Blogger's Seasonal Harvest Tour

Hi Everyone, and Welcome to the 

2016 Bloggers Seasonal Harvest Home Tour

this week, presented by Cozy Little House

The Decoratin' O' the Green!

I don't go all out to decorate for St. Patrick's Day, but I do like to tip my hat to the Irish Holiday. I'm sure I have a little Irish blood in me from someplace and I have a daughter named Erin, so St. Patty's always gets a little attention from me around the house...

It'll be a Plaid Plaid Christmas...

(Wasn't that an old Elvis song?)

I'm mixing it up a little this year.

I have a lot of "stuff", and there's no way to use it all,

so I decided to try some new ideas

for Christmas this year.

LED Woodsy Tree and Transitioning from Fall to Christmas

So yesterday, the first thing I saw on my bloglist was a sponsored group of bloggers with Christmas Trees. Please don't get me wrong, I understand all about advertising and sponsored posts, and being out front for the seasonal rush for products, sharing ideas and offers. And it's nothing personal, these are a great group of bloggers.  But golly, I'm not ready to have anything Christmas shoved at me just yet. I like to eeeaaaase in to Christmas. I don't like to go "Cold Turkey" and leave out Thanksgiving.

Blue Willow Transferware Tureen

So, let me ask you a question...

Do you do "Blue and White"?

Do you have an obsession with 

Blue and White Urns, Ginger Jars, Tureens, Transferware,

and all things Blue?

Me?...not so much.

Snippets from the China Cabinet

I hope you're having a wonderful Fall Day.

The treetops are changing to various hues of red, orange, and yellows.

It's warm, but you can feel the Fall changes.

I've been adding Autumn to my Kitchen China Cabinet...

The mismatched plates, cups, saucers, and tureens each become a work of art

...when Bittersweet and Leaves nestle around them.

Both the bovine and the birds...

are celebrating the wild garden within the walls of glass.

xoxo,

First Fall Tablescape

I'm not even going to try and name this "Early Fall Tablescape", because I'm sure I'll change this up in a few weeks for something a little more "Fallish" with some colorful leaves and berries. So let me be honest here and just call it, "First" Fall Tablescape. te he. I've already turned my calendar page over to September. I did mark a "31" on today's date, but I am ready to move into one of my favorite months and seasons. yep, more than ready. Last week I painted a French-y metal basket for the Dining Room table, and put together an arrangement that whispered the first nuances of Autumn. Here are some pics of the rest of the table.

Valentine Birdies, a Photo Bomb, and a Winner

For me, Valentines Day signals the end of winter and the start of all things Spring in my decorating. Even though the weather sometimes doesn't agree, I put away all my evergreens and snowy winter-y things and concentrate on bringing in a few flowering faux branches, some lighter colors, and start thinking garden and seeds.

Adding some Valentine's Day fun and a Give Away

One of the easiest and fastest ways to decorate for any Season or Holiday is with throw pillows. Their seasonal colors and design bring instant "decor" into a room. See the little pillow below? I fell in love immediately. Those little love birds kissing, aaahhh...they're just the perfect Valentine's Day fun.

Christmas Decor ADD...

I think most of us spent at least some time this last weekend decorating for Christmas. (Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!) Some of you hard working and industrious types have it completed so you can sit by the fire with your hot cocoa and survey the loveliness of the Season. Others of us are still in the midst of the chaos of boxes, tubs and indecision...

I'm having a hard time finding the line between "decorated" and "too much" here at the new house. The last thing I want is to clutter it all up with hodge podge themes and colors. Right now I need some neutral "natural" decorations, that are relaxing. I have red in the kitchen, but here in the living and dining areas I'm trying to keep it a little subdued.

I've just added some vintage ornaments 

and a little ribbon and greenery to my "everyday" decor items.

I'm still tweaking, adding and subtracting...

so I'll share more of the Living Room when I get the mantel "settled".

But here is a peek of the new garland I found last week. I loved the gold and black vintage font on the white background. A little silver tinsel wrapped around the individual cards gives it a festive touch.

I've realized there are a lot of my regular decor pieces that still haven't been unpacked. Pillows, cloches, urns...what boxes are you hiding in? I get started in one place, then I go back to another. I'll probably take a break from upstairs and see what kind of damage I can do in the basement. I think it's time to vacuum up the mess and call it a day.

It's cold and dreary today. We had a little snowy-frosty stuff early this morning. My boxes and Christmas stash are all in the garage, so I'm trying to rummage through boxes intermittently. Brrrrrr...  I think I must have taken 150 pics today, but my tripod is MIA from the move and the light is not cooperating for good photos. How about you...are you finished with the decorating fun, or just getting started? I'm ready for the cocoa, finished or not.

I'll be joining in with these parties:

The Scoop at Stone Gable

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life

Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's

xoxo,

When you just have to decorate something...

This Friday is the big move, but we had furniture delivered from the storage units last week, and it was good to see a few of my things that had been packed away. I've been taking bits and pieces over to the new house, like baskets and pillows and some odd things that could fit in the back of my car. But a few days ago my deep inner need for some sort of a vignette took over, and I grabbed what few things that were within arm's reach and put together something (even if temporary) in the living room. I know I can do better, but bear with me...I'm ready to decorate this dang house!

This sofa table won't stay against this wall, but it was a flat surface (that wasn't being painted), so it was fair game. The lanterns made it, but no candles to be found. The basket and corbels from the baker's rack, one of my Autumn Trays, some bittersweet, pumpkins, and a wonderful soup tureen from a garage sale for a dollar. really. yes, a dollar. (and it's not even busted!)

You can see that the rug is rolled up while I'm working on the coffee and end tables. They're turning out great, but taking more time than I'd figured. It took me quite a while to mix the exact color, but I'll have pics soon. 

I'm not sure why the walls look blue, but trust me, there's is no blue in them. Just a great neutral taupe. (Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe). I never knew there were so many grays, taupes, and whatevers. My advice if you're thinking of painting your walls...get sample pots of paint, lot's of samples, You won't know what color it really is until it's up on your wall.

Speaking of pillows, my two little squirrels made it to the new kitchen. 

The perfect time of year for them.

And my hat boxes and old hats are up on the hutch 

above my computer in my new office.

Here are a few pics from the Dining Room; it's snug in there. I've realized my chair slips are in "no man's land" somewhere in the depths of the last storage unit that was filled. I hope to have them located and in my possession before Christmas... hopefully that will be this Christmas.

My Staffordshire bowl with velvet pumpkins that I hand carried over. I think my table runners are all with my chair slips, so ditto for having some decor tablescapes on the big brown DR table.

The clock looks a little "white" and by itself, but with the chair slips and prints up, I think it will balance out.

And here's a sneak peek of my new antique mirror I found a few weeks ago in a great little shop in Ozark, Missouri. It will go above the buffet that you see here. It's my gold scroll-y French-y mirror that I had been looking for.

 

I'll be without email and the computer for a couple of days, while we get things transferred to the new house. Have a fun Halloween and weekend. I'll check back when the dust has settled!

xoxo,

Whoops...we bought a house!

I know that the "whoops" part sounds silly,

 but that's exactly how I feel.

Last weekend we cleared the rest of the stuff out of the garage of the old house, and even though we haven't closed yet, I felt like we turned a page...started a new chapter...like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. I've been waiting to start looking at houses, because we just didn't feel like it was the right time. The last thing I wanted to do was find a house and our other one not be sold. We've been busy and I've not felt 100% (shoot, I didn't even feel 50%) And we were "unsettled" in our hearts and minds about what we should do.

I started looking on the internet this week, and had a huge bucket of ice water thrown on me concerning house prices. We haven't looked at houses for 12 years and let's just say we had a rude awakening as to what's out there and the price you have to pay for it. yowsers. Our area has always been affordable, but this summer, houses are selling like proverbial hotcakes, and not having looked for over a decade, I was a little out of touch with the local housing market.

(I have no idea what that is on the mantle...?)

Matter of fact, it was down right depressing, of all the houses out there that needed tons of work in our price range. We could get a lot of space that came with lots of updates, or less space and newer with fewer updates, but then we have the issue of what we had left in our storage units...multiple storage units...as in many. We sold and gave away literally tons of stuff. But when we boil it all down, we just need to have a certain amount of space we feel comfortable in, and without it we both get whiny. He has his stuff, I have my stuff, and we don't like to trip over each other.

(This is the Dining Room and the stairway to the basement)

We spent an afternoon with our realtor making the rounds in the area we want to be in, (close to hubby's office) and were seeing house after house that just wasn't right. On a whim, we decided to go inside this one that we had seen as a drive by the night before. Hubby had grabbed a house info sheet and said he probably wasn't interested. The "distressed" shutters and front door effect just wasn't working for it. But the next day when we went inside we were more than pleasantly surprised.

The cabinets are pickled, but in need of a little more "pickle", so that's on my list of things to do. That's black granite on the countertops, which is really pretty, and a brand new stainless French Door fridge. So far I'm wondering where my white cabinets are and my dark hardwood floors I've been pinning on my Pinterest Boards... That glowy thing in the back is the microwave with a serious reflection from the windows. It has 11 ft. ceilings that make me feel like a munchkin, and a finished walkout basement. It really is a wonderful house.

OK, I have to tell you, light woods are not my first pick, but I wanted newer and white woodwork, and the funny thing was that when we walked in the front door my husband evidently heard angels singing and saw the clouds part. He was for sure that this was it. what...? He just doesn't get excited over houses...never...ever. I was ready to pace ourselves, keep looking, and stay current with new listings. But not Hubbs, he was fired up and ready to start negotiating. So negotiate he did and by the end of the day yesterday we signed up for another mortgage and the whole nine yards. go figure. 

We won't close until the end of next month, but I have to say I'm relieved that this house looking process was about as painless as it could be. We have a few repairs to do, some yard clean up, and painting the shutters and front door. I may need some ideas from you all on that.

God has blessed us for sure...

I took tons of photos today, but we were in a hurry and I didn't bring my tripod so they weren't the best. These are just a peek, so you can get a little idea of what it's like. I'm making steady progress with the new medication and have another appointment in a couple of weeks. So maybe by next month I'll be doing even better. I'm more than ready to be "settled". I'm super excited and my head is swimming with ideas. 

Gotta tell you, I'm looking forward to having some pumpkins on those steps, people. Hurry up Fall, 

linking up with:

Sundays at Home with Thoughts from Alice

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Wow Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,