Monday, September 15, 2014

Brown, Teal and Yellow Fall Mantle Decor

Good Morning!  Finally, it feels like the right time to start pulling out the fall decor.  Oh, it's still plenty warm here, buuutttt... I am feeling hints of a change coming in our weather.  I am also very eager and so ready to embrace some of the more comforting colors of fall. Especially after visiting many of your beautiful blogs.  Thanks for the nudge!

My choice of warm colors for the season are browns, teals and golden yellows. 

I realize the whole blue and brown color combination maybe yesterdays news for many but not for me.  I just love this color combination even more so during the fall.


I also love to use copper for fall color decorating.  It has such a rich amber hue to me!

You may remember my fall vases that I found at a resale store several years back.  Yes, I am still dragging out the old stuff, but hey, I like it and it still works well in here this time of year.  I especially love the bamboo vases.  I know bamboo is usually more associated with summer but because these vases are such a darker brown they have always seemed more appropriate for fall decorating to me.   The dried grasses, cattails and leaves were still looking good to me but I added just a few pops of yellow into the mix with the small sunflowers to brighten things up a bit more.



My glass pumpkins are my favorites and pretty much set the tone for the mantle.  For some reason I was thinking I had another glass one that I added last year but have not found it so maybe I never did buy it.  Oh, it's rough getting older and trying to remember what all you have packed away. LOL!

I did add something new to the mix this year.  I came across these brown and teal ceramic candlesticks at a resale store recently and immediately knew I would be using them on my mantle.  I think they sort of have a bit of Tuscany feel to me, wouldn't you agree?


The sign was purchased a few years ago when I was working for Stein Mart.  This is the first time I've used it here under the mantle.  I can't believe I didn't think of this before. 

I am going to attempt to join a few parties today if I can remember how to link up as it's been quite some time since I have.  Join me at the following links for so much more inspiration okay?
Tabletop Tuesday

Well, if you happen to stop by today and take a peek thank you so much!
I truly hope you enjoyed your time here.  Mostly, thank you all for your continued blogging of such beautiful decorating.  I always enjoy visiting your blogs for inspiration when time permits and can only hope that I've also given you just a bit of the same. 

Have a wonderful day and great week!


Saturday, August 9, 2014

Pawleys Island Beach Home Circa 1945


Hey Yall!  Yes, I am a terrible blogger and I do apologize for my sporadic appearances.  I guess I just feel like I really don't have lot's of new projects and such to share that are very inspiring or anything so it's probably not something you would want to read about anyway.  However, since I have kept this blog going mostly to share and keep track of the goings on in my world I thought I'd share a cute and very vintage beach house that we rented this past week at Pawleys Island SC.  Though I am sure it is not what most of you would like to see and experience in a vacation home, it was filled with so many neat and quirky things that I thought you might like to see anyway, or at the very least at least I have recorded it here on my blog should I care to ever look back to reminisces.   I am sorry to say I forgot to photograph the outside of the house which was also very quirky.  Maybe if we go back to Pawleys any time soon, I'll take a few shots.  Until then you'll just have to enjoy the inside of this very old, circa 1945, original Pawleys Island beach home.

As you walk into the back door of this home you are greeted with a small entry hall that leads toward the family and dining spaces.  The owners have kept this home in it's original state complete with heart of pine everywhere!  It was pretty but the decorator in me was constantly day dreaming about how lovely, cozy and light this home would be with sand colored painted siding.  

As you first come through the back door there is an entry to the right where a very large open and fun kitchen is located.  We ate dinner every night on the round table built into the post in here instead of the dining space.  We loved being inside this spacious kitchen!

There is a double bar on both sides of the kitchen and dining area.

The wood paneling in here was lighter but I still couldn't help but dream again of what color I would paint in here as well.  There was a gorgeous old style ceramic sink along with several open shelving areas for pots, pans, and dishware.

I thought the two large ceramic  flower pots holding utensils was so cute and clever!

The back side of the kitchen was loaded with plenty of light from the all the windows and lots of counter space with cute and clever designated spaces for guests supplies.

The cabinets were painted a shabby blue making their old age rather charming.

Along with messages about where to store your goods inside the cabinets were messages to help remind you where to return things too.  Cute idea!!!

A pair of french glass doors led out  to the long and interesting side porch that was another favorite of ours.

I would have enjoyed a bit more comfortable seating out here but I did find the tables to be very enjoyable for my morning cup of joe with breakfast.

This barn style sliding wall door that led to the front porch was so cool!  Both the hubby and I loved that!

Cute vintage looking gas lanterns that hung from the ceiling were very appealing but... I sure would have adored some ceiling fans out here just a bit more.  Too bad I don't own this house, with all the ideas I had for it!  Haha!

We enjoyed sitting on the joggling board everyday and I was quite surprised to learn my husband had no idea of what this was.  And here I thought I was married to a true southern boy!

We rented this house because it was pet friendly and we could bring our new pup Maizey.  My son also came down for a few days and brought his dog too.  What a treat to be able to take Maizey walking on the beach every morning.

This is the master bedroom located just off the front of the house.  It was a bit small but was able to sport a king size bed and a small bathroom as well.

Surprisingly enough we all slept very comfortably in this house. I wonder if all the hard wood paneling makes it much more sound proof.



This was the center bedroom with a queen sized bed and a bathroom to the right that I forgot to take pictures of.  My bad!

And in the very back of the house is the larger bedroom with another queen and a set of bunkbeds.

This bathroom was original to the house with a few minor upgrades.

I would have loved  to share a few more pics with you of the house, like the rooftop deck that overlooks both the ocean and the inlet rivers behind the house that we kayaked everyday.  Unfortunately, I had this post in draft before finishing it and in the mean time between my computer crashed.  I have just gotten my new laptop up and running and am still in the process of trying to figure out how to retrieve all of my lost stored photos.

That I am sure will take quite a bit of work....so I have decided to go ahead and publish this post to get it out there and hopefully protect it as well.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed your stop at one of SC oldest and most endearing beaches!




Sunday, June 29, 2014

We're on Maizey time!


Hi All!  I'd like to say I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted, but the truth is I can.  It's been a wonderful break and for many good reasons.  It's amazing how much ones life can change within a few short months.

If you saw my last post then you know what's been keeping me occupied.  On July 11, my sweet little Maizey will be five months old.


 The sleepy little girl that you see here is usually quite rambunctious and full of herself.  Our beautiful little pup who is long overdue for her first formal grooming has literally turned out home and lifestyle upside down.   

Just today I have finally removed the coffee table from the living room after deciding it is just no longer safe to leave in the room.  No longer safe for her, not the table because it has long already been determined a loss. I am scared of all the wood splinters she has been eating after she has made a feast of the table legs and totally destroyed them.  In this picture you can see the plastic tubing that we had put over the dowel but you can also see she then went after the legs and the drawer underneath.  She's quite the little chewer!

And now here is our den this morning minus the coffee table, but did you notice...

it's minus the rug too?  We have rolled up almost all of the rugs in the house to keep them from being destroyed while she is being potty trained.  The two club chairs shown here are also showing some wear and will most likely be replaced after we pass the puppy teething stage.


In the kitchen the drink station has been converted to her own den though the only time she sleeps here is when I am at work because when were home she prefers total run of the house.

We brought two of the rockers from the front porch to the back porch so we could sit here with her.  Now that she's older she enjoys spending more time out in the yard though still on a leash. I like keeping the porch this way because she can be off the leash here and still feel as if she's outside.  It's not as cute and decorated as I might prefer but it's less for her to get into. 

Just outside the screened porch on the lower deck between our deck that spans the house and our pool we have recently put up a tent gazebo for shade.  It's on a collapsible frame that can be folded and put away.  I have been wanting one of these for awhile now and was so happy to find this one for a great price at Sams Club.  It is 13 x 13 in size.  I have also been eyeing a few pieces of outdoor furniture and rugs at Walmart that I may use to complete this new outdoor seating place.  I can imagine all sorts of beautiful ways to spruce up this spot but am trying to keep it as inexpensive and as minimal as possible due to keeping it thrifty and of course due to the puppy factor as well.

Life sure has changed around here, but it is all good.  I anticipated a lot of these changes prior to getting her which was very important.  Can you imagine the shock that some must go through if they aren't prepared for all the destruction that one little puppy can do?  LOL!  I knew ahead of time I would be replacing lots of things that might get chewed up or destroyed during the puppy years.  Since I had wanted to update some decor anyway it's not been a big issue...it's just a timing issue now.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to be back again before too long to share my completed outdoor gazebo area with you.  But uh, truthfully don't hold your breath okay?  Even if I get it done soon, I'm not sure when I'll be back to share it because we're on Maizey time around here.  I'll try though!   



Hope you all are having a great summer so far!   





Sunday, April 6, 2014

Welcome "Maizey" my new Cavababy

Hi Blog friends!  I am so excited to share these photos with you all.  If you are an FB friend I am sure you've already seen these so I hope you'll understand.

I would like to introduce you all to my new baby girl.

This is Maizey.  She is a Cavachon.  She is not considered full breed but is considered a Designer breed.  She is a mix between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise.  

I have been wanting to add a new pup to our family for awhile now.  After doing a lot of research on what I felt would be the best fit for our family I found this breed, the Cavachons.

Cavachons come in assortment of colors.  My Maizey is considered apricot colored.  She will be between 10 to 15lbs fully grown. 

They are generally calm, friendly, social but loyal dogs loving the company of their owners.  Already she enjoys spending a great deal of time cozied up near me.

She is only 7 weeks old here and already on her way to learning potty and crate training, or maybe I am. LOL!  Oh well, she really does seem to be enjoying learning new things everyday.

She is still napping quite a bit in between her play times.  It really is much like having a newborn baby in the house.  We have rearranged the furniture again to allow for her crate and play yard.

But her favorite place to be is usually were ever I am.  She likes to lay by my feet even when she is not cuddled up on my lap as she is right now as I type this post.

I guess if you don't hear from me much, even less then you already are here's another good reason why.  I've still got a few projects I want to finish and share but they may be a bit delayed now.

Thanks so much for stopping by and meeting Maizey.
She sends her sweet puppy kisses and love to you all!

Happy Sunday!