"All Natural" Decor

I recently went to Farmers Market to purchase some vegetables and fruit for our family.  Of course, I was so inspired by all the colors that I saw!  Our God created some beautiful colors!  Take a look at all these.  I love to fill a giant bowl with colorful fruit!  Great inexpensive way to give yourself a pop of color in any room!  The trick is to select your favorite color and use just one color!  That always makes a statement.  Here are a few!

Another way to use "all natural" items is to purchase a glass cylinder and fill it with any of the below items. 
You could layer the items and use a grouping of cylinders with different items in each one! Get creative!

Love ALL these textures!  Perfect for your kitchen counter!
With Memorial Day coming up and then Fourth of July there are lots of parties and entertaining that goes on.  What can you do with "all natural" items to make your centerpieces a topic everyone talks about?  Go to your local Farmers Market or Indian or Import store and you will have so much fun with all the colors that are available to decorate with!  The Indian Market is filled with Curry powders that are to die for.
Ruthie

Decorating tip for the day

I was at an Antique Mall today and saw this wonderful grouping of old antique bells. 
So many times I get asked by my clients "what can I hang on my walls?"   I often encourage my clients to find objects that aren't your typical wall art.  It's easy to get stuck just hanging the ordinary in your space like mirrors, family pictures, paintings, wrought iron pieces, etc.  Those are all great things to decorate with but I want to challenge you to try to find "collections" or "groupings"  to incorporate into your home.  These collections often become the focal point of a room or a great conversation piece.  They also makes a home feel like the items have been collected over time.
Love this collection of art/pictures with the same color frames.
Another suggestion for your "groupings/collections" is to create a backdrop for those items.  You could paint a square in a wonderful bold color before you hang the collection and you will find that the items pop and speak loudly in the room!
You can also find an old frame (with no glass), hang it on the wall and then put your items inside that frame. 
Wouldn't this collection be great in a little girls bathroom or bedroom?
Have fun finding your collection!
Ruthie

Hardware - The jewelry for your furniture

Every outfit needs an amazing piece of jewelry to make it complete.  Sometimes it's a ring, other times it's a necklace, earings, a stunning bracelet, a pair of sunglasses, or an incredible belt.  It adds your personality to your style.  Of course the shoes and purse can make or break the outfit too!
Adding jewelery to a casual outfit is so stylish as well.  Who said shorts can't be dressed up?
I recently bought a few rings to add to my jewelry collection.  I love large rings.  My family often mocks me for wearing such big ones but hey, I love them and that's all that counts.
Aren't they cute?

I feel the same way about furniture pieces.  The hardware that is on the piece is what makes it stand out and have character and personality.  I went shopping yesterday for hardware for a piece that I'm painting right now.  There are SO many selections and I had a blast selecting just what I wanted.
This dresser is so boring, try adding some of the knobs I found yesterday to it and you would have something totally different.

All these are so incredible and would change up any piece, creating whatever style you want.  Sophisticated, childlike, masculine, whimsical, religious or rustic.

You can make an antique piece look modern, a modern piece look like an antique, a masculine piece look more feminine, etc. etc. just by adding new hardware to the furniture.
I love following Jennifer on The magic brush blog.  She repaints all kinds of furniture pieces and almost ALWAYS adds beautiful hardware to each piece, making it complete.  She will inspire you!
I'm crazy about "quick change" so here's one for you. Go change out a few knobs and see the quick transformation!  It's thrilling to spend little and get a large impact.  Just like buying a ring, they aren't expensive but they can add some spunk to your outfit! 
Ruthie

Floating Homes in Seattle

The month of May is always so BUSY as a mom and business owner.  It seems that everything around me is going full force!  Everybody needs something from me and it goes on and on and on.  If only I could escape to these wonderful floating homes in Lake Union, Seattle!  Actually, just looking at these pictures made me feel less stressed and calmed me for the day. I thought you would enjoy their beauty.  Look for me in one of the pictures, If I can't be there in person, I can transport myself, can't I?  Instead of "find Waldo" it's "find Ruthie."

Have a great Tuesday!
Hope you were able to float away today with me!
Ruthie

Before & After Garden Treasures

In April I posted about some treasures that I'd found on the curb or in the trash.   Here are the treasures after they have been given some love and attention!
This wonderful Spanish chair with "blue" ugly wicker (gag) and this gorgeous leather hide seat was a find of the day!  I knew it had potential because I had just seen these pictures in a library book I was reading and really loved the look of the chairs around this dining room table. 
Ethnic Interiors  by Dinah Hall
Ethnic Interiors by Dinah Hall
I got all inspired by the photo and knew I could make my own rendition of the above chairs with a few paint layers and some wonderful gel stain.
All I need is one chair, that will do me fine!  Actually the rooms above are a little too "Ethnic" for my liking but I do like a touch of it my space.  I know it's because of my growing up and traveling all over the world, I tend to gravitate towards items that are culturally different.
Goodbye BABY BLUE!!
It now resides on my front porch and loves its new home!
Remember the columns that my friend gave me for my birthday?
They now reside in my front garden, leaning on my pot that had a crack in it so I decided to lay it on its side with the crack on the bottom.  Planted sweet potato vine in it and now I get to enjoy this grouping from my kitchen window while I eat my breakfast each morning.
Remember this wrought iron stand that I found on the curb?  I found a cute bird that looked oh so cheery and now she greets me as I drive into my driveway each day!  The bird cost me $3.00 because she had a hole in the bottom....perfect for me! LOVE IT!  The kids have named her lily!
Now off to do some weeding in that garden I've been talking about!
Where is the Mother's Day" Garden Elf?
Ruthie