BEACHY BOTTLES & SUMMER VIGNETTE

Re-sharing a simple DIY project I posted two years ago, perfect for summer: Make Your Own Beachy Bottles and displaying them in a summery vignette. Uncork your imagination: Recycle those empty wine bottles into summer coastal decor treasures with some items you probably already have. All you need is  latex or even acrylic paint in Caribbean blue, seafoam green, or any shade of white, water, old mixing bowls, mixing sticks, a funnel and old cookie sheets. After you've already soaked & removed labels from your (wine) bottle collection, play around mixing the bottles into some of your beachy decor for coastal vignettes. If you plan ahead where your bottles are going, then you'll know how many of which color you'll need & where. This is a wonderful way to bring the beach to you, no matter where you're located. Read how to details at: http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com/2011/05/myo-beachy-bottles-for-seaside-style.html

 

 

 

LOVE this seafoam palette - Perfect for summer, no matter where you are...

 

After the bottles dry, you're ready to style your vignette...

 

Color block book stacks for impact. 

Roll up a pashmina for an extra layer of color. Fresh cut palm fronds always add to a tropical feel - if no palms near by, use fresh cut branches with leaves or go faux from a local craft store (like Michael's). Wooden bowls (fun to collect at thrift stores) can display stones, shells, or foreign coins...

 

 Tie shell necklaces collected from travels around bottle necks - If you don't have any, check your local thrift store. Starfish can make for fun bottle topper finials. Add height to your coastal vignette with tall dried grass in a cylinder plus book stacks - flip dust jackets to create an all white stack. 

Happy Summer!

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Celebrate Earth Day Everyday!

Although we have one special day to celebrate Earth Day, we can still celebrate everyday by being the change we want to see in the world. I've seen it posted several times, people are tired of the extended winter temps into Spring. It's as if Mother Nature has lost her calendar of events. By now, we've all changed our light bulbs (I hope!!) but saving the planet goes a little deeper. Here are 12 ways to continue to celebrate Earth Day everyday and help save our planet - Every little bit helps.

How to make twinkling lanterns out of ordinary tin cans: http://bit.ly/ZDYtvW

12 Ways to Help Save Our Planet

#1 Support your local farmers - Shop local Farmers markets for seasonal fruits, veggies and even preserves, jams, baked goods and sauces.

#2 Buy food in bulk or only buy what you need. For excess or to avoid spoiled foods, freeze them for another time (fruit is especially great to do this with and make smoothies - freeze meets, take out in AM to grill that night)

#3 Donate clothing, furniture, decor, and even excess craft, party goods or wrapping paper to your local thrift shop - and better goods can be taken to a consignment shop: the extra cash to go towards a style update.

Teach Kids to help save the planet.

Erek Hansen collected 14,000 items of denim and over 7,000 pairs of shoes to be repurposed into new items! 9 inspiring kids who are saving the world: http://su.pr/21aoT8

#4 Repurpose existing items in new ways: cut off an old pair of jeans for new summer shorts. Reuse cut denim pieces for pillows or placemats.

#5 Salvage what you already have - a little elbow grease, TLC and paint can go a long way.

#6 Support your local Historic Preservation organization - whether by volunteering to help at an event, or help spread the word of their cause through your social media connections, friends, and family. Here in Arizona, check out:

Phoenix Historic Preservation

Scottsdale Historic Preservation

Modern Phoenix - The Neighborhood Network

#7 Throw trash in the proper receptacle - NOT out your car window or leave behind piles of garbage in a mall parking lot because you decided to clean out your car. Also: Be conscious of your surroundings: When you do see trash, pick it up and put it in the receptacle. 

How cool is this?

Dumpster Gardens: Moveable Forests Sprout Inside Trash Receptacles http://su.pr/2zwgVJ

#8. Beside cans, bottles and newspapers, recycle paper towel tubes, food boxes (like from Granola bars, cereal, Magic Erase), glass from scented candles (great to actually repurpose!) and yogurt cups.

#9 Save energy: natural light is beautiful, but in the summer, filter the heat with window panels + sheers, shades or blinds. Turn off ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms. When brushing your teeth, turn the water off. When going out for errands: make a list & map your route to save gas.

#10 Water plants at night. Keep track of plants and veggies with guides, notes, calendars and plant sticks.

 

DIY Garden Sticks :)

#11 Use resuable shopping bags when thrifting, shopping or doing groceries. If you do have extra plastic bags, Walmart has a bag recycling bin to bring them to.

 #12 Recycle paint by either mixing old colors together to make a new color (great for furniture or an accent wall!) or donate excess paint to Habitat for Humanity, a church, or even a school. Recently, I learned about a company whi IS recycling paint to new colors and reselling it. They are called AMAZON PAINTS. Learn more at AmazonPaint.com

Sure, there are other ways to "Go Green" - for example Xeriscaping in dry climates, rain catchers in the tropics, and creating a compost, but these can be more complicated for some lifestyles. The 10 above are things we can ALL do no matter our lifestyle. Jeff and I do all the above daily. Learn more ways to think, live, be and design green at InHabitat.com.

 

What are some things you do to be Green and celebrate Earth Day everyday?

Thanks for stopping by!

HOLIDAY HOME: ORGANIZING HOLIDAY DECOR TO DECORATE

Was your home a wreck this weekend? A wreck from putting away the extra pots, pans and dishes from Thanksgiving dinner, tearing down and packing up Fall decor - and of course the fun part - breaking into the storage boxes of all your Christmas decor? I don't care how organized you are - ti's the weekend for decor havoc! But it's all good... and thankfully it's all up! The next home wreck will be in January, when it all comes crashing down lol.... And even though the 'extra' non-Christmas decor has been edited down, the window panels have been changed, and this years decor is in place, one space just isn't feeling right - so I'm going to paint the dining room! Here's a peek at some oh my

Thrifted gold finds to add to existing silver:

$1 gold glass balls and $6 brass sconces

Dollar Store finds:

Champagne gold stars & elegant ornament hooks.

All white textiles cleaned and pulled together.

Quick sketches of decor plans.

Since our dining space is the first space you walk into when entering our townhome, I've taken the extra step to really paying attention to the lighting and feel of this space. It was great neutral & modern in charcoal, it was happy & fresh in turquoise, and it was crisp & cooled down in blue... But with doing whites this year for holiday - it looks too cool (cold) with whites against the blue. To warm it up, I'm going more mocha or chocolate, which will still work with our pale grey walls, as well as relate back to the TV wall in the living room. It will also warm the space better when paired with some of the gold pieces I'm mixing with the existing silver ones. I already have plenty of paint in the garage, so this will be a great way to use it up and transform a space for $0.

Holiday decor storage staged in the garage.

Using file boxes makes it easier to pass through

our attic opening in the MBR closet.

Left over paint stash.

Christmas decor transformation to be revealed shortly... Either my phone or flickr is experiencing a delay today with the photo uploads. I can't wait to see every one's vignette's, makeover transformations and especially those Pottery Barn re-interpretations you make into budget friendly DIY's...

Holiday inspirations.

Getting a look together.

Brass bells from Dollar Store will add

the right touch of gold to existing silver...



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