Vintage Botanical Book and Dried Flowers in Decor

Hi there friends, welcome to the March edition of A Lifestyle of Love Blog Gathering. We get together every other month to share how we use vintage items and concepts in our décor. Cindy from County Road 407 is our hostess and this month we're talking about Dried Flowers. If you're coming from Rachel's at The Pond's Farmhouse, where she's sharing a wonderful rustic hydrangea centerpiece, Hello and welcome!

Summer to Fall Garden Florals in Vintage Containers

Today I thought I'd share a few pics and posts with my garden grown Hydrangeas from this house. I've really enjoyed the large lush bush out front and start snipping those blooms in late June for display and drying. After a few weeks of enjoying the fresh cuttings, they can be dried into lovely delicate dried specimens that range from delicate pinks and greens to darker mauves and purples in the Fall.

Foraging for Fall on the Potting Bench

Hello friends, hope you're having a lovely Fall weekend! Earlier in the week I shared my meager Fall Cottage Front Porch with a few fall accents, mums and pumpkins. So today I want to show how I foraged around my yard to put together a couple of floral arrangements gleaned from bushes and the last of the summer flower containers. I'm out on the covered patio out back with the Potting Bench.

September Hydrangeas in the Holiday Cupboard

I'm going to openly admit that I have a small obsession with updating and restyling my Holiday Cupboard that's out in the Garden Room. It has become a reflection of what's happening with the seasons and the holiday at hand. After the "late summer" version with the Majolica, I wanted to head into September, but wasn't ready for a bunch of orange and pumpkins. That will be here in the next week or so. For now I wanted to play off the gorgeous purples, mauves, greens and neutrals that I've been loving with my dried hydrangeas.

Late Summer Farm Table

Hello Friends...

With the last week of August, I'm sharing a few more pics from the Late Summer Garden Room. Earlier in the month I changed up the ice cream bucket with sunflowers and hydrangeas. During the earlier part of the summer I was using white geraniums and the white sunflowers. As Summer progresses I love to see how the hydrangeas change color, so I added some hydrangeas in darker hues to the mix. There have been times I've tried to find an alternate receptacle for flowers, but honestly, that wooden bucket was made for this spot!

Country Cottage Garden Display

I've said many times how much I love a good tabletop or flat surface to be able to dress up with a little vintage vignette. I've had this smallish white antique desk for years, and it's the perfect size to tuck in an odd space or use as an end table. For the last several years (and houses) it's been in my office holding a lamp. At this house it's sort of moved around without purpose, but has ended up in the Garden Room doing miscellaneous plant duty. But lately it's been bare, and that's hard for me to see a bare tabletop. 

Transitioning a Fall Entry to Thanksgiving

Have you ever finished up a vignette or decorated an area for a seasonal look, that appealed to you at the time, only to come back the next day, scratch your head and take it all apart and start over? Well, this happens with me, and that's not a good sign. During the early Fall I shared a post using this vase filled with hydrangeas, fall flowers, and sunflowers, but the very next day when I looked at it, I was over it... Got rid of the sunflowers and fall flowers then added colorful leaves instead.

Sunflowers for a Late Summer Dining Room

Since August shows up a little later in the week, I'm adding some "Late Summer" color with Sunflowers. They're the perfect way to transition into Early Fall. Real or faux, spread them around for some "happy face" time. You just can't look at Sunflowers without a big smile showing up. I'm adding a touch of "Late Summer" here in the Dining Room on the buffet with a few Sunflowers and prints.

A Simple Centerpiece for the Garden Room

It's been fun seeing the shrubs, plants and flowers that have emerged here at the new place this Spring and Summer. Mid Spring, I was so excited to see a row of Forsythia at the back of the property line, and even though they were pruned to within an inch of their lives they are now becoming full and giving us a little more privacy.

Rustic French Fall Decor

I'm in the middle of messy packing mode, but I'm still looking for Fall Inspiration. Nothing over-the-top, but some subtle color changes and natural vignettes. I thought I'd share some classic French Country Autumn seasonal decor with you today from previous Septembers. I like to look back through the archives and see what I was doing "this time of year" from years ago. 

Wreath Makeover for Thanksgiving to Christmas

One of the great things about living in this area is that there are a ton of great shops, antique malls, and vintage markets. Fall and Christmas Open Houses are the highlight of the year as the shops go all out with great seasonal displays and merchandise. My sis and I made it to several shops yesterday for the annual event, and I have to admit, when I got home I had a case of Christmas decorating fever.

An Ironstone Pitcher for an Endless Summer Bouquet

I've been watching my Hydrangea bushes in the back yard, waiting for the right time to snip the blooms and bring them inside for drying. Several websites and bloggers say to wait until the blooms have gone to a deeper color and that their petal texture has become delicate and paperlike. Whoops... I almost waited too long.

Topiary, Two Ways to Transition to Fall

August used to be my least favorite month of the year... well, OK, maybe it's still my least favorite month but that's only because I'm not a fan of the heat that August usually brings with it. We're having a week or two here in SW Missouri that feels like the middle of September, in the low 80's and some rain, and that is a wonderful reprieve. We've had summers that we had no rain whatsoever and the temps were over 100 for days. But in the last few years since blogging, I've realized that August can be one of my favorite months...

10 Tips for Transitioning to Fall

Looking through blogland this last week, it's been filled with posts about transitioning our decor from Late Summer into Early Fall. Our individual methods may be similar, but each person has their own unique style and ideas to make this a fun and easy change-over. The fact that bringing out the Autumn decor is one of my favorite things to look forward to, makes this a special time to savor and enjoy for me.

The Power of a Print...

Do you want to change the feel of a room or space? There are several low cost ways to get a new feeling or vibe to your space, but my favorite is to consider what you have hanging on your walls: artwork and prints in this case.

2 Spring Totes

Hi Friends, I hope you were able to catch the Spring Home Tours this last week. So much inspiration! I shared my Kitchen Sitting Room and Living Room on Wednesday, but there are a few items where I'd like to share a bit of detail.

Easy Fall Centerpiece with a Galvanized Watering Can

I love a centerpiece on the Kitchen Table, 

and I usually have a small wooden tote here, 

but recently I've had to admit, a tote may not be very practical

 when you have to move it several times each day.

 Filled with dishes, a candle, tea towels, or a small ivy, it can get unwieldy...

 and then it becomes an accident waiting to happen!

Early Fall Entry with a new Chalkboard Print

With each new season I try to create a vignette that's something a little different than I've done before. That's not always easy because there are tried and true elements that I'm happy with and just look "right". The lamp, the clock, and the shutters and mirror; those are all part of this spot. But I love to play with faux flowers, and then add a seasonal print, painting, or needlework... and what's a Fall Entry Vignette without at least one pumpkin?

Centerpiece Basket with Vintage Flags

This last year I've been all about "decorating" the easiest way possible;

How to give a little flavor of the Holiday or Season without going over the top.

Chippy Vintage Window Box Centerpiece

A few weeks ago, when we were in "unpack more boxes" mode, versus our current "let's get the camper ready" mode, I was able to find my old windowbox that I used for so long in my previous Dining Room.