Lovely Lemony Daisy Arrangement on the Sideboard

Hi Friends. A few weeks ago I wanted to update and give a summer refresh to the sideboard here in the Hearth Room. I'd had a tabletop wooden wheelbarrow filled with my Garden Pot/Seed Packet Wreath and some vintage garden-y things, but it was a little too spring-y for mid-June. It was time for some early summer flowers to make an appearance.

Seed Packet Garden Wreath on the Sideboard

Back in 2013 after seeing a few versions of flower pot garden wreaths, I put together my own take using a grapevine wreath as the base with small whitewashed flower pots and French seed labels attached to paper tags. Since I'm such a fan of vintage garden goods and ephemera, I've loved using this each year during the Spring and Summer seasons. I just needed to figure out a place to put it here at this house.

The After-Easter French Country Mantel

Hi Friends, I hope you had a wonderful Easter. 

Were you able to be with family and friends?

We were on our own still, 

but we did have a lovely day.

There's a Bunny in That Basket!

Hi Friends, I thought I'd share a few last minute Easter snaps with you all.

In my decor book, the only thing better than "a bunny", 

is a bunny in a basket...

or on a tray, or drawer, or in a crate.

You know, some kind of cute vintage container

to keep it corralled and surrounded by flowers, eggs, moss, or veggies.

(It's a little hard to make out, but that's a brass rabbit mold on the shelf)

Not Quite Spring in the Hearth Room

Most times, I go from Valentine's Day directly into Early Spring decorating. But this year we've all had a strong blast of winter that just sidelined me (you guys too) With temps below 0 for about a week in a row and several good rounds of snow I just wasn't up to getting out the spring-y stuff. As I said, I'm sure next week when it hits 50 I'll be more in the mood, but for now it's still "February" and the tail end of winter.

Not Quite Spring Mantel and Hearth Room

I want to be transitioning to "all things Spring", but I'm finding it difficult when the temp outside is 5 degrees and there's 8 inches of snow. It's too cold to go into the garage and search thru the spring flower tubs, so I'm making do and sharing what I'm living with this last couple of weeks in February. 

Little Houses on the Sideboard and Cookbook Cupboard

So, now it's Christmas week and I still have a few spots around the house to share. I've decided I'm going to have to start a few Christmas posts before Thanksgiving, because the Christmas season is just not long enough! I'll just blame it on more fun spots to decorate.

Woodsy Christmas Mantel in the Hearth Room

I love a cozy, vintage, "woodsy" look in decor, and Christmas seems as good a time as any to make that happen. I'm a person who loves to snuggle up by the fire with a hot cup of something and relax. Lots of blankets and pillows, cushy furniture; basically a place where you feel comfortable putting your feet up and watching a movie or reading a book... not to mention finding a cat crawl up in your lap to enjoy it all with you.

Thanksgiving to Christmas in the Hearth Room

Seems like the last 10 years or so, I've been putting up the Christmas trees a few weeks before Thanksgiving to get a little jump on decorating for Christmas; at least since I've been blogging. Once they're up then it's much easier for me to get some inspiration on how I want to decorate, whether that's colors, or theme, or to try something new. By blogging standards, I'm late to the game, but behind the scenes I've secretly been thinking "Christmas!". 

Cozy Early Fall Hearth Room

Last week I shared my Late Summer mantel here in the Hearth Room.

So now that the calendar says September,

 I'm ready to bring out the cozy factor for Fall!

Transitional Late Summer Mantel

Time to bring out the wreath for this small sliver of time known as Late Summer. Nature doesn't just wake up one morning and say, "OK everyone, it's Fall!" Trees, weather, the light, and all the growing things are reaching that extended moment where they begin to wane. Summer is winding down. All you have to do is look at my yard, scattered with green walnuts and yellow leaves to know it's that time of year. (I was going to take a pic, but it's so dry and looks too sad)

August in the Cookbook Cupboard

I don't change up the "cookbook nook" cupboard as much as some of my other spots, but I do like to keep it seasonal. Lately I've been sharing some of my vintage chick-a-doodles that are meandering around the house. Last year they liked this spot, so I thought I'd bring a few back and share it's late-summer look.

Easy July 4th Decorating

Spring Thing in the Hearth Room

Hello everyone, hope you're well and keeping your sanity. (I'll get back to you all on that one...)

I took a lot of pics several weeks ago when I was decorating for Spring and Easter. The Hearth Room didn't get Easter decor; no bunnies or things, but more of a Spring theme. Actually it hasn't changed too much since early March. Lambs and sheep are a favorite of mine, so the little bench in front of the sofa has one of my sheep and a twiggy basket of Paperwhites.

Early March Mantel

I have a confession... 

I struggle with mantels. 

Do I use more, or less?

Decorating the Sideboard for Christmas

This week I've been sharing Christmas in the Hearth Room, so next I wanted to show you the rest of the room and the antique sideboard. I've always loved the little curved shelf above the mirror, but this is my first time actually decorating it for the Christmas Holiday. A few little British crocks, some white reindeer, and bottle brush trees keep it light, bright and lots of fun.

Christmas Mantel in the Hearth Room

It's my first Christmas here at our new-to-us cottage, and I finally have the fireplace and mantel I have hoped for. I had a few criteria that were on my wish list in a new home: an actual hearth room that had either a wood burning fireplace or a gas fireplace that didn't make me nauseous from gas fumes, a lower mantel that I could actually reach to decorate, and that it would be white. Is that too much to ask for? I didn't think so.

Christmas in the Cookbook Nook

Say Hello to my newest Christmas friend, courtesy of my sister as an early Christmas present. He's so adorable and woodsy I just needed to show him off. I'd been looking for a reindeer for awhile, thinking twiggy or mossy, but this guy is perfect. His grassy covering looks like real reindeer fur. He's a cutie.

Woodland Creatures and the Late October Hearth Room

As October heads into it's last weeks, I'm tweaking a few things around the house. I'm bringing in a few darker colors now that the heat wave is over, and some heavier textures. Two old friends are joining me on the mantel to add a little woodsy charm in the Hearth Room.

Fall Sideboard and a few "Technical" Difficulties

This is one of those posts when I feel like starting out with a big "So..." which is always a telltale sign of frustration. This has been a few weeks of computer/blogging frustrations for me. We all use different computers and different software etc. I happen to like a desktop computer that has a big capability to house tons of photos and programs etc. But my tech skills are not particularly whippy. I freely admit it. I depend on my husband for his technical and computer expertise, so it's a PC not a Mac which I would be on my own with.