Whimsical Tablescape

A corner of our family room

I took these photos not long ago to show how I like to do some whimsical things in my home decor. I had this primitive black cat carved out of wood and this cute bird cage. I didn't want to get rid of my primitive cat as it has sentimental value to me but I don't do primitive either. So, what to do???

Recently I closed down the staging aspect of my business. In the process I sold or donated all of my household items and accessories. The little black cat had been sitting down in my warehouse but I just had to hang on to her. But my space is so limited. I also had the little green bird with the upturned tail. I grouped them together in this way with the cat inside the cage and the bird on the outside looking it. It is just a fun way to create a little point of interest in an area with a whimsical tablescape. The non-observant will walk right by but it does put a smile on the face of some, including me.


Accessorizing is so much fun and really sets the tone of the room. If you like a comfy, less formal look try a little whimsy~it works. A little surprise now and then creates fun and an opportunity to take yourself and life a little less seriously.

I Am IN LOVE With This

I'm sorry...This is Flat Out Gorgeous! Woohoo!

I participated in this new meme today and discovered this wonderfully talented lady that made this and explained how she did it here. I love the metallic look, the gems, the rustic embellishments, the glitz...in short everything about it! I love that it is not practical...it is simply beautiful! This is bedazzling at it's finest!

I am on it, thus begins my new sparkly button collection! Stop over and meet Ann. And check out the meme called WooHoo Wednesday! I can see it is going to be a FUN way to celebrate your gratitude!

Welcome to the Cottage

From the Street you see this...

I was asked by a few people to include more outside photos of the house so here you go...


I have always loved the beautiful wrap around porches we see in the design magazines but I am just as happy with our little one. Yesterday after the "cat nap" and cleaning up I decided to fool around with the porch a little. I rescued the wicker chairs from the warehouse and put this together. As you can see our bricks are cracking and separating...a hazard when the ground shifts here in CA. Fortunately our good friends own a masonry company and I have put in a call for a repair soon. So these can be the before pics.

Tic Tac Toe with frogs and dragonflies anyone?

If you come to this door I will know you are a perfect stranger or you really are coming to play tic tac toe. Even though this is the front door we never use it except to come out on the porch. I seriously think we don't even have a key to the door. We and all of our family and friends enter into our backdoor. "Backdoor Friends Are Best," it has been said and in our case it is very true. Here is a photo of the porch we normally use.

After coming up the drive way you can turn left at the bricks to go to the porch I just showed you, or you can go straight to the "backdoor." I guess technically we have two front doors!

I got the cute sign from a shopkeeper
who had a little gift shop called
"No Place Like the Cottage."
I ♥ it!

This is a chair that l like that
I had down in the warehouse.
I would sit on it and look at all the
stuff and figure out a design plan
for each house.
I want to keep it and I haven't a
square inch open anywhere
else so it is on the porch!

I am really glad we painted the doors black
to go with the shutters on the house.


I really enjoy decorating with whimsical things.
I don't want our house to feel stuffy or too formal
so I love to put things around like this
lawn jockey. I have been meaning to paint his vest and hat
a different color than green for years. Any suggestions on
a good color? I will be doing it this year.
Some of the shutters have not been put
back up since we had the house painted!
Workin' on it though!

This is a wind chime I found down in the valley
near Yosemite last fall. It is a fun piece and so vintage.
Just right for the cottage.

This is a fun welcome sign. It pivots to..

I love the whimsy of the back side!
I know it's there but you won't ever
see this side if you come over.

These are my hydrangeas from Easter.
They are looking kinda over.
I think the big rains around
Easter took their toll on them!

Well, thanks for stopping by.
I hope you felt welcome because you always are!

P.S. I really like taking pictures of the house because it makes you see things you haven't really noticed before. I realized through these photos that both of our porch lights are too small. The scale is just not right. Do you take photos of your home and analyze them sometimes? It is a good idea. It is so easy to just not notice things otherwise.

China Cabinets and Butler's Pantry Get Fluffed!

A little faux treat I made in my cabinet.
One thing a home stager has is
plenty of faux food!

I think I am really going to enjoy having Jim home more. He is just so happy working out in the yard and he is really overjoyed about closing down our warehouse as he gets all the shelving for his things. He has plans to build a workshop one day and then he'll have plenty of room for his man stuff. Yay! In the meantime he is fixing up an old cottage we have in the back with the shelves and he is excited. In its day it was quite the cute little bunkhouse but now it is on its last leg and ready for a redo. But we are not going there at this point! It will be fine for storage.
Someday I'll have to take you on a guided tour outside on the property. It is a fun place to be.

Jim is such a productive, happy person. He has inspired me to get a lot done this week here at home. We are even having so much fun we canceled our date to the city for tomorrow so we can stay home and keep at it. We (mostly he) have just accomplished so much this week. Spring cleaning is almost done and the stuff in the yard is getting either thrown out or organized after being out there for nearly a year during the construction phase. I feel the burdens lifting as we get things back in order. Yay...I love order. And we have decluttered considerably as well. I got rid of so much junk in my china cabinets.

Honestly, how does it jump in there? I am not kidding I didn't even recognize some of it. Like it reproduces in there or something! I think I'll add some photos of that now that they are all redone. Maybe I'll even give you a peek into my butler's pantry that Jim built for me out of an old coat closet a few years ago.

Here it is. You can barely see it but it
has a glass door on it that is original to the home.
Here you can see our Christmas dishes,
the china we bought when I went back to work
after Laura started school,
and my grandmother's dishes on the bottom.
Click, click for a better view.

This curio cabinet is where we
keep our glasses and stemware.
I love this cabinet because the door is
curved glass.

So they look like this after I purged through them. Yikes. Anyway, at least now they are all dusted and cleaned and orderly again. Because our house is not huge I have to be really careful about keeping things in order or the chaos is crazy making. When it is in order it makes me want to actually have some company over soon. The butler's pantry is very convenient for large gatherings as we don't have to dig through everything to find what we need.

We just don't realize how much stuff can over burden us. I think we all function better with a house of order. I know I can feel the difference, in a physical way, with every little corner than is getting cleaner and refreshed and becoming the way it should be. I never could function in chaos, but the older I get the more I need the order and peace. I love changing the seasons with the decor and just lightening up for the months ahead.

Tomorrow I am attaching the library bookshelves. Ugh, but I know it will look so much better. Why are bookshelves just little junk catchers?

So then, about retirement...I just love the synergy of two~so far, so good~ projecting into the future of twice as much husband and a little less money and all is well ! We have reached that time in life where more time=more wealth in the things money cannot buy. It is a nice place to be, I am liking it a lot already.

Recycling Our Old Bathroom After 32 L-O-N-G Years

We have recently remodeled our ancient bathroom and added 55 square feet to the footprint. We went for a 'tiny barely can turn around in it' unused space, to what you see below in about 3 months. It was a lot of fun to design it, and mostly fun when the construction was done and the decorating could get underway. I had been accumulating things for quite some time but it is always fun to put the icing on the cake.

View from the door

Love the crown on the window tops
Click Click for a bigger view on all photos

The tub!

The fun tub caddy

The shower faucetry for the tub

The fun stuff on the window sill
The glass picks up the morning sunlight so beautifully!

The sink~love it!The sconces up close ~ They can point up or down!
Restoration hardware cannot be beat!The baffles for the can ceiling lights. There are five. Home Depot!!

More fun light catchers on the other window sill.

Our garden boy from the nursery
wanted to bring the outside in!
He has a little nest with eggs on his head
~urging spring to be ours~

My beloved funny angel with the glass eyes~Angelo~
Yes, I have been robbing a lot of other rooms!

Sunflowers snagged from our bedroom!

Corner of the sink and window that faces
the pond and waterfall outside. Toto Sink

Outside view above the tub

On the shower wall behind the tub. The towels and little architectural element holding the place where Laura's La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) sign will go when she is done making it. Check out the glass rod on the chrome towel bar holders. Be still my beating heart!

The throne as I know the kids will want
to see every square inch!
We got a tall one for people over 5 feet.
Toto

The Fresco we received from some past tenants of my mom's when they moved! So Italian..I have loved this thing for years~ it finally has the proper place to be.

Close-ups
Our cottage has lots of brick so love the glass
tile root beer colored brick trim in the shower.
We got the flooring and tiles from The Floor Club!

The shower 4x5 feet and no door..love that part!

Grohe Shower Fixtures

Another tub shot
Barclay Cast Iron Tub
With Chrome Feet

The art work~ 2 etchings by a street artist
in Venice. Given to us by our daughter, Laura.
Artist: Ugo Baracco
If you get yourself to Venice see his work
on the pathway leading to St Mark's Square on the right!
He is amazing!

Our Italy trips have influenced our remodel of
both our kitchen and bathroom this year.Can't really capture these with a camera
too well but they are so neat!

The colors are perfect and they were purchased
long before this bathroom was conceived.

Ahhh, Venice! Who Can Forget Her?

Usually I would start with the art work as inspiration for the room but everything was selected before I saw these and Laura was sweet enough to part with them. They were in her garage in a tube just waiting to be whisked to America and framed! Lucky us!

Can I just tell you how happy we are to have this bathroom and to finally be done with the construction. Our contractor, Steve, and Jim worked themselves silly over it and it was a bit like giving birth. Now that the labor is over.. it is time to be thankful and to enjoy! I don't know what our favorite part is...it changes daily. What do you like best?

Is you Master Bedroom your Refuge?

Blissfully Domestic Article~Reprise

September 25th, 2008
It has been too long since I have written anything for them. Putting it on my to do list!

Often times I am asked, “Where do I begin to decorate in my home?” This answer may surprise you, but I usually suggest beginning in the most neglected room in the house, the Master Bedroom! Some people find that strange since it is the least viewed by visitors. This may be true, but keep in mind that you decorate primarily for your own family. When making your home a comfortable and inspiring environment-the master bedroom is very important.

Many times when I enter a home to do a redesign consultation, I find that the master bedroom is a catch all for everything. It is not uncommon to find unsightly gun racks, sporting equipment, bags of stuff being donated to charity, craft items, dirty clothes, old newspapers, etc.

Whether you are single or married your master bedroom should be your retreat from this hectic, crazy world. If you are a young mother it is particularly important. You need a special place for just you and your husband. It should be relaxing, romantic and inviting. It is best when oozing comfort and warmth created by using lots of texture and beautiful fabrics. It can feel like a nice 5-star, luxury hotel room but better as you add your personal touches. This need not be overly expensive as you can purchase many things at reasonable prices. Your room should never be cluttered with anything that does not belong in a bedroom. Try making it mentally and physically relaxing and adorn it with things you love.

Recently I helped a client redesign her bedroom. Look at the stunning results.

This room is the epitome of sophistication, elegance and romance!

Remember that lighting is so important in a bedroom. Often overhead lighting is way too harsh. However, in this room a chandelier has been installed replacing a ceiling fan and look how beautiful it is! Add a dimmer switch to create the setting you desire.

New taller bedside lamps were purchased also and we have found that buffet lamps look perfect in a bedroom and actually cast reading light where you need it, when the bed has been elevated.

Dated pink and blue wallpaper was removed and a nice warm paint tone was selected that compliments the new bedding. Always pick your bedding first and then choose your paint. Most people want to do it the other way around and that is much harder.

The bed will be the focal point of the room so make it beautiful with textiles, various textures and decorative pillows. Make it a lovely relaxing retreat for yourself and your spouse. Have fun creating your own personal retreat. You would be surprised how many men enjoy having a beautiful bedroom. I have had several call me and say, “Thank you!” They didn’t even realize it was important to them until they experienced the difference it made in their lives.