Vintage crafty whimsy?

 

Good Evening!! Well, school has definitely swung into full gear by now no doubt, which for the most part, is a major relief. When the end of the summer rolls around, there's a great deal of anticipation, anxiety, and curiosity (& fear??) of the unknown, as well as the urgency to jump back into a normal & more structured daily/weekly routine. A new school year always brings the all-too-familiar feeling of being completely consumed by the (hopefully) clever creation of music projects, grading of quizzes, tests, homework, classwork, along with the running of rehearsals, concerts, additional performances etc, which is exceedingly exciting, especially at the junior high level, but doesn't allow for much of anything outside of school, including decorating & design. (Everyone struggles with this) My challenge for this school year involves strategically balancing & simplifying all things loved in life, as difficult as this may be for all of us. (Life in all its complexity, & choosing what to focus on can be extremely overwhelming can't it??)

Anyhow, this may be one of the last rooms I post about for a while since summer is now over, but I figured I'd touch on it. I was really hoping to create a place reminiscent of childhood, happiness, comfort, & whimsy, which is what this guest room represents, (both guest rooms are vintage inspired...just by two different eras) & I've been working on this a little here & there whenever I felt inspired to add/tweak something. The room is still in need of a new paint color, which I've decided will be soft gray, for a very soft muted look (which contradicts my bright teal vintage room, adjacent to this room)

This awesome wire basket was free - found it in my new backyard, hosed it down, wiped it off, & voila!! How adorable is he??

 

Here's a vintage gallery wall I put together, which is currently displayed on the carpet...tehe.

 

Below is a cherished treasure from childhood...How adorable are those two??

 

Here's a totally simple but whimsical way to display vintage (or actually any...) family photos; Just take an old (or antique-looking) jar, fill the bottom with buttons, marbles, ribbon, rope, beads, pearls, whatever looks creative & fitting for the room your designing, and float a little photo in the center of the antique jar. It could be a bright colorful photo, a black & white or sepia toned picture, an old or new post card or letter, or whatever reflects your style & the style or color scheme of the room your decorating. Then top it off with a cute little ribbon or piece of material. 

A great place to buy scraps of material to cut up & use creatively is Joanne's Fabric's in Deptford, or Walmart, where you can pick up fabric squares or a little baggie of scraps. You can also use scrapbook paper to wrap around, decorate, or add whimsical personality to a plain ordinary jar.

 

Many of the pieces in this room are antiques, & some are made to look antique...at least I'm trying to pull off "antique", which so far works.

Thank you soooooo much for stopping by!! Have an incredibly inspiring weekend, & stay tuned for a short series of blog posts showcasing creative, crafty, clever, (& ofcourse) cost-effective ways to Accentuate Autumn & feather your nest with festive fall fun!!

Modern Living Room in Progress...

Good Morning!! Happy Saturday!! Just thought I'd create a short post on our living room makeover, which is definitely coming along, slowly, but surely...& stylishly. Here are a couple of "Before" & "Progress" shots:

Before

In Progress

I'm completely in love with these modern glam chic zebra print chairs that Jon & I found at Diamond furniture for a fairly reasonable price. We had searched about four different furniture stores, as well as target's online collection, which was my 2nd choice, but something about these chairs won me over. Much to my surprise, my husband was actually on board with me, & even likes them...now, he didn't go as far as to pay for them, but just liking them is good enough for me at this stage of the game!!

And this little guy, exactly what I'd been searching for, was hiding at Homegoods for around $30!! (Muah! I love you...Taking you home with me!!"

Here are a couple other contenders for the room, discovered at Homegoods, along with my cute little round table.

 

Well, thanks for stopping by!! Have an amazing inspiring weekend!!

Celebrating Cecelia's 1st year of Couragious Curiosity, Comfortable Cat Naps, & Cat-itude!!

One year ago tomorrow (we've estimated) our sweet adorable, energetic Cecelia entered this world, so I decided to dedicate today's post to my lovely stylish chic kitty!! (to learn more about Cece, go to "Kitty Corner". Here are a couple of High-lights that mark Cece's 1st year :

 

Learning how to climb into her bed, by following her brother!!

 Discovering the refrigerator for the 1st time!!

 Struttin' her stuff, with some major catitude!!

 Then, taking a well-deserved, much needed cat nap!!

And now...she's a teenager...

 Aint she purrrrrrrrdy??

 

Happy Birthday Cece!!

What a nerd!!

Jon & I set out on our last Horrah for the Summer this Wednesday to AC, where Jon performed on the Boardwalk in a show entitled "Everybody Loves Italian". I was never one of those "Candy Store" kids. but this was definitely interesting!!

and so was this little guy...He probably would have been way more interesting if I had shared my gluten-free pretzel sticks with him, but I refrained...Didn't wanna make enemies on the beach!!

 

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!