One of my favorite magazines for years has been
House & Home
{ no this is not paid advertising.. I just really love it }

I always subscribe and can’t wait to see it appear in my mail box.. the photos, the interior decor are always filled with the latest trends and ideas that keep me dreaming until the next month’s issue.

April’s magazine had a page that just spoke to me, it was overflowing with flowers and color, not just the pastel bunches that I typically favor, but also bolder, ultra saturated blooms.. and I fell in love..

Now it would be almost impossible to “Flower Up” my entire home.. but I could add some much needed verve to my studio. It was so much fun to add a little “Flower Power”.

As luck would have it, Page 107 detailed the use of faux flowers..
“Whether paper or fabric, today’s fakes have nuanced, fresh-from-the-garden colours – but last infinitely longer than the real thing. The only part you’ll miss is the scent.” Now I almost always have a fresh bunch of flower in my kitchen.. at the moment, my hyacinth are blooming and just so fragrant. But it bothers me that most bouquets barely last one week.. and to find out that “faux” flowers have the Interior Design “stamp of approval” was all the encouragement I needed.

While I like to add some “on trend” changes each season, I’m averse to spending a fortune.. even though I could so easily fall in love with many of the stunning fabrics available at DWA Interiors just check out Designer’s Guild, Sanderson or Kravet.

But add a little hit of “Flower Power” from a pretty, less expensive toss pillow from Indigo Book Store.. well that I could do.

 

The bolt of silk fabric on the back of my chaise is destined to become a wrap for cool summer evenings. Olga’s Fabric Lane carries end bolts of designer fabrics and then sells them at a substantially reduced price. So for next to nothing.. I have an Armani scarf to keep me warm on cool spring evenings. All I have to do is sew a rolled hem around all four edges.

♥

Then I rummaged and found a few books that had bright floral pictures and interior decor..

Then I reorganized my dusty book shelf by removing the top section of books (scandalous) and setting out bright and cheery accessories from around my home.

One thing about accessorizing.. is that it’s easy to “overdo” it. This is how I started..

Then I began to “edit” and remove objects so it looks “cleaner” and less cluttered. This is much calmer and clean looking…

Spring’s just arriving… but now it feels like it’s already here in my home!

♥

To make a hand-tied bouquet.. just add one faux bloom at a time, beginning with the larger pieces.. going around until you like what you see, adding tiny blooms at the end. Tie the bunch together tightly with string. Then measure and snip (with sturdy garden sheers) the ends to a length that will leave your bouquet flush with the lip of your vase. Hold your bouquet up against the edge of your vase and mark where to trim. Measure twice, cut once.

♥

The other bouquet was just an informal arrangement, I measured, snipped and placed the faux flowers in my tin watering can.. just as I would for a real bouquet.

♥

My dog’s muddy paw-marked bed needed a little make-over as well. I picked up some fabric from Chintz and Company.

Dog Pillow Slip-Cover DIY

1. Measure the width and diameter of the old bed cover and add 5/8″ (standard seam width) to all sides. Cut one large rectangular piece of fabric this size. This will be the front of the slip-cover.

2. To make the back pieces: cut a piece of fabric that is the same width but longer in length by about 6-10″. Cut that piece in half.

3. Fold the end over the width edge of one of the short pieces by 1/4″ and sew along the  edge.

4. Fold that same seam over about 1/2″ and sew again to create a finished edge. Repeat for the other half of the back fabric.

5. Lay both back sides together, patterned side down, they will overlap each other, on top of the large top piece of fabric. *Make sure the patterned sides of all three pieces are together on the inside.

6. Stitch all around the entire rectangle.

7. Snip the corners so that they will fold out neatly.

8. Turn right side out and press with an iron to flatten the seams.

Turn inside out and gently insert your pillow through the overlapping back pieces.

Try it out on your Pupster!

Must be comfy!! Time for bed!!