Why I Love Flea Markets

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.

Swingin' Chandelier

My love of color is no secret. But undertaking this project had me a little nervous. The overhaul of a vintage chandelier that had previously graced a more sophisticated setting than that which exists in my world was a bit daunting. But the texture of the chandelier arms spoke to me and I wanted them to be enhanced by a striking aqua. A coat of Kilz primer and a spray paint in a satin finish was all it took. I painted the crystals in different shades of blues and greens with regular acrylic paint. Up close they're fooling no one, but hung from the ceiling with the lights shining, they gave me the exact look of colored milk glass that I was hoping for. I'm no sewer but the chain cover was easy to make with fabric glue. I think this is a project that anyone can tackle. Even those brand new, generic-looking chandeliers from Home Depot or Loew's would work.

Got Boring Shades?

Window shades are sometimes a necessary evil, especially in childrens' rooms. And most of the time, they're ugly and boring. A huge swath of white when pulled down, an annoying obstruction when pulled up.

But they needn't be boring. With a little paint and imagination they can become superstars in any room. Since I'm all about the paint, I love to paint cotton shades 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 I did 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.

Color Works

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.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I never much cared what the cynics said about Tavern on the Green. From the time I was a young child and saw it for the first time all decked out in its holiday best, I have been a faithful devotee of this New York landmark. For me, it was never about the food (although I don't recall ever having a complaint), rather it was all about the visual. A trip to Tavern was always a trip to a world where dreamers dream big with outsized imaginations. A world with a bounty of color, texture and sparkle. Tavern had it all in spades. From its oversized topiaries, to the wedding cake ceiling, to it's sublime location in Central Park and glistening, colorful chandeliers -- Tavern on the Green was, as they say -- sui generis.

Created in its current incarnation by Warner LeRoy, the scion of the famed Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn LeRoy, Tavern on the Green was a quirky approximation of Munchkin Land meets Oz. It never failed to dazzle me with its unabashed homage to excess. As a "more is more" girl, it was my design muse in so many ways, not the least of which was the creation of our Tavern Lanterns.

And now, sadly, after all these years, it's closing its doors for good and the contents are to be auctioned off. While all of the items up for auction are beauties and will no doubt take center stage wherever they're housed, it was the mass that made them special. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts. In this day and age, where "clean" and "modern" is the decor de jour, Tavern on the Green embodies the soul of where my design impulses always land. If one outsized, colored chandelier is good then 3, 4 or 5 is even better. If a painted ceiling was pretty, then adding embellishments made it memorable. I love to dazzle and be dazzled by color, texture and abundance.

But now my muse is being put out to pasture (not the least bit ironic since Tavern's origins date back to its days as a sheepfold). Lucky bidders will lay claim to giant topiaries shaped like a squirrel, dancing bear, King Kong, giraffe or bunny, a 65" bronze bear statue, a kelly green chandelier made in Austria for the Maharaja of Udaipur, beautiful Baccarat, Waterford and Strauss chandeliers, Tiffany hanging lamps, handpainted Parisien jardinieres, a 52 foot mural of Central Park, and so many other one-of-a-kind momentos. Thousands of dollars will be spent in mid-January to purchase a piece of this iconic NY restaurant.

Alas, I won't be one of them scooping up a piece of Americana. My pockets aren't nearly deep enough to own these treasures. Fortunately for me though, there is one thing I have from Tavern that I will own forever. My memories.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

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

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

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.

Summertime Blues

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

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.