that coat above is about the right size for a seven year old–so sweet. i wish it was my size!
we each found a little treasure and we had a delicious burger at charlies. my burger had pickles, grilled onions, tomatoes and thousand island dressing on it. i’ve come to realize that i love thousand island dressing. and while it might be somewhat off topic, i can’t stop thinking about that delicious burger i had in los alamos! what do you like on your burger?
Hi, I’m Lisa-mommy to my boys, David, 9 and Matty, 8 and wife to Steve. I create handmade jewelry and love taking pictures. Stick around and get to know us!
Archive for the ‘decorating’ Category
special breakfast
September 19th | decorating, DIY, family
On Saturday morning I made our usual chocolate chip pancakes, but this breakfast was extra special because I set the table for fall and used these darling chalkboard placemats.
Leslie sent me a set and they are so fun! The chalkboards are so smooth and erase nicely. I drew a different fall-ish picture on each placemat.
In the center of the table I put a few pumpkins, apples and fresh flowers. Super simple, but it made it feel special–and it made it feel like fall!
I know kids would love to decorate their own placemats too. So fun!
You can buy your own chalkboard placemats here. Love it!
Do you have any special dishes or traditions to make a meal feel special every now and then?
i {heart} succulents
August 12th | decorating, DIY
every where i look these days i am noticing succulents. i never realized what incredible blooms these hardy plants have! but even when not in bloom they are such a pretty addition to an inside room or outdoor table setting. i think i’m in love!
succulents are very forgiving–which means they don’t need a lot of attention and will thrive even if they go for a while without water. so with my busy schedule they are perfect!
need some inspiration? check out gussy’s how-to blog post on creating your own terrarium here i love these creative pots used in this wednesday blog post about succulents and this post on birdhouse blog will answer questions you may have about creating and caring for your succulent garden!
do you love succulents?
winners!
July 30th | blog friends, decorating
our three lucky {and randomly chosen} winners for the current issue of cottages & bungalows mag and a custom, oval wall hanging are…
beth who said, for a quick fix at my house I would probably update our jack n jill bathroon with some new paint. Grandmothers house, and everything is the same color. 
some paint and maybe a few accessories would spruce it up nice.
jackie who said, thats awesome!! with the money i think id redo our dining room a bit..
kira who said, I would makeover our master bedroom since that is where we spend most of our time and it should be the best room in the house. I would first paint it a warm neutral color, some cute window treatments to spice it up a little, then hang family pics on the wall, and would love to get a cute, vintage light fixture, maybe a chandelier!
congratulations ladies! and thank you cottages and bungalows magazine!
cottages & bungalows {giveaway}
July 26th | blog friends, decorating, DIY
hello friends! remember this bathrooom makeover?
well, i was absolutely thrilled when cottages and bungalows magazine asked if they could feature it in there magazine. i seriously love this magazine! i’ve been pouring over the pages. it’s surreal to see our bathroom in there. i showed matthias, but he didn’t seem overly impressed. but it’s exciting to me! there are lots of great projects and inspiration. such a pretty mag. thank you cottages and bungalows for featuring our bathroom makeover! we’re doing a giveaway! three lucky winners will each get a copy of the current issue and an oval wall hanging–customized with your own phrase and your choice of ribbon color!
all you need to do is hop over to cottages and bungalows and ‘like’ their facebook page. and hey, leave them a comment and tell them lisa leonard sent you!
then leave a comment below and tell us how you would spend $100 in your home for a fast, easy facelift. we’ll randomly choose a winner in the next couple days. good luck!
salvage, morro bay
June 28th | decorating, inspiration
i came across the prettiest little shop in morro bay a couple weeks ago.
she has a great collection of vintage seascapes, blue glass and linens.
i’m on the hunt for a couple of vintage, upholstered chairs or a beautiful vintage leather couch. if you could choose to come across the perfect little treasure, at the perfect little price–what would your treasure be?
my sister’s home
June 23rd | decorating, DIY
we were able to grab a super quick dinner with my sister at new home a few weeks ago. they recently moved and chrissie has made such a beautiful home for her family.
she’s exceptional at creating collages of photos, frames and paintings. i am so inspired!
we found this metal peacock at a thrift store for $2. it was a fairly hideous copper color with irridescent feathers. she spray painted it aqua and gave it new life.
she also likes to have pops of red throughout her home. i love this vintage scale and fresh produce.
the pic on the left is another collage and on the right is their cute pup.
a collection of vintage ‘R’s’ make a playful display in the kitchen. i love this leather chair with pretty pillows.
books, books, books–can you tell they’re a family who loves to read??
i would describe her home as warm and inviting with lots of dark wood and natural light. it’s vintage mixed with new and filled with art and photos. it’s peaceful and spacious and full of love.
i love your home, sis!
watson kennedy {seattle}
June 14th | decorating, inspiration
while steve and i were exploring seattle, we stumbled on the sweetest shop called watson kennedy. sometimes when i walk into an inspiring shop i have to take a deep breath and slow down so i can really soak it in. when i walked into watson kennedy, i had to take 5 deep breaths. everything is so artfully arranged and beautiful.
there are various displays around the shop that are arranged by color. above is the orange table–isn’t it inspiring? orange is such a vibrant, happy color.
bright ribbons and vintage typewrites–perfect.
the above art is made with pieces of paper–so lovely in it’s simplicity. i wanted to buy them all.
green glass stacked on tiered plates, sigh. believe me, every square inch of the shop is full of amazing finds.
there were lots of vintage letters and signs around the store–so much texture. and i love to spell words that warm my heart.
the shop owner, ted, and i were able to chat a bit–he is so talented. watson kennedy was the most charming boutique i encountered in seattle.
and prints from hugo guiness–love, seriously. if you are in the seattle area you’ve got to go explore this shop. i promise you’ll leave inspired!
watson kennedy is located at 1022 1st avenue, seattle WA. visit his website here and his blog here!
in my home i use a lot of neutrals for the base {couches, walls} and then add in vintage art and pops of color. right now i’m loving aqua, olive green and yellow. what colors are you loving for your home?
punch {santa barbara}
June 9th | decorating, inspiration
punch is one of my favorite vintage shops in santa barbara. it’s located near anthropologie and just down the way from carlitos {super yummy mexican fusion}, so the location is pretty much perfect.
it’s eclectic and colorful and full of inspiration. isn’t that aqua chandelier fun?!
and i love these green suitcases for stacking and storing things.
these plastic letter magnets take me waaaay back. question, at what age does ‘bed’ go from being something negative to something wonderful?
that yellow mirror is so happy!
this little floral pin would be so cute on a purse or sundress.
so many pretty things in one shop–makes my heart happy!
a vintage, green record player. love.
if you’re near santa barbara, stop by for a visit. punch is located at 1223 state street.
are you feeling inspired?
mantel re-do {summer}
May 19th | decorating, DIY
i loved our spring mantel, but since easter is over, i put away the bunnies and made a few small changes.
you can see the before pics here. i spray painted the clear vases yellow. they were from the dollar store so i wasn’t worried about ruining them. and they turned out great!
i added in a few sea stars, a vintage mexican vase and a driftwood heart.
on the other side of the room i added a couple little yellow frames that i thrifted and spray painted. the yellow touches feel fresh for summer. the pomegranate painting was also a thrifted find.
and the pennant banner with ‘family’ will be staying for a while.i’ve got spring fever–i’m so ready for summer. how about you?!