A shabby chic take on an inherited hutch :: Annie Sloan style
my client inherited this from a good friend. it’s a gorgeous piece and again, i sort of felt weird painting it. but i was assured that no one would know since they’re no longer with us. is that weird? so i worked under the don’t ask, don’t tell guidelines…though i wouldn’t know who to tell. […]
queen anne dresser refinishing :: part 1
my husband and i took care of our uncle george for the past 18 months. he was a kind man with a generous nature. he had nothing, but gave everything he found to those in need. he treasured this queen anne dresser, which belonged to his parents. i decided it should stay in the family. […]
Salt Wash tutorial :: mirror mirror on the wall
I love how Salt Wash makes a piece really look old and chippy. The textured layers allow more paint to poke through. Here’s my tutorial for Salt Wash. Enjoy!
industrial clothing rack :: Annie Sloan style
after we installed our entertainment center, we had an extra piece of base board laying around. and if you know me, you know that i can’t throw any piece of wood away. i know, i’ve got issues. but you knew that. it started out 8′ long, so i used a hand hack saw to cut […]
Harvesting and germinating rose seeds
I just love roses. I don't know their varieties or names, but instead, I'm the gal at the nursery going around sniffing all the roses to see which … [more...]
Hello, ladybugs!
I released 1500 ladybugs into the garden this morning. I have no idea how many have survived, but while they were alive, I snapped a few pix. They're … [more...]
summer’s here. the flowers prove it!
We've still got another month or so of what we southern Californians call June gloom. That's right...don't come here expecting hot blazing days. … [more...]
summer flowers :: hydrangea, roses and lavender
i LOVE my garden, and particularly love the flower arrangements that come directly from the garden. the hydrangea is quite … [more...]
spring has sprung. hyacinths are popping already!
the first signs on spring are here...trouble is, we haven't really had winter. and as i write this, the temperature is dropping to the high 30s here … [more...]
How to grow hydrangeas from cuttings
It was a gorgeous day today. The sun was flooding into our kitchen nook. Don't you just love days with no schedules? It seems like … [more...]
attack of the bunnies!
When we landscaped our yard, I specifically researched how to keep the rabbits out. We specifically built raised veggie beds so that the bunnies … [more...]
