This & That

Let’s Make White Wine Spritzers … Spritzer Season is Here!

May Day Luncheon with Contessa and Friends

How I Hosted My Nieces Baby Girl Shower … at a Restaurant

Spring Patio Refresh and a Few Easy Easter Recipes

Spring Things … Easter Edition

Six Ideas for Creating an Organized and Pretty Closet

Spring Things – A Garden Tour

Valentine’s Day Tea Party Ideas

Valentine’s Day Porch Ideas

It’s Friday! And, you know what that means. It’s cocktail night at Snowberry.

Join me in stories this afternoon … I'm making Ranch Water. Yes, Ranch Water! Have you heard of it? It’s new to me … and it’s basically a Spritzer by another name.

If you’d like to join the fun, here’s what you’ll need … blanco tequila, sparking water and a lime. Oh, and ice. It will be 5 o'clock (somewhere) soon!

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📷: @monicavargasphotos

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#cocktailnightatsnowberry
#gardengate
#shinglestyle
#cocktailnight
#gardenentry
#curbappeal
#lamppost
#cozyhomeshots
#homesweethome
#traditionalhome
#ranchwater
#moderncottage
#makemineaspritzer
#moderntraditional
#cottagesandbungalows
#cottagecharm

Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a ve

Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. I read a book. I mean an entire book. In one afternoon.

I love to read. But lately I feel my attention span getting shorter. I blame screen time. In terms of news, rarely do I get beyond a (often misleading) headline because trying to read the actual article leads to a paywall. And, then there's social media scrolling. Endless stunning photographs accompanied by short captions (if the captions are read at all). Am I saying my inability to read an entire book is someone else's fault? Yes! 😉

While I'm playing the blame game. Another piece of the why-Juliet-can't-finish-a-book puzzle is ... the books themselves. I’ve started so many over the past year and never finished. It's maddening. I've blamed my shrinking attention span, but maybe it’s not me … maybe it’s them. The books themselves. Maybe they’re not very good or not my cup of tea. Maybe I should be quicker to throw in the towel on a book that's not drawing me in rather than trying to slog through.

Anyway, yesterday's reading marathon reassured me that my love of reading hasn't vanished into thin air. And, in addition to putting down my phone, being quicker to throw in the towel on a so so book ... is to make the time to do the thing I enjoy. Spending the day with my nose in a (good) book

What about you? How much time are you willing to spend with a book that’s not grabbing your attention? And, what have you read lately that you love?

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📸: @monicavargasphotos

That’s what I did … I said enough and moved on to another book and 4 hours later I felt like my love of reading was very much

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#bookstagram
#bookshelf
#booksinsp
#bookworm
#booklover
#homelibrary
#readingtime
#homelibrarydesign
#ovalroomblue
#iibrariesofinstagram
#shelflife
#mytradhome
#traditionalhomedecor
#mydecorstyle
#makemineaspritzer
#customcabinetry
#smmakelifebeautiful

While we're on the topic of Snowberry's great room

While we're on the topic of Snowberry's great room, let me share something that's bothering me. I love our black hutch ... it was a long, arduous search to find just the thing for this wall and it really is just the thing. BUT ...

I've spent a lot of time standing on the far side of the sofa staring and wondering what is it that bothers me. I've arranged and rearranged the pieces inside ... and something doesn't feel right. Last week I had a flash ... an ah ha moment ... maybe I should wallpaper or paint the back wall of the hutch. I've seen a couple examples of this recently and it looks amazing.

Earlier in the week Mary Ann from @classiccasualhome was here to help put the finishing touches on the library. I ran the hutch idea by her and she was fully onboard. We agreed paint is the way to go and she shared a couple of color ideas. Then she pulled up a photo from from another client's home where a china hutch was transformed by interior paint ... and Mary Ann's brilliant styling. And, suddenly I realized that's where the seed was planted ... I'd seen it on her blog!

Of course, it's not really surprising. I'm inspired by everything Mary Ann does. She has a particular talent for finding new ways to use things her clients already own by working her styling magic. She's done it for me many times. And, along those lines she changed up few things in my hutch. I'll share once it's painted, so stay tuned.

What do you think about the painting idea?

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📸: @monicavargasphotos

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#blackfurniture
#paintedfurniture
#greatroom
#greatroomdesign
#homedesignideas
#shelfstyling
#thecottagejournal
#mytradhome
#mycozystyledhome
#renovationproject
#renovationideas
#beforeandafter
#classicstylehome
#moderncottage
#myhousebeautiful
#makemineaspritzer
#moderntraditional
#cottagesandbungalows

Looking through our renovation photos … thousand

Looking through our renovation photos … thousands of them … it struck me that renovation and building is not for the faint of heart. So many decisions are made, often on the fly … and the final result may not be seen for months leaving plenty of time to question those choices. Sleepless nights worrying it will all go wrong and then one day realizing it turned out just fine.

In Snowberry’s great room alone we had to choose windows, ceiling height, beams or no beams, flooring, millwork and trim, cabinet style and layout, appliances and fixtures, paint colors, hardware, fabrics for sofa and chairs, throw pillows, window treatments and chair cushions. Oh, and buy all the furniture hoping it fit and works well together when it trickles in months later.

I’m getting sweaty palms remembering it all and I must have left a few (thousand) things out. If you’re in the process of building, renovating or just a little room refresh I feel you and admire you. Taking on home projects - large or small - requires a strong stomach and a leap of faith. Are there tougher things in life … of course, and I’m over dramatizing … but if you’ve done these things you know.

When your project is done you swear you’ll never, ever do it again. But, in a surprisingly short period of time, you find yourself looking at other rooms in your house … even other houses … and wondering what if …

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📸: @monicavargasphotos

#beveragebar
#wetbar
#wetbardesign
#wetbarideas
#winerefrigerator
#customcabinetry
#itsfoclocksomewhere
#panelappliances
#woldsubzero
#greatroomdesign
#greatroom
#homedesignideas
#renovationproject
#renovationinspiration
#bhghome
#makemineaspritzer

When I started the blog ... nearly a year ago ...

When I started the blog ... nearly a year ago ... it was my intention to share Snowberry's renovation process room by room. I laid the ground work in a series of posts about the pre-reno house, design inspiration, color palette, and the demolition process. Then came fall and the holidays and seasonal posts took over. It's time to get back on track. Earlier this year I revealed our kitchen and main closet spaces ... and this week I'm working on the Great Room.

The great room, or family room or whatever you call it, is where we spend most of our time. And, over the last year we got more use out it than we ever dreamed possible. Thank you, Netflix.

Whenever I post about our great room here on IG I get a lot of questions ... and I'll try to address all of them in the post. Is there anything you'd like to know about the space, design or the renovation process? Leave me a comment and I'll include it the post.

One of the first purchases I made for the great room was this @serenaandlily console table. I made many trips to the outlet searching for it and finally it was mine. The lamp is also from @serenaandlily and it’s one of the handful of pieces that came with us from our Fidalgo Island home.

Happy Monday!

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📸: @monicavargasphotos

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#greatroom
#greatroomdesign
#homedesignideas
#tvcabinet
#hiddentv
#tvcabinetdesign
#shelfstyling
#whitedecor
#thecottagejournal
#mytradhome
#mycozystyledhome
#renovationproject
#renovationideas
#renovationinspiration
#renovationdesign
#beforeandafter
#bhghome
#makemineaspritzer

It's Memorial Day weekend and that means ... it's

It's Memorial Day weekend and that means ... it's officially Spritzer season! Later in stories I'll be making my classic white wine spritzer. Hey summer ... let's go!

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📷: @monicavargasphotos

#whitewinespritzer #mmscocktailfriday #spritzer #spritz #summerdrinks #summercocktails #happyhour #makemineaspritzer #wine #whitewineseason #winetonight #californiawine #youcansipwithus #bayareablog #cheers

Good morning! Here I am hard at work in Snowberr

Are we tired of garden posts yet? Don't tell me.

Are we tired of garden posts yet? Don't tell me.

I snapped this photo early morning with my fancy schmancy Canon REAL camera. I'm still learning and would have liked to capture the entire fountain in the Insta frame. Anyway ... I'll get there. In the meantime I posted the full shot in stories.

As you can see our roses are caged ... I hate saying that but is there another term? Since the protective wire has gone up the roses have grown and we're slowly removing the top covers. We still aren't sure what's nibbling at them ... Jim suspects blue jays. Do they eat roses?

It's a busy week here at Snowberry ... I'm juggling many balls and in a state of anxiety that one might drop. Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day and a fabulous week.

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#inmygarden
#gardenfountain
#gardendesign
#boxwood
#homeandgarden
#landscapedesign
#gardenstyle
#roses
#boxwoods
#gardenpath
#makemineaspritzer

This enchanting setting is where I spent the first

How did you celebrate May Day?! Truthfully I hadn'

How did you celebrate May Day?! Truthfully I hadn't since elementary school and my class danced around a May pole. But, when @contessa_and_her_pig tells you to don a flower crown of course you do. And, what fun!

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of lunching in @contessa_and_her_pig enchanted garden with @northerncalstyle . Kim and I have 'known' each other 'virtually' for years but our real life meeting has been delayed by ... renovations (have you seen Kim's incredible home?) and pandemics. But now we're fully vaccinated, settled into our renovated homes and it's spring here in the Bay Area! Let me tell you a secret ... Kim is every bit as delightful as you'd expect ... even more so. I love her. Our favorite Contessa is at it again, doing what she does so beautifully ... connecting people.

Back to the Contessa's enchanted garden ... it's fabulous. Obviously. A vision of white, yellow and green ... from her front door to the patio furniture. Lush sofas and day beds with overstuffed cushions in lemon yellow and lime green. And, her plants ... enthusiastically blooming in coordinating colors. How do you do it Contessa?!

If that's not enough, we enjoyed an amazing lunch of vichyssoise followed by the most scrumptious chicken salad. Oh, and the Italian and Banksy made appearances.

I'm sure I can speak for @northerncalstyle style in saying that we never wanted to leave. Grazie, @contessa_and_her_pig ... for a lovely and memorable May Day.

Where was I last week?! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Happy Monday!

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📷: @contessa_and_her_pig
#mayday
#flowercrown
#springlunch
#californiagarden
#flowercrownparty
#bloggersover50
#lunchingwithfriends

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