Sullivan and Murphy

Taylor’s Tool Turned Practical

2013-04-29T19:23:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday, after returning from the furniture market in North Carolina, I knew I’d better start hitting some yard sales to help fill the void left from sales in

my booth over the weekend; but around here, most sales aren’t held until Thursday.

So I messaged a friend of mine who has a vintage store in a nearby town to see if I could shop his garage, since I knew he would be holding a sale later in

the week. He invited me over and I had a field day picking over the merchandise that hadn’t made it into his store, Rusty NChippy.

He let me explore on my own, but also pointed out things that I had missed on my first pass through the garage.

You know how it is- you have to keep going back

over things multiple times to see things that you’ve missed the first few times you explored!

Well, I came home with the back of my SUV loaded with goodies to sell as is and some to “re-do.”

One of the items that came home with me was a tailor’s tool known as a skirt marker. Since I wasn’t wearing my “cheaters” and couldn’t see anything up

close, I couldn’t figure out what I had when I originally picked it up-

I just knew that it looked like an interesting piece of junque and I figured I could turn it into something worthwhile.

Here’s what the piece looked like before I transformed it-

Once I put on my glasses and could finally read the small print on the ruler,

I recalled that my sewing lady used to use one of these when she measured my skirt and dress hems.

For the life of me, I cannot remember how she used this tool, but I knew that I certainly wouldn’t be using it for the same purpose.

Since it stood upright so well, I figured I’d use it as a base for a sign of some kind.

Then I remembered that I had a mini chalkboard tucked away in a drawer in the laundry room, so I dug it out and put my little brain into action.

Yes, the chalkboard could easily fit behind the metal sliding piece on the ruler and I could have a simple sign!

Kinda blah looking and I wasn’t crazy about seeing the printing on the top of the wood, so I pulled out some Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan

and slapped on some Country Gray. Then I both clear and dark waxed it to look “olden and worn” and attached it to the

skirt marker with some hot glue.

What an easy peasy makeover that cost next to nothing to create!

You see, my friend Troy had thrown in this skirt marker as an added bonus to all that I had already bought from him. I had paid $1.00 for the chalkboard and

I only used a few brushstrokes of paint and a few dips of wax, so in my book- I had peanuts invested in it.

For those of you who have never heard that expression before- it pretty much means “nothing at all.”

I think my grandparents used to say that and the phrase stuck with me.

So there you have it~ my made-over piece of junque became something practical.

There is still an entire side of the garage full of stuff to be transformed with paint and decoupage.

I’m hoping to make a dent in it tomorrow if the sinusitis and bronchitis take a brief respite.

We live in what is known as Sinus Valley here in southwest Ohio and I’m draining big time, which makes me cough and sound like a seal.

Not an attractive sound!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Transformed Tuesdays

Tweak It Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Thrifty Things Friday

The Chicken or the Egg?

2013-04-25T11:14:00.001-04:00

This is the question that I ask myself every time I attend the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point!

Every market, it seems that industry gurus have been scouring the internet to see what DIY’ers and bloggers have been doing to decorate their homes.

Then they incorporate those ideas into their own lines, in some way, fashion, or form.

But on the other hand, I also ask myself if the general public gets inspired with what the industry initially shows

and then these inspired and talented people run with their own takes on these ideas.

So what really comes first- the chicken or the egg? Who really inspires whom?

Does the furniture and design industry solely influence people - or do we, as bloggers and DIY’ers, inspire the industry more than we know?

While perusing the showrooms last week, I saw lots of pallet furniture and accessories.

What used to be tossed away in the burn pile by retailers is now being used to manufacture accessory pieces and furniture,

as well as accessorizing walls in the showrooms.

Pallets were used as simple wall backdrops in this showroom, where the company’s sconces were mounted onto the wood boards.

In the blogging world, I think of Funky Junk Interiors and Debbie Doo’s, who have used pallets in many of their own projects.

Click on the links to see Donna’s post about pallet wood and Debbie’s pallet projects page.

Once again, the vintage theme was still very much in vogue at this market.

Flexsteel Furniture’s new line was inspired by a British company that also designs for a well known retailer here in the states.

The company used distressed looking leathers to accent their pieces and then designers accessorized their furniture collection with found objects such as

rusty automotive tools, vintage fans, old letters and books, and photography equipment.

Hmmm…. no wonder my nephew, who is a company rep, said the collection reminded him of me!

What a fun display of typewriter key art in the Wilcox Showroom.

They would most certainly be a great DIY project using simple paint can lids, don’t you think?

When I saw them, I immediately thought of Susie Harris, who creates and sells some great artwork of her own.

In the photo above, you can see that she created her own version of an old typewriter keyboard.

I recall that she was inspired by Pottery Barn. but I never think of PB when I see typewriter keys- I always think of Susie!

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More photos to come soon. It was not a truly inspiring market this spring. I saw lots of the “same ol’, same old thing.”

So much so, that I really didn’t go hog wild taking pictures. I didn’t take the good camera, either, so many of the shots are not of the best quality.

Plus, we were busy hoofing all over creation, trying to make our appointments on time.

You don’t take elevators unless it’s up to the 12th floor to work your way down. They are waaaay too slow to come and pick you up!

It can be time consuming when you take the steps and give your quads and hamstrings a good workout!

And then there was all the time that was spent eating the delicious catered food in the showrooms at lunchtime

and the drinks and hors d’oevres at cocktail hour…..

Linking to:

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Off to Market!

2013-04-18T16:35:00.001-04:00

Leaving early tomorrow morning for the High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina!

It might seem silly, but I always get giddy about seeing the latest and newest trends in furniture and accessories.

It will be a short turn-around trip- we go in, do our business, and come right home.

One of these days, I want to take some time to do some fun things when we go down there- like scoping out some great antique/thrift shops.

I’m certain we’ll see lots of cool and exciting new things in the showrooms and maybe even find a few new lines to carry.

I plan on shooting some photos on my iPhone- I’m not lugging a heavy camera this trip.

As it is, I always end up hauling a bag that weighs a ton even before I start picking up paperwork and samples.

My comfy flat shoes are already broken in and ready for lots of walking, but I know I’ll still be tired and achy at the end of the day.

Too bad I won’t be able to meet up with a group of bloggers who are attending market as members of the press.

Their itinerary and mine won’t mesh- they have some planned showroom visits long after I’m already on my way back to Ohio.

Hope they have a fun trip. It will be a little introduction as to what it is to be at market. Just without the work!

See ya when I get back!

Grain Sack Inspired Table Top

2013-03-24T13:23:00.001-04:00

I’ve been working on a little table project in my spare time for the past couple of days, readying some items for the vintage/décor booth that I will be moving

into during the first week of April.

Grain sacks have been very popular in home décor for a while now and I’ve long admired the handiwork of fellow bloggers who can sew up table runners

using vintage fabric.

A light bulb went on my little head a few weeks ago, giving me the idea that I could paint multiple red stripes to mimic the actual grain sack fabric

on a tabletop.

I had the perfect table in mind. It was a frugal find from two summers ago and it lent itself well to being transformed into a more current décor.

Here’s the table as it has looked since being used in my laundry room.

Its apron and legs were originally painted yellow and the table fit right into the sunny garden décor themed room;

but that décor has outlived its look and I’m looking forward to stripping the wallpaper and going much more neutral in this room.

Since I won’t be using the table in there anymore, I decided to sell it in the new booth that I’ll be moving into in April.

I’ve been itching to get a vintage/décor booth or shop of my own, so when the opportunity presented itself last weekend, I leapt at it.

I mixed up a custom color, using Chalk Paint ® by Annie Sloan.

The color turned out a bit less yellow than Old White, which was fine with me. I used Emperor’s Silk for the stripes and Graphite for the apron and the legs.

Then I plotted out where I wanted the stripes on the table top, measuring out from the center of the table and using quick release painter’s tape to create

the wide and narrow stripes.

The only time consuming part was waiting for the stripes to dry before taping over them and begin painting the stripes next to them.

I had a little bit of bleed-through on the tape edges, but once I sanded the stripes to give them an aged and worn look,

you really can’t tell that they are not all that perfect.

And I think the slight imperfections makes them look more authentic, anyway.

I had to do the painting inside, since the weather here as been so cold- 30º temperatures inside the garage are detrimental to the painting process,

not to mention being in conducive to comfort.

Of course, I couldn’t just show you a plain ol’ table top, so I dressed it up just a bit so you could see how it looks with a simple place setting.

Yes, I know I didn’t use silverware, but you get the idea, right?

I gave this topiary filled cloche some height with a stack of blue books. It brought a bit of spring into the dark foyer where I took these photos.

It’s a cloudy day and we're expecting another snowstorm today- with up to 10 inches predicted.

It is actually coming down like mad right now and I bet we WILL see that amount of snowfall by tomorrow morning!

I think I had better head out for the gas station soon so I can have fuel for the snow blower. No way I’m using the shovel with that amount of the white stuff!

An iron fleur de lis and a tiny red pitcher completed the simple vignette.

I hunted the pantry for some coordinating colors in the dinnerware and came up with these melamine plates and bowls.

This table would be perfect for a protected area outside, since the legs are wood and I’ve applied a wax finish to the tabletop.

It would be cute in a sunroom or breakfast room, as well.

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Mother Nature is Fooling Around…

2013-03-21T11:39:00.001-04:00

Years ago, there was a television commercial that featured Mother Nature tasting a margarine product When she learned that the product was not real

butter, she pitched a fit and cried out that it was not nice to fool Mother Nature.

Well, I believe she is fooling around with US this time, lulling us into the false belief that we’d be enjoying warmer temperatures and nice weather now that is

is officially spring on the calendar. Not nice of you, Mother Nature!

Our southwest Ohio weather is in the 20’s. brrr…. Adding insult to injury, there were snow flurries this morning.

Last year at this time, it was 80º out!

At least the sun has finally peeked through the clouds and the winds have subsided- for the moment, anyway!

My belief is that spring is still going to be a long time coming.

I was chomping at the bit to see a bit of color on my front door two days ago, so I placed a few bunches of faux flowers and greenery into a small

basket to hang on the glass. Voila~ instant spring to brighten our cloudy days.

The purple and orange flowers added such a fresh look to the cranberry red front door.

I’d love to see a new color on it this year. I’m so over the classic red and am thinking of a fresh new color such as Wyeth Blue.

There is a light coating of snow that still hasn’t yet melted from the warmth of the sun remaining on this display in one of the front beds.

The weatherman says we can expect scattered snow showers for the next week or so.

I’m wondering if he has an “in” with Mother Nature and is accurate with his prediction, or if he’s just trying to stay on her good side so we can all be

thankful to her when the temperatures finally do make it into the 60’s!

I hope it will be warmer in North Carolina when we go down for the Furniture Market in a few weeks. I always enjoy seeing those gorgeous azaleas blooming

everywhere. The city sets out potted flowers in many of the beds bordering the downtown buildings. It’s so nice to see spots of color in an urban setting.

Over the years, I’ve been fascinated with the pine straw mulch that they sit in, and I even contemplated using it for the front beds last summer.

But when I found out that the cost would be exorbitant to get it brought up here, I decided to stay with the shredded black mulch that I normally use.

My guess is that you southern girls just look at the pine straw as an ordinary and everyday fact of life for the garden beds. Is that true?

~~~

If you’re in the same boat I’m in with this cold weather, try to stay warm and cozy.

But if you’re enjoying sun and nice weather, celebrate the onset of spring and give thanks to Mother Nature.

If you’re being nice, maybe she won’t notice that I am silently cursing her…..

Springing Forth with Color

2013-03-09T12:35:00.001-05:00

Look what got added to my springtime vignette in the great room nook….

A pot of colorful daffodils to help brighten my day!

They were mere buds on Wednesday when I brought them home from the grocery store,

but since then, they have opened and brought a smile to my face.

Love the little trumpet smack dab in the middle of the bloom.

There are still more buds just waiting for a yellow explosion of color to bust through.

I’m sure they’ll open soon.

Do they make YOU smile?

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It will still be some time before I see little shoots of color making their way through the still frozen ground in our backyard.

Until then, these will more than suffice.

So much so, that I think I’ll be traipsing back to the market for a few more pots of color.

Maybe some tulips in lavender or red…..

Linking to:

Pink Saturday

Seasonal Sundays

Mosaic Monday

I Should Be Mopping the Floor

Home and Garden Thursday

Sharing Fresh Spring Accessories…

2013-03-05T13:10:00.001-05:00

Spring has sprung in another part of the house to help alleviate the doldrums of the remaining days of winter. This nook in the great room got a little shot of color with an spring inspired lithograph placed as the backdrop to the antique scale I often like to use in my vignettes.

I love the worn patina on its finish. The yellowed metal on the weight gives it so much character.

It just seemed fitting to use a wired birdcage cloche to cover this bluebird.

The marble scale base on this side of the scale was covered with a bed of sheet moss so that the bird could take up residence.

On the other end of the scale is a small nest filled with faux greenery, eggs, and a small bird.

This came to me by way of Cindy, who blogs at Dwellings.

I recently won her contest for a Ramsign address sign and this nest was also a part of the give-away.

Acrylic feet were to the bottom of the shell for stabilization.

I still have another shell that needs the same treatment- it keeps tipping over and it contents keeps spewing all over the table.

A tall cupcake cloche houses a small heart shaped rock.

The glare is certainly not sunshine- once again it is cold, cloudy, and overcast;

the back wall of the room just has so much glass that it wreaks havoc with reflections.

The green and gray rock makes a very simple statement all on its own….

To add in some natural greenery, I topped a recently faux-painted concrete column with a small potted plant.

It’s looking a bit spindly these days- our overcast winter days don’t seem to providing quite enough light for it.

I’ve periodically moved it around the house to try and give it more of a chance to grow;

but when I do that, I lose track of where it is and it doesn’t get watered.

An avid gardener I am not…..

At least the terra cotta pot is well on its way to looking aged and beautiful.

Clay pots take on a whitish cast as they age, due to the fertilizers and minerals in the water.

I’m contemplating rubbing a bit of moss and yogurt onto it to make it even prettier.

Looks better than a brand new, pristine clay pot, I think.

I’m eagerly awaiting spring’s arrival. Aren’t you?

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Sharing with:

Susan@BNOP Metamorphosis Monday

Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch The Scoop

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Courtney@ French Country Cottage 6 Days of Spring

Patty and Paula@ Ivy and Elephants What’s It Wednesday

Kim@ Savvy Southern Style Wow us Wednesday

Debra@Common Ground Be Inspired Friday

Donna@ Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

Simple Change to the Entry Buffet

2013-02-17T17:11:00.001-05:00

The entryway buffet has been looking a little sparse ever since I took down the holiday decorations back in January. In fact, it became a catch-all for all things “junk” and “discarded.” I could stand it no more, so as I was cleaning the great room yesterday, I borrowed a few items from around the house and created a new vignette for the entry.

I began with this basket from the great room and used it as the focal point for the buffet. The only thing I did was to change out the book, removing this rust colored one and adding in something a bit lighter in color.

Its cover is some undecipherable script- looks a little fancy schmancy….

And the orchid is still pretty, just as it was when it lived in the great room. How could it possibly look anything but good?

It is faux!

A stack of little blue books tied up with a ribbon just adds a little color to tie in with the wall of artwork going up the stairs.

I rounded up a bunch of no longer used keys and padlocks and placed them in this tiny silver bowl….

Where they sit in front of this blue seeded bowl filled with some faux greenery balls.

The bowl balances out the new clear seeded glass lamp that I ordered from Stylecraft Lamps at the last furniture market. The pair has been in one of the guest rooms since Christmas; but since I was tired of the bronze colored lamp that has been here for the past few years, I appropriated one for here, instead. Doing so gives the area a lighter, more contemporary look. Its mate found its home on the sofa table in the great room. That table will be getting a much needed make-over, as well.

Now that the tabletop is cleaned up and styled, I don’t think we’ll be plopping everything and anything on top of it anymore. I can tolerate the mail and my keys on it when I come in from outside, but it’s the scarves, gloves, coffee mugs, and all the “just plain junk” that have been the cause of my dismay and consternation. Can you tell that I’m anxious for the demise of winter and all of the accoutrements that go along with cold weather?

Linking to:

Favorite Things Blog Hop

Treasure Hunt Thursday

Home and Garden Thursday

Creative HomeAcre Hop

Cupid Love

2013-02-11T16:45:00.001-05:00

I needed a little pick-me-up on a cold and snowy day a few weeks ago, so I styled a simple cupid cloche in anticipation of Valentine’s Day.

The cloche was purchased at Home Goods last spring. I love its decorative metal base and the bird sitting on top.

Blow me a kiss, little cupid……

Looking for love, perhaps?

Who has your heart?

Linked to these Hostesses:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Valentine’s Party at Laurie’s

Décor to Adore Valentine Party

Be Inspired Friday at Common Ground

Take My Heart…

2013-02-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

For this Valentine’s Day vignette, I incorporated a few items from around the house.

I used a vintage mirror as the base for the display and placed a couple of pitchers on either side of a plant that is amazingly still alive after several years.

My brown thumb seems to have turned to green lately!

Two little pitchers in the appropriate colors for this holiday of love flank the plant.

They’re joined by glass and ceramic hearts.

This little pitcher really isn’t practical for everyday use- I bought it at a yard sale simply for its color and its cuteness factor.

The same thing goes for its companion white pitcher. Although, I have used this one on occasion as a creamer.

Here are the two hearts on the mirror.

I like that I can see a small reflection of the green leaves in this photo.

I’ve had this plant under a glass cloche for the past week and it has started to sprout little pink flowers.

It must be feeling healthy.

I never do anything special to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but this year the husband will receive a card filled with those little candy hearts he likes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linking to:

Laurie’s Valentine Party

Wow Us Wednesday

Treasure Hunt Thursday

A Much Needed Touch of Color

2013-02-07T14:10:00.001-05:00

In order to overcome the dreariness of our winter weather, I performed a quick decorating fix in our very neutral great room. The new Smith Brothers furniture arrived back in the fall, but I never showed any of the pieces. Then the holidays arrived, but I still never showed any part of the room except for the magnolia dressed mantel. So, here’s the room - finally- with its neutral gray pieces, along with the addition of some much needed touches of color.

I love Ikat and Suzani inspired prints so thought that these patterned pillows would be perfect in this room. The tufted back sofa was crying out for something besides the key patterned pillows that I ordered to accent its arms.

The blue in these two pillows is subtle and tends to read a bit on the gray side. I think adding in the muted yellow floral was the perfect foil to them.

I replaced the baker’s rack that was originally on this long wall with the buffet from the dining room. The ceiling is 18 feet tall and the room was simply crying out for a tall piece of furniture that would take up more vertical wall space. Now I’m looking for a replacement piece for the dining room- I’m thinking that I should look for an old buffet or china cabinet that I can paint.

A couple pops of green were added to the buffet with a Juliska vase and a boxwood topiary under a small cloche.

I found this old piece of tile at some obscure shop a few years ago and I try to add it into vignettes whenever possible.

Here’s my favorite accent chair in the room. It’s smaller in size than the pair of chairs on the opposite wall. Can you discern what the fabric is depicting? Look closely……

It’s a French street map! When I saw this fabric, I knew it would be absolutely perfect to cover this small chair. I had a pair of pillows made to be used on a pair of chairs in front of the entertainment center.

Here are the other chairs in the room, accented with the pillows in the map fabric. They’re actually quite comfortable, especially for being a more formal style of chair. The metal table between them was a Christmas gift from the husband. When we ordered it at the fall furniture market, I kinda had it in the back of my mind that I wanted it for myself, but then I forgot about it completely. So glad it was under the tree on Christmas morning! It replaced the leather stool that is now on the side of the chair.

The puffy moss ball that was on my vintage scale made its way over to the table to add a shot of color.

My glass cocktail tabletop received an addition of color with this orchid. What color, you ask? Well, in addition to the white~ the green from the leaves and the little buds, of course! I took this shot prior to adding in a small khaki colored book that you’ll see in the photo below.

Here we go….. So much better to have an odd number of items in the basket.

I need more time to practice, but I think this shot with my new 50 mm lens came out quite well.

I topped this ASCP painted table with a blue glass bowl filled with moss balls.

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This simple room re-styling gave me just the push I needed to get going on my own house decorating. I long for the coming of spring and the opportunity to start shopping estate and yard sales for some unique finds with which to decorate. I’m going to be on the look-out for some blue and white pieces to add to the room. Until then, I’ll be re-painting some rooms, as well as taking down some wallpaper.

So don’t come knocking at my front door unless you want to find me covered in paint spatters and dressed in some pretty unusual articles of clothing. Let’s just say that a pair of baggy old workout pants is part of my favorite go-to outfit. Think turquoise blue with lots of eclectic designs on them. Scary………………

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday

Mop It Up Monday

Wow Us Wednesday

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Tutorial Tips and Tidbits

Open House Party

Home and Garden Thursday

Fabulously Creative Friday

Icy Memories

2013-01-20T13:59:00.001-05:00

January always seems to be a month filled with icy, cold weather. It also brings to mind some great childhood memories of my friends and myself skating on a pond kept frozen until April by the shadows of a tall rocky mountain located a few miles outside of the town where I grew up in northern New Mexico.

Our little municipality had access to the mountains in under 15 minutes. I bet this might be surprising news to those of you who thought that New Mexico was just sand and desert! The northeastern part of the state gets to enjoy all four seasons.

We used to love to play “crack the whip” while skating on this frozen pond and we always knew to be especially careful not to get too close to the edge of the waterfall or risk going over. I think we were all pretty lucky that we never saw this happen- it WAS a long drop! Although unseen in this old photograph, there is a wooded clearing in the mountain. It was here that we would climb up the snowy hillside and then slide down in old truck inner tubes. What fun! We also built snow forts and held some serious snowball fights up on that hill!

And while I no longer like to be outside in that kind of weather anymore, bringing a touch of it inside for my decorating doesn’t seem to bother me.The memory of those icy days inspired me to put together a winter vignette on the great room buffet.

A black and white lithograph propped up against the wall became the backdrop for this cold weather inspired vignette. Several shades of gray are in two of the mats, along with the black middle mat; so the overall look is definitely neutral.

My vintage scale was placed off to one side of the tabletop and balanced on the other with a stack of Kraft paper-wrapped books and a crown-topped glass hurricane. Icy snowball candle holders and glass ice cubes completed the look.

A large cloche tops the faux snow covered marble plate. I used pearlized tree ornaments in a silver goblet to represent snowballs- remember I told you that we used to throw them at each other way back when? Glass ice cubes fill another piece of silver and a moss ball infuses just the right amount of color into the otherwise neutral vignette.

Here’s a shot of the scale weight showing off its gorgeous rusty patina.

These mossy pieces on this ball feel just as soft and cushion-y as they look.

A white penguin feels right at home surrounded by blocks of ice- albeit glass, under the glass hurricane.

I stacked some cubes in the background to represent the blocks of snow that we used to create the snow forts of my youth. The two glass candle holders look like icy snowballs to me.

Many of the items I used to create this tabletop were thriftily purchased at vintage markets or on clearance at some of my favorite shops in the area. I’m not adverse to spending good money on pieces that I know are worth it, but it always gives me such a good feeling to know I bought something “on the cheap!”

I think I’ve gotten back my mojo after having taken a few weeks away from my blog. I’m embroiled in several painting projects for myself and a client. It’s been nice not having to worry about “having to post,” but I hope to be spending a bit more time with it now. Also hope to be visiting more, as well. Thanks go out to those of you who wrote asking if I was still alive and well!

Linking to:

Front Door Greetings

2012-12-24T14:42:00.001-05:00

Sharing the entrance to our home decorated for the holidays….

I used natural greens for the garland surrounding the doorway. I started out draping the door frame with a single strand of white pine, but it looked way too straggly. I like a fuller, more lush look, so I added in some lacy chartreuse greens and a strand of of strung pinecones and sticks.

The ceramic garden candleholder urns have stayed in front of the sidelight since last year. They are designed to hold a single candle about halfway down the urn. When the candle burns, the holes in the urn dissipate the light and cast some great shadows.

On the opposite side of the door, my metal reindeer came out to play and I surrounded his neck with a collar of acorns, twigs, and berries. I tucked in a few sprigs of greenery to frou-frou him up, too. Doesn’t he have some great curly antlers?

We have exterior lighting that highlights specific features on the house façade, but because I wanted to see the garland in the two story entryway without having the porch lights turned on, I focused two of the spotlights more towards the door. I just tell people not to look directly into them so they don’t get blinded as they are coming out of the house!

I filled two urns with greenery, plopped grapevine trees onto them, then lit them with a strand of golden lights.

We’ll be having more company after Christmas Day, so this décor will stay up until the second week of January. I hope the garland stays fresh and doesn’t shed all of its needles. I keep forgetting to go out and spritz it with my water bottle. It’s gotten rained on numerous times, so I guess that has helped. Southwest Ohio winters are notorious for providing us with downpours. Very strange for me, coming from New Mexico, where we never saw rain in the winter- just lots of snow!

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Here’s wishing all of you

very Merry Christmas!

Sharing with:

Red, White, and Blue Holiday Basket

2012-12-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

When I found this metal basket at a Tipp City antique mall last month, I knew that it would be perfect for Christmas, all filled with greenery. My dilemma, however, was a theme. Why I think I have to have some sort of direction to follow, instead of just rolling with the flow, is just another quirk in my personality. Knowing that I wasn’t going to decorate an old fashioned country tree this year, I pulled a few out ornies out of a storage box that were what I termed to be Americana. Yes, I was going to put together a patriotic red, white, and blue basket.

I set the filled basket on top of a vintage wicker hamper that was a barn sale find in Granville, Ohio several years ago. The hamper’s latest home is now at the end of the kitchen island and it seemed the perfect spot for my holiday basket.

I used a wooden soldier as the backdrop to the basket. This guy is dressed in full regalia, topped with one of those pompadour helmets. It’s amazing how long he’s been around. I can remember buying him back in the early 80’s, when country décor was so popular.

I wanted to be able to see the Fraser fir greenery in this display, so I only inserted a few items into it. A few flags, some glass balls and some country themed ornaments were the perfect amount of things to bring this themed basket to life.

Uncle Sam’s hat, with its stripes and stars, was a purchase for one of our first themed trees about 30 years ago.

Another toy soldier sits among the red, white, and blue….

I had to tuck in some more Americana in the form of some napkin rings perfect for Independence Day. I found a set of eight at a yard sale a few summers ago and they only cost me a buck. The flag on the left is constructed out of a crinkly paper whose name escapes me and the small one on the right is made out of wood.

Shiny red, white and blue glass balls….

A glazed, ceramic star and another of the napkin rings….

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Thinking of my hairdresser’s son currently in the military and serving overseas is what finally gave me the inspiration to put themed basket together. He will be away from home and his family for the first time this Christmas. Please keep all of our troops in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.

Mississippi Magnolia Mantel

2012-12-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

I wanted to keep this year’s holiday decorations much simpler than in years past, so I just left my moss-filled urns in place and filled in the top of the mantel

with two different kinds of greenery.

But the mantel didn’t get fully dressed until I received a special gift from blogging friend, Teresa Parsons, from Our Southern Country Home and Farm.

I had commented on one of Teresa’s recent blog posts about her own fireplace mantel, telling her that she was so lucky to live in the south and have access

to unlimited magnolia cuttings.

She then e-mailed me back to say that she would be happy to cut some more branches and send them to me.

I took her up on her offer and I received my box of Mississippi magnolia branches a few days later.

Was that not one of the most generous offers you’ve ever heard of?

So when you’re done here, pop on over to her site to see her gorgeous mantel as well as an adorable photo

of her dog, Sophie, and Santa Claus.

I took these photos of the mantel at the blue hour, so there is a bit of a yellow cast to them as the sun was rising.

You can see that I kept things balanced and placed the bunches on leaves in three spots on the mantel.

Then I filled in with some large pinecones and a couple of votive cups.

When I stood back to see my handiwork, the fireplace still seemed a bit empty;

so I swagged a long strand of clear beads from one end of the mantel to the other.

I think it made all the difference as far as completing the look I was after.

I just love the symmetry of the branches and the glossiness of their waxy leaves.

Can you see that lovely blue cast to the sky outside the window?

Here’s one of the giant, spiny pinecones tucked within the greenery.

This is another view of the fireplace looking from the opposite direction.

I placed my stenciled cheese box on one side of the hearth. It’s topped with two trees I found last month at a church holiday sale.

I paid $6.50 for the pair. A bargain, if I say so myself….

The ceramic angel is a vintage find from last year.

A garden lantern balances the opposite side of the hearth.

I placed four battery-operated grunge candles into the holders. They really do flicker this warm, golden color.

~~~~~

Now that my head has stopped spinning and the vertigo has gone away, I’ll be able to finish editing my photos and get them posted.

I have never been this late showing my home all dressed for the holidays!

The trees pretty much all look the same- changing the themes for all of them every year could get expensive.

I didn’t put up the 12-footer this year.

When I got my new furniture for the great room, I re-configured its placement and there was no room at all for that big,fat tree.

But eight trees still made an appearance. Big, small, minis…..

You’ll see them soon!

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Holiday Decorated Kitchen Hutch

2012-12-03T10:15:00.001-05:00

Styling the kitchen hutch is always fun and creating a theme it for the Christmas season makes it all the more special.

I nearly always display everyday white dinnerware on it, then add other patterns to accent it. I didn’t deviate from this method for this year’s holiday styling.

This Christmas season, I added a set of luncheon/dessert plates with a rocking horse theme into the mix.

These plates and mugs were my first set of Christmas dishes and were purchased the first Christmas after we moved into our new house.

They’re perfect for serving appetizers and desserts, as well as for sipping hot spiced cider or coffee.

The rims of the plates and mugs are accented with white poinsettias- my favorite color for this holiday plant- and small bugles tied up in red ribbon.

Now before I show you anymore of the hutch, I want to refresh your memory as to what it looked like before I made a little transformation to it.

I never liked the brown paneling that was the back panel of this piece of furniture.

I contemplated replacing it with beadboard, but never seemed to get around to it.

At one point, I went so far as wrapping cardboard inserts with fabric and placing them in the two lower shelf areas of the hutch.

When I tried to install the top shelf where the plate rail is, the insert wouldn’t fit without bending the cardboard out of shape.

The rails couldn’t be removed because they were built into the frame of the cabinet, so the attempt was a lost cause.

That was two years ago and I just have lived with the situation.

That was, until this past weekend, when I spotted some wonderful wrapping paper at my local Marshall’s Store.

Paper is much more easily maneuvered than stiff cardboard, so it was the perfect solution to creating an interesting background.

Here’s what a roll of $3.00 paper looks like…..

It’s a musical staff in a neutral Kraft paper look-alike. The rolls were such a bargain that I bought 3 other patterns.

And I don’t think I’ll be wrapping any presents with them, either!

So this is what the wrapping paper now looks like as the background for the hutch’s shelves.

I think it’s perfect for the holiday season!

It took me a while to measure twice and cut once so the inserts would be just the right size for the shelf backgrounds, but the time was so worth it.

I love the shape of this little white tureen that I found while out thrifting a few years ago.

I simply surrounded it with some greenery to take away the starkness.

It needed a lift to match the height of the dinnerware on the opposite side of the shelf,

so I just placed it on top of a small suitcase.

Here’s the stacked dinnerware on the other end of the shelf. It’s my go-to white Gibson stoneware purchased before

Old Time Pottery closed its Dayton location. Now, the nearest location is in Columbus- I really need to make the trip to see

what goodies I can find.

To the right of the stacked plates, I used greenery and berries in these little “vases.”

Except, they really aren’t miniature vases….

They are the tops to glass decanters turned upside down and filled with water to keep the greenery fresh.

They were a thrifty find from the booth of my friend, Jean, who is also my stockist for Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint.

In the center of the shelf, I used the dinnerware serving platter as the backdrop for a framed Scherenschnitte picture.

Adding a touch of vintage are these wooden spools.

I have a large stash of these and they come in so handy as filler material and candlesticks.

I had to include a little touch of whimsy to the tabletop with this game.

It’s a little framed picture with five little steel balls that you have to maneuver into holes,

without dislodging the other balls that may already be in their place.

Do any of you remember these things?

I always seemed to get a cheaper version of them in my box of Cracker Jack’s when I was a kid.

The middle shelf of the hutch is is only 15 inches wide and it was just enough room for this ball-filled cloche.

Before I forget, I have to show you the new knobs I put onto the drawers and doors.

The original knobs were plain wooded ones, stained to match the brown paneling. Not very pretty….

Why did I wait so long to change them out, I’m wondering?!

Continuing the rocking horse theme on the top of the hutch is this guy.

This stained wooded rocking horse once graced our son’s room when he was a baby.

I’m happy with the holiday look.

Now I just need to get the room’s Christmas tree up and decorated.

I have three trees completed so far, but many more to go.

And then there’s the mantel that’s awaiting some real southern magnolia branches……

Halloween Fun

2012-10-30T17:30:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Halloween on Sunday since the official holiday falls on a weekday this year. We had a group over for an old fashioned meatloaf and mashed potatoes meal and a long night of sitting around the fire pit. A lot of wine was consumed and some people got a little rowdy! And no- not me!

I was the hostess with the most-est, making sure that everyone else’s glasses were full. I do believe we went through a dozen or so bottles! That and a big pile of wood. That fire was roaring!!

The table was set very simply and included a “tablecloth” of black netting and cobwebs.

The candelabra was lit with orange tapers and cast an eerie glow to the room when it was fully dark.

All sorts of creepy crawlers surrounded the silver tray in the middle of the table. Here, we see a green creepy crawler being nibble up

by a giant sized spider. Not very appetizing to us, but to the spider, I’m sure it was a good meal!

Several snakes entwined themselves around the base of the candle holder, but they were a quiet duo- they didn’t even hiss at anyone.

This fellow, although he met with a bad demise, certainly took good care of his teeth.

Not a cavity to be seen…….

Miniature bats burrowed into the netting and cobwebs.

This raven seemed determined to snatch morsels of bread crumbs from the diners, while the red-eyed rat in the background went after the spider on the tray.

Keeping watch on us during the dinner hour were fluorescent skeletons on the chandelier.

I wouldn’t want to encounter this guy and the rest of his friends anywhere else in the house!

People were fascinated by all of the crows perched throughout the house.

The baker’s rack in the great room has a bird, bat, and witch theme going for it.

A careless witch left behind her pointy shoe as she attempted to fly off on her broom the night before the party.

Here’s the old witch stirring around in the kitchen.

Perhaps it was this fellow who scared her as he darted in front of her on his way to what he thought was an appetizing meal of white cheddar cheese.

Do you think he ate it or did he get away?

I’m now wondering if that witch is setting up shop in our house in preparation of the witching hour tomorrow, because she also left behind her bottles of magical potions.

Bats have invaded our humble abode and are roosting in boxes and hanging everywhere.

Even the crows are keeping a watchful eye on those winged creatures of the night.

The fireplace is dressed very simply for fall and Halloween.

A smiling cat tassel hangs inside the lantern on the hearth.

He has a Cheshire cat appearance to him, don’t you think?

His cousin seems to have planted himself amongst the potted plants.

This scavenger crow fancies himself quite dapper with his scarf and his jewelry.

He rests on top of a container of hedge apples on the mantel.

And on a more whimsical note are these happy spiders hanging from the breakfast room chandelier.

They aren’t menacing or threatening in any way!

~~~~~

The trick or treaters will be coming out within the hour. Our municipality hosts Beggar’s Night on untraditional dates!

I’m debating if I should get my makeup on and look like the picture below!

Or do you think I’ll scare the little buggers off?!

Happy Halloween!!

I just finished treating the neighborhood beggars and wanted to show a few more pics.

Although it’s difficult to tell- there are ghost lights surrounding the doorway. I had a strobe light

flashing wildly and the kids loved it. Howling banshee sounds and

eerie organ music emanated from the upstairs windows

as the rain fell gently and the winds blew cold.

Jack came out to play in the form of a hanging lantern on a shepherd’s crook.

I loved this silhouette of the witch in the birch tree along the walkway. One five year old said it was a little scary,

but since he was dressed as a knight in shining armor, he told his dad t hat he’d be brave!

Out of the mouths of babes!

And here’s a night vision look at the table I re-set for tonight. Oops, I think a ghostly apparition may have moved the knife in the place setting a wee bit out of place.

Yikes!

~~~~~

Linking to:

Fall Furniture Market

2012-10-21T12:36:00.001-04:00

.The furniture market was such a whirlwind trip last week that I only manage to pull out my camera a few times.

I had planned on showing you fun and inspirational things in the accessory lines, but hobbling around on sore feet, getting from one showroom to the next turned out to be the

number one thing on my mind! When your feet hurt, your entire body aches!

Come next year’s spring market- I WILL be wearing comfy, flat shoes!

Most of the color schemes I saw for upholstery goods were neutrals. Off-whites and grays accented with colorful pillows and throws.

A lot of manufacturers used contrast welting for a more finished, tailored look.

I certainly loved this handsome blue trim and the Ikat print pillows on the sofa.

I made myself at home in these extraordinarily comfortable chairs. Every time the rep would stop and give us a pitch, I’d find a comfortable place to sit down and rest my feet.

Why stand when I can take a load off?

I’m actually thinking of ordering one of these chairs as an accent chair for the newly furnished great room.

Here’s another neutral sofa. It’s paired with a large checked chair and a brightly colored upholstered ottoman.

Gray was still really a hot color!

This leather chair with nickel nail heads was just gorgeous. It could easily lend itself to a contemporary or a transitional room.

I liked the embossed pattern in the leather because it adds so much more interest than a plain finish.

This lamp just cracked me up! Although I like the base, the height of the shade is just a tad (?) too tall, wouldn’t you say?

This showroom had some of the most colorful case goods. Check out the metal top and the ginormous legs on this table,

as well as that chippy white buffet.

I loved the statement these 15 mirrors made on this wall. It’s a look could easily be duplicated very frugally.

Tara Shaw’s space was a feast for the eyes once again. The chandeliers were absolutely gorgeous, as was the entire line of furnishings.

And check out this circular staircase! Yes…. it was a piece that could be ordered.

Here’s a look that many of you will recognize. It’s a replication of a treadle base on an old style sewing machine.

Wouldn’t the pattern on this chair make a great wall stencil?

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I have a few more photos that still need to be edited. They’ll make part two of the market post soon.

Today will be my day to put my feet up and relax. I don’t know why I have such issues with my tootsies!

Two days ago, I stubbed my big toe on one of the flagstones in the backyard and it really got jammed up.

I immediately iced it, but the toe and the entire top of my foot swelled up and turned black and blue, nonetheless.

At least I didn’t get double whammied and have this happen to the foot that has multiple blisters on it from all that market walking!

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Cloches for Fall

2012-10-16T14:21:00.001-04:00

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Putting together a few cloches in the great room has been in the works for a few weeks now, but time just got away from me and I never got around to it until last night.

I was in the middle of unpacking from our buying trip at the High Point Furniture Market when I remembered that I had planned on linking to a cloche party.

So I stopped cold in my tracks and ran around the house looking for things to display. Now, it normally takes me hours to dream things up and then get them organized-

but knowing I was under the wire for time, I decided to just make it easy on myself and create two simple displays for the great room and one for the front entry.

This sofa table is usually behind the sofa- hmmm….wonder why it’s not there now? When my new great room furniture was delivered last month,

I moved it here on the long wall, where the baker’s rack and two large mirrors used to be. That left me with one wide wall to fill.

To start with, I leaned a large contemporary piece of art on top of the table top.

I hung the wall sconces today after seeing how bare the wall looked while I was editing these photos. The wall just needed to be “beefed up.”

Since the ceiling in this room is 18 feet tall and the room is almost 25 feet long, it requires a lot of “stuff” to fill the wall area. It’s still looking a little bare right

now, but I’ll be adding more accessories to fill in the wall area all in good time.

I ordered the sconces at the spring furniture market and they’ve been sitting in a closet ever since they came in. I do believe I am a procrastinator…..

I was a little dismayed that I had to make numerous screw holes in the walls while trying to hang them. Seems that the slots in the backs of

the sconce frames are not in the same places, so my measurements were completely off. I’ll have to sand my all of my patches before the walls get painted again.

But since I have that procrastinating problem, I’ll have plenty of time to get to that chore…..

Here’s the cloche I put together. Its base is somewhat unusual…..

Can you guess what it is?

I know that my friend Debby thought I was absolutely bonkers when I bought it at the Rural Society sale at the beginning of the month. Are you laughing now, Deb?

Going along with the brush theme, I filled the cloche with like items…..

My Annie Sloan waxing brush, a stained chip brush, and a pouncing brush that I use for faux painting techniques.

The addition of some colorful leaves off the tree in the side yard completes the look.

Simple and oh so quirky!

If you haven’t already guessed, the base for my cloche is an old polishing brush used in an industrial floor waxer!

Uh huh…. I think outside the box, wouldn’t you say?!

I’m sure they don’t manufacture brushes like this anymore and I’m imagining that this one got a lot of use shining up some floors in a commercial building.

Underneath the sofa table, I filled a wire basket with the leaf balls I created three seasons ago. The tutorial for them is on my sidebar, if you’re interested.

The vignette on top of the entertainment center received only a subtle change.

Where the tobacco basket once was propped against the wall, I filled the space with a wide bunch of twigs in a bark vase.

Actually, the twigs are inside a weighted glass container and the bark vase was placed over it. I bought this at the spring Vintage Market in Springfield from

the vendor, Sobo Style.

There’s a lot of interest in this piece. It’s simply bark scraped off of a tree trunk.

To the right of the twigs, I placed a glass dome on top of a book. Easy peasy….

The dome is filled with bark shreds off of our sycamore tree in the backyard.

That tree sheds heavily during the summer and there are shards of bark all over the place. What a messy tree!

The husband collected a bag full of them because he thought I should create something with them.

Not being much of a crafter, I decided to display them under glass, instead. Much easier….

The bark has such interesting texture and coloration.

The last of my cloche creations was a no brainer. I had bought a white owl while out on my foray with Debby after we left the Rural Society sale. We drove into Newark and hit the White Cottage shop. I loved that place when she took me there last fall, so I knew I’d have to make a trip there since it was so close by.

Now who couldn’t resist this sweet little face?

He got plopped into an old bed spring found at a yard sale and placed on one side of the fantastic scale I found in a Tipp City antique mall.

I used three miniature white pumpkins to balance out the other side of the scale.

Some of you may have already seen this cloche in the great room before, but I thought I’d include it because I just love what’s under it.

I purchased this small turtle shell from an antique dealer last year and its placement never strays far from this table.

The husband says it reminds him of our son’s pet sea turtle and kinda gives him the creeps!

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Hope you’re enjoying beautiful fall weather like what we’re having here in SW Ohio today.

I need to get out into the backyard and pull out the wilted annuals that didn’t make it through the frost we’ve had recently.

While we were in North Carolina over the weekend, a storm blew through and the yard is littered with colorful leaves and lots of tree branches.

Linked to:

Simple Server

2012-10-11T10:50:00.001-04:00

The campaign style server in the dining room seems to stay simply accessorized throughout the year, and this fall is no exception.

There is always a trio of pedestals on the chest, but for this display, I removed one and replaced it with a metal vase filled with sunflowers.

The addition of a cut glass compote filled with sweet-smelling fall potpourri completed the simple look.

The two buffet lamps by Stiffel were ordered at market many years ago, before the look became popular years later in all the discount stores

like Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, and Home Goods. These are quality lamps and very heavy, unlike less expensive versions.

I’ve used them throughout the house and they finally settled into their home on the server a few years ago.

I think that nothing says fall more than sunflowers, so some faux silks were added for bright color.

The alligator-like texture of the vase is simple, yet intriguing.

I got into a cut glass collecting mode several years ago, so now I have a gigantic collection of compotes, trays, and bowls gleaned from yard and estate sales.

They’re perfect for finishing out table displays and come in handy as serving pieces, as well.

I wish you could smell this fragrant potpourri composed of bits and pieces of dried sunflowers.

It is sweetly scented, yet not over-powering.

When displaying these pedestals, I’ve always had two of them standing upright and one of them lying on its side.

It always cracks me up when people come into the room then ask me if I’m aware that one of them has fallen. Some of them even take it upon themselves to stand it up.

And I know that the cleaning lady thought I was nuts, but she finally figured out that it should be replaced to the same position after she dusted the tabletop!

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The next few days will be busy ones. We’re headed out for the furniture market in North Carolina tomorrow and I’m anxious to see all the new fall arrivals in furniture and accessories.

I should have some photos in my next post. The weather is expected to be clear and crisp, so I’m hoping to see some gorgeous autumn colors along the drive down to High Point.

Have a great weekend.

Linked to:

Bounty Filled Bulb Tray

2012-10-01T13:40:00.001-04:00

My decorating style runs the gamut from contemporary to traditional to industrial, and even just a little country primitive.

I incorporated several of those styles into my fall display in the kitchen this year, using a large,vintage bulb tray as the starting point.

There is a multitude of different items in this display, but the focal points are the sweet fabric pumpkins that I ordered from my blogging friend, Angie,

who I actually got to meet in person at the spring show of the Vintage Marketplace in May.

She recently posted that she had sewn some pumpkins from vintage fabrics for sale, so I placed an order for a few of them.

The white pumpkin is made from a nubby chenille fabric that reminded me of a bedspread that you’d see back in the 1950’s.

The smaller white pumpkin has been aged to look worn, while the dark pumpkin in the back is made from brownish-black fabric that looks really old!

Here is the smallest green pumpkin on top of a large wooden spindle.

At the base of the spindle, I layered some metal gear plates from a long since torn apart car engine. These were a yard sale find earlier this summer.

Over-sized wood dominoes were laid haphazardly in from of the gears.

Now we all know that cornucopias are associated with fall’s harvest bounty,

so I created my own version of one, using an old tin funnel that I filled with gourds and a small white pumpkin.

Hardly traditional, but it’s quirky- just like me!

This primitive crow on a stick fits right in with the look. I used two of them in this display. They’ll stick around through Halloween, I’m sure.

I simply propped them upright into one of the holes in the gears.

This “Love” pillow cushion is nestled in between the three pumpkins.

The other three pillow cushions surround the wood spindle on the opposite side of the bulb tray.

An ornamental pepper bush with red and purple chiles adds some vibrant color to this table display.

A more subtle green tone comes from this sprig of dried hydrangea from our garden.

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I’m still working on the fall decorating and want to get it out so I can enjoy it before I have to start thinking of Christmas! That season comes so soon after this one, or so it seems!

Working outdoors has taken precedence to the inside of the house, so I’m really behind in my autumn fluffing.

Over the weekend, I found out that I’m once again battling a mole problem.

I had them under control in the backyard, but now, they have invaded my newly planted landscape beds in the front yard.

Bumpy tunneling trails are ruining all of our hard work, so I’ve called in the critter guy from my lawn service to help out, once again. I don’t like these pesky varmints, so I certainly

hope they will be eradicated soon!

Linking this post to:

Lori’s Pumpkin Party

Jennifer Rizzo’s Impromptu Fall Link-Up The Style Sisters Centerpiece Wednesday

Colorful Fall Entry

2012-09-20T10:53:00.001-04:00

Although I planted my mums in the urns outside our front door a few weeks ago, I procrastinated and didn’t finish off the entry until this week. I had spotted some corn stalks at a roadside fruit farm while running errands on Monday, so I stopped to buy a bundle for $7. The pumpkins and gourds at this place weren’t selling their pumpkins and gourds at a bargain price, so I made my way to another fruit farm just down the road from me. Sure enough- they had colorful fall bounty for good prices.

I always like to incorporate some green and white into the fall décor, so the patty pan squash and the striped gourd fit the bill perfectly. The small traditional orange pumpkin is the perfect foil for them and the bright yellow mums. The mums are a little spindly- they were $3 bargains from one of the big box stores. If I water them with a Miracle Grow mixture, maybe they’ll fill out quickly. If not…. Well, that will be okay, too. I tend to forget to water my front door plants and they dry up really fast in the hot eastern exposure.

Flanking the front door on the opposite side are some more cornstalks, my candle urns and some more pumpkins. I added an ornamental kale from a nursery down the road. Too bad my “Welcome” sign is slightly obscured by the stalks, but maybe people won’t notice.

I love the variegated colors in this kale and the knobby goodness of the gourd beside it. Nature certainly is interesting. I was glad to find a gray pumpkin to add into the mix. They are hard to find around here and the prices are usually pretty steep, as well.

This basket of faux fall pretties is the same one that I used last year. I like its fullness and the variety of flowers in it, but it’s so large that it’s difficult to get past it to enter the foyer! I’ll be getting into the attic this afternoon to hunt for a smaller basket that I can fill with some sunflowers. Then this basket can get moved to one of the back patios.

I think everything here makes a nice presentation to welcome guests into our home. I put together one other planter which I placed between the garage doors. It needs a little more tweaking, though. And my intention is to buy some more gourds and pumpkins to make the planter look more “fall-ified.”

By the way, did anyone notice that the mums in my urns are a different color than the ones I showed a few weeks ago? Well, the red ones that were planted in there died. When I planted them, I tried to offset the amount of soil in my urns with some balled up plastic bags. This method has always worked for me in the past; but, apparently, I didn’t ball up the bags well enough and they flattened out. Every time that the flowers got watered, the plastic prevented the excess water from draining through the holes at the bottom of the urns. Those gorgeous red mums died a slow drowning death and I had to replace them. This time I just left the plants in their own containers. I removed the flattened plastic bags and replaced them with plastic peanuts- so much easier for the draining process! Good thing I save those suckers whenever I receive a shipped package. They’re not fun to store- they take up so much room- but they sure come in handy for filling pots and saving topsoil. Too bad I didn’t remember to use them the first time I planted my mums!

Linking to:

There’s been a change in the weather and also in the kitchen hutch…..

2012-09-16T15:21:00.001-04:00

There has been a dramatic change in the weather and I do believe fall has finally come to southwestern Ohio. The days are sunny and bright- with no humidity- and the nights have been cool and crisp. It’s definitely my favorite time of the year! Although I’ve been a busy bee, I finally made some time to change out a few things in the house and “fall-ify” it. Yes, my word…. Fall-ify. Definition~ make things look more comfy, cozy, and warm for the season.

I began my fall transformation by removing all of the white dishes from the summer decorated hutch and replacing them with the typical greens and rusts of autumn.

Before:

After:

I left the existing accessories on the top of the hutch until I can find something to replace the white platter in the center. I figure that the white rooster tureen can stay and co-exist just fine with the remaining items. The first shelf isn’t very deep and doesn’t allow me to do anything but rest a few plates behind the plate rail. In fact, the bowls in front of them just barely fit. Of course, they are chunky soup bowls!

The green bowls and plates were an inexpensive find during Kroger’s fall clearance last year. I paid 75¢ apiece for eight green plates and bowls, as well as the same number in rust. These rust leaf plates and bowls came from Wal Mart a few years back. Not certain where the rooster pitcher came from, but it matches very well with the other dinnerware.

The hutch’s second shelf area isn’t very wide, but it is taller than the first shelf. I propped a framed picture against the back wall and used a tarnished trophy cup and a rust colored bottle to accent it.

When I bought this bottle for 10¢ at a yard sale, I was intrigued with its odd color. I think I’ve only used it one other time in a display- it’s not something that readily goes with a lot of things!

The silver is worn off this cup so badly in places that I simply can’t get it to shine the way I’d like it to. Oh well, I guess it shows more character this way. See the tiny cloches? I still need to put some putka pods under them. Putka pods are simply what most people call those orange “mini-pumpkins.”

I placed the remaining green and rust plates on one end of the buffet top and finished off the top by adding a pumpkin tureen, a thriving plant from outdoors, and a few found objects. Simple, but it does say Fall.

This old sewing machine drawer was the perfect spot for adding in a cut glass creamer filled with silver knives from an old hotel in Santa Fe. The wicker wrapped bottle was a find from a barn sale two years ago, and the silver baby cup came from a yard sale.

So there we have it- one “fall-ified” hutch. Now that this is done, I’m anxious to get the rest of the fall décor out. The floor in one of the guest rooms is littered with boxes of “stuff” that needs to be placed in vignettes. My next chore is to dust, first! I admit to being very lax in my house cleaning duties. lately. You can’t put “pretties” onto tabletops that have a thick coating of dust on them…. Lately, I’ve spent most of my free time outside. I don’t profess to be a gardener, but I sure have been tending the landscape beds this summer! In fact, I’d like to pot some mums, pansies, and cabbages in the front yard.
Fall-ification is in the air!

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Anticipating Fall….

2012-08-30T15:27:00.001-04:00

While doing a bit of shopping at Wally World last week, I came upon some pots of mums in the garden center that were just budding out. I admit to being someone who looks forward to fall and cooler weather; so I listened to the call of the Sirens and I bought six pots to plant in the urns in the front entryway.

After a week’s watering, they now look like this-

They’re filling out nicely, I think. I even inserted a few blooming plants that remained from my spring/summer pots. I couldn’t bear to pitch them- they still had pretty blooms on them. I’m not even sure what they are- I picked them up because I’ve just always liked the fact that they looked like little roses.

Here’s a closer look at one of them. Can anyone tell me what this is?

I like this shot because it shows a bit of moisture clinging to the flower petals and glistening in the sunshine. If you look closely at one of the flowers, you can even see a bit of a spider web across the top of the center.

Considering that they were only buds a mere seven days ago, I think the plants have done well, don’t you?

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I am so anxious for the temperatures to fully change so we can enjoy warm, sunny days in the 60’s and 70’s. These 90º temperatures we’ve been enduring here in SW Ohio have been brutal! Just to let you know how I ‘m rushing the onset of autumn, we actually had a fire in the fire-pit one evening last weekend. It was still a bit warm for it, but at least the smoke kept the mosquitos at bay. Those suckers have been viciously biting me all summer. Here’s to roasting some more oooey-gooey marshmallows and making some S’mores with them.

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Anticipating Fall….

2012-08-30T07:31:00.001-04:00

After a week’s watering, they now look like this-

Here’s a closer look at one of them. Can anyone tell me what this is?

Considering that they were only buds a mere seven days ago, I think the plants have done well, don’t you?

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