Survey says...

This was a fun survey!  Thanks to all who participated! Many responders had multiple design styles, which I love. I can't decide on one style myself. Too many things appeal to me.

So here are the results for around the country.

24% Traditional              
9%   Tuscan                    
29% French Country
20% Modern Country
27% Farmhouse/Rustic
29% Cottage
7%   Coastal/Beach
4%   Shabby Chic
4%   Romantic
2%   Modern/Minimalist
2%   Botanical
2%   Victorian
2%   Eclectic

The most popular were Cottage and French Country with Farmhouse/Rustic a close second.
Not Surprising!

We have a winner!

Congrats to Lori from Louisiana!! 

You have won the $50 Gift Certificate Drawing!

Thanks to all who completed our Decorating Style Survey. 

Participation coupons have been sent via email.
Please let us know if you have not received yours. Some have been returned to us.

I will do a report of the results on Monday. 

How about a gift certificate?

I am really curious about the most popular decorating styles all around the US. So I have created a quick survey which will also give me more info about the decorating styles of my readers. As a thank you for your help, I am going to give away one $50 Gift Certificate to my shop, the name of one lucky participant will be drawn on Sunday 3/15/15 at 8 p.m. eastern time. Remember to complete your first and last name as well as your email address if you choose to enter the drawing. If I don't have your email address, I won't be able to contact you if you win!  You may also complete the survey without including name or email if you choose not to enter the drawing. I would love to hear about your decor!

Oh and just for taking the time to complete the survey, look for a coupon from me via email on Sunday when I announce the winner. 

 **contact info will not be collected for any other reason than this drawing. It will never be retained or distributed.

**Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the survey and click DONE to complete your entry. Your results will not be visible to the public once submitted.

~UPDATE 3/12/15 - Cottage in the lead with French Country and Farmhouse/Rustic tied in close second. This is a fun survey!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Rustic Art

I've always loved photography and have been gradually incorporating it into my shop offerings. I have a ton of photos on file from floral, landscape and our trip to France.

Ranunculus - Paris Flower Market

It's been exciting to experiment with these photos in photoshop - adding effects and textures.

Red Market Pear

A collection of my photos have been professionally printed on canvas and then I mount them on wood and a frame we make in our shop.

Faded Pink Rose

Stained, painted and distressed, they are a great addition to your farmhouse decor.

Charolais Cow, France

French Cottage - Semur-en-Auxois

They are currently featured in a 5x5 canvas size with a 7 1/2" square frame.  Besides the printing (in the US), these are handmade by us in the US in our NY studio :) Discounts for multiples will apply!
Find them on our website HERE or Etsy shop HERE.

The Louvre - Paris, France

Shishito peppers...yum

I had these peppers for the first time at a Japanese ramen noodle restaurant in NYC.  Haven't stopped thinking of them since! Just spotted them at Whole Foods.  So excited!

Sautéed in a little olive oil until lightly blistered.

Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. 

Delicious! 

Happy Valentine's Day! Share the LOVE ♡

those market lights!

I have been eyeing those market lights for a while now.  They appear in many of the outdoor space pins I have on my backyard board.  See them HERE.

Just love the ambiance they create. My husband spotted them at the best price I have seen at $60/set from Costco.  Weatherproof, sturdy, and they come with replacement bulbs. Can't wait to string them over the patio this summer.  I have seen them elsewhere for a higher cost or comparable ones that can't stay outside in the rain. I'd rather leave them up!

Find them HERE.

Warning! this post may give you spring fever...

Being in retail, we are forced to think way ahead when it comes to designing products for the upcoming seasons/holidays. I am horrible at working on Christmas designs in the summer months, even the early fall months. However, I have no problem at all working on spring/summer items in the winter!

I agree the short days, snow, cold and ice we are buried under make it difficult to be motivated to do much.  But you do have to go to the market at least! So while you are there, pick up a small bouquet of flowers for yourself.  A perfect fix for anyone suffering from the winter blues.  You will think of spring every time you look at them!

After shoveling some heavy slush, snow and ice yesterday and losing feeling in my fingers, I couldn't wait to head into the studio and work on some new floral designs. You can find these arrangements in my Etsy Shoppe. 

Preserved roses, boxwood greens, hydrangeas and berries.

 a few of my favorite things...

So even if you can't get to the market, I hope this post brought you thoughts of spring.
It will be here before you know it!

The impact of customer reviews...

We LOVE our customers - they take the time to write positive messages about our products and service which inspire us to do our best. They appreciate the time and effort we put into the products we create and they recognize our love for creating. It also helps us to be our best in customer service from timely shipping, careful packaging and our attention to details such as a handwritten thank you. I love that Etsy provides this feature for us and our customers. So remember to tell your Etsy seller what a good job they've done - or what they could do better. There is always room for improvement!

See what they are saying about our products and service HERE.

The best Christmas gift...

It started with the top of a hutch. My girlfriend (thank you Elizabeth!) no longer needed the top and of course she thought of us before getting rid of it. It had beautiful lines, of course my honey could build a base for it:) That was about 3 years ago...I think. And there it sat in the dining room, empty, collecting dust.  We always have a project or 2 or 4 going on in the house but my husband was determined to finish this piece for me as a Christmas gift.  Right up until the day before we were adding the finishing touches and I'm in love!  I could finally unwrap the china and I can finish decorating this room now. I just can't stop staring at it when I walk by this room.

Here is what the before looked like:

We wanted to have it resemble the top enough so it wouldn't look like they didn't belong together.
So my husband rounded the base and added corner round to the front corners. He also routed the center support to match the top.

We thought about purchasing unfinished doors but decided to make them. I realized that I might want to add fabric to the doors so we really just needed to make a frame.

I loved the finish on the top before paint but I knew I would not be able to match the base to the top so I had no choice but to paint it. However I gave the top accent moulding and the doors just a wash of french linen to tone down the stain but still appreciate it. I love the way it came out and the way it contrasts the Graphite chalk paint (Annie Sloan). I also applied a french linen wash (after a coat of clear wax) to highlight the detailed areas of the piece.  Just a little distressing on some of the edges and a couple of coats of wax finished the piece. Just in time for Christmas!

Now the chairs need to be painted. I'm thinking french linen for them.

I chose a neutral french toile fabric for the doors. My husband did a great job pleating and stapling! 

Some of the details. The hardware on the bottom doors were in my stash from an another piece of furniture. They were a perfect match in their antique brass finish.

I think this is definitely one of my favorite pieces we've done. I was a little nervous about the dark paint but I really LOVE this look!  I think it has a french country farmhouse feel to it.  Exactly the look I'm going for in this room.

I hope this inspires you to find new life in a furniture piece of your own. Let me know if you have any questions regarding technique.

Now I just need a little sideboard piece for the opposite side of the room....the projects never end!
If he didn't do such a beautiful job, I wouldn't ask!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Mantel

Finally coming to the last week of Christmas preparations. I hope I make it! Thankfully I've been busy with orders and just about done with the last few going out by the end of this week. So, the mantel is about all I have complete in the decorating department and wanted to share it with you. Next year, I promise myself to finish decorating Thanksgiving weekend! Which would mean designing the Christmas line by the end of summer...let's see how that goes:)

I like to change it up every year. It's just not fun for me to put the same decorations in the same place each year. So much nicer moving things around, gives it a whole new look.

I still always gravitate toward that natural, neutral, touch of color, rustic look with a little sparkle.

This snowman was a gift from long ago and a favorite.

I used to sell these bottle brush trees, another favorite to decorate with.
And the little sign, a gift from mom.

One of my purchases this year.  Mercury bulb garland on twine! Perfectly mine.

Even though I prefer real greens, this pine garland is just so pretty with it's snowy tips and mini pinecones. Looking so elegant over great grandma's mirror. Love the details on this mirror, especially the beading.

The furry stocking are new too! I have been looking for a while. And since I need 6, the price had to be right. These were perfect at $15/set of 2! They just need a little something. And since the little one demands personalized stockings, I burned our names into some birch wood slices and added a sprig of preserved cedar with tallow berries and some muted gold ribbon. LOVE!

The white feather trees, another item I used to sell, never grow old. And the large sugar cones have been dusted with glass glitter. 

When I spotted this printable from the movie Elf, I stopped everything to print one and frame it for the mantel. It's a favorite Christmas movie in our house! You can print your own at Eclectically Vintage.  You can find it in her Christmas house tour post HERE.

Ok, so I procrastinated enough today and need to get back to my sales tax return:( 

I will share a tablescape and the rest of my Christmas home after I finish my shopping!  

Good luck to you all with the rest of your to do lists!

And if you want to procrastinate a little:

you can see our home tour from last year HERE. 

Rustic planter box ideas

They are great for holding seltzer bottles.

 One of our most popular products can be used in so many ways and it's a simple box.  We've been creating them for over 4 years now. They may be customized by color and size. 
We can also monogram them for you. 

I've put together a collection of photos showing some different ways
you can decorate with them for all seasons.

Find them HERE.

preserved cedar and pinecones dusted in german glass glitter

on the mantel - with mason jar candles - evergreens - pinecones and berries

Burlap wrapped candles - cedar sprigs - dried pomegranates - dried artichokes and pinecones

with colorful fruits and some greens tucked in 

mason jar candles - berries and pinecones

for the fall table - mason jars filled with flowers and a bit of burlap

A wedding table centerpiece filled with preserved hydrangeas

mason jars over filled with flowers - pumpkins, and artichokes on a stick

I love them simply filled with baby's breath in mason jars and burlap

Filled with my favorite flowers - hydrangeas!

Purple wax flowers and burlap

looking beautiful with lavender bunches

 We can add words or monograms.

A few of our customer submitted photos:

customer submitted photo

customer submitted photo

customer submitted photo

customer submitted photo

customer submitted photo

customer submitted photo

Send us your photos for our inspiration page!  We would love to see how you decorate with these versatile boxes.