A Few of my Favorite Things

As I said in a past post, I look forward to getting our tree and decorating it beginning in about July.  I love the smell, the feel, the childhood memories it brings back.  I could go on. I try to make sure that my girls have the same happy memories of this time of year that I do.  

I have a deep love of France as I lived there briefly and my degree is in the language. 

I debated about this bow as it is a little over the top.  But I really like it!

One day I will stop apologizing for my bad photographic skills.  Until then I have to fill you in.  The paper on the top of the eiffel towel says "wish."

These ornaments are from Pottery Barn and I love them for their sparkle as well as their simple messages.

                     This dragonfly, though small, stands out on a tree because of its uniqueness.

I wrap the gifts with brown kraft to keep in the natural and neutral theme.  I find eyelet or white trim and add jingle bells or glittery balls.  

This is my second favorite ornament.  I made it out of grain sack fabric for a friend of mine.  I wrote on a small piece of paper my wish for her for 2012 and enclosed it in the heart before sewing it up.

And finally the ornament I hold the dearest is this angel.  About five years ago I had my first Christmas tree that I had had in a very long time.  And my friend knew that I had no ornaments.  She showed up with a box of about three of them to start my collection.  I have two of these angels and hope to pass them on to my two girls one day.

Merry Christmas

and

Happy Holidays

Thank you for making this, my first year, of blogging a pleasure.  Your kind words always encourage me and warm my heart.

MC

Beginning to Decorate

In July or August I think about how many months I have to wait before getting our tree.  I love everything about the experience.  I think that is due to very good childhood memories at Christmas tree lots.  But usually the day after Thanksgiving I put a few decorations up before the tree hunting outing.  

I made these stocking from vintage grain sacks.  I like the rustic feel of them against the shiny letters.

I found these letters at Michaels.  I was going add glitter after I painted them metallic silver.  But I liked the result after the first step so decided to stop there.  I wanted to make them look like stocking holders.  They are very light so I used upholstery tacks in front of them to hold the stockings in place.

Angel mercury candle holder.  I like her dress.

This simple wreath draws the eye to the molding in my hallway.

This small wreath is sold as a centerpiece.  But I added pink striped ribbon and hung above the girls' beds.  

One of the my favorite vendors at our local flea market sells things made from antique ceiling tins.  I was thrilled when I found this piece to hang on our front door.

I made a few white linen stockings with a frayed ruffle which are in my Etsy store.

And I wait all year to hang my C wreath.  

Happy decorating!

xo

Michele

Giving Thanks

As much as I love Christmas, and you will see in the coming weeks that I do, Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart.  For years I have gone to Mom's bed and breakfast in Washington state.  It is a quiet sleepy town called Port Townsend.  I plan to feature the inn in an upcoming post.  One of the reasons I love to be there this time of year is that time seems to slow down.  I have the opportunity to stop and reflect on my year.  This year, though, they came to me!  We had a wonderful time.  My brother and his kids came as well.  

I decorated with tiny white pumpkins

Mercury glass and white roses

Hotel silver, mismatching plates, and a 100 year old German linen tablecloth

And sprigs from my rosemary topiary

The kids' table mimicked ours but with a grain sack runner, my absolute favorite pitcher

And small mason jars for their drinks

But the table paled in comparison with those I got to sit around it with

I am grateful everyday for the people in my life

I often make a gratitude list

So I never forget how blessed and fortunate I am

Happy Sunday

xo

Michele

Girls' Room

I learned recently that my apartment may be featured in an online remodeling blog which boasts a huge readership.  Needless to say, I am very excited.  But what comes with that is a push to get absolutely every project one has ever dreamed of done in a matter of two weeks.  Hence, the radio silence recently.  As of five days ago, my girls' room was yellow and their headboards an oak color.  I have to say that they were beautiful the way they were.  But I had a vision for the room and so decided to follow it.  The brown you see on the floral detail is intentional, partially left over from the original color and partially achieved by sanding and a brown glaze.   

I am happy with the outcome but I am sure that I will work more on them after the photo shoot.

I love the detail and wonder how an artisan achieves this in woodcarving.

I wanted it to have a chalky look.

But to also feel old and worn, which, at almost 100 years old, it certainly is.

It is tough to see in photos but I used a dirt glaze, which I rubbed into the ornamentation to give it depth and warmth.

I actually really like that the swag is broken in the middle.  I think it implies authenticity.

I am having rails made at the moment.  After they are completed, the bed will be raised off the ground and have a matching footboard.

I absolutely love the Louis XVI style of these caned headboards.

The girls and I found this chalkboard at our local antiques fair/flea market.  It is made from antique ceiling tins.

As soon as we got it home, they marked it as their own.  There was no question as to where we would hang it :)

This bench is a hand me down from a friend of mine.  It was black, which doesn't really fit in our apartment at the moment, so I painted it pale pink.

If you look closely you can see that I added some white polka dots.

And last but not least, the obligatory tidy up reminder.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll post more next week after I finish.  I am planning to make moss covered letters, in the form of their monograms, to hang above the beds.  

xo

Michele

PS the pillows are available in my Etsy store.

A Few Recent Projects

I wish I was the kind of person who started out on one task, finished it, and moved on to the next.  I am not.  I seem to be working on approximately nine at any given time.  I wanted to share of a few I have actually finished. 

I began this project Labor Day weekend.  I finished one chair.  The other was not completed until early Oct :) You can see the before pics in my Labor Day Makeover post.  (This is only for the brave).

I am, though, pretty happy with the outcome.

I think there are many people who shake their heads when they see that my dining chairs don't match. ;)

I made and sold a few of these white linen pillow shams in my Etsy store and really like the feel of them.  The edges are unfinished.  I think that this roughness offsets the sweetness of the ruffle.

I have been meaning to make a blue grain sack body pillow for a while now. 

I waited until I found the right sack.

And this coverlet is a favorite of mine.  I like how the pillows do not match but coordinate.

It has a tight weave and a beautiful red stripe pattern.

But the best part of this is the bottom where the stripes do not match up.  It is just how it was made over 80 years ago.

The fabric I used to make this runner is unique in that it s a windowpane pattern.  I love it!

The blue must have offset when it was made, which I also really like.  I think it adds character.

And this runner is pretty simply but would adorn any French country table well.

All but the chairs are available at Maison de Michele

Have a great weekend

Michele