The front door to our home is original to the 1910s.  At four feet, it is wider than most entry doors. With the side lights, the entire entrance is almost 8′ wide.

Getting a properly scaled wreath is a challenge.  Most wreaths are 24″ to 28″ inches as measured by the outside tips of leaves or flowers.  This size just look puny on my front door.

This weekend, I went to the French Bee, known for their arrangements and wreaths, but their prices were a bit shocking ($749 for a wreath…..whaaaaatttt???). Even with their 50% off sale, I couldn’t justify spending that amount of money (with 2 children in college and preparing for a third tuition).

I’ve been pondering what to do for Spring so I dug out an old (really old) wreath I found in the well tower.  It was dusty, covered in spider webs (I obviously failed to store it properly) and was a bit less than round.  The framework is made from grapevines and felt solid.  The artificial flowers and leaves on it were rather skanky and faded.

Some of the raspberries were missing or chewed up and it was clear to me that this wreath needed a facelift.

Because it was so dirty, I washed it with a garden hose and left it in the sun to dry.

As always, the dogs want to help with any DIY project I tackle.  So as I was standing back, enjoying the sun and looking at my clean wreath, my beagle, Sox, attempted to lift his leg on it.  After scolding him, he did move on to do his business.

I removed all the yellowed plastic magnolia flowers, the broken raspberries and faded leaves.

Some of the underlying vines were in good shape, so I left those in place.

Using new artificial hydrangeas and lilac blooms, I added these to the wreath base.

I did not use a glue gun, but managed to tuck the stems into the grapevine~~which seemed to hold.

I debated whether to add a ribbon, but decided against it.  With a red door, the contrast in color is simple and understated.

Recycling and repurposing materials you already have~~is so economical and efficient!

Will your front door have a wreath for Spring? If you are looking for a spring wreath, Balsam Hill has a beautiful selection  (unfortunately they are too small for my front door). Some of their new spring designs were created by Courtney, one of my favorite bloggers, at French Country Cottage.

Whether you repurpose an old wreath or buy something new, happy Spring decorating!

I am not sure why we hang stockings by the chimney with care, but it appears to be a long standing custom.  Since 1823 when Clement Clarke Moore wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, Christmas stockings have been an essential part of Christmas traditions.

We have 5 handmade stockings for our family and multiple ones for each of the pets.  Our family stockings are made from a Bucilla felt stocking kit, which can be easily purchased online or at a craft store. Click here to see Bucilla stocking ideas on Pinterest.

The kit provides everything you need~~stamped felts, embroidery floss, ribbons, sequins, beads, needles and lengthy instructions.   I made the very first one 23 years ago when I was pregnant with our first child and subsequently made one for each child since. Be aware~~they are very time consuming.

For Benjamin’s stocking, each toy in Santa’s bag was individually made and then stitched in place.

Since my husband loves to golf, it was very easy to select the theme for his stocking.

My daughter’s stocking is a little different but still required a great deal of time and skill to make.  French knots and delicate needle work was required.

Each stocking is lined with a different fabric.  I recycled my daughter’s favorite blue velvet holiday dress as the lining of her stocking.  The dress had little white pom poms on the neckline and I used those too.

This year I FINALLY completed my stocking kit which my husband bought for me.

The living room mantle is nice and wide, allowing for an abundant garland of greens, berries and hydrangeas (from The Enchanted Home).

Brass hangers are tucked in the garland.  In retrospect, I would have been more careful in adding the tabs on the handmade stockings, because it affects how they hang.

Now for the fun part~~tucking a clementine in the toe and filling them with goodies for Christmas Day!  Do you have a favorite stocking?

I’ve had a few requests to share pictures of the guest cottage interior.

To read about the restoration of the guest cottage, you can visit my Terra Tour section of this website or click here for the Guest Cottage overview.

The guest cottage sits on the secluded and quiet northwest corner of our property.

The guest cottage is approximately 576 square feet. Below is the living room done in neutral tones with soft blue accents.

The peonies are from The Enchanted Home.  Sofa, loveseat and side chair are all upholstered in Sumbrella fabric.

The coffee table was a $35 find at a 2nd hand store. All the accent pillows are from Pottery Barn.

The bedroom headboard is from an 1897 Victorian house I owned in Alameda, California.  The previous owner left it in one of the bedrooms and it has moved with me ever since.  Lampshades and pillowcases are from Pottery Barn.  The matelasse coverlet and sheets are from J.C. Penney.

The full bathroom has a stackable washer/dryer and plenty of storage. The mirror over the sink is from an old dresser and the wall lamps were added to the frame.

The kitchen is fully equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, dishes, pots and pans and silverware.

The journey to the guest cottage is a bit magical as the walkway is through an arch of vines. Not only do our guests enjoy their privacy, but we do as well.

I hope you’ve enjoyed peeking into the guest cottage!

Being on the receiving end of a visually gorgeous gift is exciting.  I have always appreciated someone taking the extra time to make the outside of the gift as thoughtful as the inside.

When we were restoring Bella Terra, I designed a gift wrapping space in our mud room ~~a place to hold all the paper, tissue, bags, and ribbons.

The deep drawer pulls out and there are wooden dowels for hanging the rolls.  There is also another pull out section that provides a flat work surface.

On either side, there are small individual drawers for tape, scissors, ribbons, glue gun, and miscellaneous items.

Unfortunately, I left the big drawer open recently and our rescue cat, Donovan, decided it was a fun place to hide and explore.  Here’s what he did to several rolls of wrapping paper. The good news is that it forced me to clean out the mess. In doing so, I happened to find a diamond earring in the bottom of the drawer that I had lost nearly 2 years ago!!

Timing is everything. It just so happened that one of my favorite bloggers, Tina from The Enchanted Home,  recently released her own line of wrapping paper.  Tina LOVES blue and white porcelain and I have previously blogged about the gorgeous artificial flowers I purchased from her online store.

What I love about this paper is that it is two-sided~~so with 4 rolls I actually have 8 different styles and colors. The perfect replacement for my many shredded rolls.

After selecting the paper, it’s important to choose the right ribbon.  If you have a Costco in your area, they have a wide selection, especially around the holidays~~large rolls for a reasonable price.

You can make a gift extra special by adding a trinket to the box.  Typically I search my stash of craft supplies, artificial or real flowers, old costume jewelry or buttons or even something from the yard.

By adding a small do-dad, you can make the gift more elegant, playful, casual or themed.

This clip-on artificial flower gives a big punch of color.

What I appreciate about Tina’s paper is that is a very good quality.  Some papers are so thin they tear when you fold the corners.  Here are examples using both sides of one roll of paper~~creating two totally different looks.

The simple blue grosgrain ribbon adds contrast to the green sheer one and the brooch bumps up the elegance. I chose the topiary garden charm from Pottery Barn since it matches the topiary theme on the paper.

The Enchanted Home has just released their holiday wrapping paper and you can see their selection here.

The holidays are coming…..will you do something extra special with your gift wrapping?

I love the longevity of fall decorating~~you can start in September, adjust it a bit for Halloween and keep it until Thanksgiving.

With a few small touches, the house feels like autumn. It helps that we’ve been enjoying such gorgeous cool mornings and evenings. Don’t you just love the light lately? The yard looks so surreal.

We have a few leaves falling, but our true autumn occurs closer to Thanksgiving.  But I will take what I can, as I love this time of year….as does my constant companion, Sox.

I brought a bit of the outdoors into the dining room this year.  The handblown green glass jug was purchased during my summer visit to Camps and Cottages. Mollie English, the owner, gave me the idea to fill it with branches of fall leaves and she was spot on.

I like to change the art with the seasons.  This original oil painting on masonite by Lynn Winans (1897-1982) was  a wonderful find in an antique store in Pinetop, Arizona.  It’s 40″ x 20″ size is perfect on an art stand. Mr. Winans was a California artist and is known for his plein-air landscapes and seascapes. The colors are so appropriate for this time of year.

Another, rather simple, idea (I’m not even sure anyone in my family notices this), is that I change out the shades to the lamps that sit on the petticoat table in the entry. In the spring, I use a light blue color; for the fall, I add these gold silk ones.

I purchased them from Ballard Designs as they have a very large selection and are affordably priced.  A few pumpkins, gourds or apples are added to complete the decorations in the entry.

Behind the entry table, is a raised panel secured by a brass clasp. There is a rope and pulley operated section that slides down beneath the floor.  The door to the right of the table is the powder room. This secret panel provides access to the powder room’s plumbing. Rather clever thinking back in 1912, and it is great access to storage space under the stairs.

My kitchen….it really needs a painting update but the existing colors seems to work during this time of year.  Fall towels hang on the oven handle and candied corn fills my glass jar.

My favorite, newly purchased candle, Rosy Rings Spicy Apple (from Camps and Cottages) resides on the kitchen counter.

Hanging on the red front door is a basket full of mums, leaves and Chinese lanterns.

We recently discovered a GREAT pumpkin farm/patch in Snowflake, Arizona at Willis Family Farms.  It reminded me of pumpkin patches back east~~there was such a variety of pumpkins, gourds and corn.

During my last trip to Whitfill Nursery (you know how much I love Whitfill), I discovered these fabulous zinc pumpkin cut-outs on wooden stands.

So, with the inspiration of Patty Taylor, who selects all the unique items in the Garden Shop at Whitfill Nursery, I decided to do this combination on our front porch.

It doesn’t take a lot of money or creativity to add a touch of fall decorating to your home.  I would love to hear what you have done and how you are welcoming this wonderful season.

As you know, I have been on a cleaning, sorting and organizing whirlwind.  Starting at one end of the house, my goal is to go through every drawer, closet, dresser and attack it with the mindset as if I am moving in 2 weeks. Expired makeup, business suits with shoulder pads, miscellaneous paperwork – GONE!

The master closet and bathroom are behind me and I just finished the master bedroom. I haven’t cleaned out my nightstand in many years.

It’s such a luxury to have fresh cut flowers in any room, but having them by the bed, seems extra special….bringing a bit of the nature indoors.

But I am also fine with a good quality artificial flower, like these peonies from The Enchanted Home. To see a previous post about these artificial flowers, click here.

The decadent picture frame was a wedding gift from a friend~~it’s a collage of old pearls, jewelry, and a cupid and is truly one of a kind. Not sure my husband is very fond of it, but I think it’s fun.  Wouldn’t this be a great DIY project with an abundance of costume jewelry?

Within reach, I keep a candle, books I may be reading, a water bottle, and a small Limoges box that holds a set of rosary beads.  There’s a great story behind the Limoges box.  My husband and I won a trip (charity raffle) in 2001 to fly to London, England, take the Venice-Simplon-Orient Express train to Southhampton, England and then board Cunard’s Queen Elisabeth ship for a 10-day transAtlantic cruise.  Up to this point, I had never won anything…lucky, lucky me!!!  This beautiful keepsake box is from our exquisite train ride on the Orient Express.

The jeweled frog is just something fun.  It’s a small box and I don’t really use it for anything, but I’m rather fond of it.

In the top drawer closest to my side of the bed, you will find Kiehl’s hand cream, Essie apricot cuticle oil, Smith’s Rosebud salve, a nail file, my glasses, a few flashlights (as we are always losing power), and multiple power cords for my iPhone and Kindle, and my headphones. The ceramic prayer book holds a few more of my rosary collection. The pottery plate I received as a gift on a business trip with my husband to Chile, South America.

Smith’s Rosebud salve is so good for chapped lips, extra dry skin or to help minor burns.  It smells good and the tin looks so retro to me. My cuticles tend to get dry in the climate here and the apricot oil does the trick.

Lastly, I just discovered this amazing app called “Calm“.  If you have difficulty either falling asleep or staying asleep, you may want to try this. Each night before I go to sleep, I listen to a Sleep Story.  There is a large selection of stories that are read aloud for adults.  I cannot tell you how much fun it is to settle in and listen to a story.  I have not, to date, stayed awake long enough to hear the entire thing.  Their narrators have such smooth, reassuring voices that lull you to sleep.  They also have selections for meditations to reduce anxiety, sleep better and feel happier for all ages (even a College Collection).  I can’t say enough about this app.  It truly is something that I look forward to each day. It’s my new latest toy!!!

So, what is on your nightstand or bedside table?