Decor therapy...

I always feel like my brain needs a little jump start this first week of January. After all the busy-ness from before Thanksgiving until New Year's, once January 2 hits, I tend to "coast" a little. Putting my house back together and doing some much needed cleaning has kept me busy. I had a Hoover bag full of glitter, half chewed faux berries, and cat hair...don't ask.

After looking at my Dining Room for this last week, I realized I needed a change. One day things look fine, the next day you want to totally start over. So first, down came the honkin' window box...now what? Whatever is on this table needs to be substantial, at least I feel like it does. So I grabbed the old basket from under the buffet, white poinsettias and all. OK, so maybe all the mental energy I had was directed at finding a new centerpiece.

I think I'll keep the grain sack runner here until after Valentine's Day.

It does have a red stripe, after all.

And I'm keeping the redwork tablecloth on the buffet, 

I just decluttered a little from this photo.

I looked at it closely and realized

 that there were little hearts woven into the design.

Why hadn't I noticed that before?

And the faux chalkboard above the sideboard in the Hall 

got it's new message, compliments of my sweet sis, 

Happy New Year!

Other than that, I just removed the white feather tree 

and replaced it with the iron urn of faux paperwhites.

OK, so that wasn't all that drastic.

A few simple changes were all that I needed...

this week.

How about you...

does your brain need a vacation?

Thank goodness I have all of you out there

that are on top of your game.

Now, I'll be moving on to the Living Room...

my mantel needs some h.e.l.p.

Great turnout for the first 

Be Inspired Friday!

thanks guys!

(I really needed it;

the inspiration that is.)

joining in with these parties:

The Dedicated House

Between Naps on the Porch

Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

Cozy Little House

Cedar Hill Ranch

Knick of Time 

Savvy Southern Style

DIY By Design

From My Front Porch to Yours

A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Stone Gable

Shabby Art Boutique

The Charm of Home

French Country Cottage

Craftberry Bush

Jennifer Rizzo

My Romantic Home

xoxo,

me

A little Grain Sack Inspiration

If you're like me you need a jumping off point; something that inspires you, and gives you direction. I had it in my head this year that I wanted to do something less fussy, maybe a little more "Winter-ish" than an all out Christmas blow-out. I've seen some amazing "all out" Christmas decor, but for me, I just wanted something simpler that could maybe make it at least through part of January.

During the late Summer and early Fall I used a table runner made of dark grain sack fabric with a black stripe. I loved it, and started looking for a runner in a red stripe with a light background early. Chalk one up for me... I'm usually late on making decisions. I waited too long and now the infamous BOXWOOD wreath has eluded my grasp this year...grrrrrr.

I knew I wanted to use this white wooden lantern that I've had for awhile, so it had to nest in the old windowbox. Now, back to the tablerunner issue...soooo....I couldn't find the fabric, but actually did one better by finding this amazing antique grain sack on Etsy from a wonderful gal named Christina from Austria. (From The Etsy Store Grain Sack) I ordered early in October, so it was here just in time for the Thanksgiving change over.

I took out the binding that held the sides together, so I would have one long piece in a single layer. Then centered it on my off white burlap. I want to cover up as much of the B-R-O-W-N table top as I can...

Perfect.

Christina's Photo

It's really beautiful and immaculate with no damage or age showing at all. I highly recommend her shop.

Then, I started digging in my linen stash and came up with this vintage "Turkey Red" tablecloth for the buffet.

I just folded it lengthwise.

A little more "grainsack" with the ribbon.

And a grapevine wreath with a red transferware cup. The more I look at that wreath, the more I know it must have lost an apple or two since last year. Sorry, it's now on my "to-do" list!

Had to have some plaid, ya'll!!

My sister made these adorable pillows for me for Christmas last year.

more red stripes

(and birdies)

big pillow was a Pottery Barn must have last year!

I changed out the bittersweet on my little Fall Nature Tree for some festive winterberry garland. I put the snow owls to bed and added in some glitter birds in their place.

I have an old friend that's making an appearance in the Dining Room this year. I'll share him this weekend! (If you look closely you'll see a peek of him.)

I'll be joining in these great Holiday Parties this week:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
TTT at Stone Gable
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Shabby Art Boutique
 French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence

Hope you're having a fun week,

be sure and check out 

It's live all week.

xoxo,

On the table...

Since our younger daughter and her husband will be hosting Thanksgiving at their home this year, I haven't had to be concerned about a proper tablescape.  But I have changed out a few things on the table last week. I filled my ironstone tureen with about 10 paperwhite bulbs and sat it and my white velvet pumpkin  on my dark harvest-y vintage tray.

The Dining Room has beautiful soft light most of the day.

I took out the "orange" leaves in the windowbox centerpiece

 and in their place added some faux evergreens.

adding a little "Winter" and removing a little "Fall"

But a bigger change came on the table by swapping out the dark grain sack fabric for this lighter creamy burlap fabric, which I just folded over once lengthwise and left the edges raw. I like the lighter burlap for this week which will soon be changed out for Christmas. I found a wonderful antique grain sack with a red stripe on Etsy from Austria. I'm planning on adding it over the burlap for my Christmas Season tablerunner. I'll share that with you soon, and the Etsy shop I purchased it from.

A set of my lambies approve.

See you Monday morning for

The Marketplace,

where we list our Etsy and Online Boutique Stores

then shop our little hearts out.

I'm joining in for these parties:

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

TTT at A Stroll thru Life

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Knick of Time Tuesday

Cowgirl Up at Cedarhill Ranch

Blissful Whites at Timewashed

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Share Your Cup Thursday

House Party at No Minimalist Here

French Country Cottage

Primp

The Charm of Home

Rooted in Thyme

Shabby Art Boutique

Have a wonderful Sunday,

xoxo,

Window Box Centerpiece for Fall

Hello Everyone, 

I wanted to share what I've been doing in the Dining Room to bring in some Fall color. Since I started using this old window box as my centerpiece on the Dining Room Table late last Spring, I've been trying to keep it looking "natural". That can be hard to do since I use faux ivy and flowers in it, but right now I'm just enjoying those wonderful muted Fall colors, trying to keep it simple.

I did have to add in a few orange leaves just to get a little fix.

I don't know if you can tell, but this is a REALLY BIG window box. OK, how many of you more mature people out here remember Ed Sullivan saying "it's going to be a really big sheeeew"? I know, I'm more mature...but that's what this is..."a really big window box"!  So I have faux ivy, some styrofoam, leaf garland, and then because my pumpkins kept disappearing to the bottom, I grabbed some heavy brown paper grocery bags and wadded them up underneath...sheesh.

at least now my pumpkins aren't doing a disappearing act.

I've had these two inspiration images in my files forever.

I'm sorry, I don't have the original sources, 

but love their natural look in the old chippy window boxes.

and this great version from October Southern Living Magazine

Here's mine, no watering involved.

My little cement boy cherub (that I found at the flea for $15) has joined in on the Fall Festivities. I've seen reproductions of him lately, but this little man in the real deal. and super heavy... heavy like...do I really want him on the table, kinda heavy.

I'm working on the sitting area and Holiday Cupboard in the lower level today, so I'll be sharing that soon. My curiosity cabinet has been fun putting together this year. Ahhhhh... it's been wonderful here these last two days. sunny and in the 70's.

Fall's a comin'!

(just a little Missouri-speak for ya')

I'll be sharing at these parties this week:

Thrifty Finds at Southern Hospitality

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Make it Pretty Monday at the Dedicated House
Cowgirl Up at The CedarHill Ranch
Knick of Time Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
The Style Sisters
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Treasure Hunt Thursday
Rooted in Thyme
The Charm of Home
Stuff and Nonsense
At the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
2805
Jennifer Rizzo
Stone Gable
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Shabby Creek Cottage

 and Debbiedoo's

xoxo,
last night I had my first Starbucks Pumpkin Latte 
of the season,
yum!