Into the Pale : A Neutral Palette

I've heard a lot of people saying the same thing lately...
"Once the tree and the holiday decor comes down, it looks so EMPTY!"
Well, maybe I'm weird, but I kinda' LIKE the cleared-out spaces!
To me, this is the perfect time of year to do a nice, thorough cleaning
and a refresh of our rooms so that we start the new year with a 'clean palette'.

I took that idea to the nth degree this year
and pulled all of the orange accent color OUT of the house.
I packed it up and put it away, leaving only the neutral background - 
and the result is a soft, cozy, warm, 'cashmere' feeling in the house!
It's perfect for winter, and a nice visual rest from all of the holiday excess.

and the best part? it wasn't even hard to do...

click 'continue reading' for the before and after!

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...

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...

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... 

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... 

Vintage Paper Ornaments

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: 

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!

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...

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!

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...

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!

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...

Elegant Holiday Inspiration

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...

Easy Christmas Wreath Makeover

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...

My BEST Christmas Tree Lighting Tip!

When it comes to lighting the Christmas tree at home, I'm a purist...

I like white lights: Mini, C7, C9, bubble, whatever kind I use, they are white.
Maybe you like multicolor - or ONE color! Whatever your preference is, 

I have a tip for you when it comes to lighting the tree
(and how many of you are tackling THAT job this weekend?!)

that is guaranteed to up the sparkle factor!

continue reading to see what my ONE STEP TRICK is!

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!

Farm Table Makeover

I've had the same dining room table for 30 years.

Yep, you read that right!

30 years ago, in the fall of 1986 after my youngest daughter was born,

my husband undertook the largest furniture project he had done at that point

and built me a pine 'Shaker style' 7 foot by 4 foot dining table... and two long benches.

It was my Christmas present that year, and I loved it. 

I have loved it ever since, and I always will....

continue reading to see the 'before and after' transformation!

100 Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas

My Vintage White Thanksgiving tablescape is included in this seasonal collection of 

'100 Inspiring Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas' on TinyPrints.com, 

and I'm honored to have been included!

View my original post with tons of pretty & easy tabletop ideas

View the entire Tiny Prints blog post 

________________________________

PS: a requested correction to the caption on my image on the Tiny Prints post has not been made,
so I'll include more information about it here for those visiting for the first time:

My tablescape shown in their post includes a pumpkin as a centerpiece,
but it is not 'wrapped in lace', as TP identified it.
It is one of my own Original creations, a soft-sculpture pumpkin known as
Sweet Sweater Pumpkins, made from sweaters.
The one in the photo has been embellished with a fascinator hat  with a lace veil.

If you'd like to make your own versions of my design,
you can find my Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial here.

4 NEW Thanksgiving Tablescapes

My friends, the Holiday season is HERE!

Let's get inspired to try new things, shall we?!

A year ago, I purchased a beautiful vintage tea set with a fall floral motif,

and had planned to create a new tablescape post with it. Well, that didn't happen!

THIS year, I hauled it out and got to work creating that long-overdue table setting,

and along the way, I came up with three MORE ideas to share with you.
Every last one of these ideas is SIMPLIFIED, because we're ALL busy enough right now!

I just used stuff I already had here at the house - 

I seriously didn't even buy flowers or real pumpkins or anything -

and let it play out in true 'homewardFOUNDdecor' style
'cause that's how I roll...

Click through for four inspiring new themes...

A Faux Awning Window Valance

In the process of 'making do' with many items we already had on hand to decorate the new house,

Mom and I decided that the orange & white chevron-stripe cotton fabric

would look pretty happy over our kitchen window.

In the old house, there were two floor-length curtain panels of this fabric at the wine bar...

aaaaaaaaand I JUST realized that I never took a photo of that. 

Trust me, it looked great! 

Although we knew what fabric would be on this window,

we really weren't sure what the valance would look like.
Until we went to Hawaii last June...

we walked into a DARLING little shop in Kapaa, Kauai, called Serendipity
(sorry, they have no social media or web presence to link to)

and spied a set of sweet, rustic, rusty BUT lightweight metal brackets on a table.

I held them up, flipped them over, 

and thought "we could use them to hold the curtain rod over the sink!'

...so that's exactly what we did:

This photo shows the brackets holding the lower of two curtain rods -
simply a cheap white metal tension rod, extended to fit the width we needed.
It rests on the top scrolled 'arm' of the metal bracket.

Up above, the higher of two curtain rods is set just below ceiling height.
With high ceilings, there was ample room to raise the fabric panel above the cabinet tops, 

which keeps the eye travelling upward instead of  stopping even with the cabinets.

The rod at the top is a standard cheap white metal rod with curved ends that mount to the wall.
We had both rods, but they only run about $5 each new.

The fabric panel was shortened by half, and we used the existing top casing 

to hang the panel from the top rod.
While I could have sewn a new casing into the new bottom edge, I didn't.
I used masking tape to tape the bottom edge of the fabric to the tension rod
(all the way across)

and then I rolled the fabric up twice to completely cover the rod and the tape.

 The bracket holds the lower tension rod out about 10" from the wall,

and the top rod is only 2" from the wall - 

so the effect is of a fabric awning over the window and the wood blinds.

It's a lot more interesting than just a plan fabric valance panel hanging straight down!

The fabric can be very easily removed for washing, or to change it up.
We even have a piece of muslin painter's cloth sized and ready for use here

in case we decide to go with a more neutral palette one day!

.

I hope this inspires you to think of things differently - like your window treatments.  

My first choice for this window was actually a vintage metal outdoor awning!
If I ever find a white one that will fit, I'll do it!

Don't just hang a panel or a valance if you have a chance to do something fun instead:
I've used picket fences as awnings and valances, 

old screens as awnings,

I've hung baby clothes on a clothesline as a valance... 

 See? You can use ANYTHING! Come on and get creative!!!