Creative Storage Ideas - Under the Stairs

How many of you utilize the space under your stairs? I love this photo that shows a great way to store items in drawers with style!

Related: Home storage ideas, Home office organization and storage tips, Home Renovation ~ Coat Closet, Black Banisters,

Summer Organizing Tips via Martha Stewart

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Healthy Living: Roasted Salmon

I am trying to eat a healthier diet and going to fix Roasted Salmon Wrapped in Swiss Chard tonight. We will see how it goes... I am not the chef, so I like recipes with few ingredients! See the recipe from Martha Stewart below and try it yourself.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 4 leaves Swiss chard, stalks trimmed
• 4 (6 to 8 ounces each) skinless salmon fillets

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine butter, tarragon, and lemon zest in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. Place chard leaves in boiling water; cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, remove leaves from water, and lay them flat on prepared baking sheet.
3. Place one fillet on top of a leaf, near tip; repeat with remaining fillets. Sprinkle fish with lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, spread butter mixture over each fillet, and wrap leaf around, tucking stalk underneath to secure. Roast until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Easter Egg Ideas

Who doesn't love decorating Easter eggs? There are so many creative ways to dress them up. I am partial to the butterfly ones - you know how I love butterflies!

Related: How to make an Easter Egg Tree

Color Inspiration ~ Easter Pastels for Decorating ideas

Bright ideas: Creative Easter Eggs

Panoramic Eggs

photos and links: marthastewart.com

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Things to do on Valentine's Day

if you forgot to make a dinner reservation! First, why not celebrate Valentines Day this weekend. I love this Romantic Valentines Day Picnic!

Make a romantic dinner at home, and don't forget the most important part, the dessert!

Doesn't this bittersweet chocolate mousse look divine?

Other thoughts: Go out for cocktails and skip dinner or catch a movie!!

photo and links: Brenda's wedding blog, martha stewart

related: DIY Make your own Valentine's Day cards

** enter the giveaway through 5pm EST today **

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DIY ~ Make Your Own Valentine's Day Cards

Nothing is more personal than a handwritten note, so why should Valentine's Day be treated any differently? Show someone you care by making your own Valentine's Day cards. Get your construction paper, felt, scissors markers and glue... add some stickers, glitter, stamps, paint brushes and paint... and go to town! I promise you will have fun!

Related: Love Birds on a Wire ~ a watercolor painting

DIY Paper Rose Wreath via Shelterness

photos: flickr, martha stewart, family fun

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Bright Ideas: Beat The Winter Blues and Smile

Are the Winter Blues getting you down? Here are some tips to be happy and energized! For me, I instantly feel happier when I make my bed, get outside, connect with friends, do something good for someone else every day, and smile! Even if your smile is a fake one, it will instantly make you a little bit happier. Go ahead, try it right now...

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~ Phyllis Diller

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. ~ Charles Reade

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. ~ Janet Lane

I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite. ~ Quote from ELF

So go ahead and Send Flowers to someone you love!

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Related "How To" be Happy during the Winter

Apartment Therapy: 1 Simple way to be happy in the New Year

Real Simple: 9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes

Martha Stewart: Body and Soul Challenge

photo: Beautiful Smile

How to Organize Your Jewelry with Decorative Bowls

How do you organize your jewelry? I love my decorative bowls, and I use them to keep my jewelry separated and in groups.

When I saw the above image on Emily Clark via Martha Stewart, I went right upstairs and took a photo of my Anthropologie bowls.

Related: Organize your home with Pottery Barn

More Organizing Tips and

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Follow Bright Bold and Beautiful with bloglovin to enter for a free original watercolor by Laura Trevey! The winner will be chosen from my Bloglovin followers on January 31st ~ Good Luck!

Christmas Wishes ~ Best of Blogs

What an amazing year this has been! I have made so many wonderful relationships through the blogosphere, and want to thank you for that. I appreciate each and every comment you leave and wish you the very best this holiday season. Below are links from my fellow bloggers as well as some new friends I have recently made through blogging.

I look forward to a wonderful 2011 with you guys...

For the absolute most glamorous ~ visit {this is glamorous}, Dustjacket Attic,

little blue deer, Haute Design, Everything Fabulous, Dress Design & Decor ...

I am always inspired by you!

For inspiration from the most talented business women ~ Made by Girl, Isabella and Max Rooms, decor8, Colour me Happy, La Dolce Vita, Table Tonic, House of Turquoise, Plush Palate, The Love List, Ada & Darcy, coco+kelley

I learn so much from you!

For the ultimate in Fashion, Design and Style blog ~ The Zhush, The Decorista, Simplified Bee, Couture Carrie, Haven and Home, Pure Style Home, Flourish Design and Style, A Diary of Lovely, Lovely Clusters, Bon Bon Rose Girls, So About What I Said..., Casa Bella, Bright Bazaar, Emily Clark, La vie J'aime, Brunch at Saks, Decorology, apartment 34, escapade, everything LEB, deliciously organized

You are always on the cutting edge!

and Amazing Artists who always inspire ~ CREATE, Annechovie, Katie Daisy

Love your creative style!

~ Submit Your Favorite Blog post of 2010 {from Your blog} if you have not already ~

Top 10 of 2010 Favorite Blog posts on BB&B

Win a watercolor painting ~ Follow BB&B via Bloglovin'

Happy Holidays from me to you... Wishing you all the success for 2011 too!

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photos: pinterest, marthastewart.com

Bright Ideas: How to Care for an Orchid

I was so excited to receive this elegant orchid from a friend for my birthday. It goes perfectly on my desk, and even coordinates with my watercolor painting on the wall. I did some research on how to care for an orchid, since {I am afraid to say} this is my very first one! Sonia Uyterhoeven, Gardener for Public Programs at the New York Botanical Garden, gives great watering and fertilizing tips.

Watch this video on How to get your Orchid to rebloom.

Related resources:

Martha Stewart: Orchids 101

Orchid Care Tips: Watering

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Don't miss the sterling stacking ring giveaway!

Bright Ideas: Bud Vases Centerpiece

Create your next table setting centerpiece by placing multiple glass bud vases together with your fresh blooms from the garden. Easy and economical too!

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{via marthastewart.com}

Swedish Style American Home

Hope you all had a good night's sleep and are ready to get up and go. We have a lovely home to see today. It was featured on Martha Stewart's site a long time ago and it has finally landed here. Owners David Weiss and Martina Arfwidson's home by the Hudson chose to combine casual American style with Swedish tradition.


Distressed carved wood Gustavian chairs in the foyer.


Weiss, a restaurant owner and chef, prepares crayfish in the kitchen.


A pale palette ensures bright interiors all year. The Gustavian-style chairs are vintage.


Massive floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the living room illuminate the space and help bring the outdoors inside.


A Swedish daybed is upholstered in green velvet, revealing Arfwidson's love of watery colors. An antique gilded mirror on the floor rests against a wall. Notice how the pictures were hung with the bottom line at the same level.


Storage in style. This antique Swedish bench holds bedding and table linens underneath the seat. A white mirror reflects a collection of gardening hats.

All images Martha Stewart.

Araucana Blue Inspiration & A Big Surprise!!

With Easter Sunday right around the corner I wanted to share with you some beautiful Araucana Eggs. A few years ago, a friend who raises Araucana chickens presented me with a gift of a dozen Araucana eggs. They were the most spectacular soft shades of blue, green and beige. I admired them for several days then blew them out so I could display them and preserve them forever.

Aracuana eggs have always been a favorite of mine since I first saw them in Martha Stewart Living. This is a similar photo of what my eggs looked like, before my new puppy thought it might be fun to play with them and crushed them. Notice the pale shading and incredible colors.

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Inspired by these eggs Martha Stewart created the Araucana Collection of 22 soft shades of blue, green, beige and brown through Fine Paints of Europe. Though the paint deck is no longer available, I still have it and still love the soft palette she created. In honor of the Araucana Collection I wanted to share several rooms painted in those lovely shades.

(All photos from Martha Stewart Living) Above notice wonderful pale blue on the walls. I think it is interesting to also notice that the small demi lune table is painted in a very similar shade as is the urn below. So often we are afraid to put similar shades against each other, but if they are in the same color family the result can be beautiful. I also love the bleached wood floors. Beyond our blue room we transition to a wonderful beige tone also from the Araucana collection. Beautiful antique chairs draw your eye through the hallway and into the next room.

This is the far room we see from the above photo. Araucana Sage is a gorgeous choice to highlight these antique chairs, linen and pedestal. Again floors are pale and windows are unadorned.

This photo is from Martha Stewart's Turkey Hill home. This room is at least 7 or 8 years old. It is a testament to the fact that good design is truly timeless. I love the color of this room. Again notice Martha's repetition of color with the plates on the wall. Antiques add patina and texture to the space. I may be mistaken but I believe the ceilings are also painted very pale blue.

Finally a beautiful bedroom in another Araucana pale blue. Slipcovers and white bed coverings pair beautifully with the drab painted floors. What a soothing bedroom.

(pinkwallpaper)

This photo, though not from Martha Stewart, is also wonderful mix of subtle shades to create a striking effect. It reminds me of the beach and where I am heading to enjoy sun this holiday weekend.

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Finally the big surprise......Stop by on Sunday night for a fantastic (and extremely generous) GIVEAWAY!! Our wonderful friend, Kym Fraser of 3 Fine Grains, has selected the most fabulous new item for you - It is the most valuable treasure we have ever had in the history of Willow Decor so don' t miss it!! Until then you can visit 3 Fine Grains or click here and see if you can guess what fabulous surprise lies ahead for you!!!

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To all my readers, I wish you a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Happy Holidays!!

xx-Gina