French Country Styling on the Baker's Rack

As we head towards August the color scheme sees some subtle changes around here. I like to bring in the deeper colors of golds and greens; more neutral tones. Sort of "harvest-y" colors. In the Spring and Summer the kitchen sitting area is all about bright fresh color and a garden feel; now I'm ready for something different.

A Mixed-Up Christmas Brunch

Last year I put together a fun little Christmas Brunch Tablescape here in the kitchen. Of course, it featured Plaid and my Red Transferware, but this year I thought I'd mix it up a bit. I have a few place settings of Green Transferware that I usually keep in the cupboard that only come out in Spring or at Easter.

Styling My Buffet for Fall

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I've been trying to spread out my Fall decorating over the last few weeks. It's given me a chance to try out a few different ideas, and also taken the pressure off to get it all done in a couple of days. I used to make myself and my husband crazy by going into a marathon decor frenzy. Now I'm taking my time and looking for inspiration from Pinterest and Fall Magazines from my many year stash.

An Ironstone Pitcher for an Endless Summer Bouquet

I've been watching my Hydrangea bushes in the back yard, waiting for the right time to snip the blooms and bring them inside for drying. Several websites and bloggers say to wait until the blooms have gone to a deeper color and that their petal texture has become delicate and paperlike. Whoops... I almost waited too long.

Christmas Brunch in Tartan Plaid

A week or so ago, I had a little trial run to set a Christmas Breakfast or Brunch with my Red Transfer ware. I had been looking for Red Tartan Plaid placemats, and found these on Ebay. They were half the retail price from last year, and were brand new in the original packaging from Penneys, so I was glad to find these. I bought two sets, since when I need them, I'm usually setting a table for six.

Thanksgiving Tablescapes with Transferware

There are photos of hundreds of lovely Thanksgiving Tablescapes, but today I wanted to share with you Fall and Harvest Tablescapes using Transferware. Brown is my favorite by far, I guess because it's so easily used with a Fall theme. If you have bits and pieces of it you're set, just stack them together; a mix is wonderful, or even used with white china or pottery. The key is keeping the color palette the same. Anything goes...

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Kitchen China Cupboard for Fall

Earlier this Fall I found bags of these adorable glittered acorns

 at (I think) Hobby Lobby.

I knew I'd use them somewhere for a bowl filler or accent. 

They ended up here in the Kitchen China Cabinet. 

It would have been fun to make them myself, but since they were half price,

I did the lazy crafter's thing, and saved myself a lot of mess.

My kitties girls love them a roll in glitter, 

which in turn gets everywhere.

Glitter Kitties and more to clean up.

Summertime Seashell Vignette

Since it's still Summer, I wanted to try to use my antique Blue Willow Transferware Tureen here on the Entry Hall Console. I've had it out with some other "blues" for my Patriotic decor so, I hunted down some of my shells to replace the summertime potpourri.

Easy Festive Votives with Plaid and Boxwood

Hi Everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

 Getting the Christmas decorating in hand, shopping,

making plans for this busy time of year...

 and enjoying your loved one's companionship.

An October Entry

My house tends to look a bit overdone if I'm not careful;

especially this time of year.

OK...most of the time it's a little too cluttered.

Blame it on blogging and enjoying sharing it all with you.

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,

Before they're gone...

We've had a few storms and windy days lately, so I thought I'd better get some photos of my blooming branches before all the blooms were blown away. I had planned on doing this early yesterday before a heavy down pour that I knew was headed our way...but something else came up.

Styling a DIY Seedbox for St. Patty's Day

All it takes is a few sunny days where the temps are 50 and above and you'll find me puttering around with seed boxes, seed packets, and some old gardening tools. This week will be the "official" start of Spring so I'm having fun bringing a little green for St. Patrick's Day onto the Baker's Rack in the kitchen sitting area.

The Spring Forecast is Green

One of the things I loved most about having a shop space or antique mall booth was the styling and designing. I always had plans for each new Holiday and Season rearranging furniture and displays. That part was something I truly enjoyed, and I've really missed those days that I could bring in some new items and then just "play". Taking a color scheme and expanding on it with prints, dishes, linens, and accessories was and still is, one of the best ways for me to get my creativity and inspiration flowing.

Christmas Milk Carrier Centerpiece

I had a lot of fun decorating the kitchen and adjoining sitting and kitchen dining area this year. I still have Christmas decor I haven't located, so I tried to make use of the things that I could find. I brought out one of my old milk carriers to hold a Christmas Kitchen table centerpiece. I'm a sucker for any kind of carrier, tote, basket, especially when they're filled with seasonal kitchen goodies. So I grabbed some red transferware, a red Holly tea towel, a candle, a tiny ironstone pitcher with boxwood, and a faux paperwhite... instant centerpiece!

I needed to get the "feel" of what Christmas could be like in here. Having just moved a little over two months ago, I'm still trying to decide how to decorate this space. I added one of my kitchen valences to the window for a little color, and so RED and some PLAID seemed the way to go. I still don't have prints up or any wall decor. I have a ton of boxes labeld "prints" and "mirrors", so I need to wait to get them all unpacked before I start hanging things up. I don't think I've lived with bare walls this long, ever.

My Toile pillow, some Tartan wool throws, French ticking pillows, and a PB pillow dress up the white wicker and add to the Christmas color.

My Sheep Head and my French Country frame are on The Chippy Old Door in the corner. I wanted to add some color in, so I choose a French Country fruit wallpaper design to use as a backing. It adds just the right amount of Christmas reds and greens. Click HERE to see what I did last Spring and HERE, this Summer with these two.

My chandy with the vintage Shiney Brites, garland, 

and a birdnest. I did this specifically to drive the kitties crazy...

Let's just say the bird's nest was found on the floor a few days ago.

hmmmm....

just sayin'...

I'm so glad my "Sunporch" baker's rack and wicker set are in a warm spot at this house. The sunporch at the old house was just too cold this time of year to enjoy, other than looking at it...brrrrrr....

Even the vintage pitchfork got a little "Christmas"!

Extra ornaments found a basket for display...

If you missed the China Cabinet fun, Click Here

I added a Christmas Home Tour of this year and the Christmas Home Tour from 2013 links to the "Pages" section under my new Christmas Header. See what was going on last year if you have a minute. Those pics are a sweet memory, but I'm glad to be here, at our new home. Just wish I could find my spatterware coffeepot and Santa Mug!

Have a great weekend,

Hubbs and I have a grocery shopping marathon to attend.

joining in with these party places:

Shabby Art Boutique

French Country Cottage

Common Ground for Come as You Are Linky

xoxo,

Christmas China Cabinet and a Winner!

When you go through a move you just have to expect that things will change. Room sizes, function, and wanting a different look all cause the upset of the proverbial apple cart...even down to kitchen cabinets, dishes, and how you display things. While we were at the lease house, I used my vintage pie safe in the kitchen to display some seasonal and holiday items along with a frequently changing array of transferware and ironstone. But I decided to use the pie safe downstairs for a kitchen grouping, and bring back my Antique White China Cabinet that matches the table and chairs.

The China Cabinet and table and chairs had been in storage this last year, so I was really glad to see them all again!

In the past I'd had my French Faience in this cabinet with my blue crystal and odds and ends of floral teapots, cups and saucers, and some Depression Glass. But when we moved and the "Holiday Cupboard" was sold (boo hoo) I needed a place to decorate seasonally with dishes and to enjoy my different sets of Transferware.

I put out my Brown Transferware when we first moved in this Fall. I kept thinking I'd change it out for the Red but time got away from me. So there are only a few red pieces on display. But I added some Christmas fun with vintage bottle brush trees and a few of my Putz Houses. My cows and creamers, and then lot's of vintage ornaments are making it a little more Christmas-y.

Doesn't everyone need a few "Christmas Cows"?

These two vintage egg cups are perfect bottle brush tree holders.

I mainly have bits and pieces, not full sets of my Transferware, but since I mix and match, it all gets stacked together.

More Christmas details from around the house, coming soon.

 If you missed my Christmas Home Tour, 

you can check it out here.

Time to announce the winner of the 

$100 Gift Certificate from Treetopia...

Congrats to Julie Marie from Idyllhours, 

She was one who guessed correctly,

 It was the Moonlight White Tree.

thanks to everyone who entered!!

Joining in at these party places:

Cedar Hill Farmhouse for The Scoop

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday

Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday

Coastal Charm for Show and Share

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Hope you're having a great week,

xoxo,