simple solutions: easy fall table decor

[photo credited to Chez Fifi http://fabulousfifi.typepad.com/chez_fifi/page/20/
Here's what she said about this and other photos: "I took the photos below at a wonderful press event held this past weekend at Moss Mountain Farm, outside Little Rock, Arkansas, the home of P. Allen Smith (www.pallensmith.com) the fabulous host of the PBS series: P. Allen Smith Gardens."]

if i could choose anywhere to host a fall dinner party or a thanksgiving dinner,

it would be in a setting like THIS one shown above! 

what a delightful way to create a memorable autumn event. 

this is a wall built with straw bales that fronts a party tent. brilliant.

can't you just picture this at dusk, with candles glowing and soft music playing?

ahhhhhh....

oh, sorry... that's not a 'Simple Solution' at ALL, is it?! enough dream sequences...

let's get back to the real world of trying to fit decorating into our already busy schedules!

one thanksgiving arrived and i had been so busy at work that i forgot about the table decor.

that sounds completely AWFUL, doesn't it??? well, life happens sometimes... we've all been there.

after a mad dash through the house ensued,

with me grabbing anything and everything that looked remotely like it would work....

amazingly, it DID work!

 no one ever knew that i threw the decor together in minutes...

here's how it worked:

*used a fabric scarf - very large, almost sari-like -as the tablecloth.

it allowed the golden wood of the table to show, and created a garden lattice effect.

to continue that unexpected 'fall garden' theme, 

*filled some white ironstone bowls and platters with 'natural' elements i had on hand:

a faux acorn vine, creamy white resin and my sweet sweater pumpkins,
bleached leaves, and dried hydrangeas right from the yard.

*white pillar candles placed in tall glass vases added lots of sparkle

AND kept the flame away from little fingers

*place markers are Scrabble tiles arranged on each salad plate 

to spell out the name of the guest who would be sitting there.

the little plate above was for my sweet almost two year old grandson.

no, he didn't eat from it ;0)

after getting rave reviews on the decor, a little light bulb went on:
stop fussing over the table, Deb! keep it simple and make your day a whole lot easier...

the next year, here's what i did on the table for thanksgiving:

*folded a white linen tablecloth and used it as a runner.
*filled some glass italian yogurt jars with water and CHEAP white carnations
*scattered some bleached leaves and votive cups with tealights in them down the runner.
*set placesettings with my white dinnerware, linen napkins, glassware, and silver.

it only took me about FIFTEEN MINUTES to do this whole thing!

the flowers still smelled good, the candles still glowed and flickered warmly...
it still said 'fall' and 'thanksgiving' and 'family'...
it just WHISPERED it instead of shouting.

(and instead of last-minute fretting, fussing and foofing of the table,.
i was sitting in a chair with a glass of wine, visiting with my daughters and grandsons.
now THAT is something to be thankful for!)

Stop the Presses!

Welcome to Day 27!

i had a completely different post ready for today...

then i went to Barnes & Noble yesterday, and spied something SO FABULOUS

that it is just too good NOT to share!

i don't know why they do it, 

but Barnes & Noble offers reprints of the original 

1800's - 1900's Sears, Roebuck & Company catalogs!

yes, the same ones that used to be dropped with a THUMP onto your porch each summer,

just in time to pick out 'back to school' clothes and dream over toys for Christmas. 

i spied that volume on the sales shelf and grabbed my phone to take a shot to share

[while an older gentleman on the same aisle looked at me suspiciously...]

inside the book are hundreds of pages with thousands of vintage images 

and words in antique typography

that would be PERFECT for paper crafts! 

do you create collages? mixed media art? 

are you like me and wrap everything that's boring in paper of the vintage variety?

this is just a fabulous solution that saves you the time and trouble

of rooting through boxes in barns, antique stores and thrift shops 

to find old magazines for your projects.

those paper crafts shown in yesterday's PARTY post? 

you could totally make that stuff with these catalog pages - instead of sheet music.
for any holiday or season!

Simple Winter Table

winter, for me, is all about sparkle and texture.

rough with smooth, crystal with wood, tarnished silver with crisp white.

mixing it up wherever i can brings a warmth and comfort to the 'bareness' of rooms

after the holiday overload is gone...

my winter color / texture palette this year is
white, crystal, rough wood, and glowing copper.

the simple tablesetting here shows yet ANOTHER way that i use an everyday item:

my standard white ceramic dishes.
you've seen them oh, about a million times here on the blog - 

i do that purposefully, to show you how

a very BASIC item can be re-imagined and presented in fresh ways each season.

continue reading for more details!

Garden House Makeover!

Yes, i REALLY did do this makeover in two days!
i think if that you see it and realize how absolutely possible it IS,

then you can take on a Spring Cleanup Project like this one, too!

here's what happened last winter (2012):
it was january. in seattle. COLD. rainy. gray. depressing.
i was ACHING for spring.

 and when i looked out into the backyard of the sweet little cottage i was renting,

there was a little garden house (potting shed, she shed, garden shed)
that the talented owner had made from salvage.

and it was full of junk. 

some of the junk was the house owners, and had been there for years.

some of the junk was mine, and had been dumped there the month before when i moved in.

the space was totally unusable.

but i knew that with a good cleaning job,

it could be a FABULOUSly usable space - and a stylist's DREAM!

so i asked myself these questions:

* what junk that is thrown in there can be used in a new way for storage or decor?
* what junk/stuff that i have in storage or in the garage can be used in there?

[and let me tell you, i had a LOT]

on Friday, i gathered up all the stuff i was going to use, and sat it outside the garden house.

i was ready to begin the project on Saturday morning

and DETERMINED to have it done by Sunday afternoon.

a lofty goal, especially considering that it looked like THIS inside on Friday:

Saturday morning, i began by emptying out the garden house...

which made it look a LITTLE bit less awful:

the old screen door that i had was hung on the INSIDE of the back doorway
[with the glass door swinging open to the right, outside of the garden house,
this was the only way to make a screen door work there.
and i had one, so i wanted to use it.]

after that, i grabbed two partial gallon cans of white paint left from painting furniture,

and watered them down to a 50/50 mix.
i used that to paint all of the window edges and door trim and doors, and floor.

there was about a half can of the whitewash left, so i added more water

and used that really thin mix to wash all of the walls and beams.

the wood was SO dry that it literally sucked up all of the paint/whitewash!

i sat one small heater inside the garden house, just to be sure it would dry.

and left the heater on overnight with the doors closed.

[NOTE: this was a very safe contractor's heater on a sturdy base, not a household heater.]

on Sunday morning, i started moving in the furniture...

on the left side of the entry door:

one tall old crate [that had been in the garden house] and

two of my own large wood crates, stacked on their sides

formed the supports for my enamel kitchen sink

[been hauling that around for about ten years...]
there was no running water, but the sink and it's attached counters worked great for potting plants.
had i stayed there, i would have run the garden hose through the wall and into the sink.

a pegrack made from old fence boards and ceramic pegs for electric fences

was hung over the sink for storage.

and an old aluminum light pendant was hung above it all

[attached to a heavy-duty construction extension cord, that ran to an exterior plug on the house]

in the back corner, an old wooden chair that i 'rescued' from a dumpster

[and have subsequently used for years in retail store & seminar stage displays]

holds my medium and large terra cotta plant pots in unusual ways:

there's a metal industrial bread pan on the floor holding pots,

and there's a metal industrial muffin-top pan sitting across the arms of the chair holding pots.

a few others sit on the chair seat under the muffin-top pan.

all of the tiniest pots sit up on a beam between the studs.

[i saw that idea at Christiansen's, one of my fave nurseries]

on the right side of the entry door:

there had been a long wood park bench inside the garden house (the owner's),

and i placed it under the large window. over the window, i hung another one of the pegracks.

it's not shown in the photo below, but i later hung a large white lace bedspread from those hooks

to block out the VERY ugly view of the neighbor's yard. it still let the light in, which was perfect.

i sat an old enamel-top table (roadside find!) in front of the bench,

and added one of my metal chairs to the other side.
(the other four matching metal chairs were at a patio table in the backyard)

 above the table, a metal floral chandelier that i have used for YEARS was hung from the rafters.

[you've seen it painted bright green in a past office post!]

the chandy's electrical cord was connected to another heavy-duty contractor's extension cord 

that ran to an exterior plug on the back of the house.

[the cord ran down the fence line to the house]

with all of the major pieces in place, it was time for the details...

here's a photo of the finished interior on Sunday afternoon:

everything that had already been inside the garden house was used.

i added a LOT of my own stuff - furniture, lighting, decor & garden elements.

but i did not spend one single cent on this project!

 here's what i did a day later:

the garden house's exterior didn't really need much work - 

nothing more than a removal of some old hops vines that had grown up the side

and the addition of a 'porch light' under the existing glass window 'awning' over the door.

[the light was a plain metal worklight from Home Depot that i had on hand,

and the cord ran under a board into the extension cord already inside]

i also hung two small metal 'shelves' from IKEA, one under each window,

and loaded them up with some terra cotta pots.

around the side of the garden house, another one of my original peg racks was hung outside

to hold large galvanized buckets and old garden tools.

and later that same day, 
i got busy shooting photos for upcoming magazine and blog projects:

 ...and more that i'll share in an upcoming post!

Then the NEXT day, THIS happened:

yup... it SNOWED!(pretty, isn't it?)
i don't live in that little cottage in Seattle anymore, 
but i sure have fond memories of this project and the photo session.
thank you, Todd, for the freedom to do this to your place!

so what are YOU doing this coming weekend?

maybe it's time to look at that garden shed or back porch in a new way...

there's a LOT you can accomplish in just two days!

shared online:

cupcakes & crinoline

green willow pond 

jennifer rizzo's fabulously creative fridays

'gilded' hearts

i guess i'm just different.
while the majority of people i see on social media are rushing to Target
for the release of new items every season and holiday,
i'm over here digging thru bins in my garage and studio
to find things i can revitalize and reuse to decorate my home.

case in point: these painted hearts.

i had an idea rolling around in my head to try to replicate gold leaf,
so i pulled these out and found two ways to try out my idea.
it cost me nothing at all! i had everything i needed on hand already.
and i didn't need any more storage space to keep a new project in!
(can you imagine if i kept every.last.project. i have ever made???
i'd have far more bins and boxes and shelves filled than i already do.
i'd have spent a lot more money, too!)

continue reading to see how i got these effects...

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!

Plan B. No, Really.....

...welcome back to the continuing story (saga?!) of 'project HOMEWARD' !

You've seen this image of the plot plan, site plan, and floor plan of our new house in a past post:

I have an image file that's been filling up with photos of the build in progress,

from bare dirt to complete house and everything in between
(I'll create a slideshow and share it when it's all done!)
but with our walk through and delivery date just TWO WEEKS AWAY,

I thought I'd share a bit of the detail about our new house...

 This is our floor plan...
'Plan B', according to the builder's schematic: Lot 101. Plan 1-B.

(some of the options are noted there; more about them in the future...
and let me tell ya', selecting all of those options is daunting - but FUN!)

The house is wonderful and spacious,

 and there's one particular thing we love most: NO STAIRS!
There are days when we literally drag our poor selves up three levels to the bedrooms in the current house, groaning and wincing in pain, and we don't like that reminder that we are old. Not one bit.

So this one-level house is a dream! 

The layout of the house is more than perfect for the two of us and our lifestyle...
it's the SECOND reason we both fell in love with it.
(along with the 'no stairs' thing!)

There are two bedrooms located at the front of the house, 

and two more bedrooms (including the Master) located at the back.
This gives us both privacy and space for our own activities, offices, etc.
in addition to the main living spaces that we'll share.
The rooms at the front of the house will be my bedroom and 'sitting room/office'
where I run my business (and BLOG!), 

while Mom gets the luxurious master suite at the back.
The room is so huge that she plans to put her desk/office in there, as well.

The 'guest room' is also going to serve as our craft room...
We'll set up the sewing machine there, have the closet for storage, 

and I am going to build at least one work table on wheels
that can fit over the bed, but easily move out of the way for guests.
That way, it's not a room that is used only once a month... it's used a LOT!

We thought about making the laundry room 'multi purpose' and putting the craft table there,
but there's already gonna' be enough going on in that room on a daily basis.
The guest room is a more workable plan.
(We also have a workbench for the garage for heavy-duty projects.)

For us, this use of the space just makes sense.
We're re-thinking not just how our existing  furnishings and decor  will be re-used,
but also how the house's square footage can best be utilized for our every day life.

Even if you've lived in your house for YEARS, you can do this...
look at the space with a fresh eye and stop letting past use determine future use.

Is your big dining room a catch-all for junk, but never used as an eating space - 
while your tiny den is the gathering place during meals to watch TV?
Switch 'Em! 
Move the comfy sofas and the TV into the bigger room,
add a huge coffee table at a higher height, and eat in comfort while you watch the game.
Put the dining room table and chairs in the tiny den for homework or games.
Why NOT? There are no 'room police' who will report you.
There are no 'home decor rules' which CAN'T be broken
(even though hundreds of internet articles SAY there are)...
it's YOUR house. Use the space the way YOU want to!
Make your OWN Plan B!

Our other Fave Features in the new house?
*The laundry room is IN THE HOUSE, not the garage!
After 36 years of schlepping laundry to and from the garage, my Mom is THRILLED about this! 
*Speaking of garages.... it's a 3 car garage! BOTH of our cars will fit inside
(which is something that hasn't happened at either of our homes.... EVER....)

plus a one-car garage space that will house shelving for storage of all the party stuff. 
*There is a covered loggia / patio off the dining room,

which expands our entertaining space. Did I mention we LOVE throwing parties?!
*The main living spaces are big, wide, and open with lots of sunlight.
No more tiny kitchen shut off from the party!
*The kitchen has more than THREE TIMES the counter space and storage

as the one my Mom has had for the past 36 years (which was built in 1972).
She's excited about her 'Party-Planning Headquarters'!
*Off the kitchen, there's a hallway. In the hallway, there's a spot for a WINE BAR!
(We will be located in wine country, after all...
and having lots of parties. Did I mention that?)

There's a lot more to love, and you'll be hearing about that in my upcoming posts.
Next Post? Our choices for the surfaces!
(They are installing the flooring right now, as I type this, and we hope to see it TOMORROW!)

Autumn's Golden Light

 

I was searching for a certain image the other day,
and in the process I came across some old photos that just say 'AUTUMN' to me.

The golden glowing light captured in them is my FAVORITE thing about fall...

the way the light turns more amber and deep, especially in late afternoon.
It's my favorite time of day!

Since my last two posts have been about fall decorating 

as inspired by displays at vintage shows,

I thought I'd wrap that up with a post showing images of one of MY old booths at a show.
Enjoy!

 From the glowing woods to glistening golds,
luxe velvet and satin fabric details to simple paper and leather,
I think this embodies that certain color of autumn light that I so love.
There's not a typical tree leaf in sight here, but the decor speaks to the pleasures of fall.

Yes, decor can be inspired by something as simple as the color of light 
that pours through your windows during a certain season or time of day!
Let the color of a summer blue sky or a winter snow be the touchpoint for your decor,
and you'll have created an ambience that speaks to your soul.

PS: It's not about spending money.
All of the items shown in the above photos were made or 'fixed up' 

using reclaimed and repurposed materials that were found or thrifted.

Though the look is 'luxe', the cost was miniscule.

 

Someone else took photos of my booth at that show, too...

and they ended up in Where Women Create magazine a few years later.

Where Women Create's Summer 2012 issue 

featured a story on Judy Watkins and her Remnants of the Past Antique Show,  

with beautiful photos of the show by Jenny Malott.
I am so very grateful to Jenny, Judy, and Jo Packham of WWC 

that they chose several images of my booth displays to include in the story:

Right Page: my Retreat booth & products

(looks familiar, huh?
yes, Jenny took EXACTLY the same shot that I did!)

Right Page, lower left corner: detail of Retreat booth display

Right Page: Baby Grand Piano Bar,
created with my late husband Bob Kennedy for our business, 'Retreat', in 2009
This piece truly was one of his greatest designs...

details of the piano bar:

 * exterior and interior covered with vintage player piano & sheet music
* interior re-purposed as a wine storage unit, liquor bottle & glass storage, 

and keyboard replaced with a pull-out mirrored tray for serving.

shared online:
.

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

 .
There's a lot more to that story....