Opulent Cottage

Memorial Day Crawfish Boil

A few years ago we had a Crawfish Boil for Memorial Day. Here's a look back at a few photos, and the original post can be found in its entirety here. 

I hope you all have the chance to enjoy some time with family and friends this weekend! We will be hanging out with my sister and her family, while we remember the very special reason behind this holiday.  

See you later this week! Love to you all :)

Joining:

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Elaine's Sunny Simple Monday

The Creative HomeAcre Hop at A Cultivated Nest

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday.

More Valentine's in the Kitchen

We're in full-on Valentine mode here! I dove straight into it this year, and took advantage of having some items I could use when the Christmas decorations came down. 

Remember when I said that I scored some after-Christmas goodies at WalMart? Well, this little tree is one of my found treasures! Isn't it a cute one to use for other holidays? Actually, it's two of the trees, stacked, which made it a little bit taller. At $1.75 each, they were a bargain. As of a couple days ago, my WM still had some, by the way. I bought two packages of Dollar Tree heart picks and just wiggled them in there. 

This cute glittered Love cutout was in the dollar bin at Target. And I still love love love my striped heart plates from Target, they may be my favorite Valentine's decoration ever.

And how festive is this printable? You'll find it here.

And I have news!! Tomorrow I'll be at Debbiedoo's, with a first-ever home tour of Opulent Cottage! I hope you will stop in and say hi :)

I'm joining:

Debra for Be Inspired at Common Ground

Courtney for Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Cindy for Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Debbie and Shannon's Power of Pinterest Party

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Icy Christmas Dining Room Buffet

The theme for our dining room this year is Icy Christmas! Even though we rarely have those here in Dallas, the sparkle of an icy tree has always captivated me.

The inspiration for this room came from this dazzling wreath. It was plain when I started, and although beautiful, seemed a little too contemporary for the rustic look I was going for this year. I simply added pine cones, holly sprigs, and a sweet bird nest. The wreath got topped off with a plaid flannel ribbon and a glittery Merry Christmas ornament. 

Confession time: I lucked out and found this gorgeous wreath at the Girl Scouts' yard sale down the street for just $5! It came in a Member's Mark box though, so I'm guessing that it was originally sold at Sam's Club. They might even have them now, I'm not sure since we don't shop there. If you have seen them, leave a comment and I'll update this post with the info.

The urns and ironstone bowls were filled with more pine cones and holly sprigs, some vintage Shiny Brite red ornaments, and pretty mercury glass ornaments. The mercury glass continues the beautiful icy theme, with its sparkle and shine. Since we don't have our tree yet, I ran through Home Depot and raided their box of extra tree trimmings. It's so nice to have the fragrance of fresh pine in the house!

I switched out the Bordallo cabbage plates for Christmas trees, and added a sparkly snowflake in the smaller frames above. Some of the plaid flannel ribbon landed on our lamp shades, made into simple bows.

A rustic basket holds my growing collection of vintage pewter and some festive red plates. I'm loving the pewter, and seem to be finding it everywhere I go now. You know, at all of those fancy stores where I shop :)

Mercury glass, glitter and bead ornaments from WalMart, plaid ribbon and holly from JoAnn Fabrics, urns from Hobby Lobby, and Bordallo and ironstone bowls from Ross.

I have a few other places decorated too, and can't wait to show you this week! 

I'm joining

Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Shannon and Debbie's Power of Pinterest Party

A Not Having Halloween Look Back

It's confession time. This is so hard to say, but . . . .

I'm not doing Halloween this year. I love Halloween, I do! We have had a huge party every year, on the Saturday before Halloween, since our daughter was four. Lots of decor, lots of food, lots of fun. But now she's in college, and we're preoccupied with a couple of huge projects, like painting our house trim, getting control of our jungle of a garden, and all kinds of other damage control. Something had to go if it's all ever going to get done.

My very favorite Halloween decor, the thing I will surely miss the most this year, is my collection of vintage kitties. Well, they're not vintage, but vintage look-alikes. I thought I would revisit some of the Halloween kitty decorations I have done in past years. You can see the full post of each by clicking on the highlighted text. 

Last year the kitties graced the kitchen shelves, to cheer us in our breakfast nook.

In 2010, they were displayed on our mantel, along with some harlequin-decoupaged clay pots and candles.

In 2009, a few of the kitties made an appearance for a special Black Cat Breakfast tablescape.

 

Next week I'll put up a few other Halloween photos from years past! 

I'm joining Kim for Wow Us Wednesday and Debbiedoo's Power of Pinterest.

 

Bunnies in the Kitchen

Happy Easter week! I did a little more Easter tweaking to our spring vignettes, to share with you all today. Of course I had to decorate my favorite shelf display in the kitchen nook.

Two more ceramic bunnies were adorned with festive bows with yet more of the thrifted ribbon. Honestly, I have used this in every room this Easter and still haven't even made a dent in the 50 yards!

 

Here again this year are the famed bunnies on a stick, from Pier One a few years back. (They still have them available! They are already on clearance on the web site for $2.21.) I plunked these into two white teapots that seem to have been used for everything but tea, lol.

This plate stand is usually filled with fruit for us to nibble on. I need to get to the store!

I grew some of the wheat grass in egg shells just so I could use the adorable chick egg cups in this display. And guess who found them the first day? This girl must have been craving her greens.

I was across the house and heard a loud thud, and ran in just in time to see my sweet egg cup rolling across the floor. I still can't believe it didn't break. The egg, however, was smashed to smithereens. The root ball must have been holding it together, so I just stuffed it back into the egg cup! 

Our forecast is for strong storms and damaging hail over the next 24 hours, so I ran outside to snap some photos of what's blooming today. Hope they make it through the storm!

Our climber has hundreds more buds, ready to burst forth, and look at it already! The 6 inches of rain that we had in March really made this one happy rose bush.

I babied these gerber daisies last winter and brought them inside during our few freezing nights. And they are rewarding us now! I think I'll bring them in tonight too, to save them from being pummeled. 

 

I have waited for three years for our snapdragons to look like this! I'm guessing that the mild winter we had really helped these along.

Have a wonderful Easter week everyone! I am hoping to be back later this week to share our Easter table. Thank you for coming by!

Today I'm joining

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

 

Easter Mantel, and a Little Break

Hi everyone! Where did the last two weeks go? It sounds like almost everyone in the country is enjoying beautiful spring weather right now. We have spent a good amount of time outside lately, except for a few days of storms. Everyone in Texas is celebrating the 4 and 5 inches of rain that we all received, that's for sure. It's a little mushy in our yard right now, but it's a small price to pay when so many are getting relief from the devastating drought we have been in.

So on to the Easter mantel! We're keeping it simple here this year, and I have also discovered that I don't really have all that many Easter decorations since we moved on the from the "little kid" holiday decor. Plus there's really no time for shopping right now, and after writing a couple of really big checks lately for college - gaaahhhhhh - it's a shop the house kind of Easter this year. 

 

But really, what could ever be more perfect for Easter than the classic Bordallo cabbage plates? I never tire of these.

 

 

A couple of ceramic bunzers, Big Lots circa 2007 or so, 

 

 

some wheat grass in tiny pots,

 

 

and some ribbon from my stash, mixed together for some pretty spring brightness. Thrifted too, I might add! A 50 yard spool of that pretty plaid for $2. Yes, the red candleholders are still red. I figured that it will be Christmas before we know it, so I'll put painting these on the to-do list for 2013 :) Fixing up that tattered mantel is, too. 

 

 

And OK now, don't laugh. But we're already working on decorations for senior prom, and they're already taking over the house, so I'm using some of them in my spring decor.  

The second I saw Debbie's painted tin cans, the "free decorations!" light bulb came on, and I pinned these as an idea for our table centerpieces. Add $3 worth of Dollar Tree florals and some branches from the back yard, and voila, decor! 

I'm just hoping that we can consume enough cans of plum tomatoes between now and May 5th to decorate every table. 

 

In the coming months, my appearance here on the blog may be a little scarce. We're coming up on the last two months of high school with our daughter, and I really want to devote every moment to fully enjoying her activities. I know that once it's over, it's really over, and then we will be enjoying life as empty nesters! We are so happy that Abby will be moving on to college life at the University of Texas, and glad that it's only 3-1/2 hours away. Maurie has clients in Austin that he needs to call on occasionally, so she may be seeing more of us than she really wants to :)

 

Although I plan on cutting back on blogging time, I do have a couple more Easter posts that I'm working on to share with you all before the holiday. I'm also working on writing Part Two of the Slipcover Tutorial, and hope to have that up for you all this week. I promise to still pop in on you all whenever possible, too! 

 

Today I'm joining 

Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 

Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Newbie Reunion Party at Debbiedoos

Spring and Easter Tablescapes, Revisited

I haven't pulled together my Easter tablescape elements yet this year. I don't even really have the theme quite in mind yet, other than Yellow. Yellow hasn't been done here for Easter, and it sounds so refreshing and bright!

Please come with me and revisit some tablescapes done in past years here at Opulent Cottage. We'll start with an Outdoor Easter Table. This was the first year I had acquired my parents' Metlox Pink Lady wedding china, set with silver, shabby candlesticks, and some sweet pink striped napkins.

 

 

I still swoon over these pretty coffee cups.

One of my readers' favorite tables was this pretty romantic lunch table, using the black and white toile plates from Tabletops Unlimited. The original post is found here.  

 
 

 These plates are no longer available anywhere that I have found, but they do pop up on Ebay every now and then. Just in case you're looking :)

 

This grocery-store purchased Churchill and sweet pink roses would be lovely for a spring or Easter luncheon. This tablescape was inspired by the beautiful book Tabletops. (Original post here)

 

It's hard to conjure anything prettier than a teapot and pink roses.

And always perfect for any spring gathering, the classic Bordallo cabbage plates are such a lovely compliment to yellow roses and ivy. Original post here.

 

This could be recreated with the painted pears from yesterday's post!

 

Thank you for coming by to see my past tablescapes! I may share a few more next week, also, and am hopeful that I will have our Easter table to show. Today I'm joining:

Debbie's Springtacular Tablescapes at Refresh Restyle

Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Shirley's Tablescape Party at Housepitality Designs

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Judy's Swing Into Spring at DIY Be Design

Valentine Touches

Valentine's Day is always extra-special for us, as it's also our wedding anniversary. But this one marks a milestone -- 25 years! With our busy lives right now it doesn't really make sense for us to get away, so we're spending the holiday together as a family. I'm looking at it as a sort of four day weekend, with some fun outings, all of our favorite recipes, and plenty of treats. 

 

In the kitchen nook I set a simple table for us to enjoy the next few days. As a base I started with this floral tablecloth, which is actually a thrifted Pottery Barn sheet! 

I added some pretty roses in a tea pot,

A few candles for an evening glow,

and some dessert dishes, awaiting one of the many treats I hope to make for my family.

Some red berries, gingham ribbon, and a sweet ceramic heart decorate a simple twig wreath over our living room mirror. I bought two more of the dollar store kalanchoes, and I think I'll paint up these clay pots with something Valentine-ey. Wouldn't red and white checks be cute?

I'm so ready to start baking some yummy treats and desserts! What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

Joining

Diann's Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Sherry's Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Honey's Potpourri Friday at 2805

Farmhouse Friday at Laurie Anna's

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Laurie's Valentine Party at Bargain Hunting with Laurie

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Tisha's Show and Tell Party at Delectable Home

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Valentine Party at Dear Lillie

 

Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Rag Wreath

Do you all get the Lowe's Creative Ideas flyer? I signed up for it a while back, and have really enjoyed some of the projects that have been featured. (You can sign up for it here.) The project that caught my eye this month was a Valentine heart ornament, made from shop towels. I had never heard of shop towels, but I bet you can guess what color they are!

 

So I'm at the dollar store the other day, in the candle aisle, which happens to be across from the automotive supplies, and what do I see? Yep, shop towels! I immediately loved the linen-ey, burlap-like texture, and the deep, rich red color.

 

 

Brought a couple of packs home, and decided that I would use mine to create a simple rag wreath. Using pliers, I bent a wire hanger into a heart shape, and cut off the hook. I cut the rags in 1 inch strips, then in half lengthwise. It took only 2 packs of 4 towels each to cover the form completely, and I was done in less than one hour. I really packed the strips in there tightly, also.

 

 

Gotta love those $2 projects! The frayed edges give it a homespun and vintage appeal, which I adore. I tied on two pieces of gingham ribbon, and hung it in our entryway. I think I'll head back for a few more packs of towels, and whip out a couple more wreaths while we watch the game tonight. These would make a sweet gift for favorite friends for Valentine's Day, don't you think?

 

Thanks for coming by to see my wreath! I'm joining

Tisha's Show and Tell Monday at Delectable Home

Nita's Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Sarah's Before and After Monday at Thrifty Decor Chick

Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Kristin's Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Mary's Share the Love 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

Donna's Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Valentine Party at Dear Lillie

 

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.