Back to School organizer

When Fox Ct 61 asked me to create a back to school wall organizer I thought, well that's perfect since my daughter is leaving to be a Freshman at College this year.


Searching around, I found the extra large very affordable Corkboards at Job Lot. So that is how the project started.

Two or three pairs of jeans and a corkbaord are the basics here. This is a good way to recycle those old worn jeans that no longer fit your child. You will cut them to pieces using the double sewn leg and hem seams for the ribbon, the pockets for storage, and the waistbands for the vertical bands. The loops will hold many things.

You will also need also need: tacks, a glue gun, scissors or pinking sheers. Optional: extra fabric behind criss cross organizer.

Birch tree Bliss in Cape Cod

GREAT desk idea
This was one of my favorite styling projects for Country Living magazine now in the June 2010 issue. This room is dreamy with the mix of light pine and white birch logs. Architect Jill Nuebauer came up with this fantastic solution for a desk and shelves for her family room. I love Jill's philosophy," if its not fun , forget it!".
Check out the entire story I styled on Jill's house, a modern log cabin on a fresh water lake in Cape Cod. It does not get much better than that!

photography by Lucas Allen

Oil Lamps - Summer Lighting for your Summer Entertaining

Hot Summer Collectible
You can easily find oil lamps at the flea market, antique shops and thrift stories in dozens of sizes and shapes. They will run anywhere from $10.00 to 15.00 although some highly collectible or unusual oil lamps can cost a lot more. Clustered together on a table they will enhance your summer gatherings at a great price.
Oil for lamps and chimney tops are widely available at all hardware stores. Clean away oil stains or rings with bleach

Styled by Karin Lidbeck for Country Living Magazine, Photos by Michael Partenio

Flowers for MOM

Grab this Idea for your Mothers Day Table
Outdoor Rooms Magazine asked me to create 6 Ways to Set the Scene and create pretty looks for tables for their Summer issue. Photo by Andre Baronowski

Straight from the garden (or try a super market bouguet). March flowers down the center of the table using a funky assortment of mismatched glassware. Display single stems or mulitples in each glass. Toss some fruit casually on the tablecloth for picking. Add to the festive array of color using different patterned placemats to play off the hues of the blooms.
May garden - think lilacs, azaleas, tulips, nepeta, pansies, lupine, chives, iris or mix it with a 6.99 store bought bouquet

White table cloth, white fabric by the yard, or fold a white sheet.

I've got Lilac Fever

It's May 5 and my lilacs have been in bloom full force for a week, strangely early!

But its time to cut some lilacs and bring them inside for a profusion of fragrance. I threw together this lilac arrangement on a shoot with photographer Jim Westphalen at the Shelburne Museum in Vt.

The antique buckets adds a lot to its charm. Wood or metal pails make perfect containers for armfuls of lilacs.

Lilac tip:
Cut them early in the morning, split the woody ends so they will absorb the water faster

Artful Asparagus

A favorite project I created for Country Gardens, photo by Jim Westphalen.

Asparagus is the vegetable of the season right now and it looks beautiful combined with flowers from your spring garden.

Wrap a runner band around a coffee size can . Cut asparagus stalk to 1" to 2" taller than the can. Place the stalks side by side standing staight up inside the rubber band. Tie with a ribbon to hide the rubber band. Add flowers.

Voila ... that was easy,... healthy fresh asparagus will last a week or longer. ( or when the flowers pass you can cook em up)

Speckled Easter Eggs with Food Coloring

This is one of my favorite Easter egg projects I designed for Good Housekeeping using food coloring from the pantry. A few drops in a cup of water with 3 tablespoons white vinegar make the dye. This is an economical and quick way to dye an egg. You probably have everything you need with out having to go shopping!.... Hardboil white eggs. To get soft pastel colors the eggs only need to bathe for a few minutes, then dry. To get the speckles: mix 10 drops of red and 5 drops of green food coloring in a small glass, a few drops of water and you have brown dye. To get the speckles use a old toothbrush, dip it in the brown, shake off excess. Point the toothbrush 6 - 10 inches from the egg. Run your finger across the bristles from front to back to get the splatter effect. ( you might want to wear rubber gloves)!!




Once I made the eggs I needed to create a special place to display them. While they look great in any basket here is a quick way to do something a bit different.
The base: Use a 4" terra cotta pot and paint it yellow with acrylic craft paint (or leave it natural). Turn it upside down and place a 9" or a 12" terra cotta plate on top.
Use wheat grass, ( it comes in square blocks) from the health food store. Cut it into 1/2 " thick slices. Lay the wedges down around the plate to get a nice green grass border. Fill with your pretty speckled eggs.

Valentine Party Flowers

For my Valentines Day Party I am making these oversized tissue paper flowers to add some fun and impact to the desert table. They are so easy to make and only take minutes for each one.

Place one flower a top each vase and cluster in a grouping. Also great hanging from the ceiling in mass.

Here how to make one flower:

1 package of tissue paper ( 10 sheets)
1 10" length thin wire
scissors

Open up tissue and lay flat with paper vertically in front of you
Fold accordion style every 2" from top to bottom
Wrap wire at center of folded sheets and twist to hold Use wire to hang
Cut both ends with rounded edges
Ppen sheets ( pulling apart carefully) one at a time to form the flower
For smaller flower use half sheets