Sadly, the above and below are not a staged photos. It it is what the only available surface in my daughter’s dorm room looks like on any given day for the last 3 weeks. As you’ve seen, her dorm room is tiny. It has room for 2 beds, 2 chests,...
Nature is always an inspiration. Several years ago I designed a Fairy Garden Room for a seven year old. Inspired by her love of the outdoors, we took a fallen tree branch from her yard and suspended it from the ceiling over a reading loveseat. I adorned it with...
Sometimes a single piece of furniture can make a room. The armoire/ cupboard above is one such treasure. It has gracious curvy lines. It has ornate carvings. It has a spectacular patina finish. Then it has this completely unexpected pop of vibrant interior blue. Now if you are currently...
If you haven’t already guessed, I get a little out of control when it comes to decorating for special occassions. Some seasons and holidays are fairly simple to decorate. Halloween has ghosts and Jack-o-lanterns, Thanksgiving has pumpkins, Christmas has trees and wreath. Spring has always been a bit trickier...
There is nothing quite like a fire. It glows. It crackles. It provides warmth. Put it against the back drop of the great outdoors and you have something truly spectacular. While outdoor fireplaces are all the range currently, a fire pit is an equally suitable alternative with considerably less...
In 1882 Edward H. Johnson, who worked for Thomas Edison’s Illumination Company used “80 small red, white and blue electric bulbs, strung together along a single power cord, to light the Christmas tree in his New York home” This was the first ever use of electric lights in a Christmas...
One year one of the girls picked up the slice off the bottom of the Christmas tree, put it in her pocket, and brought it home. It had a hole in the center from where the tree had stood on the stand in the lot. The girls decided to...
The girls always love making peppermint bark for family and friends during the holidays (read as: they love to eat it). After several years of experimentation this is the recipe we generated. Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate (this melt more evenly than chopped...
I have always wanted an orange tree. As we don’t live in Florida or California, it has always been merely a dream. Then one day I came across an orange tree for sale at the Farmer’s market. There is a master gardner there that is always growing something of...
Iced cupcakes are always a big hit. If decorated they can become almost magical depending on your audience. Follow the pictogram below to make your own spiderweb cupcakes. First frost cupcake with desired background color. Then pipe a contrasting color of icing on top. I used the Wilton small...