Rustic Transferware Tablescape for Thanksgiving

Hello friends, I'm re-sharing a favorite Thanksgiving tablescape post that I created back in 2013 at our original "blog house". I bring this out of the moth balls every few years because to me it's still up-to-date for a vintage style holiday gathering. I know it's later in the Thanksgiving season, but it might give us a last minute idea or two for our own holiday tables using vintage dishes and ironstone with autumn (or any season) color. 

Easter Cloche and the Spring Entry

Back when I first started blogging, (it will be 15 years in June) cloches became popular. Terrariums were the rage years ago, and I think the cloche vignette sprang from that. I've always loved bringing a few items together to form a small grouping, then highlighting the pieces by placing them under glass.

Bring on the Green in the Holiday Cupboard

March always sees the green transferware show up in the Holiday Cupboard, since St. Patrick's Day is my unofficial start to (early) Spring. And it's my birthday month too, so I make it a fresh start after a long cold and dreary winter. When I first started collecting green transferware I thought I'd be limited in displaying them. But now they come out in late February and stick around through Spring and early Summer until July 4th decorating.

Welcoming Easter Entry with Paperwhites

Sometimes when pieces just "work" for a spot or space I leave them alone. That's what has happened in the Entry here at this house. I changed things up more at the previous house, but this entry is so light and bright it calls for like-minded pieces. It seems that whatever I place here tends to be a neutral color or something that doesn't overpower the basic feel of the space.

It's Almost Easter in the Holiday Cupboard

It seems like just yesterday that I put away all the St. Patrick's Day goodies... oh yeh, that was only last week wasn't it? Ok, so it's a quick turnaround for Easter this year. I really like it when Easter is more toward the end of April instead of the beginning.  That gives us more time not only to decorate, but to enjoy the decor, color, and be able to putz around. My sheep and rabbits stick around for the rest of Spring, but Easter is the prime time for anything bunny related.

A Touch of Easter in the Dining Room

I did a light touch of Easter decorating in the Dining Room this year. I wanted to bring in more "Spring" decor than all out Easter decor. My sheep and lambs were let loose to roam in here in late February after I put away all the winter elements. I've mentioned before that much of the time I don't really take it all in until after I've taken photos and I'm sitting down to edit them.

Vintage Valentine Postcard Vignette

I've had a love for antique and vintage paper goods and ephemera for many years; old post cards are a favorite. Photos, cards and personal notes, botanical specimens, book illustrations and so many other bits of odds and ends have found their way into my possession. Often old books are literally falling apart or have suffered some sort of damage to the point they cannot be kept, but let me look through them first to remove any pages of art or illustration that I can hang onto.

Valentine's Day in the Holiday Cupboard

Hi Friends, I cannot believe it's actually February

and in a little over a week it will be Valentine's Day...

So I wanted to do my monthly/seasonal "restyle" of the Holiday Cupboard.

I have so many little odds and ends that it's always fun

to give them all someplace to go hang out.

Rainy Day Busy-ness

Hello, my friends...

This is a bit of a random post, but I wanted to share a few pics of what I've been up to around here. I felt the motivation to change out my Holiday Cupboard china from green transferware to my French Faience. And here in the Dining Room, I haven't shown you my sweet little ceramic rabbit tureen that I made many years ago, and has been here for Easter.

Holiday Cupboard for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day may not be a big holiday, but it's still a fun one to decorate for. It's a chance to bring out the green and start incorporating it into the Spring season. Temps are still on the chilly side, but it's easy to see the warm weather and that buds and blooms are on the way.

Goat Cart filled for Fall

I can't believe I haven't gotten around to sharing the goat cart that I first talked about weeks ago. After searching through Pinterest for ideas, I put it together with mums, vines, and all kinds of white pumpkins. And then the landscape guys showed up and it all went kaput. So this is what I've had in my Garden Room since. The mums went back to the front porch and I substituted moss orbs and faux pumpkins for the real ones. So much for a fun display on the front porch. At least I've been able to enjoy it here in the Garden Room.

Easy Repairs to a Vintage Oil Painting

I'm always on the hunt for vintage or antique watercolor and oil paintings when I'm out at the vintage markets or fleas. Pastorals or landscapes are my favorites, but are getting hard to find. Not to mention, the prices can be pretty steep. So when I happened to spot this canvas a few weeks ago, I grabbed it up.

Valentine's Day Makes an Entrance

I'm going to admit right up front that this is one of those "photo shoots" that continued over the course of a day or two. I've been know to start taking pictures, then add or subtract items from the vignette. Instead of completely starting over, I just incorporate all the photos and we can do one of those "Highlights" photo puzzles along the lines of, "what's different in these photos?"

I was busy taking pictures of the Entry when I thought it would be fun to do a small Valentine's Day Cloche with one of my antique Valentines and some of the little pink mini carnations that I used earlier in the week. That's the nice thing about carnations, they stay pretty for days.

A Very Vintage Valentine Blog Hop and Link Party

Hi Friends, so glad you're here today, as I'm joining in with a group of like minded, vintage-loving blogger friends to share our ideas for Valentine's Day. Whether you decorate your whole house, scatter a few hearts around, or just do a simple vignette, you're in for some fun and inspiration with our 

Very Vintage Valentine Blog Hop and Party

Picket Fence Centerpiece for Easter

I have a pile of "stuff" just inside the door to our main storage room. Each time I open that door and walk in I cringe a little; leftovers from a purging of boxes of vintage goodies that I had unpacked last year. I've had intentions of packing it up and taking it to some vintage lovin' dealer friends to see if they could use it, but I just haven't been feeling up to messing with it.

A Spring Entry

...and talking sheep...

You know me, during each season I usually change things up more than once. For Easter, I like things a little more pastel. Easter is about the only time you'll see "pastel" being used around here. But for earlier in the Spring Season I've used various shades of browns and greens, mostly in the Kitchen Sitting Area, since I like to use my brown and pink floral quilt. I went with the same colors here in the Entry, using a brown and green check ribbon to hang my mossy O, and then my sheep print on canvas.

Share the Love...

I don't go "all out" for Valentine's Day. I don't think many of us do unless we have kiddos that have fun with it, and expect to see decorations for every holiday that comes along. I enjoy bringing some reds and pinks and vintage items into the decor, especially here in the Kitchen Sitting Area. That's the place where I can indulge my holiday decorating gene to the fullest. 

You're never too old for an Easter Basket...

I remember fixing Easter baskets for our girls even after they were married. I knew how much they enjoyed them, even when they weren't really candy fanatics any longer. They might be grown-ups, but they still wanted and expected, their baskets. So really...do we ever get too old for an Easter basket?

An Irish Blessing...

I've always been partial to St. Patrick's Day. The heartfelt sentiments of an Irish Blessing, the beckoning of ancient castles, and lush green hills. The celebrations of friendships and family loyalties, the good wishes and prayers for a blessed year. There may have been a little Irish from my mother's side, so today I'll celebrate the Irish, and send a blessing to all of you.