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!