Outlet Art

We recently tiled our kitchen backsplash with a beautiful tumbled tourmaline stone. Having exhausted all the options I found for outlet covers, I was left underwhelmed.

white?

beige? 

copper?

stainless steel?

Nothing looked right. The outlets simple stood out too much. They commanded center stage. They were stealing all the tourmaline's thunder! 

So I made them disappear with a quick trip to my local craft store. With a half dozen different craft acrylic paint tubes, some small and medium sized artist brushes and a sponge, I transformed my outlets into faux tourmaline. And you can too! Just take a few samples of your granite or stone with you to the craft department and select several small acrylic paint bottles that are in the correct shades. Once home, lay the plastic outlet covers on top of any extra pieces of stone/granite/tile and paint your base coat color first. After that, try to mimic the shades and tones surrounding it. Using a dry brush will give you the best results. Now just pounce, streak and smudge your way to a disappearing outlet cover. Set aside to dry. Next, carefully paint the interior electrical part with a very dry brush as well as the cover's screws. (If this makes you nervous, you can always shut off the power to that room.) Assemble. Adding painted grout lines will complete the transformation.

Did you know there are artists/interior designers who offer this service and command $50* an outlet for this effect!

*source: my parents, who live in Florida, saw this advertised in several luxury home models.

The Beauty of Magnolia Pearl

One of my most prized possessions is my ever growing collection of Magnolia Pearl frocks. Magnolia Pearl is the brain child of Robin Pearl Brown of Bandera, TX. A child of the sixties who remembers seeing neighbor Jerry Garcia gardening naked in their California town.

Robin's clothing line is loose, feminine, western and sexy all rolled together. And sized as one size fits all- we all can partake in her layered style. I was so fortunate to meet this free spirited gal and her husband last summer at the Marburger Farm Antique show in Roundtop, Texas. I spent hours in their booth trying on everything I could find. Robin even purchased one of my Katcando necklaces (right off my neck) and presented it to her girlfriend who was having a birthday that day.

Experience her clothing yourself on-line at magnoliapearl.com. Just call and talk to her hubby John for prices. Robin also recently penned a new book outlining her creative style in "A bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace." A visually explosive read I highly recommend!