Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Tips, tricks, ideas, and projects
For a good part of the Country the beginning of March is an ugly time. Winter hangs on. Gone are the picture postcard pretty snow falls, and left behind is the gray and brown slush, the piles of plowed snow, the leaky boots, wet mittens and dented snow shovels. We know spring is coming. It says so on the calendar. I live in Florida, I’ve lived here since the 80’s and I STILL remember late February storms, and blustery March days, longing for sun and warmth.
Most winters in Florida, like the one just passed, are warm, not really winter at all. It’s already been in the 80’s for many days here. For some who live here it’s hard to decorate seasonally. Not for me. Maybe it’s those memories of earlier winters, maybe it’s just turning the page on another month on the calendar, whatever it is, I’ve never had difficulty decorating for the seasons. I was one of “those.” You know them. The ones who go all out for every season and every holiday, no matter how obscure the day. Autumn? Couldn’t wait. It’s my favorite season. Thanksgiving? Yep. Christmas? Of course, beginning Thanksgiving Day night. (or even a couple of weeks before. eegads) Valentines Day? Hearts galore. St Patrick’s? Yes, because I’m Irish, well, a part of me is Irish. And that’s all it takes to decorate for the day. Friends Day? Of course. OK, maybe not Friends Day, but you get the idea. I put my seasonal decor up early and before I even enjoyed it I was making plans for the next holiday/season. If you are like that, embrace it. There’s nothing wrong with being excited about the next season. Even though I’m embracing a simpler style doesn’t mean you have to be like me. (But why wouldn’t you, I’m pretty awesome…. but I digress as usual)
Looking back, I feel sorry for that woman. The woman I used to be. What was the rush? Why did I want time to move so quickly? Why did I feel so compelled to fill my home with temporary decorations? Some of them a bit tacky as I look back, and always over done. I don’t have an answer to those questions. I never took the time to slow down. To savor the moments. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I began to change. To slow down. To savor. Maybe it’s age related, I’m getting close to my 7th decade after all. I WANT time to slow down.
A few years ago, whatever the reason, I began cutting back on decor and putting things out more in line with what the calendar said, not the temperature, and not what I saw at the craft stores and on blogs. Yes, I do understand that bloggers must “jump the gun” to get their posts published so that they can share their ideas with their followers, after all, I’m a blogger now, I get it. And retail stores need to get their seasonal things out before the season, so that we can buy the items we want before the season. We need time to plan, purchase supplies and get projects done before the holiday or season is upon us. But getting projects completed doesn’t mean that one has to actually display them a month before the season. Does it?
Since re-defining my style and wanting a simpler, neutral look, I’ve also embraced a simpler, neutral look in my seasonal decorating. I want my home to whisper the season I’m in, not necessarily scream it. I want to savor each moment of every season. Even the ugly endings. I may whine about the heat and humidity of our endless Florida summers, but I no longer want to opt out and put pumpkins and scarecrows out the first of September. September! WHAT???? WHY??? Isn’t October early enough? OK, I’ll remove the flag displays from the front porch after Labor Day. But no pumpkins! I draw the line until October!
I now enjoy the shorter days of winter by curling up with good books, or snuggling with Mr B and the fur babies, and listening to music. I love my simple after Christmas displays of winter greens and pine cones, and even in Florida we use chunky throws. I leave those even when the mercury says it’s 80° outside, long after it’s ridiculous to have a chunky throw out in Florida. When spring comes I take the time to watch the birds choosing mates, building nests, the ducks returning from harsher climes to lay claim to our pond once more without planning a flag themed summer display for the front porch. I sit outside on summer evenings and enjoy a beautiful sunset, or enjoy a glass of juice in the morning while butterflies flit around my flowers, I don’t think about fall. I missed a lot of those moments before. I was so busy planning for the next holiday, the next season.
Before I actually go all Walt Whitman I guess I’d better get to the reason for this post. Transitioning from winter to early spring. Here in my suburban sanctuary, I’ve embraced the farmhouse style, or at least my version of farmhouse. Since I don’t live in one it must be my version. There are lots of versions of farmhouse style. I’ll talk about those soon, but not today. So here’s what’s happening now. Gone are all the winter greens. I put away most of the lichen displays, and the bleached pine cones are packed up until next October. I got rid of almost all of the cotton stems (to tell the truth I’m sick of cotton stems). I packed up the chunky throws until next winter. I began bringing in spring as I usually do, in the dining room. Fresh greenery and a couple of nests, my natural wood bead garland. Some faux eggs. That’s it.
To bring early spring into your home, it’s as simple as getting your pitchers out. Milk jugs or mason jars. Milk glass or vintage vases. Or rusty cans of unknown heritage. Galvanized watering cans say spring with or without flowers. For now, fill them with simple greenery. I use greens I clip from shrubs in my yard. Unlike fresh flowers, they’ll last for weeks. Look around your yard, I’m betting no matter what part of the world you live in, you have bushes or ground covers. Boxwood, Viburnams, Ivy, etc. Or go to a local florist and buy filler plants if you don’t have anything to clip. Ferns stay lush for a couple of weeks if you keep them in fresh water. Ivy will actually take root in water. Or buy a pot of pothos, ivy or philodendron to add that punch of fresh green. Pick up a faux nest, with or without eggs. Or make your own nest with leaves, pine needles, whatever is in your area and use egg shells from your own kitchen. Add a vintage botanical print and all of a sudden you have spring!
Keeping this look simple means I can change it up easily by adding flowers later for a bit more color. (When the calendar says it’s spring.) Easter isn’t until April this year so there’s no need for bunnies and chicks and pink and green to bring the feeling of early spring to your home. Remove heavy bedding, chunky knit throws and fur pillows. If you love themed throw pillows, look for ones with bird motifs or nests that can also be used for summer. Feathers are still trendy this year. Botanical prints have found new importance. Look around your rooms, remove what feels like winter. Open draperies and curtains to let the sun in. It doesn’t take much. Above all, savor this season. The season of renewal. Slow down. Let spring slowly blossom inside your home just as it does outside. There’s still plenty of time to add bunnies and chicks. What’s the rush??
Create the home you see in your heart. Create your own sanctuary, no matter where you live.
What is it about wood beads? Especially wood bead garlands? They’ve been popular for a couple of years now. Honestly, I never saw the attraction……..until I did. I have no idea why I suddenly decided I HAD to have a wooden bead garland. It was a MUST. Okaaay, I went directly to Etsy. WOWZER! Those suckers are expensive! No way am I going to pay $60.00 for four feet of tiny wooden beads. Not gonna happen. (I wouldn’t pay $60.00 for large beads either.) So on to Amazon, the purveyor of all things, like Walmart only better. I found bead vendors, multiple bead vendors, in fact. Now what size? Deciding the size of the beads I wanted was the hardest part of this whole project! Because it involves an understanding of math. And you know I.don’t.do.math.
What the? How big is 25mm in real life? I finally found a source that not only used mm but also conveniently listed inches, or fractions of inches. Like a ¼ inch. Which I must not understand the actual size of a ¼ inch, but that’s another story. I ordered the 1 inch size, figuring they would be substantial. And just for grins, I ordered ½ inch beads as well, because, you know, when throwing myself into a DIY project I’ve never tried before I always convince myself that it will be successful and I will want to do it again. I will be the wooden bead garland Queen. It’s thoughts like these that have resulted in my craft closet being the the place where projects go to die.
This is one of the easiest DIY projects EVER. I had one completed in under 20 minutes, 10 minutes of that spent trying to figure out how to keep the end of my string from fraying so that it would actually fit in the bead hole. After a few minutes of frustration, just before I hurled all the beads to the floor, I thought, wax! I dug out my little tin of sticky wax and put a glob (technical term) on the end and just twisted it into a nice point. Sticky wax is wonderful stuff. Also called museum wax or candle adhesive, it can be used to stabilize candles, or hold dainty items on a shelf, so that a slamming door or other trauma from say…..stampeding grandchildren won’t cause the precious collectables to fall to the floor.
Where was I? Oh, yes, the string. OK, get sturdy string or twine to string your beads. The size of your string should be compatible with the size of your beads. Thicker for larger beads, thinner will work for small ones. Even dental floss works but you’ll have to figure out how to tie a knot big enough to keep your beads from sliding off the floss. Ditto for any string. The three requirements for string are: 1. It has to be sturdy 2. It has to be small enough to go through the hole in the bead. 3. You must be able to tie a knot in the end large enough to hold the bead. It doesn’t matter what kind you use unless you want to string your garland loosely, so that the string, or ribbon shows as an added decorative element. Then some care should be taken to make sure that it’s attractive.
I have lots of jute twine. I could have used that because the holes in the 1 inch balls are large enough to take it. Also it knots wonderfully well. But I didn’t. Instead I used some “marking” string. I’m sure this string has an actual name, but since I don’t know it…….It’s the kind contractors use for marking level for concrete and brick work and other projects that require a large level space. It’s sturdy. I took borrowed it from the garage where it could used for um, outdoor projects……to bring it inside recently…..because it’s white and aged, so yeah, it came inside to use as decor. You can imagine here the face of Mr B. But just get some string, or ribbon, or twine. Whatever.
I sat with HGTV on in the background because I can pay no attention during commercial breaks, there are a lot of them and they are loongg. Besides, everybody knows the shows don’t get interesting until after the third property is looked at and they get down to the design and decor part. So it’s perfect for mindless crafts. Once I had my supplies, a lap full of beads, and a length of string about 2 times longer than I needed it, I went to work. Made a big knot in one end, large enough that it wouldn’t let the bead slide right off the string, and I was in business. Just thread the string through the beads to achieve your required length. Finish by tying another large knot in the end. Trim the string. I’ve seen some finished with tassles on the end, or bows or even tiny beads, I just tied mine in a knot as close to the last bead as possible. 4 feet and a big knot later….. I had a garland! WOOT!
I have no idea what to do with it now that I have it. This MUST HAVE has no place. Yet. I might drape it over the lights on the ceiling fan to add some excitement. (Things might get very exciting if that string ever breaks in the middle of the night. Can you say bead shot?) I thought about wrapping it around some ivy or other “planty like” (technical design term) garland for a spring table. I.HAVE.NO.IDEA. sigh. But hey! It looks cool on the dining room table where I threw it (OK, carefully placed), to show you the glorious new bead garland I.made.myself….. I made myself! And it didn’t cost $60.00. I think I got all the beads for less than $20.00 and the string was free unless you count the exasperation of Mr B when finding his string in the house as decor. Um, yeah, that could be defined as expensive. But hey! That garland……It adds texture and natural color to the tablescape.
This morning I started layering things for a new centerpiece on the dining room table as a prelude to spring. Something simple and farmhouse. I won’t add any spring items to it, however, because….it isn’t spring yet. But I did want a “farmy” centerpiece. (Another professional design term.) So I used a length of grain sack, my favorite pitcher and a bowl I picked up recently at a flea market. They looked fine together, albeit a bit plain after all the holiday and winter decor. But I liked it. Simple. And I loved the lines of the two pieces together. Still, it needed something. But what?
I’m already tired of using the usual greens and seeded eucalyptus and I definitely didn’t want to use cotton stems. I didn’t want to over-do it. Eureka! The garland was already on the end of the table waiting for its photo. I didn’t overthink it, like I usually do, I just placed it around the bowl and pitcher and let a few inches of the garland drape over the side of the bowl. I LIKE it. It gave just enough texture. It added just enough to take the vignette from flat to interesting. For now the bead garland that I.Made.Myself will live on the table. While I make another garland, this time with the ½ inch beads. Yep, this is a super easy peasy project. One whose parts will not go off to die a lonely death in the closet. And I will enjoy wearing my crown as Queen of bead garland.
Create a sanctuary. Create the home you see in your heart.
One of my addictions loves is architectural salvage. I decorate with old house parts, that’s my “thing.” It’s the way I add some character, depth and charm to my otherwise boxy suburban home. I love chippy. I treasure worn and tattered. To me, nothing is more beautiful than a piece of history from an old home. Back in the time when carpenters took pride in their work, when a house was more than plywood and concrete blocks covered in stucco, when there wasn’t a deadline of a few months to complete a house. When homes had charm. Those are the homes I dream of. Of course Mr B doesn’t get it. He is ever the hootless one, not giving, nor having a hoot to give about decor, charm or history. He likes clean and modern. Not that there’s a thing wrong with that. Clean and modern fits him. He’s a clean and modern man and I adore him. And he’s tolerant of my lust for things with history, or as he says; “old crap.” He’s my go-to carpenter, the one I turn to for making things. He’s the King of eye rolls and mutterings but he’s also the King at figuring out the weird angles and how to make old things fit together to make new things.
Decorating your home with old crap architectural treasure is easy. Architectural salvage is to farmhouse design what diamonds were to Elizabeth Taylor. A necessity. I started picking up the odd pieces of salvage in the 80’s before it became the hot new thing. Back then I could get glass door knobs for a few dollars a box. Corbels? No problem. Ceiling tin, almost free. I can’t afford any of those things anymore. A pair of chippy, peeling corbels now fetch three figures. Shutters in the 80’s could be picked up for free. Now? No way. Old doors? Vendors practically gave them away. Now? Finding them in my immediate area for less than $100 is rare. These are the things I dig for in dumpsters. Literal trash heaps, people. I have no shame. But I do have sturdy shoes and gloves in the back of my car for picking.
So what are my favorites? Old door trim. Corbels, windows, vintage doors, old shutters, ceiling tin, cabinet doors, and armoire parts. These things are decorating gold, maybe even decorating platinum. Including these things in your home can be as easy as adding picture wire to the back of a cabinet door and hanging it from a nail or hook. Or it may involve taking something apart, to create something entirely different. Using a mostly rotten door for parts. Removing broken glass from a window and replacing it with mirror. Old ceiling tin can be used on its own as decor, to line the back of a cabinet or for a back splash in a kitchen or bathroom. Look at old, crusty broken parts with new eyes, try to see not what they are now, but what they could be.
I use my salvage for all sorts of things, the a fore mentioned, easy, hang it as decor project, and I’ve Mr B has taken apart many an old thing to turn it into something else I needed wanted for the house. I have a huge tiny pile of old crap (depending on who is describing the size of the pile), in the garage for creating new things. Amazing what’s in there. Bits and bobs of assorted hardware thingies, door parts, a couple few windows, some broken pieces of random wood. It’s GLORIOUS!!!!! But how can these things be used to add charm?
SHUTTERS: oh, the love of shutters. Lean working ones in a window for privacy instead of the normal blinds. Or build a frame for them that fits inside a working window for a more finished look. I just lean mine in case I want to change my look or use them for another project. Shutters can be hung on a wall as art. Or used as part of a console table, attach legs to the bottom and cover the top with glass. Easy peasy. They make handy holders for mail and cards.
DOORS: I LOVE doors. I so want to use old doors in place of new ones throughout my home…… Because I love and live with the hootless one I I use them instead for their charm, again, leaning up on a wall or used to make tables, benches and headboards. Partially rotted ones can be salvaged for parts, I use part of a door with vintage hooks for my towels in the guest bath. The center panels are used as bathtub trays, or on the dining room table in addition to, or instead of, a table runner.
CABINET DOORS: As wall art, or to act as the backing to framed photos or art. Those with glass can be used to make in new cabinets or remove the glass and add mirror. Or make a small table, top a treadle base with a cabinet door for an instant side or console table. Or use one to create a sign.
WINDOWS: If you are aren’t using windows, as…well, windows, lean them in front of your charmless windows. (Do you detect a trend here, with all the leaning of things?) Stained glass windows make wonderful wall art, hung in a group or individually, they are beautiful in their own right. Windows as mirrors. Windows as the top for a display table. Build a box to fit your window, add legs, hinge the window and attach it to the box base. Add memorabilia or faux succulents. Or just hang them as art. A large empty wall is a perfect place for a grouping of windows.
CEILING TIN: Wall art. Back splash. Magnet boards. Back a cabinet or bookcase with pieces of tin cut to fit.
CORBELS: Hang at interior doorways or the entrance to a hall. They make beautiful book ends. I use them on top of my bookcase and entertainment center as objets de art to add interest.
There is virtually no end to what a creative mind can come up with in re-using architectural salvage. So get yourself some old crap decorating gold. Go dumpster diving. Haunt salvage shops. Make friends with the owner or supervisor of local construction companies and find out when old homes are going to be taken down, ask if you can salvage the doors and windows, etc. Add charm and interest to your home. Create the home you see in your heart.
There are a few must haves in any house I’ve lived in. These are what make an ordinary house my home. Without them I feel unsettled. For me, a house without pets, books, photos, or plants is cold and sterile and far from feeling like a sanctuary. This post is about adding another easy care, almost goof proof plant to your home. Plants bring life, color and texture. A large plant can fill a corner of an almost empty room, providing a focal point as you wait to discover just the right piece of furniture. Or bring attention to a treasured piece of furniture. A plant can add softness to a vignette of objects with hard edges. Or bring curves to a room filled with square and rectangular lines of furniture. Plants help clean the air in our modern homes. And let’s face it, plants are beautiful.
Some of the easiest plants to grow indoors are in the family Philodendron, with over 200 varieties, philodendrons are some of the most often used indoor plants. One of the easiest of these is the the Heart Leaf Philodendron. Originating in South America, and variously called philodendron cordatum sweetheart, scandens oxycardium or hederaceum var. oxycardium, this easy care plant is on NASA’s list for “clean air plants.” They can be purchased at every garden center, big box store and most grocery stores. The leaves emerge shiny and bronze but quickly turn dark green and heart shaped. They thrive in moist, but not wet, soil and bright indirect light, but tolerates lower light as well. Leaves will be pale if the plant is placed in an area with too much light. Not enough water produces yellow leaves, too much and the leaves will be brown. Too much fertilizer will cause brown leafs tips. In spite of this, sweetheart plant is very hard to kill. It has very few pests and the biggest concern is root rot from over watering. Caring for this plant couldn’t be easier, unless it’s a fake one, but why do fake when real is so easy??? Even the most brown thumbed of gardeners can grow it successfully.
Give it regular water, letting the soil dry out a bit between waterings. As always, test the soil by sticking your finger in the pot to about an inch, if the soil is damp, hold off, if dry, water. Fertilize with half strength (50/50 mix of fertilizer and water) monthly during the spring and summer, every other month during fall and winter. Wipe the surface of the leaves with a damp cloth or sponge to remove dust. Place it where it receives several hours of indirect light. That’s it. Couldn’t get any easier.
Heart leaf philodendron grows quickly and without trimming will grow as a vine like plant, with stems that can easily reach four feet. It can be trained to climb a small trellis but looks best with its stems drooping gracefully over the edges of pots, cascading down the edges of book cases or shelves. It makes an excellent hanging plant as well. Trim or pinch the stems regularly to keep the plant bushy or whenever the growth becomes spindly or stems get too long for the place you’ve chosen for it. Trim or pinch at a leaf node. (The place where the leave stem attaches to the plant.) Philodendron is easy to propagate, ensuring a continuing supply of new plants. Clip lengths at a leaf node, strip all but a few leaves on the stem and put in a glass or other container of water. Within two weeks you’ll see roots. You can leave the plant in your container and grow it that way for quite some time, I’ve left some in a container of water for months before potting because, as you know, I’m lazy and why should I take it out of a place it obviously loves and stick in a pot of dirt??? That seems cruel. But…if your object is to propagate a new plant for an actual pot then apologize to it and put it in a container filled with good soil. Water immediately after potting to thoroughly moisten the soil, but don’t soak it. Then water as needed. Re-pot your philodendron when it becomes root bound, making sure to gently separate roots before placing it in its new container.
NOTE of caution: The leaves of this plant contain calcium oxalates and are toxic to pets. If you have these plants in your home and notice your dog or cat pawing at its mouth, vomiting or drooling or foaming contact your veterinarian at once.
In the last few years new varieties have been developed with lighter green, almost chartreuse leaves and some with variegation. No matter which variety you choose, or what you call it, heart leaf philodendron IS a sweetheart and easily makes the list of almost goof proof plants, adding softness, color and life to almost any setting. It’s a perfect choice for farmhouse, cottage or country styled homes.
Not many things in my home stay the same for long periods of time, some things get changed regularly, others may take years to get an update. With the exceptions of sofas and two leather chairs, almost everything else is fair game for a makeover, especially if it can be painted. Years ago I had a vintage door in my office, leaning in a corner. It had a no purpose, I just love old doors. Since Mr B wasn’t on board with my whole, let’s-replace-all-our-perfectly-good-but-hollow-core-doors-with-something-old-and chippy-but-solid-and-with-character idea, I just left it until inspiration hit. And soon inspiration hit me. A table!! Let’s make a table! And when I say, ‘Let’s” I mean, “you, Mr B!” As long as he didn’t have to hang vintage doors as uh… um…….well, doors, he was happy to do it. I wanted the table to be built from the whole door, and I didn’t want a plywood bottom or sides, just the door, other than that, he had free rein.
I lovingly stripped most of the paint off the door before turning the project over to my hero. (That’s a big, fat lie. I hatefully and grudgingly stripped that paint off, I mean who loves stripping paint??) I did leave some of the original paint on one side, and after some thought, decided I wanted the stripped side to be used as the top and visible sides. Mr B is a marvel at looking, and thinking and planning before starting a project. Unlike me, I am the person who eyeballs for level, guesses at measurements, and jumps right in with a can of paint and a paintbrush before learning a new technique. I have no patience for owners’ manuals, instructions that come with those little baggies filled with a bazillion parts, or thinking about a project ahead of time. I have a vision and I go for it. Which is why many of my projects must be rescued by my rocket scientist (he really is one) husband.
He made the cutest door table ever. In the history of door tables. He even added casters so I could move it around my office whenever we needed to use the sofa bed for guests. I used it for years as my “coffee table” in front of that sofa bed. (“Coffee table” is in quotes because I don’t drink coffee, but calling it a “Barqs Root Beer table” sounds stupid.) Mr B cut pieces of plexiglass for the top and bottom. Plexi instead of glass so that we he could drill a hole in it for the door knob, which I HAD TO HAVE. I mean, what good is a door without a knob?? The piece on the bottom is so a basket of books or magazines could be moved easily. It provides a level surface while not obscuring the fact that it’s a door, so it’s functional as well as allowing a hole for the knob, which I HAD TO HAVE. Did I mention that already? Function is great, but let’s face it, form gets my vote every time.
And then I decided it would make a great side table for my chair. My chair is where I sit in the morning to drink juice and read the paper. It’s the chair I sit in to read books, or browse through magazines. Mr B sits in an identical chair close to me where he reads the paper and has his morning coffee. There’s an old sewing chest in between and another small table next to his chair, handy for coffee. But I needed a table to hold my books, magazines and of course, my root beer. So the door table came to live in the family room. It’s been there for years.
When I started to change my style to all neutral several years ago, the kitchen and family room stayed much the same. I wanted to change those rooms, but hadn’t made the leap into selling packing up my collection of antique and vintage blue graniteware. The thought actually filled me with dread. I’d been collecting it for years and some pieces were valuable. All that money spent. But if I truly wanted to make that change, it had to go. I never liked the blue with the oak cabinets and all the brown in the family room. Mr B and my bestie, even my son, made various comments; “Don’t do it” “What’s wrong with the blue?” “But I like the blue.” I tried to embrace the blue, I really did. I even added more blue things to the rooms hoping it would help. In my heart of hearts I hated those two rooms. They didn’t feel right. I wanted needed a change. So my graniteware collection got packed up and anything blue I could live without went to a yard sale, friends or was donated. I started painting some things white. Immediately the rooms felt better. More like the me I am today. I didn’t miss the graniteware. The little door table stayed the same. No need to change it, there wasn’t anything wrong with its natural finish. Until a couple of days ago. It needed an update. I had a plan.
If you read the post about the orphan table you are already wondering what went wrong. I am happy to say NOTHING went wrong. In fact, everything went exactly as I’d planned. I love when that happens. A couple coats of paint, some scraping and a bit of sanding and TA DA! (I really wanted a post where I could say Ta Da!) My little table looks great. You can see some bits of the original paint, it looks so good! I’m in love. It’s staged with a few of my favorite books but no one, including me, knows how long those things will stay. Nothing ever stays the same for long. I like to tweak and change things up. So what you see on that table today may not live to see tomorrow. But one thing is for sure. We’ll be sitting in our respective chairs tomorrow morning, starting our day with the paper, sharing conversation, sipping a glass of juice, and for one of us, a cup of coffee.
When creating your sanctuary don’t overlook or underestimate the power of paint. If something isn’t “you” anymore, if it doesn’t quite go, a coat or two of paint may mean the difference between reviving a piece and buying new. Create the home you see in your heart. Start with paint. What could go wrong???
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