Repurpose Test Tubes as Flower Vases

the strangest things show up at thrift shops, and it really pays to keep an open mind....
because you just might find something that gets your creative chemistry going!

continue reading to see what i did with the glass test tubes i found!

Capture Spring in a Jar!

one of my most popular pins + posts is my 'beach in a jar' project

 but long before i ever came up with THAT one, i created another: 'SPRING in a jar'!

i'm not sure why i haven't shared them here on homewardFOUND before, but it's time to change that!

continue reading to learn more...

Salvaged Tabletop Herb Garden

you've all heard that phrase 'best laid plans', riiiiight? sigh.

last Thursday morning, as i was loading up my truck to restock the homewardFOUND shop, 
i cut a very deep gash in my finger...
and it was immediately apparent that no bandaid would suffice.
it required a visit to the ER and five stitches, then being immobilized for several days.
as a result, i've been working on things behind the scenes here on the blog
(with one hand. do you know how hard it is to type with one hand?!!!)

much as i don't like accidents, there was that time a happy accident 
became a spur-of-the-moment project: a tabletop herb garden...

continue reading to find out how this happened!

Garden House ReVisited

Remember my Garden House Makeover Project?

The photo above is what it looked like after my whirlwind two-day flurry of activity.

This is what it looked like BEFORE I got started:

See the entire transformation - that took place in one weekend - here.

It's always fun to see how spaces change over time...

Two days ago, my friend Todd shared this photo on social media:

He's decorating this tiny space for some fall picnics and enjoyment...

and yes, that's the same garden house!

You see, Todd built that garden house many years ago. 
He owns the house and the yard that it sits in.

I lived in that little bungalow for a few short months back in 2011,

after life collapsed and I had to leave my dream farmhouse & life on an island.

Todd allowed me to make over his little garden house, and I am forever grateful to him for that. 

Not only was a lot of fun and a creative gold mine -
giving me content for my blog here and many great photos - 

but it was a distraction from stressful situations at a time in my life when I really needed it. 

It gave me space and time to think. 

And now, he lives in that bungalow and enjoys that garden.

Seeing Todd out there decorating and loving that sweet little space just makes my heart happy. 

My screen door is still there, some of those tiny pots on the wall are mine, and those white shelf units were mine, too - 

though I used them in the laundry area of the house, not where they are now. 
But I LOVE them in this location!

I love that Todd was a generous friend who saw my sorrow,

and helped to turn it into a measure of joy by letting me create in this special space.

It is a gift I will never forget.

the Romance of Pink

 I'm just gonna' leave these riiiiiiight heeeeeeere......

 I came across these beauties that I snapped a few years back
at The Vintage Marketplace show...

the show entry display, created by the very talented Miss Monique,

is so lovely and romantic

that I thought it would be a perfect way to welcome in February!

A Green Thanksgiving

I love mixing it up for Holiday tables, using colors that most people don't.
Fall isn't really the time of year that we think of GREEN in the color scheme...
For Christmas? Sure. And definitely in Spring.
But Fall is usually the domain of brown and orange tones.

This green tablescape was inspired by the soft sage-y green tones
in some pumpkins I found.
The unusual hue led me on a path to a very natural green palette with warm tan accents:

It all played out easily,
because I simply walked around the yard
and gathered up greenery and other elements that coordinated with my palette.

Those nutt-y looking things in the centerpiece were found at a local park
( and I have NO idea what they are, but they sure look great! )
Fig and ivy leaves from the yard, green grapes from the local farm market,
simple white carnations and creamy, yellow-y mini pumpkins from the grocery store
join the green pumpkins for a bounty of natural beauty.

The table is swathed in a soft celery-green damask tablecloth, 

and the floral/leaf pattern on it repeats the natural theme. 

A darker sage green is seen in the napkins.

White dinnerware and cut glass are the simplest of elements,

but they allow the 'groceries' to sparkle.
( Which reminds me, I can NOT hear that word - groceries - without thinking of

Richard from Texas and Liz. Y'know what I mean???? )

The 'groceries' in the centerpiece are heaped onto and around a large white china pedestal.
It gives height to the center of the arrangement,

and the tiny bit of gold edging that shows adds more sparkle.

Creamy white candles in clear glass containers don't compete for attention,
but add their warm, welcoming light to the scene.

* TOP TIP*
Did you know that IKEA pillar candles are the best you can get on a budget?
They are a beautiful ivory color, and they burn a VERY long time.
They also burn clean (no smoke) and without scent,
which is important for a table. You don't want to smell roses and be eating green beans!
Their candles burn straight down into the center, with no edge curling & spillage...
 that means the light shines from within the candle,
so it really glows warm yellow. PERFECTION!

And for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT look
at these natural elements in a tablescape,
check out this post!

May your Thanksgiving table be the setting for celebrating your blessings this year...

shared online:

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

Garden Planter = Wire Dome

bring the beauty of nature indoors with

a dome made from a wire garden planter!

It's perfect for every season...

* over a nest with leaves tucked into it, resting on a wood round for autumn.
* over a branch of evergreen with some vintage ornaments or pine cones for winter.
* over a nest with wood or stone eggs and tiny daffodils for spring.
* over a white ironstone plate filled with shells from the seashore in summer.

 You aren't going to believe how easy this ONE STEP PROJECT is!

 Start with a simple wire garden planter from the home center:

Disconnect the hanging wires. Turn the planter upside down,

 ... and voila, you have a wire dome!

You can also cut a short length of the hanging wire

and then attach it as a loop at the top of the planter as a handle, as I've done here.

The planters will come as new, shiny metal from the home center -

but if you look for them at garage sales and thrift shops, 

you just might find some nicely rusted ones like these!

You can also make a wire dome from a tomato cage too!

Way back in 2008, I sold these in my booth at Faded Elegance Antiques in Everett, Washington -
and I kept having to make them because they sold so fast!

Fun Fact:

This photo is of my very first 'vintage' booth,

a little space that was a mere 2 feet deep and 8 feet wide in the back of the store.
It was the first stop of many wonderful years as a vendor in the vintage world.
This is where 'Retreat' started, 

and you can see how my former business reflected my love of nature 

and of using everyday items as decorative elements -

just as I do here at homewardFOUND decor.

shared online:

cupcakes & crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #420

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...

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!

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