Garden Tray for the Coffee Table...

I've been wanting to do something a little different on the coffee table for awhile. Just for a little change; something subtle and a little organic. Two years ago I painted all my furniture in the Living Room an antique white which I love, but I wanted to continue to tone down the "ornate" factor a little. I've had an antique silver tray here for awhile, but since Spring makes my thoughts go all "garden-y", I decided a tray or basket or something along those lines might be what I was looking for.

but where to find it...?

...My latest trip to Robin's Vintage Suitcase to snap some Easter goodie shots for the upcoming Spring Open House. When I photograph a store or antique space often I don't "see" it all until I'm home downloading the pics. That's what happened with this. It was right in front of me, I just didn't see it!

Last year I added this wonderful heavy linen-y burlap piece to the table top to keep things from scratching the paint finish. So... I moved my urn inside the tray and then my majolica bunny and book stack felt right at home. The tray is big, so everything else needs to be corralled inside it.

I moved an English Ivy in from the sunporch and gave it a haircut for the urn. Whatever is in here needs to be low profile, but "real". Ivy and I get along pretty well. If it has enough light it's hard for me to kill it.

Oh something else...

I brought up the RH linen pillows from downstairs,

and I like them much better here on the slipcovered chairs.

Less distraction than with the darker pillows.

It's always a work in progress...

OK, so here are some pics from The Vintage Suitcase. If you're local you'll want to put the Open House on your calendar. Robin will have a drawing for a gift certificate that you'll want to be sure and enter.

here's the tray...

Remember, you can click on the pics to enlarge them, and then click again for detail.

just gorgeous!

Open House will be April 19-21 

Friday 5-8

Saturday 10-5

Sunday 10-4

Also, the Vintage Veranda Tea Room

will be hosting an Easter Sunday Brunch.

Check Facebook for details.

(The food is fabulous, take it from me!)

I'm joining in on these weekly parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Hunt From My Front Porch to Yours
TTT at Stone Gable
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home
Simple and Sweet Friday at Rooted in Thyme
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
Craftberry Bush
Jennifer Rizzo

The snow is melting and the sun is out...

Oh Happy Day,

A good hare day on the sunporch...

I don't want to talk about what's outside at the moment, except to say there's nothing Spring-y about it. These last few days have been gray and snowy and altogether yucky. I bought some tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths last week that I was wanting to get planted, but forget it...they will have to wait until the snow goes away. So I'm choosing to boost my Springtime thoughts with what's going on out here on the sunporch.

 Yep, it's definitely Spring on the Sunporch!

Decorating out here always starts with different seasonal quilts.

Changing them out gets me in the mood for whatever the season may be.

 Then layering on the pillows, and bringing out the fun vintage goodies...

I'm not really a "blue" person, 

but this wonderful floral quilt has me almost there.

It was from my mother-in-law's stash

 that I think was from her mom back in the 40's.

I have the tail end of the paperwhites in that little USA yellow planter

and I've been browsing through my vintage Better Homes and Garden binder.

I can always count on it looking warm and Spring-like out here,

even if the outside temps don't agree.

This is another favorite quilt of mine in the Tumbling Block pattern.

My white paper mache buns is sitting 

on the little green chair from when I was a baby.

We won't talk about how old that rickety little chair actually is...

Vintage pink rabbit planter, birdie tin, and seed packets...

Hey, an old chalkware chicken is even roosting out here.

One more chance for snow this evening,

and then I hope we're done!

Just a housekeeping note...

I've just added the Bloglovin' follow option to my sidebar. If you haven't tried it yet, let me say it's my new favorite. It's so super easy and you can import all your favorite blogs that you follow from Google Reader at one click, not individually. I've actually been using it this week, and it's better than the old method. So if you're a follower, I'd love you to click and follow me there. You can get set up in half a minute! 

 joining in for these parties this week:

The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday

TTT at A Stroll Thru Life

Between Naps on the Porch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend,

Easter in the Holiday Cupboard

You all will be thrilled to know that this year I have recovered the lost stash of Easter Goodies. Last year I was bemoaning the fact that I had a bunch of my vintage Easter things that were lost somewhere in the Twilight Zone. You know, that place that various and sundry items go to that is unbeknownst to your conscious mind. Yep, that happens to me every once in awhile, and when it does it triggers all kinds of thoughts about the state of mental health concerning moi.

(not too old cauliflower teapot) 

I prefer to regard it as just a busy person

 with a lot of "stuff" and not enough organizational skills.

(mini wheelbarrow with turnips)

Anyhoo, a couple of my old chalkware bunnies have found their way out of that parallel universe and back into the Holiday Cupboard.

I love old seed catalogs and Garden books

and just received a new purchase that I'll show you soon.

See the green garden box here on the bottom shelf?

Next week I'm going to share an idea I have for making them...

It won't be rocket science, but it will be be fun...

and on the cheap.


I'm joining these parties this week:


Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Rooted in Thyme
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
From My Front Porch to Yours
Coastal Charm

xoxo,

Tell me it's almost Spring...

It may be snowing outside, but it's 

Spring on the Mantel.

I'm a little tired of the gray skies and frigid weather, and

I needed a lighter Springy-er feel here in the Living Room,

so "some-bunnies" came out to play.

I kept my half-urn vases, 

but changed out the darker florals for a mass of Spring Tulips.

My Little Velveteen Rabbit;

He may be getting ready for a nibble...

 I love this little "smile".

Center stage is a framed Die-Cut Calendar base from the early twenties. 

Love the cottage feel of Spring.

This little German Glass Glitter Bunny

has started to change around his muzzle.

...a few old clay flower pots and nests 

for the bunnies to romp around,

makes it feel like we'll be playing in the garden, soon.

Once the daffodils and tulips poke their little green shoots up,

I'm ready to start thinking

Spring!

How about you?

and if you're interested, here is last year's Spring Mantel .

I'll be joining in for these parties:

Table top Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life

Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

TTT at Stone Gable

Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home

From My Front Porch to Yours

French Country Cottage

Craftberry Bush

Shabby Art Boutique

Rooted in Thyme

Power of Pinterest

If you're needing a good dose of Spring,

then hop on over and visit Becky and her sweet Easter goodies

at Timewashed.

xoxo,