Ashley Biden (VP Joe's daughter), in Dodson Design's "Delebrity" tee

I heard but haven't seen yet that this photo of Ashley Biden in her Delebrity t-shirt by Dodson Design ran in yesterday's News Journal!! It is available in boyish blue too!

New Year's Eve Outta My Sleeve.

The Doc decided he wanted to do a New Years Eve installation on Dec. 27th so it meant hustling!

Once he realized that his 1930's, round, vanity mirror was the same size as his round table and easily rmovable, the vignette was set. Against a shimmering backdrop of Platinum satin (borrowed for a few moments from a client's soon to be deco drapes) he started to assemble the elements from his personal stashes and caches of goodies as well as a few (tall candleabra, silver candles, champagne flutes and spakly top(NO!, it is NOT mine!)), from friend and Design Doctor member Karen Miller, and arranged them on set. Doc Dodson offers this set up and photos as inspiration for a festive, uplifting enviroment you can create at home without alot of trouble and maybe a couple of begged, and or borrowed beauties. The best part may be that if you dress up your dining chairs, you can stay in your jammies all night thru to pancake time.

From Trashed Torchere To Eat In Etagere.

It took me a while to diagnose this one but I knew when I saw this ailing Torchere that it could serve a better purpose then suffering and causing suffering, spending it's entire life standing in the corner of an ugly living room. My treatment included, a good cleaning, a change of enviroment, and a higher altitude. A warm and soapy sponge bath, move to the kitchen, and elevation to kitchen island later, this one time "sick" lamp is now enjoying a new healthy second life, doing a little weight/plate lifting as my tall and terriffic plate rack, totally vertical, man!

From Bare To Beautiful Banister For Barely Any Bread.

I thought I had completed my holiday decorating until I realized that my stair banister was suffering from a bad case of  Bland Bareitis. How could such a marvelous place to wrap, wind, twist and intertwine fabric, ribbon, and garland green escape me!? I should be sued for decorating malpractice (shhhh). Anyway, I put down prune danish (prunes are high in fiber!), and picked up my pruning shears (high in evergreen cutting ability), and got to twisting. First I wound the dark wood with white poly, curtain sheer fabric (same as on my holiday balcony) I picked up a huge bolt of in a thrift store for $4, then added the beautiful cranberry red, thick, pleated, Jacquard, upholstery fabric (picked up 15+ yards at estate sale for only $20!), next to NOT over the white fabric, next came the gold lame', wired ribbon (reused for several years), this time on top of the red fabric pretty tightly as to hold the evergreen branches (FREE, snagged them from huge pine tree demo across the street, sad), which is the last step!

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White Branch Out

Branching out, The Design Doctor ditched his white coat for white branches, cotton, and pearlized faux berries (or Ferries). Doc lined a temporarily empty (in between shelf reno), shelf alcove with a few yards of burlap, layed down a few feet of snow (horizontally) stuck the branches and ferries into floral foam under cotton, lit decorated, giant, candle votive and gave hisshelf a pat on the back.

X-sta-ski!

Ever wonder what to do with those old skis in the attic or basement (or both!), and that little bit of wall primer or cieling white paint in the attic or basement or both?? Skis plus paint = X-ellent holiday decoration.

Stripper Curtain Makes Great Giant Tinsel

Friday, Dec. 9, two enormous, at least one hundred year old pine trees bit the sawdust. I heard the chain saws and wood chippers ripping into the beautiful, 50'. specimens and went directly across the street from the Dodson Design offices to inquire, seems the new owner of the apt. building has some new lanscaping ideas of his own. It was sad to see them fall, the up side was lots and lots (I could have opened a evergreenery lot) of free Christmas greens, garlands, swags, and merry merry mantel makings!
I chose to use one very large, single branch and work with it's natural arch and draping, fringe like needles.

A few larger sized string lights and some 7', silver mylar strands (recycled from a tattered "stripper" curtain), later, balcony decor done!  The "snow" you see on railings is just folded and stapled down poly fabric, the heads, or busts are repurposed terra cotta garden accessories with a quick spray of gold, they got a golden spray tan, I got beautiful balconette, you bet!