An Upcycled Project

If you know me, you're fully aware of my fondness for vintage linens (okay; vintage anything). Since I enjoy tucking those types of items in our decor, I'm open to clever ideas when I see them. With great interest,  I saw something online showing a unique display for  hankies using an old spoon rack!  That got my wheels turning and so I have been on the lookout for one ever since. After having it on my radar for such a long, I was pleased to recently thrift one for $4.50. My original vision included painting the wood white, but I quickly came to realization that I would prefer it to remain its natural color. I pulled out my little childhood hankies for this mock-up, but it's a work in progress. Giving the hanky a "flip" with your wrist, you simply gather the point and insert it in the spoon opening. Now, why didn't I ever think of that? 

Where, you ask, will it hang? I'm not positive, but I do have three locations in mind. I find it nearly therapeutic to put together projects like this that involve repurposing/upcycling and, in fact, I have just completed something else a bit bigger and involved. Maybe I will share it in the near future.

                Happy Wednesday, everyone! 

Tuesday Tablescape

Did you know that today is National Beach Day? I have set several nautical tablescapes over the years and so I am highlighting just a couple of those previous tables in honor of this day. Imagine that you're sitting in the sun and the sand while you scroll through. 😉

How about fish-shaped dishes, shells and a seagull to make you think of the beach?

Lobster and crab dishes along with shells and an anchor remind me of the ocean whether the table is set inside...

or outdoors on the patio.

Lighthouses are also fitting for a seaside vibe.

Of course I just happen to have three sets of lighthouse dishes!

Shell placemats definitely represent the sand! Clear plates allow the shell print to pop.

A beach tablescape is always a shore bet 

for an out-sand-ing meal or shell-ebration!

A Summer Lantern

Good morning, everyone! It's hard to believe that it's been a month since my last post. The length of time was unintentional. I skipped a few days the end of July and before I knew it, it was the end of August! Where has the summer gone? I realize that September is about to begin, which means switching to autumn touches and I haven't even shared any of the late summer decorations in place since July!

Our (faux) antique lantern that sits on the landing has been full of flowers and insects. You can see the slivers of sunshine showing on the carpet and wall.

Let's open the door and get a closer look...

so that we can inspect the flowers and our insects!

Have a blessed day!

She Sells Seashells By the Seashore...

When my mother took care of her patriotic decorations right after the fourth of July, she decided to have a seashore theme in the great room for the remainder of the summer. After many family Florida  vacations over the years, her stash is filled with special trip keepsakes which she enjoys using. She incorporated a few on the mantel, while others are scattered on tables and corners throughout the room (I did not include photos of the latter). Everything came together nicely, but she felt the fireplace was in need of a print to tie together everything. She considered creating a seashell wreath or even enlarging a seashore photograph to hang, but that wasn't quite what she had in mind. Then she saw this canvas at Hobby Lobby and instantly knew it would fit the bill! The size and colors are perfect for this application.

A unique feature of this wall hanging is the addition of real bits of sea grass, as shown below. It adds such interest!

One end of the mantel has the old sea wharf nestled on a piece of netting.

The other has a glass container of personally collected seashells, a shell orb and a starfish I made for her using a wire form and jute rope from Dollar Tree.

She sells seashells by the seashore!

An Thrifted Makeover

I enjoy upcycling items for home décor and so when I found this ulgy unusual 😉 little stand at a yard sale for a dollar, my wheels began turning. 

I had been looking for something just this size and style to use for display purposes. This particular one has a wooden base with a tin top and was new with its original tags still attached.  I was certain I could make it work. A few coats of white spray paint resulted in what I had envisioned. 

When I refreshed my summer décor earlier this month, I used my thrifted stand in the kitchen on a tray.

It's just what I wanted to elevate smaller pieces and I think it will also be good for other uses in future seasons. 

Do you also enjoy makeovers of thrifted pieces and, if so, what is your favorite?

 

Tuesday Tablescape

I hope you enjoyed your Tuesday! This is a very simple table using my new melamine. Perfect for patio dining, I am drawn to the color combinations that the designer, Pioneer Woman, used. Don't they look like summer to you? I received four of these dinner plates and four yellow luncheon plates (shown in photo below) as a gift. 

I already had a set of Pioneer Woman napkins, so the fabric perfectly pairs with the dishes. 

The lemon glasses were a purchase from Dollar Tree years ago.

The umbrella pole prevents having much of a centerpiece, but I did add my glass container of faux lemons and limes.

Even though we are trapped in this terrible heatwave, we are still able to enjoy dinner on the patio most evenings. I hope you're staying cool and doing well!  

Patriotic Decor

I am not sure what happened to June, but I did not do very well blogging and the month was over before I knew it! Now that it is time to refresh our summer décor, I thought I would share the patriotic touches which have been in place since a few weeks prior to Memorial Day in May!

I received pillow covers for my birthday and enjoyed using a red and a blue for this season. When I attempted to show those from this angle, I ended up with two cute little photo bombers! 

The print on the wall is an enlargement of a picture I took at MO Botanical Garden a few summers ago and shows Chihuly glass on display in one of reflection ponds. 

Patriotic mantels are always designed around the print we bought at Cracker Barrel several years ago. It is a favorite patriotic decoration of ours! 

I will try to share some additional patriotic pictures next time. Have a good evening!