How to know when it's almost Spring...

Of course the weather will be on a gradual warming curve; more days of 60 than of 30. I can see little bits of green popping up, previously hidden in the "monkey grass" along the courtyard sidewalk. The buds on the Peach tree are swelling up, just waiting to explode in a gorgeous pink bloom. But there's one sure way to tell Spring is almost here...

Weathered Gray Finish for the Spring Cart Refresh

Last post I shared my inspiration pics on giving my black goat cart a freshen-up for Spring. I had a plan to use Chalk Paint as I had a few colors on hand from previous paint projects. There are a few go-to colors that I have used in combo for most all my furniture painting. What is that old saying about plans?

Spring Paint Refresh for the Goat Cart

After Valentine's Day is here and gone, we can legitimately begin to think about Spring. Around here in the southern Mid-West, February is still considered Winter. Cold temps, freezing rain and snow are the norm. Once and awhile we'll have a surprise day or two of 65. There may be a few little Daffodils pushing up through the snow, and we know the worst of Winter is usually over. We can now start dreaming about gardens, flowers, and all things "green", without judgement. (insert happy face and a wink)

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A Little Cottage Romance

Hi Friends, I challenged my decorating "self" this month to do some Valentine's Day vignettes with pinks and soft pastels instead of a lot of red. No sooner do I put away the reds from Christmas than they're back again for February and Valentine's Day. I wanted to keep the Baker's Rack romantic and feminine, so I used my antique china teapots and some of my English Cottages to keep things sweet and homey.

How to Make a Moss-Covered Heart

I love organic decor accessories and using nature to guide and enhance the Seasons and Holidays. I'm  also a fan of layering those natural organic pieces with mirrors and walls, doors and vignettes. Wreaths, faux flowers, branches, and natural elements can come together to create a one-of-a-kind Holiday Centerpiece for your room.

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.

What to Wear... on Valentine's Day

Today I was thinking back to the late 80's and 90's when we had a sweater or sweatshirt for every holiday and theme. If the sweatshirts were hand painted then even better. Every store at the mall had their signature styles for the Holiday, and of course Valentine's Day attire needed to be in some hot shade of red or pink. That trend may not be in style this year, decade or even millennium, but we can still pull out some trendy fashion that celebrates this special day! Here are just a few that I thought would be fun, and guess what... some of them are even PINK!

Burberry Pink Trench

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

Vintage Finds for Valentine's Decor

The last few days I've been hunting down my boxes of Valentine's Day things and I've located one tub, but the other is somewhere in the vast nether regions of the Arctic Storage; AKA, the garage. Since I'm not into freezing, I'm having to try to rethink some other vintage items that can become stand-ins for my usual Valentine goodies.

Easy Neutral Decor in the Entry

This post is about 2 or 3 weeks behind schedule, since everyone is moving on to Valentine's Day decor. I think there are a lot of us who like to use our blog as a visual diary of our projects and decorating. So even though it's time to add in a little Valentine's this week, I want to share January's Entry and Dining Room with you all.

Kitchen Sitting Area with a Cottage Feel

I've always loved the quaint tradition of tucking in photos and postcards around the edges of a mirror; like a little memo board of sorts. It reminds me of my childhood and the vanity and hall mirrors of my aunts and grandmothers.

Vintage Elements on the January Baker's Rack

Before the calendar changes over to February and we find ourselves indulging in all shades of pink and rosebuds and hearts and Valentines, I'm finally able to share some of the vintage goods that I've brought together here in the Kitchen Sitting Area.

Neutral Winter Home Decor Link Party

Neutral Winter Home Decor Blog Hop

Hello Everyone, and welcome to Day 3 of the Neutral Winter Home Decor Blog Hop! If you're coming from Jaclyn's blog, Fancy Pants Mommy Company I'm so glad you're here! With all the weeks of Christmas decorating we all did, I know I was really ready for a different look around the house on January 1. I always look forward to putting all the Christmas decor snug in their tubs waiting for next season. A little space to breath and a fresh clean look is a positive way for me to start the New Year.

A January Re-Set for Winter Decor

How do you like to decorate when all the Christmas decor is packed away? Maybe it's just something that doesn't include glitter. Do you like to do something fresh and new? I know I love to start a clean slate in January with the brand new year, and that usually means minimizing "color" and using a more neutral lens with my decor.