Dwell by Cheryl: Spring

Showing posts with label Spring. Show all posts

"Sprucing Up Your Home for Spring"

Not sure if it's the couple of days of amazing weather we've had or my recent visit to Fox 46, but I'm itching to get outdoor and savor every bit of spring.

I'm planning a little update to my patio space in the coming weeks, but until then, check out my recent segment on Good Day Charlotte. I shared a few quick and easy ways to spruce up your home for spring.

Are you as ready as I am?

"Nature's Mood Lifter"

Yes, I've been known to go out in my yard in the rain to cut branches from a blooming Bradford Pear tree. Such was the case yesterday, when I couldn't resist the fluffy white blooms peering at me through the living room window.

The truth is, I LOVE flowers. I think they're nature's Prozac; instant mood lifters. How could I resist free ones growing in your front yard? Furthermore, why would I want to? It's by far one of my favorite things about Spring and Summer for that matter.

I can't help but wonder am I the only one that's take advantage of the seasonal transition this time of year? There are all sorts of trees and bushes blooming around town, and I shutter to think that so many likely neglect the opportunity to reap the benefits.

With blooms this beautiful, I don't even think matters the vase. You can't loose.

So what if my neighbors think I'm crazy for cutting branches in the rain. I get to bring a little bit of Spring indoors, even if the weather doesn't exactly feel like it outside.

Blooming branches today and blooming flowers very soon. Until then...

... it looks like the grocery store versions will have to do.

So what do you have blooming that you could snip and bring indoors?

Stay tuned, our annual amateur gardener extraordinaire, Bonnie will be with us soon to share some of her tips for Spring gardening. I can't wait! Missed her post last year or the year before? Check them out below.

Top Tips for Amateur Gardeners

Go to Plants for Spring

Image via

Budget Decorating for Spring with DecRenew Interiors (video extra)

This week is FINALLY over. Yay! For some reason, I've been living for this weekend. Not that I'll likely get any rest, but at least the pace will slow a bit.

I'm excited to share with you guys a little impromptu interview I did with my friend and fellow designer Ruthie Staalsen of DecRenew Interiors. Check out her portfolio HERE. If you recall from my recent post, Ruthie and I connected at the 2013 Design Bloggers Conference in LA and found an instant connection. We became fast friends and she's been mentoring and encouraging me since this time last year. Isn't it awesome how God strategically plants people along your path to help you get where He's predestined you to be? Love it!

Ruthie, has a fruitful design business in the Dallas, TX area and we share an affinity for taking old things and giving them new life in new homes.

Check out some of her awesome transformations!

BEFORE

AFTER

Above photos via Ruthie's blog.

After being inspired by a session at this year's conference. We retreated to her hotel room to shot a quick interview. She interviewed me and then I interviewed her. We thought it would be great for our readers to hear some tips from another design blogger on how to improve their homes for spring (on a budget of course).

Let's listen to Ruthie's tips for how to do just that.

I love Ruthie! She's got a great spirit and she's such an inspiration to me. I think her tips were spot on! If you agree, drop her a line in the comments and show her some love. Also be sure to check out her blog. Happy Friday!

"Loving my Living Room"

Well, I think we're finally done with Snowmageddon 2014. Wow! I've never seen so much snow in our area. It was fun while it lasted, but this girl has got things to do, people to see and places to go.

Since I was stuck in the house for three days, I was able to take photos of some recent updates I've made in the living room.

After taking down the Christmas décor, I realized that I didn't want the red and green scheme for Spring and Summer. When I looked around, it was pretty apparent that with very little investment I could completely eliminate the red altogether (at least until the Holidays). I decided to go with pink. Surprise, surprise. It's really more like fuchsia or magenta, but I love it.

I started by adding new pillows in with the existing ones. I fell in love with this pink velvet months ago. I purchased a yard not knowing what I'd even do with it. Such a good example of how you should buy what you love. Don't over think it. If it speaks to you (I mean really speaks), get it. The use for it will come.

I had my seamstress use the pink and the gold velvet together on this one, and I love the result. I'm still in the market for a couple of additional pops of pink.

I also finally took the time to style my new étagère. I'm so glad I decided to get it. It's the perfect addition to my space.

It gives me the perfect spot to place all of those little treasures that I've picked up thrifting.

I was intentional with the use of pink and green to help tie in the colors for a cohesive look.

Styling shelving is tedious work and I'm not sure it's ever actually done. I like how it's come together, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for items that may work better.

I still need to move the mail/message center over, change the finish on the metal hardware and possible add a piece of art, but it's coming along.

The new color scheme certainly has me ready for Spring, not to mention it's perfect for Valentine's Day. Happy Friday!

Gardening Guest Post: "Go-to Plants for Spring"

According to the Farmers’ Almanac this week began the “The most fruitful days” to plant. However, how many of us actually want to wait until after April 16th to put in Spring flowers when the weather has been as gorgeous as it’s been lately? Me either!

Cheryl asked me to share my “go to” spring plants. So I really racked my brain trying to come up with something fabulous, but…..brain block. So this past weekend as I was getting ready to put my spring plants in the ground (I know Mr. Farmer’s Almanac….non-fruitful days), I thought why wouldn’t I share what I’ve chosen. You see we moved into a home that had been vacant for 5 years, so last spring we spent cleaning up the yard, this year I was super excited to start putting down my foundation. Then it clicked; my “go to” spring plants is exactly what I was planning to plant. While they may not be extremely exciting or fabulous, they are beautiful and pack a punch alone or paired with other plants. So here goes:

#1: I’m a foliage girl! To me it’s beautiful and low maintenance. It looks beautiful in pots, the ground, cut in a vase, etc. Just think outside the box and look for the beauty in foliage. Hostas! They come back each year, spread like crazy, and are pretty much care free. Just a quick Pinterest search brought up the following examples: I’m doing the one in the galvanize bucket!

via here, here and BHG

#2: Next foliage choice would be Caladiums for the very same reason as Hostas – BEAUTIFUL. Now depending on your climate these can be perennials or annuals. You can dig them up and store the bulbs for the next year.

via here, here and here

Not going to bore you with just the foliage so … here are my flowering choices.
#3: Superbells. This year I went with the Lemon Slice Superbell. Million Bells and Super Bells come in several colors. They like sun, not to be too wet, and prefer living in a pot. Boy are the eye catching! Google resulted this image....

via

#4: Next on my flowering list is Mandevilla. This is a tropical style plant that likes the sun and has always been really easy for me to grow. They are annuals, but they can be overwintered if you’re up to it. Typical colors are pink, red, and white. This year I went with white.

via

#5: Lastly, my absolute favorite requires a bit more patience. It is typically bought in bulb form and requires a few years before they become blooming beauties. They come in different blooms, colors, and fragrances. But they are hands down the Queen of the Garden in my opinion; the Peony. Cheryl blogged about it last year HERE. All you have to do in put them in the ground in a sunny place and let ‘em go!

via

Regardless of what you choose to plant this year, just remember to check the Plant Zone Map for your area and stick to flowers that grow well for your zone. When in doubt check your local USDA Cooperative Extension for your plant questions.

Happy planting!

Bonnie

You can read Bonnie's post from last year HERE. Great tips!!

Spring Decorating

Bringing the Outdoors In

It looks as if Spring has sprung across most of the nation and it's the perfect time to give your home new life. Today I'm sharing a few of my ideas for bringing in a little bit of Spring to your dwelling.

Click the arrow below to PLAY.

"Rope and Home Decor"

Tie This Trend on for Size

It seems that rope is a big trend in home décor right now. With good reason, since rope has a natural quality and adds instant texture. It also evokes a very casual feel. From lamp bases to plate chargers, these days I'm seeing it everywhere.

via Pottery Barn and Home Decorators

I decided to hop on the trend bandwagon, but with budget in mind of course. I started by picking up a bag of rope for less than $6 at Home Depot. I intended to get the kind that they cut by the yard, but they had a pre-packaged option that was PERFECT.

Home Depot

Next, I had to decide what I wanted to rope-ify. Lol! Hmmm? A quick stop at Dollar Tree led me to these simple glass vases.

Side note: If you're in Charlotte, you must check out the Dollar Tree on Freedom Drive. Wow! Seriously, the biggest location I've ever seen. I digress.

Armed with my $1 vases, a hot glue gun, scissors and rope.....

... I began to glue the rope around the base of the vase.

You really only need a shot of glue every couple of inches. Wrap until you've reached the desired height on your vessel. Then, cut the rope and adhere the end with a final shot of glue. The addition of a small pillar candle was all that was needed to finish off this super cheap and super easy DIY project.

Not sure if this will be their final resting place, but I do love the look for Spring and Summer.

Bye- bye pine cones, hello rope.

Happy Good Friday Eve!!!

"The Easter Table"

I'm super excited about this post for a number of reasons. First, I'm exploring incorporating more video into my blogs and second because I'd like to also begin to share some quick nutrition tips with you as well. If you weren't already aware, I'm actually a Registered Dietitian by trade and I must admit after launching Dwell by Cheryl, the thought of leaving that piece of me behind made me a little sad. Well, after receiving some very wise advice from a very knowledgeable source, I realized that maybe I don't have to leave it behind after all. So on today's post, I'm giving it a try. I'd love to know what you think.

With Easter swiftly approaching, I thought I'd share with you a quick and easy tablescape for your holiday dinner. There's just nothing like a beautifully set table to make your meal more special, and it's not as difficult as you think. Chances are, you've got all of those pretty dishes stacked away in the cabinets, so why not use them?

Here's how....

Side note: Don't you love that I'm frozen with my mouth wide open. Go figure. : )

Lastly, since we're discussing entertaining, it's the perfect time to think about what's on your menu.
March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.

Most people think that healthy eating is about giving up all of the foods they love, but your cultural traditions and food preferences can easily be incorporated into a healthy diet. The key is:

Moderation- Maybe you can't eat the Glazed Ham, Macaroni and Cheese and Potato Salad, so consider switching out one option to a side salad instead.
Portion size- We all love sweet treats like dessert, but if you're planning on three layer Coconut Cake this Sunday, limit yourself to one slice with dinner.
Physical Activity- Easter weekend is all about celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not to mention sharing the love that He shares with us. What a perfect time to spend with family doing something active i.e. an afternoon walk or a trip to the park.

It's not about giving up your favorites at all. It's about considering your total diet and overall pattern of food you consume. That's what's most important.

For more information, including healthy eating tips, click HERE.

Have a very happy and healthy Easter!

Springspiration!

The unusually warm weather has yielded some beautiful days and has things blooming everywhere!! I like this time of year because it's usually when things that I forgot I planted start to sprout out of the ground and I'm ecstatic about the fact that there's one less plant I'll need to purchase. A perennial planted is a penny saved.

One thing is for sure, all of the blue skies, blooming trees, shrubs, bulbs and plants provide great design inspirations.

Take this beautiful Saucer Magnolia Tree. I had no idea there were pink blooming Magnolias!