CHEZ FIFI

IN THE NEWS.....

ROMANTIC PRAIRIE STYLE is featured in the April issue of CS INTERIORS magazine (Chicago).

It was interesting to see how the review was written as it was done in conjunction with the concept of Little House on the Prairie and Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style architecture. 

Of course, I am very grateful to see Romantic Prairie Style featured in this beautiful magazine though surprised because it is such a luxurious and modern publication. 

My sincere thanks to the publisher

JENNIFER POLACHEK

You can also see the magazine in its digital edition at

 

http://media.modernluxury.com/digital.php?e=HBCH
   

 

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And, the beautiful Italian magazine

CASA ROMANTICA  

also featured my little cottage in this month issue. In this instance they cleverly used photos from 3 different shoots: two by Dan Mayers) and one by myself. What's really cool, at least for me, is to see how my living room and dining room have changed since the original shoot.

I hope you read Italian.......but even if you don't you can at least enjoy the photos and the beautiful layouts the magazine does.......

(I am not sure what they said about me but I trust them....)

 

 

 

 

This is how the dining room looked about 6 years ago........

...........and also the living room.............

....and this is the living room now...........


 

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OK, enough about me..........

TIME TO THANK the sweet ladies who reminded me of the names of the

"Hydrangea tree"

(Dumbeya)

Thank you PEGGY

The "Dr Zeuss tree" 

(Bombax ellipticum)

Thank you EWA

and, yes, thank you, Mar Bailey, the white Florida Wisteria

(Queen's Wreath)

does indeed also come in purple

as the one on my fence.

So, you see, I DO read all the comments.......

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO TAKE THE TIME TO LEAVE ONE!

PRETTY EASY ....................

Here is a VERY EASY festive center piece you can create in minutes. Nice for a gathering in the kitchen!

All you need is a colander,a styrofoam ball (or the foam kind for fresh flowers), enough dried, fresh or fake fruit or flowers to arrange in the colander.

I use fake pomegranates I had from a previous topiary I made for a photo shoot. 

If you get fake things and they don't come attached to a stick then you need to get wooden skewers and cut them into 5 inch long pieces. Insert one end into the fake (or real fruit)and the other end into the styrofoam or foam half ball. You can also mix real and fake.

If you are using real stuff make sure to use the foam type half ball. Poke a few holes in the foam and submerge in water before proceeding with the fresh flowers. You will also have to line the colander with foil paper so the water won't leak out.

I prefer the fake things for the holidays because they don't require any maintenance. I just stuck little bits of moss between the pomegranates to conceal holes and it ended up making the arrangement much nicer (color wise) and more complete. It took about 10 minutes to make the whole thing.

 

 

It's your turn to make one!

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Will be announcing the winner of the giveaway before Sunday midnight

Keep checking! Maybe it will be YOU!!

PLANK-LIKE FLOOR

PAINT AND POWER TOOLS-NOT DIAMONDS-ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND!

DO-IT-YOURSELF "PLANK" FLOOR- FAKE & FABULOUS

THESE DAYS, UNDERTAKING A REMODELING PROJECT CAN BE A BIT DAUNTING FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW. SO, WHEN THE TIME CAME TO PROCEED WITH THE FLOORING OF THE GUEST HOUSE (SINCE IT WAS A GARAGE THE EXISTING ONE WAS CONCRETE) I OPTED FOR MY FAVORITE FORMULA  "FAKE & FABULOUS". TRANSLATION? INSTEAD OF GOING FOR VINTAGE PLANKS, WHICH I COULD HAVE BOUGHT FROM A LOCAL SALVAGE WAREHOUSE AT A STAGGERING COST OF $4,000 (OUCH!) I SETTLED FOR 1/2 INCH PLYWOOD (YES, GOOD OLD PLYWOOD) FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $200 (YEAH!) FOR 400 SQUARE FEET. 

HERE ARE THE EASY STEPS TAKEN TO GET THE PLANK LOOK:

*CUT PLYWOOD SHEETS TO FIT THE AREA.

*INSTALL THE PLYWOOD OVER THE CONCRETE WITH LIQUID NAILS (THAT IS THE NAME OF  THE GLUE. IT COMES IN A LONG TUBE)

 *SECURE THE PLYWOOD FURTHER WITH FLUTED CONCRETE NAILS. WHEN HAMMERING THE NAILS BE CAREFUL TO WEAR GOGLES BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE HEAD COMES OFF AND COULD END UP IN YOUR EYE.

* APPLY A COAT OF DARK GRAY (ACRYLIC) AND LET IT DRY COMPLETELY. USE A BRUSH,      NOT A ROLLER. NOT ONLY YOU WILL USE LESS PAINT (HENCE MORE ECONOMICAL) BUT IT    WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET IN ALL THE PLYWOOD CRACKS AND KNOTS, WHICH WILL HELP IN  CREATING THE "OLD" LOOK.

* USING A BRUSH APPLY A LIGHT COAT OF WHITE PAINT IN QUICK MOTION AND KEEP GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. UNLIKE WHEN PAINTING WALLS, YOU CAN'T GO UP AND DOWN OR RIGHT TO LEFT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE NATURAL GRAIN OF THE PLYWOOD IN ORDER TO GET THE DESIRE EFFECT. LET DRY.

*USING A YARD STICK, THE GRAY PAINT, AND A NARROW-TIP BRUSH PAINT/TRACE VERTICAL LINES TO FORM THE PLANKS. THEY CAN BE ANY SIZE YOU LIKE AND DON'T HAVE TO BE ALL THE SAME WIDTH. I MADE SOME LARGER AND SOME THINNER. LOOKS LESS PERFECT. LET DRY.

*FINISH WITH SEVERAL COATS OF CLEAR POLYURETHANE APPLIED WITH A BRUSH. LET DRY BETWEEN EACH COAT. I PUT 4 COATS ON MY FLOOR. THE POLYURETHANE NOT ONLY PROTECT BUT ALSO MAKES THE WOOD WATERPROOF AND WASHABLE. SO EASY TO KEEP CLEAN!

I LOVE THE RESULTS BECAUSE THE VERY IMPERFECTIONS INHERENT TO THE PLYWOOD (TEXTURE, CRACKS, KNOTS, "WARTS AND ALL".....) ARE WHAT MAKE IT PERFECT TO MIRROR REAL TIME-WORN PLANKS.

JUST REMEMBER: IF I CAN DO IT YOU CAN TOO! ANY GIRL CAN!

PAINT AND POWER TOOLS --NOT DIAMONDS--ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

BACK TO WORK

I really tried not to do anything for a few days but I find it impossible to stand still!! The good part is that I did not do ANY writing or read anything and that alone was a state of bliss. Now my brain feels refreshed and I will tackle more stuff tomorrow.

On the other hand I managed to repaint my dining room, catch up with cleaning the house, laundry, ironing and other mundane choirs like polishing the silver...I love when the linens are fresh and crisp, the house clean and the silver gleaming...though by the end of the week everything will be covered with cat hair AGAIN....I did not do any gardening because it's just too hot (heat index was 108 all weekend until today) no rain...but let's be thankful we have not been hit by a hurricane like the poor people in Jamaica and Mexico.

Before going "under cover" I was going to show you photos of Sunday Hendrickson's lovely little nest in Los Angeles.Take a look and you will agree her "Divine Art Director at Large" titled is well deserved!

SUNDAY'S LOS ANGELES NEST

   

 

                        SUNDAY'S OFFICE

 

                     

For some reason the program won't let me insert more photos right now....must be the TypePad Gremlin acting up....But, while we are on the subject of home offices I would very much appreciate if anyone who has an interesting home office (like Sunday's or mine---we have already featured those--Sunday's in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and mine in Romantic Country) would email me photos. I am looking for neat spots to feature in magazines. You can email them directly to fifiinc@comcast.net

Ah! The gremlin is gone.....

                   

Back to my freshly painted dining room. I took the mirror down (it was on the sideboard), changed the curtains and repainted the long table to the right. My sister made the pretty cushion.

 

 

To stop my kitties from taking the flowers out of vases (they like to drink the water...) I keep them under the wire cloche.

               

  I am still trying to finish the rhinestone letters but the craft store has not re-stocked the ones I need.

I have to hang a light fixture but I have not quite figured out how to set it over the table without the cord showing. May have to use a cord cover...or go with a "candle chandelier" though the ceiling is kind of low....There is one in the Speigel catalog that is like the small one (on the right) I have in the bathroom but the longer one would look nice.

                     

but for now I'll say do my Scarlett O'Hara and "worry about it tomorrow."

Until then............

HOME SWEET HOME

CALIFORNIA was simply FABULOUS but it's so good to be back home! The week was non-stop scouting and meetings. Add a little 4.5 earthquake, delayed flight back and a lost suitcase and hitting my own bed at 4.00 AM was pure heaven. My suitcase took a little detour to Boston--go figure--but made it back to Florida later on. I was rather eager to get it as it held a couple of little treasures I managed to acquire. Among which this gorgeous linen tablecloth, the perfect little bed lamp, and the little green bottles all from TUMBLEWEED & DANDELION in Venice Beach.

   

Also found in a sweet little shop a few items with crowns designs. I just realized that you can order these on line from www.drexlercollection.com

 

The package on the left contains 8 notes cards and envelopes. The little note booklet has about 24 blank pages. Both very inexpensive. The small plate below was a gift as was the pretty tag, which was so nicely given to me by Erin Houghton when my friend Sunday Hendrickson--the Divine Art Director--and I scouted her charming cottage in Costa Mesa (see photos below.)

 

Before leaving for Los Angeles I got an email from a lovely lady who resides in Tampa, Florida. She was responding to something on my blog and as we wrote back and forth she mentioned her sister, Erin, lives outside LA. Sunday and I went to her home. Erin is a gifted artist who lives in a cottage-style townhouse with her friendly doggie, Bentley. Here are some photos from her home and work.

 

 

                  

The above painting reminded me so much of my younger years growing up in Paris...got a touch of nostalgia...........

 

Erin took this picture of Sunday, Bentley and I in her garden.

 

 

Bentley was sad to see us go!

From there we went to Laguna Beach and saw a home with a most colorful kitchen.

 

 

                  

I am a very lucky Fifi! My friend Lizzie (from Tumbleweed & Dandelion) extended the offer of her delightful guest cottage for my next visit to LA, which will be around Thanksgiving. I am working on a book featuring her brilliant design style so it will be the perfect place to work from. Her own cottage sits a the foot of a hill. You go up several steps to a magical terrace where she oftens holds parties, then up a few more steps to the secluded guest house. Here is a peek of the terrace and the rooms.

Well, that's it for now. I do have to get back to "real" work! Will continue soon. A lot more to come.