Vintage Frame Collage Wall

Over the weekend I tackled a little decorating project.  I absolutely love the wallpaper I have in my living and dining room, but I seem to have the hardest time finding anything to hang on the wall that doesn't get swallowed up by the bold print.  It is a small space, so hanging one giant piece of art would throw off the proportions.  I decided I wanted to do a collage of vintage framed art a while back, but I have had empty frames hanging up there for so long people thought it was intentional!  I forgot to take a photo while the frames were empty, but you can get a good idea of how clutter seems to build up on my buffet by seeing the "before" photo.  I am not in love with every print I put in the frames, but I used what I had on hand, so it's a start!

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The Ever Evolving Vintage Bulletin Board

A while back I took a old bulletin board I had and put it in this vintage gold frame.  Then when I had a show and I needed a display for my jewelry, I started looking around the house for what I could use.  I thought a cork board would be perfect! Only problem was, you could really see the gold jewelry that was hanging on it, so I covered it in this cream fabric I took from an old tablecloth.  After the show (several months ago), I just hung it back on the wall as is and it has been looking pretty plain ever since.  Yesterday I decided to spruce it up while Ruby was in her seat eating a quick snack, so I only had about 5-10 minutes.  I grabbed an old children's book I found on etsy awhile back, the binding was shot, but the pictures are sweet.  I didn't want to use thumb tacks, I needed something more classy...hmmm...brooches!  I seem to have an endless supply of vintage brooches, so I just stuck one in each corner and I was done.

 

                   

I'm LOVING these medallion rugs from Urban Outfitters and they are only $18! Now I'm just searching for a place to put one.

The Good Ol' Days

I find it fascinating that we are so technologically advanced as a society and yet it is becoming so trendy to get "back to basics." Everyone I know wants to home school their children and grow vegetables in their backyard. I want an old typewriter. It must have been nice when the days were simpler, though I couldn't Google all of my questions on any of these!

Clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

Oh Deer!

I bought these precious little deer plaques from the 1960's at the flea market on Sunday. Then I found these 1950's deer from another vendor that had loads of bottle brush trees...oh I wanted them so bad, but they were out of my price range unless I wanted one that was an inch tall. I hung the plaques on the wall in my daughter's room and put the deer on her shelf. I was going to stash them with the Christmas decor, but I think we'll enjoy them for a bit first.

Lately we have been having a weekly theme to our meals. It all started after Easter when I bought a 10 pound ham on sale for $4. We saved so much money that week, but I had to get creative preparing the ham in different ways. Last week I bought three bunches of fresh asparagus at the farmer's market. I started with an easy recipe that I have been cooking for years is a Pasta Primavera from Real Simple Magazine. Next I tried a new recipe for Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus from Martha Stewart. I found that they were different enough, but having several similar ingredients made it easy to shop, plan and prepare. This weeks theme is "eat up what we already have in the cupboards and fridge." Brussel Sprouts, chicken, squash, salmon...hmm...I will probably be visiting Martha again, I'll let you know what I find.

Red Rover, Red Rover

I used to love that game as a kid, though it makes your arms hurt. I guess my love for red has carried over. Just a few thing from around my house.

Choosing a Chair...

A few months ago my office chair broke. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was a beautiful vintage French boudoir style chair that I had found at a thrift store for $12.95. I don't site in my office very often because it is the size of a very small walk in closet and I get claustrophobic easily, but I always think it looks funny to have a desk without chair. Here are a few chairs I am considering if I suddenly come into money.


MaisonLuxe.com

GrahamandGreen.com

MaisonLuxe.com

Brocade Home

Wall Collections

My walls are in great need of these collections of frames and plates I found on flicker!




From DesignForMankind.

As you probably know by now, I am obsessed with Anthropologie. It's not just the merchandise I love, it's the way they display it. I majored in merchandising, did window displays for a number of years and consider myself pretty creative, but I am beyond impressed by the merchandisers for this company. They have just nailed their chic flea market aesthetic to the point that I visit their stores like museums or galleries; scheduling outings to them and taking pictures of all their exhibits. The one in El Segundo has this fantastic table with a canopy decorated with baked bread and fancy cheeses. I want that for my back yard! I also liked this chalkboard wall in their kitchen section.

Peacocks Please!

According to my little sister, "peacocks are the new owls". I love owls, but I think she's right! You sure can't beat there beautiful feathers. Here are a few things I have picked up lately.



two perching birds: estate sale, postcard: estate sale, iron wall hanging: flea market, fan: blue windows of long beach

Pink Paradise

This is when Pepto Bismol acts as design inspiration for a home and actually turns out well. Ok, so it's a bit over the top, but I would expect no less from the queen of pink, Betsey Johnson.




pictures from www.stylefrizz.com

This Old House

I went to an estate sale at this beautiful Victorian home from 1880 in Riverside last weekend. Unfortunately, my camera battery died when I went to take the first picture. Oops, too many pictures of Ruby! I was able to get a few decent ones on my cell phone, but I wish I could have shown you the inside.

Dreaming of Spring

Spring is quickly approaching and with the exception of a few random daffodils and a lot of weeds, my garden is non-existent. Therefore I must buy flowers and pretend I picked them from my garden. I bought these beautiful ranunculus' for $3.99 at Trader Joe's and divided them up among several small vases in my dining room. A very small splurge makes a very BIG difference.

Black and White Room Inspiration

If you came to my house, you would understand my obsession with black and white. Here are some of my favorite black and white inspirations.


black frame, ikea. black and white bedroom, brocadehome.com via kaboodle. Grace White and Black floral damask retro modern wallpaper, designyourwall.com. black chandelier, tablefivedesigns.com.

Hoorah for Christmas!!!

I have always loved Christmas time and everything about it: the smell of pine, the taste of spicy cider, bustling shops, shiny lights. This year is proving to be a little more difficult to prepare for than years past, due to the ever-expanding depth of my belly. And if that's not enough, I have had several people tell me that I should dress up as Santa for Christmas! Come on people, I feel unattractive enough without a beard and tacky outfit! Lucky for me I have helpers; my husband, brother and especially my sister were a huge help getting the tree this past weekend and decorating the house. Thanks family, I love you! and baby does too!

My Vintage HALLOWEEN Decor

Here are some pictures of my lovely Halloween decorations. I found some great vintage looking signs at Michael's with clever sayings such as "This way to the dungeon" and "Bad to the Bone." Also, I love the white pumpkins, since I am not a big fan of orange. I mixed in some vintage items; candlesticks and liquor bottles. Candles are definitely an essential element in any Halloween decorating scheme. I filled the old bottles with water and food coloring and put some fancy Martha Stewart labels on them to make them look like creepy chemicals. (The food coloring was actually my husband's idea) The bottles are sitting under a sign that says "All Night Chemist's Shoppe." A black metal skeleton hangs in front of a vintage mirror on the wall, while a glow-in-the-dark banner graces the front window. A black and white trick or treat sign for the front door was one of my favorite finds. I hope this inspires you! Please share some of your own Vintage Halloween decorating ideas.