Raise your hand if you’ve had quite enough of winter, thankyouverymuch. If you’re not raising your hand I’ll have to assume it’s warm where you are, you’ve just gotten back from a long and warm vacation, or you can afford to keep your heat cranked all day and all night. None of these conditions apply to me and mine so I am ready for summertime to arrive, even if it means chilly (but not cold) blustery days and a glut of April showers before the truly warm weather shows up. Here are some pics of summery gardens that may help you last out the winter!

(photo by Randy Son of Robert)

(photo by epSos.de)

(photo by Fr Antunes)

(photo by Margaret Anne Clarke)

(photo by Crinklecrankle.com)

When I first saw these numbered stairs at Restyled Home I was taken by them. It seemed like such a cute idea and a simple way to spruce up a stairwell. You’ll never again forget how many stairs it takes to reach your second floor, and you can teach your little ones their numbers every night before bed!

Adorable, no? But do you like it? Would you number your own stairs, either inside or outdoors?

As a DIY project it would be simple enough to do. Most of the how-tos I’ve seen suggest using paint and stencils, but you might just as easily use peel and stick house numbers or the sturdier metal house numbers that need to be affixed with nails.

You could even paint on a “runner” to frame your decorative numerals. After further consideration, I still like the idea, I just don’t know if I’m as ga-ga for it as I was. There’s a part of my mind telling me that I’d tire of numbered stairs after not too long a time.

I was all set to post about a cute little crafting project that lets you make a ‘please remove your shoes’ sign because, hey, no one wants beach sand or road sand tracked all over their floors. But as I was poking around the Intertubes wondering what else I could include to flesh things out a little, I happened upon a much radder DIY project that is as cool as the other was country-ish.

I won’t say this is an easy DIY Pacman couch project — think woodworking and upholstery shaping, not Mod Podge and a couple of minutes with a cordless drill. But for those with the time, energy, space, and materials money to give it a go, I say try it! Then (whether or not you’re successful) send me a link so I can feature it here, of course.

How adorable is all this stuff from Ninainvorm? She makes cute and colorful ceramics, screen prints, collages, and more, then sells them in her Etsy store way out in the Netherlands. Shipping is as expensive as you might imagine, but if your goal is to brighten up your environment, perhaps it’s worth it?

She says: “I make these name plates as a custom order for children and grown-up loved ones. I use the most beautiful vintage plates from my large vintage plate collection and then add screenprinted images & cut the letters of the name by hand out of colourful ceramic decal paper. Then the plates are fired in my kiln on a high temperature. The result is a unique, personal, sustainable and very cheerful plate.”

She says: “A beautiful medium-sized (contents: about 0.65 liter or 2/3 mugs) vintage 1960s design teapot, redecorated by me with my screenprinted lots of dots pattern in 6 colors. The vintage teapot is still in a very good condition, only some of the glazing on the handle feels a little bit rough, which isn’t something visible but you can feel it a little when you rub it with your fingers.”

She says: “Each set contains the six different postcards that you see on the pictures. In my other listings you can see detail pictures of the large prints that these postcards are the smaller version of.”

She says: “A beautiful medium-sized (about 7.5″”/18 cm diameter) vintage plate to which I added my screenprinted spirograph image. The plate is quite old, but still in a real good condition. This plate is fired on a high temperature and is therefore fit for daily use or to put it on a wall as wall art.”

As if you couldn’t guess, her life is just as colorful as her creations. See more at
her blog, which is well worth a visit!

Nothing new, patchwork furniture is often the purview of crafters with leftover fabric scraps and quilt-happy grannies. But is it chic? Can it ever be? Squint Limited thinks so and churns out colorful bespoke chesterfields, lampshade, and even dressers, all wrapped in a mix of contemporary and vintage fabrics. Oh, and period furniture styles that just pop when upholstered with bright, cheeky prints and bold colors.

Squint Limited’s pieces are made in England and upholstered traditionally, with tied springs and hand stitched seams. Each design is priced individually depending on the final mix of fabrics used, and a selection of sofa shapes can be made as bed settees. In other words, this ain’t your granny’s couch, and you’re going to pay more than she did for one. But, oh, aren’t they divine?

I grew up playing with two reddish-orange wooden horses, painted with colorful stylized tack, but not knowing what they were. A lucky click later, and here I am, remembering with fondness my dala horses. Known also as dalecarlian horses (or dalahäst in Swedish), these very pretty ponies entered into existence as toys for children, then became emblematic of Sweden. Whatever you want to call them, I think they’re absolutely lovely. Here are just a few examples of how your might integrate a dala horse into your family:

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Sitting at my cheeky new computer desk flanked on either side by a cup of mint tea and a big box of chocolates is one of my favorite places to be, which is why you’ll frequently find me clicking through photograph after photograph of interiors or art or pieces of furniture (or wedding dresses and brides, natch) while The Beard cooks dinner. Secret: I don’t like cooking, though I will gladly bake you a cake. Last night, I found these images, which I was convinced were of canvases ready to be hung on bare walls — something I am lacking these days.

But no, they are scarves! Silk scarves! Not quite the purview of Manolo for the Home, but still artful enough that I just had to take a day to feature them. French contemporary artist Maryse Casol has created a timeless collection of square silk scarves using the colors of fauvism, so perhaps they are art and they are scarves.

Made in Lyon, France by a 120-year-old company and hand rolled by the best couturieres in the “silk capital of Europe,” you can bet your bippy that you’re getting an accessory that will stand the test of time. Pricey? Oh, a bit. But in this scarf-lover’s opinion, sometimes a beautiful bit of something about the neck is all it takes to transform a person in the best way possible.

Pretty!

Got a message — something like LOVE or POOP or NUMBERONESTUD? Don’t hide what you have to say in a notebook or on your blog. Spelling it out in no uncertain terms is the thing to do these days. Put it on your wall in a frame, even if it’s slightly off color. Stack it on your bureau. Write it on your walls, graffiti style, or slap it up there using some printable decal vinyl. There are a million and one ways to express what you’re thinking in plain old English… or your language of choice.

For the purposes of forthright expression in the home, I’m currently loving these printer’s block letters by Sage, Inspired By Life. So what if they’re only replicas? They’re also only £3.25 each, which means you can spell out anything from your kid’s name to your favorite naughty word for less than some fancy wall art you found on Etsy. No offense, Etsy, you know I love you lots and lots.