Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Top Three from Be Inspired and an Invitation

Thanks so much for the great turnout last week at Be Inspired. We're all getting back into our routine after the Labor Day Weekend, and now we're ready for some Fall Fun. Here are the Top Three Visited Links from last week. You'll see why...take a peek!

Julia from Vintage With Laces has been working on some Fall creations and shared this wonderful fabric pumpkin. Don't you love the rusty bedspring pedestal?




Dru from The Country Farm Home gave us part 2 of her reveal of her wonderful Farm Kitchen in all it's vintage farmhouse glory.



And Tammy from My Flower Journal gave us an amazing watercolor she painted after her trip to the English Countryside. She also shares her review of one of our favorite artist and author's newest book, A Fine Romance, by Susan Branch.


If you haven't visited these talented ladies, please check out these links for more inspiration. Thanks so much Gals!

And if you're local here in SW Missouri,
 you won't want to miss the Fall Soiree Celebration at 


Vintage Suitcase & Veranda Tea Room 
724 S. Scenic Ave
417-224-5300
417-866-1145 for reservations
 Don't miss our Fall Soiree Celebration!
Friday, September 6th: 10am- 9pm
Saturday, September 7th: 10am-5pm
We've got tons of fabulous new Fall decor 
and Halloween merchandise to debut!

On Friday the Tea Room will be serving lunch from 
11am- 2pm and dinner on the patio from 5pm- 8pm.

On Saturday lunch will be served from 11am- 2pm. 
Reservations recommended but not required. 
































Today's the last day to enter my 4th Anniversary Celebration Give Away



see ya tomorrow for 
Be Inspired.

xoxo,

Easy as 1-2-3 Custom Look Wreath

It's September, and you know what I'm doing...

This last week I started decorating for Fall, and one thing I wanted to do was put together a new wreath for the Dining Room mirror. I love a lush twiggy grapevine wreath with lot's of naturals and florals, but I don't want to pay a "custom" price for it. So, no matter what the season, I have an easy method to get a custom look.





Here it is out on the Sunporch. I'll be showing you the Dining Room a little later, but for now it's on one of my old "Fall" quilts on a wicker chair.



As you can see it's pretty wild, and pretty big;
Fall berries, leaves and Hydrangeas.




I've been making my own wreaths for years, and I almost always use this quick method.  One of the best things about it, besides that it's quick, is that this method is easy to take apart, redo, refresh, or reuse at another time.

 Start with your basic grapevine twig wreath. 
The more crazy twigs the better...
I like a wild, natural, just picked look.




Since I'm a bad DIY blogger, I didn't even think to get pics until I had that wreath hanging up on the mirror, and at that point I wasn't going to take it apart again to show the steps.
sooo...
I just used a few other elements to show how easy it is..
please don't get confused because there are two different wreaths.
I know...I know....
bad blogger.

End of Season sales are a great time to pick up those basic garlands and candle rings. I think this one was a large candle ring that came from Michaels a few years ago. The basic garland ring is of just little Lady Apples. I added the sunflowers a while back so I could use it on my front door, which requires a "skinny" wreath.

Then start layering. I left the Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans on the basic apple wreath then added in some Hydrangeas. You can add any blossom mix you like for your season. A Spring wreath might have Tulips and Lilacs on a Forsythia garland. This one I used faux Hydrangea stems, but on my Dining Room wreath I used real dried Hydrangeas. With faux Hydrangeas I sometimes trim the large blooms down.



Now you can see we're adding layers and depth and a lot of interest
 with the Apples, Sunflowers and Hydrangeas.



This grapvine twig wreath is actually a little small for this garland, but I wanted to show you how it all goes together. Just use some gardener's twine or floral wire to secure the garland wreath to the twig wreath. 



Here's the finished product. I just randomly put this together because
I'll be taking it apart again, but you get the idea.

  1. A grapevine wreath for the base.
  2. A garland or large candle ring on top, just tied on with gardener's twine.
  3. Florals to tuck in for added interst and depth. Sometimes I hot glue them on, other times I just tuck them inside and through the vines.




This one is a little wonky since I didn't secure all the layers... just wanted to show you how easy it is to put a wreath together. I didn't need any special tools, and it doesn't make a big mess.
So here's my original again. It's a little more "Fall", whereas the "step by step" version is a little more "Summer".


You can put together a wreath like this in about 15 minutes.
Super quick and versatile.
If you want to change up your basic wreath each season it's easily done.
Just 1-2-3!


Now, have some fun making your own!


I'll be joining in on these great weekly parties:

Whipperberry
A Stroll Thru Life
Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

The Marketplace: Etsy and Online Shopping Showcase


 Welcome to The Marketplace!

Hope you had a great Holiday Weekend. Gotta love September 'cause it's the unofficial signal of all things Fall related, and our thinking starts turning toward the end of the year Holidays. Lot's of fun shopping coming up these last 4 months of the year. Let's take a look at some great links from last week.


from Primlace





from Nostalgic Artifacts




from General Store Soap Co.




from Tattered Goods




from Upon a Dream Design

thanks gals for joining in!

Judy from 20 North Ora is the Featured Sponsor today and she has some really great items coming up for Christmas. Be sure and take a peek at her shop and then check back in the weeks to come to see the new handmade creations she'll be listing.






And have you entered my 


I'm giving away two wonderful pillow covers to two of my followers. 
Here are just a few of the beautiful pillow designs in the Elliott-Heath Shop.





OK, time to get this linky rolling...


You can link up to three of your shop items, with a direct link, if possible. If you have a blog post about your shop or items that's great too, but please only link up items that are FOR SALE. You don't have to have a blog to join in, but if you do it would be nice to have you grab the image below for somewhere on your sidebar. (not mandatory) but appreciated. This linky will be open all week, so check back to see new listings being added daily.



thanks so much for coming by to shop!




Sunday, September 1, 2013

Flirting with Fall

I've been flirting with Fall this week...

It's quiet whispers, and gentle caresses
make me giddy.
I can hardly wait till September.

So many of us have this same little love affair...



Even though the days are warm, the nights are cooler, and the daylight is shorter.
Each morning a new sprinkling of small maple leaves greet me on the front walk
with their subtle changes of reds, oranges and golds.




I wanted to bring a few inside and let my little lambs have a place to play.




They usually live on the Buffet here in the Dining Room,
but I've brought in something that has displaced them.
So I've corralled them on the table on an old metal tray,
that has just the right amount of Fall color.

















Here's just a peek at what's been taking place this week.
It's developed into a full on romance...
but then, I "Fall" in love all over again each year.


And speaking of sheep...
have you entered my 4 Year Blogging Anniversary Give Away?



I'm giving away a beautiful pillow cover to two of my Followers.
Haven't entered? 
What are you waiting for...?



Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend,
I'll see you Monday morning for 


Joining in on these great weekly parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life
Blissful Whites at Timewashed

xoxo,

Friday, August 30, 2013

Be Inspired # 154: 4th Anniversary Give Away!

Hi Everyone, and Welcome 
to A Special "Be Inspired" Celebration!
I'm running a few months behind in celebrating my 4 Year Blogging Anniversary with you all. It falls in June, but this has been a crazy Summer, and I'd been waiting for something really fun and different to share with you for a Give Away. Then last month in my search for all things "Sunflower", I came upon an Etsy Shop, Elliott-Heath Designs, that filled the bill for a Give Away Gift that any of you could enjoy...and we all know... Hey, we can never have too many pillows.









I shared my beautiful French Document Botanical Sunflower Print Pillow with you a few weeks ago. I love it's wonderful vintage graphic in rich Fall colors. Then just last week, my Vintage French Document Sheep arrived; soft muted neutrals, that fit right in to my Dining Room decor. I thought that if I loved these pillows, you all would too, and enjoy an opportunity to pick your own.




This has been an amazing 4 Years, as I've gotten to know and love you all. I love sharing my day with you, good and not so good, the ups and downs of life, and all the fun decorating and projects along the way. Funny, how it takes a few years to actually know where we each fit in within this big ol' blogging universe. I've realized my favorite bloggers are not so much about what they "do" but who they "are". I'm someone who loves to share ideas, inspiration, and a dose of real life.


now, back to the Give Away...

Heather, from Elliott-Heath Designs has so many wonderful designs to choose from, I knew that no matter what your decor or style might be, you could find something beautiful that was perfect for your home.




Here are just a few of the many design choices you have. Each pillow is 18x18, the cover is professionally printed on organic cotton fabric using overlocking throughout, and the back is an envelope style burlap fabric. Pillow insert is not included.





thank you so much Heather!

Don't you love these?

So my way to say a big "Thank You" for your friendship and support these last 4 years is to offer a wonderful pillow cover to two of you out there. You get to pick your own design from all the amazing possibilities. Here's how to enter:

1. Please leave a comment letting me know you're a follower of Common Ground.

2. Please go by Heather's wonderful shop Elliott-Heath Designs and LIKE her on Facebook. There's a button under her shop logo where you can press LIKE to get Facebook updates. Then find the pillow you'd love to have and come back letting me know by name, which one that would be. 

3. If you'd like another entry then share this Give Away with all your peeps on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. Leave a comment for each extra entry. I have a graphic on the sidebar you're welcome to grab.

(If you live outside the U.S. go ahead and enter. If you win, I'll make sure you get it, and mail it to you personally.)

Since I was MIA last week, I'm sorry I don't have any highlights or features from last week's party, but I know you understand. That's what's so great about you all, you're actual "friends".

xoxo,

Now, on to Be Inspired!