We’ve had wonderful weather this summer! In fact, I have yet to turn on the air conditioning. I think that’s a first for me. Usually we’ve had steamy 90 degree days by now. With summer comes the opportunity to guest post on some of my fellow bloggers’ blogs, with everyone busy taking vacations. This week I guest…
For at least 20 years I’ve been a fan of country decor and it’s certainly changed and evolved during that time. Country style decorating has become more sophisticated and its horizons have broadened. Today you’ll see country decor in cottage, farmhouse, and even modern style homes … yes, there’s actually a style called Modern Country! Country…
It’s the month of June and that means bloggers from all over are opening their homes for virtual tours. It’s a great time of year to peek into beautiful homes across the country and gather up oodles of summer decorating inspiration. Today, I’m sharing my cottage style summer home tour to kick off a week…
I’m sitting here thinking of Easter as it’s blowing snow outside. Every few years we get an April snow and I guess this is the year we’re blessed with one last flurry of the white stuff. It promises to be in the 60’s later this week so the snow will be gone soon, thankfully. I’m…
Cottage style is a simple, casual decor that’s easy to create in your home. During the summer, I find it especially easy to infuse cottage style with light colors and summer flowers. Hubby and I recently went on a wildflower picking excursion so I took the opportunity to dress up my cottage style breakfast nook…
If you’re like me, you love to decorate your home but you’re constrained by a budget. For 10 years I was a single mom but I figured out how to buy my own home and decorate it without spending a lot of money. After re-marrying, I had more money to spend but found I wasn’t…
Keeping Christmas simple, I brought touches of greenery into the kitchen. Three little pine trees all in a row, sitting on the windowsill. Leftover boxwood greens from the wreaths I made take up residence in an ironstone pitcher. I love decorating this windowsill through the seasons. An ironstone platter and another platter from Lima, Ohio…
One of my favorite weekend trips is a visit to historic Galena, Illinois. Even Midwest Living magazine has featured it on many occasions. Home of Ulysses S. Grant, Galena’s main street is a shopping mecca of boutiques, antique stores, and many restaurants. But what I love most about Galena is its rolling hills and historic…
Summer on a farmhouse porch. Warm breezes blowing through your hair while birds sing in the trees. Squirrels run across the lawn and scurry up a tree before the family cat catches up. Sipping lemonade while ice cubes tinkle inside against the glass you wonder, “Does it get any better than this?” I love summer…
My guess is that most of you have decorating staples that you turn to again and again. It might be statement artwork, pillows and throws, houseplants, or anything else you might love that’s always a mainstay in your décor. For me, and especially this time of year, it’s vintage amber bottles. Today is Cozy…
Welcome to the first part of my fall farmhouse tour! I’ve been getting rooms ready ever since Deb at Seeking Lavender Lane decided to organize this fall tour of farmhouse bloggers. Every day this week, different bloggers are sharing their homes decked out for the fall season. The links are at the end of this…
Although it’s not officially fall, the autumn decorating season in the blogger world has begun! Last week I joined Taryn Whiteaker and a few other ladies for a DIY fall project. Today I’m joining a slightly larger group to share more seasonal decor. See how to create a vintage fall mantel with old brown bottles…
I think most people collect something in their lifetime. Kids collect marbles and rocks. Pre-teens collect baseball cards and teens collect magazines. Adults collect any number of things from antique coins to dishes to cars and more. One of my favorite collectibles is white ironstone, due to its affordability and timeless appeal. (This post contains…
It’s no secret I love bottle brush trees and I’m always thinking of creative ways to display them during the holidays. Sometimes the smallest detail can make a big difference. I haven’t used up all my ideas yet for displaying bottle brush trees, which is a good thing. I can use the ideas next year!…
Summer is more than half over and while I love fall, I will mourn the loss of long sunny days. But for now, I’ll enjoy the colorful flowers from my garden.  My ever-expanding collection of vintage aqua bottles proudly display cheery Zinnias from the garden. Altogether it makes my summer mantel. I thought I had collected…
Do you remember sleeping under fluffy handmade quilts at your grandmother’s house?  The thought of her hands sewing each stitch with needle and thread made you feel like she was holding you while you fell asleep. The tender care of crafting quilts make them such a treasured icon in the home. My personal belief is that every home…
