. -->

12.29.2016

Pop! Fizz! Clink!

It's almost here - are you ready for the toasts?!

With the help of my friend Scott Carlson, wine specialist for BevMo
I'd like to share some helpful info to make your night the BUBBLIEST!

Continue Reading for some sparkling tips...

12.23.2016

Tidings of Comfort and JOY

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, 
so this is the last post in my holiday 2016 series...

Finding this vintage book at the thrift store last summer
inspired our theme for our Christmas decorating:
  I've enjoyed sharing how we have embraced it in our home this year.
Click to see all Holiday 2016 Posts )

JOY has been my Word of the Year for 2016,
and in so many ways I have found it again, lived it, and shared it...
for that gift, I am profoundly Thankful.

I owe a debt of gratitude to so many people in my life,
including each of you who visit my blog and social media pages...
your visits, comments, likes, shares, re-posts, pins
and enthusiastic support and encouragement mean so much to me.
Thank you all, from my heart, for finding value in what I share with you.


It's not rocket science, and it's not as BIG and as WOW as many other bloggers post,
but you've let me know that it's helpful, useful, and inspiring to you - 
and that just makes my heart sing!

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 
- no matter what holiday you celebrate this time of year!
and a New Year filled with hope, faith, love, laughter, and yes.... JOY

With Gratitude, 
Deb

A Christmas Tablescape

Okay, I'll be honest... we really don't use this dining table much.
Even after I gave it a snazzy makeover

It serves as a big crafting surface a lot of the time, 
but is currently set & ready for Christmas Day dinner with some very special guests.

Everything here is coordinated with our daily decor palette

and the deeper tones that we brought in for the holidays...
And it has a few ideas that are simple to replicate:

Continue Reading for more...

12.22.2016

Folded Book Christmas Angels & Trees

My Mom and I have been crafting and making things all of my life...
long ago, she and I created angels, choir boys, Santas, and snowmen
out of Readers Digest books with folded pages.
Back then, we painted ours gold and white and red, 

and the heads were round styrofoam balls.

Well, this year, Mom got the idea to make some of those again!

Continue Reading for more about our creations... 

12.21.2016

Orange You Glad You're Here?!

While much of our home decor this Christmas is in neutral tones
(ivory, cream, tan, rusty brown, bronze, copper, and gold),
we decided to leave the bright orange decor already in the entryway.
(click to see more about the Joyful sign)

This happy hue brightens that small, dark space right up!

The addition of a tall, skinny tree in the corner added some light,

and a chance to create a fun, lighthearted feeling...
yet very different than the fun tropical tree decor that we created at the old house!

Continue Reading to see what we did... 


12.20.2016

Vintage Paper Ornaments

handmade vintage Christmas decor
When I was in my frenzied flurry of paper crafting last month, 
(see my vintage paper poinsettia wall decor post)
I also created some ornaments for the tree...

Using a trusty old paper slicer that I kept from my Dad's warehouse,
I cut dozens and dozens and dozens of strips of paper from old books and hymnals.
With scissors, a stapler, a glue stick, and a pencil to create rolled edges as tools,
I played around with shapes until I came up with these: 
homewardFOUNDdecor vintage paper ornaments
why, yes, that IS a hidden Mickey!
I put those on the tree in my studio because.... well, because!

Continue Reading to find out where I put them all!

12.15.2016

Vintage Paper Poinsettias

My love for old book pages and vintage paper shows itself in many ways,
and I love finding new ways to use this material all year long...
so this Holiday season, I used paper as a major theme for our Christmas decor.
I created tree ornaments, garland embellishments, and other elements
that are in use all over the house.

While I created the flowers you see here to go on the tree,
they worked out much better forming a wreath on the wall in our entryway!
Tucked into a simple garland of greens and a strand of mini lights that surround a round mirror,
the paper poinsettias add the perfect touch of texture and style:
The centers of the flowers are made from vintage jewelry -  
old earrings, shoe clips, and lapel pins.
They add more texture and some sparkle, along with a touch of nostalgia.

Continue Reading to see more details...


12.13.2016

Vintage Lace Christmas Tree

 Sometimes, projects just come up out of nowhere... that was the story with THIS one.
Not in the plan. Not on the schedule.
But the Muse called, as I was rifling through a bin of linens
and tossing them on the chair next to me.
When I reached over to pick them up and put them back in the bin,
lo and behold: the pile of linens looked like a Christmas tree!

I stared at it, thinking about how I could present it here on the blog.
I can get away with some pretty crazy ideas, 
but presenting a pile of linens - basically, a pile of laundry - as home decor
might cause you to run screaming from my pages!

After a few minutes, it dawned on me that I have the PERFECT armature for a tree.
I use them all the time, and there was one in the garage not being used:
A wire tomato cage!
In about ten minutes, I had the thing done...

continue reading for my 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy'TM tutorial!

12.10.2016

creating a warm welcome

sometimes you just can't find what you want out there in a store...
not even in a vintage / antique / thrift store (my fave places to shop)
it looks perfect in your head - but it doesn't exist yet.
oh how i LOVE that! 
i find i'm most creative when i have to get resourceful and make what i want.

case in point: an 'old'-looking sign that said JOY.
when i couldn't FIND one, i MADE one...
by simply painting block letters on a piece of plywood that was in the garage,
using regular house paint (flat white, with a slight tint of yellow to age it)
then adding a brown 'shadow' with a wash of thinned brown paint.

the FINAL touch to give it a 'vintage feel' was to paint in some circles of glue,
and then sprinkle those with some old glitter. 
(this photo shows the glitter circles in the letters a bit more clearly)

to coordinate this entryway display with our holiday theme, 
i gathered up a lot of textural sweater-y / knitted things like a blanket, a scarf, snowflakes,
and a few of my past winter seasonal products/creations:
a Sweet Sweater Snowman TM, Burlap & Sweet Sweater Santa Hats TM,
and a sweater-or-scarf wrapped wreath.
(click for links to posts - sweater hats posts were removed when they sold out)

with all of these items stacked on a vintage sewing machine case 
and hung from our old porch post coat rack,
our entry hall now welcomes us and guests in from the wintry weather.
(LOL... NOT! it's never that cold here
... and that's pretty JOYful!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects # 501

12.09.2016

a POKEMON Christmas Tree!

...and now for something COMPLETELY different...

My youngest daughter Brianna loves to decorate for Christmas - 
she's very creative, and used to work with me as I decorated the wineries in Washington.
She has a special challenge when it comes to holiday decor:
My grandson's Birthday is on December 18th, and she doesn't want to overshadow that -

but she also doesn't want to wait until AFTER that day to put up the tree, 
so she decorates their tree in his birthday theme each year!

THIS YEAR, she has outdone herself... with a POKEMON theme!

continue reading to see some really fun ideas...

12.08.2016

A JOYFUL Welcome

I've had the sign from my old business, 'RETREAT', 
which I made from old cabinet door back, since 2010.
I finally decided to take it out of the garage and give it a makeover, 
so that it could be a part of our home for the holidays - and beyond.

It was so 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'
TM , I thought I'd share the process...
continue reading to see!

12.05.2016

Winter Wonderland at The Vintage Marketplace Show

 
The Vintage Marketplace show in Temecula, CA this past weekend
was an inspiring gathering of vendors selling vintage, antique, and handcrafted goods.
The show is owned and produced by my friend, Rita Reade,
who founded it over 6 years ago with her sister in law, artist Christie Repasy.

When I'm lucky, I get to shop.
When I am REALLY lucky, I get to work with Rita to create visuals for the show!
At past shows, I've designed & styled her Mammabellarte booth displays
(and a few other vendors, too!)
but THIS time, along with styling her booth displays, 
Rita asked me to style a display at the entry of the show
to welcome guests, share the show theme, and provide a photo op.
 
We came up with a plan for a cozy scene that sparkles - 
and speaks more of the winter season than of holiday decor,
which is actually a pretty smart way to decorate - even in your home!

continue reading for more details...

12.01.2016

Elegant Holiday Inspiration

elegant holiday decor
I have the extreme good fortune to have some really remarkably talented friends
who inspire me on a regular basis...
one of them, Miss Sylvia, is a stylist and decorator extraordinaire.
She owns Madam Palooza Emporium
a vintage prop rental house and styling company in Southern California.

The weddings and event settings that she creates are so intricate and detailed, 
so personalized and delightful, that they appear in magazines every month!
(she's currently featured in the newly-revived Flea Market Style Magazine
which is run by two MORE of my incredible friends!!!)

Sylvia called me up last week and asked me to help her 
to create some simple but inspiring holiday decor in her studio/showroom,
as it was to be the setting for an event industry holiday party.
Of course I said yes! We've worked together before, and it's always fun!

continue reading to see the beautiful results...