Weekend Chore Time

Time to regroup and get more supplies! See you Monday!
(my helpers, Katie, my niece and Brooke (r) my daughter)

Green !

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Green is my favorite color. My favorite shade is a light green much like the outdoor patio cushions in the above picture. In the garden green is so many different shades. I could look at tree's blowing in the wind all day so I guess its no wonder I love green!

Ready Made Kitchen Storage

Now more then ever, its easy to add storage to your small kitchen. You can find easy to add wall storage from Pottery Barn and Ikea. Add cubbies or look for a smaller island roller cart, perfect for tucking away when not in use. Even a tiny bit of backsplash can be used for something, even if its just one shelf!

Mix Masters

I love a good mix in decorating. This can be a highly personal thing, because one person's checks with floral may be another person's breaking point. I'm still trying, but one thing I have learned is, you'll never know if you don't try something! I've bought things only to come home and totally loved them somewhere other then where I planned it to go. I've loved mixed chairs at a table as long as I can remember. So, experiment! You never know what you'll come up with. Stripes with cheetah? Why the heck not!

Cozy Bedrooms

The one room in the home that I think is not so bad small is the bedroom. Of course we all need space for our clothes and things, but sleep does not require tons of space! Ok, I will confess, I only have enough space for one bedside table. I wish I had enough room NOT to have my bed pushed up against the wall. After 10 years, I finally made my husband switch sides with me so I have the easy out. Bedrooms do make you want to cocoon, so small is not so bad. Plus, how much time do you spend in your room during the day anyways?

A Final Goodbye to this Garden

My garden here as I knew is is no more and may cease to exist entirely after the new owners take possession of the house. This garden gave me much more than I could even begin to put into words. It was such a learning experience in all aspects. I have so many memories and pictures of this garden so it will live on in my mind, in our family discussion and in the scrapbooks. It will also live

Entryways

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My entryway was one of the last places I thought about. As you walk into my house, it spills right into the front room. No foyer at all. I decided I was going to design a entry. No, not adding on but giving the visitor a visual que that they were stepping into my home, not falling in. Whats great now is there are tons of things available for entryways. The above mirror shot is a part of my entry. The mirror does 2 things, makes the space appear larger and its great of that one last look before you leave. So if you only have room for a few hooks and a bench, you can still have entryway! Try to get as close to the door as you can and have a place to put your keys and hang a jacket. Its really a nice quality of life thing when it works well!

Bee Balm

Bee Balm(Monarda didyma)Bee Balm (Monarda didyma ) is a hardy perennial herb that is unsurpassed for attracting hummingbirds, butterflies and bees to the garden. It is a member of the mint family. I will be taking a portion of the clump to the new house. M. didyma is a hybrid so is best grown from clump division rather than seeds collected from the plant as plants grown from the seeds will

See you Monday!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Style File- SIMPLE

Ok, I don't really think there is a style called "Simple" but I think there should be! Very calming yet high impact rooms like the ones above spell simple and stunning . I guess I know it when I see it. To me the above photos are beautiful and simple, one of my favorite designs!

Brick Interiors

First off, let me acknowledge that these particular photos are NOT small spaces. I wanted to share my love for the interior brick wall. Someday I have to have one. Love the texture they add and the warm feel. I love painted brick too. We are talking of adding on to our house and my first idea was to use the existing exterior brick as a wall in a shower. I'm so silly, I go into restaurants with fake brick and love that too. Not as much as the real thing but you get my point. So here's one of my decor weakness's. The interior brick wall!

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley(Convallaria majalis)Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is one of my favourite garden flowers. It evokes pleasant childhood memories and has been in every garden I've created since we were wed. I can remember laying on the cool grass gazing into the glass rocks my mom had surrounded by the heavenly smell of Lily of the Valley. I have a nice sized patch of Lily of the

Framing Impact

You can bring the big WOW factor with framing. Look in magazines and catalogs and you'll find all sorts of inspiration. The above pictures, for me, have great wow factor and are very different. This is a great place to get creative. I always lay out my frames on my bed to see what looks good to me. Take a few pictures of your arrangements which will help you see what you like.

Style File: COTTAGE

There is something about the cottage style that appeals to me. Cottages are for the most part, small, so the style and the "small" go hand and hand.The only time I do not care for it, is when its over done. Too much stuff out for stuffs sake. A delicate tea cup on the back of the toilet for show, not good. I love the above pictures for their style and simple good looks. A desk as a night stand is a great idea, one I've used myself. If you have no room for a home office this is a great option. The best thing about cottage style is the relaxed "come put your feet up" vibe it gives off.

English Ivy

English Ivy(Hedera helix)I have a somewhat small patch of English Ivy (Hedera helix) growing along the south side of the house originally planted to hide a gas line. I'm taking several clippings of this plant to our new house. This versatile evergreen ivy can be grown as a houseplant or outdoors. When grown outdoors, English Ivy can be used as a maintenance free ground cover, climbing vine or

Odd Spaces

Almost ever home or apartment has a space or two your not sure what to do with. I've let such spots go for awhile to see how life flows around it. I have a tiny hall way in front of my (one and only) bathroom. Once while my sister came to visit, and the bathroom was always "occupied" inspiration in sued. I put a mirror over a small table I already had there. Voile! Another place to brush your hair or take one last look for lipstick on your teeth. Privacy? Well no, but I took the mirror down for one of my mad decor redo's and on her next visit she yelled, "where's MY mirror???" It went back up. I try not to mess with even the smallest successes.

Happy Fathers Day!

Have A Great Weekend!

See you on Monday! (nope not my kids, just like the picture!)

Trumpet Vine

Trumpet Vine(Campsis radicans)Years ago when we bought our second house there was a vine growing up the south side of the house. This was an old, turn of the century, wood sided, two storey house in need of tender loving care. We were young and naive so tackled the job that ended up being an almost 12 year project. We did everything from designing a huge kitchen, re-roofing, siding, new wiring

One Room Living

This is one of my favorite small spaces. It is a 400 square foot apartment designed by Toronto designer David Overholt. I've kept this particular magazine since 2003 because I love it so. When you can put a separate sleeping quarter in 400 square feet and make it look this stylish, you are one heck of a designer. I did scan all the pictures from the article, Unfortunately they did not show the bathroom or the kitchen. To this day, I'm still dying to see those! (All pictures from Canadian Style at home magazine. Special issue "Small Spaces" summer/fall 2003, you can find a link under favorite magazines)

Creative Displays

I love seeing creative displays in homes. It's like seeing a part of the persons personality right there on a shelf (or a wall, or a floor..) well, you get the point. When you love it , it will show! If your just starting out decorating and not too sure of your skills, start with a picture wall. You see it done a lot for a reason! So hang or display something that makes you smile. You'll be so glad you did!

Snow-in-Summer

Snow-in-Summer(Cerastium tomentosum)My mother-in-law introduced me to Snow-in-Summer when we bought our first house over twenty years ago. Since then I've grown this low growing ground cover with dusty green foliage and pretty white flowers at every house we've owned. This move will be no different.Snow-in-Summer is a very easy to grow, low maintenance perennial. It is undemanding and will

Try Something Different

Some of my best decor successes happened when I thought outside the box. My favorite, was using a folding screen as headboard (above picture is NOT my bed.) Behind your bed is a great place to be creative! Just be careful your creativity does not fall on your head late at night! The above headboard is basically fabric stretched on wood frames. Chalkboard paint can go anywhere! I painted the inside of my bathroom medicine cabinet door for fun messages for the kids in the AM. You could take the above photo idea (chalkboard calender) and make it smaller if space is a issue, maybe do just 1 week instead of a whole month. (Martha Stewart photo, direction link for a how to, under "things to buy". Did you inherit some ugly chairs? Reupholster them in some funky material! Love the chairs above for their spunk factor! Don't let a small space limit your creativity!