Creative Winter White Decor

My recent 'Winter Whites Inspiration' post is BLOWING up my stats!
Since you liked that so much, I thought I'd share a little MORE on that subject...

featuring some of the current white decor in my office.

[some of it can't be revealed yet, as it is scheduled to appear in print soon!]

Before we focus on the decor, here's a little 'New Year' development:
I don't make resolutions. I choose a 'Word of the Year' instead...

it works much better for me to have a word as a 'touchstone' of sorts,

to help me stay on track with the goals and pursuits that are most important to me.
[While resolutions just seem to feel like never-achieved, guilt-inducing lists]

My Word of the Year for 2014 is CREATE.

Not just due to the long-overdue revelation that 'I can Create the Life I want to live',

but also the pursuit of FUN. 

As in, Creating just for FUN instead of always as content for publication or this blog.

My post about the mannequin form made from a tee shirt was part of that approach:
I just made it for ME and had fun in the process.
Then when it works, I can go ahead and share it here on the blog!

When I removed all of the holiday decor from my office last week,

I replaced it with vintage-inspired winter white decor, using things I had around the house:

 I enjoy creating seasonal tableaux on these small display shelves.

Let's take a look at the elements I used -

and I know it won't surprise you when you realize that you've seen MANY of these items before!

 On the top shelf shown up above, there are three photo frames...
You've seen the one on the far left in my post about framing a sweater remnant.
The large and small baroque frames holding my word 'Create' used to say 'Dream' -
 as they did in this post.
This is a great way to focus on my Word of the Year.

The two white ceramic Space Needle figurines are salt & pepper shakers - 

I bought them in a schlock-y souvenir shop on the Seattle Waterfront at Christmas,

because I wanted an ornament to commemorate this Christmas with my family.
Problem was, every ornament in the shop was just plain TACKY. Not my style at ALL.
These shakers fit right in with my white and neutral decor scheme for everyday enjoyment,

and will easily be made into tree ornaments next Christmas!

The white ironstone creamer and mug are among the last few remnants of a HUGE collection.
[ I shudder at the thought of how many pieces shattered when the new kitchen shelves fell off the wall.
Priceless, special sentimental pieces - gathered and given to me by friends.
I posted about that project on HOMEtalk.

Or how many pieces I gave away when I moved from Seattle to California.... ]
I snuggled a rhinestone crown around the mug, just to add some icy sparkle.

The NeSt is one I made myself from daylily foliage, shared in this post,

and the branches are the antique glass-glittered ones that mysteriously appeared on my front steps!

I've used them in this years' Christmas tree and tee shirt mannequin.

On the lower shelf, I assembled some small items...

The snowflake-pattern plate showed up in this post last Winter.
The little white truck is very close to the same truck style that my Grandpa Ward used to drive...

and even without tires, it takes me on many sentimental journeys.
That little truck has been around for a LOTTA' years...

The glittered 'D' and crown way up on top came from a Michael's Crafts bargain bin last year,

and the Monopoly playing pieces are just something I love to collect when I find them.

[ I love galvanized metal and these just fit right in with that! ]

On either side of the truck are two of my funny little JUNK Snowmen.

Sweet Sweater Snowmen are the new creation that I sold this past Holiday season.
Thankfully, I was smart enough to grab two of these for myself before they were all gone!
I have happy memories attached to the little tin cans they are made in,

as well as the Cliquot Club soda caps that adorn them.

So, anyway, you can see that very nearly everything I used in this vignette

is something I already had and love.
Actually the hardest part for me is editing, because I always unearth more stuff than I need!

But the point is that it doesn't cost me anything but time, 

and it's time spent creating and having fun.

Sounds like a great way to start the New Year to me!

So, what's YOUR word or resolution?
What decor projects are you planning for this new year?

 As you read this post today, 
I am busy taking a HUGE STEP forward in pursuit of a life-long dream...
please send good thoughts and prayers my way, won't you?
I'll share more as soon as I can!

UPDATE: I interviewed for a job that I have wanted for over 30 years.
and I GOT IT!

.... at Disneyland!

Tutorial: Coffeepot Birdhouse

 I was looking for something in my mom's garage today, 

and came upon something that I made for her over FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
It was a product that I made and sold in my small home decor store and at street markets...

Birdhouses made from Vintage Coffee & Tea Pots!

The perch is a silver spoon - and the lid lifts off for cleaning!

It's a simple project for a darling accent for a yard or patio, and makes a great gift.

 Vintage Coffeepot Birdhouse Tutorial

Supplies Needed:
aluminum coffee or teapot (vintage or new)
one tea or soup spoon (stainless steel)

one 18" length of baling wire
one small screw & nut
steel wool

drill with small bit and 1 1/4" hole bit

screwdriver . needle nose pliers

1. Drill a hole in the front of the coffee / tea pot body using the 1 1/4" hole bit on the drill.

Use the steel wool to sand / soften the sharp edges of the hole. 

2. Bend the spoon just below the 'bowl' so that the bowl angles down at a 90 degree angle.

From the inside of the coffee pot, put the spoon handle through the 1 1/4" hole,

place the bowl of the spoon up against the pot wall, 

and drill a small hole through both surfaces using the small bit.
 

Attach using small screw, with nut on the inside to secure, to form the perch.
[OPTIONAL: hot glue the spoon into place!]

You must bend the spoon before attaching to the pot.

3. Drill two small holes @ 1/2 inch apart above the pot handle using the small bit.
These should be on the body of the pot - NOT on the lid.
Feed the bottom 4" of the baling wire through the upper hole, into the pot, then out the other hole.

Use the needle nose pliers to curl the end of the wire around the screwdriver shaft to create a curlicue.
[this prevents the wire from slipping back through the holes]

4. Drill one small hole above the pot spout using the small bit.
Feed the bottom of the other end of the baling wire down into the hole, and out the spout -

this causes the middle of the wire to create a U-shaped loop over the top of the pot.

Use the needle nose pliers to curl the end of the wire around the screwdriver shaft to create a curlicue.
Bend it upward to look like steam escaping the spout!

Remove the lid at the end of the season to clean out the birdhouse - 

just rinse and dry!

You might want to name the birds who nest here

Starbuck, Peet, or even Juan Valdez...
__________________________________________

Nesting

i'm going to share a little secret with you:

i accidentally discovered a 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy' TM way to make realistic bird nests!

one day while weeding some flowerbeds,

i grabbed a handful of [dead] daylily foliage right outta' the ground. just yanked it up.

it was in my hand and i looked at it, and then...

 i held onto one end, and wrapped the length of it around my hand a few times.

when i got to the other end, i tucked it into the wound-up stuff.

[don't you love the technical terms i use?!]

and even though it sort of looked like a donut,

i thought 'yep, it looks like a nest!'

... and i carried it inside and sat it in the bowl you see in the photo above.

i added some vintage fabric flowers and a ceramic bird, and three white stones as 'eggs'.

nothin' fancy. i liked the way it looked.

 so i went outside and i made more!
[my flowerbeds were SO clean when i was done...]

and when i later decided to make these nests to SELL, i added stuff to the nests:

 * papier mache' eggs sit on a bit of moss glued to the nest as a bottom,

accented by a strip of vintage sheet music and a tiny dried stock blossom.

* a bed of moss holds a nest and a faux bird inside an armillary sphere lamp base

*a small nest sits atop a pedestal bowl, topped with another faux bird and a clear glass lamp globe

* miniscule nests sit inside glass salt cellars, adorned with vintage fabric millinery flowers and book clippings

[these would be fabulous place markers at an Easter table!]

* i've also used the bitsy ones as adornments on packages
[as seen in holiday issues of 

Creating Vintage Charm & FOLK Magazines]


* a HUGE nest in a display at a vintage show holds pretty lemons from the nearby trees,
covered with a rusted wire garden planter as a 'dome'
[this nest started out much neater.. it was handled a LOT that day!]

you can do this! 

try it using raffia. or field grass. or beach grass.

or daylily foliage. i've even used daffodil foliage.

 and my flowerbeds? they have never looked better! ;)