Not Your Grandma's Botanical Prints!

I am loving this image from the Frontgate Catalog and website.

Like obsessed.

I mean seriously. The whole image is a.maz.ing.

What a great inspiration shot.

There's that big, fat juicy pineapple botanical in the center. 

What's not to love?

And then palm trees. 

I'm all in. 

And then pretty flowers and tropical birds??

This is such an updated spin on the whole botanical print thing.

I'm from/in the South and botanical prints have long been a part of what hangs on our walls.

In my family - for generations.

But they were usually matted and in a wide gold frame. 

Traditional.

 Nothing wrong with that.

But these are so vibrant and colorful.

And a little more casual with the frame right around the edge.

This is making me think about some of my framed botanical prints stuffed in the closet. 

Might be time to take a second look! 

I actually have some vintage and thrifted bamboo frames that I have been wanting to put some botanical prints in - I have a palm tree print and a scientific print of coral I was considering but now...

 

(similar to this Google image and some in gold, too!)

I'm looking at something a little more vibrant and tropical!

The images are from a fun Etsy shop!

That's just bananas!

from Surrender Dorothy on Etsy

I can't stop "googling" tropical botanical prints!

Thank you, Frontgate!

Chinoiserie Valentines!

February is knocking on the door??

I just got used to writing 2017 on things and now I have to write a new month!

Wow, that was fast!

I had so much fum making the blue and white chinoiserie ornaments at Christmas 
that I wanted another fun project! 
Handpainted hearts of some sort would do the trick!
(PS. They are sitting on that amazing, crazy bamboo table find!)

Last year the Chinoiserie Heart was big - this year they are tiny!

So here they are! 

Since people wanted to buy the ornaments and there was no way I could pull off getting organized to ship them out, etc. at the last minute in December,

 I decided to offer these up on Instagram!

The first batch has shipped out! 

(Whew! I have figured out PayPal invoicing!)

 There are a couple more available.

Watch for them this week on Instagram and then be sure to watch for what is coming for Easter!!

It involves chinoiserie, Spring-y colors, monograms if that's your thing, bunnies and more!!

There will be sneak peeks on IG!

Is it Spring Yet? Guadeloupe, Gingham and Green, Oh My!

I know that I really cannot complain. 
We have a day or two of cold weather, a little bit of snow 
and then BAM! It's 70 degrees in Atlanta.

Mollie and I had lunch outside twice last week!! Twice!

And I bought an outdoor rug for my screened porch on sale at Hobby Lobby.
So Spring is on the horizon...
#hangingon

But honestly, once the holidays are over I am ready to go warp speed directly to Spring, gardening, sunshine, shorts and eating on the screened porch.

But since we have more cold weather forecasted in the near future
 I am day dreaming about warm weather things and places!

Oh my gosh.

Someone please take me to Guadeloupe.

I would like to point out the article states that there are flights starting at $49.00 one way. 

I googled it before I got excited and $776.00 round trip was the best I could find. 

That's more.

But a girl can dream about Guadeloupe.

If you can't get outside yet then a room like this would be a good place to hang out and wait for the sun.

Oh, Bunny.

And in my book Spring = Gingham.



Oh my! All the "ginghams" on one table!!
Can we talk about those party hats?



How pretty would this be for Easter brunch??
I would like to have Kate Landers come to my house and get this all set for me!

I know I'm jumping the gun - Valentine's comes before Easter but I consider Valentine's Day to be a Winter holiday.


However, pink gingham may be my favorite.

Truthfully, I'm pretty sure black and white gingham is my all time favorite!
Not Spring~y but look at this set up:


And it has a gold oyster shell place card. I'm sold!! 
PS. I've recently "pinned" some great gingham images!!

But most of all I'm excited for everything to be green again outside.
I'm ready for my hydrangeas to bloom, and I'm ready to plant things!


Maybe on a slightly smaller scale ;)

One of my favorite gardening blogs and IG feeds belongs to Claus Dalby.
He has the most amazing gardens and flower arrangements.
 He is in Denmark.
 I figure if he can hang on until Spring, then I can as well.



#frontstepgoals







Seriously, hurry up Spring!

#trending

Remember how I sometimes like to pretend I'm trendy or even AHEAD of a trend??

(Which probably means I was off, not ahead, but who cares since I don't consider myself a trend follower anyway.) 

Just saw this upholstered storage ottoman over on Wayfair's site.

For $215.00

I made this one from a Target Back to College stool that was under $20.00 

to go in Mollie's room in the Chi O House.

In 2012!!

More details here if you want to save a few $$.

It's in an article called "Trending Now: Tropical Bedrooms"

Hello?

We are nothing if not all about the tropical bedroom look. 

Always. 

Inland or on vacay.

 It's our look.

So I decided to scroll through and see what I else I might have going on at my house that is in the "now trending tropical bedroom" category.

Apparently I'm looking for validation for some reason.

Pineapple  - Got that covered, too.

 

Palm leaf. Check. Check.

And, Pantone's Color of the Year 2017???
Good thing I bought these vintage rattan swivel chairs in that exact green!!
The "greenery" vinyl seat were in perfect condition. 
The rest of the chair got a coat of glossy white and are looking spiffy in my office!

I painted over that exact color in my first One Room Challenge in 2015.

4 coats of white to cover.

Just sayin'

I still like the color but 4 walls times 4 coats???

I'm no expert but maybe think about small accessories this go 'round!

#trendsetterinthemaking

iphone 1/17/2017

Does this happen at your house?

When I "take down Christmas" I don't just put things back in place.

I start moving and "trying out" things in different spots.

Even though I was perfectly happy before Christmas.

I plopped that pillow on the stool because I love buffalo check.

 I love that pillow in the Library and I'm not sure I want it to leave but.. 

I found this cute pillow on clearance after Christmas.

So it's "auditioning." :)

I also found a glass top faux bamboo coffee table right before Christmas.

 It is only 2 inches smaller than the one that has been in the Library.

 But I'm giving it a try to see if the slight difference "opens up" the room. 

At least that's what I'm telling myself.

When the Christmas greenery goes, I find myself needing greenery of another sort.

Forcing some paperwhites for a little pre-Spring pick me up!

White tulips were on sale at Kroger. 

What's a girl gonna do?

Plus I had to go to the grocery on a Saturday.

 I deserved them.

And the ivy plants are always so pretty in January.

I love this image from IG.

We should go wherever this is.

I love her feed. 

I love these chairs

 and I have a loooong love affair with black and white checked floors.

 I've blogged about them before.

More than once.

*notice the plants in the window :)

I'm always drawn to warm, beachy images in the Winter. 

I don't know if it's torture or it helps. But this painting is gorgeous!

Aaaand the Chinoiserie Christmas ornaments were so much fun

 I had to think of another project along the same line.

So, Ta-Da!!

Chinoiserie Valentine Mini canvases to warm your heart.

 And they are going on sale on Instagram on Friday 1/20.

I'll be posting these and more that are "in progress' on my work table. 

All different sizes (for reference: the one above is 6x6 inches) and color combos!!

That's about all the randomness on my phone right now. 

Furniture Roulette

At my house any piece of furniture can end up in any room at any time.

Just the spin of the wheel. Luck of the draw.

It's a gamble when you come to my house.

This may be particularly true when we are snowed in.

It rarely happens but when it does...

Before the first flake fell last week ...

This dresser was in the family room holding up the monster TV 

(my opinion which is not the opinion of others living here)

and containing our electronic "stuff."

On NYE my friend commented on how much she liked that dresser where it was and the color. I said, "Me too." And at that time I meant it. 

The dresser below was holding up our industrial chic spice cabinet in the kitchen

and  awaiting a paint job.

 The dresser had come from Mollie in one of her many moves during college.

I liked it just fine. It just needed me to decide on paint and take time to paint it.

(Is it weird to have bedroom dressers all over the house? Don't ask me. I have a china cabinet in my bathroom!)

And between NYE and the first flake this beauty showed up at my house.

Thank you to whomever donated this to the thrift store.

I snapped it right up!

And that's not even the one I talked about here

 and is in a holding pattern while I get it's new spot ready and paint it.

So the wood finish bamboo dresser came home and into the family room.

 Where its perfect self now sits! 

All it needed was dusting and two screws to fix the fabulous bamboo pulls. 

TA-DA!

Then...

I started painting this dresser (and feeding the dog LOL) a nice soft blue by Sherwin Williams.

Tidewater.

 Inside.

Because this is what was going on outside:

And while I was painting in the middle of the kitchen my husband managed to pull this off:

But back to the furniture switcheroo. 

Amazing what you can accomplish when you can't leave the house.

All finished in the gorgeous, soft SW Tidewater turquoisey blue. 

Our thrifted industrial chic spice cabinet back in place. 

A few globes, plants and some blue and white.

Looks like it was made for that spot.

And a little peek of one of my favorite lino prints by Charleston SC artist Stacy Bradley.

And the white dresser that was originally Mollie's and then in the kitchen was just picked up by the husband of the friend who admired my blue dresser on NYE.

It's like I'm contagious!

Now the same thing is happening at their house!

#shopthehouse