DIY Decorative Wall Treatment

Less is More! This is a simple and easy concept for a wall treatment—perfect for rooms that already have enough going on.
I cut rough 8″ squares of reclaimed wood, whitewashed them with matte paint, laid them out on on the floor to make a template and then nailed them right through the center into the wall with 3″ nails. I left the nails protruding (by 1–2″) to give the overall look a little more texture—the shadows at different times of the day give it a little depth and movement.

DIY Window Valances

Dress up a room and give it more visual height with window valances.
I built these out of 1/2″ ply wood, batting and the same fabric (or an extra panel) as the drapes. Tools used: pneumatic nail gun, wood glue, staple gun (with heavy duty staples), glue gun, L-brackets (to securely attach the valance to the ceiling in 3 places) and a cordless drill.

Breakfast with Zest


I made orange-zest silver dollar pancakes this morning. I topped them off with homemade whipped cream, a raspberry & mint coulis, and a little real VT maple syrup. Plated on Alberto Pinto Chinoiserie dessert plates. Great way to blow weekend guests away or (in this case) start a rainy day.

Feeling a Little Shandy

The best drink on a hot day? The Shandy (short for shandygaff), of British origin, is a beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda. I make a Shandy with homemade sparkling lemonade and chilled pale ale, normally half-and-half proportions. Add mint and lemon zest if you want to dress is up, but if you’re hanging out in the yard, playing bocce, solo cups are fare game.