Posts by Barbara Bussey
Frugal Friday
As a self-described “smart shopper”, I’d like to highlight two of my many favorite spots for savvy shopping. I stopped in at Restoration Hardware’s outlet store, in Vacaville this week. It’s tucked far back into a corner of the center and would be easy to miss, if you didn’t know it was there. But if…
Read MoreCustom Lamp Shade #2
You may recall that I recently attempted to make a lampshade for my newly acquired vintage lamp. The only problem was that the I ended up with a lovely “shabby chic” lamp, and no offense, but that’s just not my style. So, I thought about painting the shade. Free hand? Not talented enough. Plus, it…
Read MoreSan Francisco Weekend
While I’ll be back in San Francisco later this week, for the Picasso show and “Billy Elliott”, we’re spending the weekend in the city. Most Saturday mornings here begin at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. Between the MotoRoto (motorized rotisserie truck) the fresh peaches, lavender and flower stalls, the aroma is wonderful. The Hayes Street…
Read MoreSaturday Quick Tip
If you’re looking for an excellent way to obscure an ugly view, or keep out the light in a media room, this may be just the answer. Mirrors are wonderful, throughout your home and especially used in these window panes. A less expensive option could be wallpaper or contact paper in a beautiful print that…
Read MoreOn-line “Deals” for Your Home
Ever buy a “deal” on-line, that turned out to be a “bust”? If you’ve resisted the lure of on-line auctions and “tag” sales, you should commend yourself! As someone who tells others to avoid making purchases that are non-returnable, I’m guilty of some less than wonderful purchases, particularly on EBay. I got all excited about…
Read More10 Reasons Why I Love This Room
I wish I could tell you who designed this room, but one thing’s for sure, I can’t take credit! But I will tell you why in so many ways, it a perfect room, from the ground up. 1. First of all, I’m a sucker for beautiful, hand made rugs on hard wood floors! And these…
Read MorePaper Gift Tags, Oh My!
I had so much fun making gift cards this week, I decided to make some festive gift tags. Tied to a ribbon, wrapped around some tea towels, for a hostess gift, or used on a gift bags (custom decorated of course), you could probably get away without including a card. But do you dare? And…
Read MoreCool Fun on a Hot Day
On days like this, when it will feel like about 175 degrees outside, I do my best to stay indoors. While my daughter’s at boot camp and my son will soon be deployed on a ship, I’d like to be able to send them note cards that make them feel loved, without “breaking the bank”.…
Read MoreDesigning a Room From the Ground, Up
Can you imagine how much beige carpet archeologists will find in land fills, a thousand years from now? Seriously, one key reason for solid color, neutral, patternless carpeting in homes everywhere, is that just about anything placed on top of it will coordinate. Building a room’s decor, starts at the floor and builds from there.…
Read MoreShabby Chic Give-Away!
As you may know, I’m involved in a long-term “love affair” with lamps! I hesitate to mention this on line, knowing disclosures like this may come back to haunt me one day, but… I visited one of my favorite vintage shops last week, on Palm Avenue, in Carmichael. There, I found a stunning lamp! It…
Read MoreMy Favorite Flower
Whenever possible, I love fresh cut flowers in the home. Yes, I use silk flowers as back up, just to bring color, height, or visual interest into a space. While they’re producing some pretty amazing silk flowers these days, you have to make sure they’re always clean and that you don’t over-do a good thing.…
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