@ Liberty: Summer Ashore Decor!

Imagine, if you will, Lady Liberty... 
stepping down from her pedestal on Ellis Island to enjoy a summer yachting excursion.

That, in a nutshell, is the premise behind the summer theme
in my friend Liz's booth in an antique mall in San Diego!

Liz hired me to assist her in gaining some serious WOW factor in her booth,
which is in the WINDOW of the gorgeous shop.
She brought the goods, and I helped her with a design plan and styling services.

... and I think I can safely say that her booth is definitely a WOW!

These are simple yet stunning ideas
for combining Nautical, French, and Patriotic decor...

a vintage mannequin is dressed in a white petticoat and draped with a vintage flag.
Liz created her Lady Liberty crown out of tin!

a beautiful alabaster statue tips her crown to the colors

in a purely last-minute serendipitous combination,
a statuary head nestles in a silver yachting trophy, topped by a jaunty French beret 

Old Glory adds color to the sparkle of mirror and crystal in the corner

 a vintage French bed was rebuilt as a bench, then filled with nautical pillows and Old Glory
a life preserver forms a perfect halo above the mannequin
and a sailing ship is ready for the water

miniature Lady Liberties join in the fun!

.
Liz's business is 'My Little French Venue'
The store is Vignettes, in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California

shared online:
 
Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

Re-Imagine, Re-Use!

On Sunday, I visited my local antique flea market - and found treasure:
I scored this vintage wire plant stand for the bargain price of just twenty bucks!

I fell in love with the industrial vibe, the chippy white paint and rusty metal,
the slender wire form and small size - it's light and easy to move around -
and it doesn't take up a lot of space. That's a big criteria for me right now.

You all know that I hardly EVER use something as it was originally intended to be used!
Because I know I will use it in MANY different ways over the coming years,
it's an even better bargain.

So, let me share with you the 'RE-use' ideas that I've come up with so far
for this simple plant stand...

First, I sat the stand up on top of a dresser in my studio / office,
where it made a perfect book case.
It holds design reference books to keep them close at hand
without being a big clunky piece of furniture.

Then I sat it on the floor, next to the twin bed 'sofa' in my office.
Topped with a pre-cut piece of round glass, it becomes a table -
and the perfect place for my water when I sit and read through those reference books above!

Next, I took it downstairs and sat it by the front door...

where it serves as the perfect catch-all for flip flops, sandals, totes and hats 

when I come in from the beach.
All the sand just falls through to the floor, where it's easy to sweep up!

In the guest bath, the stand holds fluffy towels and luxurious bath accoutrements
 [ those sleek white ceramic trays are actually appetizer plates! ]
A hand towel hangs perfectly from the front edge of the top shelf.

In the nearby family room, it adds height to a built-in serving bar,
where it holds wine glasses, wine bottles, and a serving container
that will eventually dispense fruity Sangria on a hot summer day.
This way, the rest of the bar can be used for serving food.

In a similar capacity, the stand sits on a patio table poolside,
and organizes paper & plastic picnic ware.
Just add food!
[ and don't you love the colorful beach towels as a tablecloth?! ]

In another poolside use, it holds beach towels at the ready
for swimmers exiting the pool.
Flip flops could be stored beneath it, too!

.. and finally, it nestles up to a wicker chair as a side table.
With a plant. ;)

As I was writing this post, I thought of yet another idea:
Hang the wire stand on the wall, and use as shelves to store
laundry soaps, etc. in the laundry room
or craft or gift wrap supplies in the office / studio / craft room!

I think the possibilities may just be endless... and it was $20 well spent!

What would YOU do with a piece like this?
Share your ideas in a comment!

shared online:

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d}



Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed



Creative Country Mom | Home Sweet Garden Party

Spring Garden Inspiration

Looking for inspiration for your Spring decor and party themes?
Look no further....

The darling and VERY talented Monique outdid herself with the front entrance vignette at The Vintage Marketplace Show!
She hauled in all of this stuff from her house - it's all HERS, not for sale -
and styled this charming garden scene for everyone to ogle, photograph, and enjoy at the show.

Just take a gander at the glorious garden she created:

That's Miss Monique working on final details - in platform shoes, no less!

The main scene in the vignette is the giant window backdrop, bookended by regal vintage columns.

A porch swing hangs from the overhead architecture,

and garden plants and accessories bring a perfect garden to life...

Above,  more details of the main scene

To the left of the main scene, a small table and chairs create a perfect tete a' tete setting,

propped and ready for afternoon tea... right down to the dress and parasol!

A closer look...

Closer to the front on the left are more charming details:
A large birdcage with a flowering plant inside sits on a table covered with a tutu!
A vintage white bicycle's basket is filled with moss, a tutu, and garden accessories.

To the right of the main scene, a mirrored vanity is propped with vintage prom dresses and accessories.
The tiny dressing chair has a tutu cushion, and a bitsy birdcage sheltering a tiny chandelier ornament!

I shot these images in 2014... Update for 2016:
Do you love vintage-style decorating?
Don't miss this beautiful vintage show, held each season in Southern California!

Images in this post taken by Deb Kennedy of HOMEWARDfound Decor.
Decor design & styling of privately-owned props (NFS) by Monique.
The Vintage Marketplace Event is hosted by Christie Repasy and Rita Reade.
 

shared online:

 Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

the Beauty of Simplicity

this time of year, it seems we all do a bit of cleaning and clearing, 
ready to embrace the simplicity of a blank calendar and clean rooms.
i'd like to share some inspiring 'simple' decor with you, along with a story...

once upon a time, 

there were two incredibly talented men named Joe and Jermonne

who created a style all their own...

Barn House style.

they hosted a beautiful vintage show on their farm in the Pacific Northwest,

a gathering of great ideas, original style, and a group of fun & talented people
that drove design trends and appeared in magazines everywhere.

take a look at what their own booth at the show looked like in 2011:

their own personal aesthetic in their restored home was as unique and masculine as they are...

feed sack and driftwood as art installations

simple accessories: interesting wood finds, heaped in a bowl and a stack of guest towels

 it was a rustic yet refined style,

a mix of rough farmhouse + worn industrial that felt warm and welcoming.

they filled their home with the beauty that came from simplicity...

soft, natural colors. a mix of textures. streamlined yet detailed vignettes.

a gathering of objects both found and fine that enhanced every corner of their rooms.

an old screen door on the entrance to the laundry room added charm
and that memorable 'SLAM' that we all love...

i was lucky - beyond blessed - to spend time in that lovely home, on their farm,
as a vendor in their vintage show for several years.
[they were also gracious enough to be vendors in my show -
their booth at my show is shown in the photo of them above]

in the stillness of morning, i snapped the images you see here.

they aren't perfectly staged and styled shots - 

because that's not how 'the Boys' lived.
over the years, other photographers chose to stage and style these interiors for magazines,

yet to me, their own perfected rustic style needed no help at all.
It had depth and heart and soul, all on its own - every day.

isn't that exactly what we ALL want our homes to be?
not perfect, but
simply beautiful...

the Boys sold their farm, relocated to Texas, and are no longer in business.

but that doesn't mean they can't still inspire beautiful decorating... 
and I knew you'd enjoy their wonderful style!

Dome for the Holidays....

As I was unpacking bins of Christmas decor a few weeks ago,

I discovered a small box holding some vintage-look bottlebrush trees

that I honestly didn't think I had anymore. I was VERY pleasantly surprised!

I love their creamy ivory color and subtle glitter-i-ness!
[these are relatively new trees, from the Department 56 collection]

 They needed more 'oomph', so I rounded up some containers to use as diminutive 'tree stands':
the one last remaining tin container that my 'Junk Snowmen' were made in,

and five silver vessels from my Mom's collection of family pieces.

I sat them on a silver tray (again, Mom's!) and added several of my own vintage ornaments.

To complete the display, I popped a wire dome made from a wire tomato cage on top of it all.
Some HUGE vintage chandelier crystals dangle from the dome and add sparkle...

You can find my tutorial for making the wire dome from a tomato cage HERE

This vignette in my office also includes several other domes...
One is an antique flower frog, made of curled wire that holds my white candy canes!

Another dome is simply a bare metal wire lampshade frame.
I love the sculptural lines and shape of these - I've had some very fanciful ones in the past,

and they add a finishing touch to any vignette.

Here, one of my NeSts made from daylily foliage holds vintage glass ornaments,

a german glass glittered crown cutout, and a crystal snowflake.
The box serving as a 'stand' used to hold Christmas light bulbs!

It's all just simple items, combined to tell a story ...

One more dome that I am using right now is the curliqued wire 'cagelet'
that I recently mentioned in this post.

It sits over a stack of my dishes and a white ironstone bowl that holds another NeSt

and one of my favorite flocked ornaments - new, not vintage.

[I found four sets of three of these at Ross a few years ago, and HAD to have them]

I love how the golden afternoon sunlight pours into the room and spills over these pieces.

 One Last Detail:
When I added the glass tree topper spire to the vignette,
I sat it in yet another silver vessel - a goblet.
The raised height lefts the spire up to make it more noticeable behind the domes...

You can also display tree spires on candlesticks:
Just insert a taper candle into the candlestick, 
then slide the tree spire over the candle for support.