ABCs of Decorating | H
Decorating for holidays may seem like a silly extravagance. But what it actually does is make your family and visitors feel like you went above and beyond to make them feel special. How does it make you feel when you wash your hands at a friend's home and the guest towel you reach for is a beautiful reminder of the current season God has blessed us with?
Think beyond Christmas.
For Valentine's Day:
Put together an easy sweater wreath with your kids.
Add a simple banner to a mirror or large picture in your child's room.
These delicate hearts couldn't be easier to craft.
You can even add super subtle decor for St. Patrick's Day. {See what I did there? Four leaf clover wreath, green hydrangeas.}
Celebrate Easter with inconspicuous figurines sprinkled in your everyday decor.
Use forced bulbs to add the fresh feeling of spring in a windowsill.
For Easter: Make a centerpiece using a nature inspired nest with faux eggs.
Display tea towels and fabric napkins with simple Easter embroidery.
You can even pick up very inexpensive dinnerware and serving pieces at big box discount stores. {I love these from Target!}
And of course, for fall, I have tons of ideas and past posts.
Use neutrals to lend a sophisticated touch to the usual Halloween decor.
Take a cue from nature and add elements that are appear all over at this time of year.
Seasonal Decor | For the love of October
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." Lucy Maud Montgomery
Are you tired of all the autumn quotes and decor yet? I hope not, because I have two post full of fall decor for you.
I took so many photos of our fall decor, I decided to break up the posts into two parts. Today I am sharing our foyer and schoolroom with you.
It should be pretty obvious by now that I am a huge fan of neutral colors. When it comes to seasonal decor, there is not much difference. I find it much easier to incorporate temporary decor with our everyday aesthetic when the color palette is very similar.
I kept our autumn accents simple and subtle. I added a lovely cream colored resin pumpkin I found at Home Goods. I also put together a bouquet of dried flowers and faux wheat in a vintage wire basket I picked up at a local collective.
Right off of the foyer is our formal dining room. Everyone in our family knows it as the schoolroom because it is where we store and complete all of our schoolwork.
In this room and most of our common living areas, I added a mix of real and faux mini white pumpkins.
The faux cream pumpkins are pretty hard to come by. I found them in various craft stores, antique malls and big box shops. If you stumble upon them, take them home with you!!
As for the real mini white pumpkins, (they are called "baby boos") they are pretty impossible to find in my part of the country. I ordered them for the second time from Paula Jean's Garden.
This basket filled with baby boo pumpkins is one of my favorite things in our home right now. It rests on our dresser/buffet in the schoolroom.
Also on our buffet is a medium sized faux white pumpkin and a "fall" chalkboard banner. I love the look of smaller banner on a wreath and this was just perfect.
This amazing vintage bucket was found at Prissy's Parlor inside Old Time Antiques in Crestview, Florida. When I spotted it, I knew it would be perfect filled up with white pumpkins. (And vintage ornaments and pinecones at Christmas!)
So, that is it for our foyer and schoolroom. Everything is super duper simple, but so lovely. The little touches really bring me so much joy on a daily basis.
Sharing this week at:
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Showoff
Craft-o-Maniac
Finding Silver Pennies
French Country Cottage
September Darlings
I've been working on developing new content for my blog that isn't solely furniture painting and room makeovers. I will absolutely still be including both of these, but I am adding a few things as well. One new feauture will be a monthly selection of my favorite things. These favorites, which I call my "darlings," are things I currently own, use, or have on my wish list. I hope my monthly darlings inspire you.
Hot off the press is Miss Mustard Seed's first look book for her milk paint line. I was ecstatic to find this at my local milk paint vendor. This book feels and reads like a magazine, but it is chock full of milk paint expert tips and tricks. Each color in the line is highlighted in two full spreads. I would seriously buy it for the photos alone. It is highly inspiring.
I have purchased these pumpkins from Paula in the past and I cannot say enough good things about them. Paula is an organic farmer in Montana. (She also grows lavender!) She carefully selects pumpkins that are attractive and look well together. They arrive clean and ready for display. I cannot wait to receive my shipment this year!
My family and I started using essential oils in January and we have been so pleased with the results they achieve. I feel good about using natural remedies for my children. Thieves blend is awesome because it smells like autumn. But the best part is the immune boosting properties it has. We have been diffusing this daily in our home lately.
4. Anthropologie Black Etched Bowls
Sadly, there is no link for these gorgeous bowls. I stumbled upon one at the Anthro in Birmingham last month and I snagged it. I asked if there were any more in store, but there were not. I've since acquired two more thanks to eBay, but I am on the lookout for more. I love the intricate black and white detailing on the outside and the subtle blue ombre on the inside. Our dishes are white and I love the contrast these bowls add to our kitchen.
This is one of those things that is simply on my wish list. I have read excellent reviews of Tourance throws and I am dying to try one out for myself. This oversize gray throw is discontinued, but I have seen it on One King's Lane from time to time. A cozy throw is a definite must as the cooler weather approaches!
6. L'oreal Gel Lacque in "Elegance is Innate"
You can find this awesome nail polish at any big box store. I picked mine up at Target. I absolutely love this system. Not only does it last for nearly two weeks (and that is with my painting, sanding, staining, etc), it goes on easily and dries super quickly. That is a must for me. This blue is a sophisticated navy perfect for fall. I can't get enough.
Halloween Decorating
September is FINALLY here. Yes, it's one thousand degrees here in Florida, but I am bringing in all the things of fall as soon as I can possibly manage. I have already loaded up on things for my shoppe at Old Time Antiques. If you are in the area, make sure you stop by. There are many talented people in this collective. You will not be disappointed!
Today I am going to share some ideas about Halloween decor. I know Halloween is not necessarily something you'd think of decorating your house for, unless of course you are going for the haunted house on the block. But I'd like to show you that it can be fun AND chic.
My main goal when decorating for holidays and seasons is to seamlessly fit special occasion items among my everyday decor. For instance, I use a lot of neutrals and European inspired decor in most of my home. So, when shopping for seasonal accents, I search out pieces that have the same tone.
This wooden owl box is a lovely example. It is all neutrals and has the German script on the top. This is one of my favorite finds for Halloween!
The metal jack-o-lantern is also neutral colored and the pine cones add a touch of nature. The black and white chevron tray mirrors many of the black and white elements in my own home.
This adorable Halloween subway art also mimics many of my everyday accent pieces.
The pieces I chose for Halloween decor fit nicely with my collection of white and black antique books.
Hopefully, I have shown you Halloween decor can be pretty, easy and fun. It doesn't have to be scary or cheesy (although there is certainly nothing wrong with that either!). If you have any questions about decorating for the seasons, please feel free to contact me. Remember, I also offer holiday decorating options!
Gratitude Tea Bag Holder
November is my absolute favorite month. Although fall officially begins in September, the weather seems to take a more dramatic turn towards autumn in late October, early November. My wedding anniversary is in November, as well as my favorite holiday. I love Thanksgiving because it seems to be one of the last holidays to be heavily influenced by commercialism. Now, I know Black Friday is commercialism at it's finest, but for that one day, it's all about gratitude and family.... and pumpkin pie.
Once assembled, I added a strip of Orchard Harvest designer series paper on top of a strip of taffeta ribbon. I stamped the sentiment on ivory naturals cardstock and punched it out with my decorative label punch. On the inside, I added a simple acorn stamp punched out with the small oval punch.
This simple project takes no time at all to put together and is a perfect little Thanksgiving gift for friends, family, teachers and of course your lovely hostess for Thanksgiving dinner!
Products Used (These can be purchased 24/7 at my Stampin' Up site by clicking on the item.)
Cardstock & Paper
Naturals Ivory Card Stock
Cajun Craze Card Stock
Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper
Stamps & Ink
Day of Gratitude Stamp Set
Soft Suede Classic Ink
Embellisments
Linen Thread
Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon
Cardstock & Paper
Naturals Ivory Card Stock
Cajun Craze Card Stock
Orchard Harvest Designer Series Paper
Stamps & Ink
Day of Gratitude Stamp Set
Soft Suede Classic Ink
Embellisments
Linen Thread
Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon
Craft show... here we go!
I'm hoping to participate in a local craft show here in a couple of weeks. I think it will be fun and a good way to get meet new stampin' friends! Today I created this fall banner:
