Waterdragon Weekly Sunday Post: Stairway

My soul can find no staircase to Heaven unless it be through Earth’s loveliness.
~Michelangelo

 

Freestanding stairway in the former Governor's mansion.

 

This photo was taken in what I believe to be the former Governor’s mansion in Charleston, South Carolina.  We were there for my cousin’s daughter’s wedding reception.  It was a lovely  place to have a reception.

 I love freestanding stairways.  The curves, the flowing steps, and the appearance of being as light as a feather, make freestanding stairways seem both elegant and magical.

Judy

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A Tiny Christmas Idea~

Good evening dear readers!

When I was in Chicago I found a little Christmas item I just had to share with you.  Crate and Barrel had miniature replicas of what I would call Mercury Glass ornaments.  They have that “old silver look” to them and they are breakable, as some were broken in the bin.  However, I don’t think they are real Mercury Glass.  On the tag it says: “Antique Glass”.   They are $1.99 each.

Whatever the case may be……I just love them!  There are all sorts of uses for them…..attach them to a napkin ring, tie them on a present, put a few in a glass bowl with battery operated lights, hang them on a mini tree, place them on a mirror with a few greens and a candle for a table centerpiece~etc.

I’m going to use them for place “cards” at the brunch table on Christmas morning.  I’ll attach tags with my family’s names to each one.  (as my family reads this blog….they now know!!)

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Aren’t they cute?  Click here for the link to Crate & Barrel’s site.

Thanks for stopping by~
Judy 

How about a Red Pepper Holiday?

Hello readers!

I have been in Chicago for a few days.  I hope to post some photos very soon of Michigan Avenue (the Miracle Mile of stores!).  I love this area at Christmastime, because all the trees in front of the stores are lit with white lights.  It’s really lovely.

Tonight’s post: How about a Red Pepper Holiday?  Last winter when I was in New Mexico I bought a ristra.   A ristra a way to dry peppers for cooking.  The people who sell them usually tie them together and make a wreath or a long string of peppers.  Now they have become so popular for decorations, that many people just hang them inside or outside their homes.  You have to admit that bright red color is beautiful.  If you aren’t going to eat them, they spray it with a clear glossy coat that enhances the color.

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I like a little spice, but not a lot.  I prefer my spice on the wall or the door!!  Not in my food!!

On Pinterest one day I noticed a photo of a ristra wreath with a holiday ribbon on it.  I liked the idea so well,  I changed up mine with a Christmas ribbon too.

See you soon, and thanks for stopping to visit~

Judy

Wreath Makeover~

Good evening blog readers~
I have a makeover for you tonight!  Rats.  I wish it was MY makeover!  Alas….I have an old faux evergreen holiday wreath I’ve used for 10 years and it’s getting pretty sad looking.   It needed a “tune up”.  I have the before and after photos to show you.

I like a simple wreath.  I could do without the ribbon even!  If you want a new wreath this year….consider making one, or giving an old one a makeover.  It is very easy.  The one I have is very large, about 24″ in diameter.  A smaller wreath would work well and would be easier to cover.   Consider using one color and an odd number of objects.  I think one color stands out nicely against the green background color of the wreath.   Use your imagination!  Craft stores, discount stores and dollar stores are full of items you can use for a wreath.

Perhaps you like bells, traditional round ornaments,  hearts, angels, or candy canes….whatever you like, gather an odd number and use wire to attach it to the wreath.  I use green 24 gauge wire.  It’s easy to twist and anchor, and I need just a small pair of wire cutters for it.  You can use string, ribbon or twist ties too.

I found ribbon in the color of the ornaments and wrapped it loosely around the wreath.  I wish I could make a bow like my friend does.  I want to have her do a tutorial on here for you sometime!  I can tie a regular bow….but fancy ones are beyond me!

The old wreath……

The wreath after its makeover…..  ;)

A bonus: I can use this wreath all winter.

Enjoy making your wreath….or giving an old one a new look!
And thanks so much for dropping in to visit~
Judy 

 

Budget Idea #3~ Covering a large wall space

Hello dear readers~
When we moved into our home, we really didn’t have a lot of money left to decorate it.   I sewed some curtains and other items.  Believe me, my sewing expertise is limited to straight seams.  I’ll bet I would be a fantastic pillowcase maker!   Anything I did was easy, but somehow it turned out fine.

I had one trouble spot, however.  Above our bed we have a large wall with a tall ceiling.  We could not afford to purchase a painting or framed print, so I had to get creative.  I happen to love the home decorator fabrics at the fabric stores.   They are used for draperies, upholstery, and bedspreads, and have a nice weight to them.
I found a printed material that matched the color in our duvet.  I also found a solid color for a “band or frame” around the outside of the printed material.  *See photo.
Once I made a hem all the way around it, I hung it with cafe rings from a curtain rod.  (the “frame” was attached like a silky binding on a blanket)
Simple~ and it solved the problem!

I’ve also used small, throw-sized quilts in the same way….hanging them with café rings from a curtain rod.   That’s the no-sew version!!

Thanks for visiting!

 

Crazy for Doors!

I love doors!  It’s as simple as that!   Doors can be plain or fancy, antique or contemporary.  No matter what their design, they welcome people into your home.   I guess we could say doors are the “smile” on your home’s “face”.  ;)

It’s easy to spruce up your door if you want a change.  The easiest and least expensive way is with a can of paint.  And don’t be afraid of a little color.  I have a pale mint green door, but my home is predominately in the tan/brown palette.  There is no green in any other place on my home, besides plants in pots….but it works.   You can change out the hardware on the door, add new house numbers, hang a wreath or put a kick plate at the bottom of the door for easy changes.

In addition to sprucing up the door, you can add items to your porch or entry steps to enhance the entryway too.  Potted plants, a climbing vine, a new rug or some large rocks in the flower beds near your steps will give a new look to the front of your house.  Cleaning up the flower beds and adding new plants where there are gaps is a good idea too.  (and cheap!)

Some doors have great architectural elements and fine details.  Some doors have windows, transoms or sidelights.  Some doors are simple and blank.  Whatever door you have, you can make it into the showpiece of your home with just a few easy and inexpensive DIY steps.
Here are some doors I found on my travels.   Maybe these doors will give you inspiration to change even one item for your entryway!  Enjoy!

Gallery Shelving (repost from Oct. 8)

NOTE: I am reposting this from Oct. 8th as my photos did not display on the site at that time.  It’s not very interesting if you can’t see what I’m talking about!  I apologize for the mess-up with the photos.  Giving it a go again~~~~!

I have a personal preference for gallery shelves for photos.   I really don’t care to patch holes in my walls every time I want to change photographs or prints around!

Gallery shelves come in all sorts of sizes, prices and styles.  On deeper shelves where I can overlap the frames a bit, I can triple the number of photos I could normally get in the same space by hanging them individually on a wall.   They are also easily rearranged.  And that is something I love to do!

The sleek, modern shelves are from IKEA.  They have an edge to prevent photos from slipping off, and as you can see,  photos can be overlapped.  The next pictures show moldings from a Victorian house that I found in an antique-salvage shop.   I sanded and painted them off-white.  I added ceramic bath/kitchen door knobs with hot glue that will hold lightweight items.  The knobs hide the screws needed to hold the shelves to the wall. The moldings are not deep enough to overlap pictures, but I’ve never had a framed photograph fall off.   The first photo gives an idea of the depth of the antique moldings.

You can use real Victorian door knobs instead of the small ones like I used, but they will need to be screwed in.

TIP #1: > If you use real Victorian door knobs on the molding you could also make a great looking coat hook.<

TIP #2: On the IKEA shelves, I have all black frames.  This gives a uniform look to the antique photographs, and makes the photos themselves stand out.   I started out with silver frames for the antique molding display but couldn’t keep up with that “color”.   So I have a mismatch of frames!  Ah…some day….!

 

Fall Buffet

For me, getting ready for a harvest-time dinner or buffet means gathering and coordinating fall colors, fall items, dishes, table cloth (just material from the craft store), napkins etc.  It’s something I’ve always loved to do.  

Budget Ideas #2 ~ Kitchen Range Hood

Budget Ideas are my favorite things to do/make for a low cost.  Here’s version #2.

If you are building a home, remodeling, or keeping ideas for your next home, this is a great alternative to an expensive decorative range hood.  This one has an “old ” look, but variations can be made to blend with any kitchen cabinetry period or style.   

A regular white range hood fan sits under the flared base and is the type that can be purchased at any lumber yard, appliance store or discount store.   The builder used wood to frame the flare shape around the fan and continued up to the ceiling.   Drywall was installed over all.   Next, the builder applied drywall mud in a random, “messy” way, so that it resembled plaster in very old buildings.  Maple trim was used around the base to match the cabinets.  Later, craft paint was mixed and painted with sponges and brushes to create the look of a surface that is centuries old.

With the money you save, you can make and serve expensive meals under your classy range hood for many years!

Breakfast on the porch~

For a while we had some lovely summer-like weather in October.  That has disappeared and we are now getting rain and much cooler temperatures!  But it was fun to contemplate breakfast on the porch for a little while longer.  It’s a luxury those of us in the Northern climes don’t get to do often enough.  In fact, it’s fun for me to look at the photo and remember….now that the skies resemble snow clouds!    I am jealous of those of you who live in the South and can enjoy treats like this almost all year!