Cooking with Style

Here in my apartment kitchen I've created a warm, cottagey feeling to ward off that sterile cookie cutter look. Using harmonious shades of green, red, and yellow along with plenty of fresh white, keeps this room in sync with the rest of the apartment.

The biggest style maker in this room is the use of an old kitchen cabinet that has traveled with me from home to home and been painted in the crackle finish I love. In other lives, it has served as a bookshelf and as craft room storage. Here, it sits on the breakfast bar that faces my living room and provides not only additional storage but serves as a room divider. The white picket fence in my living room backs up to it! One of these days, I'll paint that white too. I added cup hooks and some molding around the sides and removed a few of the shutter doors.


On the corner of the breakfast bar, I have a little vignette consisting of a sweet lamp with a painted shade, bought for $5.00 at an overstock store, a little painted stool, an old tin, and a floral arrangement. The French style button topiary with the red gingham bow was made by me especially for this space and it's sister is for sale in my Etsy shop. http://TheParisian.etsy.com
I love having a small lamp in the kitchen, especially for late at night when jarring bright lights aren't needed for that midnight cup of tea.
The old style wooden drying rack is functional and fits the decor nicely.

My collection of vintage kitchen tools graces the walls near the stove. All the pieces are wooden handled and painted in a soft shade of farmhouse green, my favorite! I kept with the rustic feel of the implements by using plain old wire to attach the rolling pics to the wall. A farmhouse picture and lots of wood and painted accessories complete the look. Having an old crock next to the stove to hold cooking utensils is handy and yet, esthetically pleasing. Up above, plants, an old enameled dutch oven and even a vintage tin lamb cake mold dressed with a sweet ribbon draw the eye around the room.

A thrift store sunflower painting and my Parisian replica clock add to the farmhouse feel down at the other end of the room. The old enameled breadbox is perfect for storage with style and the paper towel holder was a favorite find at T.J. Maxx for less than $10.00

Surrounded by my favorite things, even scrubbing pots and pans is less of a chore and a great way to utilize my collections!

I wanna be a star on HGTV!!

I've got 3 rooms from my apartment up on the HGTV site for Rate My Space.
I'm trying to cross promote my design work and my Etsy store and
just plain see what happens in this fascinating online world of blogs,
and shops, and networking.
Some days I feel like a dinosaur!
You know, in the old days you'd just put a sign in the window and you were in business. Now, it's blogs, and twitters and my/your spaces, and add me and look at me, please!!!
It's a whole new thing to learn and master.
I like challenges though so I'm jumping in and working it.

So without further ado, check me out on HGTV!

I'm on there under Cottage Grove on the Rate My Space feature.
Vote for me, please...oh, and tell all your friends and family and your bloggees and pretty much everyone you know to vote too. And check back cause I'll be adding more rooms soon.
I need all the help I can get, especially since in the one vote
I'm allowed to give myself, I accidentally clicked
on a one star instead of a five star.
Arrgghh! And they won't give me a do-over!

So, if anything you should all give me a pity vote...k, thnx.

http://www.athomewith.com/community/CottageGrove/portfolio.esi?userid=40434830

My Etsy Shop - The Parisian

Here's my newest baby - my shop on Etsy called the Parisian.
This is a little mini version, please feel free to check out the real thing.
As you can see, I love doing a wide variety of arts and crafts,
from jewelry design to interior design.
I guess I get bored easily!


I like variety and trying my hand at new stuff.
So, I'm always working on something, keeps me out of trouble!
Let me know what your favorite piece is.
Feedback is always welcome.

Oh, and yeah...that's me modeling the hats. Cheap labor.

Etsy Buy Handmade TheParisian

Little Changes - Big Bang for Your Buck

Just some random thoughts today on decorating on a budget, using found object, repurposing antiques and collectibles, and basically using your imagination to create a unique one of a kind environment.

1) Using found objects, ie: in my kitchen I have an old shelf unit that once was part of some old kitchen cabinets, it sits on the bar and has been painted, I added cup hooks and it holds all my china. I've also used it in my sewing room to hold fabric, ribbons, supplies, etc. and as a display shelf.

2) A small lamp on your kitchen counter adds instant charm
and is much nicer to have on late at night
or first thing in the morning than glaring overhead lights.

3) I have as a room divider a 6x8 piece of Gothic wooden fencing, painted with a white crackle finish. It was orginally used in my craft mall shop but now had been put to work in my apartment. One side backs up to the shelf unit in the kitchen and the other faces
the living room, with pictures hung on that side.
Great conversation piece.

4) Two long benches are stacked and used as bookshelves, sometimes I stack smaller benches
on top of that for even higher display shelves.

5) The smaller benches make great coffee tables and extra seating.





6) Need a taller lamp on a table?
Need something just a tad higher for the right balance?
Stack books, either ones you own and like or buy some at the thrift store
in colors that match your decor, put the item atop them to raise it to the height you like.





7) Anything of 3 or more grouped together is a collection.
Grouping like things together makes them stronger than if they were scattered around a room. Odd numbers work best for larger items but with smaller items you won't notice the numbers.
Tie things together by color, style, a theme, shape, or purpose.


8) Once I had a clay pot that was painted and weighted with stones and covered with foam and moss. I stuck a sturdy branch into it, one with lots of sturdy offshoots.
It sat on my dresser and held my necklaces and bracelets beautifully.
Rings and some earring sat in the moss at the base for decoration.

9) The same branch in the pot idea makes a fun holiday decoration. I switch out lightweight Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Forth of July, Halloween decorations that I've made. Put a big ribbon bow around the pot to change with the themes.


10) At Christmas, I would sometimes use a pretty festive ribbon to transform my collection of cat statues. A pretty bow around the neck of each porcelain kitty made them holiday ready and made guests smile.

The only limit is your imagination. Got an idea? Try it out, if you're not crazy about it, don't use it. Or try it in a different room.
You never know what could work.

High Class - Low Cash Living Room

Doing an elegant living room on a budget doesn't mean
you have to cut corners.
This living area combines fun, fresh, elements with traditional formality to create an unusual space.
Having a plan in mind is key to acquiring the look you want.
Looking through books and magazines over the years,
I was able to find what appealed to me and get an idea
of the sort of rooms I wanted.
That way, when I would be out at a garage sale or thrift store
or the closeout store, I could snap up those bargains with confidence.
Having an open mind and being able to see the potential in a piece helps immensely also.





For instance, I have a fence in my living room.
It makes a great room divider and it only cost me about $30.
It was originally purchased to be a backdrop for my booth at a craft mall, but when I folded up that business, the fence came with me. It's been painted with a crackle finish of cream over soft green and is a real conversation piece with a purpose.
In front of the fence is what appears to be a matching shelf unit,
but upon closer inspection, you realize appearances can be deceiving. The shelf unit is really two long benches painted with the same crackle finish
and stacked one on top of the other.


These benches were part of a dining set my parents had made
by Amish craftsmen when I was a teenager.
With a family of six kids, the trestle table and benches were practical and space saving.
Many years later, they've been re-purposed and are still going strong.

The couches, though similar in style are not a set. As hand-me-downs, they've both
seen better days but with new slipcovers purchased at Target on sale,
they look like they've always been a team.
The mattelasse fabric goes with almost everything and can be tossed into the wash when needed. The table next to the love seat was a garbage day find.
The unusual octagon shape made it hard to pass up but the wood was scratched and chipped.
An old bedspread in a matching mattelasse texture makes this old treasure
good as new and a fine fit.






Moving around the room we see an old hooked rug in the same buttery yellow gold shade
as the curtains. I knew I wanted a hooked rug for this room but couldn't afford a new one.
When I saw this one at an antique store it was almost perfect but in a light ivory tone
and stained, however they only wanted $45 for it.
Turning it over, I found the underside was the perfect shade of yellow and cleaner than the top! Sold!


The table next to the couch was found in my father's garage
holding cans of paint.
I convinced him when he was moving years later to let me have it.
New knobs and some fabric panels transformed the piece and with shelves inside, it is perfect for storage. Not to mention - free!


On the other side of the couch,
a $5 church sale table has been repainted
with flowers to coordinate with the room's color scheme.
Over it hangs a $99 chandelier, not dirt cheap but a great price for lighting that gives so much class and style to the room.
The curtains are simply sheets bought at a closeout store.

I fell in love with the pattern and have used them as sheets, curtains, table cloths in various rooms over the years. The sheets were purchased for approximately $8 - 15 each,
a steal compared to traditional curtains. Originally, I found only 2 singles but I went to several locations of the chain and kept going back, until I'd collected enough to do the job.
Tenacity is another trait that helps when you're doing things on a budget.

It's not hard to put together a room like this on a budget but you have to have a vision
and not be afraid to think outside the box.
That's what makes it possible to achieve that fabulous-life look for a fraction of the cost
and have it be uniquely yours.

Creativity - The Early Years

The year is 1966 and I'm 8 years old.
I'm the oldest of 6 kids and with babies crying and kids yelling all around me,
I am off in my own little world.
I'm in the corner, with shoe boxes and glue
and construction paper and scissors and crayons,
finishing the second level of Barbie's townhouse
or making new outfits for all my troll dolls.
If it didn't move it got embellished.
I'm in seventh heaven.

And so it begins...




I love variety. I thrive on learning new things. I hate to limit myself.
Over the years, I took classes on everything
and if I couldn't take a class,
I got a book and taught myself.
I've learned (mastered some) drawing and painting, sewing and knitting,
enameling and jewelry making, weaving and rug making and macrame,
decoupage and woodworking and leather working,
and pottery and embroidery to name a few.
I'm learned at over 30 fine arts and crafts...at last count.

My eyes glaze over when I see fabric or craft supplies.
I once read about a woman who had so much fabric,
she rented a storage facility to hold it all.
She brought in a lamp and a rocking chair and would go there once a week
and visit her fabric and read and hang out.
She's my idol.
Along with Martha.
Mom and I joke that she who dies with the most fabric - wins. I'm winning : )



Professionally, I've been a pastry chef, singer,
newspaper reporter, interior designer, retail manager, photo stylist and more.
No matter what I do though, I've got to be able to be creative.
It's in my blood.

Must.

Create.

Welcome!

Welcome! I'm glad you found me.
My name is Catherine DePetro and I've created this blog to share with you
my views on living a creative life. I've been creative in many fields,
actually everything I've ever endeavored has had some form of creativity to it.

I'm sort of a jack of all trades, master of some!
My careers have taken me from little league umpire to newspaper reporter,
from caterer and pastry chef to cosmetic sales and makeup artist,
from a fine jewelry regional manager to creating jewelry, from professional singer
to stay at home mom, and from interior decorator to creator of small home accessories.
And I'm not done yet!
To say I enjoy variety and new challenges is an understatement!

I'll be posting pictures of my work, interiors and decorating projects, jewelry,
fine arts and crafts, and maybe even my family and pets.
I truly believe there is a creative spirit in all of us and it can be expressed in many ways.
I hope that in sharing my vision and how I live my life creatively,
I can inspire others to do the same.

Right now, I have a shop on Etsy and I'm working on a variety of projects.
I go back and forth from designing one of a kind jewelry pieces, fabulous over sized berets,
and unique home accessories.
Check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453173
http://TheParisian.etsy.com
It's called The Parisian because that's where I was born!

I'm available for interior decorating projects, one day makeovers and home staging for sale.
I love doing custom work and collaborating with my clients.
Holiday and party decorating are my specialties.
I welcome questions and design challenges.

My decorating style is eclectic, I love many different styles and eras.
I'd say the biggest theme that runs through anything I do is that I endorse high style on a budget. High class for low cash. Hand me downs, garage sales finds, thrift store treasures, even garbage day picks...all can be made over or "upcycled" to become something grand.
As I write in this blog, I'll show you my apartment and how I've decorated it to look
like a million bucks for practically pennies. I love a challenge!

Here's a peek at a project that's near and dear to my heart:
A made by hand trellis that I found on some one's curb on trash day (there were two actually!)
I painted it with a crackle finish and then wrapped an ivy trellis around it.
I next glued little tiny clothespins to it, some covered with cast off or broken jewelry pieces -
solo earrings are great for this! I also used hair clips with jeweled bugs on them, butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees. All of these hold my collection of antique postcards,
known as ephemera. All of these are real postcards, most from the 1910's and 20's.
I love reading the notes and letters on the back, well wishes from loved one,
vacation wish you were here greetings, and all the holiday verses.
The pictures are lush and dripping with rich, old colors.
It makes me happy just looking at it.
It hangs on a wall in my bedroom, a real conversation piece and a totally unique decoration
that reflects my personality.

I hope you'll come back often and visit. Nice to e-meet you!