Red Berries and Pinecones

I love the simplicity of decorating with objects from nature.  Red berries and pinecones dominate my Christmas decorating in my dining room.  The splashes of red are stunning against the predominately white background of mirrors and cream pitchers.  The pinecones from my yard then help to neutralize, warm, and buffer that red/white color contrast.  Both the berries and pine cones can be easily found at any Hobby Lobby/craft shop if you don't have the real ones available in your yard.  Years ago, I had many holly bushes and had red berries readily available every Christmas.  Anymore, all my red berries are fake - but they still look great!  And pinecones last for years.  Have fun finding objects to decorate with from the outdoors!  Other ideas are feathers, greenery from pine trees, bay leaves, boxwood branches, rocks...even bird nests, which can be easily spotted now that trees are bare!

More Christmas trees!

To continue with the theme of placing your Christmas tree in a bucket...here's the one on my front porch.  Again, nobody wants to see your Christmas tree stand, so hide it!  This is a much, much smaller (fake)  tree that I've placed inside a painted galvanized bucket.   This tree is on top of a very old washstand that is sitting on my front porch.  It adds a great pop of Christmas red to the porch and is even covered in white lights for when we turn our Christmas lights on at dark.  Here's a hint - fill up the rest of the bucket with sand or dirt to keep your tree sturdy and upright!

Vintage Ornaments

Probably my favorite way to decorate is with vintage Christmas ornaments.  They are so easy to find, inexpensive and come in such a great variety of colors and styles.  They are also versatile as they can decorate a tree (post coming later), get piled into a bowl, adorn packages or be scattered on a tabletop.  This photo is my dining room table centerpiece.  I simply took one of my (many) pedestal bowls, filled it with pinecones, then literally dropped ornaments onto it.  I've tried placing them very purposefully before, but just dropping them so they roll into natural spots looks so much better.  The blue ornaments are in my living room, and not one of those on the candlabra has broken yet!

Garlands

I love the simplicity of hanging a garland at Christmastime!  These are so easy to swag above a doorway, mirror, fireplace, you name it.   I simply hammer in a thin 2-inch long nail to hold each side of the garland in place.  Some of these nails I even leave in year-long if they are not obvious, that way I don't have to redo them each year!  A two-inch nail should give enough room to hang several garlands together.  In this doorway between my kitchen and living room, I have three garlands total - 2 different sized red beaded ones and then a unique woven one.   On the right side in the background of this picture, you can see my garland that hangs above my fireplace.  It's also made of up three different strands, including a white beaded one.  I really like to mix and match my strands of garlands for a more casually elegant look.  Strands of beads are inexpensive and easy to find, so don't be afraid to mix it up!

Christmas Tree Stands

I know it's kind of hard to see this in the picture, but this galvanized tub sits at the base of my Christmas tree.  My favorite new Christmas discovery last year was to use this tub to hide my Christmas tree stand.  I haven't ever been able to find a tree skirt that matches my style, and of course I just can't let that ugly green plastic tree stand show...so the stand is actually placed inside this tub!  Underneath the tub is an old tablecloth - so if water or sap drip on it, I can just throw it in the washer after Christmas.  If I didn't use this tub, my next option would probably be just to use a large piece of burlap to cover the plastic stand...maybe next year!  For now, however, I just love the look of this tub - and it is so practical!  It catches any water when I accidentally overfill the stand!

Pedestals!

I love pedestal stands!  They are such a great option to give just about anything height and definition.  I purchased this ugly, plain one at a friend's yard sale.  After giving it two quick coats of spray paint (and I do mean quick - this little project was done just an hour before we had dinner guests!), it was ready for some ornamentation.  I simply put a red and white dinner plate on the stand, with a smaller soup bowl on top.  Simple fresh veggie and fruit can even be used in Christmas decorating!  My favorites are bright green Granny Smith apples, but since I didn't have any of those around the house I used pears and tomatoes.  Voila!  Instant decoration!

Finally ready for Christmas!

I've been procrastinating decorating for Christmas - mainly because I'm tired.  But, today, I did it!  I'll be posting several pictures and ideas for Christmas decorating over the next couple weeks.  Most focus on decorating in an unexpected way! 
Take poinsettia plants, for example.  Just because they come packaged in obnoxious foil wrappers, people feel as though they need to display them in the same manner.  Not so!  Please, please, please drop those beautiful poinsettias into a different container!  You can even group 2 or more together for a larger display.  In the above photo I combined two plants into an urn for a gorgeous display as guests enter my home.   Ahh, so much better than the foil wrappers, don't you think?
More to come soon...

Memo Board Makeover

Oh, how I wish I had a 'before' photo of this project!  I've always had a memo board hanging on the side of our refrigerator.  The original one was basically a piece of corkboard covered in red and gold fabric with ribbon criss-crossing it.  Oh, how 2002!  It was so covered in photos, that I guess I never noticed how much the fabric didn't even match my kitchen - I mean, gold???  So, when it actually fell off the fridge last week, I decided it was time for a makeover.
All the photos came off - most I tossed.  Unsentimental, I know - but we'll be getting lots of new ones soon as friends and family send out new Christmas photos!  I couldn't rip the fabric off any faster, and then I had my clean slate.  A too-plain clean slate, I decided, so I realized it needed a frame.  Fortunately, frames are always easy to come by at my house.  I dug this one out, spraypainted it aqua (what have I said about the convenience of keeping cans of spray paint around the house??!!), cut the corkboard to fit it - and I started to get excited!  Then I found some burlap fabric, covered the corkboard, stuck it inside the frame and I was ready to go.  I used some Scrabble tile tacks that I made last year (simply glued the tiles to tacks) to hang some favorite family photos back up and it was complete!  I've resolved to keep less photos on it, so the cute burlap can show through. 
You might be thinking - how did she attach that to her refrigerator?  I hot-glued it.  Yep - hot glue solves all kinds of problems.  It hasn't fallen down yet!  And I figure when it does, it'll be ready for another makeover!

Countertop Transformation!

My kitchen has always been one of my least favorite rooms of the house.  The cabinets were covered in a black glaze, the walls were boring tan, the laminate countertops and backsplash were dark green and the floors were fake tile linoleum.  So...I just completed another step in a 2 year kitchen renovation process!  It has taken so long because I broke it down into smaller projects that I could do by myself.  First I painted the walls teal. Next, I painted the backsplash white.  I slowly introduced different red and white transferware dishes and a couple aqua touches.  This past summer I painted the cabinets.  Finally, over these past few days, I got rid of the ugliest part - hunter green mottled laminate countertops.  There was nothing wrong with them except for the color.  Since they were structurally sound, my husband and I were both loathe to pay thousands of dollars to have them replaced.  A friend of mine came across a quicker, easier and cheaper option - Countertop Transormations by Rust-Oleum.  This is an entire kit which essentially involves painting the countertops, spreading different colored chips down, then painting a protective coat over it.  It looks like granite - but at a fraction of the cost!  Since I just finished the clear coat this morning, time will tell how the surface wears.  So far, it looks fantastic!  Throughout this whole process, we haven't been able to use our kitchen for the past several days.  So eating off paper plates and rinsing dishes in the bathroom has just led to us eating out the past couple days - a nice fringe benefit!  The final coat needs 7 days to set - so leaving town tomorrow for the rest of the week is great timing!  The bottom photo here is after my cabinet painting, but while the counters were still green.  I foresee getting rid of the fake tile linoleum floor next...I'll have to see if Rust-oleum makes a Floor Transformation Kit!!!

Windowsills

It's always been a conundrum whether to decorate by placing objects in a windowsill.  It's something I've tried over the years, have seen and read about, and have finally come up with this conclusion:  If it's a window that is opened and closed quite a bit - don't do it.  If you have to dust around the objects - definitely don't do it.  My windows are open quite a bit throughout the entire year, and I hate to dust, so these rules are good deterrents for me.  The absolute only instance in which I would decorate a windowsill is if the objects look fantastic in sunlight.  After many years of not ever putting anything in windowsills in my home, I have finally made an exception for these beautiful blue Mason jars.  I have many of these, and have found they look beautiful grouped together on a windowsill with the sun shining through them.  They even make great vases while sitting there!  This is the only window in my home that is decorated, and it's on a back wall of my kitchen and not opened often. Perfect!
Just to put the whole windowsill issue in perspective - it's like putting something on top of your toilet tank.  Yes, it's blank space.  Yes it might look like something needs to fill that space.  That doesn't mean you need to decorate it!  When I come up with an exception to this rule - I'll let you know!

Scale and placement

When I first saw this mirror I thought 'French brothel.'  Come on, admit it, so did you!  But I absolutely love it and thought it would make a great addition to my mirror collection.  Boy was I wrong!  This 4 foot tall extremely chunky mirror completely overshadowed not only my entire mirror collection, but also any piece of furniture I tried to put it over in my dining room.  I was almost resigned to putting it on the ceiling in my bedroom (just kidding!) when I tried it in my living room.  I'm working on a complete living room redo, and had just emptied out one corner of the room.  Which means there was no furniture in that corner at all.  My living room definitely needs a statement, and this mirror was perfect!  I put it above a curvy, low, wide desk and it doesn't overpower.  This mirror definitely just needed it's own space and wanted to be the center of attention!

The moral of the story is - you can't just put things in your house without paying attention to their size and presence.  If it looks a little odd to you, it's guaranteed to look odd to everyone else!  Pull furniture and accessories together into vignettes, always making sure their size and style go well together.  Notice how I've paired a simple narrow chair and lamp to go with the chunky frame and wide desk.  They help to even eachother out, so nothing can become too overpowering.

Keep those pumpkins out!

Pumpkins and gourds are a great natural way to decorated for fall.  I've completely gotten rid of most of my fall decorations except for these simple gourds.  I know, I know, I've waited until after Halloween is over to post about pumpkins.  But, just because it's over doesn't mean you have to get rid of those pumpkins (unless you've carved them of course!).  Keep the pumpkins out as a great reminder of fall/harvest/Thanksgiving!  In fact, fall decorations should be on sale right about now - and it's always a great idea to buy fake pumpkins/gourds so they last from year to year.  But make sure they are realistic looking - no glitter please!  Fake ones can be pricey, but will save you money over the years.  I love the look of these white/gray pumpkins.  See if you can tell which ones are fake and which ones are real!

I told you I have a love affair with chairs...

This Louis XVI style chair is a great example of how easy it is to utterly transform something hideous into something gorgeous.  I found this chair with pink velour upholstery and pickled wood at my favorite antiques shop in my sister's little town of Hillsboro, KS.  It was so ugly that I purchased it for only $20, knowing full well that it had great potential!  Before I purchased it however, I made sure I knew how to remove the seat, back and arm pieces so I could reupholster them.  Thankfully, all pieces come out very easily either by unscrewing several screws or simply prying the back pieces off.  I painted the chair white, and this khaki fabric is actually the second fabric I've had on it.  When I first purchased this several years ago, I put a blue/gold striped fabric on it to match my living room.  The moment I used that fabric I knew it didn't do the piece justice.   When I recovered it just this past weekend, I knew I finally had a perfect match!  Fabric choices are so important.  Wrap the pieces needing to be reupholstered in the fabric and place on chair before you actually reupholster it, so you can get a good idea of what it's going to look like.  Then the only tools you'll need are scissors and a good staple gun!
As a side note, my husband and I hauled both this chair and it's almost twin (see one of my earlier posts) out to a hiking trail for a family photo shoot today.  It was so much fun to have these unique chairs out in the woods - can't wait to see the pictures!

A Splash of Color

I've known for a long time that my black and white bathroom has needed an accent color, and even knew what color I wanted (aqua of course), but didn't have the perfect accessories to add.  Then, at my antiques sale at the War Eagle Craft Fair last weekend, I came across these adorable berry bowls!  They had an assortment of colors and sizes, and I decided this one would be perfect in my bathroom to hold some items sink-side.  I then spraypainted this iron thingy (for lack of a better term) hanging on a wall to add in more pop.  Now if I could just think of something to go great inside it...

Pumpkins on a pedestal

I found a couple birdbath bases last year.  The actual basins had been broken, but the bases were being sold.  I purchased them for a buck apiece, intending to sell them.  But then I found a new home for both of them in my front flower beds.  I like to call them architectural art, and they add a nice contrast to all the colorful, rambling flowers growing around them.  Then in the fall, I can add pumpkins to the top to add some fall color when most of my perennials are done blooming.  Even more fun, is that most people don't expect to see pumpkins in a flower bed!
As a side note, we tried growing our own pumpkins this year, and they came up great, but WAY too early.  They all rotted before October even rolled around.  Next year, we'll plant them much later and see how they do!

Open Kitchen Cabinets

After painting my kitchen cabinets this past summer, I realized this is the 4th time I've painted cabinets in homes I've lived in.  It's not that I love painting cabinets - in fact I strongly dislike it (my mom taught me to never use the word hate ;)  ).  It's a ton of prep work and then you can't even use your kitchen for several days at a time.  And then you have to ask your husband to put all the doors back up - NOT his favorite thing to do!  However, it's been so necessary to paint the kitchen cabinets in my last two homes.  In our current home, the cabinets had a black glaze over oak cabinets.  Sounds interesting - but WAY too dark.  The home before that had mint green cabinets - and I lived with those for two years before I finally painted them!  ( And then moved one year after that - go figure)  So, all the work has definitely been worth it.  One of the things I like to do most is leave 2 or 3 cabinets open-faced (without doors back on) and painting the inside a contrasting color.  This way my pretty reproduction red and white everyday transferware dishes can be seen - and I can even lean a couple unique vintage pieces against the back of the cabinet for more visibility.  People always ask me - Don't your dishes get dusty?  Not when they are used several times a day every day!  The shelves do get dusty, but I just swipe it off with a wet paper towel every once in a while.   No biggie.  I've done this exact same thing to a cabinet that holds stemware, and another that holds pretty serving dishes and cake stands.  Creating open kitchen cabinets can be done without painting the outside of the cabinets.  Just remove the doors and paint the insides!  Definitely make sure you have pretty dishes to display though.  Nothing plastic or metal please!

Hook Racks!

An essential to every home is definitely a hook rack or two or three!  I recommend putting one by the doorway that is the main entry to the house (by you, not your guests).  Our main entry is the door leading from the garage into the laundry room.  This is the first stop by my kids every single time they come in the door.  First, to take their shoes off (like their mom, neither one can stand to wear shoes in the house!  Dad can wear his all day which we think is just plain weird!), and second to hang up their backpacks and jackets.  Sometimes I catch them throwing these things on the kitchen floor (which is the next stop in the house), and have to remind them about hanging them up.  Okay, so most days I have to remind them of this.  I am anxiously awaiting the day they actually do this without being told!  But I digress...
Hookracks are great for jackets, backpacks, purses, totes, hats, key chains, you name it!   Just make sure you drill it into a stud so you don't have to worry about weighing it down!  Then, I try to always hang a horizontal item above the hook rack to give it more style.  Hookracks can also be used in bathrooms for towels or bathrobes, in bedrooms for hats and necklaces...the possibilities are endless!

My chair fetish

I have a problem with chairs - I love them too much and have way too many.  We were in the process of packing up the moving van many years ago and my husband decided to count how many chairs we had - 36!  And this was for a family of 4.  Embarrassing.  Since then, I've tried to put strict controls on the chairs I have in my home.  My new rule is:  if I bring a chair in the house, another one has to go out.  When I found this chair at a secondhand shop, I loved the white paint (of course), but it was upholstered in a pink and blue fabric - think 80s.   My initial thought was to sell it through my antiques business, but I even told my sister I wasn't sure I could get rid of it.  And now that I've recovered it in a khaki fabric, I can't.  It now sits in my living room, having displaced a gorgeous, 100-year old leather chair with stamps marked "U.S. Department of the Treasury."  That chair will now be found at my next antiques sale!  And now my plan is to reupholster another similar white chair I have and place the matching pair in my living room.  For the love of chairs!

Creative Organizers

It's the smallest details that count, right?   Even in decorating, just because no one can see what's inside your drawers, cabinets, closets... does it matter what they look like?  Yes!  Because YOU see what's inside every day!  So, go to the extra lengths to make small, unseen details as great as the large, obvious ones.   Here, I've been brave enough to show you the insides of some of my spaces.  And no, not all my spaces look this great or organized!  The first photo is of a very old muffin tin repurposed as a desk organizer.  Each little indentation is the perfect size to corrall all my junk!  The second photo is of an old red painted utensil drawer divider.  Realisticaly, I could use a stainless steel or even a plastic one.  Blah!  This vintage red one is much more fun and matches my personality so much better.  So round up some fun and unique storage organizers and make those little details matter!

Sunburst Mirror!

I am soooo excited about my new sunburst mirror!  I love the look of these, and after I saw one at a friend's house, I just knew I had to have one!  Fortunately, I came across one this past weekend at a yard sale.  It was a gold sunburst mirror for $2 and I snatched it up!  When I returned home, I immediately spraypainted it white (I ALWAYS keep extra spraypaint around the house (white, red, and black) so I can complete projects right when I'm inspired - they're more likely to get done that way!), waited for it to dry, then sanded down the edges for a distressed look.  I then quickly scraped the excess paint off the mirror and it was done!  It now sits in my dining room along with my other mirrors.  It's a great addition to the collection and I'm thrilled to now have a sunburst mirror in my own home!

Burlap to Cashmere

Burlap usually connotes rough, itchy, ugly sacks that hold some kind of smelly animal feed.  Fortunately, that is no longer the case!  Burlap is making a comeback as a versatile fabric with a touch of elegance.  Burlap is much softer and smoother now and can be found endlessly and reasonably at fabric stores.  These photos are of a couple favorite burlap items in my home.  I just purchased the little burlap flower yesterday to hang on a mirror vanity along with other fun whimsical items.  I purchased the burlap chair several years ago and have always loved it.  It is very comfortable and can be dressed up with a throw and pillow.  Of course, the nailhead trim doesn't hurt either!  I have a friend who makes very soft burlap pillows with gorgeous flowers pinned to the corner.  The possibilities are endless!

Great Quote!

Not much to say today, it's been a busy weekend reconnecting with great friends.  I came across this quote today that reminds me of my relationship with my homes over the past many years:

"A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest...wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his image."  Joan Didion

'Nuff said.

No toilets in this yard!

Just about anything can be turned into a planter.  I've had much fun over the years turning unexpected objects into everyday outdoor planters.  They've ranged from wooden toolboxes to tin pails to galvanized washtubs to metal watering cans to toilets - just kidding about that last one.  You will NEVER find a toilet in my front yard with flowers sprouting out of it!  Although I do have to say, my last neighbor proudly had two in her yard.  Sigh.  You should be quite proud of me that I didn't say anything snotty to her about it!
Back to tasteful planters...this one shown in the photo is just a plain old wooden box.  Already wonderfully roughed up, all I had to do was drill a few holes in the bottom.  Always be sure to do this for proper drainage, then lightly cover the holes with rocks before you add soil.  Since this is obviously a very shallow container, be sure to add mulch to the top and water frequently to maintain good moisture.  As fall is approaching, take the opportunity to hunt around for an unused container at your house to turn into a planter that would look great with pansies in it!

Decorating a Mantel

I know a lot of people struggle with decorating a fireplace mantel.  When we moved into our home a couple years ago, I was so excited to actually have a mantel to decorate!  Mine is unique in that a mirror is actually built into a slight inset into the wall above the mantel.  Not my favorite look, but I worked with it.  I think the most important thing about decorating a mantel is adding objects of varying heights and widths.  Also, try to coordinate the colors of the objects so they look like they belong together.  I stuck with a color scheme of whites/creams/browns, then added a splash of red so it wouldn't get too boring.  Candles and candleholders are a great way to add varying height.  I also layered the backdrop, leaning a leaded window against the mirror, then 2 sepia toned canvas prints in front of it.  All together this gave my mantle a calm, sophisticated tone.  If you're looking for a warmer or more funky look, add more variances in heights, shapes and colors!

Speaking of white frames...

Here are some more white frames I have in my bedroom, but this time with actual pictures in them (imagine that!).  I love extreme close up photos, especially those of flowers and architecture.  It can get very expensive to buy someone else's photography, so try doing it yourself!  The closer you can get to the object you are photographing, the better - that way there are no unwanted objects wasting space.  Once you get the print downloaded on to your computer, then you can zoom in even closer, edit out non-essentials and play with the coloring.  The photos here were taken on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina - one of my absolute favorite cities!  They are close ups of some unique ironwork and flowers down there.  I love displaying these photos not only as works of art, but as reminders of that fabulous city!

Framing your world...

I have these three completely empty white frames leading up (or down) the stairs to my bedroom.  My original intent was to fill them with family photos, but then I realized, uh, no glass or backing.  I sell quite a few empty frames with my antiques business, and sometimes recommend framing a 3D object in them.  Such as old spoons, vintage baby dress, cross, etc.  But I have to admit I'm at a loss for how to fill these at my own house.  Especially since I don't have any old spoons, baby dresses or extra crosses.  Sigh.  So now I need to come up with another great idea for these frames.  Any thoughts?
For now they are going to have to sit there empty.  It's not that I don't love them already, because I do!  I love white paint above any other color, and the white pops against the dark red wall (yes, my bedroom is painted red.  cheesy, I know).  The frames just seem empty and like they are patiently waiting for someone to come visit them. 
So when friends come over to my house and if they happen to see the frames, they'll just have to scratch their heads.  Especially the one visitor I had years ago who took one look at my distressed and shabby chic furniture and asked if I needed to borrow some paint!
So, seriously, any thoughts?  I need all the help I can get...

If at first you don't succeed..

This beautiful frame with horse print hangs in my daughter's room.  I absolutely love the chunky vintage frame, and, quite honestly, it was very hard for me to put it in her room instead of just keep it for myself! 
This looks great now, but came only through a long process of trial and error.  My daughter loves horses, so we purchased this print which was twice the size that it is now and in an ugly frame.  I painted the frame sage green and hung it on her wall.  It was huge and ugly and we weren't sure what to do about it.  My sister even made a comment about how ugly it was!  Shortly after, we decided to paint my daughter's room.  Yes, I realize this wall is bright pink, but the other 3 walls are robin's egg blue, so it doesn't look no nauseating when you see the whole room.  After her room was painted, her sage green framed horse picture really didn't match, so we had to come up with another idea.  I found this $5 frame in a thrift store and inspiration was born!  I painted the frame the same color as the other blue walls in her room.  Then, very sneakily I waited until she was at school one day, and cut the horse picture to match the new frame.  She NEVER would have allowed me to do this had she known.  This is why I have to do these things on the sly.  Anyway, I tucked the new version of the horse print into the frame and Voila!  A new picture was born!  It looks so fabulous on her new walls, and she has never said anything about it being half the size it once was.  Every once in a while, however, I do sneak into her room and gaze at the frame...hoping one day she'll grow out of her horse phase and decide she doesn't need it anymore.  Then I can toss the print and frame something for my room! 
This story is very common in my home.  My projects don't always turn out the way I envisioned them.  I can't even begin to count how many ugly things I've made and put in my home over the years.  But I am proud to say I learn from my mistakes, and my decorating mistakes happen less and less.  Try, try again...

Trash to Treasure

I literally found this in someone's trash.  I saw it one morning on the way to taking my kids to school, just sitting on the curb.  I quickly dropped them off, swung back, and shoved it in my car as fast as I could!  I wish I had a 'before' picture for you.  The 3 missing drawers didn't scare me.  I had my talented husband attach some thin pieces of plywood as shelves instead, cleaned up the entire thing, then painted it and added knobs.  This sat in my living room for years with pretty dishes and linens stacked on the open shelves.  Then I used it as a dresser in my bedroom, with makeup and jewelry stored and displayed in trays on the shelves.
Moral of the story - just because a piece is missing something doesn't mean it's ready to be tossed!  Use your imagination and turn it into something amazing!

Let there be light!

I'm a sucker for chandeliers.  Whenever I see one in a magazine or store, I stop and stare.  I love how every one is a little bit different from the next.  I love that you can use either candles or lightbulbs.  I love all the light.  And, most especially, I love the unexpectedness of them.  We have so many ceiling fans in our home that it's hard to find a room with a space for a chandelier.  Alas, they've been banished to the bathroom and to the laundry room.   Talk about unexpected!!!  Check out the photos here.  The black one is a $4 steal from a thrift store, spraypainted by me and then installed by my wonder-husband.  The crystal one is a $15 garage sale bargain, not-so-lovingly installed by my husband (he had some frustrating trouble with the wiring).  So, moral of the story...while these look fabulous, and I love them even more because they were inexpensive, second-hand chandeliers need to be properly wired and need to work!

Flowers...

I'm sure by now I've mentioned that I love flowers.  And they don't need to be heirloom roses...wild flowers growing by the side of the highway have made my heart skip a beat many times.  My absolute favorite thing about spring and summer is having flowers regularly in my house cut from my garden.  Although the word garden might be stretching it -how about flower beds.  I love having flowers in front of my house, but actually working to get them blooming is definitely not my favorite thing to do.  Which is why I only have perennials in my flower beds so I can put them in once and basically forget about them for years to come (with the occasional pruning and relocating of course).
When the flowers make it into the house, I love to display them.  But, I very rarely display cut flowers in a crystal vase.  If they are in a crystal vase, then that vase is usually tucked inside some other kind of container.  Like an ironstone pitcher (as shown above), a pedestal bowl, sap bucket, galvanized tub, teacup, bowl, and on and on.  Just setting wild flowers in a mason jar is one of my favorite arrangements.  Displaying flowers with this simple method makes a statement, helps the flowers look more natural, and just seems more homey.  Try it!

Unique Decor - don't be afraid of it!

Speaking of maps and globes, I just had to share a photo of this wooden, hand-carved globe I found yesterday at a thrift shop!  It is an extremely unique piece, with the placenames hand-written on it.  I have never seen anything like this!  I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or sell it, but I love it because it would add an element of interest to any home.  Don't be afraid to display a quirky, unique, one-of-a-kind item in your home.  It will be a talking piece for your guests and shows your individuality!   Some unique decor in my home include a bowl of colored sea glass, a bleached deer skull and antlers, a compote filled with shells from favorite beaches, old tin ceiling tiles, and a painted swedish-syle grandfather clock.  All of these items have a story behind them and have been commented on many times when people visit my home, every time accompanied by the comment "I never would have thought to do that!"  That is the ultimate compliment to me!  Decorating your home can get so boring and common.  It's much more fun and interesting to surprise your guests with unique decor!

So, find those unique treasures you've hidden away because you weren't sure what to do with them, dust them off, and proudly show them off!  Just see how many compliments you get!
While I'm at it, I also added a photo of the map I mentioned in my last blog that hangs on my son's wall.  Simple to put up (tacked paper map to wall, then bolted pieces of barnwood straight to the wall on top of it) and endless fun for an imaginative little boy!

Oh the Places You'll Go!

I just returned home from a 9 day trip spanning 4 states.  Needless to say, this involved a lot of driving.  Or, for my part, sitting in the passenger seat.  I have a tendency to get bored just sitting there for hours on end, so usually resort to reading the atlas for entertainment.  No, there is no sarcasm here... I actually do love looking at maps.  I love seeing where I've been and seeing where I'm going.  I love to look at the lay of the land and think about this history behind locations.  I love the sense of accomplishment from going through each little landmark on the map.  My love for maps certainly comes from my Dad, as does my love for history and travel.  I haven't traveled worldwide nearly enough, but hope to in the future!  All these interests of mine are shown in my home through this fabulous black globe in my living room.  Black globes are unique, and I couldn't pass this one up!  It has a very vintage feel to it and reminds my family that the world is so much broader than our little corner of Arkansas!  In my son's room, we've framed a vintage world map with barnwood on the wall.  He loves to imagine what's happening in all corners of the world.  Oh, the places we'll go...

Mirrors, Mirrors!

I have a deep affection for old mirrors.  And imperfect ones at that.  Ones that have old silver paint peeling from the back.  Ones that might be missing their frames or have a crack.  Ones so fuzzy that you can't even see yourself in them (which may or may not be a bad thing!).  My collection at this point is limited to my dining room, where I have several mirrors propped on top of a buffet and a sideboard.  I would love to get more mirrors, but would then have to start attaching them to the walls.  And to be honest, I much prefer to put mirrors and artwork on top of large pieces of furniture and lean them against the wall, as opposed to actually attaching them to the wall.  This is so much easier to do, requires no measuring, lends to a more casual feel, makes them easy to switch around, and (making my husband infinitely happy) means less holes in the wall!

Red, White and... Aqua?!

I'm not sure where my love affair with aqua and red started, but I can begin to guess why I love the color combination so much.  So much that it begins on my front porch, continues into my dining room, runs through my kitchen, then ends upstairs in my bedroom.  I'm even considering encroaching it upon my living room later this summer.  I love the smooth and soothing effect of the aqua, and also that it's unexpected.  The bright red serves as a warm contrast to the cool aqua, and I always love a good jolt of color.  If you were to visit the Vintage Soiree booth at The Rose Antique Mall in Rogers, AR, you would see a booth filled with exclusively red, white and aqua inventory.  It won't always be this way, but I couldn't resist opening up my booth with my favorite color combination!
Speaking of The Vintage Soiree...this is my small antiques business.  If you are interested in seeing my inventory or learning more about it, you can visit my facebook page at www.facebook.com/thevintagesoiree.  If you could not care less about my business, I am not at all offended.  I won't mention it often.  Stick with me for ramblings on decorating, collecting, and making the most out of life.  Until next time!

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato

Welcome to The Vintage Soiree's new blog!  While I am excited to start this new venture into the blogging world, I'm also wondering who in the world would be interested in reading my musings?!?.  As a lover of old and unique things, decorating, history, sunshine, travel, books, painted furniture, flowers, words, and, of course, my family...I run a small antiques business mainly for the absolute pleasure of it.  Into my business I intertwine things I love to help make customers' (and my own) homes a haven.  I believe antiques should be used as everyday items, not put on a shelf or in an attic to collect dust (mainly because I hate to dust and my kids are allergic to it - dust, not dusting.).  I re-purpose something old into something new and functional.  I give dull finishes a face-lift.  I breathe new life into something others might think is trash.  I hope to use this blog to inspire you to make your home a haven.  To inspire you to stop and enjoy life as it is.  To inspire you to get more meaning out of the things in your home.  To inspire you to have a soiree every time you're in your home!