When I Was Your Age

Why I Love Flea Markets

2009-08-19T14:45:00.003-04:00

I love flea markets. I love everything about them. I love the rush of arriving and dreaming of all that awaits. I love thinking about and then finding that gem that has my name on it. I love Show and Tell with my girlfriends at the end of the day and crowing over a steal. I love unwrapping my treasures when I arrive home and getting a residual high for days after whenever I pass by my find. I even love showing my husband what I've scored, even though more often than not he tells me to put them straight into our garage sale pile. But mostly I love them because they never fail to make me think more creatively. If I see something that catches my eye, regardless of it's original use, I must find a way to make it work in my home.

My last visit to the Elephant's Trunk in New Milford, Connecticut yielded these beauties. They're spools for yarn and in my mind, they're every bit as beautiful as any traditional piece of art. I spied them first when a shopper walked by me with about 20 spools in gemstone colors. I envied. I was jealous. Minutes later I came upon the booth and lo and behold --- more of these beauties in colors delicious enough to eat. 3 for $6. I quickly grabbed my 6 favorites that I knew would be beautiful in my home. I grabbed my friend who was nearby to show her my purchase. She, too, wanted them but was stumped as to what to do with them once she brought them home. "Never fear," I told her. My husband would make something nifty to showcase them. She jumped. Now we both have these beauties, set on a simple wooden base with dowels.

The cost was $12. The result was priceless.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

2009-07-29T14:43:00.004-04:00

Out of all the professional photos taken at my wedding 13 years ago, this simple snapshot taken by my friend remains my favorite. I have been waiting all this time to find the perfect frame. As soon as our Monogram Shop was a twinkle in my eye, I knew exactly what I wanted. I'm not ashamed to say I love these frames -- not just for kiddies, but for everyone. Check them out here

our MONOGRAM SHOP

In Defense of Fake Flowers

2009-06-19T09:55:00.001-04:00

It takes guts these days to admit to liking fake flowers. But I do. I really do. Not all fake flowers, mind you No, no. But the right ones placed in the right places make me smile. These little daisies are small enough to for a good fake-out and I think they look super sweet in that tiny colorful vase.

Before and After How-To

2009-06-08T15:08:00.008-04:00

I'm not sure that I would necessarily recommend this for everyone. I admit painting a bathroom counter is an unconventional redecoration solution. But I'm fearless when it comes to paint. If you're itching for a change in your bathroom or kitchen, give yourself about 1/2-full day to accomplish this.

First, you have to really hate your countertops. Second, you have to be o.k. with this solution not being permanent. I can't tell you how long the surface will last, but if you take care of it properly, I'd guess you can get a few years out of it. Third, you need patience and attention to detail. Since the countertops must be sprayed with an oil-based paint, absolutely everything in the vicinity of the countertops has to be protected. If you use anything other than an oil-based spray paint, you'll see brush strokes. So I taped and papered everthing. The entire sink had to be covered as well as the hardware. I also made sure that all of the areas surrounding the countertop were protected. Finally, you'll need ventilation and a good ventilation face mask. You'll need to leave the windows open for 24 hours. I also don't recommend you do this when it's humid out --- nothing will dry and the extra moisture in the air will affect the look.

So...if you're willing to do what it takes, I think it's a great solution to a decorating problem and I'm thrilled with the way mine came out.

Once everything is protected, give the countertop a light sanding with a 150 grit paper. This helps rough up the surface and gives the paint a little "tooth" to hang onto better. Clean up the dust from the sand paper. Then spray on 2 coats of Kilz. Let each coat dry thoroughly.

I can't tell you what effect each paint will give you. My gut said to buy a paint with a texture to hide any problems. My gut served me well. I purchased a black hammered-texture spray paint. I bought 3 cans, more than enough. This product proved a little tricky, though. You need to shake it a lot. When my first can clogged up, I had the brilliant idea to stick a pin through the spray hole. It promptly sprayed me in the eye (I was fine, except for a spray painted black eye)! So...if the paint can gets clogged and you want to puncture the clog with a pin, point it away from you! Spray light sprays and let dry in between coats. Drying time is about 1/2. You should have full coverage. Maybe 3-4 coats. Let dry, remove protection and enjoy.

Color Works

2009-06-03T11:48:00.002-04:00

To borrow a phrase...think outside the box. I love this color combination. It's bright and cheery and completely unconventional. Featured here is our Cottage Crib, Double Tier Nightstand and Fancy Schmancy crates. All in unexpected nursery colors.

Summertime Blues

2009-05-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

Chasing Fireflies (www.chasing-fireflies.com) did such a beautiful job showcasing our Summer Camp play table and chairs. They chose Robin's Egg, Buttercream and Jadeite for these cool summer hues.

Before and After

2009-05-25T15:28:00.012-04:00

I love this do-it-yourself project. Here on top is my bathroom counter and cabinets when we first moved into our house in RI. Snooze. I knew I wanted to do structural changes in this bathroom eventually. But until then, I had to come up with a quick, cheap fix that wouldn't make me depressed every time I walked in. (The previous owners were all about white and beige --- the original sins for me). Voila, bottom "after". I crazy love black accents for the strong statement it makes and loved the original tile. I'm rarely intimidated to paint anything. I'll tackle it all -- painting over wallpaper, countertops -- you name it. So here I repainted both the counterop and the cabinets. New knobs from our knob collection (coming soon!) and I'm good to go. I'll show you step-by-step soon and if you dare, you can tackle this yourself.

Cabinet Room

2009-05-24T15:55:00.002-04:00

Apparently I haven't met a china cabinet that I didn't feel the need to paint. On the left is my current cabinet here in Rhode Island and on the right is my cabinet from our house in New Jersey. Like I said, I have a really easy-going husband. We have a spectacular collection of MacKenzie-Childs china in the Honeymoon pattern and it really cries out to sit in something very special. When I first acquired the china, I wanted to create a cabinet that was in keeping with the whimsical feel of this line. This time around, I wanted the cabinet to showcase the china instead of mimic it. We also added lights, which really shows off these beautiful pieces.

Say It In Style

2009-05-24T13:24:00.000-04:00

Make any occasion a little extra special with our medallion banners. Spell out a name, an occasion, a saying or a sentiment. Place them on a wall, a door, a fireplace mantel, the back of a chair, on a bulletin board, you name it. They're colorful, fun and an inexpensive way to make a statement.

With a Little Paint and Imagination

2009-05-19T19:24:00.000-04:00

Not to suggest that you attempt this on your first try but it's not impossible. A little forethought and some guts. This is the fireplace from our old house in New Jersey. I do miss it. When we moved in, the original mantel was white brick. Nothing to speak of. This new mantel was built by my husband and I did the painting. I went through lots and lots of sketches before I landed on this design.

Our new house in Rhode Island has a very non-descript fireplace that I will happily tackle before next winter. Just brick. No mantel. As a matter of fact, the entire house that we just moved into is a complete blank canvas. Just waiting for color and imagination. Stay tuned.

Recycle and Reuse

2009-05-06T17:13:00.001-04:00

Before and After...

I love these old metal chairs. These green and white ones above aren't the old, old ones that you find in antique stores and flea markets. These were bought several years ago from Restoration Hardware. But, like all metal chairs that sit out in the elements for a while, they show their wear and tear after a while. The chipping paint wasn't the bothersome part, though. It was the color. The pale green no longer worked for me and I wanted something more dramatic. Which, of course, like everything else leads to thoughts of paint.

Repurposing these for our front porch wasn't difficult at all. The prep was the most time-consuming (and boring.) The whole project took about an hour and a half. Not bad.

If you're going to tackle a similar project, a few things to keep in mind. First, clean your chairs thoroughly to remove grime and other unwanted stuff on the surface. If you're dealing with terribly rusty chairs, do a little light sanding w/a medium grit sandpaper (150) and use one of the many rust primers available. Also, work in the shade. Enamel spray paint doesn't react well to sun while it's wet and drying. Finally, do your project outside or in a garage w/the door open for ventilation and make sure there's little or no wind.

After the chair is cleaned, tape off the parts that you don't want painted with painters tape and newspaper. If you're painting the entire chair one color, you're in luck and your prep will be even easier and faster.

Use a high quality, high gloss spray paint in the color of your choice (I used a Rustoleum product). Best to use a few light coats than one heavy. Enamel spray paint can sag and look really unprofessional if it's applied too thickly all at once. Let each coat dry thoroughly. Finally, remove tape and paper and admire your work.

I love the new look of these new chairs. I've paired them with one of our Summer Camp tables which, like the chairs, was painted in a color I could no longer use. The same paint as I used on the chairs gave this table a whole new look. Black enamel high gloss paint has a look all of its own. Try it.

Got Boring Shades?

2009-05-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

Window shades are a necessary evil, especially in childrens' rooms. But they needn't be boring. Paint them to coordinate with the room. A beautifully painted window shade can even stand alone -- no other window treatment needed. If you don't have artistic talent, buy a stamp or do as above and paint a checkerboard. Checks are a neutral style that coordinate well with other prints.Cotton shades are easier to paint than the plastic/vinyl type, but they can be painted, too. Just make sure you get the kind of craft paint that works well on a plastic surface. Finish off the look with an interesting shade pull --- a tassel, a cluster of glass grapes, etc.

Cheap Tricks

2009-05-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

I have a very easy-going husband who lets me put floral wallpaper on the risers of our front entry stairs. I love these stairs and I miss them very much. They were from our charming center hall colonial in New Jersey.

This staircase treatment is a super easy, super inexpensive way to make a statement on your steps. It's done with wallpaper and all told it took me about a day. This set of stairs was the focal point in a center hall colonial. If an entry hall seems to daunting, try it on your back staircase or basement steps. The good news is, that like wallpaper on walls, it can always be removed and repainted. If you've ever wallpapered a room, this project will be a breeze.

Start with a roll of wallpaper, wallpaper paste, wallpaper brush, wallpaper burnisher, scissors, a ruler, a straight edge, a damp rag and lots of razor blades. Many wallpapers come pre-pasted. Pre-pasted wallpaper doesn't always adhere well. So even if you purchase the pre-pasted kind, use paste anyway. You can use gloves if you prefer, but make sure they're the surgical kind that allow for finger mobility.

Measure the depth and length of the front of the stair riser. Cut pieces that are approximately 1" bigger around for however many steps you'll be covering. To begin, brush the wallpaper paste onto the front of the stair. Place the paper over the glue and smooth out with your hands. You'll have time for moving it around before the glue dries to get it right. (using a floral or other pattern works better than a geometric, which can be difficult to get straight). Once the paper is in its proper place, smooth it out with your hands and then take the wallpaper burnisher and smooth it out further in all directions. Make sure you don't skip this step. The burnisher is what really laminates the paper to the wooden stairs. You will have extra wallpaper glue oozing out a bit. That's normal.

Now you have to trim the excess paper. Take your straight edge and align it to the edges of the front of the stair. Holding the straight edge tight, make a cut across with a fresh razor blad to get a neat, close cut. Once you have trimmed all 4 sides, take your damp rag and wipe off the excess wallpaper paste. Wipe it off in the edges where it's oozed and the paper itself.

Remember to also: Rinse your rag regularly to avoid glue buildup. Change razor blades often. They get dull quickly and if it's not sharp, you'll end up ripping the paper instead of cutting it. You can usually patch mistakes. (Another reason to get a highly patterned wallpaper. Mistakes are less noticeable).

As was done here, you can also finish off the stair by painting stripes.

Grocery Store Decor

2009-04-30T10:38:00.000-04:00

Here's my solution to boring switchplates...I call this "legume art". I've used dried beans on switchplates, mirror frames and even dressers. They're very cool, super cheap and always a conversation piece.

In my house in Rhode Island, one of the few things I was lucky enough to inherit with the vanilla box of a house we bought was a roomy bathroom (it's all relative --- this is the northeast and it's not new construction) with the original black and white tile.

Black and white beans from the supermarket, a glue gun, some polyurethane to finish and my black and white bathroom has a black and white lightswitch unlike any other. This template was an unfinished wooden switchplate that can be found in any craft store. An even easier solution is to glue over the existing switchplate. Just remember to leave enough space for easy mounting with the screws.

Stop and Smell the Roses

2009-04-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

It's spring and all of us who have hibernated for the winter are now out and about. Front and backyards are being raked, seeded and weeded. And planted.

Climbing roses are so special and so easy. I've had climbing roses in every home I've owned for the past 18 years. But for some reason, completely foreign to me, the new homeowners of each house has taken them all down. Three houses and three homeowners decided these amazing beauties were not for them. We're not talking about Grey Gardens overgrown roses. They were beautiful, fragrant and trellised gems. Obviously none the folks who bought any of our homes had ever been to 'Sconset in Nantucket in June and July. One look at that charming fishing village with its climbing and rambling roses going up to the rooftops and you'll be forever hooked on a climber.

So here I am now in New England where English gardens abound and moderate summers allow for lush blooms. I'm starting yet again with the climbers and the trellises and I'm hoping against hope that whomever owns my home when we're long gone, will love these roses as much as we do.

Our favorite place to buy climbers is the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas (http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/)

Recycle and Reuse

2009-04-15T23:44:00.000-04:00

Recycling isn't just for bottles and newspapers. I'm all about transforming the old and making it new. These chairs were destined for the dump when they were colorfully resurrected. Prior to the transformation they were dated and drab. White lacquer finish and nubby-beige-circa-1980 seat cushions. A little sanding, priming, painting and polyurethaning did the trick here along with the addition of a finial on top. Recovering chair seats is easy (how-to demo coming soon).

For less ambitious folks, use decoupage decals instead of handpainting.