stuff i’ve made

your grandma’s dining set has left the building

you’ve all seen this old maple dining set at your grannie’s house, right? most people cringe when they see this type of furniture. i start to twitch and try to hide my excitement.  yup, i’ve got issues. my client just moved back from a mission trip abroad.  they inherited some amazing furniture from friends and […]

Get a Swedish Gustavian look w/ Annie Sloan chalk paint

oh. my. word. i’m absolutely in love with this look right now.  i found this perfectly-shaped headboard with a matching dresser on Craigslist. it was a lovely Bombay piece in pitch black with gold details.  just not my style, but the shape and detailed wood work were perfect for my next Gustavian-inspired pieces. i usually […]

not your Grandma’s dining table was featured!

As some of you know, I took the rugrats to Paris last week to meet up with my folks.  I was torn whether to bring my big camera and laptop, but when push came to shove, (and I was staring down a 90 pound stroller!), I decided to rely just on my phone. So when […]

french door redo

it’s 9:30pm on a saturday night and i can’t sleep.  jim rome is on in the background…husband is sleeping, tightly gripping the tivo remote despite having been asleep for at least 20 minutes. i’m cruising free stuff on craigslist when i spot this old beat up French glass door hiding in the back of this […]

garden love

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...]

harvesting potatoes grown in coffee sacks

howdy!  several months ago, i stalked a bunch of gardening blogs to learn how to grow potatoes. while spring isn't the ideal time to grow … [more...]

Orchids 101

I've always loved orchids, but was always intimidated by them. Last year, a neighbor gave me the most gorgeous Phalaenopsis orchid (the most … [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...]

Rooting Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts. Please move on if you don't...b/c this post is all about them and some uber-nerd techniques that I'm testing in the … [more...]

look who’s here? spring garden!

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spring flowers

remember that day last fall when i rode my bike around cutting hydrangea clippings from my neighbors? you don't remember? it's ok, … [more...]

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