decorating

Walking in a Winter Wonderland…

December 9, 2012 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

Winter’s Blanket.

Do you think it is possible to have a Winter Wonderland without snow? I hope so. Christmas this year is a Winter Wonderland with simple touches.

Let’s start with outdoor seating. On a limited budget, working with what he had on hand, designer, Vince Maggio made the simple decision to move my summer wicker seating from the porch to the the front lawn. The crisp white is the perfect foil for the abundant greens and reds we used for the decor.

Seating group, vintage side table painted shiny red for contrast, vintage water can with fresh holiday greens and a sparkly ribbon were the starting points. We then took an odd urn, added a small table top tree from Lowe’s (at a meager $12.50) randomly adding fresh winter red pepper berries (artificial natural decor works just as well) and a vintage camp blanket along with a french grain sack pillow completes the picture.

Take a seat. Any time. Enjoy friends, family and neighbors. Cold weather or mild temperatures…gathering together will keep you warm.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Merry Christmas.

Cindy

Decorated or Unadorned…appreciate the simplicity.

Add fresh pepper berries and it’s not too fussy.

An invitation to relax and enjoy the day.

A blanket for warmth, surrounded by loads of vintage and the natural.

Thank our sponsors by giving them a visit. They have made these Christmas ideas possible.

GOOD LOOK, Inc.

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: antique, berries, berry, camp blanket, can, christmas, cottage, decorating, fresh, greens, holiday, lowes, maggio, outdoors, pepper, simple, vince, vintage, watering, winter

The Christmas Cottage

November 25, 2012 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

I didn’t post last week, I have just been extremely busy getting ready for the Christmas Holiday. This year, our local Lowe’s here in McKinney is sponsoring my house for Christmas. The manager, Brian Washburn has been extremely generous and accommodating by providing us decorations to support our design. When I say “our” design, it really is the vision of my good friend, antique dealer, merchandiser and designer, Vince Maggio of GOOD LOOK, Inc..

He designs, I execute. As such, it has been very busy.

This year, it is all about simplicity. A Very Simple Christmas.

We’ll have more pictures in my next posting, but for now…here is a sneak peak:

Rustic and refined. Sparkly bow, real pepperberries, fresh greens from Lowe’s in a vintage water can.

GOOD LOOK, Inc.

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Uncategorized Tagged With: christmas, cottage, decorating, fresh, good, good look, greens, inc, look, lowes, maggio, pepperberries, rustic, simple, snow, vince, winter

My All Time Favorite Christmas Issue

October 16, 2012 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

A Scenic Winter View.

Country Living HOLIDAYS 2002. I have read that issue literally hundreds of times and in ten years, it continues to resonate with me, not just during the holidays, but all year long. One particular article about a family who lived in a small barn as their main house was being re-built after a fire is the one that caught my eye.

The barn had been decorated to have all the comforts of home while the family was temporarily displaced. I loved the worn surfaces and the light palette. I was drawn to the antique pieces that had a European feel to them. I admire the the utter simplicity. As a result, I have spent the last 9 years trying to emulate that style in my own little cottage.

Since this was a holiday issue, the lodging has been decorated in a really restrained way for Christmas, but feels no less festive than the most decorated homes. As the holidays have come and gone, I find myself trying to do more with less. Having an appreciation for simplicity and the reduction in stress that goes along with it.

Thanks for stopping by for my first Christmas post. I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

My All Time Favorite Issue.

The Winter Barn.

The Cozy Cottage Kitchen.

Where we gather.

The Well Appointed Couch.

Lovely Old Doors.

White Painted Plank Walls.

Dormers and Angles Make Cozy Nooks.

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Uncategorized Tagged With: antiques, barn, christmas, cottage, country living, cozy, decorating, european, holidays, homey, vintage

Fall-i-de-scope.

July 30, 2012 by Cynthia 4 Comments

Hand made jute tassel against the vibrant orange velvet.

Oranges, greens, browns and purples. All the colors of fall emerge and act as a signal to a great time of year full of fun and frolic and the holidays. As part two of my three part series on seasonal tables, I have created a table that celebrates the wonderful, vibrant colors of the fall season.

I challenged myself to create a table that references the fall season through color and texture, rather than using established icons like pumpkins, leaves and gourds. There is a certain balance between the rustic and the refined in this table scape. The birch bark that sheaths the zinc pots to the toile that was used for the napkins and window seat pillow covers. The chippy white painted columns used as centerpiece bases to the DIY mercury glass candle holders. The beautiful vintage amethyst cut glass plates against the home made jute tassels. The elegant orange velvet bands as a counterpoint to the vintage grain sacks used as chair slipcovers. All in all, a sweet way to welcome family and friends.

Credit where it is due, thank you to Vince at Good Look, Inc for collaborating with me on this table design…you continue to be a great resource to find the items for all my zany ideas, along with your great ideas and suggestions!

Here is what you will see:

Old porch post cut down in sections for the centerpiece, holding candles and flower arrangements
Zinc pot covered with birch bark for the flower arrangements
Chair caning used for a table runner
Hand made jute tassels
Hand made coasters using chipboard with embossed pattern
DIY Mercury glass candle holders using a pattern transfer method (how-to Click Here)
Fall inspired pillow and cushion slipcovers
Updated vintage napkins
Vintage grain sacks used as a dining chair slip cover for a quick and simple update
Simple grocery store flowers and fruits for affordable centerpieces

Pictures below. I hope you find some inspiration!

Always,

Cindy