Style Scouting: Vol. 14
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read my Disclosure Policy.
You know the saying….The lazy days of summer – that has been what I have been doing this week, being lazy. If we weren’t living in a pandemic world, I would have been vacationing with my family and siblings in OCNJ this week.
So instead, I decided to take a vaca at home in the form of taking things slow this week to enjoy reading and catching up on some “just relaxing”.
One of the books I have been reading is this book. Ed and I want to rip up our current kitchen garden to create a better designed one where we can plant more veggies, tomatoes, potatoes and herbs. Do you have a veggie garden or a kitchen garden? If so, do you have any tips for designing it? I would love your advice and tips.
I also did a lot of catching up online – here are a few articles and items I found inspiring.
Storefront window shopping…. charming!
The answer is YES! This easy way to restore a wood finish… really works!
She wanted it, she had no budget to buy it, so she got to work and DIY’ed it to get a high end catalog look. I bet you can think of many other ways to do the same treatment on other items.
I tried this, yummy…. so good on a hot summer night when you don’t want to turn on your oven.
I love this blogger and her store! She does her own style with confidence.
You see them all the time. Why are they orange?
Don’t forget to do these very simple restaurant tips the next time you eat outside – I am going to try both ideas…. the one using a few pennies has me intrigued.
How a love story inspired this clever invention.
Choose to live every day like you are on vacation.
My sister gave me 3 of these lipsticks for my birthday. I love not only the colors and the non-feathering formula, but also the fact that the company gives back. Check out how colorful the cases are. So cute.
This would have come in very handy when my dog, Schnitzel was alive. Looks great left natural, but I would have to color coordinate to the decor of my house with paint. :-)
I did this on a chandelier when I first started blogging. The technique looks much better on these lamps.
Two of these may be just what I have been seeking to place above my craft room… aka Studioffice work table.
If you are serious about eating healthier… then this cutting board may be pricey, but it has been a game changer for me. It is solid, which means it stays in place when chopping vegetables and more. I actually enjoy chopping now.
This weekend is the last one in July? Before we know it, it is going to be fall. So if you can, put your to-do list on the back-burner and take some time to just sit back, relax and enjoy a lazy summer weekend.
I have several of the Color the World lipsticks and really like them! What 3 shades did your sister gift you? Nice gift idea, in fact the first one I got was an Easter gift from my best friend :-)
Hi Susan – I love the lipsticks and am going to order a few more colors. The colors I got for my b-day are: Surfberry, Speechless, and Heartfelt.
Hi Diane,
I have a countertop question. I have recently purchased the Giani Countertop kit and have gotten to the veining part. I love the results so far. Your tutorials were very helpful!!! Thank you!!!! I do have one question. I thought to use a wax as a sealer because you said you would, and I’m not to crazy about the Epoxy it comes with due to all the health warnings. What would wax would you recommend?
Hi Dee – Giani must have changed the sealer in the kit for the marble look. I went to the site to see about the Epoxy. It looks like it is a low VOC epoxy? The same product was used on my kitchen floor. It had hardly any smell. Does the kit have a warning with it?
I am thinking maybe it isn’t like the yellowing kind of Epoxy of the past. You may want to call the company and get more details about it. If it is like my floor sealer, it will be great for the counter.
I used the White Diamond kit when I did my counters as they didn’t have a marble kit at the time. They came out with one after seeing what I did with the White Diamond kit. My kit came with water-base polyurethane.
You could buy some Minwax Polycrylic in a semi-gloss or satin finish and use that to seal the counter, since this is what I used.
I used wax on a bathroom vanity that I painted to look like Carrera marble. It has held up for years – it is not used nearly as much as a kitchen counter so it takes less abuse. When waxing, it does take time to add thin layers of wax and buff each to build up to get a highly durable finish, but with some elbow grease, soft cloths and buffing, it will work.
I would call the company to find out more details about the Epoxy and then decide what you want to use.
I’ve had a lot of success with elevated raised beds – a few feet off the ground. One manufacturer is Gronomics – some people build their own. With the raised bed at waist height you don’t have to bend over to tend to the garden and it’s easy to control pests and weeds. I have never had much success with square foot gardening. I know many people do, so I figure I must have done something wrong, but I ended up overcrowding so that some plants didn’t get enough sun or nutrients. You could probably have a great winter garden of cool-weather plants where you live, as well as a summer garden!
Hi Linda –
Thanks for feedback. I will check out Gronommics. I like the raised bed idea for the reasons you noted. :-) We are going to experiment in the fall to see if any cool weather plants will work.
Diane — Thank you for the fabulous links. I always find things to Tweet or Pin on your posts. And I hope you take another week to relax.
Re: your garden. Planning a garden is one of my favorite things to do. Here is my advice, FWIW.
1. Count on your local County Extension Service for information about what vegetables and herbs will thrive in your area. The advice they give you will be science-based rather than fluffy, pie-in-the-sky, profit-driven info.
2. Have it near the house. Have it near an outdoor faucet.
3. Raised beds look good and make gardening easier. Yes to square-foot gardening. I bet your local library has a copy of the classic book.
4. Buy a tumble barrel design composter and use it. Buy a rain barrel and use the rain water to make your plants happy.
5. You need a potting bench. It will double as a buffet table and bar cart when you can entertain again. I know you will design and build a beautiful potting table/bench.
I wrote about the value of an herb bed here: http://www.diyhomestagingtips.com/2011/04/14-ways-herb-garden-helps-sell-home.html#
Hi Barbara –
Thank you so much for your recommendations. I will do every one of them. :-) I checked out your post – great tips even if you are not moving. I pinned it.
Square Foot Gardening is what I always recommend to beginner gardeners. It’s a great space planning tool, especially when you’re learning about what to plant together. Super happy you’re using this method!
I think I will try the lipsticks you got for your b day. They have pretty colors and the non feathering would be a big plus!
Happy Friday?
Hi Lynn – It is good to hear that you recommend the Square Foot Gardening method. A good place to start and there are only 2 of us so we don’t need a huge harvest. :-) I love the lipsticks – they are the perfect mix of moisture and matte without bleeding. They stay on a long time, even under my mask when I am out and about. :-)
The Square Foot Gardening book is full of great ideas! I’ve used a lot of them.
Hi Amanda – Thanks for taking the time to tell me. I just finished the book and gave it to Ed to read. I am excited to get it going.
Thank you for the storefront window shopping link. You are so right, it is charming.
My husband and I grill our homemade pizzas, too,, in the summer. We place a pizza stone on the grill to heat up then using a pizza peel, transfer the uncooked pizza to the hot stone. Close the grill lid and in 15 minutes we’ve got the BEST pizza ever!
Love your blog, Diane.
Hi Patti – My mouth is watering after reading your comment. I love pizza and using the pizza stone is such a great idea. On my shopping list now. Thanks for taking the time to share with me.
You might look at Garden Answer on youtube. They have a fabulous garden with raised beds. You would want a smaller one but it might give you some ideas.
Hi Carla – Thanks for reminding me of You Tube – great idea. I will check out Garden Answers later tonight for some ideas and inspiration.