Decorating with Fall Naturals

I think we're seeing a trend in decor more and more each season, and that's decorating with nature's elements. I've found "mixing" faux and naturals goes a long way in making my home more inviting and giving it a more uncomplicated and spontaneous feel. There are so many beautiful, well made silks and faux elements that I'll never give them up, but finding that balance of combining the two has become a place where I'm enjoying the creative challenge.

If you read my post earlier in the week, you know that we've been literally neck deep in having a new roof put on our home. This was a more involved fix than just a composition roof, as after a really bad hail storm in June, we've decided to follow what everyone else in our 25-30 year old neighborhood has been doing, and that's replacing wood shake shingles with new super nice top of the line composition shingles. So, I've been under "house arrest" this week, as I didn't want my car out on the street for over a week. I opted to just stay home and not risk a flat tire or worse yet, vandalism.

So, I've had to play in the house this week, when all I want to do is get outside and do some puttering with plants and pumpkins. "Hedge Apples" are pretty common around this area; also called "Osage Oranges", I've been looking at them through different "decorating eyes" these last few years. What used to be a nuisance in the middle of the road, and half eaten messes, now I'm finding their wonderful color and texture to be something worth celebrating.

I bought two of these wonderful antique pottery flowerpots a few years ago,

after seeing them at Meloney and Brian's Seed Box Open House.

Anyone know the name for this type of flowerpot?

Somehow I got it in my head they were called "Vanilla" something or other?

You can see just part of Mel's great collection.

Sorry the photo is all blurry; that was 3 years and 3 cameras ago.

back to hedge apples...

I added some other natural elements on the coffeetable on the sunporch, so I at least could make a little vignette. Oh, and I added in a sunflower head that Julie sent me. love it!

Preserved leaves, hydrangeas, and bittersweet all join in.

And of course, anyplace you have sunflowers

 you will automatically have some birdies.

just a little nibble

Here's a really ugly photo of what I've been looking at all week.

30 years of tree debris, dirt, rotten shingles,

and torn off guttering looking out from the Living Room.

See the plywood against the house?

yep, that covered all the windows so it was like a cave downstairs.

I couldn't go down there it was so depressing.

what you can't tell is that this pile is at least 3 feet deep.

uh huh...

And this is what most of my prints and wall decor look like

after 5 days of pounding on the roof.

sort of like how my head feels...

But the good news is that most of the new roof is on and they're working today on the details, so the end is in sight. now for clean up... And making my hubby take me out for dinner!

Hope you're having a great weekend...

we're expecting rain, but I think we're covered.

joining in on these parties:

Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Knick of Time Tuesday
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Savvy Southern Style
TTT at StoneGable

xoxo,

Frenchy Pillows

I know that I just showed you the updated (that would be "this week") sunporch, but I found some wonderful new pillows that I wanted to show you, and it just so happened they landed on the little wicker settee out there.

I have a small obsession with birdies this time of year, and when I saw this embroidered birdie pillow at one of my favorite places I had to have it...and one to go with it.

And can you see that they're burlap?

This was one of my "ohmygosh, how stinkin' cute" moments.

You know it's cute, when it's "stinkin' cute".

Taken from illustrations from the Natural History archives, 

birds and butterflies...

perfect...

and on burlap!

When I first saw these I thought they had been screen printed on,

but it's actually embroidery...

amazing.

As I predicted last week, we're heading right in to summer.

 Today is supposed to be in the upper 80's.

 Soaking up the sunshine...

and

Bird watching...

And here are a few pics from Robin's Vintage Suitcase

where I nabbed these cuties.

Santos dolls.

cow candleholders...

and Staffordshire Rabbits

Robin always has wonderful inspiration.

and just a reminder...

if you've never checked out The Marketplace,

it's a fun way to shop Etsy for newly listed items.

just click over here

Runs each Monday and Tuesday.

I'm joining in on these parties:

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Open House at No Minimalist Here

Tips and Tutorials at Stone Gable

The Charm of Home

French Country Cottage

Hope you're having a great week.

xoxo,

It's a "bird" thing...

...and it happens every Spring.

It was time for a sideboard "refresh" after Easter and I've been antsy to get my Pier 1 scroll-y chalkboard in place. The bunnies are all put back to bed, and this time I know where to find them. All tucked into their see-thru giant plastic tub in the basement storage room. sweet dreams...

After Easter I always go to my nature/bird/nesting theme.

I thought I wanted just a plain (gee, that's not a word that I use often) and simple sideboard vignette, but I should have known that once I had things in place that I'd be looking for something else to slap up here for more visual interest.

So I found a couple of my unframed vintage bird prints and a few of my paper play things from last year. I loved paper dolls when I was little, now it's "paper birds". I'm addicted I tell ya...

These little sweeties are cut from an old torn up bird book and mod podged onto an old dictionary page. Then framed in an antique photo album page. Click here to see the original post I did on them.

Don't you just love an ill placed 80's doorbell (below, upper right) 

for some shiny hallway fun? yuck.

An old French Ironstone tureen and English platter are my staples,

that I brought in from the Dining Room buffet.

time to mix things up.

Then I brought in these little ivy topiaries from the Living Room sofa table,

 for something a little different.

I just found a new preserved boxwood wreath too, so that may go here in place of this mossy/twiggy one. Now that the birdies are hanging around it looks a little "busy". (I whined last Christmas Season about a boxwood wreath for weeks. none to be found under a $100.)

So here's the Hallway Sideboard... for awhile anyway.

You never know what you'll find in here.

Thanks for coming by to visit!

joining these weekly parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

DIY by Design

Blissful Whites from Timewashed

From My Front Porch to Yours

No Minimalist Here

Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Stone Gable

The Charm of Home

French Country Cottage

Shabby Art Boutique

Rooted in Thyme

Craftberry Bush

Funky Junk Interiors

I'm joining in with all of you, sending our love and prayers for Boston, and for those whose lives are forever changed by the tragic event at the Marathon. 

Everybody's mad...

at me!

I knew this day would have to come.

But they weren't happy.
Lot's of griping and pouting.

Yes, the bird feeder on the deck had to go back to the tree,

so I could be ready to put out the hummingbird feeder.

These little guys kept me hopping last year until late October.
I didn't get a feeder up until probably July, but then they mobbed me.

(Google Images)

They come back to the feeder they summer at, and I want to be ready,

'cause I'm hoping to see a little of this...

(Google Images)

This afternoon was glorious!
Sunny and warm and fabulous...

So I took a little time to straighten up the deck.

(OK, I cleaned it, it was a mess)

and potted the daffodils and tulips that had been on the sunporch.

Yes, the ones that now have bite marks and chunks out of them.

wonder who...?

Just in case you missed the post with all the nasty grunge

that critter feeding can cause.

Earlier in February and March...

just downright gross...

but the kitties and I loved watching them.

So now things are looking more like Spring...

and a little tidier.

Still too early to bring out the geraniums that I winter,

but soon.

I have so much outdoor clean-up, but that will wait.

Today I did something I thoroughly enjoyed...

joining in with these parties this week:

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
A Stroll Thru Life

xoxo,