Quick Spring to Summer Urn Vignette

Hi Friends, do you ever feel like you're busy but not accomplishing much? That's how it's been around here lately; always something to do but not feeling like I'm getting anything worthwhile done. The weather has been storm after rolling storm and in between hot humid weather that leaves me worn out. I planted some pretty flower containers a few weeks ago but it's been a constant battle between the digging squirrels and the deer and an occasional goose deciding to try something new. 

Cottage Review: Vintage Birds

Hi Friends, welcome to the Weekend Cottage Review, where I share a bit of what I'm up to this week, some ideas and inspiration, and a few bits of past posts that are seasonal...

May is Bird Month around here. I've really enjoyed watching and feeding the birds at this house since we moved here 4 years ago. This house has been unique in that we have a back porch that is so fun and perfect for hanging feeders and the ability to have stealth viewing...

Spring Vignette on the Cupboard Top

Once a holiday is over and all the obvious "holiday decor" has been packed away, it always seems bare and bland. I gathered up the bunnies and Easter related pieces and they are now safely tucked away till next year. A "Spring" refresh is always easier for me than other seasons, because vintage garden goodies can easily fill whatever holes might have been created when the Easter eggs and bunnies said "bye-bye".

Valentine Vignettes in the Garden Room

Hi Friends, are you all digging out of the latest snow and ice storm like we are?

We had a big blast of ol' man winter come through last Wednesday and Thursday with a layer of ice and then about 8-9 inches of snow on top. We stayed in and I had to postpone a doctor's appointment, but other than that we managed to keep our power and no ice damage (that we know of). Valentine's Day is definitely "winter" around here so in my Valentine decor I still have out some evergreen and bottle brush trees mixed in.

Valentine Botanical Farm Table Vignette

Hi Everyone, I hope you're having a sweet Valentine's Day weekend!

A few weeks ago I was part of a fun blog hop where we each shared our ideas for Winter Botanicals and Gardens. It gave me a real emotional lift to be thinking about Spring during this long and cold stretch of winter. I've had that farmtable vignette out in the Garden Room since the hop, and last week I decided to tweak it a bit and give it a Valentine's Day spin with a few vintage postcards.

This and That

Time to check in with you all... there's been several things going on "in life", just nothing much that's blog worthy as far as decorating goes. I've said it before, but this is my least favorite time of the year, and even in the best of personal circumstances I tend to be uninspired and in a rut this late part of the summer. 

Patriotic Tabletop Vignette

My Dining Room table hasn't changed since early June and the Summer Home Tour, so I thought I'd do a quick change up for the July 4th Holiday. All the elements were within easy reach, and I still have my indigo ticking table runner here, so I grabbed my vintage flags and some red transfer ware.

                          

Farmhouse Sunflower Tabletop

One of my favorite combinations for Summer is Sunflowers and Ticking... nothing fancy, just rustic and vintage. I thought I'd try something very "summery" this year on the Dining Room table, using one of my old wooden ice cream maker buckets. This old bucket had been a pretty vintage blue/green, but I painted it out in an antique white to make it more "decor friendly". Filled up with faux Sunflowers, sitting on an Indigo Ticking table runner, it says Summer Farmhouse to me.

Spring Dining Room with Hello, Spring Blog Tour

Spring officially arrives today, and I'm here to celebrate with the Hello, Spring Blogger Home Tour with Katie from Let's Add Sprinkles and a wonderful group of talented Ladies. I'm so glad you're here. I'd love to share my Dining Room for Spring.

Starting on Spring...

Last week I mentioned a trip to my favorite local floral store. I guess they're sort of a local wholesale supply store for florists, designers, and shop owners. You never know for sure what they will have and if you're not an early seasonal shopper you just miss out. They're never sure if they'll get more in, so if you want it, you get it when you see it.

Vintage Owl Vignette and an Update

First of all, I'm having a little issue with Blogger. I'm not sure why, but it's decided each time I have to edit a post that it wants to "republish" and act like I just published it. This is getting old and I've tried scheduling the old time, but it's doing it any way. Anyone else having this annoying problem? I imagine a few of you are wondering about my sanity and blogging ethics. I hope it fixes itself soon, I feel like I'm walking around with toilet paper stuck to my shoe...

I wanted to share my new-to-me vintage concrete owl that I found at The Vintage Peddler last week. Isn't he a cutie; just the right amount of white chippy-ness!

Basics for Building a Tabletop Vignette

Although I haven't been changing things up around here too much lately, boredom has set in big time, and I needed something fresh to look at here in the Living Room. Each time I think of putting together a vignette or grouping I panic. Good Grief, where do I start? Then I spend a lot of time hunting down and trying things, moving stuff around, then discarding them; generally wasting my time. Decor books and magazines help, but even then I'm sometimes left without an idea of where to start.

I LOVE doing seasonal vignettes, but no matter if I'm decorating for a specific Holiday or Season, or just something basic, I've learned some foundational "building blocks" that make it pretty simple to put together an "Easy Change" Tabletop Vignette.

Orphan Sampler gets a Vintage Frame

This last Spring I found this wonderful cross-stitch Sampler 

and because I still hadn't unpacked my vintage loose frames 

it landed here on my little hallway table.

Ideas on Styling a Cabinet or Cupboard Top

I started a little "project"on top of my Dining Room China Cabinet right after we moved into this house last November. We have really high ceilings here, and I love them, but sometimes the furniture looks lost. Believe me, these pieces are huge (this one is about 7 1/2 feet tall) but there is still a big distance between the ceiling and the top of this cabinet. So now 3/4 of a year later, I finally have some kind of decor up there to help fill in this space.

Ode to a small white table...

I've always had a "thing" for small white tables. 

I think it's something about having a clean white canvas...

a place to decorate that's not overwhelming.

It can be seasonal, Holiday, themed...

a small white table can be anything you want it to be.

A Thanksgiving Vignette...

Just take a peek at this sweet little guy...he's sitting on a wonderful tweedy pumpkin that came from my sweet and talented friend, Becky at Timewashed. He's part of my Thanksgiving Vignette that I'll be sharing on Thursday morning for the Thanksgiving Vignette Blog Hop. 

Do you need a little jump start on those Thanksgiving Tablescapes and last minute decorations for friends and family? Hope you'll start tomorrow morning, Wednesday November 12, with Sherry at No Minimalist Here, our hostess.  I'm excited to see what all these talented bloggers have to share!

Wednesday 

No Minimalist Here
Uptown Acorn
The Vintage Nest
Dixie Delights

Thursday

Common Ground
Hospitality Designs
The Essence Of Home
Northern Nesting

Friday

Miss Kopy Kat
21 Rosemary Lane
A Stroll Thru Life
All About Vignettes

See you Thursday morning.

joining in at
Savvy Southern Style

When you just have to decorate something...

This Friday is the big move, but we had furniture delivered from the storage units last week, and it was good to see a few of my things that had been packed away. I've been taking bits and pieces over to the new house, like baskets and pillows and some odd things that could fit in the back of my car. But a few days ago my deep inner need for some sort of a vignette took over, and I grabbed what few things that were within arm's reach and put together something (even if temporary) in the living room. I know I can do better, but bear with me...I'm ready to decorate this dang house!

This sofa table won't stay against this wall, but it was a flat surface (that wasn't being painted), so it was fair game. The lanterns made it, but no candles to be found. The basket and corbels from the baker's rack, one of my Autumn Trays, some bittersweet, pumpkins, and a wonderful soup tureen from a garage sale for a dollar. really. yes, a dollar. (and it's not even busted!)

You can see that the rug is rolled up while I'm working on the coffee and end tables. They're turning out great, but taking more time than I'd figured. It took me quite a while to mix the exact color, but I'll have pics soon. 

I'm not sure why the walls look blue, but trust me, there's is no blue in them. Just a great neutral taupe. (Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe). I never knew there were so many grays, taupes, and whatevers. My advice if you're thinking of painting your walls...get sample pots of paint, lot's of samples, You won't know what color it really is until it's up on your wall.

Speaking of pillows, my two little squirrels made it to the new kitchen. 

The perfect time of year for them.

And my hat boxes and old hats are up on the hutch 

above my computer in my new office.

Here are a few pics from the Dining Room; it's snug in there. I've realized my chair slips are in "no man's land" somewhere in the depths of the last storage unit that was filled. I hope to have them located and in my possession before Christmas... hopefully that will be this Christmas.

My Staffordshire bowl with velvet pumpkins that I hand carried over. I think my table runners are all with my chair slips, so ditto for having some decor tablescapes on the big brown DR table.

The clock looks a little "white" and by itself, but with the chair slips and prints up, I think it will balance out.

And here's a sneak peek of my new antique mirror I found a few weeks ago in a great little shop in Ozark, Missouri. It will go above the buffet that you see here. It's my gold scroll-y French-y mirror that I had been looking for.

 

I'll be without email and the computer for a couple of days, while we get things transferred to the new house. Have a fun Halloween and weekend. I'll check back when the dust has settled!

xoxo,

Pear Branches and Some New Old Pillows

Our little city has been full of these wonderful blooms these last few weeks; tufts of small individual blossoms cover the trees, and give a haze of billowy whiteness. I hadn't been up close and personal with the blooms of the Bradford Pear Tree, but I was eager to clip a few branches that are in our new back yard to bring inside...

until I actually took a deep breath to inhale the delicate white blooms, that look a lot like Spirea, or Bridal Veil, and then I got a huge surprise... they're the stinkiest plant I've ever smelled!

Stink, Stank, Stunk!

So the kitty girls were curious too, 

let's just say one whiff and they were not interested any longer.

But I still brought them in because they're so dang pretty.

and besides, I wanted a new coffee table vignette.

This is one of the lanterns from Pottery Barn that I ordered last Christmas.

I wanted to keep things white,

so it's an iron rabbit, on a vintage flowerpot.

we see you...

on a frenchy farmhouse tray with a chicken wire bottom.

While I was taking pictures, I decided to add in this old paper mache tray for some more coordinating color.

It's been well used over the years, but the cottage is so charming, 

I looked past the damage.

Sorting out things for a garage sale, I realized that there were two pillows that might work on my new sofas. When I brought them over, I saw that the caramel really highlighted the colors of the vintage print. So I think they'll stay.

This is a tapestry upholstery fabric I used a couple of years ago;

an old bed pillow is inside.

I know it's kind of a stretch to use with a leopard print,

but it works for me, since there's not much pattern in here.

Here's the loveseat, and another pillow I had used in the living room on my Bergere chairs once they were "slipped".

I think the tans, browns, and creams pull it all together.

Hope you're having a beautiful Easter Week. 

(just stay away from stinky trees...)

joining in on these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Swing into Spring at DIY by Design
Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's
Treasure Hunt From My Front Porch to Yours
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Shabbilicious Friday at Shabby Art Boutique
Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo
Simple and Sweet Friday at Rooted in Thyme

xoxo,

Today's Sponsor

Elliott-Heath Designs