mollie's mom

Chinoiserie Style Painted Cabinet DIY

2025-09-24T11:01:00.003-04:00

I have been hoping to find a beautiful chinoiserie style armoire on a thrifting trip. I originally hoped to find a black one and after looking for years it became clear that finding a big, beautiful lacquered armoire was a difficult ask for a thrift find. I have looked at several along the way that were generally pretty expensive and I also realized they might not be sturdy enough to hold the things that I needed to store.

This white cabinet came from a big box store decades ago and stores my art and craft supplies. Collectively they are heavy. This cabinet is also deep which is a bonus. It was originally in the basement but when I morphed the room upstairs into the "Garden Room," as I call it, I brought it upstairs which was much more convenient. I knew it wasn't attractive and the search for the chinoiserie armoire began. No luck on that front. I had considered a couple of options to make it look better while looking for the elusive armoire but nothing really grabbed me.

(Here it was - big and white!)

Reality set in - 1. I don't think any of the traditional chinoiserie cabinets will be large enough or strong enough. 2. Even if I find one they are thousands of dollars and I'm not willing to spend that. 3. I will keep looking but I cannot look at that big white box anymore.

I popped on to Pinterest and started looking at antique and vintage chinoiserie cabinets with the thought of doing something to the cabinet to improve it. The first thing that happened is that a lot of beautiful green chinoiserie cabinets popped up and I became obsessed with the idea of doing something green. After all, there are green velvet curtains in the room already along with other green touches to perpetuate the "Garden Room" feel. See my inspiration board here.

The second thing that happened is that I realized that some of the pretty chinoiserie cabinets were made by American furniture companies like Thomasville and Baker and they were stenciled! I was on to something. I ordered about 20 dollars of chinoiserie stencils and pulled out my paint deck and some Rub and Buff and decided to see if I could give this old white cabinet a "faux" chinoiserie finish.

This Thomasville Mystique Vintage Handpainted server was on Chairish for $2200.00.

Look - it's stenciled! So I decided to combine the looks using stencils and gold paint. I decided to try Rub and Buff first because I like the look of its finish, I was going to be stenciling on an upright piece of furniture and it doesn't drip and I thought sponging it on would give me the look I was after.

I decided on SW Garden Grove. The name seemed an omen and I wanted a green that would blend well with the other greens already in the room. I lightly sanded the cabinet and then primed it. Once that dried I rolled on 2 coats of the green paint using a sponge roller specifically for smooth services. I let that cure a couple of days before beginning to stencil.

I used a sponge that I cut into small squares to stencil with. I also used a foam "spouncer" from the craft store for some smaller spaces.

I decided to start with the sides and figure out the best way to layout the designs and see how the Rub and Buff was going to do before committing to the front cabinet doors.

At this point I'm just winging it with the layout. It would be easy to lay out the design on brown paper to be sure it was balanced and worked well with the dimensions but I just went for it. I figured that by the time I got to the front I'd have a good feel for how to stencil with the Rub and Buff, drying times, etc.

And then on to the front of the cabinet.

I'm very pleased with how the cabinet is turning out. The Rub and Buff gives just the right amount of texture and shine and goes on easily without seeping under the stencil. It does take quite a bit so I had to order more tubes!

This is turning out to be a really fun project! I think it has vastly improved a $100.00 utility cabinet. I did pause here and order one more stencil that had some more variety to choose from including pagodas in a couple of smaller sizes to mix in. If I were covering a smaller space like a dresser front I probably would have just repeated the designs like some of the chests on my Pinterest board.

I'm spending a lot of time sitting on the floor stenciling and looking up. I decided to start at the top and to "loosely' create a scene that seemed like we are peeking through the cherry blossoms at a little village scene.

I will link (at the end of the post) the stencils I purchased, the cost and my thoughts on how much I used/needed them in case you decide to try your own chinoiserie furniture dupe!

I base coated the handles (which are just plastic) with gold spray paint and then gave them a coat of Rub and Buff after that so the gold matched.

Finished! And Cooper approved. I am starting to put the room back together after completely emptying it out to paint the wood floors and the cabinet. More to come!

What I used for the cabinet:
Secret Garden Toile Stencil $9.00 I used this stencil a great deal. It had multiple pagodas and elements that I worked in throughout the pattern.

Koi Fish Stencils $9.00 The stencil designs are beautiful and you get a lot of size variety in the package. I used these along the bottom of the "scene" I created and I don't think they are a huge bonus to this cabinet but on another project they could be great.

These three stencils were the workhorses of this project and I paid about $18 for all three. Here, here and here.

Geisha stencil.

This is the Rub and Buff I used. It took more than I estimated but I love the finished look and it was easy to control on the vertical surface.

Greenhouse At Night

2025-06-19T11:23:00.002-04:00

I love to sit in my little greenhouse in the evening - it's the blue hour. The sky is a deep, rich blue but the lamp brightens up the inside and its so peaceful.

I recently moved this very old green shelf into the back of the greenhouse. We salvaged it over 30 years ago from a local 100+ year old form house that was going to be demolished. I love the scallops. It reminds me of the British Auricula Plant Theatres. Someone wondered if I might paint it to match the potting benches but I like the mix of multiple shades of green out there - just like nature.

This little greenhouse was an inexpensive Amazon purchase a few years ago and it has been worth every penny and more. I had the old bricks, we used scrap lumber to build the benches, one at a time until the configuration held maximum plants for overwintering and then everything but the plants is thrifted. I could spend hours out there. It's a little "escape' just a few feet from my backdoor!

June's Morning Light

2025-06-08T10:31:00.000-04:00

The early morning light in the early summer has a beautiful, soft quality that you just don't get later in the season.

On the screened porch.

The Evolution of the Garden Guy

2025-06-03T11:34:00.000-04:00

Many years ago (about 30 years ago because Mollie was a preschooler) we went to an amazing garden show in the old Sears Building in Atlanta. It was filled with the most beautiful gardens created in the warehouse like space. One of the gardens that had been created was home to a garden guy made from terra cotta pots. He was so much fun and Mollie loved him. I was inspired to try and recreate one for our backyard garden. I did and he was around for quite a few years. Funny enough no one can remember what happened to him or why he was dismantled!

This spring when I was cleaning out for the new potager I uncovered a lot of terra cotta pots and I thought it might be time for Garden Guy 2.0. I had used a bunch of the pots to make a Christmas Tree outside the greenhouseChristmas Tree outside the greenhouse in December so I had a pretty good collection of pots to choose form. I had some wire and a pool noodle to use for spacers. I just needed to grab some wire cutters and a serrated knife.

This is actually the old metal chair (all those pots get heavy) that the original pot guy sat in. I made a hole in the center and put a piece of rebar thru the pot holes and the hole in the chair to stabilize the whole thing and keep it from toppling over and breaking the pots. I also did this because I did not want to permanently glue the pots together. Everything is either wired or slipped over the rebar pole. It will come apart easily if I decide to dismantle him at some point.

I think the pots that form the body are 12 or 14 inch terra cotta pots.

The rebar stabilizer is not noticeable once the guy is all put together and planted.

The pot for the head is slightly smaller than the 2 for the body. I was using pots I had on hand. I slid them on the rebar to be sure the proportions worked and then removed them while I wired the legs on.

I doubled the wire just to be sure and wrapped it around the pole under the bottom "body" pot. Using a serrated knife I cut spacers from the pool noodle.

Then I simply threaded a pot followed by a spacer on to the wire to create legs. The pool noodle spacers hold the pot in place. You could skip the pacers but you would need quite a few more pots for each leg or arm.

You just keep adding pots until the legs are the length and configuration you want.

I turned some pots the opposite way to make "knees" that I could plant in.

After the legs were completed I added the top body pot and began wiring the arms in place. Having the rebar is helpful in securing the arms. The clay pots are a bit heavy when strung together.

After both arms were secured I slid the pot that makes his head onto the rebar. You can see that I turned one of the arm pots so that I could plant in it if I wanted to.

I hammered the rebar into the ground a little more once everything was all wired together.

And then it was time to give this garden guy some hair. I had this asparagus fern already. I ended up dividing it in half with my serrated knife and planting it to each side of the pot so it would definitely hang down like hair!

He fits right in by the greenhouse and the old shed.

Let me know if you create a garden guy to keep you company in the garden.

P.S. I have used smaller pots to make a small scale, tabletop version of these for a garden party tablescape and they are just as much fun!

Easter Decorating 2025

2025-04-24T14:12:00.006-04:00

Easter decorating 2025 in pictures.

It was colorful, DIY-filled, thrifted and easy!

I marbelized faux eggs for the terra cotta pot wreath on the greenhouse door.

The Easter tree is a little different each year but I love pulling out the decoupaged egg and carrot ornaments I made several years ago and decorating the tree. This year it was in the kitchen eating area.

My "greeter guy" is ready for an egg hunt! This year his bowl was full of hand-painted chinoiserie eggs.

For the Easter Brunch table I brought the storage container marked "Easter decorations' upstairs from the basement and then just threw everything in there at the table! Bunnies, chicks, eggs, asparagus shaped candles and more!

The big faux chocolate bunny DIY was a big hit on IG with over 160K views!!

I shared this amazing thrifted chinoiserie egg on IG as well.

And I turned my cherub framed display from Valentine's day into a bunny parade.

You can never have too many bunnies.

In addition to pretty decorations, Sunrise Service, teaching children's Sunday School, and Easter brunch, I made a carrot cake from a Baker Bettie recipe that was soooo good!

I hope your Easter was full of blessings and bunnies and all the hope that Spring and Easter bring.

Coupe or Flute?

2025-02-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Do you have a preference?

People feel very strongly about their glass of choice for champagne, prosecco or other bubbly beverages.

Champagne flutes are a more recent glass shape development (1950's) and many who enjoy bubbly or fizzy drinks feel that flutes preserve the bubbles (which is the point) better than a coupe and that the wine stays colder longer in a flute.

Coupes are an iconic, even historical shape, as the coupe glass has been used for hundreds of years. Some feel that it should be the glass shape of choice for that very reason. Using a coupe definitely gives off a vintage feel or maybe the roaring 20's vibe.

We like both and I also think that coupes can be used for mixed cocktails or other fun uses, like serving a sherbet or mousse dessert, if you prefer your champagne or prosecco in a flute.

Delicious prosecco cocktail recipe here.

Most of our champagne flutes are clear glass and a classic shape but we have collected a few different coupes over the last couple of years. We have a beautiful set of vintage coupes that are fun for a special occasion.

Mollie purchased some pretty green glass ones that are perfect for multiple holiday tables. We found the red ones at the Target Dollar Spot and thought why not for Valentine's Day?

We love a glass of bubbly and a nosh on the porch and spend a lot of time out there. For that reason these shatterproof coupes were a must have. We also have shatterproof flutes that we have had for years. It's about time to replace them and I have my eye on these. I'll probably freshen up our non-breakable champagne glasses before porch season gets here.

So, what do you think? Coupe or Flute?

I Was Ready For February.

2025-02-04T16:18:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why (because I enjoyed our snow days) but I was ready for February. I think it was the relentless cold and a lot of gray days that had me ready for the new month. I also wanted to put out a few little nods to the month of love to cheer things up a bit. I don't go overboard for the 'smaller' holidays but I do like a seasonal touch here and there.

This year I gathered up some vintage thrifted frames I had on hand, grabbed a few more for $1.09 at Goodwill, and then I decided I'd find some great little cherub images to frame and prop on the library mantel. I simply googled "vintage cherub art public domain" and dozens of options popped up. I tried to choose ones that were similar in shape to my thrifted frames and then I just printed them on white cardstock.

I cleaned the frames up and popped the prints in. I decided that I'd mix gold, silver, dark wood and black frames together for a very collected, relaxed look. Plus I had a mixture on hand and that simplified finding the rest of the needed frames in just one trip to Goodwill. This was an under $10 project and it was quick and easy!

I did add an old milk glass vase with some roses and magnolias. I love a touch of something green or fresh mixed in.

This little pile of framed cherubs on the mantel makes me happy every time I pass the Library.

January 2025

2025-01-28T17:48:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that a new month is just a few days away. I posted on my Instagram that January had "januaryed" long enough which is true with all the very cold (for us) temps. On the other hand, how can one month of the year be finished?

We had snow all over the deep south which was fun for a day or two and then I'm ready for it to warm up.

This was an asparagus fern that didn't make the cut for the greenhouse.

It was perfectly coated in ice.

We have had some beautiful sunrises and sunsets when it wasn't overcast. I don't know if the cold weather affects that but we have had a lot of colorful ones.

I get very excited when the bulbs start to show! Spring can't be too far away.

In this cold weather the greenhouse was just too full. I brought a few plants in after the Christmas 'take down' and it's nice to have fresh greens in the house.

I made these delicious steak and blue cheese chips one of the snow days. I snapped a few pictures and quickly posted on my IG and almost 18,000 people have viewed how to make them. Everyone wants to snack on a snow day! They are easy and delicious. The details are on the IG post. I used Boulder Avocado Oil Sea Salt chips, a skirt steak from LilyHill Farm and creamy blue cheese form Trader Joes. Plus fresh chives. That's it. So good. We had them again last weekend for a snack dinner.

I started out the new year by painting a large, glittery, sparkly monogram for a shower hosted by Mollie and some of her sorority sisters.

And that is a wrap for January. I'm ready for some touches of Valentine's decor. Very small touches for me but I do like a little nod to the holiday. It helps with the dreary gray days that February can have in abundance.

I'll be sharing those on Instagram. I hope you take a peek.

Christmas 2024

2025-01-06T18:08:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe the holidays are over and everyone has gone back to work and school. We *might* get a little snow here in the deep south so I have left my outside decorations up past Epiphany "just in case!" A Christmas decor + snow photo op is rare. I don't want to miss it.

I decided to post a few images of the 2024 holiday season just to have it documented on the blog. There are lots of pictures and reels over on my Instagram if you wish to see more.

Vintage Inspired Sequin Ornaments

2024-12-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

I guess the subtitle of this post should be "if you can't thrift it, make it." I have never found any vintage sequin or beaded ornaments in alllll my years of thrifting but it was the look Mollie and I wanted for our new flocked King of Christmas Tree. So we ordered supplies and got to work!

They are not difficult to make and you can chat or "watch" TV while making them. We left our supplies out on the kitchen island for a few weeks and any time we had a minute we would add some sequins. That is a nice thing about this project - you don't need large blocks of time but they do take time to complete. Our goal was 10-12 and we made it but I was secretly hoping for twice that many. We will keep working on them but this would be a great thing to do in the summer or early fall if you want a large quantity. They are a bit addicting once you get going and they add so much sparkle to the tree. You can see videos on my Instagram and tell how much they sparkle.

We ordered two sizes of styrofoam balls. Mollie likes to do the smaller ones but I like the large ones even if they take a while to finish.

We ordered a lot of different pin options and even some fancy thumbtacks.

We used a ton of these clear pins. I ordered two or three bags of them. They are probably the quickest and easiest to use. I also bought a variety of pins with ball tops in pink and pearl colors. We chose a color scheme of pink, red, white, gold and silver so we kept all of our supplies limited to that but you can get pins and sequins in every color imaginable. We found some of our ball top pins at Wal Mart and ordered pearl pins.

You have to pay attention to the length of your pins. The large balls can handle longer pins but the smaller styrofoam balls do better with shorter pins.

I ordered the pins below in silver and gold. You can use a lot of pins on a single ornament. I used a whole bag of the sequin pins plus a few more on one of my large ornaments. It is surprising how many sequins and pins it takes!

I found the fancy thumbtacks at Wal Mart. They were about $4.00 for the jar and we used them as accents on a couple of balls. They were a fun touch but they are heavy. I dipped the pin part in a little white glue before putting it in the styrofoam ball and that has held them in.

You can find sequins a lot of places. We ordered from Amazon. Our red ones here, the pretty pink ones, a great multi pack that has us thinking about other color combos, and we used a lot of these iridescent white ones. You need more than you think - remember one of my large 4" ornaments has over 500 sequins on it!

We decided to put our supplies in muffin tins to make it easier. Sequins tend to get everywhere otherwise. It was a great system because you can rest the ball you are working on in an empty spot. This makes for a portable work station too.

Once you have your supplies all set you simply start putting sequin and pin combos onto your blank ornament. We worked pretty organically. I tend to start on the middle of the large ball along the faint seam line but a couple I started by randomly placing designs all over the ball and then filling in around them with sequins. Mollie also used different techniques depending on the design she wanted. There is some room for creative adjustments - sometimes a pattern doesn't work out perfectly so you have to wiggle things a little. It didn't matter to us - we were having fun and just seeing what happened.

The one thing I did have to figure out was how to hang them securely. Some vintage ornaments have ribbon wrapped around the ball and looped into a hanger. We did one trial ornament with ribbon and didn't like the ribbon colors with our sequins. We decided to sequin the entire ornament and figure something out. I like to hang ornaments from fishing line because its practically invisible and the ornaments can move a little and sparkle more.

I tried using one of the sequin pins to hold the fishing line but it wasn't secure enough. I thought about a needle because it can be threaded with the fishing line and then pushed securely into the ornament because of the length. You can just barely see the needle "hanging loop" on the ornament above. It worked perfectly! I bought the needles below in a variety of lengths to fit our ornament size.

(Don't worry- I fixed the knot after I took these pictures!)

We love how the colors we chose turned out and how sparkly they look on our new flocked tree.

Be sure to let me know if you make any sequin ornaments!

July 1

2024-07-01T11:24:00.000-04:00

July 1. Dappled light.

The dappled light is so pretty in the backyard and gives us relief from the hot summer sun. The amount of shade we have makes growing certain things more difficult - tomatoes are a challenge. But I have learned to appreciate so many variations of cooling greens as the backyard became more and more of a shade garden. I think I enjoy subtlety so much more now than I used to. You have to slow down and look closely to appreciate the minor variations but it feels like a metaphor for life as I age. It is the little things that catch my eye and appreciation. I'm also more open to working with the things I have - like this old shed - and appreciating the things it does do even if it's not a fabulous, charming garden folly. Gardening definitely gives one perspective.

Garden Folly - WIP

2024-05-22T12:08:00.002-04:00

For years I have loved greenhouses, large and small, made from reclaimed windows. It seemed like the perfect combination of repurposing and gardening - two of my favorite things!

There are tons of images and DIY all over Pinterest and other online resources. About a month ago someone local posted that they had dozens of single pane windows that they needed to give away by the weekend. I decided this was the motivator I needed to give one of these recycled window projects a try.

I messaged that I was going to come get some, grabbed my gloves and went to get them. I knew I needed six but grabbed one extra just in case. She had so many and there wasn't anyone coming to get them at that point so I decided having one extra "juts in case" was a good idea.

I bought a variety of hinges at the hardware store and a few L- brackets and started figuring out exactly how to cobble the windows together. They are old, not square and somewhat worn. You have to be willing to make allowances for this but that's what I think gives the whole project charm.

You can see that the windows are very old and chippy and I had to add a few extra pieces to brace the roof and door. I'm going to see if I can "age" the new hardware a little.

This is a work in progress and I'm excited to update you soon about the hardware and how it is styled for spring.

Chartreuse is Having a Moment

2024-01-31T18:35:00.000-05:00

From the runways to the bedroom, we will be seeing this zesty green hue everywhere in 2024. "Chartreuse is a bold, energizing color..." - House Beautiful

I couldn't resist this beautiful plant the other day because of its amazing chartreuse color. I started thinking about the color and how much I'm currently noticing it in beautifully designed rooms.

What do you think? I personally love chartreuse as an accent color. I think it makes other colors seem more crisp and vibrant. The color was named after a French liqueur called “chartreuse” which has a greenish-yellow hue. The liqueur was first produced in 1605 by the Carthusian monks of France. So while chartreuse is having a "moment" it has been around a long time and gone in and out a favor in design many times.

I agree it is a bold choice but just a touch can really give a room some pep. I think it works just as well in winter as it does during the spring and summer.

I have a large chartreuse velvet pillow on our garden room daybed. One of the things I like best about chartreuse? It plays well with Le Tigre - actually with all animal prints!

Pillow covers or a throw blanket tossed on your couch is an easy and inexpensive way to add the zing of chartreuse to your room.

I already have a velvet throw that I love to add to the end of a couch or use on the daybed but this throw is really tempting me. Such an easy way to add a touch of chartreuse and everyone loves a cozy throw blanket.

If you are thinking about adding a touch of chartreuse with throw pillows I think lumbar pillows can be a great way to go. You simply add them in front of throw pillows you already have and use. A pair of lumbar pillow covers for under $15.00 is a great way to try a new color and see how you like it.

A quick, easy and inexpensive way to add a touch of chartreuse to any space would be to spray paint something. This is my favorite chartreuse spray paint! It could be something you find at the thrift store or something you already have - a candlestick, wooden tray, a lamp base or a basket to toss magazines or tv remotes into. .

Check out these fun lamps. They are available online but you could definitely get this look with thrifted lamps and a can of spray paint!

Another one of my decor favorites that looks great with chartreuse is blue and white chinoiserie! A very "safe" way to give the bold chartreuse a try is to use some taper candles on the dinner table set with your blue and white dishes!

What do you think? Are you ready to give chartreuse a try?

When You Don't get Much Snow...

2024-01-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

We don't get much snow in the Deep South. I do love a surprise snow and a day off from our regular activities (we just stay home because we really aren't equipped to deal with much snow or ice!) Even when we get a snow day we don't usually have enough to build a snowman so I decided to create one from some moss spheres that I had. Everything looks so empty when the Christmas decorations come down and this helps to fill the void.

I started with a blue and white planter that I had. Any planter, even a terra cotta pot, will work. You just want something that your largest moss sphere sits on easily. I put a piece of floral foam in the pot and then wedged some used packaging materials that I had to secure it.

Next I pushed a metal stake I had on hand into the floral foam. I happened to have this piece from the garden center but you could use a dowel rod or a bamboo stake. I chose to slide my spheres on the rod without using any glue because I wanted to be able to use my moss spheres in other ways in the future.

Then I added the remaining spheres. You could do this in a smaller version as well - simply adjust the sizes of your spheres and use smaller planters or pots. You could vary the sizes and make a grouping or create some small ones as gifts.

I found a wicker top hat ornament at Christmas and I knew it would work perfectly for my moss snowman and work with my style. I removed the ribbon and berries and then just perched it on top of the top moss sphere. I made sure my metal rod stuck up at the top just enough to hold the hat.

If you can't find a little top hat you could easily create one by covering a small paper cup and a cardboard circle with sheet moss or use clay pot and saucer glued together. I'm thinking about making a smaller version, placing it in a clay pot and creating a clay pot "top hat" for it.

You could also add twig arms, glue on buttons or small pebbles for the face. You could get very creative.

I only added a green bow and kept things simple because I will pull it apart and use the moss spheres for other things.

If you don't have supplies on hand they are easy to find at craft stores and on Amazon.

The following are what I used or similar:

I thrifted my blue and white planter but you can use any base you like for this.

I hope you get to build a snowman.

Thinking About "Ordinary"

2024-01-08T19:44:00.004-05:00

It is Epiphany Sunday. I usually post* a picture of my big, vintage camel from an old store display but since Epiphany Sunday is sometimes called Three Kings Day I decided to share three thrifted wisemen. Whichever name you use for the day, Epiphany (officially yesterday) historically and by tradition, marks the end of the Christmas season. It is followed by what is known as ”ordinary time” in the church calendar. I’ve been thinking about the term ordinary a lot recently- really since late last fall. There have been so many posts recently on social media about New Years Resolutions and “word of the year” and grids of letters where the first four words you see are “your words” for the year. All good and positive things if you wish to participate but I have not done any of the above. My goal for 2024, after much thought about this, is to appreciate, enjoy, celebrate “ordinary” this year. We are bombarded by so many external stressors (the economy, politics, war, illness and more) that I just want to be glad, to be thankful when I get to do the ordinary. I know that could be different for each person but I want to find daily joy in some basic, ordinary, every day type of thing in each day - even if difficult things try to overshadow it. When did “ordinary” become a negative thing? I’m not going on the trip of a lifetime, doing major home renovations or anything over the top (that I know of!) to share on social media this year. But I am going to celebrate my every day ordinary because somewhere there is someone who would like to have “ordinary” happening in their lives and it isn’t. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming and celebrating “ordinary” this year.

*I originally posted these thoughts on Instagram but decided that I also wanted it to mark the beginning of the new year on the blog.

A Wardian Case for Christmas

2023-12-22T11:40:00.002-05:00

Thank you if you have wandered over from my Instagram post about my little Christmas scene in my terrarium on a stand. I have had so much fun creating it and I have learned so much about Wardian Cases - they are fascinating.

I have always loved the vintage "terrariums" on stands but other than knowing they were popular in Victorian homes I didn't know much.

When I first saw mine - and it is not a valuable, older one - I knew it had potential. I did not know that Wardian Cases changed the world. They revolutionized the movements of plants and changed botany forever. I just knew I wanted to put a glittery Christmas scene in mine. But once I began researching them a little I became fascinated. There are so many great articles by Harvard and Kew Gardens about the important work that was done using Wardian Cases to move plants. The first Wardian cases were pretty plain structures intended to transport plants but then the Victorians caught on to the idea and did their thing to make them more ornate. If you love plants I recommend both articles.

I found mine on Facebook marketplace which is funny because I rarely ever look on there because I have had so many negative experience trying to buy and sell. I will go months without looking then give it a glance. This experience was about par for the course, but I persevered and ended up with my plant stand. After multiple conversations where she assured me it had all of it's 'glass' intact and that it was vintage I arrived to find that all of the glass was missing and had been poorly replaced with plexiglass - and one of those was missing. But I'd spent a lot of time dealing with her in DM's and then driving there (plus I knew it had potential) so I loaded it up.

I bought a large and fairly unattractive framed print at a yard sale and removed the glass (far more economical then buying glass.) I cut glass pieces to replace the yellowed plexiglass and used the metal clips inside the frame to hold the glass. Worked perfectly and all I used was a $3 glass cutter from Amazon! The clips were made for glass (not plexi) so it holds them securely.

I accidentally deleted the listing picture but the mottled finish wasn't great so I gave everything a coat of flat black paint. Many of the older vintage ones have cases that are black or dark green.

Now I could get on with the fun part. I had found a little wooden house that was similar in style to ours.

I "bricked" it with a little rectangle of sponge and some paint. I was inspired by glittery putz houses so after painting the house and a couple of wooden trees from the Target Dollar Spot I gave it all a coat of extra fine glitter. I love the sparkle. I gathered up some bottle brush trees, quilt batting and some decorative items like pipe cleaners, beaded garland and battery operated lights.

This was definitely the fun part. Anything goes - glitter, sparkles, fake snow!

I cut a board to fit inside the bottom of my Wardian Case so I could glue the batting "snow" down and get everything placed just like I wanted it. You could arrange it right in your case but I wanted to secure my little items so that they wouldn't fall over if it got bumped. I made some snowmen from airdry clay and a little front walk from aquarium gravel. This is definitely one of those projects where you could keep adding charming little touches - it's hard to stop. It is so much fun.

In case you are thinking "I cannot wait to find a Wardian Case" there are some reasonably priced new ones on Amazon. Of course there are some fabulous vintage ones on sites like Chairish and 1stDibs too! As always, check thrift stores and online auctions, estate sales, etc.

Silhouette Ornaments

2023-11-27T16:47:00.001-05:00

I found a bag of drapery rings at my local goodwill a couple of months ago and immediately knew I wanted to use them to make ornaments for the tree in our library.

Fun fact: decades ago when I was in college my mom gave me a bunch of unused wooden drapery rings. I turned them into Christmas ornaments and sold them to make spending money. Some things never change.

I simply searched online for copyright free silhouette images. I decided to do images of little girls and things that Mollie loved as she was growing up - our Goldens, swinging, blowing bubbles, dolls, etc. You could choose any type of imagery that would fit with your holiday decor. They are like little framed artworks.

I also decided to back my ornaments with marbleized paper so they wouldn't be just white on the back if they turned slightly on the tree. That's definitely optional but I look for any opportunity to use marbled paper.

I sprayed my drapery rings gold because my tree is green and my library walls are black. I needed the spark of metallic. If these had been going on a flocked tree or in a brighter room I might have left them wood tone. I do love the gold.

Then I simply cut out the paper circles (I printed mine on cardstock) and used plain old white glue to put them together. That's it. I added a silky cream bow and put them on my tree.

To finish off my tree I gathered up an assortment of ornaments. Anything vintage and worn in cream, white, gold or silver. Then I added in newer ornaments from my stash in the same color range. All sizes. I used my faux orange slices from last year. I also thrifted a small box of chandelier prisms a couple of weeks ago for $1.99 (pretty happy about that!) and I added those in along with some gold beaded garland.

I topped the tree off with a bow made from wide ochre colored velvet ribbon that I've used before!

It just shimmers at night and we are loving the look. All of the decorations except the thrifted drapery ring silhouettes were ornaments, ribbon and garland we had used in previous years. It's amazing how you can pair things differently or use them in different spots and get a completely "new" holiday look. You can see more of this tree on my Instagram.

Christmas and Pink

2023-11-08T20:59:00.002-05:00

I was going to title this blog post "a pair of perfect pines in pink" because I love alliteration but, sadly, they are actually fir trees! I was so fortunate to receive these trees (plus 2 other items that I'll be sharing soon!) from King of Christmas.

The minute I saw them I knew that I wanted to put them in my thrifted vintage urns and flank the fireplace. I wanted them to look like there were piles of pink ornaments surrounding them but I knew I had to find a way to secure the ornaments so that the whole set up was Cooper proof!

The solution was an "ornament collar" to go around the base of the tree. It would hold the ornaments in place and still look like they were piled in the urns.

First I placed my trees, they have a weighted burlap wrapped base, in the urns and filled in around them with discarded packing materials. Once the trees were secure I cut a piece of coat hanger wire and formed it into a loose circle

I gathered up all the different pink ornaments and a few gold ones too and randomly threaded them on my wire circle. I used a variety of sizes and finishes.

Then I simply slid the ornament filled wire around the base of the tree like a 'collar' and nestled it in the urn. I twisted the end of my wire together to make sure it was secure and wouldn't slide off.

I added white cotton batting to look like fluffy snow and to fill in and hide the wire. You could also do this with greenery. I did add some fresh magnolia because I can't decorate anything without using a bit of magnolia! It looked so festive that all I added was a pink bow on the top.

The King of Christmas trees come with an option to plug them in or convert to battery operated. I opted to use the clever battery pack which is tucked in the back of the urn under the cotton batting "snow." They have a timer so I don't have to worry about accessing the battery pack or unplugging. They'll just come on every night for everyone to enjoy - including Cooper. You can see all the details in this Instagram video.

I'll be sharing the rest of my KOC products soon but be sure to check out last year's posts about the KOC tree in my Library for more Christmas inspiration.

Greenhouse

2023-10-22T10:35:00.000-04:00

As I shared on my Instagram we 'did a thing' over the weekend. While I dream of charming English greenhouses and Victorian conservatories, I am also very excited to have this utilitarian greenhouse to have fun with. We had reached the point where either the ferns could live in our house this winter or people could. They have gotten huge over the years and I have to vacuum up a lot of little leaves when they "winter" inside.

I ordered it from Amazon, it was inexpensive and arrived in about 3 days. This is the exact one/size I bought (the price fluctuated over the two week period that I considered which one to purchase. Amazon prices are like the stock market ;) so keep an eye out for price changes.)

There aren't any pictures yet with beautiful plants and gardening accessories in it because it is still a construction zone. I had a stack of salvaged bricks so I am currently, slowly, bricking the floor. The first frost deadline is looming so I'm trying to get it done asap! Stay tuned!

Bottle Tree

2023-10-15T10:38:00.000-04:00

I have posted quite a few images recently on Instagram of our porch and backyard and our bottle tree has been spotted in the backyard. It recently got a bit of a refresh and I think that's why it has been noticed.

Do you see it back there? It is beside our little garden pond. It has been in that spot for at least 20 years.

Are you familiar with bottle trees? They have a long history and were believed to ward off bad spirits and any evil that might involve the people living nearby. Today they are considered to be garden art by many and southern homes have versions of the traditional bottle trees in their gardens. Originally bottles were hung in live trees or put on tree branch stakes driven into the ground.

For a while I had to use a mix of bottle colors because the cobalt blue ones can be hard to find. You can see in the image below that I had two shades of blue on it when this picture was taken. But my goal was always to have lots of cobalt blue bottles on my bottle tree.

Strolling through Publix a couple of weeks ago some cobalt blue bottles caught my eye on the water aisle. I stopped. Are they glass? Yes! I grabbed a four pack and took them home. The brand is Saratoga Sparkling Water and it is so good which is a bonus because I wanted to get quite a few more cobalt blue bottles for my bottle tree. Another bonus is that the glass bottles come in two sizes and the labels peel right off. I've linked them in Amazon in case you can't find them at your local grocery store. I mixed the two sizes on my bottle tree because the other bottles were a variety of sizes already.

My bottle tree has been in that spot by our little garden pond for over 20 years and I've had only 1 bottle break in all those years. I love how it looks with the light shining through the cobalt glass.

My "tree" is very basic. I used a 4x4 post that had been painted white and was already a little chippy. It has continued to weather over the years and I like that look. We used pieces of rebar as the "branches" to hold the bottles. We just drilled a snug hole at an angle and used a rubber mallet to drive the rebar in so it is secure. Then you simply slide your bottles on. That's it!

Here Comes FALL!

2023-09-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Fall truly begins at the end of this week and we have had a tease of less humid days here in the South. I love Summer so I let go of that season slowly. I have never decorated for fall before October 1 because Mollie's birthday is September 29th and I always wanted our decor to be all about her birthday party theme and not fall. She is now an adult and has informed me that I'm sticking to an "out dated" rule! So I might start pulling a few touches out next week. What about you? Do you wait for October or go by the equinox at the end of September? Or maybe you started being "fallish" weeks ago?

Here are a few of my favorite early fall touches (pictures from last year.)

I always ask for a big mum for my late September birthday and the first thing I buy myself is always the little white pumpkins. I can't stop myself. They are my favorite decoration. I prefer my mums in purplish tones, coral, peach or white. What about you?

Some years my greeter guy gets orange jack-be-littles if the white ones are hard to find. Putting the little pumpkins in my greeter guy by the front door is a favorite touch. Sometimes I call it my squirrel feeder because they run off with the little pumpkins.

Last fall I couldn't stop marbleizing my faux pumpkins! It was a fun addition to our fall look and I think they'll be back this fall. What's your favorite fall decor item?

I'll be sharing this years fall decorating on my Instagram account.

Happy Fall!

Decorating Trends for Spring 2023

2023-05-16T16:21:00.001-04:00

I am not a trend follower, per se, BUT when a prediction falls in line with my aesthetic I like to embrace it. I've shared my thoughts on the whole what's in and what's out thought process before (if you like it in your home and it works for you then trendy or not - you do you!!)

I piled one of my huge blue and white fishbowl planters with shells and coral last summer and I enjoyed walking past it in my entry way many times a day. A nod to the sea doesn't have to be a whole themed look. It can be a few shells (or a bowl full!)

BUT the reason I'm excited about this Spring trend forecast is that Veranda mag has predicted "Under the Sea" as a major design player moving in to Spring 2023. I am here for it. Already. And it isn't seasonal for me. I've shared my nod to coastal and shell decor many times before here and here. We can count on Veranda to share some beautiful, elevated coastal looks to inspire us.

I can't stop looking at this amazing room from the May/June issue of Veranda. It has so many amazing details and confirms my thought that you don't have to live at the beach to embrace your love of the ocean. This home is in the French countryside and belongs to designer Thomas Boog and his wife.

via Veranda

So many great design ideas to use in your own space. Another great source of inspiration for me is Amanda Lindroth. I just finished her Create Academy course and I can't wait to go through it again. She has just decorated a show house room that has everyone oohing and aahing. I wish I had seen it in person.

via Veranda

This pile of shells was on a concrete boat dock in the Bahamas about 10 years ago. I couldn't stop looking at the colors, textures and the sheer beauty of these rather large conchs. The meat had been harvested by divers (this was their livelihood) for the restaurant industry and the shells were a by-product they were hoping to sell for extra income. Yep, I helped them out. It cost me some overweight luggage fees but I have enjoyed those shells every day for over a decade. Pretty good investment if you ask me. I knew "under the sea" wasn't a trend for me so the investment was worth it.

I have moved them around through the years. They are currently lined up on top of some bamboo cabinets in my family room. The cabinets are filled with blue and white, coral that I've thrifted and some lighthouse replicas including Morris Island Light in Charleston.

Vintage shell boxes are a favorite of mine. I rarely see them when thrifting but I snatch them up if I do. The marbled clay pot is holding some pieces of a large vintage coral piece that I accidentally dropped and shattered. It was so fragile. I rescued the bits and I'll enjoy them this way now.

I'm slowly reclaiming the porch from the pollen and that is where I love to use seashell decor year round most of all. I've sorted a lot of my shells in to this old and worn three tiered silver serving piece. I had this one and it had a few worn places in it so I didn't mind putting it on the porch. I see pieces like this at thrift stores all the time. I love the juxtaposition of the silver and the textured shells.

Shells and palm tree and sandcastles. All thrifted.

As always I am a big fan of using items that are personal and memorable and not just purchased. Most of my shells have come from trips we've made. I have shells that I collected as a child mixed in with all the others. I've been a beachcomber since day 1!

What about you? Are you a shell collector?

Easter!

2023-04-09T08:19:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter!

I'm sharing a few favorite Easter images from my Instagram below and linking a few Easter-y blog posts below that. I hope your day is blessed with sweet memories and time with people you want to celebrate a glorious Sunday with. Happy Easter!

Chinoiserie Easter Tree

Favorite Easter Images through the Years

A Perfect Punch for Easter

Gather Up All the Pink and Red!!

2023-02-13T16:31:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day is about telling people you love them. I think it should be sweet and filled with kindness not stress about spending money on over the top gifts or flowers. I also decided a long time ago that I did not want to wait in lines or eat in overly crowded restaurants that night either. Valentine's celebrations, for us, have always been family events and simple but fun.

When Mollie was young she decorated with hearts she made and taped everywhere. We made hearts from wax paper and crayon shavings like my mom did with me and we often ate heart shaped pizzas we made at home. I would buy cannolis or a special dessert at the bakery because that is not my strong suit!

This year I pulled out everything pink or red and put it all together! On Valentine's Day it just works. I did create DIY red and pink marbleized chargers from some thrift store finds. Everything else (except the candy) I had on hand and most of it has been thrifted over time.

I didn't buy any fresh flowers but I did pull out a family heirloom glass compote that I fill with roses that I let dry when I do buy them. I love fresh flowers and I do believe you should treat yourself when you are able.

Tie a gingham bow on your every day items and suddenly they are fun!

I hope that you get to spend time with those you love but should you find yourself alone then treat yourself because you are worth it!

What Should We Call These Planters Anyway?

2023-02-07T07:33:00.000-05:00

I love them but we all seem unsure about what to call this style of planter!

Bust planters, statue planters, planter heads - I've seen all of the names. Whatever name we decide upon one of the most asked questions that I get on my Instagram is where do I find them?

There isn't a short answer except to say "Everywhere."

I'll explain... I have purchased mine all over the place, including Amazon, and in all kinds of shops. I look at thrift stores and antique malls. Garden shops are a good source. I've found a couple there. I have also found them at backroad concrete statuary places. In the middle of nowhere. You just never know. I'm going to link some from Amazon below. If you have free shipping it's a great place to start your collection. These can be heavy! Be sure to read the dimensions and also to check if they are made for outdoor use. I have mine inside and outside but some are strictly for indoor use.

The finish on this one is slowly chipping away but I don't mind it.

Choosing what "hair" to plant is always fun. Creeping Jenny is one of my favorites.

They are fun in every season. I've planted them with spring bulbs and pansies. The first bright spot in the garden.

They love a good holiday look!

I tuck them in everywhere.

So now that you see how much fun they are to have in the garden, on your porch or even inside here are a few that are easily sourced:

I have this guy!

I also have this pretty lady.

This bust planter of a young child is so sweet.

This one is a wall planter - so unique!

I have this one too. I didn't purchase her from Amazon but this is a good price. And these can be pretty heavy so if you have free shipping it helps!

I hope you find a planter that you like. Whatever we call them, they make great companions inside and out!