Winter has been mild so far this season. This has left many of the snow activities on hold until we get the white stuff. But there is still one activity that I enjoy more in the winter than in the summer – bird watching. I enjoy watching the birds in the backyard. The joy of all the flutter. I know it sounds corny but it is fun to see the cardinals’ fly in and the nuthatches to fly out. All of the birds are a source of entertainment to our greyhounds. Gracie, newly rescued from the race tracks, is enthralled by them and runs out to join them at the feeder every morning. Of course they don’t like to hang out with her but she keeps hoping. Did you know that according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service 48 million Americans are identified as bird watchers? (Plus two greyhounds.)

I’m mentioning all this for a few reasons.

1. Now is the time to provide extra food for the birds. Tom Petney of Wayside Gardens in Greenville says, ‘A tube feeder filled with black oiler sunflower seeds are a good place to start.’ This is a simple way to start feeding the birds.
2. Now is a good time to plan this spring’s garden or landscaping project that welcomes songbirds and butterflies. Your backyard needs; food, cover and water to attract them. This may mean adding a few evergreens that can be taller than a cat can jump. And also provide protection from the wind and snow. Many small ornamental trees and shrubs offer berries that birds love – a serviceberry tree works well and has beautiful flowers in the spring. Perennials offer food in the form of seeds. An example is the purple cone flower. Just don’t deadhead after the bloom is spent and the gold finches will be jumping head to head snacking. Another nice addition is a bird bath heater to keep open water for the birds. My parents looked out one late winter afternoon to find their heated birdbath full of bluebirds. Oh what a glorious site! Robbins Booklist in Greenville has many books available to help you plant a garden for the birds.
3. The 15^th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will be held February 17-20, 2012. This can take place in your own backyard or as you walk your neighborhood. This is brought together by the Audubon society, Cornell University and Birdsource.org. Birdsource.org has information, how-to and a great checklist for the birds in our region. You can mail or email your results into the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I know this sounds very high profile but it is easy and fun. It takes about 15 minutes one day or all four days. Just sit by your window and count the birds you see at one time. It may take a bird book to identify a newcomer but the library, internet or Robbins Booklist can help with books and/or pictures. Birdsource.org is a good place to visit to view past years results and some of the pictures people took of their birds. I have to tell you when I got on the Birdsource site and looked up last year’s results for our zip code I had to look up a few birds I had not heard of before. Another place for more information on the GBBC and helping your children take part is on the Audubon.org website.
4. Again, Bird watching is fun – warm inside while it snows outside.

Part of the reason for this article is to give you time to get a feeder up and give the birds a few weeks to find it so you can be part of the bird count. Part is that I hope this inspires you just to look out the window a little more often to view the activity outside. Maybe start a new hobby and lastly to enjoy nature. Happy Birding.

I enjoy revamping things – from cleaning up an antique, making over someone else’s junk (now my treasure) to creating something new. And apparently I am not alone. As I earlier wrote about all the television channels, magazines and blogs dedicated to it, I know I am not alone. Last September, Meet Downtown Greenville held an antiques event. There were antique and collectible vendors in an open air market and many of the antique/collectible stores were open extended hours. That was the weekend I picked up my latest project – a bar cart from Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. A deal for $5.00! Why a bar cart? Many have asked that same question. Flexibility. It is a table on wheels. It is going to solve many problems. Great for cookouts on the patio – just wheel it up to the grill and it is a prep table. A movable snack table for Danish Festival gatherings; this last summer we keep moving a small table inside and out of the garage with drinks and munchies on it as our party went through the day and evening. Then at Thanksgiving it will be a great dessert table that can be wheeled up at the end of the meal. In the past we have used a small living room table for desserts but that causes more juggling of space. So when I spotted the bar cart I thought this will work for so many activities in our home.

The Bar Cart Before

The cart needed just a little touch-up so I thought I would talk you through an easy refurbishing. I’ve included before and after pictures. The cart is early 1970’s, a few rust spots and two sticky wheels. My first step was to see about new casters but that was to no avail. Because of the construction of the legs (small and square) I had to keep what was on it. My reasoning for new casters was I wanted an all-terrain type of casters to roll around on the grass when outside. So my next step was to talk to Dave at Jerry’s Paint Store. His suggestion was to apply WD40 on the wheels to get them moving smoother. (This worked well.) Then to go after all the rust spots with naval jelly rust remover and light sanding. After this I washed the cart with diluted TSP cleaner and let it dry.

Now came the hard part figuring out the finish. I knew I didn’t want the original scheme of bronze metal legs and wood shelves. The rust had taken a lot of the bronze off and the wood had water spots. The other consideration was the pitting from the rust on the legs and the gouges in the wood. If I was going to use this more than a few times a year I would take more time and energy to fill holes but I wanted to get it done quickly. So I went looking for a paint that would have a little texture to it to cover the imperfections. I found Rust-loeum has a universal paint and primer in one. I bought the Hammered Silver ($7.99). That was the hard decision I leaned to black – black is a great neutral for blending into different uses. But the silver leans to the clean edge of the cart and blends nicely with my kitchen. A note is to check your paint to see if it needs a finishing coat of sealer.

The Bar Cart After

Last touch is a piece of glass cut for the top that can be lifted out when necessary. The reasoning behind the glass is it will be a barrier for the top from a humid pitcher of ice tea and a good trivet for a hot plate.

This process of repair, clean and paint can be used on most found objects. This process also works for mismatched night stands, painted in the same color brings unity in a bedroom. Same idea goes for a collection of tables in the living room. So what’s next? More junking, maybe I’ll see you around the ReStore or Peddler’s Market and we can share ideas. Happy Hunting.

A few Pictures of using my Cart

Halloween Trick or Treating

Thanksgiving Dessert Cart

Have you noticed the Christmas decorations are going up everywhere? The big box stores have had merchandise out since early October. This past week as I drove to Grand Rapids; Ada, Cannonsburg, and Cascade townships were stringing up lights and flags on downtown lampposts. I know at our store we are gearing up for the upcoming holidays and counting down for Christmas. All these are signs that build up the Holiday excitement. And to put it frankly I am getting excited about them also. I have always loved the holidays – the smell of pine, twinkle lights and the family all together. I was a lot like the little girl in the new Hallmark commercial – Christmas is in 41 days, 5 hours, 12 minutes and . How does she know this? Hallmark has a new ornament that has a countdown clock. How great is that – to even know the seconds. That had leaded me to think of al the different ways to countdown to Christmas. One of the most popular ways is an advent calendar.

There are many different kinds – a hanging poster with doors that open to small gifts on a string to an herbal wreath with four candles. I thought I’d share a few ideas to help countdown and make it a new family tradition. My mother when I was little made an advent calendar using a bell and a long ribbon. On this long ribbon she had stitched 24 small ribbons to it and filled each ribbon with a different small gift, note or piece of candy. I must admit my brother and I liked the note that stated, ‘Tonight you choose what we are having for dinner’. It was a sure bet we were getting our favorites that night! It was a special way of counting down with small surprises each day.

When I moved into my first apartment, I made my first Advent herbal wreath to celebrate the seasons. Earlier that year I heard a lecture from Don Haynie about Herbal Advent wreaths and was intrigued by the idea. There are many plants that have symbolic meanings that are included in the evergreen wreath. Then 4 candles are added to the wreath. One candle is to be lit the fourth Sunday before Christmas with another added each following Sunday. This makes a beautiful dining room table centerpiece the whole season long as long as you put a platter under it and keep it watered.

Another idea is evergreen or twig wreath on the platter then add four of your favorite candlesticks and candles for a quick DIY centerpiece. Greenville Floral offers holiday classes for wreaths and other table decorations starting before Thanksgiving if you’d like to make your own.

Another idea is one takes a little more work but it is a great early gift for a Grandparent or family member that lives faraway. It is an Advent Calendar using photos. I cut a piece of mat board to roughly 16” x 20” and covered it with decorative paper. Then using a large paper punch cut 25 solid pieces of paper 2” x 2” then using one size smaller punch 1 ½” x 1 ½” cut out photos of family members. Using photo tape I glued the two together and wrote the numbers 1-25 on the back then arranged them on the board. Using photo corners is one way of holding the photos and allowing them to be flipped each day I stuck them to the board. Decorate the top board anyway you wish, I used stickers to spell out ‘tis the season for family’. You are done and ready for a family member to greet you each day of December.

There are many more ideas; Martha Stewart Living November 2011 has an article about advent calendars and instructions. I’ll also have more information on my blog www.west57design.com/blog for links to Don Haynie and step-by-step instructions for the photo advent calendar. If you have any other ideas you’d like to share please comment on the blog, I’d love to hear them and pass them on. Happy Holidays let the counting begin.

Here is part of a column the Daily News asked me to write for a new paper they are starting. S.H.E. (meaning Style • Health • Empowerment). After writing it I thought of ways to expand on every detail; so I thought I’d let you have a peek of the article and my added ideas. Step-by-step decorating for the entry door is the excerpt I’ll build on…

The seasons are changing and the earth is putting on a spectacular color show as the trees turn to the deep rich hues of autumn.  The crisp air brings to mind cozy times at home are ahead and dressing up our homes to celebrate autumn is an irresistible pleasure. I enjoy decorating for fall.  When I think of decorating for fall, three spaces pop into my mind.  First place is my entry porch, then my dining room table and finally my fireplace mantel.

I look to nature for my decorating clues.  Wood, stone, colorful leaves, blooming mums, pumpkins and gourds are some of my favorite elements from nature.  Pick your favorite elements and rich warm colors then find complimentary ribbons, table linens and props that create lovely spaces for everyone to enjoy. Each area needs something tall or vertical, something to break the edge which softens the display and something unexpected to add excitement. Here are a few step by step ideas for each of these areas.

Front Porch or Entry Door

A friendly welcome starts here by way of colorful wreaths, bright orange pumpkins and blooming buds.

1. Bring the front door into the display by adding a vertical element.  You can accomplish this by cutting tree limbs full of beautiful autumn leaves and propping them by the door or putting them in galvanized pails. Or set up traditional corn stalks with beautiful autumn colored bows, twine and burlap strips. Or twine grapevines or bittersweet with twinkle lights around the door frame. You can also hang a wreath on the door or an interesting sign.

2. Decorate beside the door by adding bales of straw, pots of mums, kale, grasses, bright colored pumpkins and wire baskets of gourds. A forgotten plant that is great for fall planting and pots is pansies. (In the ground they will pop their smiling faces out at the sun all winter long.)

3. Then tuck in a prop or two that adds an interesting spark of your personality.  You could add a grapevine tree, old birdhouse, garden sculpture or a scarecrow wearing your favorite football team jersey. Remember to look around your house for items that you can retrofit into the fall season – glass hurricanes, metal votive holders strung with twine from the porch ceiling or railing, cast iron and wooden candle holders are easy to set gourds on top of instead of candles. At West 57 Design we have awesome decorations that are made from recycled metal and hand painted, a great accent. You can see a few on our facebook page. If you are carving pumpkins an idea we like is to carve out your monogram on a few of them.

4. Twine grapevines or bittersweet around the pumpkins and mums to soften the edges and drape the vines down the steps. Tuck in Spanish moss to fill spaces between pumpkins and pots. The last element to add is lights for a little twinkle in your display, whether you use Holiday string lights, spot lights or candles, all will add a glow.

I’ll have more next time on fall decorating, so it’s time to light the fire, sit down with friends and enjoy a new season.

“Do you like to make new things out of old items?” was a question asked to a group of friends recently. And ‘Wow’ did the answers fly! “Yes, I love to re-purpose furniture,” was one response. Another was,”It’s my form of recycling – goin’ green you know.” Yet another was, “I live to junk!” No matter what one calls it – reuse, re-purpose, redo, remodel, recycle, reinvent – refurbishing is hot right now. Even using the term refurbishing doesn’t fit what is going on in homes and gardens across the country. Some call it a ‘new trend’, others call it ‘plain old common sense’ and many others say it is ‘environmentally correct’. However you wish to state it, it is still putting old items to new uses. In my opinion it doesn’t matter what you call it or why you do it, it is fun. During our conversation, my friends eyes lit up and stories began on where they found ‘the find’, how they created something new then the pictures pop up on cell phones and from purses to see what it looks like now.

When you stop and look around re-purposing/remodeling is all over the airways – HGTV and DIY stations plus a host of other TV shows demonstrate how to remodel and redo our homes and gardens. Blogs and websites are springing up with ideas and how-to re-purpose and refurbish garage sale and thrift store finds. (If you have some time Google vintage + home decor + re-purpose then follow the BlogSpot or Wordpress sites that pop-up. Magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, Fresh Style, plus many others show more ideas and detailed how-to projects. These are all great but how do we take the beautiful picture and make it ours?

We start with a need in our home or garden. Do we need storage? Is another place to sit in the living room needed? Or is there a blank hallway wall needing a beautiful collage of pictures and found objects for interest? After we can name our need we can get started on the fun of the hunt.

During the hunt be sure to take along the measurements for your space (a pocket tape measure is helpful to check out items before you purchase), color chips, fabric pieces and your budget numbers (this should include the cost of your item plus supplies to refurbish). I asked Larry Pettit of Back Street Alley Antiques in Greenville for a few pointers when purchasing items for re-purposing. He said, “Look at the condition of the furniture. Is it sturdy? Are the legs or back loose? Does it have veneer? Veneer is harder to refinish yet is easier to paint.” He then went on to say “Whatever you buy needs to be functional in your home. Re-glue, repair, and repaint so it works in your space. Items don’t need to match; the eclectic style is popular now.” If you have questions on how to prepare your items talk to Jerry’s Paint Store for painting advise. Or go to True Value or Ace Hardware Stores for repair tips. These are great local sources to help with any idea you have.

The hunt can take us to Garage Sales, Outdoor Flea Markets, Peddler’s Markets, Antique Stores or Grandma’s Attic. Many of these types of places are here in Greenville and Montcalm County. One place to look is in Greenville September 10^th.  Meet Downtown is hosting an Antique Event that day showcasing local businesses plus welcoming open-air vendors to locations throughout downtown heading north to the Peddler’s Market. Check out MeetDowntownGreenville.com or Meet Downtown on Facebook for more information.

Once you are done with your project, be sure to take a moment and snap a picture. So that the next time someone brings up their newest redo; you can show off your work as well. Happy refurbishing!