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.

Plush Pumpkin Season Approaches

. . . and I couldn’t be more excited!  It’s my favorite time of year and I am ready to make the transition to Autumn.  I will however restrain myself a while longer.

In anticipation of this wonderful time of year, I will be placing an order for Plush Pumpkins.  I’ve decided to make a special offer . . .

Any prepaid orders for Plush Pumpkins, placed before August 24th, will be discount 20%.  Now is the time to place your order—remember, too, that they make great gifts! 

All pumpkins are handmade in America and are accented with “really real” squash stems—making each pumpkin truly one-of-a-kind!  (how great is that?!?)

The color samples are below—choose your color(s) and size(s), then call the shop during business hours (We’re on summer hours until after Labor Day, so call between 10am -  4 pm, Mon – Sat) to place your order.  You are, of course, welcome to come in to see the fabric samples “live and in person,” too.

2” pumpkins  $9.95

3” pumpkins $15.95

4” pumpkins $22.95

5” pumpkins $30.95

6” pumpkins $39.95

8” pumpkins $47.95

10” pumpkins $53.95

 

Still not sure if you should order some?  Take a look at how we’ve used them throughout the shop (throughout the year, too!).

 

If I get enough orders, I will place two orders, one on the 17th, then again on the 24th (for the fence sitters)—the earlier you order, the earlier you receive!!!

Keeping Children Warm by the Fire

One of my recent project for winter sprucing-up around the house was this garland:

 

I have been collecting pictures of children all wrapped-up in their winter wear ever since Auntie Bliss introduced me to the two snow babies on the sled in the middle.  I have several in frames around the house, but I decided to use photocopies of them to make this festive garland for my dining room mantel.

Here’s what I did:

First, I gathered five of my burlap triangle (yes—I’ve got them pre-cut, ready and waiting, ‘cause you just never know when the urge will strike), then I cut slightly larger triangles out of my light blue card stock.

Then I printed off copies of my favorite snow kids, using a parchment-look card stock, and started cropping them to fit on the pennant triangles.

I then applied a thin smear of Mod Podge® (which you can find in The Creative Corner at Hodgepodge!) using a stiff, short bristled paintbrush.

Having dumped a little blue, glass glitter into a bowl, I began “scooping” the glitter onto the photo.

While the glitter dried, I used the Mod Podge® to apply the burlap to the card stock.

Then I attached the glitter-fied photos, as well as a little piece of brown trim, to kind of finish the look.

I measured a length of jute across my mantel, allowing for a little “drape,” then I attached the pennants to the jute using masking tape.

Another quick look at this crazy easy project.  Those happy faces just make me smile!

If you have any questions, please leave me a message here or drop me an email.

As ever, thanks for your indulgence!

Winter Vignettes or “How I beat the post-Christmas decorating blues.”

It is a well-documented fact that many of us dread the post-Christmas “blah” that is our home décor.  For many folks, it is the dread of the process of preparing our Christmas decorations for another 11 months of storage—that is part of my issue.  The larger dread, however, is due to the seemingly stark appearance of my house once I’ve stowed all of the greenery, lights and ornaments.

I guess that’s why my post-holiday decorations have begun multiplying and taking on a life force of their own.  I have started using many of the items I would normally display or store in our china hutch and making them a focal point.

I have also started collecting pictures with winter scenes—anything with snow will do.  This includes my every growing collection of vintage photos of children dressed in their snowsuits or finest winter coats.  (Credit for this idea goes solely to Auntie Bliss!)

My winter Santos fairy takes center stage on our living room mantel.

This year I’ve added a frosty bird’s nest or two, some pinecone candles and faux bare braches with hints of frost, as well.  as I’ve mentioned before, my velvet pumpkins are always on display, as evidenced here on the mantel . . .

. . . and here on a side table . . .

I am not a big fan of using hearts in my decorating.  {I blame this on the fact that I had started setting-up our first household  when country-style decorating was at the height of popularity, thus explaining my aversion to ducks and geese, as well.} I will, however, make the exception for vintage hearts and any hearts embellished with real glass glitter!

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I am making a concerted effort to carve out a little time in my schedule to nurture my creativity.  I’m finally acknowledging creativity takes many forms (more on that later), but the form I am referring to at the moment is that which requires the use of scissors, glue, ephemera and other bits and bots; thus, the decorative bottles seen in this vignette.

I used these great bottles, which formerly contained a very nice bourbon, and decorated them with pages of a very old music book, vintage Valentines and ribbon.  My dining room table has been a wreck for two weeks as I disassembled Christmas, sorted through end-of-year papers and periodically applied Mod Podge  and tied ribbon to these bottles.

For my final winter offering, I will leave you with this . . .

I hope you are enjoying your winter décor as much as I am enjoying mine.  I’d love to hear about the ways you beat the doldrums, so please share.

Again and always, I thank you for your indulgence.

a merry “little” Christmas

it is December 3rd and I’ve yet to post a picture about the Christmas décor you will find at Hodgepodge, so here goes . . . a little Hodgepodge Christmas, before it’s all gone!

We have a variety of decorative accessories to help you create a traditional table setting or a vignette for your sofa table.  The vintage style “Merry Christmas” sign looks great on the table top, but will hang nicely on the wall, as well.  (We also have a super-sized sign for your lawn or house.)

Here is our Christmas blessing Santos; she holds a glittered silver egg.  This table combines soft greens with mercury glass, glitter silver bell garland and a few rustic touches, as well.

 

The snowy scene on our black and white transferware plates will carry your table settings through the winter.  The simple wreath is a perennial favorite of ours—perfect for a place setting or as a decorative accent on the back of your dining chairs.

 

I’ve said it before, put “it” under a cloche and elevate “it” to place of special interest—doesn’t matter what “it” is! 

These ceramic skates with a mercury glass finish are lovely on their own, but under glass they are truly special.

 

A touch of  sparkle with the glass glitter “Noel.”

These mercury glass canisters are perfect for year ‘round use, but especially appreciated during the holidays.  Incorporate them into a display of vintage ornaments and accents or put them to practical use storing pens and other desktop needs. 

It wouldn’t be Christmas at Hodgepodge without a suitable amount of  burlap!  These burlap trees, matching wreaths and distressed iron finials add a touch of rustic elegance to this display.

 

Here is a pair of winter white owls—perfect for perching in a bookcase.  I would put them on a stack of books and surround them with greenery.   

 

This year we have an nice selection of tree toppers.  Here’s my favorite, a paper cone adorned with  a glitter bird on a nest and a “NOEL” banner. 

 

I plan to post some pictures of our trees in the coming days, but first I need to google tips for photographing Christmas trees.  (Tips provided here are more than welcome, as well!)

Thanks for your indulgence!

Time for thanks

was it just last week?  it seems like at least a month ago.
we gathered together—family and friends—to celebrate the national day of gratitude.
the menu was much the same as it always:   turkey, dressing and the rest, but this year we tried a few new recipes.  my favorite among the new dishes was the the cranberry relish.  it was a last minute recommendation from my mom—she had enjoyed it when our friend, sherry, prepared it last year.  a quick search on the epicurious website yielded the recipe we sought.  a few improvisations made it my new favorite.  I’ll share it below, but first a few shots of our dining room on the big day.







Okay, the recipe . . .
Cranberries in Bourbon

• 
  1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEYh53B
my changes:
I used two packages of cranberries (didn’t measure); 1 cup sugar and one cup of light brown sugar; the cinnamon and I added about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh ginger root to the roasting process. 
it was delicious!
the other change this year was that I prepared the turkey using a brining method.  I am sold!  we always smoke our turkey—as we did this year—and I love it prepared this way.  the additional step of brining made the turkey even more moist and tender—if that is possible.  the brining ingredients are simple, but there are a lot of them—so I made it simple by using a prepared jar of brining spice I purchased at our local culinary shop, Ingredients.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEQc0Ue
Thanks for your indulgence,