CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

My Seven Secrets for a Cozy Home

2026-01-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas season is over and it's time to transition to January. I have to admit that I am a big fan of winter (Yes...strange, I know) but that's mostly because I love the feeling of a warm and welcoming home! And now more than ever we need that cozy feeling! Sooo...I am going to share with you my best secrets for creating that cozy feeling...just in time!

1. Start at the door
Nothing says Welcome! like a pretty wreath at the front door! Add a warm feel by wrapping it in a thrift store sweater...instant coziness! And...this sweater wreath is easy to make and requires no sewing!

2. Add wintery décor
My house always looks so empty after the Christmas decorations come down, so I love to add some bits of wintery decorations to fill in the gap until spring. Pine cones, sweater snowballs and bits of pine gathered in a bowl are a perfect fit!

3. Perk up the indoors with simmering potpourri
With colder temperatures, it's impossible to open the windows to freshen up the air in your home, so try a pot of spiced apple simmering potpourri on the stove to give it the wonderful scent of an apple pie baking in the oven!

Or if you prefer, lemon and lavender add an instant fresh, clean scent...so welcome in a stuffy winter home!

4. Add lots of cozy pillows
Something about throw pillows just warms up a home, adding lots of texture and coziness! And nothing could be much cozier than a sweater pillow! Ready-made sweater pillows can be expensive, but a trip to the thrift store or an old favorite ready for a new life can yield all that you need to make your own!

5. Serve something warm to drink

Hot tea and cocoa are always the perfect winter beverages, complete with all the fixings and little snacks! And...you can even add a personal touch with your own DIY Sharpie mugs!

6. Cook up some comfort food

OK...I'm just going to say it...there is something so cozy about comfort food! However, it doesn't have to mean that it is high in calories! With a few substitutions, you can create lighter versions of your favorite winter recipes. One of mine is Weight Watchers chicken pot pie...and my family loves it, too!

7. Build a fire

And finally, and probably the best, is to use the fireplace as much as possible! For me, a fire in the fireplace is the ultimate in coziness! And, as you can see, even the cats agree! And I have to add here that we even used the Yule Log option on our cable channel all through the Christmas season...a crackling fire with beautiful music and no ashes to clean up!

I hope these little tips help you stay warm and cozy this winter!

Do you have any favorites of your own?

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A Country French New Year

2025-12-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

It’s almost New Year’s Eve and the end of another year. Our plans are small but we will still be celebrating! There will be no elaborate dinner...just immediate family. Sooo... I decided to share my New Year's tablescape from several years ago instead. It's one of my favorite posts from my Country French design series and it definitely has a French accent! It's rustic and simple and stars lots of texture with a generous helping of frenchiness!

And here it is! I started with a nubby painter’s drop cloth as a tablecloth and layered on my ruffled burlap table runner.

In the center is my favorite French galvanized container, a gift from a sweet friend, filled with lots of fresh greenery from the yard and a trio of cream candles. Tiny tartlet tins holding tea lights add a Scandinavian air, I think.

Don’t you just love how these little gems reflect the candlelight?

Mercury glass votive holders twinkle among the cypress branches that serve as a sort of natural table runner. And I have a secret that I am sharing…

These wonderful candle holders came from Dollar Tree! Yep…can you believe it? And they are just as pretty as the more expensive ones!

A burlap bow ties the branches together at the centerpiece, topped off with a mercury glass acorn ornament…a Walmart find from a few years ago.

At each place is a pewter-look charger and my favorite go-to plates, Felice by Chris Madden…a thrift store find at $10 for a set for four. I am using my pewter flatware…Octette by Gorham…and the matching goblets, along with some thrift store wine glasses. The over-sized French script napkins are actually tea towels that I found at World Market…love them!

At each place is a handmade New Year’s Eve party cracker. It’s very simple…just a paper towel tube cut into 4 inch sections and covered with a French script paper guest towel that I found at Jo-Ann’s several years ago. I tucked a lottery ticket and some imported candy inside each of them, then tied them off with a bit of organdy ribbon. Mine don’t actually pop but I found directions for making some that do here.

And there you have it…my Country French New Year’s tablescape! It will remind me of welcoming in the New Year with my French friends in a little village in Lorraine not so long ago. It's one of my favorite memories.

And just in case you missed any of my posts on previous topics in my Country French Design series, here they are…

My Favorite Tips for Adding Country French Style

Collecting…Country French Style

Country French Style…My Vintage French Favorites

Dining Outdoors…French Style

Decorating with Country French Fabrics

Using Vintage Silver in Country French Décor

How to Give a Chair Country French Style

Baskets…Country French Style

A Country French Christmas

Remember to pin it!

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5 Easy Accents That Just Say Farmhouse

2025-07-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

I admit it...I love farmhouse style! But I have one problem...my home just doesn't lend itself to full-blown farmhouse and a major reno is not on the horizon any time soon! Plus I am not so sure that I can abandon my love of Country French for shiplap and open shelving. So I have discovered a way to infuse that farmhouse look without a total commitment. I add decorative elements that suggest a farmhouse. Here are my five favorites.

1. TEXTURE
Baskets and other natural elements can add warmth and interest to your home. And the good news is that they are not expensive! I found this wonderful vintage demijohn at my local Goodwill for only $3.63!

I am fortunate to have a Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma outlet not too far away and this basket was another steal. I love how it corrals everything to create a simple centerpiece. Take note of the dough bowl because I am going to share more about it later.

2. GALVANIZED PIECES
When galvanized metal was first coming into fashion several years ago it was difficult to find. A good source for me was always the tractor supply store! However, now it's almost everywhere so I was able to easily find galvanized chargers and a long basket for the centerpiece in this farmhouse fall tablescape.

And it was the star of my farmhouse spring porch several years ago. I love the soft touch that it adds!

3. VINTAGE PIECES
I am very fortunate to have a few family pieces that I treasure and my grandmother's dough bowl is one of them! I love the softly worn glow of the wood worn down from years of making homemade biscuits!

And although these are not family pieces, I came across this vintage collection of my favorite Quimper pottery plates at a nearby antique shop and snatched them up for a song! The traditional peasant costumes just say farmhouse to me! That brings me to my next point...

4. COLLECTIONS
I love the layers that are added to a home when someone has bothered to seek out and collect a favorite. They add warmth and tell me about the personality of that person. I have several collections in addition to the Quimperware that I mentioned above. I also collect clay cookers, especially those with interesting designs.

And, of course, no farmhouse would be complete without a collection of classic blue and white! It reminds me of eating at my grandmother's kitchen table from her Blue Willow plates.
5. RUSTIC FABRICS
And finally, nothing says farmhouse more than simple, rustic fabrics, especially the humble but iconic grain sack which has come to represent all things farmhouse! It has been elevated to upholster chairs...

...and used to create throw pillows among other things. Can't find or afford the real deal? Then make your own!

It wouldn't be fall at my house without the rustic texture of my burlap table runner! And I admit that it often stays on my table through Christmas as well. You can find a tutorial for making your own here.

Unfinished edges and a generous ruffle add that farmhouse touch to these linen tea towels that double as oversized napkins.

I have to admit that I am enjoying the warmth and rustic feel that these inexpensive and easy-to-add accents bring to my home. And the really nice thing is that they add to my Country French décor without having to sacrifice it entirely for another style. So when I want a change in look, I just put them away. And I have to say that I am OK with not committing!

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