A Plush Fall

I love transitioning into fall.  Even if the weather isn’t cooperating fully—just seeing mums and pumpkins in front of Kroger makes me happy!

I am always so excited to decorate my home and the shop for fall, although, I believe that I tend to decorate with a fall theme year ‘round.  It incorporates the colors and accents I love, so why wouldn’t I use them all of the time?

At the house, I’m holding back a little.  I’ve put away the “summer” banner, the cobalt hurricanes and the shell encrusted orbs.  The candles are changing from ivory to brown and the candle sticks from glass to well- patinaed (apparently you can’t shouldn’t past-tense “patina”) brass.  

But  at the shop we have added the Halloween inventory and a plethora of pumpkins—plush and otherwise!  There are oat standards and a variety of other decorative accents you can use to make changes of your own.  I have taken a few pictures and hope you will come back to check-out our ideas.  For now, though, I thought I’d share some of our Plush Pumpkins.

Folks often ask how they should display their Plush Pumpkins, so I thought a few pictures might help.

You don’t have to have a baker’s dozen for your display.

A grouping of three pumpkins is my favorite display, but if you only want one—they can make a solitary statement, as well (note the pumpkin atop the scale).  Also, just because they’re velvet, doesn’t mean they can’t be displayed with your favorite rusty junk.  In fact, the juxtaposition makes a wonderful eye-catching display.

Of course, they are right at home surrounded by glitz and gold, as well.

So, don’t let the issue of “how will I display mine” keep you from taking a few home.  Remember, we are always available to help you brainstorm a few ideas for your own arrangement.

Hope to see you in our Plush Pumpkin patch soon!

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!!!

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 Country French Vignette

I left for our family vacation on the 29th of June. During the week prior to that Friday, I was running around like the proverbial “chicken without a head” trying to prepare for a week-long absence.

You see, I guess I have a bit of an ego. I like to think Hodgepodge needs me. Upon my return, it was painfully obvious I am superfluous to this operation.

Before I left, I made sure I put the finishing touches on the Chalk Paint™ decorative paint finish I was laboring over for this display case. I then rolled it into place and left notes for Patty to make it look good . . . boy, did she!

Here is the display I found when I walked through the doors Saturday morning . . .

Patty put together a Country French vignette to inspire!   (By the way, is anyone able enlighten me as to why we say “Country French” rather than “French Country?)

From these favorite melamine dinner and sandwich plates, to the soy wax candle, ensconced in a willow holder—the scene oozes French influence.

Our signature mixed-pattern silver plate flatware sets represent the casual elegance you’ll find in countryside of France.

The beverage urn makes it easy to serve your favorite fruit blend beverages. The Moroccan tea glasses, decorated in gold plate represent the “citizen of the world” feel so many Frenchmen/women can claim.

This reproduction ladder shelf represents the French ingenuity for repurposing items into an unexpected use—such as here, when it doubles as a server.

Evidence of my style—our velvet pumpkins can still be found throughout the store. They provide the perfect decorative accent for our transferware dinner plates. Note the bucolic scene as the plate’s décor—a beautiful half-timber home being the focus.

More transferware in brown to contrast the display shelf of our one-of-a-kind piece (a custom design), I’ve painted in Chalk Paint™ in Provence and French Linen. How a propos!

This display of books in a wire basket really caught my eye.

A few items common to a French pantry, a crusty loaf of bread, fresh cream (in the ceramic cow creamer) and eggs from the barn. The covered glass dish is perfect for the cheeses synonymous with the country!

Let’s step back and take another look.

Is your eye drawn to that barley twist lamp? Of course it is! I love the pillar stands constructed from railing balusters. Let’s get a closer look . . .

Oh yeah—still love.

There you have it. Patty is one talented lady and I am redundant.

Here’s hoping this means I can get away for more vacations!

Let me know what you think of the display or if you have any questions.

Thanks for your indulgence!

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

(My Leaf Chronicle article for Nov 20th)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. One thing I’ve noticed as I get older, a survey of my peers results in the same opinion. Most of us prefer Thanksgiving over Christmas. Further, most of site the same or similar reasons—less hubbub! Not so much to do to prepare for it—just fix some dinner and invite the family and friends over. It’s almost like any other Sunday for many of us—just more food.

Some of us travel. Well, that’s an understatement, being that it’s the most traveled holiday, but as I am retailer, I gave up even the thought of traveling on Thanksgiving! I don’t have those crazy 3 A.M. sales at Hodgepodge, but it’s a busy weekend anyway, so I can’t imagine being away.

So, for the past nine years, Thanksgiving has been at the King Kompound and that makes me VERY happy. My sister, Kendall, and her family are always part of the day and for that I am grateful. Between the two of us, we whip-up some rather tasty dishes that generally leave us quite satisfied.

Every year we try to think of some new dishes to prepare, but we’re hesitant to give up the tried and true recipes that we all enjoy. So, we usually make them all! This has really become a problem, because we just keep adding to an already large menu. Desserts alone are numbering close to the double digits!

One year I ventured on the wild side and made a dish using baby Brussels sprouts. They were amazing—even my youngest went back for seconds. The problem is I have less-than-no idea where that recipe went. I have tried replicating it—with acclaims and adoration pouring forth from Kendall who happily attests, to those being subjected to my experiments, that the original recipe was truly delicious. It’s very frustrating.

Tonight I will sit down with my cookbooks. I’m going to find a new vegetable recipe—one that doesn’t involve Brussels sprouts, but I do want it to be unusual. I’d also like a different green salad recipe. I’m looking forward to perusing my extensive cookbook collection for something mouthwatering.

I also need to do a little preparation for our table setting. I think I’ve written about the fact that I use a painter’s drop cloth canvas for our tablecloth before, but this year I want to make it fitted. I hope to find the time to cut it apart and create the tablecloth I’ve always intended it to be. If it doesn’t get done for Thanksgiving—it will get done for Christmas—even if I have to pay someone to do it for me!

As I think about my plans for my table setting this year, I decided to look back at pictures from years past (Yes, I take pictures of my table settings—when I remember—they come in handy for blogs and newspaper articles.). I really did like the table last year. I used a primitive three-tiered display, loaded down with gourds, pumpkins and Indian corn, as my centerpiece. As mentioned last week, a length of burlap served as the topper on my drop cloth.

I have to say—this was one of my favorite settings. And, true to the nonsense I spew at luncheons and other meetings I’m asked to attend as the speaker, I used the same basic setting for Christmas. I only changed the centerpiece.

(Of course, true to my form of these past few months, I failed to take any pictures of this year’s table.  The place settings were almost identical, but my centerpiece was simple.  I just used my twelve hole sugar mold with my artichoke votives.)

I’d love to hear about some of you Thanksgiving traditions, trials and tribulations.

Thanks for your indulgence,

A Boating Analogy

(This was my article for The Leaf Chronicle a few weeks ago.)

Have you ever felt like you’ve got each of your feet in two different boats and they’re floating away from each other?

That’s the only way I can describe the feeling I get this time of year ever since opening my shop. At the shop, I’ve already decorated for Christmas, but at the house we’re still transitioning from Halloween to Thanksgiving. I fight the push of Christmas—leaving most of my fall décor intact and work in the Christmas trees and snowmen.

My home décor actually benefited from the transition this year, because the really amazing bunch of cornstalks I had outfitted with a burlap wrap, tulle and a rusty ring of skeleton keys is now standing in my entrance hall! What an impact as you walk in the door. It may have to be mine—permanently.

( . . . and there it is!  I brought it home and will leave it there as long as I can get away with it!)

So, as promised, we’re moving into the house with our fall decor. Many houses have a nice foyer where you can add another welcoming touch to carry-out your theme, such as a fall floral arrangement on a table. But what if you don’t have a formal foyer? There are many strategies you can use to draw the eye into the home—choose your focal point and that is where you’ll put your decorative emphasis.

For instance, if you walk through your front door and the first thing you see is your staircase, add a fall garland. Nothing expensive, just grab some of that wisteria or jasmine that is going dormant, wrap it in a loose configuration, around the railing. Make a swag of Indian corn tied with raffia and you’re done. If you want a little more color run several yards of (again—loosely configured) wide ribbon through the railing and vines. Depending on your color selections and with a few changes, this arrangement can easily become you Christmas décor, too.

A fall mantel looks great with some basic changes to your usual décor. I usually switch-out the brightly colored tea cups and saucers I have displayed on a stand for my brown transferware. I add other details, such as amber bottles and I change my vintage book “risers” to reflect the colors of the season. I switch my glass candle sticks for my brass ones and the color of the candles generally changes, as well.

A quick arrangement for the dining room table is always something folks are asking about when planning to entertain. The simplest arrangements can be made with large pumpkin (I prefer the Princess or Cinderella variety) set atop a cake stand. Under the pumpkin you can place a layer of leaves fanning out around the edge or I would choose a crocheted doily, slightly larger than the cake stand so it can drape over the edge. Sprinkle nuts—still in their shell—around the base of the stand and intersperse glass votives around the table, too. You can also mix in gourds, pomegranates and pinecones of acorns for a “full” look. Remember to use unscented candles on your table, but feel free to light-up the scents of fall throughout the rest of the house.

(this is pre-plush pumpkins)

(many of the same elements—post-plush pumpkins!)

As I said, I’m not ready to rush the season, I still have a lot left to do!

(I have so many intended blog posts—I hope I can get to at least half of them!)

As always, I thank you for your indulgence!

Lovin’ this time of year!

Sometimes I hate it when I have a good idea.  It usually means lots of work and a big mess.  This one was no different and the mess still lingers . . .

I was struggling with my plans for my October displays I the windows.  I’ve already sold enough of my Halloween decorations that I couldn’t justify the  spooky theme in the window.  Then, it came to me—a few hay bales, saw horses and a door and I’ve have a harvest gathering scene in the making!
Cut to the scene where the guy at Lowe’s tells me to stand back from the trailer where the bales are stored, because the  other day he opened it and a rat jumped out at him!  Perhaps I’ll rethink the hay bales . . . nah!
No rats on my visit—thank you. 
I lay the obligatory plastic on the back of “Flo,” my ancient, paint stains on the carpet Suburban, and we load the bales.  One is pushed over the collapsed back seat—into the front where, while it was merely for posterity, there is no plastic sheeting.  What cha’ gonna do?
I begin the drive to the shop with all four windows down—it was a lovely day.

Thus begins the whirling dervishes of bits and pieces of hay throughout the vehicle.  (Thanks goodness I thought to lay that plastic sheeting!)  I look in my rear view windows—I look like I’m leading the annual harvest parade.  The only thing missing is Lil’ Miss Sweet Potato to wave at the crowds from my roof top.

So I make it back to the shop—with hay in my hair and everywhere else—unload the hay bales and deposit them on my “front porch” where they’ll wait until the next day to be placed in the window, as I still need to remove the former display and go grab my kid from gymnastics practice.

Tuesday morning I carve out an hour after walking the dog and before a meeting with the County Mayor, to remove the current window display and set-up the table.  All is going well, until I get those huge saw horses in the window—they’re too wide; we won’t be able to get around the table.  Dang! 
Then I remember the iron table legs I have stored on the third floor.  I grab those and the huge box where I’ve stored the hops garland and manage to carry everything back down to the shop in one trip (stupid, stupid, stupid).  I screw the legs into the door—they’re also too wide, but much more diminutive than the saw horses.  I flip the table upright, hang the hops garland and go home to shower.
At the meeting, I struggle to focus on what is being said—my mind keeps wandering back to my window!  Once the meeting is over, I call Patty to tell her I’m sorry about leaving such a mess and that I’m headed to another appointment, when she informs me that my appointment cancelled!  Normally, that would frustrate me, but . . . YIPPEE!  I can go back to finish decorating the window.
It took a few more days of piecing together our ideas—trying this and that, hunting down pumpkins and corn stalks—but I finally shut the door on Thursday night and felt satisfied that we had done a good job.

I had been planning to use these vintage prints in a display for Christmas, but was pleasantly surprised to find a use for them so quickly.

Here are some of the new burlap pillows I ordered at market.  They’re stuffed with a filling of shredded plastic and are stenciled with the original art work of the owner/designer.
The hardest part of taking pictures of my display windows is the reflection.  (Any tips from seasoned photographers or other shopkeepers are welcome!)  But if you study the picture below, you’ll see I’ve incorporated my beloved branches.  (Ryan showed me the perfect downed tree limb in the vacant lot next to his house!)

I hung these window screens against the window to give the feeling of being on the outside looking into a porch.  They’re difficult to see, but I’ve added a bunch of those magnetic spiders to the screens—just a touch of spooky.

These “tattooed” bamboo floor mats just arrived.  They have non-slip backing and are very durable.
Our sole surviving harvest color velvet pumpkin.  (I’ve “hidden” it in the window, thinking perhaps I may take it home . . .)
I hope you enjoy virtually perusing our Autumn Gathering display window.  If you’re in town, please stop by for a gander.  On Sunday I’ll be working on our “Paint it Pink” window for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  More on that later!
Thanks for your indulgence,

ps—let me tell you a little about those beautiful stained glass windows.  We believe they are 19th century and have been re-leaded.  They are 60 x 37”.  They most recently hung in our local Pub—The Blackhorse Pub and Brewery.  They are valued at $4,000 for the pair, but we’re asking 3,000.