Beauty in Simplicity

a quick announcement before the main part of my post today:
the homewardFOUND shop makeover is FINALLY happening!
i am so excited to finally get in there to make the changes i've envisioned...

 now... on with todays' post:

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...
(you're starting to notice that this is a regular thing now, right? ;) ) 

once upon a time, 

there were two incredibly talented men named Joe and Jermonne

who created a look that was all their own...

Barn House style.

when they came on the scene, back in the early 2000's, 
there was no shiplap craze, no galvanized metal repros in every store.
there was no JoJo on HGTV,  no Restoration Hardware as we know it today...
because their designs influenced the market and all who followed.

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.
i have been inspired by their spirit and their aesthetic for years now, 
and i'm sure you will be as well.

continue reading to see more of their inspiring creativity...

Mannequin Shenanigans!

 i'd like to tell you all a little story...

i posted a gorgeous photo on my Instagram two weeks ago,

one that i saw online and saved and EGREGIOUSLY did not save the source from
(if you know it, tell me and i'll add it here and on IG).
that photo was a gorgeous shot of vintage mannequins:

i know. i drooled, too.

i covet these, i'll admit it. i've spent my life in the visual merchandising field

and i have whispered sweet nothings to forms like this for decades.

(no, they have never come to life like Emmy in the film 'Mannequin' ;) ) 

i've just never been able to afford one. so instead, i made my own 'version' of one:

you can make one, too, with my tutorial: diy mannequin made from a tee shirt 

however, that didn't really 'do it' for me, but i had other things to take care of.
fast-forward to two weeks ago, and the posting of the image, and then...
two days later, i was on facebook and happened to see something in the sidebar:

a marketplace ad listing for a mannequin. in my neighborhood. for thirty dollars!!!

i gulped, clicked the image, and contacted the seller.
"yes it's still available" - even though the ad is four days old.
when can i come pick it up? how about first thing in the morning?! (it was 11 PM)
and that's exactly what happened... i drove five minutes from my house
and picked it up the next morning.

and she is gorgeous! 
she's not vintage, but i added something to her to make her look a little bit vintage... 

continue reading to see what i did!

Welcome 2018 with a Junk Wreath!

2018: project one!
i took down the holiday decor in our entryway and needed to replace it...

admittedly, i've been too busy to even PLAN anything for that area.
but a quick look at what wreaths were on hand turned up two bare reed circles,

and that was all the inspiration that i needed!

tied together with a length of twine, the two reed wreaths are more substantial
(because in art and design, repetition adds strength).

i rummaged through a box of 'odds and ends' and found a slew of things to use

to add personality and interest to the wreath...

what's on there?
there are two tarnished silver cups, some galvanized construction tape, spring, and gift tag. 

an old outdoor faucet, a wire light bulb cage, a tiny shovel, a coffee measuring spoon,

a rusty letter O, a bling-y shower curtain ring, and a champagne cork with cage.

an odd assortment, they hail from miscellaneous sources 

(my old home, my Dad's workbench, gifts from friends, flea markets)

but they all have a connection to my story - and to each other,

which shows up when they are mounted together on the wreath using more twine.

i think they look a lot like a floral arrangement, 

but that might be just my weird sense of design talking ;)

 in any case, they reflect what I think of as a 'winter palette' - 

greys, blacks, charcoals, and varying shades of brown mixed with sparkling glass.

it may not be cold here where i live, but this combination evokes a 'winter-y' mood for me!

continue reading to see where it ended up!

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...

Perfect Pastels

Spring. Summer. Ice cream.
They kinda' go together, don't they?!

When I was styling Rita Reade's Mammabellarte booth

for the Vintage Marketplace show this past weekend,

the pale pink, white, and aqua color scheme

reminded me of strawberry and vanilla and mint chip ice cream...

it felt a bit like I was inside an ice cream parlor!

Let these pretty hues inspire YOUR summer decor

for a Home SWEET Home...

This was the main visual draw in the booth - the back wall.
Furnishings create a setting, then details bring it to life....

A darling dining table, painted with perfect pink stripes, conjures up a sweet shop,

a theme reinforced by ironstone creamers, wire urns, and vintage teacups

to create a party setting.

the white milk-glass chandelier sparkles in the midst of soft pastels.
Rita's own photos (STUNNING!) are turned into her line of greeting cards
with pure vintage style.

[ psssst..... have you ever tried PAINTING a CHANDELIER???!
yup. it can be done!

I shared a few of my painted chandy projects in a past post...

click to check it out here! ]

 It only takes a touch of color to create a theme....

bows, ribbons, patina on old pieces of furniture, even paper lanterns

easily add personality and style.

At every show, Rita dolls up her two mannequins.

They always have petticoats on, and special corsets or aprons to coordinate with her theme.
THIS time around, the girls wore sassy, sexy pink and Rita's original mesh crowns...
[ you've probably seen her famous crowns in many magazines! ]  

... even the back of the mannequin is stunningly detailed.

One final detail that just made me SMILE:

 Miss Rita created this darling 'Baby Bunting'
by clipping baby clothes and shoes to a simple length of twine.

We hung it across the back of the booth and it just charmed the heck out of everyone.
It's a simple idea that can be easily changed,

and it works perfectly for party decor AND nursery decor.
When I was painting murals in a little girl's nursery many years ago, 

the client (who became a dear friend) did this and used hers as a window valance!

See more photos of Rita's booth on her Mammabellarte blog

BoHo Blues

As summer days heat up, blue hues can cool us down!

I had the opportunity to frequently help my friend Rita Reade 

get ready for the vintage show that she hosts with her sis in law, artist Christie Repasy.
Rita is so busy with show biznez, she hired MOI to take all of her fab stuff and style her booth - 

which is a total win/win:
She's freed from the stress of getting it all done, 

and I get to play in the vintage world I love so much!

The show is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 6 - 8, 2014,

and the show theme this season is 'Bohemian Beach'.
Rita didn't necessarily go with a beach theme, more cottage-y,

but the aqua color she chose was certainly in evidence in many booths...
I was completely inspired by what I saw!

 Every shade of blue was represented, 

bringing a definite bohemian seashore / beach vibe to this beautiful park in the desert.

Here are a few shots from Rita's Mammabellarte booth:

Details: Furniture in soft blues, whites, and warm pinks lend a beach cottage feel.
And a salvaged sink gets a new metal stand, and can be used in many ways on a summer deck!
Here, it's a planter.

Details: a faded aqua painted cabinet & basket, table runners made from vintage fabrics & trims,

and what looks like a ship's wheel - perfect summer decor.

 Details: a milk-glass chandelier and a ruffled sky blue tote bag on a regal mannequin.

 Furnishings and accents in white and aqua and pink create a serene setting.

Since I left on setup day, many of the booths weren't finished yet and 'ready for their close-up'.
If you keep an eye on the Vintage Marketplace's facebook page, you'll be seeing lots of images
of beautiful booths, dazzling decor, and inspiring ideas very soon!

Here are a few beautiful Boho details that I WAS able to photograph before I left:

The entrance gate just beckons you inside, a gateway to untold wonders...

Christie Repasy may be a renowned floral artist, 

but the girl works magic with paint everywhere...

This is not an old lantern. The patina is painted on!

And the va-voom paisley curtains here? Shower curtain panels.

 Last spring, I shared my embellished umbrellas / parasol tutorial

here on the blog and in Creating Vintage Charm magazine.
I used lace tablecloths and frilly petticoats.

At the entrance to the show,
 Robin of Vintage Beach House showed off HER versions, 

and let me tell you they are bodacious beauties!

She used doilies and table linens sewn together, dyed them a saturated aqua

AND THEN

she topped them with shell & bead-encrusted finials:

Can. Not. Breathe. GORGEOUS!

Quite a bit of summertime inspiration can be found at shows like this.
And it's all affordable and 'do-able' - just get your Boho vibe on ;)

shared online:
 
Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party

Vintage Door Bulletin Board

I have a thing for old doors. I love 'em. I collect 'em.
I use them for tabletops and wall art and headboards and shutters and fences and.....
I've made bulletin / inspiration boards out of them!

um... that would be the thing we did BEFORE Pinterest... pinning items on an actual BOARD...

 

Here's the basic 'how-to', Deb version:

First, you need an old / vintage door with an opening in it, like mine shown above.
The opening used to be a window... some doors have inset wood panels,

and you can remove those and use the opening, too.

I bet you can't guess what the bulletin board part is made from!
[no, it's not corkboard! you know that I never use things the way they are expected to be used!]

Here's a clue:

Any guesses?

How about now?

Yup, it's made from an acoustic ceiling tile!

WHY?
They are large, porous (easy to stick pins and tacks into) and pretty cheap.
And when I first made MY board, I found a tile in the garage - so I used it!

You'll need a large rectangular sized acoustic ceiling tile to fill the opening in a door.
Measure the opening on your door, and draw lines on the acoustic tile as a cutting guide.

Then cut the tile by using an electric carving knife!
[ Just like styrofoam. Wait, you didn't know that about cutting styrofoam?!]

After the tile is cut, wrap the cut edges with duct tape to prevent crumbling.

Then paint your tile and the duct tape with regular house paint -
and because it's already primed white when you buy it, it takes paint really well.

You could cover it with wallpaper, gift wrap, etc if you wanted to.

Then fit the tile into the door's opening from the back side...

most of them have a lip that held the old glass in place, and that will keep the tile from falling forward.

Secure the tile to the back of the door using metal brackets attached across each corner
[ much like the ones used on artist's canvases and frames ].

Or you can do what I did... and just hot glue the tile to the back of the door 

and then add a buncha' duct tape all around the edges for good measure.
It holds the thing in place, and no one is going to SEE the back!!!

Now comes the fun part...

fill it up with clippings and cuttings and photos and quotes,

even dimensional objects and souvenirs and special things

that inspire you and make you smile when you look at them.

.

Tin Can 'Painted Pails'

Last fall, I shared a project that was a 'flashback' to something I had made long ago:
[ like, ah, WAY back in the NINETIES! LOL ]

Painted tin cans - I call them little 'Painted Pails'. 

I just found more photos of that product that I created for different seasons ;)
and since 'tin can crafts' seem to be THE hot trend right now,  

I figure why not share more inspiration?!

The photo above shows the Valentine version,

where the wire handles were bent into a heart shape.

The labels evolved from the very first Painted Pails I made in the Spring of 1995,

which looked like garden seed packets and fruit pie filling labels:

I also made versions of Painted Pails for Holiday | Winter:

The Happy Snowman versions had wire handles bent into 'top hat' shapes,

and also stackable snowmen made from several sizes of cans.

I made Painted Pails in Spring, for Easter:

... and the wire handles were bent into 'floppy ear' shapes.

and of course, there were the Pumpkin Painted Pails

 that I shared last fall in my Tin Can Painted Pail Post
 click for my TUTORIAL!...

I also made Painted Pails that looked like crayons. And Leprechauns. And Firecrackers.
But I really don't think more photos are needed for you to get the general idea.
If I were to guess as to how many tin cans I painted back then,
over a five year period that I was selling them at street fairs and in my tiny store,

I'd have to say it was about 50 cans a week. Yes, really!

I tell ya', I was pretty sick of painted tin cans by the time I was done!!!

The various holiday versions of these came about because every holiday,

I would go overboard to create a fun breakfast table setting for my four young children...

Balloons, streamers, napkins, and centerpiece would decorate the dining room.
The food would even match the holiday: 

pink milk and pancakes for Valentine's Day, green for St. Patrick's Day, orange for Halloween.
 I didn't spend a lot (I bought most of the stuff at thrift shops)

but it was so much fun to decorate the table after they had gone to bed,

and then watch them get all excited the next morning!

And at each place setting, they'd find a Painted Pail -

filled to the brim with art supplies and candy and a little stuffed animal.

It was just a simple thing I could do to make them happy.
For me, that is always the best part of crafting & decorating...

shared online:

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed 

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}