Adopted southerness

Changing the windows to reflect the season has always been a daunting task for me.  You can check—I almost always open my posts about my windows with a similar comment.  You will note, however, that most of my blog posts about my windows will be about fall or Christmas displays.  You will also note, that with this particular season, my frequency of blog posts will increase.  Why is that?   Well, if you will pardon me as I allow a little bit of my adopted southerness to show . . .

I love me some fall, y’all.

 

 

So, here we go . . .

The tradition in this window is to display and indoor and outdoor scene.  I hung the vintage window screens right next to my windows to give the impression you are looking through the windows to the outside.  Patty thinks it’s time for a change and that I should take them down; I know she is right—the screens have been there for years now—but I’m just not ready.

 

I picked-up that pasture gate early this past summer and it’s been part of a display in the shop, but when I was planning the windows, I decided it would be the best focal feature to make you think “outside” when you’re peeking in.  

The swing is a new addition to the shop.  It is available in three sizes and well as a single-seater circle swing.

Then there is our little campfire scene—the warm glow of the fire and the ingredients for s’mores are at the ready!  The growler of beer from The Blackhorse Pub and Brewery will be enjoyed, as well.

The we shifted our attention to the inside scene of the same window.  This was a quick change of a few items.  Having removed the dining room display we had for the summer months, I added a side table and vintage, cane-back rocker.  A few of our signature Haunted Memories changing photos, fake cobwebbing and we’re good.

Look closely for the before and after of Aunt Maggie below.

Now we’re transitioning to the other window where we have a bed and a few other vignettes surrounding it.

 

The French café scene came to me when I decided to move the hand painted Café de Flore door into the front corner—not an easy feat for this old lady, but I managed it, then kept the scene simple with a dress form and a market basket.  the table in the display is an authentic English pub table (yes—I realize I’m mixing my countries of influence), that extends to seat 6.

We’ve dressed the bed in a red matelesse –style quilt; added a mix of pillows and a vintage camp-style blanket for the fall bedroom scene I wanted to achieve.  The floral displays in our gorgeous pottery urns would transition very nicely to compliment your winter décor, as well.  You also see the lovely limited edition print from the talented Judy Lewis of my favorite building in Clarksville; already framed and ready to hang in your house.

 

Well, that about wraps-up the tour of our windows.  There are a few other details I haven’t touched on, but I need to give you something to see when you get here.

Thanks for your indulgence.

Pom Pom

A few months ago I quietly introduced the Pom Pom line of linens to Hodgepodge. 

The Belgian owners of this unique collection take pride in offering their beautiful line of 100% linen bedding for adults and babies.  They use embroidery, crushed velvet and hand-crocheted lace to embellish these certified organic linens.  They are made from  the purest of Belgian flax fibers.

I love this stuff!

It’s not just the bedding . . . I fell in love with their accessories, too.

small tote—white—100% cotton

The linens for the home speak of an easy, casual elegance . . .

Your Pom Pom table top will transport you to the European countryside.  “Bon Appetit”

 

It’s where I want to be.

the Charlie Collection has a 4” ruffle that surrounds the duvet and shams.

Draw these curtains at the end of a hard day and forget that you’re part of this century . . .

Well, the big news here is that I’ve decided to expand the line at Hodgepodge.

Here’s where I’ll be starting . . .

Mathilde—2 1/2”  frayed edge with a 1/4” velvet ribbon

So—what do you think?

I’m pretty excited.

Thanks for your indulgence.

One for the boys . . .

my article for the leaf chronicle on oct 16th

This is going to be a tough one to write. I had a request from a friend for a “man article.” I quickly rebutted that I thought he would look great in pink (if you read last week’s column—you’ll get that joke), but I don’t think he was satisfied.

So, all week, I’ve been thinking about a home décor column for men, but mainly for men who don’t care about decorating. Which I always find rather confounding—if most of you “don’t care,” why do most of the women in my shop say, “Oh, my husband won’t like that.”

Therefore, instead of decorating advice for men in general, I think I’ll give some advice to the “don’t care” men, because they’re usually married to women—like me—who do care.

1. How our houses look does matter; it matters to us. We matter to you, ergo . . .

photo source

2. If it really, truly doesn’t matter to you and you express that opinion more than once, you resign all rights of refusal when we bedeck our beds in floral prints and eyelet accessories. It’s one room in the house; we know you want peace, if nowhere else, in this room. Allow us this one.

photo from Taylor Linens

3. It’s just paint. We can paint over it (and you know we will) in the future (probably next month). If we want to experiment with some color—remember it can be changed.

4. Recliners are not the only comfortable chairs in the world. Let me introduce you to the concept of a nice big chair and an ottoman.

photo source

5. It is okay to have a piece of painted furniture. Yes—real wood is nice, but not everything in the house has to be the natural, exposed grain of real wood.

6. While we may balk at your choice of golfing attire—it is alright to mix patterns in a large room—even a small room, when done with skill. Don’t freak-out when we show you a plaid and a floral pattern on the same sofa; it works, that’s what the designers get paid for doing.

photo source

7. All art work does not have to portray a battle scene of significance in your life or any other. Save it for the man cave. That goes for the dogs playing poker, too—it’s funny, but not in the living room.

photo source

8. We will watch football with you—some of us even enjoy it—but your favorite team’s colors do not have to be the theme for our family room.

9. No. Blankets are not suitable dressing for our windows. We can easily alter sheets and make them into wonderful curtains which can be opened and closed—unlike your big fuzzy blanket with the face of the lion—the one you had in college . . . yeah . . . you.

10. If you could feign a little interest, you’d probably come to realize we’re doing it for your comfort, as well as our own—maybe even more so for you. We do want you to love to come home and we want you to be proud when friends and family come to visit.

Thanks to my exercise buddy at the Y for requesting this special article. I’m pretty sure this is not what he had in mind, but it sure was easier to write that I thought it would be in paragraph two!

As always, I’m running behind!  We’ve been transforming the shop for Christmas, so my blog has been neglected.  I’ll catch-up over the next few days and try a new approach.

Thanks for your indulgence!

What’s in a Monogram?

Brain cramp! I’m rarely at a loss for words, but when it comes to thinking of something new or, at the very least, old, but interesting to say, I’m starting to suffer from that thing called “writer’s block.” So, I shifted gears and remembered how many of my wonderful readers have told me that they feel like their having a conversation with me while reading my articles. (The BEST compliment I can receive, thank you!)

So, I called my Mom and started talking . . . we chatted about a myriad of things, mainly ideas for transitioning into fall. I know this seems to be the subject that won’t go away, but summer is the season that won’t go away! Thus, I’ve landed upon another idea that will work in any season, in any room of your house and you can use what you’ve already got at home.

I’m talking about monograms.

There was a time, during high school, when I wouldn’t be caught dead with anything monogrammed, but now—I want to monogram everything. There is something about adding your monogram to almost anything that takes it to a new level.

I’ve sold monogrammed items in the shop ever since I opened, but I didn’t have many monograms in my house. Then one day—okay, over series of days, weeks, even months—monograms started to insinuate themselves into my personal décor. It started with one little throw pillow on the bed and now, they’re everywhere. I am, for the moment, referring to embroidered monograms. Here’s how you can use them:

. . . in the bedroom. As I stated, I monogrammed a pillow—a simple hemstitched linen pillow—but you can monogram your euro shams with a large centered monogram. This can be a large single letter or the traditional three letter monogram; you might add a wreath or other embellishment. You can also add your monogram to the hem of the standard pillowcase or the flat sheet. Make sure you have them stitched on the side which faces up when the bed is made. (Seems silly, but they could come back wrong!)

. . . in the bathroom, of course, you can monogram towels. If you do this, consider how you hang your towels—folded in half, folded in thirds or on a hook. I would limit it to bath and hand towels. Basic monograms are nice for your bath, but you can also embellish with something expressive, such as an icon (crown, fleur de lis or ladybug). Don’t forget the hand towels for the guest bath.

. . . in the living room, you can add a monogram to your sofa pillows or your throws. A beautiful monogram centered on a luxurious throw you drape on the back of your sofa will make a huge impact.

And finally, in the dining room you can add your monogram to an infinite number of surfaces, such as the tablecloth, napkins and chairs.  (Of course, this one isn’t a monogram, but it is along the same lines . . .)

I have more ideas, but I’ve run out of room! Check out my blog for more ideas and, of course, pictures! Thanks again for reading—I really appreciate it!

Do you use monograms in your home?  Any new ideas?

Thanks for your indulgence!

Wardrobe Wow!

Remember that amazing, custom made wardrobe I referenced a few blogs back?  Well, it is finally in place and looks fabulous!

About two months ago, Whitney sent me a picture of the  wardrobe she had in mind.  We talked about their needs  and decided which changes we needed to make.  Then my friend, Jeff, went to work.  He recycles old shutters for a lot of pieces—they were exactly what we needed for the doors.  We painted with sea scape—a valspar paint—then I finished it with the toner from Caromal Colours.  It looks great—if I do say so myself!

We also helped Whitney choose some new bedding.

She has a new ruched duvet and matching euro shams.  Then we added these beautiful shams and coordinated bed skirt.

I understand that this beautiful headboard is Whitney’s own creation!  It took all of my restraint to not jump in the middle of the bed—it looks so comfy and welcoming!

Thanks to Whitney for allowing me to share these pictures with you.

and, thanks for your indulgence.

Just a Swingin’

How are you at relaxing?

Me?  Not so good.

But every now and then, it seems possible.  Every now and then I am able to envision myself sitting down, poring over magazines and books—gathering information and inspiration at an exceptionally leisurely pace.  Sometimes I allow myself this sort of indulgence, like when I’m visiting with my sisters—they enjoy the same things.  But those opportunities are few and far between. 

A little over a year ago I made this, because I had to make it:

 

I hangs from the rafters on the third floor of our building—only because I have nowhere to put it our house. 

Isn’t it inviting? 

It’s dressed in the softest bed sheets printed with a sweet rosebud and four, feather-filled euro pillows.

I love knowing it’s up there, but I rarely visit it.  I’ve never lounged on it—although I did check it for sturdiness.  I made it for The Roost (our attempt at a Occasional Sale here in Clarksville).  It’s sad that it’s up there—all alone, but it’s also strangely comforting.

One of these days, I’d like to build one for a porch, preferably screened, and facing a lake or river.

One of these days . . .

Thanks for your indulgence.

 

ps—the one above is available for purchase (local delivery only).

The Bedroom—the last one . . . for now.

I promise, we’ll move out of the bedroom soon, but I have received a lot of feedback that it is an area where many folks struggle with their decorating decisions. In particular, many are flummoxed by the bed itself. Many of us do not have a bed—we have a mattress sitting on a box spring, but not a “bed.” The question then becomes, how do you finish the look of the bedroom when you don’t have a four poster bed complete with a canopy draped in lace? Let’s see what we can come up with . . .

We had a brief encounter with a real bed a few years ago. I had maneuvered our queen box spring and mattress onto the frame of a full bed I fell in love with, but it was a short lived arrangement. The bed worked fine, it was just that it took-up so much space in our room and it felt claustrophobic. So, it was out with the cannonball four-post bed (which has been converted into a really cool bench for my “creative space”) and in with the blue doors.

Here’s the bed bench—the bed was white, but I had it painted black when I asked my favorite craftsman to covert it into this extra deep bench.  It now has a mattress ticking on it and a wealth of pillows!

While out scouring antique and junk shops for inventory, I came across three vintage doors in three different booths at the same mall; all three were painted shades of blue. I wasn’t looking for these doors, but when I rounded the corner and saw the third door, I thought I had to figure out something to do with them! There and then, I decided they were going to be the new headboard for our bed. I went home, disassembled the bed and propped the three doors against the wall and viola, we had a headboard. I loved this look. The doors didn’t match, but they worked together. You can use the same idea. If you don’t like the idea of just propping the doors, you can use brackets to attach the doors to the wall.

I’ve looked and looked for a picture of my door headboards—I was sure I posted about them before!  Anyhoo, the best I could do was this picture that shows two of the doors in the reflection of our mirror on our wardrobe.  (Yes—that’s my outfit for that day lying there on the bed.) We lost them in the fire—just smoke damage, but they were stinky!

There are other great substitutes for headboards. I’ve used old wood shutters—hanging them horizontally on the wall. You can find decorative iron work or other architectural elements to use the same way. Those iron porch supports—popular in the 1960s and 70s—can be found all over the place. Art work is another option—one large piece hung at a low level will connect the eye with the bed and ground the look. I’ve also arranged a twin bed in front of an antique fireplace mantel. Our current headboard or focal point is comprised of the side mirrors once found on a vanity and a lovely, empty vintage frame.

You can find instructions all over the internet to make your own upholstered headboard—a quick and easy do-it-yourself for almost anyone. I like these because you can easily change the cover with no sewing involved—scissors and staples will do the trick. If you don’t want to tackle the job of cutting the plywood, most home improvement store will cut the wood to your dimensions.

Another effortless option is to hang a curtain rod above the bed and use ready-made curtains as a focal point. At the shop, we have a semi-circular canopy support which attaches to the wall above the bed and supports simple tie-tab curtains.

This type of device makes it easy to add a canopy to any bed. Another simplistic canopy option involves hanging a grapevine wreath from the ceiling parallel to the floor using a three- or four-point support of fishing line. You can then drape tulle around the bed. I prefer to use this technique for a canopy above the head of the bed only, but if you have high ceilings, it is possible to use this for a full mosquito net-like effect.

I hope I’ve given you an idea or two for your bedroom decorating dilemmas. You don’t have to have a “bed” to complete your bedroom; there are many easy, affordable alternatives. If you have other ideas, I hope you’ll share them here  . . .

Thanks for your indulgence,

Leaf Chronicle column, March 27th

As promised, this column is going to address some of the many options and issues we face in choosing our bedding—here’s where I lose 80% of the male readers on which I had a tenuous hold at best. Guys generally don’t care what is on the bed, until it’s—in their opinion—the wrong thing.

I may as well address this issue at the onset. One of the most common refrains I hear as ladies stare with longing at the romantic bed vignettes we present at Hodgepodge is: My husband would never go for that. While I agree that home decorating is best done with some cooperative effort between the spouses, I generally say “break the rules” in the bedroom. Try to stay with me here guys, most of the time spent in the bedroom is with eyes closed. As long as the mattress is comfy, does it really matter if you’re lying under a quilt with a floral design? I think not. Go ahead and stand firm for the recliner in the den (not that it would work in our house), but let her have the bedroom.

Alrighty then, next issue: bed-in-a-bag. (Here’s where I may lose the rest of you, but I’m not trying to be insulting, really.) While I do agree they serve a purpose—they’re easy to grab and an ideal option for many bachelors—I’d much rather see you choose a pieces that reflect your taste and needs. The “package deal” offered with one bag full of comforter, shams, dust ruffle and throw pillows has improved and there are a few tasteful options available. Yet, thought of your bedroom looking the same as your neighbors and someone across the state is off putting.

So here are some tools for you when choosing a look unique to you. We’ll start at the bottom with the dust ruffle. Some folks prefer not to have a dust ruffle—I prefer to have two! The ruffle generally is placed directly on the top of your box spring. Depending on your mattress set and bed you’ll need to measure for the drop you desire—measure form the top of the box spring to the floor. Most dust ruffles have a drop between 14 – 16 inches. If you like the layered look you’ll want to find two dust ruffles with different lengths. I achieved our look with a king size ruffle on the bottom and a queen size on top of it. I cinched the king sized ruffle in the center, but allowed it to puddle on the floor.

The next layer will be your sheets. This is really the most important aspect of the bedding, because it’s where most of the contact happens. We’ve recently discovered the pleasure of high thread count, Egyptian cotton. (Really ladies—put these on the bed and your husband won’t care if you use cabbage roses and lace for the rest!) I have a couple pointers about putting sheets on the bed. First, if you use a quilt or comforter which you fold back, make sure your fitted sheet matches the rest of the bedding—it’ll show. Second, the top sheet goes on the mattress with the pretty side facing down. You do this so that when you fold the edge back, the pretty side is showing. Even if you don’t fold back the edge, place the finished side down so the stitched selvedge is facing up (away from your face). Finally, if you don’t know how, learn how to make hospital corners! It keeps the top sheet in place and you’ll have less work making the bed in the morning.

The next layer is generally the one we give the most attention. This is the top layer—the part we see immediately upon entering the room. I prefer lightweight quilts which I can layer in the winter and shed in the summer. I also love duvets with cotton or linen covers folded at the foot of the bed. At the moment, you’ll find a cotton quilt with a velvet quilt folded at the foot of the bed and topped with a crocheted lace tablecloth (yes—tablecloth). I’ve had the tablecloth spread out across the blue velvet when it serves as our primary quilt in the winter—it looks lovely—and no, my husband doesn’t see the point, but I do (refer back to paragraph 2). I recommend using something machine washable, which is why I like lightweight quilts and duvet covers—they fit in our home washing machine.

Pillows are definitely a personal preference thing. Some like them flat, some like them fluffy. If you and your partner use different styles, I recommend two of each. When making the bed, put the two flats on the mattress and the two fluffies on top or vice versa. You can use pillowcases or shams (yes, you can sleep on the shams—they’re washable!). I try to keep the throw pillows to a minimum—one or two—but they do help pull the look together.

I’ll be posting some pictures of a variety of bedding options on my blog, I hope you’ll take a look and leave your comments or questions. Next week, I’ll address the concept of creative head boards.

I scream, You scream--We all want an Airstream!

As promised, here I am, going against my own established rule—don’t use pictures in your blog that are not your own.  Yet, I cannot help myself.

I finally treated myself to some books by the amazing Sue Whitney with Ki Nassauer and/or Kimberly Melamed.  They are so very original and inspiring!

The book I’m referencing in this post is Junk Beautiful—Outdoor Edition.  In the pages of this incredible reference for all things repurposed and rusty I have found my goal . . . my purpose.

I’ve mentioned in a previous post my desire to own and renovate an Airstream trailer.  Thus far, my one opportunity to justify the purchase of one of these beauties was my husband’s brief jaunt to Ft. Leavenworth, KS for an Army course.  I thought he would love to live in an RV, rather than Army quarters. 

WRONG!

D-E-N-I-E-D! 

He countered with some statistics related to the Army post’s location being in the geographic location with the alternate moniker of “Tornado Alley.”  Yeah, well . . . what a weenie!  I figured, here’s a guy who has survived numerous  deployments, what’s the threat of the occasional twister?  Oh, alright—just think of yourself!

So, I’m still without an Airstream.

In the years since my failed pitch for a Silver Bullet, I feel like every blogger and her brother has a beautifully restored Airstream.  Then, Sue Whitney and Kimberly Melamed have to poke me in the eye with this:

. . . we already have the Adirondack chairs!

Look at this:

those picnic tables are incredibly uncomfortable as bench/tables—but it looks perfectly comfortable as a bed.

They wrapped it with rope (as seen in the photo below), but don’t stop there!  Look at the photo at the bottom!!!

. . . my idea of perfect!

I think those wine riddlers would be happier holding wine, but that’s just me . . .

All of the stuff on this page below—love it!

One day . . . one day . . .

I promise . . . the next time I post pictures of an Airstream , they’ll be mine (my own pictures, at least!).

I’m going to link with Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, because this post is all about vintage inspiration!

Thanks for your indulgence.

Jane’s House

The following is an excerpt from my article for our local paper, The Leaf Chronicle.   In the article promised I’d post pictures of Jane’s house on my blog, but I wanted to get this posted before I leave for church (several of my fellow parishioners are kind enough to read my article).  I’ll be visiting Jane’s house this afternoon and will add the pictures then.

I have a friend whom I think has an enormous amount of talent in many arenas.  Many of you know her as the owner and chief in the kitchen of Lovin’ Spoonful Café on University.  As near as I can tell, she knows most of the population here in Clarksville—natives, anyway!  What I wanted to share here, however, is her incredible talent as a decorator.  I wandered through her house the other night (yes, she was there) and marveled at her unique style and her ability to pull together a collection of livable items she and her husband enjoy and find completely comfortable.

They live in a wonderful 1940’s Cape Cod bungalow, yet she has decorated it with her flair and love for all things from the 1960s and kitschy.  She told me the other night, not realizing at the time that I would be making her the subject of this article, “I’ve gotten rid of the things I don’t love and replaced them with things I do.”  And it shows throughout their lovely home.
She has decorated one of her guest bedrooms with a wonderful 1960’s bed with the attached bookcase and nightstands.  She has a pair of swag pendant lights hanging over each nightstand.

She just recently purchased a wonderful green sofa that looks as though she grabbed it from the Dick Van Dyke show!  The facing chairs are newer construction, but have the retro lines which make them work with her sofa. There are elements of bamboo in almost every room, my favorite being the bar she purchased at Traditions a few years ago.

If you’ve been to the Café, you’ve experienced her affinity for paint-by-numbers.  There are hints of the collection throughout the house, but she displays the majority of them at the restaurant.  A collection of items like these misfits of the art world are wonderful expression of appreciation for the time people take to create.    Jane has a definite appreciation for creativity.
She has made nearly every curtain hanging in the house.  Her passion for fabric is off the charts!

Not even her love of wallpaper—and she l-o-v-e-s wallpaper—is stronger than her need to incorporate the right fabrics into her design mix.

She has a delightful array of bark cloth beauties throughout the house—curtains, shower curtains and chair cushions have been fashioned from vintage or reproductions fabrics she is able to sniff-out at flea markets, antique and fabric stores.  The graphic impacts of these fabrics bring her pleasure and complete the story of Jane’s House.
That’s what I’m talking about.  Being true to yourself—defining your own style.  I’ll repost part of this article, along with pictures of Jane’s house, on my blog, so please visit and leave your comments!  I’d love to hear about how you’ve defined your own style. 

Thanks for your indulgence.