Garden Tray for the Coffee Table...

I've been wanting to do something a little different on the coffee table for awhile. Just for a little change; something subtle and a little organic. Two years ago I painted all my furniture in the Living Room an antique white which I love, but I wanted to continue to tone down the "ornate" factor a little. I've had an antique silver tray here for awhile, but since Spring makes my thoughts go all "garden-y", I decided a tray or basket or something along those lines might be what I was looking for.

but where to find it...?

...My latest trip to Robin's Vintage Suitcase to snap some Easter goodie shots for the upcoming Spring Open House. When I photograph a store or antique space often I don't "see" it all until I'm home downloading the pics. That's what happened with this. It was right in front of me, I just didn't see it!

Last year I added this wonderful heavy linen-y burlap piece to the table top to keep things from scratching the paint finish. So... I moved my urn inside the tray and then my majolica bunny and book stack felt right at home. The tray is big, so everything else needs to be corralled inside it.

I moved an English Ivy in from the sunporch and gave it a haircut for the urn. Whatever is in here needs to be low profile, but "real". Ivy and I get along pretty well. If it has enough light it's hard for me to kill it.

Oh something else...

I brought up the RH linen pillows from downstairs,

and I like them much better here on the slipcovered chairs.

Less distraction than with the darker pillows.

It's always a work in progress...

OK, so here are some pics from The Vintage Suitcase. If you're local you'll want to put the Open House on your calendar. Robin will have a drawing for a gift certificate that you'll want to be sure and enter.

here's the tray...

Remember, you can click on the pics to enlarge them, and then click again for detail.

just gorgeous!

Open House will be April 19-21 

Friday 5-8

Saturday 10-5

Sunday 10-4

Also, the Vintage Veranda Tea Room

will be hosting an Easter Sunday Brunch.

Check Facebook for details.

(The food is fabulous, take it from me!)

I'm joining in on these weekly parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Hunt From My Front Porch to Yours
TTT at Stone Gable
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home
Simple and Sweet Friday at Rooted in Thyme
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
Craftberry Bush
Jennifer Rizzo

The snow is melting and the sun is out...

Oh Happy Day,

Welcome to the Marketplace

Hey Everyone, time for
The Marketplace

Last week there were tons of great items to browse and a few new shops represented. Thanks everyone for joining in. Just a reminder that this is a link party for linking up your Etsy and Online Boutiques and Stores. So please only link items that are for sale. Here are a few great links from last week:

Vintage European Dough Board
from Rusty Hinge

Grain Sack Coin Purse

from Sew a Fine Seam

Jute Tote Bag

Exmoor Home Works

Boudoir Doll Bed Lamp

from Curtains in My Tree

1800's Cream Pots 

from Fleaing France Brocante Society

French Script Pillow Cover

from Urban Farmhouse Chic

And Christie is in The Sponsor Spotlight today.

You'll just love her soft and romantic watercolor prints and notecards.

Please run by and check out her shop. 

Ode to Beatrix Potter Bunny Print

Chicken Watercolor Art Print

Three Kittens Watercolor Art Print

Link up to three of your individual shop items. You don't have to have a blog to join in, but if you do, please grab the button below for someplace on your sidebar, just to let your readers know that you're selling here. I'd also love for you to be a follower of Common Ground. The linky is open all week, so I hope you'll drop back by throughout the week to check on new listings.

Happy Shopping

and have a wonderful Easter Week!

A good hare day on the sunporch...

I don't want to talk about what's outside at the moment, except to say there's nothing Spring-y about it. These last few days have been gray and snowy and altogether yucky. I bought some tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths last week that I was wanting to get planted, but forget it...they will have to wait until the snow goes away. So I'm choosing to boost my Springtime thoughts with what's going on out here on the sunporch.

 Yep, it's definitely Spring on the Sunporch!

Decorating out here always starts with different seasonal quilts.

Changing them out gets me in the mood for whatever the season may be.

 Then layering on the pillows, and bringing out the fun vintage goodies...

I'm not really a "blue" person, 

but this wonderful floral quilt has me almost there.

It was from my mother-in-law's stash

 that I think was from her mom back in the 40's.

I have the tail end of the paperwhites in that little USA yellow planter

and I've been browsing through my vintage Better Homes and Garden binder.

I can always count on it looking warm and Spring-like out here,

even if the outside temps don't agree.

This is another favorite quilt of mine in the Tumbling Block pattern.

My white paper mache buns is sitting 

on the little green chair from when I was a baby.

We won't talk about how old that rickety little chair actually is...

Vintage pink rabbit planter, birdie tin, and seed packets...

Hey, an old chalkware chicken is even roosting out here.

One more chance for snow this evening,

and then I hope we're done!

Just a housekeeping note...

I've just added the Bloglovin' follow option to my sidebar. If you haven't tried it yet, let me say it's my new favorite. It's so super easy and you can import all your favorite blogs that you follow from Google Reader at one click, not individually. I've actually been using it this week, and it's better than the old method. So if you're a follower, I'd love you to click and follow me there. You can get set up in half a minute! 

 joining in for these parties this week:

The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday

TTT at A Stroll Thru Life

Between Naps on the Porch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend,

Be Inspired #131: Transforming A Space

Welcome to Be Inspired 
the place to share all your fun and inspiration from this week.


Wow, was I knocked out by this amazing bedroom transformation!
You'll want to see it for yourself.

Bethany from This Little Estate

and her Master Bedroom Reveal.

started right here...

Pretty fabulous makeover, huh?

The talented and oh-so-clever Bliss
whipped a Lazy Susan into shape over there at Bliss Ranch

Melissa from  Daisy Mae Belle has lots of great ideas for Easter
in her beautiful Dining Room, but shares her favorite of them all.

Even the birds love to decorate!

Who says a Gallery wall has to be "matchy-matchy"?

You'll love this Eclectic Wall Gallery from

 Blue Roof Cabin

Lynn from The Vintage Nest shares her Easter decor fun with
her rabbit menagerie and vintage accessories.

See these delicious and adorable Easter Bunny Cookies?

Anyone with pets will appreciate the tale of Bad Cat

from The Enchanted Oven.

He looks like he might want to bite more than bunnies...

Today's Sponsor for Be Inspired are the gals from Sweet Magnolias Farm,

sharing lots of Farm Fresh goods from their store.

Hope you'll run by for a browse...

and while you're out partying please check out my Friday Gal Pals

Time to link up all your inspiring posts, vintage or new.

And please have a link within your post to be featured.

thanks everyone,

love having you join in,