Crafty In Cobb

Do you love hot weather and the beach - the Caribbean, Hawaii, Bali, Key West... anyplace where you can live outside all year long? The Hibiscus flower is a flower that needs heat and is seen as symbolic of a tropical or at least a beach lifestyle. The photo was taken mid-spring in beautiful historic Charleston, SC.   Shown here is a wonderful palette for you to use anywhere in your home, indoors and out, to get you to the place you want to be.  

Does your porch still look like it's mid-February? If so, it's time to get moving to make your outdoor room user friendly! If you live in a heavy pollen area like me (pine, oh, there's just so much of it) the cleaning will require a little muscle. But once you're done you'll reap the benefits for months on end. This is what my deck looked like a week ago, saturated in thick pine pollen, chair cushions still in the garage and planters with no flowers. Not awesome. Before I could do any decorating I had to clean. First, I swept all the debris I could and then washed down the deck and furniture with a hose. I had the setting on jet in order to get as much pollen out as possible. I cleaned in early afternoon. I was in full sun (wear sunblock!) and the temperature was about 80F. So, the water felt really great. We had guests coming to dinner but I knew everything would quickly dry. The sling chairs and deck were dried by the sun in less than 15 minutes! Slin...

Do you enjoy tropical greenery? Would you like you turn your backyard into a personal oasis? This is easily done by adding loads of plants. Hostas and elephant ears are ideal for a tropical feel. They grow in all kinds of climates and can become fairly large. Better yet, they're perennials and will return year after year. If you'd like to present a tropical attitude with your home décor, here's a palette that may suit your taste. Vivid yet easy on the eyes, these greens will transform your deck, living room or any other area into a luxurious retreat! Colors by Behr.

Azaleas give so much color and so many varieties of it. These hardy shrubs are part of the Rhododendron family and come in over 10,000 types ( www.gardenguides.com ). The colors range from white to barely there pink to show-stopping bold purple. You can grow them in your garden or in large planters, depending on their maximum size. If you do grow them in a planter read up on the plant first to make sure the roots don't need a lot of depth. Photo Credit: Summer Casual Azaleas thrive in warm climate. Some varieties are evergreen and will keep most of their leaves in winter. Some are not and will lose leaves. Before you plant take note of how much sun they will receive. Azaleas prefer shade with filtered light over direct sun. They also need well-draining soil. If your area has a lot of clay in the soil you will want to mix in some small stones and sand when planting to help establish the shrub. Here's a pretty list of colorful azaleas and their photos. All...

1. Always start with black and white sketches . Don’t complicate form with color. 2. Choose your colors wisely. Use color to communicate your messages clearly. 3. Read about Color Interaction to learn how colors effect each other. 4. Don’t assume you know everything about color. There’s always more to learn. 5. Understand that color trends change. Stay on top of these changes. 6. Learn from art history . Study the works of the great artists and designers  of the world. 7. Learn from theater, television, computer games and the world around you. Take note of how color is used in these environments. 8. Do not fear color. Rather, enjoy color. 9. Use color to infuse your work with enthusiasm .

Do you love color but are overwhelmed by choice? Or you need help pairing colors or determining a color theme for a room you are decorating? Crafty In Cobb presents "Color Cues", a regular post that demonstrates beautiful color combinations inspired by photographs from around our amazing country. We are so fortunate to live in a union of 50 states where we have beaches, oceans, mountains, lakes, deserts, rivers, valleys, flatlands and farmlands - often within a few hours drive. The first of the series is a palette derived from a recent trip to Jekyll Island, part of the Golden Isles of Georgia. If you are in the area you cannot miss a pre-dawn photo trip to the locally famous Driftwood Beach. Occasionally referred to as a graveyard for enormous oaks and pines, a visit to this beach as the sun rises is anything but. Unusual and inspiring it's hard not to feel totally alive there. Colors by Glidden.

There are many advantages to planting flowering bulbs in the fall. First, most bulbs are perennials . So, once you plant the bulbs they should return year after year. Also, you can plant the bulbs on a cool autumn afternoon, wait until spring or summer and enjoy. None of the heavy lifting involved with digging holes for potted plants. Fall is the best time of year to plant bulbs, before the ground freezes . Depending on where you live that could be anywhere from early October to mid November. I visited the Farmer's Almanac website and found these great tips for planting bulbs ( http://www.almanac.com/content/fall-bulb-planting-spring-blooms ). Select high quality bulbs. Cheap bulbs will likely disappoint. Larger bulbs will usually provide a larger bloom. Weed the area where you plan to put your bulbs. Plant soon after purchase. Plant your bulbs in a sunny spot. In the ground or in a planter. Either is fine. Be sure the soil drains well. Pl...