Thursday, May 30, 2013

garden lighting...

I happened to run across the talented, Karen Lidbeck-Brent, when I was searching for outdoor lighting ideas. I found a wealth of beautiful inspiration! Among her many accomplishments are designer, lifestyle editor, producer, and artist. She creates diy projects and is a stylist for
 Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, New England Home Magazine,
 as well as catalogs and websites....my dream job!
I'm sure I've admired her work in those publications in the past, but it's nice to put a name 
with them.


She's also provided recent projects for Country Gardens Magazine,
isn't this beautiful?

Karin Lidbeck-Brent 
Stop by and check out her beautiful work here.

Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friends!


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

diy restoration hardware garden spheres...

Restoration Hard(to swallow these prices)ware's Stone Garden Spheres are a great accent in
 gardens, or on decks and patios, they add interest in a classic, serene style.  I love outdoor accessories or yard art, but too much of a good thing can take your space from classic to
 cluttered and cutesy in no time. These were quick, easy and inexpensive to make!
 The beauty of this project is any form works,
 leaving you free to be creative and chose anything that fits your style.
Notice my weak attempt at being creative on the left. :)


Restoration Hardware Stone Garden Sphere 
18", 22" and 27" diameter
 currently reduced to $140 - $315
constructed of resin, withstands freezing temps, no two are alike

Restoration Hardware

 My DIY Concrete Garden Sphere
8", 10" diameter - smaller than RH
 $10 for all 5 (three round, two quirky) 
constructed of concrete, withstands freezing temps, no two are alike :)

Supplies:

Lighting globes, Habitat for Humanity Re-Store sells them for $2 each,
 the day I went they were 20% off, any size or variety you like works.
 Easy to find at thrift stores, as well.
Quikrete Concrete Mix - $4 for 80 lb. bag, I used half.


Two of the globes I chose had holes in the bottom, I covered them with duct tape, then
 nestled my globes in a box with newspaper to help stabilize them while filling with
 the mixed concrete. Mix should resemble peanut butter, I slowly added water, mixing
 until it reached the desired consistency.


Use a stir stick and shake gently to be sure any air bubbles are eliminated. 


Let dry 24 hours.
 While wearing heavy gloves, one at a time, I placed the globes in a heavy duty garbage
 bag in a box, and lightly tapped the outside with a hammer to break up and release the glass.
 Be careful as the cut glass may pierce the plastic.  


When the glass has broken free from the concrete remove the sphere.
Continue with the remaining spheres. I carefully disposed of the box and bag in
 another heavy duty garbage bag.   

Here are some ideas from our garden...I like them nestled in with the herbs 
and perennials. I think I need a few more! 





   

  I was inspired by these clever bloggers, stop by and check out their spheres:
Ellen @ Creative Passage here, found some amazing shapes!  
Design Gal & Her Handyman & Baby here

Join me for more inspiration at:

The Inspiration Gallery here

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

foliage container gardens...

I'm still working on getting our patio and deck together for the season,
I was in the mood for something different, and decided to concentrate on using
 foliage and a minimum of flowers. Here are some looks I'm liking...

A variety of foliage planted in a bowl and elevated on pedestal.


An herb garden planted in a tiered bird bath.

A collection of herbs planted in simple terra cotta pots.
Charlotte Moss

 A fern spilling over an urn placed on a pedestal.
hgtv.com

Sweet potato vine in galvanized bucket...
beyondthegardengate-beth.blogspot.com

What do you think, could you go without pots of flowers in bloom?


Monday, May 27, 2013

modmood/retro consignment...

Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend,
 as usual we packed in a lot of fun with friends, family and, of course, food! 
Last week a friend and I went to an open house a unique local store, 

modmood/RETRO Consignment
modmood features contemporary and designer furniture, lighting, area rugs, art, and other cutting edge
furnishings. RETRO Consignment caters to mid-century enthusiasts, vintage collectors and everyone
looking for unusual and fun americana. It is the place to shop for and consign pieces.
7700 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 


I was completely smitten with this large oval storage ottoman by Norwalk,
 the bold pink and orange print was lively and modern yet the style felt classic.


It had been awhile since I'd seen pieces from Norwalk Furniture,
 I was impressed with their furniture and fabric lines available through modmood.


Love these colors and textures...


Lots of painted furniture in bright, vibrant hues...  


Is it me, or do some of these colors look awfully close to mauve....
Great peacock pillow.



A collection of their vintage pieces are in the back in an old greenhouse.
HUGE lamps...

I immediately thought of my friends Linda and Jennifer when I saw these...
$40 for the pair.


I tried to talk my friend into this aged brass, beauty...


Aqua leather with nail head trim...fabulous...


 Stop by if you're local, it's a fun outing!

Today I'm working on a diy project ~ yard art ~ to be revealed this week! :)



Thursday, May 23, 2013

happy memorial day...


In honor of those who fought for our freedom,
simply...thank you.


Arlington National Cemetery

Wishing you all a safe and happy Memorial Day!


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

my boxwood mistake...

Tonight I was re-potting my boxwoods. :(
I'm sharing the silly mistake I made ~ I was so anxious to get them potted 
last weekend when we had our marathon boxwood planting that I mindlessly started
in, and I didn't make any adjustment for the height.

So...if you're going for the more formal trimmed look on the right remember to sink
 your plant down in the pot about 1/3 lower than the typical height of the pot on the left!

  
The rain started in before I could finish...
one of these days our deck is going to be ready for summer! 

How's your progress ~ BBQ ready yet?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

fresh, simple vignettes...


Simply...branches from our yard in a vase. 


Remember the knock off Riad pillows from Costco?
I chose green, and they'll be outside on our deck soon.
I couldn't help but add a dose of freshness to our mantel as well.


My uber sweet blogging friend, Lisa @ Shine Your Light, just happened to do a great
 post yesterday on how adding something green to your space brings it to life!
 I agree!
She also shared a helpful list of Hard to Kill Houseplants, if you're in need. :)






Monday, May 20, 2013

ikea barometer floor and work lamp...

Ikea Barometer Floor Lamp and Work Lamp are
not only favorites I've used several times, but they're on sale!
Barometer Floor Lamp - 57" - $49.99
Barmoeter Work Lamp - 19" - $29.99

Both are nice sized and available in nickle plated or red finish.
I'd make mine gold in a heartbeat!
They're sturdy, timeless, and you can see the industrial look adds character to
any style...


Ikea Barometer Work Lamp            Ikea Barometer Floor Lamp
ikeaspotting.tumblr.com

McAlpine Tankersley

House Beautiful

Ikea
 ikeaspotting.tumblr.com


ikeaspotting.tumblr.com 


ikeaspotting.tumblr.com
babble.com
Ethan Allen

Other Ikea Favorites, click on title to view.

The Borby Lantern
Bravur Clock
Songe Mirror
Black & White Pillow Collection
Byholma Rattan Chest
Julmys Twine
Lack Floating Shelf
Tobias Lucite Chair
Ektorp Sofa



Sunday, May 19, 2013

hodge-podge to happy...

I've been smitten with the classic look of boxwoods for about a year,
the tidy, formal plantings were more and more appealing as our cottage style gardens
had taken on a messy hodge-podge look, and I wasn't a fan.
We spent part of the weekend doing yard work, and the beginnings of a
tidy yard are starting to take shape, yay for progress! 


Long story short, we dug up and relocated a lot of plants before planting 
a lot of boxwoods. (In my excitement I forgot to take a photo till midway.)  


Ahhhh....


On the opposite side a longer bed, that was even more of a jumbled mishmash cottage-like! 


I haven't got them neatly trimmed yet, but already I feel like it will be so much
 more manageable. It doesn't look so bad in these photos because it's still early and
 everything isn't up yet.


The little boxwoods I bought last year didn't escape relocation...


now the beginnings of a more formal grouping around the base of our birdbath...


Even my cute girl was whipped, we all felt like this, but she was far more photogenic. :)

Thank you Mr. Simple and Detail Boy, you're the BEST!

Btw, I found these boxwoods at Home Depot for $12.88 each, a good price,
but I still haven't seen a repeat of last year's great deal at $3.33.  

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