It's a "We Love White" party - and you're invited!

While visiting Donna at the beautiful Funky Junk Interiors earlier, I learned about a fantastic We Love White party being hosted by Marianne at Songbird, and everyone is invited!! Marianne is also having a giveaway at her beautiful blog (3 giveaways, in fact!!) so be sure to visit her to see why she loves white, and why all the other participating bloggers love white!

Anybody who visits my blog knows how much I love white! Over the past 6-7 years, we have transitioned from a darker, primitive decor (which I still do love!) to a lighter, brighter shabby cottage decor.

(click any photos to enlarge)

The dark pine trestle table that we've had for the past 21 years is always covered with white (or light) table coverings, and the dark bow back chairs were replaced by six white farmhouse chairs. I also painted our old primitive hutch white, giving it instant cottage charm (before & after photos).

All of our living room furniture was painted white as well, which really brightened up this small room. In addition, our 21-year old blue Sturbridge Plaid loveseat is concealed under a white slipcover. Color is easily added through the use of pillows and the vintage bedspread throws that cover our old, threadbare wing chair.

The same goes for the family room. The matching Sturbridge Plaid sofa is covered with a white slipcover and an equally old, threadbare wing chair is covered by a variety of spreads, just as in the living room. Having the white slipcovers, bookcases, and lamps allows me to easily switch accent colors.

Our teeny, tiny windowless kitchen was once a dungeon (before & after photos here)... but not anymore! It's amazing how a little white paint made this small room seem so much bigger! And our old brick fireplace, that hubby would not let me paint, is now hidden behind the new white fireplace cover he built (before & after photos here).

White lampshades, lace runners & table scarves, and pillow shams help make the small rooms in our little home seem so much brighter.

Vases filled with white buttons, white sparkly holiday decorations, pale white & pink pillowcase shams (used as curtains on our front doors), and a white church and tan angel keep the white theme going...

... while white cats (some real, some not) provide a little whimsy here, there, and everywhere.

Our Halloween decorations are light and bright rather than the standard orange and black...

... and white is the predominant color ...

 ... of all the Christmas decorations, too!

And as you can see, the white theme carries right through to the outside as well... There is white wicker patio furniture, our little white backyard shed, and the most beautiful WINTER white for several months out of the year (this is New England, after all!!!).

I hope you enjoyed these collages of Why I Love White! Now be sure to click the button below to head straight to Songbird's WE LOVE WHITE party!!

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!

Donna

Finally!

After many, many months...

of looking this way...

...and looking that way...

... of always sleeping...

... with one eye open...

of waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

...until you have no more "wait" left in you...

... of looking through...

... every window, for the smallest sign ...

...until you feel like climbing the walls ...

... or the windows ...

... because all you see is this.

 F . I  . N . A . L . L .Y

... beautiful, glorious ....

... S P R I N G ....

... has arrived in New England...

HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!!!!

Donna

Thrift Store Mantel Decor...

I've been playing around with the mantel decor a bit and thought it might be fun to group several thrift store finds together...

There's a silver candleholder, some small shaker bottles, a white footed vase...

... and my favorite, the lady head planter vase on the end (found last year at a thrift store in Cambridge, MA). Although she's elegant just as she is, I wanted to try a few different looks on her...

Here she is modeling a bit of faux ivy....

... and here she is sporting a bird's nest to celebrate SPRING.

 Decisions, decisions...

Although it's hardly spring-like, with it's black velvet brim, I kept coming back to this vintage hat with the delightful netting and rhinestone embellishment (picked up at yet another thrift store in Cambridge last year)...

So for the time being, Miss Lady Head Planter Vase will sport her black & white hat while sitting on the mantel among my other thrift store finds.

I'm linking up to Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday, so be sure to stop over and see what everyone is sharing this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Donna



My Decorating Style is COUNTRY ECLECTIC...

...according to a HomeGoods quiz I recently took...


I love HomeGoods. The garden bunny and birdcage on top of the bookcase in my banner came from HomeGoods. And I wrote about them here when I got these storage baskets for under our coffee table; here when I reorganized my bookcases; here when I prettied up our TV area; and here when I created a little vignette on our kitchen counter. So let's see how close their quiz came to defining my decorating style...

Donna, you are a Country Eclectic

You have wide-ranging interests and influences and therefore appreciate a mix of styles, periods, and objects. You would never use a matching suite of furniture or could stand a home that seemed cookie-cutter.


Well, that's true... After all, I did pair this old, ornate mirror with a very modern CD cubby...

But you love the breezy, layered look of wonderfully personal beach houses...

I have to admit, this vintage beachy seagull painting definitely 'spoke to me'...

... and the happy florals of English cottages.

Well, this vintage floral cottage mother's motto is one of my favorites! So far they've got me pegged.

Bringing the outdoors in makes you happy...

That's so true... I use bird garden statues and a basket of lavender (from HomeGoods) on top of the TV in the family room...

And Patience, who used to live in the garden, was moved into the house perrmanently last year...

a little chintz or ruffle or weathered furniture,

Patience sometimes sits on this rusted garden table.... yes, I do love weathered furniture...

...urns filled with tennis rackets, colored glasses filled with cut flowers, vintage-looking, mixed tea cups, and all things that give a sense of a happy, simple life.

Yes, cut flowers in colored glass makes my heart go pitter pat...

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place...

I try...

and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space.

Spotty can vouch for that!

Elements like pillows

Very true... I can't resist big, plump pillows (from Marshalls) on the couch...


...or the windowseat.

throws,


I do love using throws on my wing chairs... lightweight throws for summer...


... and vintage chenille throws for winter.

overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood

Is anything more inviting than an overstuffed chair paired with a "free by the curb" reading lamp? Okay, Mary Higgins Clark, I'm ready for your next book!

You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.

I love layering... solid white paired with this vintage robin's egg blue tablecloth...


...or maybe a quilt (from TJ Maxx) layered over a white tablecloth...

Click here if you'd like to take the HomeGoods Stylescope quiz created by Deborah Needleman, editor-in-chief of Domino magazine. The results of my quiz perfectly matched my decorating style, Country Eclectic... So what's your style?

COMMENT RESPONSE: Patience, my lady planter, was purchased a couple of years ago from The Christmas Tree Shop. She was a dark brown/bronze color and I sponge painted her light grey to look more like a cement planter. Ironically, that same year (after purchasing Patience) I saw very similar planters at HomeGoods!!!!!

Donna