Winter Mantel with White and Neutrals

After putting away all of the Christmas décor I have to admit I'm enjoying the pared down look and feel of January. At first I felt like things were a little bare and blah compared to my usual style, but I wanted a breather regarding decor and life in general. How about you... are you enjoying a little down time these last few weeks?

Keeping it Cozy in My Winter Hearth Room

This is the perfect time of year to look for the "Cozy" elements for our homes and personal life. Whether we're crazy about winter or not, we all want to make our homes warm and comfortable for our family. It's been cold and windy here this month so I'm sharing a few ways I keep it a place where we can snuggle up and enjoy our surroundings. 

Cozy Early Fall Hearth Room

Last week I shared my Late Summer mantel here in the Hearth Room.

So now that the calendar says September,

 I'm ready to bring out the cozy factor for Fall!

Transitional Late Summer Mantel

Time to bring out the wreath for this small sliver of time known as Late Summer. Nature doesn't just wake up one morning and say, "OK everyone, it's Fall!" Trees, weather, the light, and all the growing things are reaching that extended moment where they begin to wane. Summer is winding down. All you have to do is look at my yard, scattered with green walnuts and yellow leaves to know it's that time of year. (I was going to take a pic, but it's so dry and looks too sad)

Christmas Mantel in the Hearth Room

It's my first Christmas here at our new-to-us cottage, and I finally have the fireplace and mantel I have hoped for. I had a few criteria that were on my wish list in a new home: an actual hearth room that had either a wood burning fireplace or a gas fireplace that didn't make me nauseous from gas fumes, a lower mantel that I could actually reach to decorate, and that it would be white. Is that too much to ask for? I didn't think so.

Woodland Creatures and the Late October Hearth Room

As October heads into it's last weeks, I'm tweaking a few things around the house. I'm bringing in a few darker colors now that the heat wave is over, and some heavier textures. Two old friends are joining me on the mantel to add a little woodsy charm in the Hearth Room.

August Mantel and Hearth Room

Hello Friends and Welcome to August!

I've mentioned before that August used to be my least favorite month of the year. Oooh, I felt bad that I gave it such a bad rap, especially since ALL my husband's family had birthdays in August. (strange...) It's just that I really get tired of the hot weather by now, which is usually dry and oppressive, and the older I've gotten the less able I am to handle hot weather. But a couple of years ago I had a change of heart in my attitude.

Late Spring Change-up on the Mantel

The move brought to the surface so many things that had been misplaced and displaced, and I want to share one more of those items that has been buried for the last almost 6 years. 

Layering Decor in the Hearth Room

We are getting furniture in place and unpacking "decor" throughout the new place, so I've been trying out ideas and moving pieces around. One of the house projects that made a big difference in looks and functionality in the Hearth Room was a beef-up of the concrete mantel. Not sure why it would have been made of concrete, but the big problem was that it was a very narrow ledge and wasn't proportionate to the size of the fireplace. You can read about that project here. The update is a huge improvement.

Easter Mantel with a Vintage Touch

Since changing up my fireplace mantel is like climbing Mt. Everest, I try to keep things a little easier to decorate. If I find a piece that works well up here, it tends to stick around for awhile. The mirror, wreath and Monogram are staples here, keeping those in place, I can more easily find elements that fit the season or holiday.

Woodland Santa in the French Wagon

Do you have a favorite piece to decorate? ... a bookshelf, your coffee table, an Entry chest? Do you have something that just begs to be kept changed up for the Season or Holiday? While I enjoy decorating all those different pieces, I think the one element I love to decorate most, might be my little table top "Frenchy" wagon. (whoops, Santa looks a little tipsy here)

October Fireplace and Mantel

 Hi Everyone, Happy October! This is my favorite month of the year... I can't believe that I didn't come jumping smack dab in your face to announce it! Well, yes, I can... this has been a long week already; more to that later. First I want to share my little owl friends that I've had for several years. They are excited to be back taking center stage on the mantel.

Cozy Winter Living Room

January is all about warm and cozy for me. Find a comfy spot and snuggle up with a blanket and a  cup of hot tea or cocoa and a good book. Part of my January routine is to make things visually cozy and warm so that means I bring out the fuzzy stuff. Leopard print pillows and my leopard print throw for my chair and ottoman are basics. I like to focus on neutrals and textures here in the living room, and then using the leopard print as my little touch of fun.

On the Mantel with Pears and Pumpkins

So, I had to look back through my list of posts to see exactly when I had last shared what was happening on the mantel. Last Christmas? you're kidding me? Basically, I've left the main elements the same and have just changed up a few things in the center. I have to drag out a step stool and climb around to work on this monster, so it's just been easier to ignore it.

Pick a Pair (pear) of Prints

Time for an update, can't believe I haven't posted in over a week...

We were in St. Louis last week for my followup cardiologist appointment, which went well. We had a great visit with the kiddos and had time for a little shopping one afternoon. They are in the middle of a major kitchen renovation to their 1906 home, which had last been redone in the 70's. It was really the perfect timing, since upon inspection, their electrical system was bordering on dangerous. They have a makeshift kitchen in the basement, so we stayed at a hotel to keep out of the way, and stress to a minimum.

There are a couple of side-by-side antique malls that we love to stop at if we have time that are about an hour south of St. Louis, in Cuba, Missouri. They always have a turnover of interesting things, as they are right off the highway and have quite a bit of traffic. Last month we stopped by, but I wasn't in the shopping mode. Hard to believe I could not be interested in shopping. A lot has happened this last month, one thing being that we bought the new house and now have a more solid plan for the future. Yay...

I saw these two vintage fruit prints last month and debated on buying them, but I have so many prints, that I just put them back. I loved the colors and the old frames, but Hubbs had been the one to pack away all the seemingly hundreds of my prints, so I spared myself the scrutiny and criticism of buying more...

But last week when we stopped back by, they were still there, and this time I didn't hesitate to make the purchase. They have some nicks and scratches on the wood, but nothing a little "Old English" didn't take care of. They are in my new color palette I'm going to be using at the new house. Grays, taupes, golds, browns, with a little chartreuse...maybe, if I can find the right color and not chicken out. A lot depends on finding the "right" rug, which will determine several color and fabric choices.

I have another set of vintage fruit botanicals that I may try to incorporate in a grouping. These will make wonderful companions, as the other ones include "pears" too. You can't see it, but the prints have some interesting foxing; no identifying marks, though.

I'm still gathering ideas on wall paint. The more I've looked, the more I think I'll go a lighter shade of gray/greige. Maybe this might be a little closer, Coastal Fog by Benjamin Moore. I don't want to get into anything that's too dark. Just a little contrast with the white woodwork and moldings. I'm going to be mixing some darker wood pieces with my chippy whites and soon-to-be-taupes at this new place. 

Gosh, can you tell I'm excited?...

now, to figure out what to do with the tv niche above the fireplace...yuk.

I'm not a tv above the fireplace kinda gal.

OK, just wanted to say Hi, and let you all know what I've been up to. 

more to come...

Joining in at these great parties:

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Junkin' Joe at The Cottage Market

xoxo,

Summer Florals

I've mentioned how I like to keep my floral arrangements current with the seasons, so a few weeks ago I got around to changing out all my silk flowers to be in keeping with Early Summer. I like the look of "just picked and stuck in a container with casual abandon". To me, that concept makes all those faux flowers look a little more "real" and a lot less "faux".

Daisies are the flower du jour here in the Entry, 

along with some budded branches.

I like keeping this heavy old iron urn here with the sticks,

then I just change out the flowers for each new season.

This is a spot where a "complimentary" print on the console

also changes with the season.

On the other side of the Entry next to the door is my big white wicker basket

filled with green hydrangeas and the grape vine twigs.

That big basket on the little Eastlake dresser keeps the kitties 

from using it as a perch for front porch viewing.

(especially in nesting season)

I have found it on the floor on numerous occasions

when they feel like putting their little furry carcasses in grave danger.

Here's an old basket with wheels that I haven't shared very often.

It still has some faux Dogwood branches, but they were white so they're still here.

(Dogwoods in late June? what's wrong with me?)

In the Living Room I traded out the windowbox for the basket,

now filled with another boatload of green hydrangeas and ivy.

(when in doubt, a hydrangea will work)

(the windowbox is currently back on the Dining Room table

with a Patriotic theme)

Love this old Frenchy look laundry basket.

Last Fall I had a running joke about my mantel...

I had the "Early Fall" mantel,

the "Fall" mantel,

The "Fall/Halloween" mantel,

and then the "Fall/Thanksgiving" mantel.

This would be the "Early Summer" mantel...

Whitewashed Wolff pottery vases filled with

 flowering branches and white Viburnum.

Another hint that it's still "Early Summer" is that there are still "birdie" nests out.

This will change soon.

I have an idea brewing.

Next up will be Black-Eyed Susans and Sunflowers,

with a little color added.

...stay tuned.

I hear thru the grapevine that soon Google Reader will be gone,
so if you follow me there, please switch over to another reader
hanging out on the sidebar.
thanks you all!

Joining in with these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Exchange  at Yellow Bliss Road
Homework at The Everyday Home Blog
Blissful Whites at Timewashed 
Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours
House Party at No Minimalist Here
Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
TTT at Stone Gable
The Charm of Home
French Country Cottage
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Shabby Art Boutique
Blitzed on Pinterest

xoxo,