Friday, July 27, 2018

WHY I LOVE THIS ROOM: TEN TAKEAWAYS


Every now and then I pin a picture on Pinterest that I keep coming back to time and time again. The room I'm showing you today is one of those pins. It was created by Phoebe Howard. She's a wonderfully talented Southern decorator and has also written How-Tos for Southern Living. You may recognize her name from the magazine. Here's the gorgeous, tastefully decorated room...


The room has an old world, cottage feel to it and radiates charm. There's so much to love and so many ideas to take note of in this happy space. 

Here are a few things that I'm putting in my decorating file...

Ten Takeaways


One

I love the natural light. My eye is always drawn to the light in a room, probably because we have so little of it in our home. There are certain times during the day when the light streams in, but it's very limited. Others' natural light is what I tend to wish for more than anything else when I'm looking for inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, or other blogs.

Two

And right down from the pretty window light are flowers in a pitcher. Flowers add instant glam. I don't really have a bush or blooms to cut from, but my high school has a courtyard that the agriculture class maintains. I clip from there every chance I get, and grocery flowers often come home with me.

Three

Collected items used in groups make a statement. Every now and then pull out part or even all of what you like to collect and let everyone else enjoy it too.

Four

Antique accent tables cozy up any space. I'll take something old over something new any day of the week. :-)

Five

There's a lot of white in the room--bedding, walls, lamp--but it's not all white. Just the right amount of color has been carefully mixed with the white to give it the charming cottage feel.

Six

The bedding is also a favorite. I like bedding that looks pieced together, a little here and there over time. And how about those pom poms on the bottom of the bed spread!

Seven

I love the window treatments. They are reserved and understated. Simple panels over a natural blind is one of my favorite looks.

Eight

The rug is also well-chosen. It doesn't scream "look at me." The stripes add interest and a touch of pattern. It nicely ties the space all together.

Nine

Color: just enough and in just the right way--added by the accessories. The yellow tones aren't necessarily all the same, but they all blend well. It's been hard for me to break the habit of thinking everything must match exactly. But look how wonderful it looks when it doesn't. I'm trying!

Ten

And not to be forgotten--blue, a tiny touch, on the bottom of the bed skirt and on the headboard. What room isn't improved by a dash of blue. :-)



To me the room is elegant but not one bit stuffy. The charm seems to have been created effortlessly. Hopefully you saw a few ideas you can steal borrow, too!

Friday, July 20, 2018

FRIDAY'S FIVE

Welcome to Friday's Five! 

1 - I ran across this project on Pinterest. It's prettier than pretty. I love everything about this space. Click here to see this project by Tracey, the Porch Daydreamer.  



2 - I might actually enjoy laundry in some of these gorgeous laundry rooms.



3 - I would just like to say that my fiddle fig is doing pretty darn good. I think he's been with me now for four weeks. He has only dropped two leaves, and I feel certain he is about to sprout a new one any second. This article is full of fiddle fig inpsiration.

Image: Waiting on Martha

4 - You don't need a link for this one. Just head to your nearest grocery store. Trust me... :-)


5 - And, just in case you weren't around in 2015 when WBL came to be, here's a link to one of my favorite summer recipes, just in time for all those blueberries everyone's picking.



Enjoy your weekend!

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

USING DECORATIVE BOWLS

It really is unbelievable to me that we only have a few short weeks left in the summer. My first day back in the classroom is August 2nd, and the students will come on the 8th. I still have so many closets to clean out (as in I have done a grand total of ONE). Although it has been short, it's been a good summer. The best part for me was a family vacation. We managed to get all three kids and their significant others together--finally!!

I picked up these shells one morning in Orange Beach, and that prompted this post. I was trying to decide the best place to keep them so I would always be reminded of our trip together.



They ended up in this gold trimmed, glass storage box from Hobby Lobby. I found the box earlier in the summer for half price. It's the perfect home for my shells.



Looking around to decide where to keep them, I realized I use lots of bowls and small vases for all sorts of things. I'm showing you a few today.

I asked the question on Instagram, "What's in your decorative bowls?" And it turns out, we all use our bowls and dishes for pretty much the same things.

Almost everyone said FRUIT, real or faux.




In my dining room I use a blue and white oval dish to store NAPKIN RINGS.





Many of my Instafriends said they keep the REMOTES in a bowl. Us too!




CANDY was another top answer. We have mints in milkglass at our house; although, a giant bowl of peanut M&Ms would make me much happier. :-)




On our coffee table I have a basket/tray holding a few random things like coasters, books, a plant, and bowl of POLISHED ROCKS. They are from a field trip I took years ago with my youngest son. He was in elementary school. This week he's taking his senior portraits. Time--it flies.

We were at Desoto Caverns. They give you a little velvet bag and you can fill it with your own rocks. This is what I came home with.





One other Instagram answer was 3-D PUZZLE PIECES. I don't have puzzle pieces anywhere in a bowl, but I do have Tic-Tac-Toe pieces.



And last, but nowhere close to least, is a bowl with a strand of PRAYER BEADS made and given to me by two former, super-talented students--Anna and Leah Johns. Anna (now Walters) is also a wonderful colligrapher. You can see more of her work here.


Now, what about you?

I'd love to hear from you! Tell me below in the comments what you keep in your bowls.

Thursday, July 05, 2018

DECORATING WITH SHADES OF GREEN


Green is not usually a color I use much in my decorating, other than a plant here and there, but lately I've been seeing green used in some really pretty, inspirational ways. From painted furniture to kitchen cabinets, it can be used in every room in the house. And yes, it does feel like I'm cheating on my blue and white to post this. :-) But sometimes it's nice to get a glance at something fresh and a little different. 



Here are a few pieces that have been painted. This first one is gorgeous! I love the simplicity of the decorating on top, and the gold pulls are so pretty. It feels like the perfect combination of old and new.

Second Changes by Misty Etsy Shop

The picture below inside the empty frame is a great idea.

Pinterest

I see dressers like this one all the time on FB Market Place. I need to remember how great they look when painted and given new life.

A Simpler Design



Swoon. I couldn't commit to this, but these next few kitchens and one bathroom that use green sure are stunning.

Emily A. Clark

Jaclyn Peters Design

Any thoughts on upper and bottom cabinets being a different color like the one below?

Elle Decor

Pinterest


Style Me Pretty

Better Homes and Gardens

Judith Balis Interiors via Domino



Fabric is certainly an easy way to add the color green. Plus, so many other colors are easily combined with it.

Southern Living

The Glam Pad

Home Bunch

Sue Ellen Gregory via Pinterest

Pinterest

Life On Virginia Street 




Something about a green sofa... instant elegance!

Photo: Artist Residence via Pinterest


Southern Living

Better Homes and Gardens

Alice Lane Home

Mark D. Sikes
I do have some green and white plates hanging in my kitchen, and like I said above, a live (and faux) plant or two, but that's about it for the green in my house. Have y'all used green in your home?

Kathryn