My Year in Pictures...

Hi Friends, I hope you had a Wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year. Last year I started what I think will be a new tradition. Instead of having multiple posts about the most viewed posts or whatever, from the last year of blogging, I just decided to share some of my favorite pics and ideas from the year. Some may seem random, but they have stuck in my memory. There are links to the particular post, but you can see much more by just following my journey in my Archives which are on the sidebar.

Summer Change-ups in the Living Room

Hi Friends, can you honestly believe that it's June? It's officially Summer, and I just got my container plants for the porch and patio done this last week! Someone asked me not long ago why I don't show my Living Room more often here on the blog, and I said that it's because things never change up in here very much. Basically all I did for "Summer" was to replace my sofa pillows and add the new white and chippy wicker Demi-John I found a few weeks ago. 

Around the house...

Hey you all...

hope you're having a good weekend!

I thought I'd just share some of the sunporch tweaking that's been going on this week. There's been a hint of Fall around here, as the weather has cooled off a little this week, and the "light" is changing. You know what I mean...the angle of the sun shifts just slightly and the light starts to change. Shadows and colors and even the blue in the sky takes on a subtle difference from Summer. 

This week has been a little slower and I've had time to think about a few things out here. One in particular is this basket hanging on an old screen door that I've had probably for about 10 years. It was a dark sage green and it really needed to be freshened up, so I gave it a coat of some taupe/gray "test" paint that I'd bought last year when painting the master bedroom.

then I did a wash in a darker gray craft paint mixture...

then highlighted it again in the taupe.

...an easy fix for something that was dusty and a little blah looking.

Some faux sunflowers brought it up to season.

I don't show this corner of the sunporch often 

as this little wicker tea cart has a habit of getting too cluttered.

hmmm... that might be why you're only seeing the top part...

(you might laugh at a funny story from my first few months of blogging.

and you'll also laugh at the photos.

 I think that was 3 cameras ago.Just click here)

But I have a cute little vintage metal shelf

 that holds a few of my English Cottages...

that I haven't shared for awhile.

sugar and creamer and salt and pepper.

a candle and another salt and pepper.

Here's an old celluloid thermometer and butterfly print

 that was a salesman sample for advertising...

is tucked into my wicker floral basket along with an ivy.

...and here are the last of the hydrangeas that

had already started to wilt on the shrub.

these purples are so pretty.

That bush started out white, 

then the tips started to change to pink

and now this deep magenta.

The blooms haven't been big this year,

 but the color has been spectacular.

You might have noticed that I've already changed out the quilts and pillows to more of an Autumn palette. I'll share more of the "Early Fall" sunporch changes this next week.

so tell me...what are you doing this weekend...?


Joining in on these great parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop at Cedarhill Ranch

xoxo,

Vintage Inspiration Friday #11 Late Fall Sunroom

Hey Everyone!

Time for

 Vintage Inspiration Friday.

This time of the year it's about balancing my enthusiasm for

Christmas

and my not wanting to jump the gun,

if you know what I mean.

I want to enjoy the season I'm in without

running headlong into winter and the Holidays.

So I try to transition little by little.

Still wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving

and enjoying my turkeys,

but honestly being "done" with the leaves and orange.

(gosh, did I just say that?)

That's the good thing about Missouri,

we have seasons here.

The only one I tire of is summer...

hate the heat.

So what I like to do this time of year is trade out the leaves

with holly and evergreens;

real and faux.

That way, once Thanksgiving is over

 I don't have as much to do to make it

 "Christmas".

One of my girls is enjoying her perch

surveying her domain.

I love this old lantern light fixture.

It always just says "Christmas" to me.

I have a lot of old and family quilts

that I change out frequently.

This one has seen better days,

but I bought it about 25 years ago when we lived in Marietta, Ga.

I always enjoy using it.

"Flying Geese".

Love my Faribo and Pendleton brown plaid blankets.

Here's my other girl.

They're inside kitties,

but they LOVE to dream.

This old squirrel is a bank...

now he's what I call really "Chippy"!!

old screen door?, yah, I'll use it!

(Hey, Theresa, love the sweet little teapot!)

The light was so bright with the photos that the view was washed out,

so here's the view from the sunroom.

please disregard all:

electrical cords

dead plant material

dust

dirt

cobwebs

dirty windows

cat hair

dead bugs?

old carpet

crummy 80's spotlights

(notice that I didn't apoligize for the rust or peeling paint!)

Thanks for sitting thru another "sunroom" post.

Hope you'll join in the party,

ANY Vintage Inspiration works!

And the winner of the give away this month

is my wonderful friend Sue from

 Just Practicing Random Acts of Kindness!

today I'm also linking in with Cindy at

My Romantic Home for

Show and Tell Friday

and Feathered Nest Friday at

French Country Cottage

love you all,

Debra

p.s. Check out the November give away on the sidebar.

"Hoooos" New at the Etsy Shop

A few little owls and pumpkins have found themselves at my Etsy Shop.

Just thought I'd show you what's been added for Fall.

If you'd like something personal put together,

just email me.

We can design something special.

Charms can be interchanged, added, or removed,

And chains can be exchanged for French Ribbon.

Don't just decorate your house,

decorate yourself!!

I'm running over to the Freckled Laundry Sparkle Party

thanks Jami for the invite...

see ya there!

Have some fun this  Fall,

love,

Debra

Vintage Inspiration Friday #1: Sunflowers

I'm inspired by...Sunflowers

Some think of Sunflowers as a Summer flower, but here in the Midwest, their blooms and maturity are all signs that Fall is almost here. Cornfields edged in the brown eyed beauties, bursting forth seeds to feed the hungry birds, can be found in abundance and variety.

(Midwest Living Magazine)

I love to have my home and decor reflect the seasons and nature,

 so for me, this time of year is expressed perfectly

 in a sunflower's brilliant colors of golds and browns.

(Midwest Living Magazine)

The perfect way to transition from Summer into Fall

(Country Home Magazine)

My white ironstone pitcher's bouquet changes with each season.

I'm even enjoying my "Sunflower" candle from White Barn Candle Co.

The hallway sideboard's old seedbox has transitioned

 from Spring, to Summer and now to Fall.

And as much as I'd love to have the luxury of fresh flowers,

my kitties are a deterrent.

I've learned there's a huge difference between silk faux flowers

and plastic fake ones...

you know what I mean?

My old mason jars that held hydrangeas this summer,

now find that the sunflowers have taken over.

Hope you're having a great first week of September!

Kids getting back to school,

decorating for fall and then Halloween,

cozying up our nests...

 So how about some Fall inspired goodies for a giveaway!

Sunflower Soap...

Orange Bar Striped kitchen towels

and stack of fall inspired notes.

So, thanks for coming by,

 and I hope you'll join in on this new weekly party,

all about finding and sharing our inspiration.

Please link back to Common Ground in your post,

and Let's have some Inspired Fun!

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

love,

Debra