A Snapshot: Roses are purple, violets are orange...

I picked up this oil painting for my office for two reasons. One: It perfectly complements the green of the walls. Two: All the colors are all crazy. The seagull is black, the sky is green and the ocean is yellow. And around here, we appreciate crazy...

A Snapshot: Where did I leave my foot...?

I got a box of these old shoe forms at an auction a while back... I can't decide if they are whimsical or if it looks like someone has been dismembered...

A Snapshot: This chick doesn't slow down

Here's one more from Chris: She bought this piece of paper for about 50 cents at a scrapbooking store and framed it. Great idea!

A Snapshot: You Americans, you have no taste

Why nobody buy me? I a good dog. I no bark. I no poop. I no bother.

A Snapshot: Orange you glad I didn't go for a pun?

I'm telling you, I've got this thing for glass paperweights now. Used this one in the office makeover in the mill building.

A Snapshot: This would scare people away

I saw this guy at the Brimfield Antiques Show in May. Wish I had the kind of house where he would make sense. Don't remember how much he was. But no price would be too high. Don't you agree?

A Snapshot: Perfect summer accessory

Love this little 1960s metal pin I spotted on Etsy.

A Snapshot: I had no choice

Check out the bookends I picked up the other day. I saw a pair like them at the Newport Showhouse Guild's 14th annual Designer Showcase a few weeks ago and loved them. And they were only $12.

A Snapshot: Hanging out in the yard

Wouldn't a few of these suncatchers look great hanging in a tree in your yard? They are handcrafted stained glass and available on Etsy.

A Snapshot: I'm sooo shallow

My husband reveres books for the reading part. While I’ve been known to pick up a tome every now and again (I know Goodnight Moon by heart), I love them especially for their looks. Don’t these look nice propping up this girl?

A Snapshot: His poop don't stink

This guy looks down on the cats who live in our house, as if to say: She feeds you, sure, but does she display you in the library? No, I didn’t think so.

A Snapshot: Lightening things up

Here’s a trend for you: I’m noticing lots of glass paperweights being used in room designs. I picked this one up at a second-hand shop. Looks to me like sharks fighting in a sea of green ginger ale. If you've got any paperweights, display them in a collection...or let one steal the show.

A Snapshot: How much you bench? $105

Another Brimfield find: An older restaurant bench that someone painted red. I was thinking for the end of my bed, but it could also work in the kitchen, or maybe the family room… I’m sure I could make my money back in my friend Marianne’s consignment shop. Eventually everything winds up there to make room for something new…

A Snapshot: Spring in my step

I picked up this handbag at Brimfield. It's a vintage Margaret Smith bag. Paid $25, which I think was a great deal. Margaret Smith, of Gardiner, Maine, started making beach bags and totes in the '40s and the company continues today. (I love to look stuff up and pretend I knew that all along...)

A Snapshot: Pays to think outside the box

Got this little red box at Brimfield for $20. Found it in a booth that sold mostly linens. Antiques shopping hint: Don’t discount a booth because it mostly carries items you are not particularly interested in. Sometimes a little gem awaits.

A Snapshot: The beat up, the better

Found objects are perfect for the yard as they just look better the more weathered they get. Look around for wooden toolboxes, window panes, shells, and ceramic pots. Tuck them in patios, decks and in your garden.

A Snapshot: And now it's mine

Since the Brimfield Antiques Show is this week (signal the confetti!), I thought I’d share one of my favorite finds from last year. It’s an oil painting signed (can’t quite read the name) and dated 1927. I love the subject matter: the ocean (someone has written “The Gathering Storm” on the back); the size (it’s only 12 inches by 10 inches, and there’s something endearing about that); and the frame (I like the way the black contrasts against the apple green wall I have it hanging on). And I love the price: $30.

A Snapshot: One hard worker

This is the commode I picked up at Brimfield a few years ago. Since I’ve had it, it’s held toys in the family room, and now does duty as a nightstand. Like a lot of furniture made back in the day, it’s solid and will likely see a lot more service before it retires.

A Snapshot: Bedside manners

Put a vase with fresh flowers on your nightstand and see how it transforms your room. Think boutique hotel. Think luxury. Think to throw them away before the petals start to drop and you start thinking: what is this mess?

A Snapshot: I love a compliment

My house is yellow, so I use a lot of purple in my garden. Yellow and purple are complementary colors, meaning they appear opposite each other on the color wheel. The contrast makes the colors pop!