Gather Up All the Pink and Red!!

Valentine's Day is about telling people you love them. I think it should be sweet and filled with kindness not stress about spending money on over the top gifts or flowers. I also decided a long time ago that I did not want to wait in lines or eat in overly crowded restaurants that night either. Valentine's celebrations, for us, have always been family events and simple but fun.

When Mollie was young she decorated with hearts she made and taped everywhere. We made hearts from wax paper and crayon shavings like my mom did with me and we often ate heart shaped pizzas we made at home. I would buy cannolis or a special dessert at the bakery because that is not my strong suit!

This year I pulled out everything pink or red and put it all together! On Valentine's Day it just works. I did create DIY red and pink marbleized chargers from some thrift store finds. Everything else (except the candy) I had on hand and most of it has been thrifted over time. 

I didn't buy any fresh flowers but I did pull out a family heirloom glass compote that I fill with roses that I let dry when I do buy them. I love fresh flowers and I do believe you should treat yourself when you are able. 

Tie a gingham bow on your every day items and suddenly they are fun!

I hope that you get to spend time with those you love but should you find yourself alone then treat yourself because you are worth it!

What Should We Call These Planters Anyway?

I love them but we all seem unsure about what to call this style of planter! 

Bust planters, statue planters, planter heads - I've seen all of the names. Whatever name we decide upon one of the most asked questions that I get on my Instagram is where do I find them? 

There isn't a short answer except to say "Everywhere."

I'll explain... I have purchased mine all over the place, including Amazon,  and in all kinds of shops. I look at thrift stores and antique malls. Garden shops are a good source. I've found a couple there. I have also found them at backroad concrete statuary places. In the middle of nowhere. You just never know. I'm going to link some from Amazon below. If you have free shipping it's a great place to start your collection. These can be heavy! Be sure to read the dimensions and also to check if they are made for outdoor use. I have mine inside and outside but some are strictly for indoor use. 

The finish on this one is slowly chipping away but I don't mind it.

Choosing what "hair" to plant is always fun. Creeping Jenny is one of my favorites.

 

They are fun in every season. I've planted them with spring bulbs and pansies. The first bright spot in the garden.

They love a good holiday look!

 

I tuck them in everywhere. 

So now that you see how much fun they are to have in the garden, on your porch or even inside here are a few that are easily sourced:

I have this guy! 

I also have this pretty lady. 

This bust planter of a young child is so sweet. 

This one is a wall planter - so unique!

I have this one too. I didn't purchase her from Amazon but this is a good price. And these can be pretty heavy so if you have free shipping it helps!

I hope you find a planter that you like. Whatever we call them, they make great companions inside and out!

Goodwill and Me

It's no secret that I love a lucky Goodwill find. My home is filled with them. 

I think that thrifting is the very best way to create a unique and personal home on any budget.

I was very excited when someone from Goodwill of North Georgia reached out to me last fall and offered the opportunity to collaborate for a big home and garden show at the nearby Galleria. They gave me a budget of $50, a gift card and asked me to create a holiday table scape. You can find that table decor here. My trusty thrifting pal, my daughter Mollie, and I had a great time hunting for the best finds. 

Fast forward to this month and the spring home show season has begun. I'm excited to say that @goodwill_ng invited me to join in the fun again and create two table scapes. 

You can see the videos from the home show here and here. be sure to watch the IG videos to get an overall view of the completed table scapes. I wanted to share the process I use to pull together a thrifted table scape. You will have more time to collect items or to build up your entertaining basics if you wish. If space is at a premium or your event is more of a one time theme then simply donate your items back to Goodwill. I used to do that for Mollie's birthday party decorations. We had an adorable two year old birthday celebration many years ago with a 3 foot talking Big Bird stuffed animal. He cost only a few dollars and looked adorable holding a big bouquet of balloons. After we were finished we donated him back because the investment was small even though the impact was big!

The first table was an "Easter Brunch" theme. Here are a few of the things that I bought, why, and how much they cost. 

I found a pastel plaid tablecloth for $3.99. While it was bundled  up at the store I knew that if it had any stains they wouldn't be large and the table would be filled with plates and accessories so not much tablecloth would show. It only had two small ink pen spots. I washed it and it pulled the whole table together. I bought the huge bunny platter for $7.09, in perfect condition, because it's perfect for the theme and such a statement piece. I will probably donate it right back to GW because I don't have room to store it for once a year use but it was truly a great find. The punch bowl ($4.09) was a great way to display the plastic egg hunt eggs - just a little twist on using a basket. Punch bowls can be used for so many things other than serving punch. They look great filled with ornaments at Christmas or lined with moss and filled with orchids. 

I bought every bunny figurine (less than $5.00 for all of them) I found and then unified them with Rustoleum Leather Brown spray paint. Chocolate bunnies for the win.

 It was very easy to find plates and bowls ($5.09 for all of the bowls and $5.09 for the set of turquoise plates) to match the colors in the tablecloth - so many options. The wicker chargers reminded me of Easter baskets and chargers always elevate the look of a table. The crystal basket was a cute touch and the perfect way to serve jelly beans. The plastic egg plates ($1.69 each) were a great find because we have deviled eggs quite often. The find that gave us the most laughs was the HOP sign ($4.09 each letter). It was actually a set of rustic wood signs that spelled HOPE - I just left the E behind :) I had spray paint and ribbon so giving them a fresh look was inexpensive and easy. I had plastic eggs and paper Easter grass on hand but both of those are very inexpensive. 

The second table scape was a coastal, beachy theme. I found a huge basket of seashells and some very sturdy bamboo trays in perfect condition so I knew I was off to a good start with that theme. Who isn't ready for summery seafood dinners?

Next I found stacks of plastic chargers for 89 cents each and I decided that using my spray paint marbleizing technique to create a watery and unique placemat. 

I found a huge basket of shells for $3.09, a very large conch shell for $3.09 and a bag of starfish and a few medium sized shells for $2.09. That gave me a lot of shells to pile down the center of the table around a fabulous palm tree candleholder that was $5.09.

The sandcastle tea light holder was $2.09 and such a fun addition to the seashell "centerpiece."  I found two narrow blue tablecloths for $1.99 each and used those draped across the table like runners. The blue bamboo look glasses were $3.09 for all four.

But the most fun was creating the DIY marbleized chargers to go under the fish plates. The chargers look almost watery and were a perfect touch of color with all of the neutral shells and bamboo trays.

You can find step by step instructions for marbleizing with spray paint here, and here. 

I hope you try it!

Get It Together!!

I think that thinking about getting organized is one of the most popular "to-do" tasks at the beginning of the year. You can order all kinds of organization items online but a lot of my favorites are items I've thrifted or found in vintage shops and have repurposed for organization. Often this is a much more interesting and economical way to get storage and organization pieces. Sometimes you have to be patient, thrift, and slowly find all the pieces you need but I think it is worth it. 

One of my favorite pieces in my house is this vintage bamboo china cabinet that I have used for over 10 years as the linen closet in my closet-less primary bathroom. Sometimes you have to use your imagination. 

The bamboo china cabinet is filled with vintage wicker suitcases that I thrifted over time. The suitcases store all kinds of bathroom necessities that are not necessarily attractive. They can be found in every size imaginable and are inexpensive. They also stack beautifully so you can get a lot of storage space using them. They add warmth and texture, plus a touch of the unexpected, to the bathroom.

I'm not kidding when I say I hide everything you need in a bathroom in vintage wicker and bamboo suitcases.

The primary bath isn't the only place I use stacked, vintage wicker baskets and trunks. Almost every shelf unit in my home has at least one wicker or bamboo storage piece. 

The bamboo trunk in my entry way holds our candle stash.

And the small bamboo boxes, on the coffee table below, hold all of our remotes, chargers and other little items that seem to accumulate in the room where we watch TV.

More bamboo lidded baskets storing all kinds of little things all around the house. 

I went on my first thrift store visit of the year today and there were two  bamboo/wicker suitcases there! It's easier than you think to find creative storage. 

Happy Organizing!

January 2023!!

Happy new year. When I was young I remember hearing my grandparents saying that time goes faster as you get older. I thought that was so silly - everyone knows a second is the exact amount of time every single time. A minute is a minute. Guess what?? Like so many other things, they were right. 

I'm shocked that it is a new year. I am a little unprepared to be honest. Other than a new calendar I don't have a word of the year or any resolutions. Maybe not deciding any of those things is, in fact, my decision. What about you?

Our NYE "venue" #ourfamilyroom. 

We changed our plans and stayed home to enjoy snacks and champagne and to watch UGA play.

I did do a couple of 2022 "wrap ups" on IG but that's about it. It is the first year that both of my parents are gone so we did not have any holiday travel. Things felt a little different but we did some new things around home and because it was soooooo cold in the South we actually just hung out at home and read and napped. And snacked. And snacked! We decided to enjoy the slower pace. 

I do have a little room refresh that I want to start soon. Christmas decor is down but not completely cleared out of the way (I'm doing some purging.) Once I get everything completely out of every room I'm going to start my first project of 2023. It is going to be all about paint and won't involve any big ticket items. I'll be posting on my Instagram once I get started. 

Are you easing in to 2023 like me? Or do you have plans and goals in place and are ready to jump in?? 

Do You Ever Really Finish Decorating A Christmas Tree?

I admire people who put up their tree and it is "finished!" Somehow I just can't quite get stopped adding decor to a Christmas tree. Are you finished? Or are you like me? Tweaking the tree until the last moment?

I got a new King of Christmas Tree that I knew I was going to put in our Library and that really motivated me to do some fun DIYs that I'd been thinking about but hadn't gotten around to doing. You can see the previous DIYS here,  here, here, and here. 

Today I'm going to share the last few DIYs on the Library tree. 

Mollie and I made some of the faux mercury ornaments that are all over Pinterest using Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. I used the mirror spray paint on French doors between our entry and garden room years ago and I was impressed at how easy it was to get a mottled, antique mirror look on plain glass. 

It's like having little mini gazing balls all over the tree. The reflective quality is great. 

Next up were some decoupaged ornaments. I decoupaged an Easter tree and a fall tree with chinoiserie and marbled papers! I wasn't about to leave my Christmas tree out of it!

I found museum images of Japanese woodblock winter scenes. Snow and pagodas! Perfect for my Christmas ornaments. Follow the links to the Easter of fall tree for complete DIYs.

You aren't limited to chinoiserie ornaments for this project. Any subject matter that you would like to see on your tree is possible - just search for copyright free images to print and decoupage. 

The first ones I ever made were Audubon bird images downloaded from the Audubon Society website. 

I tried some botanical images as well. I chose pine, holly and mistletoe.

The last little DIY (if you can call it that) was to glitter some inexpensive plastic icicle ornaments to add some shimmer to the tree. I found mine at Target -$3 for 12. 

I painted the icicle with Mod Podge and then dipped it in crystal glitter. So quick and easy but it adds a lot of sparkle and shimmer to the tree.  I like a little sparkle during the holidays!

I hope you have a chance to create some ornaments of your own this year! Enjoy your Christmas tree - they are magical!