How do you decorate for Easter?

Easter Inspiration 2013

Pull out your box of Easter...and lets get started.  You must know by now that I love the Holidays.  In fact when asked what is my favorite Holiday I always say..."the next one!"

Here are a few photos from my own home decorating.

 Here is a "fix up" of a 1980's Easter Tree.  Many of the wooden bunnies and eggs had fallen off and been lost.  When I found some Wooden Easter items in a bag at a Goodwill thrift store I knew I could salvage this tree as a memory for my girls.

 I have been cleaning out holiday boxes as the holiday approaches.  Here was the before of the Easter tree given to the girls in 1988.  Many pieces were broken or had fallen off so I began by gluing the bunnies and eggs and grass back on the dowel tree.

 Here is where the girls grandmother signed the tree - in 1988!  My youngest daughter Kelsey wasn't even born yet.

I still had eggs and bunnies left over so I drilled some holes into the wooden eggs and added some wooden beads.  Okay this took MUCH longer than I thought it would, so I made only a small garland.

 Here is the garland in the dining room..maybe I'll rework the idea and make more next year.

Of course I like to have Easter all over the house.  In the Nook area I added this Birds nest.  I had found it on the ground while on a walk in our neighborhood.  The broken birds eggs were still inside the nest.  Tragic!  I added:
An old silver pitcher with olive branches from our tree out front.
A "found" bird house made many years ago.
Also pulled in the antique china spice containers.
A cute ceramic rabbit in a pot.
A upcycled cake stand that holds the nest - It's a china plate and single candlestick that I glues together using E6000 - Make one for yourself...directions here: http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/2011/06/odd-pieces-of-china-laying-around.html?q=china
And the old tray I have had for years, and just keep reusing it.
A few years ago, when we moved into this house I made this toile fabric table runner.

I like that all the decorations do not have to be pastels...

This is my oldest decoration and belonged to my grandma Elsie.  It's a gold embellished paper mache' egg and candy eggs from the 1950's.  There is a  scene inside and they were made by my grandma.  The bunny I bought last year at one of my favorite "decor" places...Pottery World in Rocklin, CA

 These are Rosbro hard plastic Easter bunny toys, and some more of those 1980"s eggs (Yep the bag of wooden Easter crafts was quite large.) The bunnies are in yellow and pink pastels.. They measure about 4-1/4" tall x 2"deep. These toys were probably in an Easter basket in the 1940's
These pieces were played with. There are some scuffs and scratches. I'm so glad to have them as they make a cute display.

 Here is a classic bunny on the hall table.  This year I added two chicks, and some eggs in a basket. (More olive branches.)

 I always put out the plastic eggs that we fill with change, hard candy and small erasers, balls and trinkets.  I always put a small duck in for the grandkids to point out.  This is so simple.

This is my table and chairs out front on the front porch.  I added two large ceramic geese, a woven table runner and another glass urn of fake eggs.  This time the eggs are the peach, green and purple's. (Yes the geese are from the 1980's, so glad I didn't throw them out.

 

This is that "chocolate looking" Eater Bunny I got at Pottery World.  I like it in the kitchen too.

 Here is a tray I filled with Eater Decor and use as a centerpiece on the Diningroom table.  There are a lot of keepsakes in the tray

This darling set of children's dishes belonged to my mother.  Don't you just love the pastel rim on the eggshell plate.

 These bunnies were gifts for me for my very first Easter that I hosted at my house.  I made the cake stands by gluing together those china plates and crystal candle holders.

 The white bunny pitcher in the back was old.  I use it or water on the Easter table.  Doilies are from my grandma...

 This cute blue and white book shelve my grandma Ellen painted for my daughter Kelsey's room in the 1980's.  It is a treasure.  It has four pegs to hang things. 

I love how dainty the cups and saucers are..I have a few odd dishes I keep with this set.  Our granddaughter Kiera is getting old enough now that I will have to get them out when she comes next and make up a "Teddy bear tea party."

So now I've shared, now it's your turn...what do you like to decorate with at Easter?
Just added:

 This lovely little feather tree was purchased on Etsy a few years back.  I love how it looks with my Benjamin Moore "Straw" colored walls and odd Eater eggs to decorate it.

 This little tea pot is my spring tea pot of choice.  I received this as a gift more than 10 years ago and love it still today.

 Grandson Beau, checking out one of my Easter cakes...gotta love the color of those "peeps"

 My Mom and Dad with Beau at the Easter table last year.  Miss my dad now ;(

And the real thing I love about Easter, gathering eggs in the back yard with the grandkids!

Bye for now...
Jonelle'

If Walls Could Talk - Hotel Monteleone

All Things New Orleans

I really enjoyed my trip to Louisiana that included nearly a week in New Orleans. I am excited to share my choice of hotel when visiting the lovely French Quarter.

The French Quarter is anchored by the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street.  It defiantly has THE best vantage point for people watching, shopping antiques, gorgeous jewelry, Oriental rugs, art and gifts from around the world. Nearby there are traditional Louisiana restaurants and specialty gift shops 

• Stroll the cobblestone streets that lead to Jackson Square.  
• Visit the Old French Market
• Join the Riverwalk where a quick stroll along the levee you will see steamboats, barges and ships along the Mississippi River.

Hotel Monteleone is not only a Historic Landmark it is also a member of the Historic Hotels of America.  The hotel is larger than it at first seems with 600 guest rooms, a wonderful restaurant, and the infamous Carousel Bar, 

http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/2013/01/art-for-eye-at-carousel-bar-new-orleans.html

They also have a mall sundries shop - gift store, heated rooftop pool (really enjoyed swimming in the evenings) and an exercise facility.  The Spa Aria, sent specials on the desk in our room, the business center was well equipped.  There was loads of meeting space, and of course valet parking.

Hotel Monteleone is a hotbed for hosting literary giants, musicians and celebrities.

Who has stayed here:

William Faulkner

Eudora Welty

Elvis Presley

Liberace

From their website I learned that the hotel is still owned by the same family, the Hotel Monteleone derives its name from its Italian founder's roots. Monteleone means mountain lion. Established in 1886 in a building that once housed Union troops during the War of Northern Aggression (as they say in the deep South), the hotel offers both a sense of heritage and a feel of luxury. The pristine lobby with its sparkling chandeliers and antique grandfather clock (built in 1909) promises all a comfortable stay.

When we arrived and went in to our room, we weren't disappointed. Two Audubon prints hung on one wall. A pale yellow and pink color scheme with striped wallpaper felt very traditional. All of the expected amenities were there including a full minibar in the armoire.  The shower was heaven and the window let in lots of light.

I loved the lounge, with it's unique carousel piano bar that rotates around.   I wrote about the lounge here:

http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/2013/01/art-for-eye-at-carousel-bar-new-orleans.html

 There is live New Orleans Jazz music in the bar most nights. Its location is just a short walk from Bourbon St. and other places of entertainment. 
 
The lobby is truly beautiful, with 12 foot ceilings, Beaux-arts decor, antiques and beautiful painted ceilings. (Yes do not forget to look up!)  There is a HUGE Grandfather clock in the center of the lobby that cranks out loud chime every quarter hour.

I always like to share what movies a famous hotel has been in.  Here is my list taken from the internet:

FILM list

1999
“Double Jeopardy” – Starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. Filmed in Lobby, front of Hotel Monteleone and the Carousel Bar & Lounge transformed into the Armani Shop.

September 2004
“Glory Road” – a Jerry Bruckheimer production. Starring Josh Lucas, Derek Luke and Jon Voight. Filmed in Lobby and also built set in storage area. Hotel Monteleone featured as fancy hotel lobby in a different city. Conference space was set aside for extras. This was the same crew that worked on the production of “Double Jeopardy” in 1998.

September 2005
“The Last Time” – Starring Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton. Filmed in Lobby, Carousel Bar & Lounge, Hunt Room Grill, Bagatelle and Engineer.

February 2005
“Retirement” – Starring Peter Faulk. Filmed in Hotel Monteleone‘s fine dining restaurant Hunt Room Grill. Restaurant is stand in for any Steak House. Hotel Monteleone provided all steaks; salad and other food prep as well and table settings etc. Rooms provided for talent during filming.

March 2008
“12 Rounds” – Starring John Cena. Filmed in Vieux Carre Suite (1480), 14th floor hallway, roof by the Marquis, boiler room, garage freight elevator, Lobby and front of Hotel Monteleone. Employee’s cafeteria & Exchange Alley was used for film crew lunch breaks.

An Asian Themed Tree for the Holidays

Decorate your tree easily and with charm  

Seasonal Decorating is a wonderful way to show your spirit and love of traditions.  The holidays are a great time to invite your friends and family to your home.  You will feel more confident and excited about your seasonal decorating when you artfully and creatively arrange your holiday décor.  Taking the time to add  flair to any home gives you prideful enthusiasm. If you’d like to achieve a festive look but do not have the time, ideas or energy to decorate, hire a holiday re-decorator!

As an interior redesign professional I help clients deck the halls for the holidays in one quick afternoon.  I professionally transform  homes for the holidays, using what you already have in your holiday decoration boxes.  It’s fun to see how someone else might place your tree, arrange your decorations in a vignette or place special ornaments onto some garland.  I also make a list of items you might want to consider purchasing either after the holidays on sale or immediately to add some punch to your décor. 

Impressions Redesign "holiday Redesign" decorating service is not complicated and includes:

Holiday theme development

Organizing holiday decorations (for Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Easter)

 Placement of holiday lighting, trees, garlands, and wreaths, table centerpieces and trim for banisters and doors.

Lets walk through my most recent "Holiday Redesign" that I worked on last week.  Here I will share some tips.

First off I loved the Asian look and feel of Marlene's home.  When she showed me these wonderful ornament she had made there was no question we had a "theme" to start working with.  I unpacked her boxes working with color and sorting what worked with our theme and what we would use this year to decorate.  I carefully repacked items we would use another time.  We also got rid of a few things she was not interested in using ever.  We also found a few things for her children she will wrap up and pass down.  (This took approximately one hour.)

Focus on the Tree's Theme.  I have done many tree’s over the last 20 years.  I love themed tree as that gives a focus to work with.  Try a Teddy Bear Tree if you have young ones, a Victorian Doll Tree, a Santa Clause Tree, a Country Classic tree, a Patriotic color themed tree or all children’s handmade crafts tree.  Why not create a tree with your hobby in mind: like sewing or golf tree or perhaps your Career inspires you -teacher = apples, librarian = books or your interests might make a fine tree.

I'd like to use this Asian inspired theme tree as an example of a themed tree for today.

Light affects mood.  Choose clear or white lights for a clean look. If you want to add color and excitement you might add larger bulbs or all one color bulbs.  I've seen pepper light strands and star light strands too. Typically, count on 100 lights per vertical foot of tree.

Next fill the holes -  No tree is perfect.  Use silky fabrics, organza, mesh ribbon, Mylar, glitter ribbon, tinsel, strings of beads, ribbons, garlands etc. to hide the imperfections in your tree.  Take the end of the string, start from the top and work down. Weave garlands in and out of the branches.

Think  festival color pallet. For a more formal looking tree, use a color pallet that includes two or three colors, and play with different shades of those colors.  There are many color combinations, and as in decorating always consider adding an accent.

Glass ball ornaments add a designer touch Any tree looks more cohesive with colored glass balls and works whether you want a classic or contemporary tree.  The larger the tree, the larger some of the balls should be.

Ad something special Visit your local craft store for an array of silk flowers, trims, feathers, glass bulb garland etc.  This owner had one large sprig of red glittered leaves that I used as filler for the tree. Also avoid hanging all the ornaments on the tips of the branches. To add depth and interest, try to place ornament into the tree a bit.

Add a bird for luck.  She had one lone clip on bird that I loved, it had glitter wings.  I added it to the top of the tree for luck.

Embrace your personal style Whether your home is Asian inspired like Marlene’s or traditional, contemporary or old world, find a tree and ornaments that fit into your personal taste and design. 

Handcraft your own ornaments - Jewelry Artist Marlene whom had an impressive amount of quality creative jewelry made these special ornaments that reflected her personal style.   

She had made these Asian inspired ornaments for her tree and I was excited to help her pull her holiday decorating together.

Top the tree with interest.   The most common tree toppers in the US are Stars and Angels.  I loved that Marlene had a Dragon for the top of her Asian Tree.  Do not be afraid to put something of your theme at the top, and the taller your tree the larger the tree topper should be.

Tree Skirt  The tree  skirt is there to catch needles and hide the stand and trunk. I make my tree skirts by sewing two different colored round tablecloths together making it reversible.  If you don’t sew, just add several yards of green or red material bunched at the base of the tree.  For an easy decorative skirt cut a circle of felt like we did for Marlene's tree.  

Finishing Touches.  For a finishing touch and to hide the wire leading from the lights to the plug, place a few wrapped presents under the tree. Empty boxes wrapped in the same colors as your decorations will look best and mean you won't be left with a big gaping space once the real presents are opened.

We really had a great time decorating this Asian inspired tree.  There was so much to work with.  The last hour I placed the Santa Clauses and holiday decor. 

How are you doing with your tree?

For more Holiday Tree inspiration check out:

http://www.homedit.com/30-christmas-tree-decoration-ideas-for-2011/

I love working with the clients own, and interesting I may add, things to make small Christmas vignettes. These were fun and quick.  I recommended the client buy some greenery and garland to accent these displays.

***Impressions Redesign does seasonal decorating for homes, businesses, restaurants, and clubhouses.  Typically my service takes 4-6 hours and includes: moving furniture, unpacking decorations, set-up and installation of decorations, and re-packing decoration boxes (always packing them more organized than when they were when unpacking the boxes).

For more information on holiday decorating services or special occasion decorating services contact me at Impressions-redesign.com or call  916.833.7807.  Please  “like” me on facebook at www.facebook.com/ImpressionsReDesign to see more trees and projects I am working on.

Kitchen accents need to be simple and few

Welcome to the kitchen.  One of the most important rooms in the home the kitchen must be functional and beautiful enough to entertain at the same time.

I always enjoy a nice streamlined kitchen.  This kitchen has beautiful painted (and hand antiqued) cabinets, a stained island provides a central spot to work and eat.  The African granite counter tops have hand "roughed up" edges.  The most useful island must be at least 4 feet long and 2 1/2 feet wide with a clearance of at least 3 feet all around.

 

I like the stacked rock back splash.  This industrial range looks fresh and all the liquids to cook with look nice along the back of the stove.  Knives in the knife block and wooden spoons and spatulas all have a place right next to the stove.  You might notice there is collection of Fiesta dishes in the top shelf with glass doors.  These pieces can be use everyday as they have easy access this way.

 

 

 

In this photo you can see the bookshelves in front of the sink that is used to display some favorite dishes, accent pewter pieces and cookbooks.  Those Rooster plates are in wonderful colors and the perfect snack size for entertaining.  These shelves also hold seasonal decorations and are changed out and rotated with new accents regularly.

 

 

There is a second set of shelves that is used to display a cookie cutter collection,  artichokes in a basket, more over sized cookbooks, some small antique iron animals and a decoupaged recipe box.

 

I feel customizing your storage is important.  Here you see I have added an extra shelf to the "plates" cupboard and hooks for the cups in the cups cupboard.  Yes that is 20 years of accumulated fiesta dishes. Notice the glass door fronts on the upper shelves.  I wanted storage that felt like furniture, not cabinetry so glass fronts were added.  You see my fiesta serving pieces there.

 

 

A simple arrangement made by gathering sticks from outside and a few fruits and flowers from Michael's craft store.  I especially like the cute bird, dried artichokes from the yard and hydrangeas.

 

 

These two wooden chairs add just enough space for "two" to enjoy an intimate breakfast. 

So that's my story on styling the kitchen.  Richard really focuses on the lighting for the kitchen and made sure there was good task lighting as well as under cabinet or under shelf lighting to brighten those areas. Dimmers on fixtures let you control the amount of light and increase energy efficiency and mood, like the chandelier over the island is beautiful and functional.