It is spring and with that comes warmer rainier weather. Although a rainy day can certainly dampen your spirits, it can also be a nice time to catchup; you aren’t able to take a long stroll or dine outside because it is damp and dreary. A good rainy day can involve a tall cup of coffee and some baking, but it can also allow for that time to do laundry that has piled up. I have found other activities which can  make rainy days productive while having fun.

Plant an indoor garden

Bake some cookies for the cookie jar 

Send cards to old friends

Frame stuff and then hang it

Count all the coins in your piggy bank

Act like an OSTRICH and take a nap

I’ve always found graffiti to be an intriguing art form. It can be anything from a gorgeous larger than life mural to writing “Class of 2012″ on an overpass. Spray painting is a public expression of creativity, which is unlike any other. There is also a great amount of talent put fourth on another note; how exactly do they reach those overpasses?

Asheville, NC

Off the tracks

Piggly Wiggly

electric windows outside the electric factory

Too many hens

In a few weeks, we plan on visiting our beloved University for an alumni weekend. This weekend also happens to be memorial day and commencement. The hotels in the area are sold out completely; so what is a girl to do? Well, we could stay further on the outskirts of town, but what fun is that. Instead, we have decided to rough it and camp out doors. Coming from someone who would be considered an indoor cat this has never been one of my favorite activities. However, I think this could be fun and certainly it will add an interesting twist to the weekend. I have already started to gather or at least online shop for the items we will need–to you know rough it– and I don’t just mean leaving my iphone at home.

Lighting

Where shall i sit?  

wicked cool hamock

Vintage Cooler 

Fire Pit 

Dont get lost 

Ah vases, what a versitile and often under used piece of home decor. They, of course, are used for the fresh bunch of flowers from the market or the single stem of hydrangea from the garden. There can be so much more to them. By arranging them in a cluster on a beautiful vintage tray or filling them with your shell collection. Also one of the best things is that they can be very inexspensive all the while they look very pricey.

Mason Jars

Pure White

How many bottles are on the wall? 

Making Faces

Stump it 

Spring is a lovely time. Most of us have heard the term “spring cleaning” ,and to me this has a double meaning.  Others toss their  junk from the attic and basement, and then I grab it looking for new projects. I am always in search of something that needs a little sprucing up. Giving well loved or used items a second chance not only gives me a project, but it also restores an item to good shape.

A few of my favorite finds:

Patriotic

never been to ohio

blue grass state

a state of at

perfect planter

This time of year is a great time to freshen up your home or office with fresh cut flowers; there are so many great options from Tulips to Hydrangea. A spring mix can be just the right trick for adding a warm spring feeling to your home.  It can be costly to continuely have a floral arrangement from a professional, so try getting a bunch of flowers from the farmers market or even better the garden right outside. Certainly a great vase, bowl or even a glass can help to exhibit their beauty.

Rope Basket

Excessively Green

Fantastic Urn 

Me and You

Repurposed Vase

When my grandparents came to this country the one thing that they brought with them was their trunks. I guess this is why I have always had a passion for these pieces. They contain a vast personal history and they provide extra storage space; however, a new trend is using them not only for storage but as decor. Who knew a trunk could be so much more then a space to store wool sweaters? Using a trunk as a table, for example, would be superb because of the durability factor. So pull out that trunk you’ve been hiding in the attic and give it a new home downstairs.

Remarkable Storage

Old World

You know this one

Studded Luxury

World Map

Street signs are items that we can not live without. They tell us where we are and how far we need to go until the next stop. A street sign comes in various sizes, colors and materials. Some of these geographical locaters are pleasing to the eye, and the reason is they tell us more then where we are located. Good signage tells us what direction to go in, and what the specific neighborhood we’re in. The most frustrating thing is when it’s ill placed and cannot be viewed. How can we make these signs more integrated in our landscape? The common green signs we often spot can be overlooked because they are just a green rectangle on a post on the side of the road. Good signs are fun to photograph and view later. Each can be a marker of days gone by and trips that were taken.

What are your thoughts on these lovely little icons?

Here are a few interesting ones that say more then the what street you are on.

Philadelphia

Charleston, SC

Dallas

Charleston, SC

Savannah, GA

If there is a Poppy Season Festival, then it must be worth the celebration. Certainly there are festivals for seasons, fruits and the occasional gourds. However, what about a dedication to a flower? One of my favorite flowers in home decor is the poppy flower. It’s a native to the West Coast and is the State flower of California. So with that let’s take a moment to pay homage to the poppy flower.

Check out the festival that is happening in a few weeks for the flower.

Poppy Pillow is a colorful accent to any living space.

Why not? 

Poppy Bowls 

Different Type of Poppy

Kind of Amazing

Different Poppy

Recently, I came across a local artist from my hometown of Philadelphia.  She’s a lovely woman named Sandra Hoffman. She is a painter who has dedicated her life to appreciating nature through her work. I have always been drawn to such pieces because of the realistic quality and the sense of adventure a landscape can convey.

She has several works in permanent collections and galleries across the country. Birch trees is her current theme, which means white and is meant to be bright. They are thought to have a medicinal quality and that is why we are often drawn to these inviting trees.

What are your thoughts on the pieces?

A little cloudy

Trees in the water

Through the birch

Dark night

Red all over