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Showing posts with label Deb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deb. Show all posts

12.24.2013

Joy to the World

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas,
filled with the joy of the season

Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, and communication
through your comments here and on the HOMEWARDfound facebook page over this past year.
I am so grateful for you, that you enjoy what I offer here...
I hope it brings joy to your lives and homes throughout every season of the year.



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12.22.2013

Vintage Style Gift Wrap

burlap, sweaters, vintage trims, vintage style, dollar tree, gift wrapping, Christmas gifts
I'd like to share some of my ideas for last-minute Holiday gift wrap
using everyday items and vintage elements!

Some of these ideas have previously been published in

Creating Vintage Style and FOLK magazines,
as well as here on the homewardFOUNDdecor blog

linen stockings, simple burlap wraps, and sweater sleeves
make fast and stylish work of wrapping hostess gifts!
See more in Wrap It With Style

rustic, farmhouse, shabby chic, handmade, Christmas, Christmas gift wrap, burlap, lace, sweaters, upcycle, thrifted


Paper printed to look like sweaters, REAL sweaters, and vintage embellishments
bring charm to gifts under the tree...
Even the Dollar Tree has items that can elevate a gift wrap from ho-hum to ho-ho-ho!
See more in Last Minute Wrapping


May your Holiday be filled with family and friends, peace and love
and the time to enjoy them fully... 
[because we all know that the BEST gifts can't be wrapped]

I'll be flying to Seattle on Christmas Eve to be with my family for the week -
a Christmas gift that is beyond anything I could have dreamed of! (2013)
_____________________________________________

HOMEWARDfound posts will resume after the New Year
with Winter decorating inspiration and ideas

11.15.2013

Let It Sweet Sweater Snow, Man!

All this week, I've been creating a snowstorm of sweaters and fluff and glitter
making lots and lots and lots of my Brand New 'Sweet Sweater Snowmen' originals!

Here are a few of the very special little guys (and girls) that sprang from my imagination:
 sweet little 'snowcake' ornaments!
some very cheerful and LARGE Sweet Sweater Snowmen sculptures!
.... and then, there are the ones that I predict will be the biggest hit of all:
 these adorable Snowbabies! [pacifier included!]

I also have four kinds of Snowmen & Women,
cute little 'Cup O' Snow' people - made in white milk glass punch cups
and little JUNK Snowmen, made in tiny tin canisters... 
another copyright protected original creation from Debi Ward Kennedy | homewardFOUND decor

10.28.2013

Who Knows? SHEknows!

I am pleased to share with you an article on the SHEknows.ca website, 
a DIY resource for a largely Canadian readership. 
Writer Jessica Padykula contacted me a few months ago, and asked me to contribute
some of my creative ideas 
for decorating with pumpkins AND decorating pumpkins... 
I was happy to oblige!

Thank you, Jessica, for creating a great story with my content,
and for sending your readers here to my blog. Welcome, girls!

I invite you to peruse the tabs up above and the links on my sidebar,
which will take you to the most popular posts and projects that I've shared here,
as well as to creative decorating ideas for every season of the year!

I've shared even MORE content on my Pinterest boards and Facebook Page -
come on over!

Here at HOMEWARDfound Decor, it's ALL about using what you have on hand ;)
[You'll find more about that philosophy, and me, on my 'Start Here' page]


10.12.2013

One LAST Sneak Peek!

 I was very surprised to learn that my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins 
have been published in the November issue of Romantic Homes Magazine!

[and no, that red oval announcing my pumpkins' inclusion is NOT on the actual cover!]
I'd like to offer my gratitude to writer Beth Livesay and photographer Susan Frick,
for including my lil' product in this issue.

Now, on to
 that super dooper sneak peek   of my BRAND NEW PRODUCT for the Holiday season
that I promised to share with you today!

 I am thrilled to share these new creations with you...
They were inspired by my pumpkins
and some Christmas decor that my daughter Bethany and I made together [SEVEN years ago]
and a few nudges from my mom... she kept suggesting this idea, and I repeatedly balked at it.
  
"I don't want to be a one-hit wonder and just make things from SWEATERS!"
was my constant argument.
I finally (wisely) got to the point where I realized
"Oh, for Heaven's Sake, Deb... when life hands you sweaters, USE THEM! "

... and I did:
Made with vintage and vintage-inspired components,
 these Original Sweet Sweater Snowmen will warm up any room...
I'll have all of the snowmen, women, and babies shown PLUS a few MORE
[ some are tiny, some are HUGE, and they are all one of a kind! ] 

9.28.2013

Creating Vintage Charm Autumn!

The Autumn 2013 Issue of Creating Vintage Charm Magazine is here!

I am honored to be a regular contributor to this lovely publication, 
produced by a gracious and creative spirit, Sonia Cardona Crouse.
There is beautiful inspiration in each seasonal issue,
with ideas and projects from many incredibly talented designers, decorators, and photographers
... and autumn is packed FULL!
My contribution this season is a soft, warm, natural-themed tablescape,
perfect for any autumn day - and especially Thanksgiving.
[and yes, that's a peek of one of my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins from the issue!]
I'll share more images of my story after the magazine has been out for awhile...
for now, here's a beautiful slideshow preview of this issue that Sonia put together:
 visit the Creating Vintage Charm facebook page!

8.29.2013

I'm in the Bloglight!


Welcome to my guests from hometalk and the blogtalk group on facebook -
Thank you, Miriam Illions for featuring me and HOMEWARDfound today!
 hometalk is a FABulous community website where you can share, discuss, learn, and be AWED
by EVERYTHING having to do with creating & keeping houses. It's AMAZING!
I'm Deb and I'd like to welcome you to my blog!
 I'm a retail and home stylist, designer, and published writer.
[more on my 'Start Here' page]

Sweet Miriam Illions had this to say in the Blogtalk post:
"This week, the beautiful & graceful Deb Kennedy of HOMEward Found Decor is in the Bloglight!
Deb's story is inspiring and uplifting. She applies her creativity and fresh perspective 

not only to design & decor, but to all aspects of life. I am honored to feature you in the Bloglight today, Deb!"
[wow! she really makes me sound much better than I am!]

Miriam also asked a few questions to help you get to know me, 
so let's get right to those:

continue reading...

5.13.2013

Sweet Summertime Front Porch

it's time to start thinking about SUMMER!
To me, summer brings to mind front porches...

I love front porches, and dreamed all my life of having a home with one.
The swing was my favorite spot to sit on the front porch
of my island home in Washington state...

smelling the field grass and the sea air, all at once.
Watching the birds and eagles and deer and horses.
Enjoying the sunshine - and the rain - from this safe little perch.
Looking out across the fields where my antique show was held...
 I was lucky enough to have this one for just a while.
It really, truly was my Retreat ;0)
[My friend Elise of Elise Marie Photography took these two photos and I am SO GLAD she did]
 
I don't live in this beautiful farmhouse on five acres 
on Camano Island, Washington anymore...
but I still love the memory of it. 
 No, I didn't prop and style the heck outta' my porch for these photos - 
this is how it looked every day, all summer long. Simple.

 You may find that really funny, coming from a decorator, stylist, and writer
who is photographing her porch for a magazine story, 
but my thing is I just wanna' be REAL.
That's why I loved writing for FOLK Magazine back then...
It was all about Real. American. Living. Not photo sets.
[ then I found out more about what was going on, 

and quickly stopped writing for that publication ]

You can create a simple front porch setting, too:

* Gather up a bench or a few chairs
[check craigslist, thrift shops, and of course curbs on trash day!]
 

* Add a table to hold a drink 
[what about an upside-down crate, or plant pot?]
* Finish with a few pillows and colorful decor accents.

Whether it's sprawled across the whole front of your house or is a small covered entry,

your porch can become an oasis of relaxation this summer.

I had another small covered porch on the back of this house, just off the dining room.
I tucked a vintage metal folding bed out there, positioned like a lounge chair
(with the back up at an angle) piled it with pillows,

and hung curtains on the porch posts to enclose the space a bit.
It was a lovely, private place to greet the morning sunrise...


I love this photo!
If I do a decor book, this will be the cover.
The quilt on the swing was a family heirloom. 
The flags popped into a Coke bottle were a last-minute thought -
see more easy summer decor ideas like this in this post!

To change the look of the porch,
it was easy to replace these simple colorful accents with something else.
 Since we are working with a Red, White and Blue theme here today,
I thought I'd share a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' party tip:

A refreshing and very patriotic version of flavored water
Just put layers of frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries 
in an old glass jar, then fill the jar with water.
They flavor the water ever so subtly - SO refreshing on a hot day!

Below is a shot of my 'Sweet Retreats' column
that appeared in Issue V of FOLK Magazine in 2012,
using some of the images I am sharing here...
 My post is also featured in a hometalk e-newsletter!


What about you? Where is YOUR favorite place to relax and while away the summer?

EDITED 6/15 TO ADD:


In Spring, 2015, three and a half years after I moved out of my dream house
and even after I stopped posting new content here on my blog,
I came across a piece of art that I quite simply HAD to buy: 
This piece is called 'Shore House', by artist Zhen Huan Lu.

Do you see why I had to get it?
 It's very nearly the exact same setting as my own front porch,
right down to the 'stop sign'-shaped window beside the front door.
Amazing.