some DIY

This is a cool example how anyone can transform a simple boring napkin ring into a "bling" napkin ring. 

Materials you will need for this project: 

1. any simple cheap napkin ring - wood, plastic or metal, wider ones give better final efect
2. decorative beads of your choice (bought mine in a craft store)
3. clear glue
4. possibly scissors, q-tips and tweezers
5. imagination;)

I chose these blue beads since my dining room is a mix of brown, white and blue accent color

I glue one bigger bead on each side of my napkin ring and afterwards started to add some smaller ones 

Final effect on the table:)

Another suggestion:

Flea markets are the best places to find napkin ring inspirations. For example one can come across  some vintage brooches or  interesting looking buttons and use them instead of beads

Front Entry Way - DIY project

For couple of last weeks I've been very busy with some spring projects around my house or better saying around my yard. I'll be slowly sharing it with you as it's getting accomplished.
One of my Saturdays I decided to work on my front entry way look. I think you agree with me saying that main entry way should be always welcoming looking:) Mine needed some refreshment after winter so I painted my concrete floor that had some water stains and just looked ugly. I choose this interesting brown shade  called Vaquero Brown from Quikrete that perfectly goes with my house colors but there are so many different colors to choose from:)

Adobe Tint

Saltillo Tile

Artifact

Peridot

Tranquil Pool

Shale Stone

Autumn Tint

Red Rocks

Graystone

Olive Shade

Blue Alloy

Gray Ash

Sarong

Quarry Red

Loden

Mirage

Thunder Cloud

New England Slate

Tuscan Sunset

Cheyenne Rock

Arizona Clay

Green Oxide

Aqua Stone

Gunpowder

Burnished Gold

Gem Stone

Vaquero Brown

Shaded Forest

Cavern Pool

Check out this link for interesting ideas on Quickrete website to update for example your driveway and sidewalks just with paint: 

http://www.quikretecoatings.com/quikrete/project-ideas.jsp#/driveways-sidewalks/

I also bought these new planters I found for pretty good price and bought some new plants. At the the end I just added a new floor mat and it was all done. Nice and easy. Here are some photos before and after. Hope you like it:)

The result

Loving this plant combination:) can't wait till it grows a little more

•  DIY decorative vase which I named submerged flower. I got inspired while visiting Las Vegas newer hotel Vdara. They had in their lobby and throughout the hotel these amazing flowers inside glass vases of different shapes and sizes. Their flowers were real tropical ones and were changed every so often as needed.

What you need is an interesting glass - see through vase, some decorative marbles and your choice of an artificial flower you will put inside the vase upside down after cutting off the stem.

Voilà ;)

• Taking pictures is my passion. I have thousands of them but unfortunately I can't display all of them. Having few digital photo frames around the house helps in this case;) but there are always few of these special pics worth putting in a nice decorative frame. I like black and white pictures the most. They have this unique character. I always look in stores for some interesting patterns and textures on different things, whether it is a napkin or a placemat or maybe a wallpaper. Visiting craft stores is of course always a good idea in search of these kind of things too. Here is what I did recently with my favorite picture of my son from his early years:

• I found in Target this black textured placemat just $2.95 and interesting napkin also $2.95

• my eyes were also drawn to this black and white ribbon stripe decorative paper just $0.99

• I bought black frame on sale for $10 in a craft store and started playing with all my items

•  I cut the textured black placemat as my main background first...

•  then I tried my napkin to put as a second background but I found the zig zag design to be too big for the size of my frame. It would definitely look better in a bigger frame as a main background. In this case I would have had to cut a lot of it... (Tip: if you use any fabric to be framed always steam iron it first for smooth, wrinkle free look)

trying zig zag napkin

•  ...so I ended up with my decorative ribbon stripe paper as my second background and here is final result. Hope you like it:)

in my office:)

...another idea, if you don't want to frame picture necessary. I used an artificial white flower and removed glass from the frame. Like I said just an idea;)