Side Table Revamp-Leather Look for less!

This is what I want! 

 Nate Berkus Leather Studded Table

Home Shopping Network, $199.95

At that price this table is really pretty affordable.  But still,  $200 for a table that is going to sit in an out of the way spot seems like a lot.

This table was stuck out of the way in the lower level on it's way to the GW drop off.

The awful finish is the result of a less than successful attempt at faux painting---arghhh!

I am pretty pleased with the results.  Not perfect, but certainly better than before! Read on to see how I did this!

Tools of the Trade-The Indispensables

Happy Friday!

I spent a bunch of time this week looking at all of the amazing blogs that are out there.
This causes me stress as my internal TO DO  list grows longer and time left in my summer break from school grows shorter. 
I better get busy!

You should read this post by Mari at For the Love of the House. 
She writes:

"I am a list-maker.
I love lists. 
I love making lists, I love reading lists,  I love crossing things off of lists (I always cross things off- even if I'm getting ready to throw the list in the trash I cross off 'accomplished' items first ;)"

Then she lists the 10 "housey" things she can't live without!

I AM NOT a list maker.
I HATE lists.
I LOVE other people's lists

But Mari's list had lots of things on it that I also consider to be indispensable.
I must really like you all because I am going to make you list of the "housey" things that I would hate to live without!

A Fairy Garden-Sweetwater Style

Garden fairies come at dawn,
Bless the flowers then they're gone.
~Author Unknown

The little fairy garden in an old birdbath makes me smile whenever I look at it.  

I imagine it may entice some fairies to come bless the flowers.  

Do you think they could cast a spell on the weeds too? Here's hoping!

Read on to learn how to make your own and find inspiration from some other fantastic Fairy Gardens out there.

Wedding Flowers For Less-First Steps

A good friend is getting married on August 13th.
She has done me the honor of asking me and another friend to be the "florists" for the event.

 What Fun! 

Friday we met at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market Flower Mart to get the plan under way.

Be sure to check out the link above to see what this fabulous place has to offer.

Come along and see the fun we had creating the vision for the big day!

No Fuss Deck Lighting

I love the quote from the movie "You've Got Mail" when Kathleen announces that all will be fine, but "in the meantime, I'm putting up more twinkle lights."
That's how I feel about the twinkle lights on our deck.

 Sweetwater Style calls for simple, easy, inexpensive elegance.  This solution is almost too easy.

Summer Look for Your Couch-Use Sheets

The temperature in Minnesota is going to hit 100 degrees today!
I love warm weather but this is a bit much!

Try this easy way to "air condition" your couch.  Use a sheet for sewn slip covers or take the easy route and just tuck and pin. Read on to find out how!

Hydrangeas in the House-Tips for Making them Last!

Hydrangeas have taken the place of Peonies as my favorite flower now that it is July.
Hydrangeas are the showy, temperamental and unpredictable.  They are beautiful in the garden and even more beautiful in flower arrangements.
I have finally figured out the way to make these pretties behave when I bring them inside. It is all about the conditioning! It is easy and works almost every time!

Off for the Weekend....but before I go!

No time for a long post today as we are off to southern Minnesota for a family wedding.  It will be fun to visit with family and friends.
 





Instead reading a post from me, take a moment to look through my blog roll.  There is some great reading and lots of inspiration to be found there. 

I Am A Dead Head!

No, I don't mean this....

Deadhead or Dead Head is a name given to fans of the American jam band, the Grateful Dead.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} In the 1970s, a number of fans began travelling to see the band in as many shows or festival venues as they could. With large numbers of people thus attending strings of shows, a community developed. Deadheads developed their own idioms and slang. (from Wikipedia)

I mean I am a Dead Head when I garden! You can see it is worth the effort!

There are some basic techniques for pinching back annual and perennial flowers in your garden.  To quote my daughter "Mom, not everybody knows how to do this...you should write a post about it."  So here goes:

Goodwill Girls Gather for Giggles and Goodies!

Three girlfriends joined me yesterday for some thrifting fun at the Hopkins Goodwill Store.

We did have lots of giggles and found some goodies  too!  

Then we went down the block to recover from all our hard bargain shopping on the patio at Pizza Luce.  Over some delicious food and refreshing beverages, we congratulated one another on our great finds.
What great finds? Read on to find out!