a…
Nothing says 4th of July like our national flag, and this wreath displays them proudly but adds a bit of sparkel as well. This patriotic wreath was easy to pull together and I’ve used it as a wall hung wreath with the flags, without the flags and even as a centerpiece on a table! To…
Looking for a dramatic centerpiece for this year’s 4th of July celebration? Try this ribbon bouquet and create your own fireworks! This adorable little ribbon bouquet centerpiece can be on a dining table or even just set on your outdoor coffee table to spread the holiday cheer. The ribbon flowers take just a few minutes to…
Don’t go out and buy all sorts of decor when you have everything you need right in your own cupboards and closets. Interesting centerpieces can be inspiring, and this table setting gets most of its interest from the items sitting in the middle. Tall things are always noticed, colorful items bring attention and regular household items…
Stars hung from the chandelier are the hero in this inexpensive table decor, adding class to simple paper plates and paper napkins. This festive table setting gets it’s charm from layering and attention to detail. However, it isn’t complicated, it is put together with three easy pieces. The center piece, number 1, is nothing more…
If you are thinking about traveling to Italy, these are some of the sights I’d recommend you see. At the time of this writing, mid 2009, traveling costs a drop in the bucket to what it cost several years ago. With the turndown of the economy, there are special travel deals out there everywhere! So,…
There’s no question what July’s tree should look like so the flags, stars, and red, white and blue ornaments are no surprise. If there was ever a month that could stand a holiday tree, it’s July. We are celebrating the birth of our country on the 4th and it’s been so long since we had a…
Try a little star gazing this evening…it’s free and you can learn so much about the world around you and beyond. Astronomy is a fascinating science to study. What is especially nice about it is that we can all be involved by simply lying down in our yards at night and becoming familiar with the…
Chess boards can be expensive, so when your children have that desire to learn, start them off by having them make the board and pieces themselves. At 9 years old, my son has interest in learning how to play chess. I’ve played before and have some of the rules down, but we don’t own a…
This pasta salad takes alittle more effort than most, but believe me it is worth it with the combination of flavors and textures it’s sure to be a hit. My first couple of years working at Sherwin Williams, I was starting a new color marketing department, and I was located in the laboratory with the…
If you are thinking about trying a little applique, you might want to try the Stamp Basket because only the basket handles are appliqued. The Stamp Basket quilt block offers a first experience with appliqué. The basket handles are appliquéd onto the center triangles and they help to soften the very angular nature of this…
These are simple ideas for saving money, reducing stress, and just enjoying the simples pleasures of summer for a change. Not long ago I wrote a story about the “Perfect Thanksgiving”. It was mostly about the pressure I was putting on myself to recreate the perfect Thanksgiving that my Grandmother had made for us all…
How are your children going to learn to sew if you don’t take the time to teach them? Well, here’s a great floor pillow project to get started and it’s something they’ll use for years to come. I don’t believe that there are too many schools these days that offer Home Economics in their curriculum. …
Summer is the perfect time to grab your crafting tools, set up a workspace outside, and create accessories for your home. During the summer months I am always looking for projects to keep my kids busy. Here’s a great project that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, it’s pretty easy, and in the end you…
Handkerchiefs are so colorful and in so many beautiful patterns, there should be some way to use and display them in your home…well, here are three ways! This project was born from a personal need to get my grandmother’s handkerchiefs out of the boxes she had stored them in and out in the open where they…
June’s tree needed to really say summer is here, and nothing says carefree summer than sailing, ropes and white lights. A holiday tree in June? Yes, you can stop laughing; we’ve been through this several times now. Why not celebrate the entire year with a pretty lit tree inside your home? It doesn’t have to be…
Matt and I started having a discussion about what makes a summer great. Aside from the gathering of family and friends and good eats from the grill, there were certain summertime “props”, if you will, that kept coming up in the conversation. We decided it might be fun to put this list of a dozen…
Looking to bring a little summer to your home? Here are a few suggestions that are economical, easy to do, and are quick so you have more time for summertime fun! Big bold summer color striped fabric make great pillow covers for your current sofa pillows. Make them out of washable cotton canvas for easy…
A potting bench is surprisingly easy to build. After you’re finished, you’ll wonder how you ever did get through gardening chores without one! This is one of Shari’s and my favorite projects. It’s great looking, functional and can be more than just a potting bench. It dresss up a patio, it would be a great…
If you are looking for a wreath or basket of some sort to place on your front door this summer, one that will last the whole summer long, I believe this might be the one. The colors are wonderful for summer and as you can see, the blue starred pinwheels can make the arrangement patriotic…
Memorial Day decorations can be very cost effective if you keep them around for all the summer holidays like 4th of July and Labor Day! This Memorial Day I decided that I didn’t want to go crazy with the red, white and blue because that to me is The 4th of July! Instead I wanted…
Simply select your favorite summer flowers and ceramic pitcher, then drss them up with the addition of holiday flags and your centerpiece is finished! As I often enjoy doing things differently, I wanted to bring new colors into my Memorial Day décor, and when I found these orange and yellow mums, I knew I had something going…
Get out the frying pan because the chicken and the quesadillas are cooked in it for a touch of crunch that makes them wonderful! My kid’s order Chicken Quesadillas so often in restaurants that I think they may be of Mexican descent! Well, to satisfy their love of the dish, I’ve learned to make them…
Here’s a vegetarian dish that many eat all the time not even thinking about it being vegetarian! It’s nachos without the beef! Everybody loves nachos, and this is a great nacho recipe. It’s rich with beans, cheese and all the fixin’s. It goes together easily, though it would be difficult to take to a party…
Everybody loves nachos, and this is a great nacho recipe. It’s rich with beans, cheese and all the fixin’s. It goes together easily, though it would be difficult to take to a party without fixing part of it there. Even so, it makes a great appetizer and it’s so filling it could be an entire…
Add interest to your furniture arrangement by using angles or placing furniture in the middle of the room! If you have been following along in our How to Decorate Series you know that we’ve just finished drawing up a floor plan of the room. And now it’s time to actually put the furniture you have and…
If you like “neat”, you will love this shoe caddy that keeps that pile of old shoes in order in the bottom of your closet! If you are anything like me, as soon as you walk into your house, you kick off your shoes and throw them into your front closet (or back closet or where…
Use the color yellow in rooms that have a northern exposure to bring in the sunshine. Yellow. It’s one of those colors, either you love it or you hate it. I used to hate it, now it’s growing on me. I think it’s because I live in Florida and there is a lot of yellow…
May is about the farthest cry from Christmas as any other month but June I guess. But as most of you know who have been following our Tree for all Seasons article….any month is perfect for a seasonal tree! If you believe in the old saying that “April showers bring May flowers”, then a tree…
Books can be a great accessory for your home because they give a feeling of warmth, history, and interest, and there are many ways to display them. The most avid reader I know is my partner and co-host, Matt Fox. He reads every new and talked about book in the bookstore. I, on the other hand…
Often kid’s come home from those first few days of school saying they need to cover their books, well if it happens at your house, here’s how to do it! This can also be considered a solution to those crazy colored book spines. Just cover them with left over wallpaper, brown craft paper or even wrapping paper. …
The addition of chili powder is what gives this soup it’s kick and it’s a kick you can control by the amount you add! I have made this soup twice now and I love it! The first time I eased back on the spices, worried that my family wouldn’t be able to handle them. Last…
This is a great recipe if you need cookies quickly. Instead of messing around with creaming butter and sugar, mixing the dry ingredients and then bringing out the cutting board and rolling pin, these sugar cookies go together in one bowl. You end up with nice sized round cookies that get their personality from the…
After reading these great ideas for presents for mom on Mother’s Day, you might want to do more than just one! Matt and I believe that Mom’s deserve more than just one day a year of pampering. So, this month, why not treat Mom on all five Sundays. I know that ideas are hard to…
Surprise your neighbors with a treat hung on their front door on the first of May and enjoy the act of giving. As I contemplated the idea of May Baskets, I started thinking that maybe a “basket” per se was a bit overdoing it. After all, this is just a little “hello” to your neighbors…
To add interest to your artwork, why not work it in with other accessories or combine artwork in groupings and if you read on I’ll tell you how to do it! Yes, the artwork itself is artistic, but the way you display it doesn’t have to be run of the mill. There are so many…
Cell phones, I-pod, MP3 players, GPS’s all things that need to be plugged in, and where Oh where do you store all these things and make sure that they are being kept charged for your techno gear family? In a caddy you build yourself! Well, instead of having all your personal electronics cluttering up a…
