Meet Our Bloggers

I was web surfing round the HomeGoods website this past week and it occurred to me that while you may stop in to check out the OpenHose Blog, you might not be all that familiar with some of the other interesting features of the website.
One of my favorite parts of the site is the section [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   4/21/09 at 1:43 am

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     Have you gotten any of the darling faux  (Ceramic? Resin?) chocolate bunnies and eggs to decorate with for Easter? They are positively delicious looking!
They have some that looks like foil wrapped chocolate bunnies too, but, I am a purist, so I prefer the basic chocolate rabbits. They look so real that my mouth waters [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   3/30/09 at 11:40 pm

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If you just found us through the Ultimate Blog party and this is your first time here, welcome!
It’s hard to really believe when I look out the window here in Reno, but springtime and Easter will be here in less than three weeks! I got out my tubs of Easter decorations and all of my [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   3/24/09 at 1:36 am

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Whether you’re entertaining friends or simply serving up a meal for the family, the taste of the food isn’t all that’s important. Presentation can make all the difference in the mood of the table, and make your food look even better.
Everyone that knows me knows that I am a little….um…shall we say… cupcake obsessed. With [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   3/16/09 at 1:34 am

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I recently (just this past week!) swapped my guest room and my home office workroom. I have company coming in April and I am excited to get things all settled in the new guest room, and that means changing things up a bit and making it all feel new and fresh, one more time.
When I [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   3/3/09 at 1:47 am

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Next to fresh sheets in a cozy bed, pretty and plush bath towels are one of my favorite creature comforts.
Since storage space is somewhat of a challenge in my little cottage, I chose to show my bath towels off on this wrought iron rack, originally intended to hold various sizes of pots for cooking.(I used [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   2/24/09 at 1:12 am

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I’m attending a baby shower today and I wanted to share my themed gift package that I created. (click on the photos to enlarge them for a better view) Since I had already purchased a pretty yellow “Boppy” I knew the other items needed a hint of yellow. The baby is a boy and [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   2/16/09 at 2:51 am

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…is to simply light a candle. (or two or five…)
Whether it’s scented big jar candes that fill the house with the smell of vanilla or cinamon or lavender, or nice tapers in pretty glass or silver holders, candles set the tone for subtle romance in a room.
Remember, when you’re planning your Valentine’s Day event, candles [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   2/10/09 at 3:10 am

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I am, (even if it is ever so slowly) between work and projects, getting my home office-slash-creative-workspace organized…and I am loving the results so far. (click on the photos to see the entire picture) I painted the room and foofied it up about a year ago (see my post with pictures here.) and then I had [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   2/2/09 at 4:03 am

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Valentine’s Day is one of the holidays where I enjoy getting little treats for my kids. (Even though they are all grown and married!) I keep the items affordable, but I do try to get them something they actually will use and enjoy.
I was thrilled to find these great OGGI water bottles at my local [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   1/26/09 at 9:45 am

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Seriously.
The daily news media with all of it’s updates on stocks, housing prices and unemployment rates have us watching our pennies and thinking of ways to cut corners, whether we have been laid off or not. Times are tough, yes. But I think tough times can stimulate creativity and force us to think outside of [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   1/19/09 at 11:28 am

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Anyone that knows me knows that I really love to foofy up a table setting, and I don’t know that I have ever done the exact same set up twice. Dishes of all types are my supreme weakness, but when I scaled down in the size of my home, that meant less storage, and that [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   1/7/09 at 1:04 am

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The holidays have come and gone, and it’s nearly that time when we clean up and put away our special holiday decor and entertaining treasures. Sure, there are those red and green giant tubs for housing our Christmas ornaments, wrapping paper, and even wreaths. But what about the other items…the fragile ones? One of [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   12/30/08 at 2:21 pm

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I love winter time with all of the nesting it inspires in me. (Okay, truth be told, I actually only love it until December 26th each year, and then I am pretty much over the whole “shovel-the-drive-and-take-your-life-in-your-hands-walking-to-your-car” thing. Then I am ready for spring.) Seriously, the cold snowy days just make me want to make [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   12/18/08 at 2:30 am

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How fabulous is this gift basket?! ( I am thrilled to say that this was a birthday present I received yesterday from a very good and kind friend, who is also one savvy shopper!)
I wanted to share this so that you can see that it doesn’t have to take a lot of money to create [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   12/8/08 at 1:58 pm

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I’m a nut for candles, especially in autumn and winter, when the days grow short and the weather grows cold. The romance, the aroma, the way the glow from a candle’s flickering light can set a calming tone to a room just makes me feel so comfortable and relaxed. To walk in a room and [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   11/22/08 at 1:41 am

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Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and if you didn’t know it already, I am a bit of a tabletop fanatic collector, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so foofy-ing up a fnatastic table for the big day is right up my alley.
I don’t usually buy complete sets of dishes but rather, I prefer [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   11/7/08 at 4:56 pm

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I have a space on a shelf in my hall closet that is reserved for inexpensive but fabulous little gifts. You know, those times you wish you had a a little something as a hostess gift, or teacher’s or coworker’s surprise, and you don’t have ten spare minutes to run out [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   10/14/08 at 9:53 pm

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I love to bake. Love, love, love to bake. Cooking, notso much. You see I am much more into the presentation than I am into the recipe for, say, something like stuffed pork chops or chicken cordon bleu.
With this being said, I love to entertain. Whether it’s one friend over for lunch, or a dinner [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   10/1/08 at 1:20 am

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Do you change things up around your home for each season? It doesn’t take as much effort (or cash) as you might think. Just a few simple changes and the entire feel of a room can go from summer to fall, and without breaking the bank.

Posted by:   Tracey   9/27/08 at 11:56 pm

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I hosted a double baby shower for my daughter and daughter-in-law this past Saturday, and one of the treats I made up for the mama’s-to-be were these little gift buckets for the two grandbabies on the way!

Posted by:   Tracey   9/15/08 at 1:53 pm

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…that’s my philosophy for living. In fact, the tag line for my business, A Cottage Industry, is “adding charm to everyday life“.
Hello! I’m Tracey Buxton and I’m one of the new bloggers here at Openhouse. I’m so looking forward to getting settled in and getting to know every one! Since it’s my first [...]

Posted by:   Tracey   9/10/08 at 3:06 pm

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Please join us in welcoming Tracey as a new Openhouse blogger.  Check back soon to see her first post!

Posted by:   Tracey   9/8/06 at 12:15 am

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