hello spring, hello color

April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 | circadee

We’re ready for another season of long, sunny days here in beautiful Cape May! Spring has been a bit of a tease this year but honestly, I love it. It actually works out perfectly when the sun heats up enough to blow open all of the blooms from forsythia to pear, dogwood and cherry trees. Then the temps drop to a blustery 40 degrees allowing spring to be put on ice. Quite literally. All of those blossoms hold on just a little bit longer than they would had the temps continued to soar. We’re still enjoying the sunshine and, of course, all of the color that spring brings with it.

Living near the marsh offers calming sounds of nature…better than any sound machine money could buy. In late winter, the peepers seem to wake up from their hibernation and croak sometimes together in unison and sometimes in a row. They are quiet today as I write this but that may have to do with the cool temperature. Legend has it that once the peepers return singing for a second time, the fear of frost is gone for the season. Forget the zoning calendar, we have peepers to tell us when it’s safe to plant.

Would you believe me if I told you we had a roving tom turkey visit us for Easter? I almost can’t believe it myself and I saw it firsthand. The Easter turkey gobbled down the path beside our house using it as a thoroughfare from the woods to the marsh I suppose. Free to range being that it’s spring.

Tom the Easter turkey follows a long line of visitors in the past year including a barred owl that peered in our window at Halloween. While his visit was a bit spooky, I occasionally find myself checking for the owl in the middle of the night. Then there was the hawk that landed on our deck last spring and chose to stay overnight, without invitation. The aforementioned countless peepers, bats, raccoons, turtles, snakes, rabbits and array of birds from woodpeckers to cardinals and orioles. Plus the monarchs. I can’t wait for monarch season! There is also the brief period when the dragonflies visit at dusk in summertime. I’d be remiss not to mention the skunks. Phew! Wilson had a duel with a skunk in our yard about a month ago. Needless to say, the skunk won…

This is the time of year when I find myself falling in love with this town again because of nature’s simplicity. It certainly is spring with the return of all of this life and color! Inside I appealed more to neutrals and calming whites all winter long but as of late, I am back on the color bandwagon. Pictured here are a few of the latest projects featuring bright, spring colors!

Be sure to visit Cape May in springtime and take in the sounds of the season. The West End Garage is open Friday through Monday now and will return to a daily schedule in mid-May. That means summer is right around the corner! In case you missed an earlier announcement, Circa Dee is now only at The West End Garage. More frequent posts and updates are on our facebook and instagram. Happy Spring!

spring tablescape

May 7, 2015June 2, 2015 | circadee

We’ve been busy over at the cottage the past couple of weekends. We’re working to get it to a point that it can be enjoyed this summer with minimal project disruption. The deck was power washed and we found an adorable vintage wrought iron patio set that is a perfect fit for the space. We gifted it to my dad for his birthday a few weeks ago. We commonly surprise them with perfectly scaled furniture that they didn’t know they needed. It seems totally normal when you’re in this profession. Maybe not?

We have a similar vintage patio set that will be hitting The West End Garage very soon along with this great bench that we all secretly want to keep…

Last weekend, for a pre-Mother’s Day celebration, I put together a pretty, spring tablescape where we enjoyed happy hour after a long day of projects. I started with a fantastic vintage floral, fringed tablecloth layered with pansy dishes and vintage Vera napkins. We added a grouping of upcycled candlesticks to the mix that Ryan and I just completed. I love how they turned out.

We sat on the deck listening to the seagulls while indulging in the most delicious treats from Shari’s Berries.

Naturally we texted photos of the chocolate covered strawberries, cherries and cheesecake to my brothers, who weren’t present, to be sure they upped their game for our deserving Mom this Mother’s Day. Nothing like a friendly sibling rivalry!

But really, how can you top decadent chocolate and that fun vintage tablescape? Get mom her own chocolate covered berries at Shari’s Berries!

Cape May magazine

April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 | circadee

The spring edition of Cape May magazine is now available. Aside from featuring everything we love about this town, the regional magazine also offers a regular decorating column called Interior Motives. Earlier this season, I was asked to contribute to the current column’s theme of refreshing the bathroom.

Bathrooms? I can talk bathrooms!

I met with the editor and we discussed redecorating the bathroom for the upcoming season using new paint, fixtures and accessories. Naturally I didn’t stray far from the themes of repurposing and styling with vintage. The cottage bathroom that we completed last year in our home was mentioned in the article (as well as one we’re currently working on using that pretty brass fixture).

Here’s how that cottage bathroom looks today with the addition of sconce lighting that we recently added over the sink. For months I was on the hunt for just the right vanity light fixture. Then, at the flea market, I came across a pair of gooseneck, task lamps. Thinking outside of the box, it was clear to me that these lights could be the finishing touch that we needed in this bathroom. Insert light bulb pun here.

Ryan worked his magic dismantling and reconfiguring these task lights into sconces. He took off the switches and exterior cord and hardwired them to work on the light switch. We also sprayed them glossy heat-resistant white.

And voila, a custom vanity light for our bathroom. I like how the lights have a gallery vibe to them as if they’re illuminating the heirloom mirror like a piece of fine art. If you’re curious, you can see how we constructed the vanity out of a dresser here.

The magazine article also references ways to use Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in the bathroom. We talked about using tough coat as a protective top coat to preserve wood surfaces around water and humidity such as the mirror.

Check out the magazine next time you’re in Cape May. You can always purchase online too.