Making a Good Entry....

I used to always tell my former design clients that the 

entry of the home was a Homeowner's 

first chance of giving their guests an impression 

of what "was to come" throughout their house.

Call it "setting the stage" if you will.

It's funny, because now in my new job as a Realtor,

I still say the same thing to Owner's who are

trying to sell their home. 

Did you know that the National Association of Realtors

did a study and found that Buyers will form an impression 

on a home within 10 seconds of pulling into the drive,

and within 5 seconds of walking inside the home.

5 seconds!!!!???

Well then, I guess your entry should make quite 

the statement, huh?  :)

While we may secretly long for something along 

the lines of this....

or this....

...I must truly say that it is the smaller, more intimate 
and personal entrys that peak my interest most.

So - what must the entry exist of to be considered "welcoming?"

Plants?  A Bench?  A Chair?  Baskets?  A Table?

Maybe, all of these.  But what I think it needs most of all

is the Homeowner's Personality!

For instance, on one side of my entry I have an

"Ode to Cats."

(you've seen it before so I won't bore you, 
but you can see a post I did on my Foyer HERE.)

On the other side, I have a small Bombay chest and 

mirror (on my project list to be painted)

and a tabletop which changes with the seasons...

and my moods.  *wink*

What does your entry say about you?

Does it speak of your style, your passion for 

something you collect....or is it just a a catch-all of 

book bags, toys and shoes like mine sometimes is.  LOL

Here are some beautiful examples from my Pinterest 
inspiration files for you to enjoy!

How beautiful is this mix of patterns?
Toile and Leopard print.  Love.

More Chinese blue with beautiful millwork...

Love the red door and transom window.

Love the paneling details and brick floor!

A welcoming mix of antiques in warm, wood tones.

A beautiful statement to welcome your guests.


So, next time you come through your front door -
 stop and ask yourself if that single space represents who
 you are and they way your home is decorated.


Thanks for joining me as we "Make a Good Entry..."
In a few days, I will follow up with "Making a Good Exit..."

Welcome to Wild About Mother Nature #2

Welcome to

Wild About Mother Nature #2. 

I can't wait to see everyone's projects.

My project started out with the concept of

creating one of these...

Or at least, something similar.

A Terrarium.

They seem to be making a tremendous come back.

I remember my Mom had several of these back when

 I was a young girl.  I remember her planting them 

and gently watering and caring for them.  

Mama doesn't have a green thumb, she has two!

I had not thought about them for years until Miss Copy Kat

shared her beautiful post about her terrarium project on the first ever Wild About Mother Nature Party.

I was immediately hooked.

I also knew it would be the perfect project for

WAMN #2.  So I started looking for containers.

Something unique and different.

Not just any jar.

Of course, what happens when you are looking for 

something specifically?  You all know the answer to this one.

Nada.  At a loss. Strike Out.

In other words, I didn't find anything.  

But I did remember I had this lovely stashed away in 

Barb's Attic-o-Goodies.

It's a beautiful footed bowl.

It weighs a ton.

I happened across this at a Flea Market in Antwerp.

Most people go to Antwerp to buy diamonds.  

Nope, I went to the Flea Market to hunt for finds.

I have no idea of the age or style or anything. 

I just thought it was beautiful when I saw it.

Have I ever told you that I am a sucker for anything footed?  :)


I know my Terrarium was not going to be the typical one.
Mine would be more of an "Inside-Out Terrarium."
(that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)


Lowe's provided me with a variety of smaller plants. 
On sale, too.  Yay me!

A fern. Some ivy.  Some cute pink thinga-ma-jiggies...

some purplish doo-flatchies.
(I am pretty sure that is the horticultural names)


I started out with this....

I know, I know.

Pretty impressive just like this, huh?  :)

But you know me... I just can't leave anything alone.

Mrs. More is More.  

I just kept tucking and planting.

Coincidentally, at the same time I also created this...

and this...

What?  You didn't know gardening had become 

an Inside Sport?  :)

In the end, this is my 

Inside-Out Terrarium.

I love how it turned out.

But I knew I had a special item that would give it

that finishing touch. 

A few weeks ago, a very dear and sweet Blogger 

friend of mine, Gloria at Happy To Be 

sent me a little package with something she knew 

I had a passion for.

If you don't know Gloria, I can truly say she is one 

of the kindest and most thoughtful Bloggers you will ever meet.

Gloria has also been through a very hard time in the past few months.  She went through emergency open-heart surgery.

So this effort she made on my behalf

touched me more than you know.

Luv U Gloria!  

She sent me a bag of moss, collected from the 

glorious 10-acres around her home.

And here it is in my Terrarium.  

The perfect filler.

As an afterthought, I decided to tuck in two of my little

 friends which you met saw a few days ago in another 

vignette seen HERE.

They are birds after all - 

they like to fly around.  :)

They are very happy here.  

I think they may call this "home" for a while.

When one has created an Inside-Out Terrarium,

one has to add some special touches to the new blue 

cabinet it sits on.

I borrowed the bird tea pot my Mama gave me from 

the formal Living Room,  plus some

 vintage blue books.

What do you get when you take a white egg cup...

... plus a white dish from your Pampered Chef spoon rest?

You get this!

A cute little candle holder.  

This little vignette makes me feel happy.

I love my silks.  But, I gotta say - there is something

so vitalizing about live plants in your home -

especially as Spring is approaching.

So while it may not be a traditional Terrarium, 

it suits me just fine.

Now its your turn to share your wonderful projects.

All I ask is that you link back to this blog, so others can 

see all that has been shared. 

I will be sharing this project on these Bloggy Parties:

I am joining the following Linky Parties:
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece MondayMarty at A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop TuesdayLinda at Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty TuesdayKim at Savvy Southern Style Wow Us WednesdayJudy at DIY Design Winter Blues PartyPaula and Patti at Ivy and ElephantsJill at French 23EWDCupboard French Inspiration on Thursdays Gina at The Chabby Chic Cottage Transformation ThursdayCindy at My Romantic HomeShow and Tell FridayCourtney at French Country CottageFeathered Nest FridayHeather and Vanessa at the picket fenceInspiration FridaySherry at The Charm of HomeHome Sweet Home FridayJen at Tatertots and JelloWeekend Wrap-Up Party
Do you have a Linky Party you think I should join?  Leave me a comment or email me, I'd love to join!

Recipe to Cure a Chilly and Blustery Day!

Today was in the 50's and very windy.

The sun was shining beautifully, but it was just too 

hard to stay outside for very long.  A trip to Lowe's for 

some new blinds gave me some inspiration to add a bit 

of cheerfulness to a corner of my kitchen. 

Here is the Recipe I used:

I started with a bright and uplifting Gerbera daisy.

Then, I poured it in one of my favorite white pitchers.

Since no "recipe" is complete without some

 extra ingredients added in...

  I tossed in a handful of fresh rosemary clippings from 
the herb garden...

....and a few sprigs of yellow jasmine from the
 birdhouse post...

Finally, I mixed it all together with some blue plates

and a bird's nest...

And, added two cute little friends as a final seasoning.

And there you have the recipe for a bright and "sunny" corner 

of a kitchen.

Mmmm....yummy!

Don't forget to get your 

Wild About Mother Nature

Posts ready for Tuesday's Party.

Linky will be up and running by 9pm on Monday.

I can't wait to show you my newest project.

I am joining the following Linky Parties:Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Mon Stephanie at Under the Table & Dreaming Sunday Showcase PartySusan at Between Naps on the Porch Met MondayThe Tablescaper  Seasonal SundaysSarah at Thrifty Decor Chic Before & After Monday (1st Mon of Month)Mary at Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece MondayMarty at A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop TuesdayLinda at Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty TuesdayKim at Savvy Southern Style Wow Us WednesdayJudy at DIY Design Winter Blues PartyPaula and Patti at Ivy and ElephantsJill at French 23EWDCupboard French Inspiration on Thursdays Gina at The Chabby Chic Cottage Transformation ThursdayCindy at My Romantic HomeShow and Tell FridayCourtney at French Country CottageFeathered Nest FridayHeather and Vanessa at the picket fenceInspiration FridaySherry at The Charm of HomeHome Sweet Home FridayJen at Tatertots and JelloWeekend Wrap-Up Party
Do you have a Linky Party you think I should join?  Leave me a comment or email me, I'd love to join!

Google Friend Connect is (sadly) almost gone for some...

Over the past few months since I started blogging again 

full time,  or at least "full time" for me -

I have gained quite a few new followers.

I am grateful to each of you who have chosen my little 

blog to be one of your Favorites.

Sadly....

There is a chance I will lose many of you after March 1st, 

which is literally just around the corner.  

If you have not done so, please join me thru my 

RSS feed, email, Blog Lovin' or Linky Friends.

I am working on my Facebook Page.

I sure would hate to lose a single one of you now that 
we have "found" each other.  :)

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Don't forget about WIld About Mother Nature this coming Tuesday!

Grab your glue gun!  

Grab your moss!

Gather your shells!

Cut some twigs.

Oh, and take a few pictures along the way.

Tuesday, February 28th is 

Wild About Mother Nature #2.

Linky will be up by 9pm on Monday, Feb 27th.

It's gonna be a WiLd TiMe!   :)

A Little Kitchen Sneak Peak...

I just thought I would share a little sneak peak of 
my kitchen redesign.

It's still a bit of a work in progress.

The "De-Red-ifying" is almost complete.

Here's my To-Do List: 

1) The hutch and kitchen table, which are currently 

painted black, still need to be painted white.

2) I have two vintage shutters I have been "playing" around 
with at the windows, in lieu of curtains.

3) I want a new light fixture over the table. I'm shopping!

4)  I want to take down the current pot rack and 

replace it with....?

(I need a pot rack b/c I have soooo many pots)  :-/

5) I need new rugs.

6) A new, white farmhouse sink will replace the 

current copper farmhouse sink - eventually.

(that's much later this year) 

7) "Poofing the Pillows"

Ok, there aren't any pillows in my kitchen but you 

know what I mean. I have some "poofing" to do. :)


8) New appliances.
Ugh!  My chest hurts thinking about spending that
kind of money.  geesh!

Here are a few more little snippets and peaks...

The full Monty coming soon.  :)