Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I know it's not a super huge holiday, but it's fun. I put up just a few touches of decor around our common living areas that I'd like to share. If I was on the ball, I would have shared this post a week or two ago to inspire you. Alas, I am quite the procrastinator. {I like to think most creative people are.} Hope this inspires you for next year!
ABCs of Decorating | I
You know, over the years there have come times when I've been asked to describe my style.... and I can't.
I generally say "French Country," but that's not entirely accurate. I also have some elements of "Farmhouse" style and a touch of "Shabby Chic." But there are some really amazing "Boho" accents as well as just a pinch of "Industrial." So, here's the thing: My style is just that: MINE. And I love it. And my family loves it. It feels good and it makes us happy. And that is all that matters.
To see the rest of the posts in this series, click here.
To see the rest of the posts in this series, click here.
Facelift Friday | Bulletin Board Upcycle
How many times have you seen something like this at a garage sale or thrift shop and passed it up?
I finally stumbled upon this blog post by Chelsea at two twenty one and fell in love with the idea.
I had the perfect black and white stripe fabric that I picked up at IKEA this past fall. I used spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the bulletin board and then secured it with upholstery tacks I picked up at a big box craft store. The only thing I did different then Chelsea was to separate the tacks a bit more.
I simply used the wood frame as a guide for where to place the tacks.
I love how chic it turned out. I think it looks fantastic vertical or horizontal.
And I took this a step further! The upholstery tacks are a bit longer than regular push pins, and I worried about them sticking out on the backside. So, I found a lovely black trim to cover the back.
Voila! A reversible bulletin board!!
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
The ABCs of Decorating | C
I know, I know. You came here looking for some kind of awesome secret on home decor and cleaning was the last thing you wanted to do. I'm sorry, but today is just good ol' sage wisdom. You will never, ever, EVER love your house when it is a mess. That may be harsh, but it's the truth. We all have goals we want to meet where home decor is concerned. The very first step is starting with a clean slate..... which is equal to a clean home.
I'm not going to elaborate on the need for organization and cleanliness. I did a short series on decluttering here. I also wrote a post with some simple tips for clutter control. I realize C is not for "clutter-free," but let's face facts: it's much easier to keep a clean house with less clutter!
Here are a few basic things our family does to keep my home clean on a regular basis. It's not perfect by any means, but it's mostly picked up and presentable on any given day. I think the things on this list are quick and easy enough for any family member to do, even the three year old.
1. Run the dishwasher nightly & unload in the morning. That way, you are never short dishes during the day and you have an empty dishwasher awaiting the items you've used throughout the day. My children are usually responsible for the unloading in the morning.
2. Do at least one load of laundry a day. See it through to the folding and putting away. I confess I have not kept up with this the last few weeks and I really do feel the weight of it.
3. Put things away immediately after using them. This is something that does not come natural to me (or my children!), but it makes the world of a difference. If you think about it, a really messy room is just a whole lot of little things that did not get put away after being used.
4. Clean the kitchen as you cook. There are always spare minutes while cooking. Use that short amount of time to wash a pot, put measuring spoons in the dishwasher, etc. That way, when dinner is done, you only have to rinse plates and pack up leftovers.
5. Don't step over it, pick it up! I really need to work on training my children to do this because they are master dodgers. We are all guilty of saying, "I'll get it later." Instead of later, do it now. Again, the little things are what adds up to a giant mess.
Hopefully these little tips help you to maintain a mostly clean home most of the time. If you have any you would like to add, please do so in the comments or on my facebook page. I'd love to hear them!
Weekend Finds
This past weekend I was able to hit some good garage sales as well as stop at one of my favorite local shops. Here are some things I picked up.
These super cute pig cutting boards drew my eye right away. To me, they really give off that French country vibe.
I was super excited to score this huge, old door for only $5! I am going to clean it and use it as a makeshift wall in my new space at Old Time Antiques.
These vintage rolling pins were another fantastic find. I am so in love with the robin's egg blue handles on the front one.
I will probably sell the majority of these beauties in my shop, but I am sure there will be a few in my home kitchen. :)
This large, super chippy and rusty scale was something I found at a local collective. I have a thing for vintage scales. I love using them in home decor. I'm not sure if I will keep this one or not. Regardless, I could not resist taking it home with me.
How lovely is this very worn, super tarnished silver pitcher? When I spotted it, I immediately pictured lush white hydrangeas spilling over. I will make that happen this week. And no, I will not be polishing it.
This vintage inspired letter press "H" is just that, vintage inspired. It was mass produced and there are many letters available, but I am a sucker for our family monogram.
Finally, my last garage sale gem was this set of shutters. I plan to paint them, replace the hardware and use them in my new space at Old Time Antiques as a "window." I have all these plans in my mind about making it a truly French country space. I am super excited.
This was a great weekend of hunting for me. What did you find?
The ABCs of Decorating | A
By definition, something that is alluring is very attractive, enticing, fascinating, and charming. My personal explanation of what alluring is, "it draws you in; you feel pulled towards it."
How on earth does this relate to decorating?
Something I repeatedly ask my clients when choosing decor is "Do you love it?" My question is never "Where will you put it?" or "Does this go with your color scheme?" If you find yourself drawn to an item, get it! More times than not, it will fit seamlessly into your home.
Below are some photos of items in my home that were purchased solely because I felt drawn to them.
Since buying these zebra pillows six years ago, I have changed our living room colors from robin's egg blue to cream and flax. When I saw them at Target initially, I fell in love with them, but said to my very dear friend, "they don't go." She reminded me matchy-matchy is boring. She also brought up the most important thing to me, they reminded me of my dad. He passed away in 2005 from melanoma. Zebra print was the official "color" for the melanoma awareness ribbon.
Something else that reminds me of my dad, way more than the pillows, is this quote from Abraham Lincoln. He said, "Live a good life and in the end, it's not the years in a life, it's the life in the years." My dad was a shining example of that. He lived a good life. He always chose joy.
These silly, beautiful black and cream etched bowls from Anthropologie are my latest purchase of something I love. I was instantly drawn to it while visiting Birmingham several weeks ago. I had no idea what I'd do with one bowl, but I bought it. I LOVED it. I realized how well they go with our white dishes after I got home. So glad I picked up that one, but seriously wish I'd discovered them before they hit the clearance section!
While living in Europe, we had the opportunity to buy some really cool items. I was constantly drawn to the vintage crates, but kept coming back to that naughty question in my head, "What will I do with them?" My sweet husband bought this one for me and it is perfect on top of our bedroom armoire. This crate is from a Belgian mustard company. I love seeing it everyday as it reminds me of our amazing time living abroad.
This lovely sugar bowl is something I was initially drawn to because of the lines. I love the intricate curves of the handles and the delicate blue-grey flowers on it. When I picked it up and looked at the bottom, I saw it was made in the 1800s in Bavaria. Well, that did it for me. I purchased this sugar bowl and it's matching creamer. I had intentions of reselling the sugar bowl and keeping on the creamer. (I have a thing for pitchers and creamers.) I placed the sugar bowl on our mantel just as a holding place. The longer it sat there, the more I fell in love with it.
It now sits opposite an old ironstone creamer I found at a local shop and I love how it all looks together. I'm even keeping an eye out for another sugar bowl or two.
Your home should be a carefully curated collection of items that bring you peace and joy. That is the entire purpose of home decor after all. Decorating a home is personal. Each item is something special to you. It could be the colors of a painting speak to you. Perhaps you find yourself drawn to the shape and lines of a particular chair. Maybe there is an antique pitcher that reminds you of Saturday mornings in your grandmother's kitchen. Whatever the reason, if you love something, it belongs in your home. Choose heart over head in the case of home decor.
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!
Facelift Friday
Giving new life to a mass produced end table.
I recently picked up a run of the mill end table much like this one:
It was super cheap and I'm sure it is hardly solid wood. But everything in this life deserves a second chance, right? I like the idea of rescuing pieces that most wouldn't give another thought to.
For the first coat of paint, I used a homemade chalk paint in an antique white. I wasn't entirely sure the direction I'd be headed with this piece.
The second and third coats of paint are Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in Typewriter. I am in love with the soft charcoal pigment of this paint.
I knew right away I'd want a damask on the top. I found a pretty image at www.thegraphicsfairy.com, but it was a little taller and thinner than I prefered. A simple manipulation in PSE fixed that.
I painted the damask with a very dark grey latex paint in hopes that it would withstand a heavy amount of sanding. It worked. I sanded quite a bit on the top of the table so the antique white would come through.
The result is a beautiful image that looks as if it has survived many years of love and wear.
The final step to complete this table was new hardware. An antique bronze cup pull was just perfect.
The final result is just lovely. I hope you are inspired to breathe new life into something this weekend!
sharing at MMS Milkpaint Masterpiece Monday