Deck The Halls

You may recall from this post that we have a very rambunctious toddler living with us at the moment, so I didn't expect to do a lot of decorating for Christmas.  But, I decided to put out a few things and I wanted to share them with you before my little tasmanian devil whirled through and destroyed them.

Our fireplace is a pass through and is made so that you can walk all the way around it from one room into the other.  I am in the process of redecorating and painting and shared my inspiration for the fireplace with you here.  But, with our current living arrangements, aka rambunctious toddler, the actual fireplace remodel has been put on hold.  Right now it is painted a deep shade of orange which I have definitely grown tired of and looks out of place in Christmas photos, but it is what it is and hopefully I will get to continue with my remodel plan soon.

Each side of the fireplace has a mantle which I have decorated quite differently.  So grab some coffee or hot cocoa, and lets take a look, shall we.

This is the dining room side.  I decided to go with a homespun country theme.

The other side of the fireplace is quite different and if the wall was painted a nice neutral hue, which is the plan, it would have a very different feel.  I've tried to stay with various shades of whites, tan and browns with a pop of green.  There's some mercury glass thrown in for some sparkle.

Our tree is decorated with various bird ornaments and woodland creatures which Oliver, the kitty, has found delightful this year.  We have a slimline tree because, as you can imagine with so many people living in our home, we don't have a lot of space.

I've set up various baskets of greenery, pinecones, etc. because I love bringing the outdoors in and the smell of the greenery, which is wonderful since we have an artificial tree.

And finally, we have part of my collection of old world Santa's.  I don't know about you, but I collect way to many things! 

So, that's it, I hope you enjoyed it and I will be sure to let you know if the decorations survive the two year old and kitty.  I think they are actually plotting and scheming together to destroy them as I write this.  Have you decorated for the season?

Dining Room Update

Remember that I'm redecorating our dining room?

And that I shared my inspiration for that room?

Well, I have been doing some painting in there and I'm not totally sure I am liking it.

So, I thought I would ask your opinion.  Excuse the quality of the phone pictures. =)

The color on the wall is Valspar Polar Star and its a soft gray that casts a blueish tint which I am pretty happy with.  Its the color on the wainscoting on the bottom that I'm not sure about.  It is Valspar Oyster Pearl and it is a soft creamy off-white.  I like it, but don't love it.  I am considering going with a crisp white like what I've used on the trim around the window and door.  I've also replaced the trim at the bottom of the wall with a nice wide baseboard, which I've painted that same white (not pictured).

Here's another shot down the length of that wall.  You can see on the far back wall what it used to look like. I've since painted this section too. I really didn't think at the time about taking before photos and now I am wishing I had, because it is such a difference.  It used to be painted a mustardy yellow color with a sponge treatment over that using a buttery yellow and the wainscoting was an oak stain.  

Across from the window is where our fireplace is and at the moment it is painted a burnt orange.  Yeah, I will definitely be glad to change that up and I will be sure to take a before photo of it to share with you.  

You'll also notice that in this photograph is a snippet of my Grandmother's Hoosier cabinet.  (Over look the fact that it is piled with junk at the moment.)  It has been this color of green for as long as I can remember (and I'm pretty darned old). My plans were to leave it as my Grandmother had it and before it went ok with those yellow walls, but now it is just not working with the new paint so I am thinking I will paint it.  I have done some research on original colors for these cabinets, hers is a Sellers brand.  I've also looked the cabinet over trying to see if I can find the original paint color and I think it was gray, which will work out great for my plans for this room. I do have to say, though, that painting this cabinet is going to be a huge job! It has been painted inside and out, plus has a roll top or tambour door in the middle. I'm really not looking forward to that job, but think it will be so worth it when its done.

So, my question to you all is should I keep the wainscoting that creamy off white color or should I go with the crisp white like the trim work? 

Vintage Postcards

Several years ago, the Mister was gifted some vintage postcards by his Mother.  These postcards have been in his family for years and are mostly from places in the United States.

If you will remember from my post on my inspiration for our dining room, I am planning on redecorating several rooms in our home.  At the moment, this redecorating is slow going because we currently have one of our sons and his family living with us, so they are occupying some of the rooms that I want to decorate.  But, I'm still gathering inspiration and planning for it, in hopes that one day soon they will find their own place. Shhh, don't tell them I said that.  ;-)

My idea for one of our bedrooms is a travel theme.  While gathering inspiration, I ran across this picture.  It intrigued me because I have a collection of vintage cameras and it also showed some wonderful old photographs of landmarks from around the world, perfect for a travel theme.

Image Source

Which reminded me that the Mister had all of those vintage postcards.  So, a few days ago, I broke them out and sat down to go through them.  Among them I found a few that are from our hometown and I thought I would share them with you.

Greetings From Virginia -The Old Dominion State -Home of Thomas Jefferson - Monticello
On the back of the postcard:  Key To Views On Other Side -

V -	Natural Bridge
I -	Falling Springs, near Clifton Forge
R -	Mountain Lake
G -	Fairy Stone State Park
I -	Cape Henry Lighthouse, near Norfolk
N -	Glimpse of Shenandoah River
I -	Cascade in Shenandoah Nat’l Park
A -	Pinnacle Rocks, near Bluefield

V -

Natural Bridge

I -

Falling Springs, near Clifton Forge

R -

Mountain Lake

G -

Fairy Stone State Park

I -

Cape Henry Lighthouse, near Norfolk

N -

Glimpse of Shenandoah River

I -

Cascade in Shenandoah Nat’l Park

A -

Pinnacle Rocks, near Bluefield

W-12 Main Street Looking East, Wytheville, VA.
{There is nothing on the back of this card and no date as to when it was published but judging by the automobiles in the photograph I would guess it is the 1940s.  Our little town still looks quite similar today.  We live in the County seat with a population of around 8,200 people, according to the 2010 census, covering an area of around 14.3 square miles.  The town was named in honor of George Wythe, the "father of American Jurisprudence" and signer of the Declaration of Independence.}

W-3 U.S. Post Office, Wytheville, VA
{There is nothing on the back of this card either and no date as to when it was published.  This building is no longer used as our post office, however.  A new building was erected further up the street, and in my opinion, it is no where near as lovely as this building.  I am quite fond of the architecture of this building and am happy that it is still being used today as offices for our local Housing Authority.}

Canoeing In Hungry Mother State Park, Virginia - 72
{There is nothing on the back of this card but the photograph states that it was taken in 1972.  It is of a couple fellows canoeing on the lake in a neighboring town from ours.  This lake has a little beach area for swimmers and is a great year round retreat.  As a matter of fact, the Mister and I spent a few days in a cabin at this Park for a second honeymoon, of sorts, after we renewed our wedding vows on our 10th Anniversary.  It was a very primitive cabin with no phone and no tv, just us and nature.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.}

I feel sure that some of these postcards will make it into my decorating scheme.  The difficult part will be choosing which ones to use, there are so many.  What I have shared here is a very small portion of the nearly hundred postcards.  It makes one wonder which family member of the Mister's was collecting these and if they traveled to these places themselves.  Some of them were mailed and have messages on the back, but most all of them are just blank cards.  Either way, they were once treasured, so what better way to pay homage to the Mister's family, than to have them become a treasured part of our decor.

Dining Room Inspiration

I am in the midst of painting different rooms in our home and getting ready to redecorate so I have been scouring photographs of beautifully decorated homes and pinning lots of them to my boards on Pinterest.

At the moment I am working on our dining room and have found inspiration in this lovely photo.

Image Source

Our room is very similar in size and layout.  We even have the walk around fireplace.  Of course there are differences and things that will not work for our room, but I am in love with that fireplace and have lots of ideas on how I can get a similar look.

I thought it would be fun to share this decorating adventure with you so expect some more posts on this subject.

Until then, check out my Pinterest boards and see if you can find your inspiration.

French Country Cottage Giveaway

I don't know how many of you ladies read blogs dedicated to home decor, but I read loads of them, and one of my very favorites, French Country Cottage, is having a giveaway right now.  The winner of this lovely giveaway will win this beautiful, vintage inspired Mikasa table setting.

The pattern is called Vintage Lace and the winner will receive 6 place settings!!!  Is that not an awesome giveaway?!  I am crossing my fingers that I am lucky enough to win this.  =)

Each place setting includes

 a 10-3/4 inch dinner plate,

 8-1/2 inch salad plate, 

6-1/2 inch bread & butter plate, 

8-1/2 ounce teacup and 6 inch saucer

Head on over to Courtney's blog, French Country Cottage, and check it out.  I think you will love it as much as I do.

Art Deco Interiors

With the release of the Great Gatsby movie, which I recently reviewed for you, there has been an influx of 1920s style - everything from fashion to home decor. Here is a modern day example of whats available, fashion wise, with a very 1920s feel.



The links to these items can be found on my Polyvore

There are some really amazing items in this collection and I could totally see myself sporting any number of them, but what I wanted to focus on today is art deco home decor.

The mood during the early 20th century was optimistic and hopeful, and like society's attitude, their interiors were sparkling and bright. There were sleek, glossy hardwood floors laid in geometric patterns. The gleaming furniture consisted of mirrored dressers, black lacquered cabinets and ebony veneered tables, chrome lamps and sparkling chandeliers. Area rugs and other fabric items were bright and colorful - consisting of zigzags, chevrons and sunbursts. Sweeping, curved lines and angular shapes were a common sight and brushed steel finishes and glass were used liberally as they contributed to the sleek, modern look.

Here are some great modern day examples as showcased on Houzz.

Traditional Bathroom by Chicago Architect Erik Johnson and Associates

Traditional Bathroom by Rochester Interior Designer Robin Muto

Contemporary Bedroom by Miami Interior Designer Toby Zack Designs

Traditional Bedroom by Atlanta Architect Bryan Alan Kirkland Designs

Contemporary Living Room by London Furniture And Accessories Imagine Living

Contemporary Staircase by Minneapolis Architect TEA2 Architects

Contemporary Entry by Cumming Interior Designer Interior Styles, Inc.

Art deco style was modern for it's time, and it still has a very fresh, eclectic, contemporary feel today.  I believe that you could incorporate bits and pieces into any decor setting, don't you?