Decorating the Top of the China Hutch

Does anyone remember last week when I said I was on a creative roll?  That was when I showed you my picnic basket vignette.  No?  Well, that's okay, that just means you probably haven't stopped by in awhile.  Can I just remind you that I'm still here!  I'm still blogging and styling and have lot's to share. I know I fell off the grid while I was working but I'd like thank those of you especially who have remained constant and faithful blog friends.  It really means a lot to me!  For the rest of you, I'm sending out a sweet reminder that the door is always open around here and I do enjoy hearing from you! So, I hope you come on in!

We are back in the dining room ladies, where I was inspired to create this little vignette on top of my china cabinet.

Here's what inspired me!  

I have seen these herb boxes all over blog land and wanted some for so very long.  I about flipped when I came across them at a Decor Warehouse that I visited with a friend last month.  They were priced so well, that it was no doubt they would be coming home.  I had no idea they would end up in the dining room of all places but I love because it keeps my dining room from looking too formal.

After hanging the three boxes on the wall I needed a place for the fourth box and decided on top of the china cabinet was perfect.

I stored a few platters that I rarely use in the box to give it even more height.

The I also decided that the top of the hutch was a great place to store those other pieces I love that I rarely ever will use too.

I added some greenery and few flowers for color and a nice summer show and I was done.

I love to say it was as easy that, but...that would not be the whole truth.  You see the top of my hutch is very arched.  Getting my vignette set the way I envisioned was a bit of challenge.  I finally ended up using cotton batting of all things to create height and a flat surface where I needed it on the curves.  Pretty crazy huh?

Wanna take a peek inside? I added some color in here too!

This butterflie dish and the forget me not dish were my MIL's.  I just love these!  

Speaking of sweet look what I saw out of the window when I was snapping pics of the hutch.

Do you see her now?  Isn't she just precious!

Speaking of precious, did you happen to notice my new plant?

I had been wanting to get a real plant for my stand in the dining room for awhile now and was thinking of getting a fern until I discovered this at Lowes.  There was only one and of course I snapped it right up.  It's a good thing I did because I had several ladies asking what it was and where did I find it?

It's called a Lipstick Twister, or Aeschynanthus Radicans to be more accurate.  I just fell head over heals in love with those lacy little ringlets.  It does have blooms that will look much like lipstick. 

It requires indirect sunlight so this little spot in the dining room will be just perfect. 

I am joining the following parties today;

Inspire me

Fertilizer Friday

If you happened to stop by thank you so much! It's always a pleasure when you do.  I love company, don't you?

 Be sure and come back again real soon.  I've got several more projects I've been working on for the booth and have lot's to share!

Have a great day everyone!

Christmas in the Dining Room

Whew!  Baby, it's cold outside!  Just in time for Christmas too.  Yay!  I just realized I haven't shown you all my tree in the dining room this year.  Soooo, since it's getting late and I need to rush out the door I thought I'd show you some photos without alot of chatter.

I've been playing with Picasa and thought this looked kinda snowy and nostalgic.

I have a silver gold and ivory tree in the dining room.  This year I drenched it a little extra with the white opaque tinsel.

My dining room tree was started to highlight all of my lenox ornaments that I have collected since my husband and I were first married.

This is my newest ornament this year.  I got them from work at Stein Mart.  They are very heavy and are stainless silver with lot's of bling!  

This was an old ornament I rolled in glue and glitter to revive it years ago.

I love my tree in the corner here.  It's wonderful to dine by when the family is all gathered around celebrating Christmas dinner.  I highly recommend a tree in the dining room if you haven't done one yet.  It's a great feeling!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas yall!

See ya again soon!

The Glow of Christmas

Tonight the lights.... burn sweetly!

Even though a few strands are testing our patience,

Our home for the most part is ready for Christmas!

A strand on the dormer window on the left is giving us a fit.

But....my den is finished, cleaned and decorated.

The kitchen is full of merriment!

The dining room is all a glow in splendor of silver and gold.

And the back porch is floating in a sea of light.

That's what happening at my house in the land of 

The Decorative Dreamer.

Your all invited back for a closer look at a few more rooms decorated and detailed later next week. Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Decor in the Dining Room

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope your weekend is off to a great start.  Mine is all about work again but I have only one more week to go and then I'm off for a vacay.  I cannot wait!

I thought I'd brighten things up a bit by sharing a little more of my fall decorating in the dining room.  So far this year, most of my fall decor has been all about using what I already have.  Now don't read me wrong.  I did not say I haven't bought anything new this year just that I haven't shared much of that with you yet.  LOL!

Welcome to the dining room!

  The cute little sign is one I bought from work when they went on clearance.  I am thinking I may give this sign a little more aged patina if I ever get the time.  So far though, it looks just great to me as is.

Several ceramic pumpkins from last years trip to the dollar tree sit in a painted bread basket...

...next to one of my vases I had on the fireplace mantle.

  I switched those out for another great find.  I will share the fireplace mantle fall decor with you another day.  

My dining room cloche got the fall treatment too.

Do you see what I've caught under my cloche?  

Three adorable little pesky squirrels!

These two on the bottom we inherited from my FIL.  One is a wood carving from an older pastor of their church.  Don't you think they all look so mischievous?  I sure do!

I added the other vase from my fireplace mantle to the top of the dining room china cabinet.  The baskets stay on top of here year round.

I also added the boxwood wreath I made last year and just a small bit of beaded fall garland.  You can see and read the post about my wreath here.

I kind of feel like I would like just a little something else up here but not sure exactly what yet.  So for now, it's working for me.

So there you go!   Just a few more simple vignettes.

Thanks for stopping in.  And a big thank you to all of you who have inspired me to get busy on my own home and pop out the fall decor.  I am really enjoying it!

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!