White Wednesday Style

While on a little vacation, I entered a shop that literally, for a moment, took my breathe away. Farm tables (too big to fit in the car), and beautiful creamy white and ivory papers. There were French books, packets of ephemera, stacks of slightly yellowed cards inscribed with beautiful words, placemats, and lined tablets. 

A large book of tear out placemats and a lined tablet filled with gathered thoughts were quickly purchased by mwa, (I really love all the glorious shades of "white" paper).  

Placemats aren't just for breakfast anymore. I can see a wrapped gift box, (think bridal shower), drawer liners, a kitchen picture, kitchen bulletin board background paper, or even used as a runner for my revamped table,  

 

Each page of the "Gathered Thoughts" stack shares a little bit of daily inspiration. Who knows where this paper will end up, but I'll be sure to point it out to you when it happens!

I'm linking to

Faded Charms 

Tabletop Tuesday 

 Savvy Southern Style

 Verry Merry Vintage Style 

 Junk in Their Trunk

Common Ground

Have a gorgeous day!

Ele

2010 Neutrals

To define the word neutral, I would start with a color that produces calm, breathing without thinking, and understated elegance. Recapping 2010 with my neutral blog pictures, seriously makes me want to devoid my life of hue. 
     

Wikipedia defines neutral as "a stance of tone without any bias." Very true, as love abounds everywhere with neutral decor and creations. The world dictionary says, "dull, but harmonizes with everything." Really, dull? I will agrue the first part of that definition. The world dictionay has obviously never fully taken in the visual experience of the different shades of whites, creams, beiges, and grays. It is a feast for the eyes.

Blessings,
Ele

Pumpkins, Do They all Have to be Orange?

Crisp and clean looking, white pumpkins are found in my house during the season of Fall. 

I really like how miniature white pumpkins look displayed in a vintage flower basket or a glass jar.   

 A metal black crow is at home in a white birdcage.

Vinyl bats cling to the mirror, and also the front door (as seen in the reflection).


 A silver mercury glass pumpkin sits on my mirrored chest.  

Pumpkins don't all have to be orange to look fabulous.

Blessings,
Ele

Milk Glass Love

Each time I visit the Carribbean, I stand in awe of the vibrant, yet peaceful colors God has painted upon our earth. My recent vacation wasn't any different. My mission, upon returning home, turned to thoughts of creating vignettes of this beautiful calm. Sand provides soothing ground for inspiration with shades of white and lots of texture. My collection of white milk glass started singing to me before I had even set down my suitcase.  

Milk glass is found in many shapes, sizes and yes, even colors.  Just like grains of sand it can be opaque or translucent, and comes in various shades of white.   

Milk glass was first produced over 100 years ago, but was reproduced in the 1980's. Never pay a large amount for a piece of milkglass, unless you are very sure of it's origin. It is very hard to tell the real antique pieces from the reproductions. In my opinion, the newer pieces are just as desirable.  

Milk glass isn't just for great grandma anymore. The calm, chic look has achieved a new level in decorating and is showing up on shelves, in cupboards, and even in wedding decorations.

(wedding decor from fetefanatic.blogspot.com)

Next time you are at your local thrift store and see milk glass, close your eyes for a moment and visualize yourself walking barefoot in warm white sand. I promise, if you didn't like milkglass before, you will now.

(photo credit from theflyingbeeblog.blogspot.com) 

Blessings to you!
Ele

Sheer Goodness

For those of you that were following my dining room redo and gave me suggestions on the curtains/drapes, thank you! As always, your suggestions were wonderful. 

I shopped, and shopped, and shopped because I refused to sew these window treatments, and time was running out until my mother's birthday party.  My problem is that I usually get frustrated with what's out there and end up spending way more money on fabric then I should, (nice fabric can be really expensive and I don't live by a good discount store, so sewing items actually costs more....but you get what you want, so there's a trade off).

Not. Sewing. This. Time.

The first choice (in my head) for window treatments was to find a silk or faux silk in exactly the same color blue as athe walls. Obviously this wasn't going to happen. Then I moved to white silk and I couldn't find any that I thought was 

1. the right size
2. worth the money (in my opinion, cause sometimes I'm cheap like that)

I was on the hunt. You might have seen me looking at the sale end caps or strolling for hours down the curtain aisles. I actually ran into a store once without makeup. Oh the shame. Desperation. I checked out the fabric store, but MADE myself leave, (I bought a diet coke and a candy bar and sat in my car until my heart quit racing- you fabric lovers KNOW what I mean). Must. Not. Sew. Not. Enough. Time. Think. Thrifty. Of course, I also searched online. 

Finally, Score

Crisp, snow white, crinkled, sheer, fresh, economical, flowing sheers are in my opinion a good choice. 

The formal dining room looks into the sunroom. I like that the view is not obstructed.  

 

I decided to use white wooden rods. The rods did not come in the size I needed, so I had Mr. Pink Heaven cut them to size. Since he's busy farming, I used my cordless screwdirver and slapped them up all by myself, (patience to wait for help when decorating is not my strong suit), and then, to these sleek white glossy drapery rods, I added some sheer goodness.

without sheers

with (notice the poofs are still up)

You like?

Look for those blessings today. Hope you have many.

Ele

Holstein Chair

HE called MY chair redo a Holstein. Are you serious? Darling, have you been farming/ranching a little too much?

The joy of recovering furniture is that you can plan EXACTLY how you want it to look. Yes Dear, I planned the chair to look this way. The cushion can be either white or black, or shall we say Jersey or Angus! Which do you prefer?

This is how the arm chair looked before it was reupholstered. It was covered in golf fabric and resided in a bedroom. This chair has big sturdy arms, yards of upholstery tack, and is comfortable. The logical choice was to reupholster and reuse. Plus, reupholstering cost less then buying new AND I was able to choose the design. The side chair was moved to the main floor family room.

Remember the new chandelier. It has been hung.

Holstein? It just had to be a compliment.

Blessings, Ele

Wedding Flowers

It's been a busy week. I, along with two wonderful helpers, put together wedding bouquets, arrangements, corsages, and boutonnieres with 175 white and red roses. The brides bouquet had white roses in the center.

Bridesmaids bouquets were lush with red roses.

The reception was centered around a nature theme. We put miniature roses and leather leaf on the tables.
Love this cake.

Oil lamps made of beautiful rocks carried on the nature theme.

Blessings,

Ele