stuff i’ve made

vintage painted dresser for a friend

a neighbor was tossing this vintage dresser that had been in her daughter’s room for 20 years. it had taken a beating. i wish i had a before picture, but alas, i don’t.  suffice it to say there was a lot of scotch tape, stickers, and fingerprints on this lovely. a friend is moving back […]

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 […]

dyeing fabric with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

our shabby chic room is such a happy room.  the colors are pretty, cheerful, and frankly, this is the only feminine room in the entire house. with 3 boys in the house, i specifically designed most things to be durable enough to withstand Hot Wheels, baseballs, and general dude stuff. but this room is all […]

Using Saltwash to create a vintage beachy look

When we first moved to this house, I decided to paint a bathroom orange. Why orange? I don’t know why. It just felt right. And now…it feels oh so wrong. So…I’m on a mission. Naturally, I start on Craigslist to find the perfect vanity. But there’s something about this glaze that wasn’t sitting well with me. […]

garden love

fresh garden salsa

there's something really magical about fresh, homemade, garden salsa. the colors are vibrant.  the flavors are unmatched. and when paired … [more...]

a beautiful Japanese maple tree

isn't this gorgeous?  i was visiting a friend back east and spotted this stunning and massive tree. they used to have two trees, but one drowned by … [more...]

so cal garden explosion

we've got rogue tomato plants all over the garden.  take exhibit A.  i didn't plant this one and look how amazing it is! i'm sort of insulted, … [more...]

artichokes!!!

look what we saw in the garden today!?!? it only took 9 months.  :) anyone have the recipe for the Bandera/Houston's artichoke? … [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...]

summer hydrangea tablescape

i love hydrangeas. i had the luxury of spending a few hours in the garden today and cut a bunch of hydrangea as they're starting to look a … [more...]

fall is HERE! i found a pumpkin in my garden.

that's right folks....i didn't think it would happen. i planted pumpkin seeds in june....and we had amazingly gorgeous huge leaves.  they grew all … [more...]

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