peonies

Don't you love Peonies? Their flirty luscious layers of petals and oh yes that heavenly scent, just mesmerizing.

Have a great weekend!xx

diy mounting a staghorn plant

I have been admiring hanging staghorn plants on walls for a long time but never had the chance to have one myself. I love the antler shaped fronds. They survive by attaching roots to other plants and absorbing water through fronds. Daily misting and light fertilization keep the staghorn fern thriving. Pre-mounted ones are usually expensive. Since I had some leftover pallet wood from my last project I tried mounting one for myself. All I needed was a staghorn plant, a board, some peat moss and spanish moss, fishing line and screws. (I also used a cordless nail gun and a cordless screw driver)

I first cut pallet wood and made a board by attaching 3 pieces to a cross member using my nail gun. I made the board large enough to hold the plant. 

Wire strung between two screws allow the board to be hung on a wall.

On the front of the board I placed four screws as shown.

First I put a little mound of peat moss for the nutrition. "A horticulturalist at the University of Connecticut recommends a mixture of 3 parts of peat to 1 part to perlite and then adding sphagnum moss or horticultural charcoal." I just used peat moss. Some recommend soaking the peat moss over night. I didn't:) 

And then placed the plant on the mound.

I covered the fern roots with spanish moss and used fishing line to hold the plant in place by criss-crossing between the 4 screws multiple times (mine was a heavy duty fishing line I already had around the house, thinner the better visually) and voila. Its's done.

Finished and hanging on my balcony. I added more spanish moss to cover the fishing line.

Love the rustic look. Hopefully I will not kill the plant, fingers crossed:)

Happy weekend!xx

diy driftwood ladder

One of the warmest days of Spring I escaped to the beach where I also found some driftwood for my next project. Yes here I am again with one of my small projects. I had a long time desire to make a driftwood ladder. They look rustic yet fit in most any decor. These ladders look so good dressed in throws, towels, blankets, magazines, jewelry or other decorative items but heck I just like to see them naked :)

Wait, it all started here. Okay, this is not me on the horizon I just wanted to share this perfect Spring moment at the beach.

Driftwood collected, cleaned, measured, marked and drilled. Although this doesn't mean I didn't have to drill a few more holes later. I am a messy and impatient person when it comes to projects and so I can make mistakes easily. When I started putting things together which was the hardest part, some holes didn't align. I ended up drilling a few more but thankfully the wood's imperfections hid my mistakes. 

I also used glue (Nail glue, or you can use wood glue too- it doesn't show here) when putting them together.

Thank God for blue tape. I use it all the time for my projects. It holds things pretty tight. The glue was left to dry over night.

Now sitting pretty in my living room. I wish the ladder wasn't the same height as my Indian door which would provide a visual contrast. But it still exceeded my expectations.

I was surprised how the joints fit so well. I cut the runs at a slight angle allowing me to twist them and find the best fit.

For this project I used; Driftwood, drill, hand saw, dowel rod, glue, plastic sheet for the mess and the blue tape.

Here are some driftwood ladders assembled differently and used for various purposes taken from Pinterest;


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Loving this minimalist look. Also found on calamel.jp .


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Catherine Op de Beeck makes furniture and home decorations using driftwood. Beautiful towel rack.


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Also found on freshhome . Gorgeous bathroom detail from eclectic Greek Island retreat San Giorgio Hotel on the island of Mykonos.


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Casa Tatui by Portugese interior designer Vera Iachi. Using a mix of driftwood and sleek white painted wood makes it very interesting. Found on designfieldnotes .


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Also found on yourdecor . Obviously so loving it as a towel rack.


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How about using it outdoors? Found on mennaj . She says she "tied the "steps" with hamp string".


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Also found on heidamen . Simple and well secured.


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Also found on stylebyemilyhenderson .

It becomes an art piece in this funky modern vignette.


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Also found on 79ideas . Such a great idea for hanging clothes and shoes. The uneven driftwood adds some interest.

What do you think about driftwood in a decor, would you use them, how?

Happy weekend! xx

still swooning over peacock mirrors

I have been swooning over peacock mirrors ever since I laid eyes on them - I don't remember exactly when. These mirrors were first discovered in Indian Palaces, known as "the bird with a hundred eyes" because of the resemblance to peacock tails. Studded with row after row of many dazzling small mirrors, they are still desired by many designers. These mirrors add magical sparkle and texture to a wall providing eclectic feel and character to any decor. The ones with carved wood are pricey for sure. Lately I have been seeing some online stores selling replicas made from resin and wood mix for an affordable price. I finally got my hands on one of these beauties at Pier1. They had an online only sale with store pick up option, very convenient. I actually called the store nearby and asked them if I could purchase it there for the online sale price and they made it available for me right away.

Loving the combination of my new mirror with this patternful vignette.

The tiny mirrors flirting with the light give an extra ambience in the night.

Peacock mirrors definitely add pizzazz to any style and room. Here are some homes with inspiring styles on Pinterest;


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Found on younghouselove . What a lovely entry vignette! This mirror is from Pier1.


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Found on apartmenttheraphy  . Beautiful ranch style home in CA with vibrant color palette eclectic entryway with the most beautiful peacock mirror.


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Found on c-home. Stunning mirror from Singh Imports dazzles the entryway in this beautiful neural palette home.


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Found on erinmartindesign . Stunning over-sized mirror makes a focal point in this gorgeous bedroom. Loving the hanging Moroccan lantern.


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Found on wisteria . Antiqued silver peacock mirror in the living room. So loving the silver.


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Found on jillsorensen. How about on your home office wall?


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Found on fourwallsandaroof. Photo from Wisteria, loving the size and horizontal display in this lovely dining room. Styled by Paige Morse.


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Found on southernliving. The mirror and the chairs give a global eclectic touch to this charming living room.


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Found on nerochronicles. I just love this white space with global accents. Stunning lanterns, over-sized suzani pouf, Moroccan pillow and Indian peacock mirror.


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Found on daydreamsonvinyl. Of course my all time favorite Maryam Montague's stunning home with Indian peacock mirror completes the room.

Some of the sources selling peacock mirrors;


via restorationhardware

Restoration Hardware wood carved frame. Price $895 - $1145.


via wisteria

Antiqued silver peacock mirror from Wisteria. Price 1,999.00. Handmade nickel silver mirror.


via 1stdibs

19th century Anglo-Indian large scale gilt wood carved mirror by Mosaik. Could be hang both ways. Price $3,500


via dotandbo

Dot&Bo. Bubble Ripples Wall mirror. MDF, glass, polyurethane. Price Sale $689.99


via Pier1

Pier1 Golden Medallions Mirror. Resin, engineered wood, paint. Price Sale $99.98.

What do you think about peacock mirrors, which finish and shape would you prefer and where would you use them?

Happy weekend!xx

spring blooms...

Happy Spring!!

Oh seeing trees blooming in shades of pink, white, yellow... Spring brings happiness into my soul for sure. Although it's official I haven't seen any apple, cherry, magnolia blossoms around yet. Oh well, if spring doesn't come to you why not bring it into your home? A quick weekend stop at Trader Joe's made my cravings immediately go away.

Going all natural and loving neutral color palettes a lot these days... And re-re-purposing an item; The tree stump was a trash can that I found at HomeGoods, and now used as a planter.

A moody Turkish/Moroccan mixed vignette with incredibly gorgeous blossoms -which continue blooming- gives me a hopeful hint of a beautiful coming spring.

Happy Spring Weekend!xx