One year my eldest decided she needed a tree of her own for her room. She got a sparkly green tree from Santa that year. She decorated it with ornaments from our tree and proudly displayed it in her room. The next year her sister wanted a tree of...
I love the holidays. It is the time when I like to add a little sparkle to each room. The first place I like to start is the ceiling, or rather light fixtures. In the formal living room, I have placed jewel bead encrusted stars hanging from the chandelier....
You want a fresh look for the holidays, but you don’t have the time to invest in big purchases. You still want to indulge yourself just a little bit. Accent pillows are the perfect solution. They can add glam, sparkle, or just serve to tie a room together. As...
I love being able to use period pieces when I can, so when a home has original fixtures I get excited. The crane sink above is original to this 1940’s home. While you can still get gorgeous new crane sinks if you look hard enough, it is always fun to...
Glistening gold, gleaming and ebonized wood- these are the things that my favorite furniture is made of. Be it a bed, chest, cabinet, table, mirror, or chair, the look is always exquisite. The style originated in France during the time of Napoleon’s First French Empire in the early 1800s...
Growing up in a house filled with good food, Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday at our house. Spending the weekend before pouring over recipes is an activity we look forward to. Then we make the shopping lists, and shop, and shop, and shop. Wednesdays are spent making...
It seems that everything we buy now comes with a remote control. TV. Wii. X box. Stereo. I have been searching for a useful yet attractive way to corral this ever growing pile. There are the obvious choices of devices made for this purpose. This one in particular caught...
With cooler weather and chilly evenings come warm nights by a crackling fire. While the fireplace is typically the architectural focal point of the room, the fireplace screen can be an afterthought. It is often something plugged in to fill a need with often a mental note to upgrade later....
There are few things as versatile as natural elements. One of my favorites is petrified wood. It is real, has a wonderful organic shape, varied and beautiful coloration, and a wonderful juxtaposition of ashen rustic edges with a polished lustrous sheen. As such, it works beautifully in any setting...
We all know the joys of finding that special shell or sea glass during the wonderful days of summer. As our children grow they also enjoy the same excitement, but often in a more voluminous fashion. For years my children collected shells at the annual family beach trip. The...