Today I’m sharing the globe light planter posts I created for our Florida home’s back patio. These are all cell phone images, I didn’t bring my DSLR camera on this trip so the color, sharpness, and quality are not as great, also it’s tricky to capture images at twilight, but these are good enough to convey the idea. We have a long rectangular patio and I have two nice seating areas but it gets pitch black at night since there are no exterior lights out here, so this was my seasonal solution. It’s lovely during the day but oh so dark at night so these lights at ambiance and extend the evening h ..read more

This week was very relaxing for me, I spent the last few days alone in Florida, visiting the local farmer’s market, cleaning my house, and enjoying some pretty sunsets on the beach. At this stage in my life, on the verge of an empty nest but with pending family obligations back home, I take the time to recharge when it’s available to me. Away from distraction, I always have the most clear reflections and the best ideas for the future come to me on days like these. Next week I’m headed back to California and the everyday family routines. Our new kitchen upper cabinets have arrived, so the mini ..read more

I was surrounded by blue water and white sand and pretty resorts this week as I played tour guide for some visiting friends. It reminded me how fresh and lovely a classic blue and white palette has always been. I spied a few inspiring bathroom tile installations on Pinterest and Instagram and felt like sharing. I’ve already bookmarked these tile combinations and patterns are bookmarked for future renovations and potential rental properties. Enjoy! tile club mandarina studio james may homes penny hex floral pattern delpino custom homes davis interiors christine kohut   gld design ..read more

Tomorrow I’m taking the ocean ferry to Key West with some girlfriends, they are very excited since they’ve never been before. We spent yesterday exploring the little islands near my house, it’s so nice to be able to share this lovely part of the country with my sweet friends. I have a patio project in progress that I’ll be finishing later this week and sharing here on the blog. Favorite links from the week: Soft textures and minimalist mid century decor fill this New Jersey home. This outdoor dining space was once a concrete driveway. A few creative installations for terra cotta tile. This cl ..read more

We’re experiencing lovely weather here on the Gulf Coast of Florida which means we can linger outside in the evenings. Knowing the warmer weather in the coming months will bring gnats and mosquitos with it, I made a citronella candle to sit on my outdoor coffee table to keep annoying bugs away. I spied these budget friendly modern planters online in two sizes and fell in love with their shape. The larger one I used for its intended purpose and added a mini monstera, but I made the smaller one into a citronella candle. Now it sits outside looking oh so chic with its modern shape and one-of-a-ki ..read more

I landed here in Florida on Tuesday and have been enjoying the soft sun and laid back lifestyle of the area, getting a lot of rest and doing some daydreaming. Time alone in solitude recharges and inspires me. Earlier this year I decided to (mostly) give up alcohol, because of how it was making me feel. I was waking up in the middle of the night not feeling good, it was affecting my sleep and giving me brain fog, so it felt like it was time to give it up. Perimenopause was also a contributing factor, so I decided it was time to say goodbye to reaching for an adult beverage in the evening. I hav ..read more

I spent the past few days emptying out my local shop, repurposing the shelving and leftover furniture and distributing the remaining merchandise to a few vendors I know. It was a lot of creative work but a worthwhile experience, I made new business friends and learned so much during the year I had a shop. All three of my children are at our house today having Easter dinner, and my parents and brother and his kids are here too. We’re making a big feast and thankfully enjoying sunny skies. I leave for Florida on Monday and will be there for a few weeks working on little projects around our house ..read more

I had a set of acrylic nesting bowls I had planned to use to make plaster molds for my clay creations, but on second glance decided they’d make good forms for cement planters too. I chose them because the textured pattern is on the inside of the bowl not the outside, so it allows the outside of the planters to have the interesting ridged shape. These planters you can create in one afternoon, they’re simple to make with small amounts of cement and make unique tabletop planters for flowers or succulents. Spring has arrived here in California so this was the perfect little project to add some sea ..read more

I had a wee little bud vase that a friend gave to me many years ago that fell off a shelf. Our mischievous cat knocked it over in the middle of the night and I was so sad when I found it broken. The vase was special to me so instead of tossing it I thought I’d give the traditional art of kintsugi a try. Kintsugi is the Japanese method of repairing broken or cracked ceramics with gold dust mixed with lacquer or epoxy. It’s the practice of emphasizing scars instead of hiding them. I thought I’d give it a try to repair my little broken bud vase and now it’s perfectly imperfect in its repaired sta ..read more

This is the favorite pasta dish requested in my house, I make it once a week for my men, both Matt and my son love this sauce so much! It’s based on the “Marry Me Chicken” recipe, but I make a few changes. Instead of sundried tomatoes, I use tomato paste, and instead of heavy cream I use half and half, and I also add red chili flakes for a hint of spice. I call it “Love Me Linguini” since the sauce is very similar but this recipe is a simple a pasta dish, no chicken. There’s something about the combination of the roux, fresh garlic, cream, tomato paste, and parmesan that comes together to form ..read more