Category: Home Improvement

Last April I had the delightful experience of traveling through Switzerland with a group of travel besties, what fun we had! We spent nine days wandering through the mountains and valleys, riding trains, catching glimpses of waterfalls, and a little too much fondue. 🙂

I couldn’t let spring pass this year without sharing a few inspirational photos and our route though the country in the last week of April. Warning: gratuitous flower photos ahead! Our trip took us via train from Zurich, through Bern, down to Interlakken, then down to Lugano on the border of Italy (with a 48 hour visit to the Lake Region to stay in Bellagio on Lake Como) then back to Lucern by train and ferry and returning to Zurich by train for our departure. We didn’t have time on this trip to wander over to the French side to see the region around Lake Geneva, but I’d been there before many years ago.

Spring was just beginning in the northern part of the country, we landed in Zurich where it was a bit chilly and overcast and the trees had yet to bloom. I feel like we arrived about two weeks early, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the city for two days, and ordering pots of fondue for dinner.

In the evening, my friends and I would stroll up and down the banks of the Limmat River, the light was perfection. Zurich is lovely by day, but in my experience, even lovelier during the evening during a twilight walk when the color of the sky and the lights reflecting off the Limmat River make you feel like you’re walking in a painting.

We rode a very scenic train from Zurich through Bern down to the Interlakken Valley. Your eyes can’t even take in the scenery, it’s incredible. Little Swiss chalets, sheep and cows, a valley of vivid green filled with flowers in bloom. You’ll notice my obsession with the cement flower pots around town. Whomever is responsible for the flower beds around town deserves an award in gardening. 🙂

 

 

We certainly arrived in Interlakken at the perfect time in the last week of April, the snow had just melted in the valley the week before. (Although if your ride the funicular up the mountain to Harder Kulm, the seasons switches from spring to winter in ten minutes.) A leisurely stroll through the valley takes your breath away as you make your way past waterfalls and the happiest cows. The walk takes you all the way to Trümmelbach Falls where you can witness the spectacular site of a waterfall inside of a mountain.

 

 

From Interlakken we took another scenic train to Lugano where you can feel the shift from German influence to Italian. We ate pizza and drank Italian wine on the shores of Lake Lugano. Did you know it’s so easy to get to the lake region of Italy from Lugano? We hopped a bus that in an hour took us across the border to the town of Menaggio where we then took a ferry and were on Lake Como arriving in Bellagio the very next hour. Bellisimo! I’ll save that 48 hour adventure for a separate post.

Our last part of the loop around Switzerland took us from Lugano to Lucerne. I highly recommend the Gothard Panorama Express train ride, it takes you on a glass domed train from Lugano through the southern part of the country to the edge of Lake Lucerne where you then catch the leisurely 2 hour ferry across the lake to the heart of the town of Lucerne. This was the final highlight of the trip where we enjoyed a beautiful lunch served in front of huge picture windows as the chateaus and castles on the shore drifted by. Stunning!

 

Switzerland is the most scenic country and riding the trains through the countryside was a dream come true! Late spring and early summer is a perfect time to go. Ask me any questions about our route in the comments, happy to answer!

Greetings friends, it’s been a minute! Happy summer, happy June! I spent last week in Florida working remotely from our house, the one we bought years ago and rent to snowbirds each winter. It was good to be back and spend a few days at the beach. I also took a trip to Greece for 10 days in the early part of May, that was amazing! I’ll post pictures soon. Did you catch the photos I shared of my spring trip to Switzerland last year? Woah the flowers and scenery!

I’m home in California for most of the summer and looking forward to doing some local adventures here in Northern California. Years ago I posted about the best spots to visit in Sonoma County but it deserves an update! I’m thinking I’ll post a bit more this summer about some of the best things to do between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. California is a beautiful place to visit in summer. 🙂

Favorite links from the week:

This elegant Washington D.C. townhome and garden extension.

So lovely: the dark tones and wood finishes in this home.

Very cool: the mid century vibes and botanicals surrounding this abode.

Perfect for summer: these light and bright well decorated spaces.

Why slow decorating is the key to authentic interiors.

Plants that thrive in the shade.

Free and fun things you can do during the summer.

Guess which brand won America’s trust as most favorite for 2025?

Life lessons from older adults.

The lifetime effects of a fixed vs. growth mindset.

Hello all, happy (almost) fall! We’re still in summer mode around here, although my kids are back at their universities now. The house was full all summer and now it’s empty again. Sigh. It’s cleaner, but a lot quieter.

I did what a lot of empty nesters do, I started moving furniture around. I moved the sofa out of our study and placed my desk under the window so I can work from home when needed. With winter coming, having the electric fireplace nearby will be cozy.

The biggest news is…. I switched law firms. I was offered a new opportunity at a firm specializing in property litigation, now all my clients are developers and contractors, which is where I wanted to land. I love architecture, renovation, and design, so having clients that work in that industry is exciting for me. I also work less hours in my new position, so my hope is to start blogging again. Not weekly, more like once or twice a month… but that’s my goal. 🙂

September holds a lot of excitement: my stepdaughter’s wedding, a birthday trip to Hawaii, and a trip to London and Bath. On a whim, Matt and I decided to attend the Jane Austen Festival the second weekend of September, and we have Regency era attire to wear. People come from all over, the town will be dressed up, there are balls, parades, a theater production, and high tea, what fun it will be! I’ll share a blog post on that event for sure.

Favorite links of the week:

Green lovers, get ready to be inspired: 37 unexpected color pairings in layered interiors.

Dreamy: all the patterns and prints in the 2025 Southern Living idea house.

America’s first “car free” neighborhood.

How do to arts & crafts style in a contemporary way.

Home office bookshelf inspiration.

This 20th century guide to distinguishing between colorful European glass.

Landscaping ideas that add real value to your home.

Clever ways to hide kitchen outlets.

Peak season for fall foliage all around the USA.

Electricians weigh in: don’t use extension cords to power these items.

Habits that keep your brain sharp as you age.

September travel destinations and this new way to vacation: hybrid solo travel.

We fill our homes with evergreens this time of year, and one of my favorite things about December is the botanicals that are also a part of the traditions of this season: poinsettia, paperwhites, and amaryllis.

This year my red amaryllis had three separate blooms, props to Trader Joe’s for whomever they chose as their amaryllis supplier, I’ve had flowers for weeks from a single bulb.

I love a vivid solid red bloom, however amaryllis is available in several varieties and colors including pink, white, and variegated striped petals.

Interestingly, the trumpet shaped flowers we buy for their holiday blooms are forced indoors, but outdoors, their natural flowering time is spring.

Amaryllis can rebloom with proper care. With an adjustment to their watering schedule and storage conditions, your amaryllis will bloom repeatedly. Bulbs need to go through a rest period after flowering to recover and bloom again.

When the amaryllis flowers wilt, trim the spent flowers so the plant doesn’t waste energy forming a seed pod. Do not cut away the stems or leaves.

Allow the leaves to grow throughout the spring and summer in indirect light, watering regularly. Continued leaf growth ensures photosynthesis, which helps the plant store energy in the bulb for future growth. The collection of energy after the flowers expire is essential for repeated blooms.

As long as the flower stem is green, it continues to photosynthesize helping the bulb to store energy for future flowers and foliage. Once the color lightens and starts to turn yellow, remove the stem, trimming it close to the base. Apply a water soluble fertilizer eight weeks before your desired blooming period which allows the bulb to bloom again with the additional nutrients.

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas!

The appeal of rural living in the countryside continues to play out in interiors, with pastoral kitchens and cottage style surging in popularity as a respite from a modern world consumed by technology. Delft tile is also experiencing a revival in kitchens and bathrooms where the delicate blue and white motifs are popping up again as a classic choice in design.

The traditional hand-painted in blue and white tiles originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century and often feature delicate scenes of a simple life. The classic blue-on-white palette remains fresh and timeless, pairing beautifully with everything from quartz countertops to rustic wood cabinetry. Delft tiles possess an enduring quality rooted in craftsmanship and appealing to many as storytelling in small scale. Delft tiles have a long history in design, the iconic blue and white designs have been installed throughout the centuries all over Europe.

A Delft tile backsplash brings personality and artistry into a living space. It acts as both a functional surface and an appealing focal point, turning an ordinary wall into a gallery of miniature artwork. Whether arranged in a uniform pattern or mixed with coordinating tiles for a collected look, Delft tiles add a charm and warmth that appeals to homeowners who want a space that feels meaningful, layered, and European rather than modern or utilitarian.

via schoolhouse

via @plainenglishdesign

marlbourough tiles

cle tile

bambi alynn design

Delft tiles often feature delicate scenes of pastoral life including botanicals, miniature animals, geometric borders, or thematic elements like ships and biblical motifs.

petra palumba

cle tiles

marlbourough tiles

Where does the iconic blue color come from you might ask? Its source is an oxide applied to bisque ceramics. The story below:

How is hand painted Delft Blue made? The craftsmanship is explained on their site:

The origin and core of Royal Delft is hand-painting high-quality Delft Blue ceramics. Decorating begins with applying the contours with charcoal, after which the pottery painters apply the details freehand with special brushes made of sable and squirrel hair. The paint is water-based and the color nuances are created by mixing the paint more or less with water. The Delft Blue decor is painted with a dye mixture that largely consists of cobalt oxide according to a centuries-old recipe. Due to chemical reactions during the baking process, the painted pattern changes color from black to the iconic blue.

A deeper dive into the tile scene includes a visit to the picturesque city of Delft, famous for its charming canals and historical facades, like many other cities in Netherlands. Delft is the birthplace of the world-famous ceramics.

From Amsterdam, I hopped on a train, and walked from the station to the production house where I took the tour and browsed the impressive shop. Inside are all kinds of collectibles including the iconic tulip pyramids, a structural design that dates back centuries.

Pay for the tour, and you can walk around inside their facility from station to station to see the entire creation process play out behind the scenes.

It was most interesting observing the in-house artisans creating classic designs on porcelain and bisque using the dark oxide paint. Once fired the motifs transform under heat into the iconic blue Delft is famous for.

Once you’ve selected something to bring home, don’t miss the lovely flower filled courtyard where you can enjoy a light meal before heading out to walk around the town.

Delft is the charming small city, walkable like so many others, and lovely for spending a few hours strolling around and seeing the sites. It is easy to get there by train in less an hour from Amsterdam which makes Delft a delightful day trip.

 

Many people like to travel to Netherlands in spring for the floral displays however the destination is equally as charming in fall. Have you ever spent autumn in Amsterdam?

While shopping my local garden center I stopped short when I spied an entire shipment of hellebores in all different varieties that had just arrived. I’ve long admired these blooms but hadn’t purchased any for my garden in the past. I couldn’t resist their allure, bought two plants, and promptly planted in them in pots when I got home. In the fall, I’ll move them into the ground.

These magical cup shaped blooms belong to a special club. Hellebores bloom in winter which increases their appeal because their blossoms arrive long before other perennials bloom in spring.

Often called Lenten roses, or Christmas roses, hellebores bloom when much of the landscape is still shaking off winter. Planting hellebores in your yard feels like an act of optimism, as they are a reminder that spring will come, no matter how long winter lingers.

In many regions, their nodding flowers appear as early as February. Like snowdrops, they will push through frost and snow. At a time when color is scarce and cabin fever runs high, hellebores deliver pinks, creamy whites, inky purples, and speckled patterns at the perfect time, when most of us are over and done with the cold and longing for spring to arrive.

Hellebores fit nicely in real-life gardens. They are hardy in a wide range of climates (USDA Zones 4–9), thriving in woodland settings beneath deciduous trees where they receive winter sun and summer shade. Once established, they are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, two major advantages for suburban and rural gardeners alike.

Unlike fussier perennials, they ask for little more than well-drained soil and an annual trim of old leaves, rewarding minimal effort with months of long-lasting blooms that also make the most elegant cut flowers.

Hellebores offer a sense of continuity as their evergreen foliage anchors foundation beds year-round, and their early blossoms provide nectar for emerging pollinators. They also make fantastic cutting flowers to lift spirits on a cold day!

In an era when outdoor spaces double as sanctuaries, these resilient bloomers offer understated beauty, perfectly suited to gardens in all designs, from New England cottages to West Coast courtyards. Hellebores can be grown in containers for a couple of years in the right conditions. When planted, they thrive in woodland or shade gardens, under trees or canopies.

The Hellebore, or Lenten Rose, is available in many varieties, as hybridization has expanded the plant’s palette. Styles include single and double blooms.

I chose ‘Anna’s Red’ for its burgundy hue, the flecked white ‘Cheryl’s Shine’ for its pattern with the goal of creating sweet bouquets around the house like this.

Below are a few informative articles sourced from the web:

1. Where to Plant Hellebores for the Best Flower Display

2. How to Grow the Harbingers of Spring

 

3. When to Plant Hellebores in Your Garden

4. How to Grow Hellebores so they Last All Winter

5. Hellebores, the Winter Champion

Yes, you can put vinyl flooring over carpet in some cases, but it depends on the carpet type, padding, subfloor, and product instructions. Vinyl plank or LVP may work over firm, low-pile carpet, while soft or plush carpet can make the floor unstable.