Floral Compliments

Wedding invitations in 3 dimension, a friend of mine, Michele Eddins is expanding her designs into these lovely invitations. More exquisite photos below, reveals her lovely accessories, if you are planning a wedding or know someone who is, you owe it to yourself to visit her site. Click on the title of this post to go directly to her site.

This tassel can be used as a drapery tie back or an accent on a lamp switch. I feel it would be fun to add it to each plate if you are having a rehearsal dinner, as a gift for bridesmaids, etc.



Michele makes lovely chokers and will customize them in your colors.



The clutches and purses are a vintage one of kind for a fun yet glamorous touch!!!



This lovely decanteur is one of my favorites for your bedroom or bathroom!!!

This gorgeous mirror can be custom made especially for you, the perfect keepsake.

Michele also makes hair bands and barretes, again, just tell her your colors and she works her majic.

No job is too large or too small for Michele, she takes pride in her vintage pieces, the detail feflects the whole story!!! 

DIY Projects You Will Love (Part 3)

Make glowing goblets

Turn old goblets and trophies into sparkling candle holders. First, clean them well with with metal polish and a clean cloth. Fill with Microwaveable Soy Wax for Containers (by Yaley; $6.99 for 1 lb.; from joann.com).

Add a Pre-Waxed Medium Bleached Wick with Wick Clip (by Yaley; $2.99 for six; from joann.com) to make elegant, long-burning votives.


More:  Get our step-by-step instructions

Hand-printed gift wrap

With simple cookie cutters and paint, you can make your own distinctive wrapping paper.

Just dip the cutting edge of a cookie cutter (we used snowflakes and scalloped circles) into white heavy body acrylic paint (sold at art stores in 4-oz. tubs).

Stamp the cookie cutter onto a sheet of colorful paper, starting at a top corner. Create your own patterns by either joining or overlapping the shapes.

If the paint is too thick or lumpy, add a few drops of water and stir gently until thinned and smooth.

Easy fall decorating: DIY art from autumn leaves

Instant leaf prints

Bring nature's magic indoors with this simple project: Just gather a few of your favorite leaves or flowers, flatten them under a book, then copy them with a color photocopier.

Glue prints to canvas-covered boards (about $2 in art supply stores). Glue a small inexpensive wood frame to the back to act as hanger; it also sets off your print from the wall.

More:  How to make a leaf print

Transform a chair

Turn a drab thrift-store chair into a stylish accent for any room in your home. All it takes is some paint, fabric, basic supplies, and a free weekend. Take advantage of your resale shops, you will
find styles you like even in accessories, paint is not expensive!!

To start, choose a chair with no missing screws or loose legs; it should have interesting features or frame detail.

Or turn 2 or more chairs into an eclectic set. Look for designs that have a wooden frame and an upholstered seat and unify them with the same color and fabric.

More:  How to transform a chair

Etch glass

There is something magical about etching glass ― the process turns plain glass pieces into decorative objects in minutes.

The secret is etching cream. You simply apply it to the glass, and the surface turns into a translucent white. The results are beautiful, subtle, and lasting.

More: How to etch glass

Reinvent thrift store candlesticks

Turn mismatched candlesticks into a fresh new set by painting them an unexpected color (in this case, high-gloss indigo).

1. Remove any wax residue with paint thinner and a clean cloth.

2. Mist one coat of spray paint primer for metal onto the candlesticks, holding the can 10 to 12 inches away. Cover evenly with paint.

3. Once dry, spray two light coats of spray paint for metal. Hold the can at a distance to avoid drips. Cover the detail grooves evenly.

We used: Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch sandable spray primer in white and Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch gloss spray paint in navy blue.

DIY Projects You Will Love (Part 2)

Nature's stained glass

Chinese pistache leaves are translucent enough to glow like stained glass when lit from behind. To celebrate their vivid fall beauty indoors, display them on simple glass hurricane candle holders.

Gather leaf cuttings from your garden (ginkgo and Japanese maple are other good choices).

Press them in a book overnight to keep them from crinkling, then use one or two Glue Dots on the back of each stem, affixing each leaflet to the outside surface of the glass.

Turn CD cases into frames

Castoff CD cases are the perfect size for creating a quilt-like grid collection of landscape photos.

From the book Photocraft: Cool Things to Do with the Pictures You Love: Scan or crop your images to the size of a CD case (5 3/8 in. wide by 4 5/8 in. high) then print on good photopaper and trim. We recommend using standard (not slim) cases. Discard plastic inserts.

Back each photo with cardboard or foam board and snap the cases shut. Attach them to the wall with 3-inch strips of sticky-back hood-and-loop fasteners (such as Velcro).

DIY decorating projects

Make a memory box table

Turn a deep photo frame and similar-sized side table into a venue for celebrating treasured keepsakes.

More: How to make this memory box table

Make your own designer bouquet

Treat yourself to colorful bouquets and arrangements from a mini flower studio you can create at home.

All you need is a sink, a little counter space, and a few essential tools. See what you can do with a single bloom, and how to turn just about any vintage vessel into a vase. (Tip #1: Start with the freshest flowers you can find.)

More: Flower shop secrets

Turn a drawer organizer into a bento-box guest tray  

Tuck a drawer organizer into a storage tote with some thoughtful amenities to make your houseguests feel like royalty. (Be forewarned: They’ll be eager for a return invite.)

How-to: Slip a drawer organizer into a fabric-covered box or other storage tote and stock it with a few travel-size essentials in coordinating materials and hues. Tie a washcloth with colorful string; wrap a bar of soap with wide ribbon; use letter stamps and a label sticker to personalize a scented candle.

DIY workspace

To create your own instant workspace anywhere, put a flat birch hollow-core door atop two adjustable sawhorses.

Cover the door with self-healing vinyl board cover (available from art and drafting supply stores). The closer you can get the board cover to the exact size of your door, the better.

Stencil a basic measuring system onto the board cover, and you'll never need to hunt down a measuring stick.

Time: Four hours plus drying time

Cost: About $175

DIY Projects You Will Love

DIY: Fun weekend crafts and home projects

Shadowbox wall vase

Turn a shadow-box frame into a vessel for your favorite things from the garden or flower shop.

Flowers or cuttings ― such as these leucadendron blooms ― extend through the opening of a picture mat to create an organic work of 3-dimensional art.

Group two or three frames on the wall or use one for a tabletop display. Change the background and cuttings for a new look any time you like.

More:  How to make a shadowbox vase

Tabletop twigscape

Create a mini forest for your table from elegant branches and twigs.

Here, tree-like twigs edge a stream bed of green pebbles running down the center of a sealed 30-inch piece of redwood.

More:  Make tabletop forests

Painted party glassware

Perk up your table by turning ordinary wine goblets into stylish geometric art glass. It just takes a little glass paint and a stencil or template.

Designer Sarah Caska used a fine-tip black permanent marker and enamel paint formulated for glass to create these Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired designs. The cost was about $36 for 8 decorated glasses, including stemware.

More: How to paint glassware

Fake a Roman shade

In rooms where privacy isn't important, you can give windows all the dressing they need with shorter faux Roman shades. This is a budget friendly project from DIY.

They aren't full-length, so these tricksters require far less fabric than the real McCoy and can often be made from inexpensive remnants.

More: How to fake a Roman shade

Make a personalized paperweight

Turn smooth river rocks into a stylish paperweight with white rub-on transfers. Or turn it into refrigerator art by adding a small magnet to the back.

More:  DIY monogrammed paperweight

Artful lampshade

A plain lampshade becomes instant art when you add a paper design to the inside lining. I LOVE
this affect!!!! What a break from the boring plain shade!!

The design remains invisible until you turn on the light. Click here for our template.

More:  Make an artful lampshade

Architectural Art

Select Hangable Object

Search architectural salvage, flea markets and thrift stores for an interesting item, keeping in mind that lighter-weight choices with flat backs will be the easiest ones to hang. Shown above is a rustic, planked door. It gives a calming conversational focal point to this room.

Materials Needed:

• item you wish to display
• flat 1x3 MDF trim
• nail gun and nails
• drill
• screws
• level
• tape measure
• note pad and pencil
• painters' tape
• wallpaper paste
• wallpaper or fabric
• caulk gun
• paintable caulk
• spackle and putty knife
• medium-grit sanding block
• paintbrush
• semi-gloss paint
• chop saw
• damp cloth
• smoothing tool
• utility knife or scissors
• hanging hardware (screw eyes, wall anchors, picture wire, D-rings, etc.)

Measure and Mark Display Area

Using tape measure, measure object and add three to five inches on all sides. Transfer these dimensions to wall with pencil. Further define area by applying painters' tape to wall just outside pencil marks.

Add Wallpaper or Fabric

Cut fabric or wallpaper two inches larger than measurements. Create a backdrop for object by adding wallpaper paste to wall inside taped-off area, pressing precut wallpaper or fabric in place, smoothing with smoothing tool, then cutting away excess with scissors or utility knife.

Cut and Paint Trim

Using a chop saw, cut trim to size, mitering each corner. Lightly sand mitered edges with sanding block. Paint cut trim with two coats of semi-gloss paint, in same color as walls.

Install Trim

Place trim along outside edge of painters' tape and attach trim to wall with nail gun or drill and screws. Once all pieces are installed, fill nail or screw holes with spackle using putty knife. Caulk inside and outside edges of trim with caulk gun. After spackle and caulk have dried, lightly sand spackled areas, then paint finish coat using paintbrush.

Attach Hanging Hardware

Measure, then mark the wall where object will hang. Attach hardware, such as a nail, screw or anchor, if needed, to wall. Ready object for hanging by adding screw eyes or D-rings and picture wire to back of object. Once hardware is secure, hang object on wall.

More Patios and Extended Rooms

Refined and Rustic

The screened porch of this Highlands, North Carolina, house designed by Nancy Braithwaite features a neutral color palette enlivened by layers of texture. Braithwaite designed the five-foot-wide chandelier specifically for the space.

One of my favorite places to visit is the Highlands, you travel up the beautiful mountain with breathtaking views and natural waterfalls along the way. You will experience  quaint shopping, restaurants, and simply peaceful scenery in all directions.

A Proper Porch

Designer Michael Whaley gave this porch in Point Clear, Alabama, a stately Southern air. The recent renovation falls squarely in step with the historical flavor of the 1880s home.

High-Style Hacienda

Designer Ann Dupuy incorporated pigskin-covered equipal chairs and folk art to keep this San Miguel de Allende space firmly rooted in Mexican tradition.

Golden Glow

Warm-toned checked and chintz fabrics soften the look of this porch, part of a North Carolina mountain house designed by Amelia Handegan. The Stephanus Heidacker painting over the mantel lends an unexpected touch.

Breezy in Blue

Designer Phillip Sides and architect John Kirk created this beach access porch for our 2006 WindMark Beach Showhouse in Port St. Joe, Florida. With elegant accessories and outdoor fabrics in a classic blue-and-white combination, it feels as much like a casual living area as a porch.

Extended Rooms

Looking Up

A watery-hued ceiling adds a subtly striking top note to the side porch from our 2004 showhouse at WaterSound Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast. Brightly colored pillows and coordinating trim on the chair cushions add punch. Designer Suzanne Kasler and architect John Kirk collaborated on the project.

Room With a View

Architect Mark Finlay designed this Kiawah Island, South Carolina, porch with a spectacular 180-degree view of the nearby marsh; designer Amelia Handegan infused it with rustic elegance. Dramatic black trim and furnishings, along with muted fabrics, help dress up the space.

Fresh-Air Functionality

Overlooking the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida, this Jackye Lanham-designed porch blends together living and dining areas for versatility.

Pretty Pergola

Climbing roses shade this inviting pergola, part of an 18th-century estate in Alexandria, Virginia. Although the home sits in the midst of Old Town neighborhood bustle, the pergola offers a welcome sense of seclusion and retreat.

Lovely Loggia

A handsomely furnished loggia, part of an Atlanta home designed by architect Norman Askins, overlooks a sunken garden created by landscape architect John Howard.

Sleeping Beauty

A Chippendale railing encloses this simply sophisticated Florida sleeping porch crafted by architects Anne Fairfax and Richard Sammons.

Makes me ready for spring!!!!!

Black is Back

Just like the little black dress that's been decorating women's wardrobes since Coco Chanel unveiled the first version in Vogue magazine in the 1920s, the color black never seems to go out of style, especially in the home.

The authoritative hue is certainly a perennial favorite among designers. It's bold, it makes the colors painted, perched or paired beside it pop and it conveys a sense of drama. But most important, its versatility offers an unlimited portfolio of uses-and tastes-for a home's interior. Whether it's a splash of black on an accent wall, whether the color comes from a baby grand sitting in the foyer, or whether the color surrounds a Picasso print over the fireplace, anything can be framed, sheathed or infused with the ebony hue and look great.

To get a sense of how its elegance can shine the spotlight on your home, read on for six ideas for coloring your rooms in black and black accents









Rather than featuring black on a large piece of furniture, choose a black accent table or accent chair as a highlight and use the color as an accent throughout the room.