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 […]
Old Glory – wooden American flag
we’ve been testing ways to make big wood walls that aren’t as heavy as Noah’s arc. 🙂 so we built this prototype and i was inspired to paint Old Glory. this is a 4′ x 5′ piece that i hand-painted with a custom blue blend of Annie Sloan graphite + napoleonic and Gilbertson’s chalk paint […]
precious twin headboard for a pink-lovin’ girl
these aren’t the most glamorous pix you’ve ever seen, but sometimes when this mamma paints at 11:30 pm, the lighting ain’t great… my friend found this headboard on the side of the road. yes, these are the treasures we find in Orange County. nuts. at our painting party earlier this week, it was decided we’d […]
stain a bar to look rustic & weathered
my buddy built this bar for a client. they requested redwood with a clear coat of varnish. then they decided it was too red and didn’t match the rustic look they really wanted. so i got to work. on a dreadfully cold and rainy day, i bussed in the Minwax Dark Walnut and some watery […]
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...]
spring garden party
the party went off without a hitch. we're blessed with amazing friends who lend their time and help! in between setting up, politely bossing my … [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...]
how’d that tomato plant get there?
i love seeing the world. but i also love returning and seeing what's happened in my garden after a week away. the trumpet vines on our garden … [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...]
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...]
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...]
