Opulent Cottage

My Tabletops These Days

Someone asked recently why I have not been showing my seasonal table decor this spring. Well, there's a reason for that. Ever since this girl came to live with us, we have had to take a more un-decorated approach to the tabletops here.

Maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking.

I think that poor plant in the background has been a little munched. Oh and did you see my new lamp? No? Well, if I can get the princess off of the table for a few minutes this week, I'll grab a few shots for you. There's a newly recovered lamp shade back there somewhere, too.

More decor coming soon!

Joining:

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday.

Debra's Be Inspired at Common Ground

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

The Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop.

China Hutch Spring Vignette

My poor house is so neglected because of the garden! We have been out there every possible minute lately. And everyone seems to have come alive again with the spring weather. We could hardly get anything done this weekend because of all of the socializing. It was so fun to catch up with neighbors and be outside in the fresh air.

As we have been coming in and out and working on the outside, a big pile of miscellaneous items had been collecting on our dining table. So you know what I did? Spent a few minutes the other night creating a vignette out of all of the things that didn't have a place to go. 

This was all on the table! Plates, bowls, a carafe, some flatware, and even a shell ball that I found at the thrift store last week. 

Pearl-handled knives and a random sterling silver knife were coralled in an old crock.

These little bone spoons were inside a vintage plaid thermos that I bought in Canton, and I didn't discover them for months! They are displayed in a shot glass that Maurie found among some old bottles his dad had collected. I'm thinking that both of those items are pretty old!

I probably couldn't have put this display together if I tried! It was just a happy accident that will make me think a little more creatively about my vignettes in the future.

I'm joining:

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Dawn's Budget Decorating Party at Creative Cain Cabin

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

How I Styled Our Bedroom Bookcase

I told you all in a previous post that I had struggled with what to do with this bookcase for over a year now. Then one day, I realized that it was the perfect place to display our family photos. 

These frames have been collected over the years, and there is no real theme or continuity to them. I kept arranging and rearranging them, and it seemed that no matter how I styled them, they just looked like a messy hodge podge. Buying all new, coordinating photo frames is not something I really wanted to do. Many of these were gifts and have sentimental value to me.

After looking at it over time, I realized that I needed to add some texture, and a little color. I started by grounding the shelves with a couple of Bordallo cabbage plates. It instantly added a balance that helped the collection of frames seem less messy. Next came the glass vases with some faux hydrangeas, and then my gorgeous new tole tray. I loved how the tray gave the entire bookcase a central focal point. A few milk glass vases, some greenery, and voila, the collection seemed a bit more cohesive and pulled together. 

So in the end, using items from around the house brought my frame collection together without spending a dime. The next time you're struggling with creating a display or vignette, give it a try!

I'm joining:

Yvonne's Tutorials Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at FrenchCountry Cottage

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

New Pig

Every once in a while, I cruise through Etsy looking at vintage breadboards. Many of them are out of my price range, but I got lucky a few weeks ago and found this little sweetie --

He's a happy pig :)  A happy, old pig. The lady I bought him from didn't know exactly how old, but he had been in her kitchen for a long, long time. 

I sense a farm yard theme coming on in this corner.

Have a great day, everyone!

I'm joining:

Kim for Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Courtney for Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Cindy for Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

Spring Shelves and Milk Glass

We had such a taste of spring here yesterday. Well, maybe more like summer. The high temp was 86! But only 56 today, crazy weather. 

It was awfully windy, but I still managed to finish a couple of painting projects out in the back yard. Nothing like getting your projects done while also working on a pre-summer tan :)

So while I am pulling together a top-secret project this week, I thought I would share our kitchen shelves, all perked up for spring. 

Cracks me up that this milk glass hen weighs exactly one pound. 

I had ordered two of them from Cotton and Copper on Etsy, and found a third in Canton last month. It was $5.50, can you imagine? BUT! It was half price day at that booth, so she only set me back $2.75. I had to ask twice, to make sure I was hearing correctly. 

And I never thought I would see the day when I had enough milk glass compotes to actually stack them. Thanks to repeated trips to my new favorite little thrift shop, my collection is growing by leaps and bounds. 

Back to the secret project for me :)  Thanks for coming by! 

I'm joining:

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday

Dawn's Budget Decorating Party

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday.

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Debbie and Shannon's Power of Pinterest Party.

Valentine's Day "Dessert" Table

For Valentine's week I wanted to set a cute table. Something that would bring us some cheer and be special and festive all week long. 

And what's more festive than a dessert table?! There's only one problem . . . . This year we are eating healthy for Valentine's Day! No sugary cake or chocolately candies for us. I even made my super-healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal muffins for the teens. I need to write up that recipe and share it with you all, it's just so delicious, full of fiber and lots of yummy white raisins and chopped apricots. 

So in lieu of cookies and candies, we have hobnail candy dishes filled with adorable heart ornaments and cut glass bowls with pink and red holiday balls. 

 

The buffet got a festive garland of my crochet hearts (the pattern is here) and some red and white plates. 

I added a length of gingham ribbon just for fun :) And I cheated for Marty's Cloche Party, and used my covered cake plate. Displayed inside are a Fiesta cup and saucer and a couple of heart ornaments. No cake here!

All of the cheer, with none of the calories!

Thanks for coming by! I'm joining:

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Marty's Cloche Party at A Stroll Thru Life

Dawn's Budget Decorating Party at Creative Cain Cabin

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

A Wintertime Tabletop Garden

It was such a wonderful weekend. Saturday Maurie and I went to First Monday in Canton. It was gorgeous out, and First Monday was a mob scene. We were so happy for all the vendors out there. We also took some time to drive around the country, enjoying the farm animals and abundant wildlife. I came home with a tiny milk glass hen, a longing for country life, and a sunburn. 

Sunday we worked out in the yard almost all day. I'm always just baffled at the amount of clean up that's needed after just a few months of neglect. We hardly made a dent, but the back patio got cleaned up and some winterized plants were pulled out, to get a little sun. 

I had a lovely little vignette set up out back for you today, but this morning we woke up to rain! So the cushions and pillows all got stashed back in the garage, and instead I'm sharing a sweet tabletop garden that I made last year. It was made almost entirely from found objects that were around the house. You'll find all the details, and a tutorial about how to put one together for yourself, here. 

It's a great project for the wintertime blues :) 

I'm joining:

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Dawn's Budget Decorating Party at Creative Cain Cabin

Kristen's Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Tole and Transferware

For the first few weeks after Christmas, I was really relishing the pared down look I had going here, with sort-of empty tabletops and less clutter. Well, I'm so over that now! Every time that I think I'm going to go for a more clean, streamlined look here, it only takes a matter of days before I start to miss my stuff. 

I had even moved my chippy wicker table out of the living room, thinking it would feel more spacious if this piece wasn't in the way. It didn't. It just felt empty and bare. So the table came back, the plates went up, and now I love my living room again. I do think that a smaller table might work a little better here, so I've been cruising Craigslist and consignment shops for something new. 

Remember when I said I had been doing some post-Christmas Etsy shopping, too? Here's my newest find! I love it soooo much. When it arrived I was literally running from room to room, trying to figure out where to put it. It made me wish that I had bought several so I wouldn't have to choose! I think I have a new obsession :)  The tray came from Daph's Small World. She has so many nice vintage items, including several more vintage trays that are really pretty.

One of the other things I missed about the table was having a few candles lit in the evening. These sweet old bottles came from Maurie's mom's basement, and I love how the one is a perfect size to hold a tea light. 

I have something else that's special to share tomorrow. Wait till you see what it is!

Joining

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at FrenchCountry Cottage

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

January on the Porch

In the last few days we have had plumbers, the city, and the heater repair folks all out for a visit. And Maurie had to replace a breaker in our electrical box. The law of threes? I don't know but I sure hope we are done for a while. I needed to take a break from the fun we were having with our plumbing, so I went out front to clean up the porch a little. 

Maybe it's spring fever, but I decided to go to the store to grab a few winter plants. I was baffled by the selection at Home Depot. They were pretty much cleaned out of winter varieties such as pansies and snapdragons, and had none of the pretty ornamental cabbages that I'm seeing all around the neighborhood. What they did have was a huge selection of petunias, geraniums, and crotons. In January? I know this is Texas, but really?

Now it did happen to be 78 degrees out (with 79% humidity!) but we all know that if I had bought those, Dallas would have a recored snowfall next week. It seemed a little more logical to wait before investing in spring plants. I trimmed the pittosporum shrubs in front and the boxwoods in back, and brightened up the potting bench with trimmings and a rosemary plant from out back. 

And guess what? It's going down to 33 tomorrow night. After record heat and severe thunderstorms today. It's North Texas, y'all!

I'm joining

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Pamela's Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

 

Vintage Kitchen Scale

I have been doing a little post-Christmas shopping on Etsy with some Christmas money we received, and the first package arrived last night. I finally bought a vintage kitchen scale!

The sort-of- jadeite green is such a pretty color. I love how it matches the green in this vintage tablecloth. 

The scale came from The Petite Market on Etsy. She has soooo many nice things, and how cute is this packaging? She has really good prices, too.

 

 

Can you all believe these gerber daisies are still hanging in there? It's been two weeks. I trimmed the stems and gave them fresh water every two or three days, just like they always say to on the packaging, and it worked.

It's going to be sunny and beautiful here today, and I might even get out in the garden! But not till I finish catching up on emails. Thank you all so much for your nice messages about the home tour, it really means a lot to me!

I'm joining:

Elaine for Sunny Simple Sunday at Sunny Simple Life

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

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

Yvonne's Tutorial  Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home