Archive for the ‘Decorating’ Category

• Carving Pumpkins

  Date: 2009.10.27 | Category: Decorating | Response: 0

  Many of you have already carved pumpkins for the big holiday on Saturday.   I was a little distracted these last couple of weeks fighting the flu so it doesn’t appear I will be carving anything until this weekend.  If you are late like me, here are a few ideas for carving from Halloween past.

  1.  Ernie.  I have a thing for Ernie of Sesame Street.  It all started a few years ago when my friend gave me an Ernie hand puppet he used in one of his films.  Actually, he was selling it at a yard sale and I thought that was a very bad thing.  Very bad.  I rescued the puppet from the pile of toys and brought him inside.  From then, it grew and grew until Ernie saturated my life.  One year I made a pumpkin in his image. I used a piece of black fur for his hair, a flickering battery operated candle to illuminate him and a few magic markers to complete the look.

  2.  Men.  When he and I first started dating, it was in the fall of the year. He was suprrised I was carving pumpkins, saying he hadn’t done that since he was a little boy.  I decided to surprise him with a pumpkin of his own.  What face would be masculine and appropriate?  I figured it should be something he loved and not just any ole face so I carved what I thought was the logo for his favorite football team–the Indianapolis Colts.  This is a repeat offender every year in our home.

  3.  Drill.  Get out your power drill and create this polka dot pumpkin.  On some holes, I drill completely through the pumpkin while on others I only drill in until the tip is piercing the flesh.  Then when you illuminate the pumpkins, different size streams of light will pour through the flesh.

  4.  Minis.  Last but not least, I grab a handful of the small pumpkins to carve goofy things.  These two are examples of the silly.  One is a sly face with eyes looking sneeringly to the left (or maybe the right) and the other is covered with carvings of dollar bill signs.  It was a nod to the amount of money I had spent on pumpkins!

  The suggestions I have here are merely to open your mind and get away from traditional faces.  They are fun but do a few others as well.  Many of you are very talented and do the serious Martha Stewart style carvings.  I wish I were that talented but am always pleased with my outcome.  Simply because I have fun doing it, and have a sense of pride each day coming home from work and seeing those beasts on the front porch.

  Have you figured out what your last minute pumpkin may be?

  xo-me

• Easter Egg Scenes

  Date: 2009.04.12 | Category: Decorating, Just Amy | Response: 0

  I saved “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” on the TiVo to watch tonight. Snoopy was running around the store while the others were shopping and he stumbled upon the sugar Easter eggs with scenes in the center. I had forgotten about those lovely, delicate treats from my youth and wondered why I had not seen any in ages. Like most of you, I start with Google when I am seeking some information. I stumbled onto this story that explains the good ole US Government created a law that said all elements of a sugar egg must be edible, thus rendering the paper created scenes of bunnies, ducks, and springtime illegal. How disappointing. They came in all sizes but the smallest ones were the most incredible because as a child, you could not believe this tiny staged setting could exist inside an egg that sat in the palm of your hand. Like most things of yesteryear, I am not sure the kids of today would appreciate something that didn’t fly or jump or become alive but I know I sure loved them.

• Yes, I Even Decorate the Bathroom

  Date: 2009.04.06 | Category: Decorating | Response: 0

  I have long been teased about my love of holiday and seasonal decorating in as many rooms in my home as possible, even the bathroom. I don’t obviously force the decor, but when I am inspired, I go for it. I also don’t spend a ton of money along the way so I feel like the budget can stand for it.  Here are a few snapshots of the little touches of Spring I put around the entire house, even the bathroom. There is a door inside the main entrance to my home that leads to nowhere. Because the main entrance door has a lovely arched peep window, I enjoy putting a wreath on this dead end door. When guests arrive, they can see this from outside and the wreath does not take a beating from the elements. I saw tons of pastel egg wreaths with giant signs on them saying “Happy Easter” and “Welcome”.  Not really my cup o’tea so I was thrilled when I saw a chocolate egg wreath.  It was more than twenty bucks which I thought was ridiculous but since so many other pieces I use to decorate were very inexpensive, I thought I could spend the money on this.  Here is the chocolate Easter egg wreath I want to eat. I have a long hallway in the center of the house with a door leading outside on one end. For the most part, there is not much decorating to be done in a hall. I have a wall of family photos on one wall but have little other area to decorate in this space.  Occasionally I can sneak in a small piece in the telephone nook but unless it’s tiny, it’s too cluttered.  I tried a rug full of spring colors but it hurt my eyes.  I tried an orange light bulb in the chandelier–DISASTER!  Realizing this is a clear case of less is more, I went out seeking something for the hall.  Target failed me.  The cute boutique joints didn’t stock the store with Easter as they do for other holidays.  I found the perfect piece for $1.99–a set of paper carrots tied together like an ornament at Pier 1.  I hung the carrots on the doorknob at the end of the hall. They don’t get in the way and are a small kiss of springtime when we are heading outside. I picked up these speckled eggs at Home Goods and there were so many in the box, I had to share with a friend.  They were only $3.99 for the box. I put put them in every room in every dish imaginable and figured this mid-century modern glass dish resembled a nest so in I dumped the eggs.  I love the seafoam green against the burnt orange.  The dish sits out all year, I just made it more springtime. Many of you believe decor on the stair steps is clutter. I humbly disagree. I have a wide beautiful staircase that desires decoration! I usually put a few pieces midway up the stairs to break up the climb. Those battery operated tea lights are perfect at night.  At Easter, I put together this metallic bucket full of Mylar grass and three polka dotted egg-shaped candles, all from Target for less than $10.  I like the pop of color against the rich red floors and it’s the perfect Easter basket as it has zero calories. The porch is not to be ignored when decorating. You can decorate with the colors of the flowers (red, white and blue on Independence Day), large impactful pieces or small touches like these carrots.  I found these at a boutique called Smiling Creek in Hagerstown, MD. If you ever get to that area of the country, please visit them. You will fall in love with everything inside their shop. From cute decor to lovely silk florals, you won’t walk out empty handed. I never do. I got these carrots two seasons ago. They are dusted with glitter so the sun reflects beautifully from where they sit on the front porch.  A friend found some similar at Pier 1. Well, well, well. We now get to the last pics which are, of course, of the bathroom. I have a sweet glass shelf from the 40′s that my Great Aunt Helen once told me was from the Five & Dime. She got hers when she ‘set up housekeeping’ while I got mine from a flea market. Ironically, we both had them hanging in our bathrooms. I use this shelf to showcase small touches of the season or holiday. Here you can see my tip towel adorned with eggs, a bunny and a ‘peep’. You can also see the gels I spoke about in a previous post. Finally I love having a nightlight in the bathroom because the light is soft. If you wake for a nighttime visit to the loo, there is no need for that blinding overhead light and the noisy ceiling fan.So that is my ode to Easter in my home. Not every detail in the home is featured, you would grow bored of all the things I do. Still, look around your home and think of the small details that you can string from room to room to make your home feel ready for the holiday/season.

• Here Comes Peter Cottontail

  Date: 2009.04.05 | Category: Decorating, Entertaining | Response: 0

  I have had a few requests from my readers for Easter egg decorating ideas.  I have made them in different ways throughout the years but my favorites always go back to using everything and anything I can find in my home.  My favorites are listed below.

  First you should decide if you want to use just shells or hard boiled eggs.  Some of the methods below require one or the other so check first before you get started.  To blow an egg, first shake it to break up the yolk.  Use a small pin to make a hole in the top and bottom of the egg.  Blow until the egg is empty.  Have some patience if it’s your first time.  If you are boiling, use the perfect method.

  Dye:

  You can use PAAS or another brand for convenience but I use food coloring paste (pick some up in the cake decorating aisle).  Use one cup boiled water mixed with 1/4 c. cider vinegar.  Drop in a dab of paste.  Stir until it is dissolved.  Dip in eggs for a solid color design.  Grab the center of a paper towel or toilet tissue roll and cut them into several small stands for egg drying.

  You can make many designs on the eggs.  Using simple household items you can be very creative.

  1. The simplest of all is to dip half of the egg and then flip it over to dip the other half.  You can also dip from side to side.
  2. Using rubber bands, wrap them around the egg in different angles.  If you are using a flat band, make sure the sides are flat if you want an even pattern.  Once the bands are in place, dip in one color.  Once dry, remove the bands and you have what I think to be a psychedelic plaid.
  3. Grab some various size of round stickers.  Place them firmly all over the egg in a random pattern.  Dip the egg, allow it to dry, and remove the stickers.  You have a polka dot egg.
  4. Create outlines of bunnies, ducks, stars, hearts, whatever you love and cut them out.  Once you have dyed your eggs, paste these designs onto the eggs.
  5. Instead of dipping the eggs, grab a sponge and sponge paint them.

  Crayons:

  This idea requires boiling the eggs.  Once you have, remove one egg at a time and allow it to cool for a five minutes.  Leave the others in the water until your ready to decorate them so they remain warm.  Hold the egg on a paper towel so your hands are protected from the heat.  Grab your crayons (the heat of the egg melts the wax onto the shell) and draw away!  Be gentle when rotating the egg so you don’t smear your design.  I would let it set for at least 40 minutes.

  Spray Glue:

  I enjoy using spray adhesive.  It’s simple and easy.  Spray the entire egg and dip it into colored sand or attach sequins.  They will shimmer and shine!

  Strings:

  I loved doing decoupage as a child.  This design uses those skills.  Take a blown egg and paint the entire area with mod podge.  Then use embroidery floss or colored string and press the string all over the egg in any design that blows your hair back.  Brush a second coat over the string and insert a wooden skewer into the egg.  Put skewer in tall glass and allow egg to dry.  Remove egg from skewer and enjoy!

  Paint Brushes and Magic Markers:

  If you are a closet artiste, paint brushes and magic markers along with your skills and vision create beautiful eggs.

  Glue Gun:

  No decorating post would be complete without the glue gun.  Decorate your blown eggs with ribbons, buttons, crepe paper, anything you can find in your home.  How about M & M’s glued on your eggs?

  Once your eggs are decorated, you will want to display them in your home.  My childhood friend Shelly gave me the best idea.  Decorate a flower pot with trim, bric-a-brac, whatever your style is.  Plant some grass in it or pick up some cat grass and replant it into your pot.  Hide your decorated eggs inside the grass.  It makes for a perfect center piece on your Easter table.

  These are just a few ideas to get your Easter-Egg-Decorating-Mind going.  I look forward to hearing from you on what you used to decorate your eggs.  Happy Easter!

• Boing. Boing. Boing.

  Date: 2009.03.30 | Category: Decorating | Response: 0

  

  Spring!  Spring!  Spring!

  Spring has definitely arrived this weekend in Southern California.  The signs are all there–gorgeous weather, flowers blooming and a hummingbird nest in the back yard!  While out shopping, I stumbled onto a motherload of hyacinths, smelling them before viewing them.  I couldn’t resist and brought home a gorgeous purple one.  I spent the afternoon seeking a pot in which to replant it and every one I found was better suited for outside.  I wanted to keep this delicious fragrance inside so I was stuck.  Then I figured maybe I could redesign the plastic green one it came in?  I grabbed the best tool ever–the glue gun– and a roll of fabric ribbon and got to work.  I cut three pieces of bright yellow sheer ribbon that would wrap the circumference of the pot and glued them onto the pot one at a time, slightly overlapping to give an additional pattern to the already patterned ribbon.  The dark green of the pot muted the brightness of the yellow ribbon just perfectly.  The entire process took me just over 5 minutes and now I have a custom made pot that looks darling in the room from which the hyacinth fragrance is now wafting.  Happy Spring!

• Look Around. Dig it out!

  Date: 2009.03.29 | Category: Decorating | Response: 3

  Yesterday I spent the morning with a dear friend helping her ‘redecorate’ parts of her home.  After shedding 180 lbs of uselessness, it was time to make the home hers.  I walked into a lovely space that was warm and inviting but seemed empty in some areas.  She spoke of wanting to change this and replace that but after spending 20 minutes there, I knew we could make big changes in the living room without spending a lot of money.

  She needed color more than anything in the room so off we went to a warehouse style store with a lot of seconds.  Everything was cheap and gorgeous.  We fell in love with a pre-made silk flower arrangement that was $80.00.  Ouch.  I suggested we see if we could do it on our own.  She had a flower vase under her sink at home (How many of us keep all those floral arrangement vases thinking we will reuse?  I think they reproduce at night.) that was a similar shape to the one we loved.  After meticulously picking out the flowers and some rocks, we were heading home for less than $30.  See our lovely creation?

  The pop of color helped a lot but we needed to move some things around.  I starting digging out her shelving units and found she had some gorgeous things but they were dark against a dark wood and became invisible.  She was not able to enjoy any of them!  We emptied her shelves first and I surveyed all that she had.  In that moment I convinced her that she didn’t need to spend a dime as she had everything right here.  We rearranged every shelf in the room (9 in all) and purged a lot of the clutter.  It opened up wonderfully and you could actually feast your eyes on her lovely pieces of art, family pictures, and family treasures.

  I then took a hard look around the room focusing on areas that were too cramped and others that had too much symmetry and seemed boxy.  We rearranged her mantel, got rid of a few items and did groupings with others.  After moving one small piece of furniture and setting two colorful bottles strategically, she had a brand new room!  The various groupings, color injection, purging and rearranging changed the entire vibe of the room.

  The point to this experience is if you are wanting a new look for your home and don’t have the money to redecorate, move some things around.  Put some items away.  Dig out some of those things in the back of the closet that you forgot you have. Move the pictures in the back of the table to the front.  Move some from one room to another.  Look around!  Dig it out!  You will be surprised what an impact small changes in the home can make.

• Furry Ceilings!

  Date: 2009.03.28 | Category: Decorating | Response: 0

  I bought my very first home nine years ago and it was held together by duct tape and staples.  I knew going in it was going to be a lot of work but I was excited for the challenge and the knowledge I would gain.  After replacing 26 windows, rewiring, re-piping, re-everything (!), I got down to the business of decorating. 

  I had a room with a hideous popcorn ceiling.  With cracks.  And I was running out of money.  I wanted to do something fun (it was the TV room) but was struggling with finding something inexpensive as well.  I thought of wallpaper and how it covers ugliness and while daydreaming, I thought of putting fur up there.

  The first attempt was a disaster.  I bought short hair fabric with a bit of stretch to it.  Lining up the seams was impossible and because of the short hair, they were more visible than I wanted.  We ripped it down and started again.  This time I used a long hair white shag fabric that was straight out of the back of a 1970′s van.  The length of the fur allowed me to ‘brush’ it over the seams making them less noticeable.  I used wallpaper paste very conservatively to attach the fur.  You do not want to saturate the fabric or the glue will seep through.

  The ceiling looks like a fluffy cloud and I love it.  It was a simple, fairly easy solution to an ugly ceiling.  Use your mind to explore new ways to use everyday items!  And yes, I get the vacuum up there for a quick cleaning once a month.