Friday, August 31, 2012

Transitioning Seasonal Decor

Where I was born in Montreal, Fall made a solid announcement. The days turned crisp, the leaves changed color, and people stopped wearing white when the kids went back to school after Labor Day.

Here in the Sacramento Valley where daytime temperatures will still hit in the 90's, if I want it to feel like Fall I have to make it happen myself. So I usher Fall into my house with a changing of the table runners, the placemats, the wreath on the door. I fill bowls with nuts and bring throw blankets out of the closet if only to drape on the backs of chairs for a while until we need them.

I'm not one to have closets full of things that rarely get used, so I try to have items that transition well with just a little effort. These glass candle holders are a great example. Simply add some fall color in the bottom, change out the candle and you have piece that warms up the mantle. Here we used corn in the bottom of one and a combination of corn and cinnamon sticks in another. We tied an autumn leaf around the candle with twine. Easy.

What are you doing to bring Fall in to your home?

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Old Bench Carries Memories into It's New Life

As the seasons change to Fall every year, I get a surge of "craft-itis". You know the signs I'm sure, everything you see gets logged in your right brain as a possible project. The "I can do that" mentality gets bumped up to a whole new level. And thanks to my latest addiction to Pinterest, this year I've officially been diagnosed by my husband as having stage four craft-itis.

I currently have my hands in about 4 different projects. One of my latest that I want to share with you has a little story behind it.

Posing on the Bench in '95
In 1990 when my husband and I bought a new home in Elk Grove, a man drove into our cul-de-sac with a truck piled high with handmade wood outdoor furniture. We bought two chairs, a side table and a bench. They started out life just raw wood, a few years later I painted them white. A few years after that Victor had to put new screws in the chairs and bench as they all got a lot of use with our family. By the time we moved again in 2000, only the bench made the move with us. It took up residence on the backside of the pool deck; perfect for throwing the towels out to dry. When we opened The Secret Garden in 2002, a young lady drove up to the store with a truck piled high with handmade wood outdoor furniture. Yup, you guessed it, Sherry is the daughter of the guy who sold us the furniture over 20 years ago. Her dad had passed and she continued on his legacy. We carried her product for the first few years we were in business. Things have a way of coming around again don't they?

Last month we came home from work and my husband laughed that our bench had finally earned a trip to the dumpster. The seat had completely caved in. A year ago I may have been ok with tossing it in the dumpster, but this year, my latest obsession (fueled by Pinterest) has been with old wood. So I took the bench apart piece by piece. First I made some simple signs. Then last week I took all the remaining wood and made a really cool sign that we hung over the door at The Secret Garden. I love it. And now when I look at it, it evokes memories of all the times my kids climbed all over it when they were young, family bbq's and more. Things have a way of coming around again don't they?

The final project was simple and came together in a few hours. I attached the boards I wanted to use by attaching two cross members on the back with screws.
I applied a quick coat of white chalk paint, but tried to keep the distressed old feeling I love.
I used masking tape to create a design I had seen on Pinterest (copying is a form of flattery right?)
I watered down some acrylic craft paint to create a wash in the three colors I wanted to use. Once again, I was sparse in my paint application so the wood would continue to show through.
I used stencils to create a message near and dear to my heart and then I sealed the entire piece with a matte finish clear spray. I use "Rust-Oleum Clear Coat".

So next time you're in the store, look up over our red door at the entrance and you'll not only see my handiwork but catch a glimpse into my family as well.

Friday, August 24, 2012

An Introduction...

It started with an idea...to develop a store that sold everything you needed to create a backyard you could really enjoy. A place that felt like another room in the house, maybe even your favorite room.

So we opened The Secret Garden on a 1/2 acre property with a small selection of pottery, 12 fountains, a few benches and a passion to help others make their backyards into the best room in the house. Today, 10 years later, our garden store fills a 2 acre property. We feature over 100 fountains, a vast selection of pottery, gazebos, statuary, fire pits, trellises, and so much more.

Our gift shop is known as "the place" to get unique gifts, especially for the person in your life who loves to be in their garden. We offer craft classes, we have guest speakers, we host craft faires and plant sales. We carry jewelry, home decor, and so much more. The original idea has blossomed into a passion that we get to share with our customers every day. How lucky are we?

"We" are Jennifer and Victor. We've been married for 28 years and have raised 4 children. They have all worked with us and each has contributed to the overall success in many ways. Once again, how lucky are we?

Now we have grown to include a work family of wonderfully talented and hard working individuals. The girls in the store, Dani and Sam; who not only provide you with the best customer service in town, but have grown to be excellent merchandisers and sales staff. The guys who work with Victor, Phil and Bobby, who labor hard in the sun, wind and rain to move  heavy product, deliver customer's new purchases to their homes and keep our garden clean. And our weekend boys, Dakota and Thomas, who cheerfully carry loads to your car, clean fountains and provide much needed muscle on our two busiest days of the week with a smile.

So that's our introduction into this new blog experience. I hope to be able to share our passion, or successes and our challenges with you. The Secret Garden really is "so much more than a garden store".

Jennifer
The Secret Garden
www.secretgarden-online.com