~ The Decorated House - Christmas 2014

It's that holly jolly time of the year again when you most likely get bitten by a bug ... the Humbug or more hopefully the Christmas Merry Bug! And yes, there seems to be some in between states of mind as well. Or you might flip from one to the other one day to the next. That's OK, just try to take a little time to breath in the beauty of the season and shake off the stress that sometimes comes with it.

Black and white at Christmas? It might seem like an odd color combo for Christmas decorating. But we have been using it for a while, and I still love it! I think it started for us several years ago when we got a Bambi, Radko ornament set with Flower and Thumper being the cutest of the lot. Flower of course is black and white/silver so that one has been displayed the most over the years. But it was the star that came later that really moved the color scheme to black and white.

 

Then a couple of years after Flower came to Christmas,  I found a pretty MacKenzie Childs star to add to the decorating mix. A few more, including one more star, came along in the next few Christmases. After a couple of tree crashes that destroyed a lot of the overpriced ornaments, I vowed not to get anymore. Out of all those glass ornaments, the stars are the only ones on the tree every year and I still love them!  The amount of lime green varies a bit year to year sometime a little more and sometimes a little less.  Still the Christmas decorating for me is white and silver with touches of black and remains my favorite combination with a touch of lime green.

Amazing to me, the presents are getting wrapped a bit early this year! Between procrastinating and trying to hide the gifts from my daughter, over the years I always seemed to be playing catch in on Christmas Eve, often everyone was in bed. This year I have a very good start on the packages which are going to be wrapped in white and silver, with black and lime green accents.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Decorating with Shells - Gifts from the Sea

Living Room Mantel 

Moss Ball in Vintage Milk Glass Urn

Starfish, Shells and Antique Blue Bottle

Living in a sub-tropical beachy location for almost my entire life means that shells bring back lots of memories.

CONTINUE READING

~ New Ottoman From An Old Wicker Trunk - Chest

Make a Pretty Ottoman Coffee Table from a (Wicker) Trunk:

CONTINUE READING

~ Bringing Summer Inside with Flowers & Seashells

You would think with the heat outside that it would be a really good time to give the inside of the house some attention. Sounds so logical doesn't it?  But the projects and repairs seem endless outside as well. For a breather from the dust, dirt and heat, I decided to just bring out some pretty shells and think peaceful thoughts of the beach ... at least for a moment or so. Shells can help you do that. Some of the shells we collected on vacation; mostly they were purchased since so many incredibly beautiful ones are found all over the world. This is the one time of the year that I really enjoy having shells on tables, on the mantels or gently piled in a dish. It helps bring the love the ocean home since the beaches become way too crowded this time of year for me.  

The hurricane glass in a vintage milk glass bowl with the seashells around it is such a simple idea and very easy to put together. A pair of them  would be pretty on a table for a coastal, beachy dinner or lunch. Bringing blooms in from your flower garden or from flowering trees is another very simple and totally free idea for spreading summer sunshine inside your home. Add a few star fish and sea shells and you can almost smell the the ocean breeze as you just take a moment to relax. 

See Y'All Soon~

~ Milk Glass & Succulents and a Little Green for Spring

The Spring Equinox! It always brings out that longing for the green of Spring and Summer. The heat will be here soon enough, so I'm not trying to rush Summer. It does however make me want to bring more green inside for a little while.

Milk glass is one of those old fashioned goodies that I wish I had seen the beauty of years ago.  But in the past, there was so much of it at the thrift shops, it made it seem just to grandma-like for my taste. Whatever pieces I used to have were long ago given to the Goodwill. In the last few years however I have picked up some here and there if it had really nice lines. Today, you can think of so many ways to incorporate this simple and beautiful white glass into your style even if you haven't quite embraced the grandma style. The lines of the ruffled pieces are so beautiful.

I'm still experimenting with succulents inside the house. They are so extremely easy to grow outdoors, but are a bit more difficult to grow indoors. The ones on the chest right by the window are doing very well. This one  is sitting on the coffee table further away from direct window light. So we will see how it does with less light that the other plants get. For many years I always had house plants, and just got away from tending them because there was plenty of work to keeping the ones outside alive and well.  Now it's one of those things that I miss having so I'm looking for some easy to keep green lovelies this year. 

Also some green pillows are on the sofa at the moment. What is easier that changing out pillows with the seasons! Since pillow covers are so inexpensive and easy to make, just this simple change can keep your interiors looking fresh to you. 

Again after ignoring milk glass for a while, I fell in love these ruffled bowls. Instead of too old fashioned, they actually look quite modern to me.  They remind me of some of today's lovely blown glass art pieces.

I'll let you know how all these succulents do inside. They may need a bit more attention than I seem to give indoor plants. I also brought in some bromeliads from the gardens, after washing them very well, which are doing fabulous. They are air plants after all, so other than giving them too much attention, they should be very easy to keep inside.  So far all I did to them is stick them in a container, pretty them up with a bit of moss, and remember to water  the little "cup" in the center before it gets dry. Now anyone can do that!

See Y'All Soon~

~ Black & White for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day will be coming very quickly. Yes, I know,  we just got the Christmas decorations put away. And on our morning walks, there were still Christmas trees out by the curb to be recycled yet. But still another holiday will be here soon and that means there are so many people 

CONTINUE READING

~ How To Make a 5 Minute Pillow ... Maybe 10 Mins.

You can make a pillow like this in 5 minutes! Maybe 10.

Tutorial & Step by Step Directions:

-------------------

Read on to see another one of my Reader's Favorites
(Click on the link below to read more!)

CONTINUE READING

~ How To Upholster a Simple Chair Seat Cushion

DIY - Tutorial - How To Upholster a Simple Chair Seat.

Readers' Favorite Posts

..............................................

When you last saw this chair it was a very distressed paint finish of blues to gray and white. Shortly afterwards, everything went almost back to neutral in the living room, including the little Italian made French style chair. The off white suits me much better. It is now painted a mix of Old White and Pure White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. (If you are not familiar with the product, this is not "chalkboard" paint.)

 

As is usual for my changing desire of color,  I needed a burst of color again as noted in the last post of the very quick blue and white pillow made out of the same fabric. This is not the fabric I thought I was using for this quick change the living room. Instead it was one of the two companion fabrics that I liked much more once I had the larger pieces home. I'm sure the other pieces will find some other fun projects to suit them.

This is a really simple project. Here's how you can do it, too. Click on the link below to read more.

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~ Halloween Decorating. Black & White, A Little More

 The only room that really gets any Halloween decorating is the living room area. A while back I thought I would stop decorating inside or outside, except maybe a Jack O Lantern. Our own daughter is grown, and there seems to be fewer kids coming out for trick or treat now. Then a couple years ago, when I opened the door for a few kids trick or treating, a little girl about 3 just came running right in the door. She stopped and looked around and smiled. Her mom was trying to catch her, but this little one was quick. It wasn't that I had done anything especially great. She just appreciated even the little things.  She reminded me of that special wonder that children have and that we often lose along the way. Doing even a small amount of decorating for Halloween keeps us in the spirit of Fall and the upcoming holidays.

The pillows with the black and white stripe trim were a part of the decor around here for several years. They have changed slightly as my color choices have changed.  Even though this is a very common toile, I happen to love toiles and this one is just fine with me. When I first made these I was mimicking some quite expensive pillows I had seen and the outside toile area was golden yellow. I  used fabric medium and paint on my fabric to get the same look that I had seen, and the gold was part of my colors. Since then that area has been painted a greige color. For  a while they have been in the closet because I was not using any black. This year I remembered I still had them and they were just what I needed to dress the sofa a bit differently and complement the Halloween decor which is black, white & silver.

I also kept the black and white transferware pieces from years ago and used one of the covered vases on the side table. These pieces look great with the seasonal decor as well. Funny how if you have things put away for awhile, sometimes they look fresh and new again. But not always... I know. There are many more things that went out the door in the last few years that are not missed at all.

Lots of us love white pumpkins. Here is another one I painted sitting on a harlequin plate along with some very old books from the mid 1800's, a quartz crystal sphere, a skeleton key and a spider just for the fun of it. The book was destined to be a book of spells, and still might get some more work next year. Since I love old and rustic books, it is perfect for the holiday.

See Y'All Soon~

 ................................................................................
Click on any of the pictures below to shop the art from The Decorated House!

~ Summer Mantel with Shells & Garden Ornaments

The cement garden ornaments were actually outside at one time.  They have been inside for quite a while, either in the house or on the porch. They have been inside for so long, that

CONTINUE READING

~ Decorating with Antique Blue Bottles on The Mantel

 Although I seldom decorate with pink, sometimes it just fits the mood. This time of year when there are flowers outside, it is so enjoyable to have them inside as well.  So many times I look for something different

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~ Living Rooms ~ Which Would You Choose?

Aren't these two living rooms both beautiful and interesting?  When they first started appearing around the web, it made me take a closer look since they had different elements that I too really liked. The spaces may be very different in size in real life, but I'm only looking at what we see in the photos. 

The first picture is House Beautiful magazine chatting with designer, and Euro Trash owner Annie Brahler, who shares how she used gold accents, restored antiques, and large mirrors when decorating her Jacksonville, IL home.

 

 The second photo is from Sally Wheat Designs. We can look into the rooms from a similar entry point, and see what might have been the same space decorated by two different designers. Both spaces have light neutral walls, and wood floors with a natural rug, a very simple color palette, and gold accents. A simple and well used plan for good reason. The first house is a Victorian as opposed to the second one which is not as old. But you could easily visualize swapping the furniture and think that is the way each designer might have decorated the other space,  at least from the way we are seeing the rooms from the photos. The Victorian room might be much larger since the fireplace is probably centered between two windows.

 I've seen people on-line swoon over both of these pictures. How nice that we are all so different. Which one is more to your liking? Does one just suit your style perfectly, or you like something(s), or don't like something(s), from each one? 

See Y'all Soon~

~ Summer Mantel in White & Silver ~ The Decorated House

I think our homes change as we grow, explore, learn and become re-freshed day by day. It is not a bad sign to me if you like to change things. Maybe you are a little different today than you were a year ago, a week ago, or even yesterday. If it gets to be a daily thing, it might be too much for those who live with you though. We all have had spouses tripping over chairs in the middle of the night simply because they were in a different place today than they were yesterday.

For Spring I wanted some pretty color and old silver.

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~ The Bell Jar - Cloche Party

There are some gifts that are so special they become treasures.
And they may not cost a single penny.

Sweet Husband has found two nests that I love so much.
One I still cannot find. But I'm thankful for this one.

And yes, everything you see in the nest,
except the blue eggs,
the bird brought in for her
own construction plans.
Old white paper, black plastic, string, moss
and what looks like cotton for the eggs!
No idea where she got that lovely
fluffy white goodness from.

It was huge!
Whatever little bird created it, wanted a mansion it appears.
Funny that is was so large,
and yet the little middle that was made
to hold the eggs,
was quite small.

This was all she really needed.
The Heart of the Nest.
Makes me think, how about you?

See Y'All Soon~
Donna
.................................

Lots of Lovely cloches
at
Marty at A Stroll Through Life
for a Summer Cloche Party

&
Beautiful Whites
at
Faded Charm, White Wednesday

~ Silver Leaf Top on White Coffee Table Makeover - Chalk Paint & Silver Leaf

A few years ago I fell in love with a black table with an églomisé top. I was smitten and almost purchased it. By now I know if I overspend on something it may not be worth it. So I'm happy that I waited on the buying the expensive one.

Right now I am painting

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~ Building a Faux Fireplace - Revisting ....

One of the topics that I often get emails about is the faux fireplace on the living room. As I was getting ready to re-post this, one as my blog friends, Kim of Twice Remembered Cottage, wrote about her one of her latest projects, a faux fireplace in her dining room. Be sure to check it out. She and her husband are redoing a house into a cottage-to-love. These two fireplaces are different ideas to spark your imagination if you are considering this.

I have a soft spot of Euro antiques. Usually they are not in my price range, but sometimes I get lucky.

The thought of something special traveling such a far distance from a European country and then somehow finding its way here to the states is always a tale that warms my heart. I understand those who prefer their treasures from the past from our country as well. It's just that I have a love for the ones from across the pond.

I only have a few... Irish, French, English & Italian treasures ... a couple of Minton tiles, some dishes, a chandelier, a table & cupboard, and this fireplace mantel that was destined to satisfied my longing for having a fireplace in the living room.

A fireplace is one of the most important design elements that you can add to a room for beauty and warmth. The architectural statement of a fireplace is loved and desired by most people when seeking a home. But there was no real need for a working fireplace in my living room. We have a nice large one in the family room where the television is. And it is fired up often from the time the temperature goes all the way down to about 50* for the first time each year until Spring when it warms up again.

I never lived in a house with a fireplace before this one, so I'm making up for lost time. If the rooms were larger, I would be tempted to have one in each bedroom or bathroom as well.

The antique insert was in excellent condition. The dealer had completely restored it. Although the gray was not what I needed, it was the perfect base to build on.



The first thing I did was paint most of it white, and part black to accentuate the half-round opening.

I probably had saved a hundred pictures of fireplaces and I could easily have 10 or so in one house just to implement the designs that I love. The look of French and Italian fireplaces still is the most beautiful to me, and I have never tired of this one. It makes me sad to image one day someone will move in my house and might want a mid century modern look, and rip it out.

I began the design around the antique piece we purchased at Renninger's, and all the dozens of pictures I had accumulated. If you are not very handy with miter cuts and measuring, you could have a trim carpenter (or a great husband) match pictures that you might be saving. Sweet Hubby did all the work for me. He not only did a beautiful job with it, but enjoyed it as well.

It is the mix of the details that exist on the original antique piece, the added plaster and resin elements and all the moldings that makes this so beautiful. We added moldings to blend all these different elements into one design.

He built a box above the mantel with angels to mimic the ones I found from France and Italy. In order to add to the realism, we made it so that it came out from the wall a little bit, although it would be more realistic if it was thicker. I just didn't have the floorspace to spare.

You can see that the top of the mantel is cut with a curved design.

The plywood above the fireplace was covered
with layers of drywall mud to give
a stucco/stone effect.
Then it was primed and
painted in a Faux Stone finish.


This is a close up of the
details on the original piece
where it is painted white
then antiqued.


The inside of the firebox is a small piece of plywood
painted like a gray brick.
I found a metal "scrollie thing" that I painted black
and used some "rub-n-buff on the details of it.
This was fitted on the inside of the opening.



The larger corbels are resin, again painted
to an aged, antiqued white look.



Detail shot of the bottom.
Shows the mix of wood moldings
wood boxes, and resin pieces.

The beautiful piece in the center is plaster.
Painted & Antiqued for an aged look.

Hope you enjoyed this one!
See Y'all Soon!!

~ Let It Be ... Mother Mary comes to me....

There will be an answer, let it be...

I looked for quite a while for a vintage Mary statue like this one. One that had just the right amount of age, a few chips here and there. One that reminded me of my childhood when you truly believe that prayers could be answered. One that would remind me that maybe they always are answered, even if it isn't the answer that we think we need or deserve.

I found her at Renninger's Extravaganza in Mt. Dora a couple of years ago. The dealers were very nice people and had picked her up in either France or Belgium. They were not sure. Now she lives with me. A long journey to a new heart waiting for her.

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of Wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of Wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be , let it be
Whisper words of Wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people, living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

* Lyrics by Paul McCartney *
......................................................

I have always thought these words were inspired.
Not that I feel Paul McCartney is a saint.
But it gives Hope to all of us, who are not saints,
that we too can give the world
something that
is inspired.

See Y'all Soon
...........................................................................................

** Hearts For Haiti at Etsy...
Currently raised for Doctors Without Borders (after fees):
$25,065.32 as of 9:00am EST 2/1/10**

~ Light In The Darkness

This blog may be a bit boring in the coming year because I am determined to enjoy decorating, nesting and fussing by using and moving things around that I already have. And buying very few new things. Especially anything that I don't actually "need." Not only do I still have more stuff" than I actually need, but buying less will help me appreciated some of the things I have even more. Then I'll use them and not be out looking for more stuff.

This angel was not expensive, but I have really loved it ever since I found it. Over the last year she had gotten lost in the shuffle. She is quite lovely with some candles and the light dancing around. It's a simple example of things that I can use over and over again in different ways.


Maybe the reason that I tend to bring out more whites to decorate with in the winter is because it is a bit "darker" during the cold months. Most people lean towards more color in the winter, and then feel the need to lighten up as the seasons change. Instead I need more white around me in the cold months to combat that the days are shorter and there is less sunlight.

A couple of days ago I had a skin cancer spot removed, and I wanted to whine a little and get some sympathy, or at least ice cream and a cookie. Then I found out a close relative was going in for a breast biopsy the same day. Thankfully it turned out negative and it put my little boo boo in perspective. I felt cooped up with not being able to go walk the puppy as we usually do the last few days because of the stitches. But then I learned that my sis who had shoulder surgery today, would be going through therapy for 3 months. I'm thankful she is home now, with some mending ahead of her though.

Then the devastation in Haiti. I realized I have not one single thing to complain about. The amazing organization Doctors Without Borders was already in Haiti working. They have suffered greatly from the earthquake and their center was destroyed. They continue to work in the worst possible conditions because so many depend on them for their lives right now. They continue to bring Light in the Darkness.
You can visit them here.

See Y'all Soon~

~ Building a Faux Fireplace

I have a soft spot of Euro antiques. Usually they are not in my price range, but sometimes I get lucky.

The thought of something special traveling such a far distance from a European country and then somehow finding its way here to the states is always a tale that warms my heart. I understand those who prefer their treasures from the past from our country as well. It's just that I have a love for the ones from across the pond.

I only have a few... Irish, French, English & Italian treasures ... a couple of Minton tiles, some dishes, a chandelier, a table & cupboard, and this fireplace mantel that was destined to satisfied my longing for having a fireplace in the living room.

A fireplace is one of the most important design elements that you can add to a room for beauty and warmth. The architectural statement of a fireplace is loved and desired by most people when seeking a home. But there was no real need for a working fireplace in my living room. We have a nice large one in the family room where the television is. And it is fired up often from the time the temperature goes all the way down to about 50* for the first time each year until Spring when it warms up again.

I never lived in a house with a fireplace before this one, so I'm making up for lost time. If the rooms were larger, I would be tempted to have one in each bedroom or bathroom as well.

The antique insert was in excellent condition. The dealer had completely restored it. Although the gray was not what I needed, it was the perfect base to build on.





The first thing I did was paint most of it white, and part black to accentuate the half-round opening.

I probably had a hundred pictures saved of fireplaces and I could easily have 10 or so in one house just to implement the designs that I love. The look of French and Italian fireplaces still is the most beautiful to me, and I have never tired of this one. It makes me sad to image one day someone will move in my house and might want a mid century modern look, and rip it out.

I began the design around the antique piece we purchased at Renninger's, and all the dozens of pictures I had accumulated. If you are not very handy with miter cuts and measuring, you could have a trim carpenter (or a great husband) match pictures that you might be saving. Sweet Hubby did all the work for me. He not only did a beautiful job with it, but enjoyed it as well.

It is the mix of the details that exist on the original antique piece, the added plaster and resin elements and all the moldings that makes this so beautiful. We added moldings to blend all these different elements into one design.

He built a box above the mantel with angels to mimic the ones I found from France and Italy. In order to add to the realism, we made it so that it came out from the wall a little bit, although it would be more realistic if it was thicker. I just didn't have the floorspace to spare.

You can see that the top of the mantel is cut with a curved design.

The plywood above the fireplace was covered
with layers of drywall mud to give
a stucco/stone effect.
Then it was primed and
painted in a Faux Stone finish.


This is a close up of the
details on the original piece
where it is painted white
then antiqued.


The inside of the firebox is a small piece of plywood
painted like a gray brick.
I found a metal "scrollie thing" that I painted black
and used some "rub-n-buff on the details of it.
This was fitted on the inside of the opening.



The larger corbels are resin, again painted
to an aged, antiqued white look.



Detail shot of the bottom.
Shows the mix of wood moldings
wood boxes, and resin pieces.

The beautiful piece in the center is plaster.
Painted & Antiqued for an aged look.

Hope you enjoyed this one!
See Y'all Soon!!