BRINGING IN BRANCHES

Every Spring I write about the Tulip Magnolia in my back yard.  It fills the windows in the sunroom with pink blossoms. This Spring  I decided to clip some of the branches with blooms and bring them inside.  

BLOOMS THROUGH THE WINDOW

The blooms fill both windows.

OUTSIDE THE WINDOWS

TULIP MAGNOLIA BLOOMS

I placed them into a large bowl on the ottoman in the sun room.

BLOOMS IN MY POTTERY BOWL IN MY SUN ROOM

I changed out the pillows with images of garden benches. You can see the tulip magnolia through the window panes.

SPRING PILLOWS AND A VIEW OF THE TULIP MAGNOLIA

The bowl is resting on one of my vintage bread boards.

BOWL ON VINTAGE BREADBOARD

TULIP MAGNOLIA BLOOMS

I like using the pottery bowl instead of a vase.

POTTERY BOWL INSTEAD OF A VASE

I layered a hide throw over the ottoman and rested the bowl on a bread board.  Don't miss the repair on the bread board.

LAYERED HIDE RUG AND BREAD BOARD WITH A REPAIR

There's another repair on the bread board handle.

ANOTHER BREAD BOARD REPAIR

HIDE RUG

I had a few extra branches, so I wove them through the lattice on the front porch bench.   It was just what the bench needed--a touch of Spring. They look just like a climbing vine.

TULIP MAGNOLIA WEAVING THROUGH THE LATTICE

TULIP MAGNOLIA ON THE BENCH SEAT

Do you use branches as bouquets?
Would you use a bowl instead of a vase for flowers?

Fall Tablescape

I so liked the animal hide on my x bench that I decided that I'd  take the hide rug from the sun room and drape it over my dining room table.

Rug in Sun Room ready to find a new home.

 

Rug draped in its new location.

 I have this Clarence House remnant in Fall colors that I always drag out when the weather turns cooler.  Usually I drape it over a mantel, but this year I layered it over the rug.

This close up shows the fabulous fabric with an assortment of birds surrounded by paisley.  On top of the layering I placed one of my sunburst mirrors, a candle pedestal from Pottery Barn with a bird in a nest, all enclosed in a cloche and draped with burlap.  (Yes I decided that I would keep this arrangement rather than sell it.) The acorns are molded cement.  I had them outside last year.  I love how they weathered.

View from the Dining Room.

I'd love to see what you've done for Fall.  Please share.

Kathy

To see my Fall mantel go here, 

and for more Fall ideas go here.

More Stripes on Walls Part 2

 I continued the stripes from the upstairs hallway into the foyer and on the landing.
 Here's another image of the landing.  In the previous post you couldn't see  the copper-colored demi-john.  I have several of these over-sized bottles but no others with that color.  It's marked France on the bottom.  Next to the bottle is a shabby bamboo footstool with its horsehair stuffing escaping.  Love it!
I added a gilt candle sconce in place of the mirrored Victorian box.

Of course, after packing up the Christmas decor, 

there was no way I was going decorate the same way.  In fact, I'm really tired of the mahogany Empire library table.  Until I can find something I like better, I slip covered it with a canvas painters' dropcloth and added a runner on top to add some interest.. The only thing that stays is the wall sconce.  I haven't gotten tired of it yet and it works in the space and with the stripes.

Here's  what it looked like before Christmas.

Here's the Christmas decor.

The new look in the foyer.

The wall sconce stayed, the chair didn't.  I swapped it for a leopard-covered one previously in the living room.  I added an oil painting within a stripe.  I broke my straddle the stripe rule,
but its shape and size makes it work.
The hide rug has moved to the foyer, but I'll have to really keep an eye on the dog.  She doesn't seem too interested in chewing it yet.  We'll see.

The items on the table were moved from other rooms and re-assembled on the table.
  I move things around frequently. 

Some close-ups of the vignettes.

The weathered leather book is signed and dated 1835.   I topped it with a vintage brass magnifying glass.   I bought all the artists brushes at an antiques store.  I turned a cloche up side down, dropped in the brushes, then held a mirrored pedestal dresser tray over the bottom and flipped it over.   I  am always looking for these mirrored trays and then try to pair them up size wise with cloches.  Some of the brushes seem to be for faux finishing.  Does anyone know the use of the long-handled brush in front of the cloche?

I buy clock faces whenever I see them.  They really work well as backdrops on bookcases.  This one was especially nice and worthy of standing alone on a gilt easel.

More leather books stacked and topped with an architectural fragment.

I'm really liking this new look.  How long do you think it will stay?


Kathy

Hide Rug Yea or Nay?

I've been wanting to buy a hide rug for a while, but my animal-loving inner voice kept saying,

"Don't do it."
But in a weak moment. . . . . I bought one.

Originally, I wanted to layer it over our family room rug, but we added a four-legged

family member who made me change that.

We recently adopted a yellow lab, Bella, and we love her.  But, she likes to chew.

Her most recent munch was on our newly slip-covered chairs in the family room.

Here's her picture.  Isn't she cute?

 I went from place to place trying to get the right spot , until I realized that the best location  was our sun room because it's off-limits to dogs.

I layered it over my sisal rug. It looks perfect!

What do you think about hide rugs?

Kathy