Craving spring... faux tulips...a thrifted vase... and why I love Rachel Ashwell...

(click any photos to enlarge)

Okay, I'm really craving a big dose of spring right about now!

Ignore that pink poinsettia that screams Christmas and winter! Instead, focus on the tulips that are beckoning, "Come on spring! We're ready for you!"


Okay, so they're fake tulips, but I don't care... They remind me of spring, and since I'm at the tail end of a cold & snowy New England January, anything that makes me think of warm sunshine and spending time outside is okay in my book...

In addition to the tulips, I got out my Rachel Ashwell 'Simply Shabby Chic' Rosalie tablecloth (it also reminds me of all things spring-like!)... This tablecloth was one of my earliest purchases when I started getting into the shabby-cottage look...

Not only do I love Rachel Ashwell's home decor items (I just splurged on a shower curtain that I'll show you in an upcoming post), I also love her philosophy regarding decorating and life in general... She says, "Perfection is too daunting." Four such powerful words!! She also embraces the "rumpled style," as she calls it, and as you can tell from the tablecloth in the photos, I have no problem enbracing that style either!

Another early "cottage" purchase was this junktique vase. The bottom is marked E.O. Brody Co. M5000 Cleveland, O. U.S.A. It's very similar to this one that I just found on-line while researching the E.O. Brody Co.

So here's to... the anticipation of spring... the acceptance of faux flowers... the fun of thrifting... and the love of Rachel Ashwell's 'rumpled' style and 'perfection' philosophy!


Donna

Packratting pays off ...

My goal is to be a minimalist (ha ha) and get rid of things I don’t use anymore (hey, I didn’t say it was a realistic goal!)…But sometimes, being a packrat pays off big time because last week, as I was sorting through some things I’ve had forever, I came across these!

Sweet little Courtney (now 19) in her bedroom, 1993

Back in the 90’s, both of my girls had canopy beds. The canopy frames met with an early demise (a future blog post for sure), so the canopies got stuffed in a bag and have spent the last 14+ years in the back of a closet (can you say ‘hoarder’??)

So when I came across them last week while cleaning waaaaaay back in the closet, I thought, “Well, I don’t need these anymore.” But as I unfolded them, a light bulb went off in my head…They looked to be just about the right size for….


…tablecloths!! They fit our long, narrow trestle table perfectly!! So now I have two brand new (old) tablecloths, and the fact that they are the girls’ old canopies makes them extra special!


They have sweet little pleated edges and ruffles… perfect for out little cottage dining room… I just love it when I get bright ideas like this, because believe me, it doesn’t happen often!

Donna

Guilty pleasures....

There is nothing more relaxing than a balmy summer evening, sitting out on the deck and flipping through my latest magazines...


Last night at Target I picked up the latest issues of Romantic Country, Romantic Homes, and Garden Gate (as well as some AA batteries and cat food, but they're not as pretty to photograph or as interesting to write about!)...


I spread one of my old vintage tablecloths over the patio table, put my sweet basil (for the smell) and impatiens (for the color) on the center of the table...


...and made a cup of iced coffee in one of my favorite oversized mugs.... Now it's time to sit down and pore over these inspiring magazines. So relaxing... So simple... such guilty (not!) pleasures...

Donna