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Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts

8.29.2018

pumpkins on point - needlepoint!

the original heirloom needlepoint pumpkins,  women supporting women, boho style, decorating, fall, farmhouse style, original designs, pumpkins, re-purposing, resources, Romantic Homes Magazine, rustic style, Thanksgiving, up-cycling, vintage, needlepoint
yes, my friends, it's THAT time of year again - pumpkin season is here!
and i am so excited to share with you some of the most unique and beautiful handcrafted pumpkins
that i have ever had the pleasure to see...

the Original Heirloom Needlepoint Pumpkins (TM) 

by smWollman Designs
handmade from carefully curated vintage needlepoint panels,
these charming creations express the richness of fall in a stunning new way.
each pumpkin is a one-of-a-kind creation, rare and never to be replicated.

the needlepoints used are handcrafted by 1000s of unknown hands 
over a span of many years, from across the country. and every needlepoint has a story to tell...
continue reading for more about these perfectly imperfect 'on point' pumpkins...

11.28.2016

Easy Christmas Wreath Makeover

christmas decor
Welcoming people to our homes is important every day - especially during the Holiday season.
A wreath for the door or front porch is something that we almost all include in our decor... 

Like you, I gaze longingly at the beautiful wreaths and garlands 
displayed at elegant home decor shops and garden centers
And THEN I look at the price tags... not happenin', folks!!

Fortunately, those inspiring creations can lead the way to making what we already have BETTER!
I'm always up for taking something old and making it look new
(okay, well, not always - sometimes I take new things and make them look old!)
...and the wreath that my Mom has been using for about 20 years now was due for an update.

continue reading for my secrets...

11.22.2016

which wine???

Years ago, I had the pleasure of working in the wine industry in the Pacific Northwest, 
where I learned more than I ever thought possible about the fruit of the vine....
Still, when I am stymied on a food and wine pairing,
I call on one of my friends to help me out with advice I can trust:
Scott Carlson is an experienced, knowledgeable wine & beer specialist for BevMo Stores
and he's been sharing some great information about wine pairings for years.

  I've rounded up some of Scott's best points on the subject
of pairing wines with Thanksgiving Dinner,
and added in a few of my own comments and recommendations
to help you select several wines for your upcoming holiday meal... enjoy!

<< click on 'continue reading' for Scott's recommendations!

9.12.2014

Falling for the French

After spending nearly two days setting up and styling Rita's Mammabellarte booth
at The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks show ( which you saw in my last post),
 I headed over to assist another vendor in the setup of her booth!

Sweet Liz Sandor, owner of 'My Little French Venue',
had been toiling in the hot sun to get all of her goods unloaded and into her space.
She just needed me to help her add the finishing touches to her displays,
and I was delighted with the beautiful things she had for me to work with!

While Rita brought a Farm Fresh mood to the show, Liz brought elegant French style...
Her display inside the tent was built around some truly stunning antiques....
The china vitrine, secretary desk, trumeau mirror, and refined armchairs set quite a stage.
So I took the small items and props she had brought along,
and grouped them into color themes so that all of her vignettes said 'Fall'
(with a French accent, of course!)

Here are some of the details of what we did:
 
The photo of the beautiful statue bust was the last one I snapped at the end of the day...
the sun was setting beyond the hilltops, and one shaft of glorious golden light
made its way into the front of the booth just as we were finishing up.
It didn't quite reach the statue
but a small mirror was placed to reflect it onto this lovely face,  and I got the shot!!!
Liz's fresh flower arrangements and high-end faux flowers added fall foliage to soften the scenes.

continue reading to see MORE beautiful photos of Liz's gorgeous booth...

9.10.2014

Farmhouse Fall

 Last week I had the honor of working with and for a very good friend, Rita Reade,
who is the proprietor of the creative vintage business Mammabellarte 
and co-founder, along with her sister-in-love, Christie Repasy, of The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks.

Rita has her hands full organizing and assisting the 65 vendors at every show,
which is held every three months in a lovely park setting NorthEast of San Diego, CA,
so she hires me as her visual designer and stylist *
to style all of her beautiful creations into an inspiring booth setting...
and I love every minute of it!

Here's what I did with her booth for the fall show, 
to coordinate with the show theme 'Farmgirl Fancies' -
I hope it inspires you for fall decorating!
 Rustic elements and a focus on ivory, white, tan, and green set a Farmhouse mood.
Rita's signature pink is still in there, but it's taking a back seat in the color palette this time...
Those are vintage window screens that I turned into an 'awning' at the back of the booth! 
It was a spur-of-the-moment idea that became my favorite part ;)

continue reading for MORE gorgeous photos!

4.02.2014

Finding Your Way Through Wonderland...

I've previously shared info on this marvelous event for women, 
but wanted to share it once more so that no one misses out!

Held once a year in sunny Southern California's vintage & antique community of Orange,
the Launch Your Creativity networking & educational event 
is geared toward women who HAVE a business or who want to START a business.
Whether you will offer your own artisan work, a store, a service, or a franchise 
(natural oils or makeup, for example),
here is where you will find resources, inspiration, encouragement, support, and connection
to women who UNDERSTAND and can EMPOWER you and your business!

The two-day event is coming up soon, and you don't want to be late for this very important date!

Come to Launch, and learn how to navigate 'Wonderland'
("I wonder how to start... I wonder what to do next... I wonder if I can DO this...")
and you'll find yourself on the road to SUCCESS!

Visit the Launch Your Creativity Website HERE 
to learn more about the event and to purchase tickets
Limited seating available
 
PS: The DoubleTree Hilton Inn is located just two miles South of Disneyland !
[ If my Disney work schedule permits, 
I'll be participating in the 'Truth Over Tea' Panel Discussion on Saturday morning ]

3.21.2014

the Gift of Sharing

I'm celebrating my birthday by declaring today
'the Gift of Sharing' Day 
over on the
 HOMEWARDfound facebook page!

Click the green link above to join me there, and
share the links to YOUR favorite facebook pages...
They can be your own page, or a page belonging to a friend
or a page that is a business you love and would like others to know about: 
Shops, shows, events, movies, vacation spots, cafe's, anything at all!
( let's keep it PG-rated, though, okay?!!! )
.
All I ask is that you please don't post the links in your comments here on this blog -
Only on the facebook page.
Thank you!


Click HERE to SHOP HOMEWARDfound!
for more decorating
inspiration for every season of the year,
  visit HOMEWARDfound on these social networking sites:

1.24.2014

WhiteWashed

 In my many years of decorating homes, styling retail displays, 
and selling vintage & re-purposed items,
my favorite 'tool' has always been PAINT...
it's inexpensive, it's easy to work with,
and it can completely transform an old or salvaged object easier than anything else. 

Paint is also a handy tool for us girls who like to change up our decor a lot...
Case in point: the metal floral chandelier shown below.

I bought it in 1996, when it was the original multi-color painted finish = UGLEEEEEE!
Over the years that I owned it, I painted and RE-painted it MANY colors:
green, pink, black, green again, white, yellow, gold, black again, silver, and white again.

And WHITE paint is the one simple color that seems to have the most magical powers!

Taking an old, ugly, dated brass chandelier / light fixture and turning it into something beautiful
is really easy with white paint:
Those chandeliers were originally, from left to right: brass . black metal . brass
[and the one shown at the top of this post was muddy brown/beige]

White paint, used with a light hand, can also bring an old wood finish back to life,
lightening it up without covering the lovely details...
using a simple 'dry brush' whitewashing paint technique, 
an old plank table and pine country chairs are ready for their new starring roles:
[the new burlap seat cover helps update the chairs, too...]
Another example of 'dry-brush' painting is shown on this old front door...
The salvaged front door had a horribly damaged wood finish, with peeling clear lacquer.
Sanding the worn finish down and dry-brushing white in several coats all over the door
caused the relief carving of a sailing ship to really pop.

The door was then re-fashioned into a hall bench and coatrack,
by using an end table and chair arms for the seat, 
a piece of crown molding on the top of the door,
and three perfectly-placed ceramic knobs as coat hooks.
[piece created by my late husband for our former business]

A coat of white paint can transform the mood and style of a piece of furniture:
This giant bench was made from a salvaged king-sized black headboard and footboard,
along with a seat from a church pew.
 [ piece created by my late husband for our former business].
It looked very contemporary and masculine in the original black color - 
but was completely changed when  repainted in a warm white.  
It embraced a soft, feminine Shabby Chic style!

Small items can be reborn with a spray of white paint, too -
this gathering of old and new glass bottles went from dingy to hip!

... and sometimes, a whole BUILDING can be revitalized with a wash of white paint:
My weekend garden house makeover project 
was featured on HOMEWARDfound last spring...
see it HERE

If you don't already know about this paint trick, I'll clue you in:
Head to the paint store or paint department at the hardware store.
Ask them for 'mis-tints'. 
These are the colors that turned out WRONG.
You can pick up those babies for pennies on the dollar! 
 ...and yes, you CAN find whites!

I highly recommend Habitat for Humanity ReStore as a source for inexpensive paint!

shared online:
Funky Junk Interiors | Salvaged Whites

12.11.2013

Pink Holiday

So, if you're a Shabby girl and have a pale pastel color scheme in your home,
how do you escape the abundance of red and green in the store decor aisles?
Get inspired by the elegant pink, white and gold color palette of this display...
and then head to vintage stores to go shopping! 

This GORGEOUS setting was a photo booth,
 set up at the recent Vintage Marketplace Show in Southern California.
[Props provided by 'Touched by Time' Vintage Rentals
Styling by Deborah Watts of 'Blossoms Vintage Chic' & Monique Hemminger]

I don't think too many words are necessary here...
just sit back and enjoy the beauty of vintage, second-hand, found, and heirloom items
combined into a stunningly feminine and glamorous Holiday decor scheme!




 [inserting a word or two here: the photo above is my favorite image from this series!]

The photos below were snapped in show hostess Rita Reade's booth, 'Mammabellarte':


... from big props and large visual effects to tiny details, 
incorporating your favorite hues into your Holiday decor is as simple as
letting your existing decor lead the way!

shared online:

OPC & TBH | The Humble Brag