Opulent Cottage

Victoria Magazine January Copycat Challenge: A Timeless Display for a Potting Bench

Since putting away the Christmas decor, I have been a little stumped on where I wanted to go next with the potting bench on our front porch. I mean, it's winter. We still have plenty of nice weather in Dallas, but it could get cold any time. It doesn't make sense to spend alot on plants, but the bench is what I see right out my kitchen window, and I can't just look at it sitting empty!

Remember the magazines I spoke of earlier? Well, it turns out that there's a reason I have never parted with them. Enter Victoria magazine, January 2001. This beautiful vignette stopped me in my tracks. Every issue of Victoria that I have been going through is still as lovely and relevant today as it was when published. That speaks volumes about classic design, doesn't it?

 

 

I loved every element in the photo. Then I realized, I have all of this! The galvanized pails, a white lantern, and lots of crusty pots. I dug around in our back yard and storage area, and now our potting bench has a lovely new winter vignette.

Y'all know me:  most of these items were thrifted, yard-saled, or just plain plucked from the side of the road. Seriously, could you drive past a big trash heap with watering cans in it and not slam on the brakes? Leave perfectly weathered galvanized buckets to their fate in the landfill? I didn't think so :)  And if you haven't seen my Christmas post about the potting bench, it was saved from a big trash day heap, also. As was that pretty lantern with the cut glass panels. OK, they're actually plastic, but I couldn't even tell until I took it apart to paint it.

The lush kalanchoes came from our local 99 Cents Store, for a whopping $2. Succulents are $1 each there, and I'm going to start picking them up whenever I see them for a future Copycat Challenge. (Hint: did anyone else see the spring Country Gardens magazine?)

I love this little touch of freshness in the middle of January. Granted, it was 76 outside the day I set this up, and I had to go change into shorts. But this is Dallas, and next week it could snow. If it does, the kalanchoes and succulents will come and hang out in the house until it warms up. Last night we sat outside with our friend Katy, lit all of the candles, and enjoyed the beautiful evening.

Funny too, that I didn't read the article until I had finished, and learned that this is a store! In Paris! Maybe I should set up shop on my front porch, haha.

Thank you, Victoria, for showing us beautiful, timeless vignettes that are as fresh today as they were eleven years ago.

I'm joining:

Seasonal Sundays #84 at The Tablescaper

Debbie's Magazine Copycat Challenge at Debbiedoo's

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Mary's Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Party Time Tuesday at Northern Cottage

Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday #98 at Coastal Charm

Marty's 100th Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Beth's Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z

Mary's Share the Love Party at Very Merry Vintage Style

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Judy's Winter Blues Wednesday at DIY By Design

Paula and Patti's What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Sherry's Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Gina's Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Jill's French Inspiration Thursday at French Cupboard

Joy's Thriftin' on a Thursday at Savvy City Farmer

Diann's Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday#74 at Common Ground

Farmhouse Friday at Laurie Anna's

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Jen's Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello

Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

 

Finding My Stash

When I cleaned out my stash in the bedroom, I found my crochet basket. Which is awesome, because I have been pinning an insane amount of crochet photos, and wanting to make something to give me relief from all the cleaning. There is an abundance of crazy gorgeous crochet projects on Pinterest. You can see my crochet category here.

So I finished up a small project -- miracles do happen! Especially when one is organized!

I blocked it, and now it's ready to become a pillow. That I have wanted forever. 

It looks so pretty against my going-to-be-white slipper chairs! The colors appear really bright in this photo, but are actually a tad more muted. I hope to back it in some really nice black velvet. (I'll tell my secret for finding that soon.)

And just for fun, some drool-worthy crochet photos from Pinterest:

This is a must-do for spring pillowcases

 

 

 

Oh goodness. How long might it take me to do every hanger in my closet? And these wood hangers are at my dollar store right now, pack of three.

 

 

 

I thought I might need resuscitation after seeing these

 

 

 

 

All photos from here

Even Minnie loves crochet. This is the reason that my bed doesn't always get made first thing every morning.

Thank you for coming by! Today I'm joining:

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Sherry's Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Farmhouse Friday at Laurie Anna's Vintage Home

Honey's Potpourri Friday #20 at 2805

Heather and Vanessa's Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Alison's Fridays Unfolded #50 at Stuff and Nonsense

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Diann's Thrifty Things Friday #42 at The Thrifty Groove

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

 

Joining the Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge

When I heard about the Imagine the Possibilities Challenge last week, I hardly knew where I might start. Tackle my most daunting project. Well, I can tell you in all honesty that any type of organization is my most daunting project, always. Just choosing a project was daunting to me. But last night, after I showed you all the plywood table that Maurie put together for me, I realized that organizing this space is my Impossible Challenge!

We have a sum total of 1-1/2 closets in this house. No pantry, no linen closet, no coat closet. Maurie and I share one small closet, and Abby's is only about 4 feet wide, hence the 1/2. 

The before photo of our bedroom corner wasn't really completely truthful. See, before I took this photo I had removed:

A towering pile of summer clothing that had yet to find a place to be stored. 

Approximately 8,437 magazines that I have not been able to part with since the mid 1990s. Think I'm joking? Who remembers this one?

Or this one?

Yep, 1997. I had completely blocked from my mind the fact that magazines cost a mere $3.99 then. The good ole days! I will still not be able to totally part with all of these, so I'm going to take the advice of my pal Brenda, Queen of Everything Organized, and create another inspiration binder with the pages that still make me swoon.

Also present were 7 lampshades, a pair of draperies, 4 pillow covers, 3 sheets, a tablecloth, and a box of family photos that don't currently have a home on a tabletop anywhere else. 

By the end of the day yesterday, this was what we had

 

 

So my challenge is to:

Sew a lovely tablecloth for the ugly plywood table.

Create organized storage for out of season clothing.

Create extra storage bins/baskets for ongoing projects. Wouldn't want to embrace doing one project at a time just yet -- I mean, let's attack one issue for now.

Update and display family photos.

Organize and store extra linens.

But first and foremost, to make it attractive, and not junky. Something I can bear to look at when I'm relaxing and reading a magazine at night. Something that won't make me cringe when I walk in the room, unlike the former pile. How amazing is this?

photo found here

This is pretty amazing too

 

Photo found here

 

Now you know why you have only ever seen our bedroom from this angle:

But here's hoping that my Impossible Challenge is completed, and our room will be able to be revealed in all its glory! Cross your fingers for me, and heck, join in!

 

Today I'm linking to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Sherry's Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Gina's Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

More Projects, All at Once

Does anyone else, when they go into project mode, start multiple projects all at once, leaving utter chaos in their wake?

 

It never starts that way for us, but somehow almost always seems to go that way in the end. I could chalk it up to the mess that is created when doing any project here, due to the space constraints of our small home. I could chalk it up to having different projects going on during the weekends, when my burly man is here to handle hauling and heavy lifting. I could also just be honest and admit that there are so many things on our to do list, that starting one project facilitates needing to do another first, and on and on and on.

So the chairs haven't been touched. Meanwhile, the last Christmas boxes got packed away, but since I had stashed some of my work materials in a few, then I needed to reclaim another storage box from the bedroom, which created a meltdown over lack of storage there, which created another project. And Abby needed an new bedskirt, since we added risers to her bed in order to create more storage there, so I cut into the fabric for the chairs, which I will need to replace tomorrow when we go to Lowe's to buy more paint to touch up her room, and oh my goodness what a mess we have made.

BUT. Due to the new table that was made today, I will finally have a place to keep my out-of-season clothing, and boots, and linens, and alot of other items that have never really had a home. For under $20, we made this for an empty wall in our bedroom that always seemed to be piled with extra stuff. I think I will make a skirt for it from a pretty vintage chenille bedspread, and top it with a bookcase that will create even more space for storage. No more boxes sitting in the corner here.

Whew! I hope we get done, someday. Although we're never really done, are we :)?

Joining Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

A Step Further

Well, I did it. I trotted on over to Lowe's, and picked up two packages of the famed Finish Factor dropcloths. They spent a night in the washer, soaking in bleach to lighten them, then were washed several times over to soften. Dried within an inch of their lives, in order to avoid shrinkage in the future. I have no delusions that, in this household, they will visit the laundry room more than a couple of times. I draped them over the red chairs to get a feel for how they might look when slipcovered.

I'm having a blast trying out different color combinations of pillows, thinking about how to display color a little differently in this room. You all know I wouldn't go all neutral! I think that when finished, these really will accomplish what I hoped for, a lovely background for new seasonal pillows and decor. How fun is this wintery combination of plaid and vintage quilt?

See that quilt-topped table in the background? I really can't even recall how long I have wanted one. This quilt was a wedding gift from Maurie's grandmother and aunt. It has been well-loved, and since I don't think it will hang in there through too many more washings, making it into a table cover is the best way I can think of to continue enjoying it.

Speaking of color, aren't these mums so pretty? Our local dollar store has them periodically, and they are such a treat of springey goodness on this cold and blustery day. 

Sharing with

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Sherry's Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Farmhouse Friday at Laurie Anna's Vintage Home

Honey's Potpourri Friday at 2805

Heather an Vanessa's Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Alison's Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Diann's Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

2012 Home Goals

Ten days into this new year, we are still wrapping up the Christmas declutter, and finally purchased the last two storage boxes that we need to get it all packed up. Thanks to Debbie's post, I'm on a mission to prove that I am NOT in fact a hoarder, and have the organizational skills to prove it. Do I sound like I'm convincing myself here??!!

I have spent a good amount of time thinking about how my projects will come together in 2012. This spring, we will have been in this house for 26 years. The poor thing has taken a beating, and after that long, alot of things need to be redone that have already been done. That's sometimes good, and sometimes not. While I don't know if we are ready to pack all 1190 square feet into a POD so we can redo our hardwoods, there will be plenty of other damage control going on.

Here's a photo from years ago of our much-loved slipper chairs in the living room. After years of teens, and dogs, and eating and lounging in these chairs, they have needed to be freshened for a while now. Let's just say that they don't really look this good any more.

 

 

I'm dreaming of something a bit more like this

photo found here

This is just the first of what I hope to be a huge transformation in this room! Just like in our Dining Room, I'm really craving a more neutral palette to work with. I will probably keep the yellow walls, maybe?, and recover with fabrics that give me more flexibility with all of our seasonal decorating. 

Pillows in this

 

Or this

.

Or this pretty print

Would be dreamy for spring! All fabrics, Waverly from JoAnn Fabrics.

 

We have plenty more fun (and not fun) projects on the list:

Replace draperies. Repaint dated drapery rods, and finials.

Pull out gas logs and repaint firebox interior. Yuck. This would be considered majorly not fun.

Tile the hearth. (This has been on the list since 1986. Maybe this is the year!)

Repaint walls and touch up all woodwork. Not fun stuff, I know. But it's been a good ten years since we last did that, and this poor little room has gotten scuffed and dinged and tattered since then. It will feel so good to give it all a fresh coat of paint.

Update the 1980s armoire, shown above. I'm thinking about removing the moulding, chopping off the bonnet top (not shown in the photo, I always cropped it out because I can't stand it!), re-adding new moulding, and refacing the door fronts. Maybe just with some simple beadboard. Oh and those bun feet have GOT to go! The whole thing might be red when I'm done, too :) I know that sounds like alot of work for one armoire, but it's a nice, solid pine piece, and it fits in this space perfectly. The width of this wall is only 13 feet, and includes the doorway to the tiny hall.

 

I will not even show you our dog-slobbered, kid-trashed sofa slipcover that we're living with right now. It's blah, boring, dirty, and gross. This fabric was so pretty when I bought it! But multiple washings later, it's past its prime. With a new slipcover, I hope to transform our sofa to something fresh like this gorgeous one

photo found here

Don't you just adore those pleats? And the bun feet are going to be replaced with a style similar to the ones above. It will be so nice to see under the sofa to more easily vacuum up those dust bunnies. 

It's been cold, rainy and dreary here, so it's the perfect time to get some projects done inside! While I contemplate those slipcovers, I'll also be scheming up some fun Valentine's projects, for an extra-special Valentine's Day this year. I'll share more soon! Thanks for coming by to hear about my Home Goals.

I'm joining Kim for Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style, Judy's Winter Blues Wednesday at DIY by Design and The Nester for 2012 Home Goals, and Sherry's Open House Party at No Minimalist Here.

 

A Fresh Start in the Kitchen

Happy New Year! Today I'm filled with the anticipation of this new year, and the sense of renewal in starting with a fresh calendar and all that it promises. Such a great time to clean and refresh, and get organized for the year ahead.

Our holiday didn't exactly go as planned. Seems that teens, at a certain point, begin to smell the independence that is right around the corner for them as they await their journey to college. And that they actually want to go out on New Year's Eve, and not stay at home under the watchful eyes of parents. Hmmpphhhh. So the aforementioned party was not, and Maurie and I made a fire out back and a dinner of our favorites from the party food we were missing. 

We had three days of such beautiful weather. Much yard work was done, and Abby was even able to lay out and tan herself all three days of the long weekend. Our leaves are just now falling here in Dallas, so there was plenty of cleanup to be done. 

I finally conceded and began to take down the Christmas decorations. The kitchen decorations were the first to go, and I consoled myself by rearranging the countertops and kitchen nook shelves. I really just wasn't ready to part with the plaids though, so I incorporated them into what I hope is more of a rustic winter vignette than a too pathetic to let go of Christmas vignette. 

This is the first year that I remembered to root some ivy during the winter, so I will have extra to plant in our pots outside this spring. A neighbor told me long ago to always place ivy in a glass in a sunny windowsill, and it will root right away. 

Can I just say how happy I am to have this large cooler to hide stuff in? With no real pantry here, I'm always grasping for ways to stash the items that I don't really want piled on the countertops. This will be the perfect hideaway for bags of bird seed. I also love having this narrow basket for produce. The little red shelf was a cookbook rack, I think? Another find from the side of the road. I painted it red and have used in the garden, as well, to hold flower pots.

I hope this first week of the new year finds you hopeful, and welcoming of the fresh start that January 1st brings! 

I'm joining Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday, Gina's Transformation Thursday at Shabby Creek Cottage, Sherry's Open House Party at No Minimalist Here, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Honey's Potpourri Friday at 2805, Sherry's Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Heather and Vanessa's Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence, Laurie Anna's Farmhouse Friday, Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors, Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper, Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

 

 

A Look Back at 2011

The recent blogging tradition of taking a look back at the prior year's accomplishments had me intrigued, so I decided to take a look back at the past year here at Opulent Cottage. Come along for the ride while I reminisce about some fun projects from 2011.

 

We kicked off 2011 with a couple of small projects that gave us a big impact. In January, we installed some thrift store shelving on a formerly bare wall and gained a new display area in our kitchen nook.

 

After years of loathing the builder-grade mirror in our tiny bathroom, I finally took Rhoda's advice and trimmed in out with moulding and square medallions from Home Depot. What a dramatic change!

 

 

In February we said goobye to the formerly dark walls in our dining room, and embraced the neutral style that so many other bloggers had inspired me with. The room seems lighter and brighter, and I love having a neutral palette as a background for seasonal decorating!

 

 

With spring right around the corner, in March I featured our red toile bedroom. We have loved this room for years, and never more so than when the sun is shining in and the vibrant colors come to life.

 

 

April brought a small addition to our foyer, some sweet tole trays that inspired me to update this tiny room.

 

 

In May I must have sensed the long, hot and dry summer that was to come, and I simply perked up our patio pots with found items, forgoing the planting of fresh flowers. What a blessing that turned out to be!

 

 

And indeed the summer was kind of miserable for us here in Texas! We kicked it off with a citrus-themed birthday party for our daughter,

 

 

Spent a good amount of time here,

 

 

And canned and preserved summer's bounty for the first time! And yes, we are still enjoying the wonderful roasted tomatoes, and will never let a summer go by without doing this again.

 

 

Before we knew it, along came fall, where we were distracted by football games and all the activities that came along with our daughter's senior year in high school. I did manage to create a cheerful fall tablescape,

 

 

Bring out the kitty collection,

 

 

And decorate for our Halloween party.

 

 

November arrived with its lovely cooler weather, and we welcomed the chance to be outside again. On a walk one day I found this amazing vintage screen grate. I promptly brought it home, cleaned it up, and gave it a place of honor with a pretty wreath for fall.

 

 

Another found object was this potting bench, plucked from side of the road. Such a lucky find!

 

 

It hardly seemed possible that December was upon us. Along with all the usual holiday decorating, I was honored to have two of my handcrafted projects featured. These plates were included in a Dallas Morning News article on handmade gifts, written by my friend Jamie Knodel.

 

 

And this Pottery Barn copycat vase was featured by Beckie at Knock Off Decor. It was a thrill to have these items recognized, as I always hope to inspire others to give handmade gifts a try. 

 

 

Now when I ask myself, what did I do last year, I have proof that I accomplished at least a few things! There are so, so many more projects on the to-do list here at Opulent Cottage, and my hope is that we will tackle quite a few more of them in 2012. Many thanks to all of you who have visited, and encouraged me throughout this last year. I look forward to another year of being inspired by your projects and improvements also! 

 

Many wishes for a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!

With love to you all,

Andrea

 

I'm joining these blog parties:

Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Sherry's Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday 

Honey's Potpourri Friday at 2805 

Alison's Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Nite Special at Donna's Funky Junk Interiors

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Table Top Tuesday at Marty's A Stroll Thru Life

Recap Party at DIY Showoff

Festive New Year's Tablescape

One of my most viewed blog posts is from New Year's 2009, when we hosted a few of Abby's friends for a seated dinner the week before the holiday. I thought I would repost a few photos here today, in the hopes of inspiring a few of you for your NYE holiday table!

 

We had such fun setting this festive table, which was inspired by these zebra plates that my contemporary teen just adored. They were simply placed over the classic Gibson white dinner plates, and flanked with some pretty lucite flatware.

It was so easy to just gather a few sparkly items from around the house to embellish our tablescape. Mercury glass candlesticks, vintage punch cups, and Mardi Gras beads made our table fun, glimmery and festive.

I was in black, glass and silver mode, but Abby wanted to infuse a little color. She picked up some Dollar Tree holiday ornaments and glass drops in a pretty turquoise color to add punch to our theme. 

Oversized glittered snowflakes were perfectly glamourous place mats. 

Mixed and matched glassware is always a favorite of ours. The girls enjoyed having a special homemade and teen-friendly punch in these vintage style champagne glasses. 

 

We're getting ready for the big countdown this year, too! The teens are excited for the clock to strike 2012, their graduating year. I'll be posting some more fun New Year's ideas this week, as well as yummy festive eats. Thanks for coming by to see our tablescape!

 

I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday, Aimee's Overflowing With Creativity, and Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life.

A Little More Holiday Decor

As if every tabletop here isn't full enough, now I have moved on to the walls. I mean, we only have less than 1,200 square feet here, and this stuff has gotta go somewhere :)

 

 

My skates came in! Finally, after some kind of shipping snafu. These new/old/maybe vintage skates are the only thing that I bought this holiday season, well, other than the lanterns that I used a gift card for. I have coveted some of these forever, and the $14 price tag was too irresistible to pass up. 

 

This chippy window frame has been all over the place. I think I found it in a big trash heap, dragged it home, then to my antique booth, where it never sold, then to the attic for awhile, then to almost every room in our house. I almost made it into a screen for our fireplace. But I like it here, on the wall in our living room, the most. 

 

And remember the vintage screen grate that I used as wall decor? It was given a simple adornment of some found berries and leftover pine cones. I like to think that in its heyday, when it was on the front door of the old farmhouse, it proudly held a wreath then, too. Makes me wonder how everyone in our neighborhood decorated back in the 20s.

Thanks for looking at more of our holiday decor! I promise I'm almost done. And then, it's on to New Year's Eve!! This is a special one for us, the year for our graduate. We will have a houseful of teens, so I'll be showing lots of glittery decor and some really yummy treats.

I'm joining Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday, Cindy for Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home and Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper..