Cheater's Fruit Bowl Centerpiece

I have a quick little trick for when I need to use a bowl of fruit for a centerpiece.  Using a fruit bowl for a centerpiece makes perfect sense.  It looks great, you can choose from a variety of different colors that suit your needs, and the contents are still useful when you are done!  Unfortunately, filling a large bowl with fruit can require so much fruit that you will end up with a lot of fruit going rotten before it can all be eaten.

Here is my easy trick to get the same look with half the amount of produce.


I have a set of graduated size glass bowls I use all the time while cooking.  They are perfect for this mini-project.  I use one that is about half the size of the decorative bowl.  Just place a smaller bowl upside down in the decorative bowl before adding the fruit.

Then arrange fruit or produce to cover any open holes where you could see the lower bowl.  This really works best when you have at least two different sizes of objects to use.  It looks great with any fruit combination, and would also look nice with some vegetable combinations, too.

Done!

Summer Seersucker

Over the weekend I was in a Tory Burch store and I just fell in love with a clutch in this botanical garden print.  Practicality took over, and I decided not to buy it, but I keep thinking about it.  They must have sold out of the clutch online, because online they have several bags in the print, but no clutch.   One of those bags is the chain bag I am featuring today (on sale!) which I would love to have almost as much as the clutch I saw.  I thought it goes perfectly with the quintessential seersucker Summer dress.   It all makes a perfect outfit for a Summertime baby or bridal shower, or a garden party.

Grey and White Seersucker Dress  //  Floral Printed Chain Bag  //  Coral Wedges  //  Coral Link Bracelet  // Gold Link Bracelet  //  Gold Hoop Earrings

Today I am linking up with the lovely Shanna.  View her blog through the link below:

Cheap and Easy Flower Centerpieces

For a party that we recently held here in our backyard we wanted to keep a clean, fresh, and casual feel to the event.  I had originally thought that I wanted to place fresh cut white flowers on each table, but I was looking for a way to keep costs down, and several arrangements of fresh flowers was going to add up.  A little brainstorming led me to the idea to use small potted annuals for my centerpieces.  This seemed like the perfect solution for keeping within my party budget, plus, once the party was over, I just planted the annuals in my yard.  Win-win!

My original idea had been to keep the flowers in the plastic pots they came in, and then cover those pots with burlap and dress with ribbon.  However, the flowers that I loved came in square pots, and I really wanted to have round pots to mirror the round tables on which they would be placed.  So, "Plan B" was to purchase inexpensive terracotta pots and use those to re-pot my plants.  This added a little more cost, somewhere around an additional $15 for the whole project.

Supplies:

5 potted annuals from the local hardware store

5 terracotta pots with saucers

1 roll of burlap fabric in strip form

2 rolls of ribbon

Hot Glue Gun

First I re-potted the flowers into the terracotta pots.  This has to be done before decorating the exterior of the pot to avoid getting soil all over the fabric.  I would suggest that this be done the day before trying to hot glue anything to the pot.  Trust me, hot glue will not stick to a damp terracotta pot.  I have tried.

The next day I wrapped the pots in burlap and tied them off with a blue ribbon.  A little tip: be careful applying the hot glue and burlap.  The glue will seep right through the weave of the fabric.  I burned my fingers no less than five times.  Hot glue is like some sort of torture device.  My fingers will attest to this.

Here is the finished product.  Casual, cute, easy, and economical.

And here is the centerpiece in action.  I found these cute little chalkboard signs on sticks at Joann Fabrics.  I searched half the stores in town for a white chalk marker.  None to be found.  No kidding.  Apparently everyone around here is in a seriously crafty mood.  So I had to use regular chalk, which is not so easy on such a small space.  My attempts at it were horrid, so my dear friend wrote out the signs instead.

Done!

After the party was over, I planted the flowers in the garden, and the glue and fabric pulled right off the pots.  So now I can use them again for future backyard parties.

Happy Fourth of July! - Front Porch Inspiration

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend! I have been working on reviving my front porch lately. I have made some definite headway, but I am still not quite done. I am still deciding what I am missing. But, at least it now looks like someone actually lives at my house! The flags, Holiday wreath, and flag bunting are just here for the weekend. Flag bunting just makes me happy, and I love the way the house looks all dressed up for the Fourth!  Have a great weekend!

Decorating A Coffee Table

Accessorizing a coffee table is a great opportunity to bring your own personality into your space, but I realize that sometimes deciding what to place on a coffee table can be confusing or feel overwhelming.  Here are a few of my favorite tips for styling a coffee table.

• Selecting objects of varying heights will keep things interesting.
• Just use caution with items that are too tall, otherwise they can easily be knocked off.  In general, I usually try to keep things under 30" in height.
• Beware of items that move or roll around too much, this can damage your table surface (especially if you have children).
• Odd numbers of items usually feel better to me.
• When all else fails, an orchid, some large pictorial books, and a trio of candle holders with candles are an easy way to start!

I am featuring some accessory selections that are great for coffee tables for two different design styles, both rustic industrial and casual nautical/coastal.

Rustic Industrial

Orb Candleholder  //  Thomas O'Brien Book  // Wood Tray with Ring Handles  //  Metal Orb  //

  Wood Sculpture on Stand  //  Film Reel Bookends

Casual Nautical/Coastal

 Blue and White Woven Baskets  //  Wood Trays with Rope Handles  //  Nautilus Shell //  

Agate Coasters  //  Blue Pottery Urns

Summer Trends: Metallic Flats

Metallic flats are kind of a no-brainer as far as I am concerned.  Metallic just goes with everything, and as much as I love a great pair of heels, flats are so much more of a reasonable choice for my daily life.  Running around after two children in 4" heels is just asking for a sprained ankle.  I save the heels for date night.

I have rounded up some different metallic flats to share.  Which is your favorite?

Top Row:  1.  //   2.  //  3.

Middle Row.   1.  //   2.   //  3.

Bottom Row:  1.  //  2.  //  3.

Fantastic Design Deals - Upholstered Headboard

Our bedrooms are our retreats from the world, at least they should be, right?  Because of this, having a bedroom that you love, and that you really want to spend time in, is essential.  I am a firm believer that being in a space that is beautiful and makes you happy is relaxing and leads to better sleep.  

I have always felt that an upholstered headboard gives a bedroom such an elegant touch.  Just having a fabric headboard gives a bed a cozy, comfortable, welcoming feel.  I have one in my own bedroom, and I am so glad that I do.  Not only does upholstery make a beautiful headboard, it also is perfect for sitting up in bed, providing a great place to lean back!

Upholstered headboards can be custom made in just about any shape. With a completely custom headboard the choices of fabric are endless.  The one problem with custom headboards is that they are usually quite expensive.  So, I was so excited when I found the great options at Home Decorators Collection.  They have semi-custom upholstered headboards in 20 different shape options and with tons and tons of fabrics to choose from.  The best part is, most of these headboards are around $399 for a Queen size and $499 for a King size headboard.  That is a lot of style for a really reasonable price.  

Here are some of my favorite shapes from the HDC collection.  They can all be found here.

Looking for an even better deal?  I was out running errands the other day and I happened upon this option that really looks great and is a total steal at $249 for a Queen size.  It does only come in a natural linen color, but at least that is a great color and fabric for it to be.  It is so versatile!