Easy Stone Planter DIY

Found this in BHG and think I might try it this weekend. I love the look of hewn stone planters, and this allows you to make your own shape and sizes. Seems pretty easy, the only part that is kind of a bummer is the curing part (30 days), but that is just because I'm so impatient!  Besides planters you can also create garden sculptures.  I'd love to cover some big styrofoam balls and use them in my garden.  Here are the directions...

Make a Hypertufa Trough

     

My Alter Ego's Dream House

This week is shaping up to be very hectic, so I will do my best to post.  I saw these images today when I got home and pulled the latest House & Home from my mailbox.  Very chill...

For those days when I'm feeling over saturated with color (which are many lately) this is where I'd like to escape to...   Jenn Cranston's Canadian lake house cottage.  I just love the serene canvas of whites and natural textures.  

Check out the pendants on each side of the bed... the wires have been wrapped with raffia.  Clever!

Love the potted grasses and drapes!

And finally the patio.  I'm usually a white stone hater, but this might be the first time I've liked it in a landscape.  I love her tree trunk side tables she painted, really doesn't get much more cost effective than that!

Canadian House & Home June 2010

A different spin on the Front Door

I saw this front door on Houzz.com and it really got my wheels spinning. Why not dress it up with pattern? Can you imagine a "trellis" door? Fabulous!

eclectic entry design by chicago interior designer Allison Cosmos

Calling Boston Area...

Do you live near Boston?  Have unwanted clothes, furniture, linens, jewelery or small appliances?  Know someone that does? Then you can help St. Joseph's Food Pantry. 

In a few weeks they will be opening Recycle for Hunger Thrift Shop in Peabody, MA.  St. Joseph's Pantry feeds about 3,000 people a month in the North Shore area.  You can read more about them and learn about other ways to help here on their website.  This thrift shop will be located at 26 Howley St. in Peabody and they have an unbelievable space to fill so donations are critical. I will be doing another post closer to its grand opening with pictures of the new space and items available.

The head of this entire mission is Cathleen McMath, an amazing woman with the biggest heart I have ever encountered.  If you have donations please contact Cathleen at (978)-500-1144.

They are accepting:

• Furniture
• Clothing
• Jewelery
• Linens
• Small Appliances
• Books

You can also visit or donate to another great thrift shop in the Salem area that benefits the homeless at Lifebridge (formerly The Salem Mission). The Second Chance Thrift Shop has been a favorite spot of mine. I have found many great pieces of furniture there.  Information for directions or donations can be found by clicking on the link above.

Please pass this to anyone you think might be able to help these organizations! Thanks!

Inexpensive Meaningful Artwork

You can kind of see where I'm heading can't you?  I am blessed with two left handed doodlers.  I encourage it, as you can see with Joe and my day planner.  It makes my husband a little mental (sometimes the couch cushions get involved) but  it also makes for some wonderful artwork.  If you have kids, you have a huge resource for inspiration for your walls.  Kids + IKEA frames = great inexpensive artwork.

I try to mix some in with each grouping... Pumpkins by Thomas.

And I also am lucky to have artists in the family...

My sister-in-law Jill Herrick-Lee's encaustic with watercolors from my boys and a painting from my Grandma.  All are special and have so much personal meaning, especially since my Grandma is no longer here.

These were my oldest's first real doodles. He did them on a C2 paint chip I had lying around and a sharpie that (oops) was left out.  I've gotten better about that!

 

You can also find inspiration from old advertisements.  These were old marketing material for a print company I found and thought they were great for a boys room.  Once again IKEA frames to the rescue and I had a bunch of artwork for less than $10.

You can also pull such great color combinations from kid's artwork.  They have no inhibitions or rules about putting colors together and that can really help you break out of the box sometimes...

I got a lot of inspiration lately from the pinks and greens in these pieces when I put together this grouping for my living room.

I just love the details of their work... big teeth, crazy hair, over-sized jewelery...

 Its brutally honest and right on.

 

I mean, when else can you receive a portrait of yourself in which you look like a Picasso figure and feel beautiful? 

There is something fabulously unsettling about this...

I love a good stripe.  This one pushes the envelope into crazy town and I kind of like that.  Maybe its because it reminds me of how my brain feels most of the time.  Not quite sure I could live with it, but it definitely makes a statement.  What do you think?

Apartment Therapy

New Addiction

In case you haven't noticed I have a soft spot for secondhand vintage furnishings, and an even bigger soft spot for a great deal.  I am so addicted to Decorator Tag Sale.  For those of you unfamilar with this site its basically where designers like Amanda Nisbet, Sara Gilbane and other great talents sell their excess goods.  Here are some of my wants...

This Russell landscape would look great in my living room... $250, not bad!

Amanda Nisbet's lucite stools, $900 for the pair!

Remember her mirrors?  They can be yours for $400 each.

Amanda Nisbet

Chair for a grand.

This 5x7 dhurrie only $40!

Skirted table $50!

Want to cover a lampshade with your own fabric? This biggin' is only $10.

This set of pagodas for $50! Come on people, my palms are sweating...

And to feed my lamp addiction they have lots of unique ones I'm digging...

My wallet just ran and hid. Happy finds everyone!

My latest find

I'm back. I know things happen in threes, and when my sewing machine and camera broke I knew there was another glitch around the corner. That would be my Internet.  All is right in the land of Verizon again, sewing machine is fixed and I got a great new camera for Mother's Day... so its back to business. 

OK, so my living room is coming along with the help of my latest find... this credenza.   I painted it aquarium green. It looked like this a few hours ago...

Paint really changes EVERYTHING! I can't believe how much more alive the space feels.

My inspiration for the color came from here...

I have been struggling with tying in my red entrance and wanted to add pink. I found that small drawer piece at a thrift shop and spray painted it. I really liked the combo with the green from the Domino bible and the green in my Mom's needlepoint so I mixed a bunch of old paint and got my color.

The whole space is open so its been a struggle. I  am still trying out different fabrics for pillows and need to do a lot of editing and painting of other furniture pieces, but it is slowly getting there.

Remember the space looked like this when we moved in...

I have a bunch more before and afters I have been working on to share with you later this week!