The best gifts are sometimes handmade.....

Some of the gifts that I cherish most were made and given to me by friends... Hand crocheted baby blankets, hand made quilts and special Christmas decorations designed and made by friends are among my favorite things.   On the flip side of that, it is also nice too make and give something special to friends. It  is nice to see the faces of friends light up when they open that perfect gift that was made especially for them. Hand made gifts do not have to be costly or time consuming to make. I recently gave a friend who has a new interest in gardening a little present that I call " Garden in a Bag". To put it together  I chose small plants from my own yard. Varieties that spread easily and require minimal care. Things like day lilies,  hostas and  black-eyed Susans. I tied a small bunch of these with raffia, stuck them in a paper cup half filled with water(to keep them fresh) and placed the cup of flowers into a clear plastic bag which I tied off so the the water could not leak out of the cup. I wrapped the plastic bag with colorful tissue paper and placed the bundle into a bright colored paper gift bag. I finished the gift by adding a cute gift tag that read "Your garden is in the bag". My friend was thrilled to receive this gift. It took only thirty minutes to construct it and will give my friend years of beauty in the garden.

Beautiful living most definitely includes all those wonderful fathers who work hard to provide a good life for their families. Dads we salute you, Happy Father's Day!!!!

The Washington Design Center, delightful way to experience great design

At the end of a busy work day that had been filled with trials; I discovered the Washington Design Center and the absolutely marvelous "Dream Home on the 5th floor of the center. The creativity and design skill evidenced by the featured designers were exactly what my wearied eyes needed for a speedy recovery from a long day of uninspiring work tasks. The "Dream Home is open to the public for visits and I recommend checking it out.dcdesigncenter.com
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Welcome to my blog!! Let's share some ideas about beautiful, affordable decorating...and the art of gracious living

  I have been decorating for over thirty years, in that time I have learned quite a few things about decorating that I would love to share with you and I look forward to reading about and seeing pictures of some of your fabulous projects!!!!!

Impact and style with message art

Big, bold mural provides beautiful impact and a fun message on a large wall. To get this look, paste the mural to the wall with wallpaper paste. Finish the look by framing the mural with inexpensive metal strips that were purchased at a local hardware store, spray painted black and fastened to the wall with simple flat screws. The metal frame speaks to the modern, industrial feel of the bar and bar stools.

Begin your design with exploring the feeling that you are creating...

Before you embark on creating a beautiful room consider not only how you want the room to look but how you want to feel when you walk into the finished room. Do you want to feel like you are in a modern upscale lounge or do you want to feel as though you are in a luxurious spa in some beautiful resort?