Anything...

no words needed

your favourite spot

FortCloudy of Etsy says:

Well actually she had no words to describe her favourite spot. Really though, are words needed?

If you have a favourite spot click here to see what you need to do.

anything home

Today's Links 

• faq series #1 by decorette

• before and after in jamestown, rhode island by Creative Potential on Etsy

• little chefs by Zadyball

• architectural salvage i.e. glamorous trash picking  by the happy living blog

• making a raised garden bed by As the Garden Grows

• try something new and save money too by Frugal Village

• compost and mulch by recycleholic

anything home

TODAY'S LINKS

• garage sale - one man's junk is another man's treasure by Hot Rocks New Designer Jewelry

• potato planting by cloudhopping

• we heart small town life by Beneath the Rowan Tree

• a tofu triumph by Tea and Honey Bread

• ultimate brownies by Huckleberry Arts

• random pictures of my garden by A Breath of Fresh Air

• home by artgirlx

If you have a link to a post about anything home send me an email and I'll post it.

say hello to the little brown bird

Isn't she cute? The little brown bird has made her debut at Mosaico Decor.

The premise behind this, and switch plates to come, is that perhaps I should move into a more neutral palette.

Some of my most popular designs are very colourful, so I won't be abandoning the use of colour all together. I will be experimenting with neutrals more to see if the appeal is wider.



This design will also be available in brown only. I think it'll have a woodburned  look about it, which may or may not be a good thing. Only time will tell if this new direction will take me where I want to go.

stop and smell the roses

your favourite spot

Onama of Etsy says:

"I don't have a yard, but when I want to enjoy the sun and the grass, I go here:

It's a small park right by my house that I often walk the dog around and sometimes we stop to "smell the roses".

If you have a favourite spot at home or in your neighbourhood send me an email and I'll post about it.

suck up the invaders

Sometimes you do the right thing without realizing it. A couple of summers ago we noticed those big giant, huge, ugly black ants marching through our basement. Your first instinct is to squish those buggers. My husband decided that there were too many of them, so he hauled out the Shop Vac and vacuumed them up.


Photo by:  John Kimbler

As it turns out this was the right thing to do. Apparently when you step on ants or kill them with pesticide, they send out a scent signal. The scent alerts the other ants and they come to find their fallen friends. This is exactly what you don't want.

Try and find out where they came in and take steps to make sure they don't enter again. Baby powder, pepper, vaseline, bay leaves... I'm sure you have your own secret ingredient. May your summer be ant free!!

my plants killed themselves

This isn't something I'm proud of, but I'm a plant killer. Every plant I've ever had, has died under my care. Notice I said care. I did care for them, but for some reason they all decided to kill themselves.

My house has no plants in it right now, and after reading about Nasa studies on how common houseplants absorb pollutants in your home, I've decided I'm going to make friends with some (they're going to look as good as that picture, yes they are!).

Here's a list of the top 20 plants that'll work hard cleaning the air for you.

I'm envious of people who have those lovely wide window sills. If I did I'd  grow some herbs indoors. Some that work especially well are: basil; thyme; oregano; sage; rosemary and mint. They not only help clean the air, but have great aromatic properties of their own.

If you can't grow fresh herbs, why not hang some dried ones.  Hanging dried herbs will help scent the air as well as repel some insects...double duty.

I'm going to go out this weekend and shop for some new friends.

in the closet

Is your closet a mess?  Mine sure is and I'd love to organize it. There's nothing stopping me but laziness I guess.

 

Maybe the email I got today was a sign from somebody, somewhere. It was from Rubbermaid Canada. There were pretty pictures of perfectly organized closets...aahhh.

There was a link to an online interactive closet designer, which of course I played with. I pretended it was my closet and I did feel a little more organized.

I'm going to check out one of these systems. I like them 'cause you don't have to cut anything. I might even be able to do it myself...one can dream.

a port in the storm

Every now and then it's fun to move the furniture around. We used to do it more often but, age...well you know. A while back we re-arranged the living room and ended up with a cozy reading corner. Of course you don't have to read while enjoying this wonderful spot...relaxing however is not optional!

The chair in your cozy nook ideally will be of the overstuffed variety. It doesn't have to be new, ours sure isn't, but it must be comfortable. You can add an ottoman or footstool for that extra bit of comfort. I like the ottomans that open and can be used as storage...more magazines. Stock your chair with a quilt or afghan and of course a pillow or two for back support.

Good lighting is important here. Use soft reader-friendly bulbs. Position the lamp so the light isn't shining directly at eye level. We went out and purchased an inexpensive floor lamp. It's basically three movable lamps on a pole. I like the idea of being able to position the lamp so it only shines on your page. You may prefer a table lamp.

Find a table to put beside the chair to hold your beverage of choice, your books and/or huge stack of magazines, the glasses you can't read without and of course the lamp if that's the lighting you've chosen.

Use this new-found haven for special reading time with your kids or to just get away from it all for a little while. You might even be taken away to a place where that ugly 80's decor doesn't exist...aahhh!!

idle treasures

Here's some simple ideas that'll help you eke a second life out of idle treasures.

Orphaned saucers make great soap dishes. The decorative edge adds a lovely touch to the room.

Photo by: Marcie

Lidless sugar bowls are re-invented as unique candles. They also make pretty little vases for single blooms.

Catch the water under a plain terracotta plant pot with a pretty, but never used bread plate. They're also great as a catchall at the front door for your keys.

Let's not forget the, for your eyes only, mugs you have hidden away. They can be fun reminders of your past, so use a favourite one as a pencil holder.

It's all about looking at things in a different way. Go ahead, dig through your own treasure trove and see what you come up with.