Not So Modern Bedroom

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know my tastes are becoming more modern...but right now, I'm enjoying my cozy bedroom complete with the braided wool rug I finished several years ago that has been rolled up and stowed in my cedar chest to prevent moth damage.

Holly Alternative

How do you adorn your mantle? In Newtonia, I have donned my Mother's mantle with Nandina. It is the perfect alternative to holly berries and they look just as festive.

Garnier Thiebaut Linens

Where have I been? These are truly the most beautiful linens. The colors are vibrant. The designs are diverse. The method of linen weaving is state of the art. I researched the company to discover they are made in France. Can you imagine how great it would be to take a field trip to the factory?

Hello, Beautiful Chair!

Roadside treasure hunting pays off when a chair with good lines just needs a bit of reinforcement and fresh coat of paint. The things people throw away.

Catching My Eye

Etsy's selection of silk screen towels and hand built pottery dishes are catching my eye. They, to me fall in a category with etchings, calligraphy and watercolor. The medium is simple. The venue is limitless.

And if you haven't heard of Celadon green, Dictionary.com describes it as "any of several Chinese porcelains having a translucent, palegreen glaze". What a soothing green! Just can't get enough.

British Shop

Hunting has paid off! John Lewis is the web-site of the week for simple home furnishings.

Summer Flowers

My adopted grandmother, BettyGram gave me a bundle of vintage flour sack fabrics several years ago. They are ending up in a quilt, a wanna-be vintage quilt. This time, it's all about the azure sky, sunshine and summer flowers.

Sunshine Baby Quilt

Somethings just look great in the sunshine, like quilts.

Color Inspiration Galore

This blog is amazing. Tweak your favorite color and select "Go get it" to be shown a selection of color palettes based on that color. Fantastic! I'm going to be using this for years to come.

Stillwater Trip: A Reoccurring Theme

Tea Towel Yardages

Murphy's Kitchen Shop - Stillwater Trip

Fiestaware in a rainbow of colors.

Howabout an English teapot in your favorite color?

These remind me of the famous English crockery, Cornishware

Amaryllis Etching Artist Discovery

A happenstance today led me to discover that the artist of the Amaryllis etching previously blogged is Nancy Louvier. You can check out e-bay for more of her works. Amaryllis "Triad" is an original and much larger. My investment of 30.00 was a wise choice, but I'm not wanting to sell it. It has a nice home in my bedroom.

Amaryllis Etching

Discovered this original etching in a local resale shop for 30.00. I went back three times before deciding to purchase  it. I've searched high and low to find out more about the artist and with no results. I haven't given up...

Baskets and More Baskets

When I happen upon well made baskets at garage sales for pennies, I think I've hit the Jackpot. They are so useful for many things around the house, i.e. displaying towels or storing towels in the bathroom, gift baskets, displaying fruit and the list goes on...What do you use them for?

Pearls and Roses Centerpiece

Many of you know my sister was married earlier this year. I co-hosted the bridal shower for her in February with my best friend. The shower was held in St. Louis at a very large church which had a closet crammed with seasonal decorations. We had little time for setting up the evening of the shower. I dashed to the closet and gathered a few items: stringed pearls, ivory rose petals, various peony and rose blossoms. This is what I came up with. My sister was pleased.

Welcome, Spring Blooms

What is your favorite season? If it's spring, I'll have to agree that you. Seeing the crocus push through in early spring and later daffodils and tulips budding on brown lawns gives me a great feeling that new life is on it's way. During the haste to keep the lawn and flower beds looking healthy, we sometimes forget that our treasured blooms also belong indoors for enjoyment.  Victoria Magazine's, 'The House in Bloom' has heightened my awareness of incorporating blossoms indoors.

First Arrangement

My Mum likes to make flower arrangements. There were a few flowers left over from a recent arrangement and so I put together this arrangement for my Secret Pal-Sister at our church. I used an inexpensive woven basket to bring the natural color theme together. I used the odds and ends and it worked. You can't beat that.

Beautimous Linens

April Cornell has an amazing assortment of colorful spring tablecloths. Look at those colors! Very inspiring.

Third Braided Rug

It feels really good to take some fabric yardages that no one wants or wool clothing and turn it all into a lovely usuable and beautiful creation.

Updated Vintage Shelf

Betty Gram let me buy this little vintagey-arts and crafts movement shelf from her for $6.00 last fall. Now, after some little nails to re-inforce it, sanding, caulking, wood putty filler, sanding, priming, more sanding, 1st coat of cream and lastly the 2nd coat - it looks grand! I am pleased with the rich buttery creamy color. A little darker than I had anticipated, but none the less charming.