A Sneak Peek at Round Top, Austin and Waco

April 4, 2016

Hello friends. I am absolutely swamped catching up from my trip to Texas and I’m dealing with a bit of a cold but I did want to pop in and share a few sneak peeks of the trip with you. There was so much to see and do so I’ll have part one of my trip for you on Wednesday.

Until then, be tantalized by these photos…

Round Top Antiques Market was awesome but prices like these were few and far between…

There was tons of silver…some good and some bad and some dealers were just not dealing…

Along with some amazing antiques, there was lots of vintage (real and reproductions) throughout the show…

I spotted something on my shopping list but the prices were definitely not what I wanted to pay…

Gorgeous blue and white chinoiserie everywhere and lots of unique pieces I’ve never seen before…

My one regret! I wish I would have pulled the trigger on these grapes…

We dined at Royer’s Cafe in downtown Round Top and had the most amazing pies….

We visited the Capitol building in Austin and I was mesmerized by all the stunning trims, molding and woodwork…

even the door hardware was amazing.

We made our way to Waco to visit the world-famous silos and Magnolia Market.

The only words to describe it are…so Chip & Joanna, crowded beyond belief, cute as a button and BIG!

They’ve cornered the market on cute magnolia designs like the hand-drawn magnolia flower.

and Chip’s red truck was too cute!

I can’t wait to share the rest of the adventure with you.

Inspiration Notebook: April 2016

April 1, 2016

My Inspiration for April!

Last month flew by in a flash and I never got around to sharing my inspiration notebook with you. I made sure to jot down my thoughts for April so here’s a look into the pages of my inspiration notebook and what’s inspiring me to make this month amazing!

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I’ll be back tomorrow with my favorite Posts, Pins and Products post so I hope you drop in and check it out.

So tell me, do you have any big plans for April and what’s inspiring you these days?

Round Top or Bust–A Antique Market Dream.

March 31, 2016

via Marburger Farms

Today is a big day! Today I’m checking off a bucket list item and heading to Round Top, TX to shop the famous Round Top Antiques market. I’ve wanted to go to Round Top for years and the planets aligned this year and I’m doing it….

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Product + Inspiration: Bamboo Flatware

March 4, 2016

With spring knocking at the door and Easter just a few weeks away, my latest Product + Inspiration post is dedicated to pretty tables capes and a key component that makes each one great, Bamboo Flatware!

I’ve been on the hunt for vintage bamboo flatware for over a year and haven’t lucked upon any yet but have it on my shopping list for my big trip at the end of the month. When I reviewed my list with my husband he asked me what the big deal was. Well, let me tell you and remind him.

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Sideboards Aren’t Just For Dining Rooms

February 18, 2016

A classic dining room sideboard is a great piece of furniture to have in your home. Beyond the dining room, a sideboard can be used in many different decorating applications. Here’s just a few to inspire you.

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Sideboard In A Hallway

A sideboard can be placed at the end of a hallway and used as the foundation for a decorative vignette. A bow front sideboard is an ideal style for a hallway since the sides slope inward and provide more space to move around each side.

Sideboard In A Foyer

Placing a sideboard in the foyer creates impact and drama at the entrance of your home and it will give you a natural landing space for useful items like mail, keys and bags.

Sideboard In The Kitchen

A sideboard in the kitchen is a fantastic way to personal your kitchen decor without giving up any functional storage or workspace. Select a piece that has ample cabinet and drawer space and when it comes to color, instead of painting your kitchen cabinets or island, use this piece to add a vibrant pop of color to the kitchen.

Sideboard In The Office

I love how Kris from Driven by Decor used a sideboard for storage and decor in her home office. In an office space, a sideboard can provide lots of surface space to hold decorative objects and office equipment can be stored behind closed doors to keep your workspace neat, tidy and stylish.

Sideboard In The Bathroom

Just as it would in a kitchen, a sideboard in the bathroom can add distinct style plus the bonus of added storage space. Most vintage sideboards can be retrofitted to accommodate bathroom pipes, sink vessels and vanity countertops so you there are lots of design options to fit your style.

Sideboard In The Bedroom

The idea of a sideboard in the bedroom has been a popular trend for the last few years. A TV can be hung over a sideboard and the cabinet space can be used to hold clothing in the same way a traditional bedroom dresser would. Mid-century modern styles are great for bedrooms because of their simple and minimal style details.

Sideboard As A TV Cabinet

Most definitely one of my favorite ways to use a sideboard is as a TV cabinet. Under a TV, the sideboard takes the edge off the big black box above it and keeps the room looking decorative and stylish. The bad news… sideboards with closed fronts won’t work with traditional TV components since the infrared signals will be blocked. The good news…there a electronic kits that you can install to work around this issue and many cable companies now offer wireless boxes which can be placed anywhere in the room.

One question I hear a lot is about the difference between a sideboard and a buffet. Here’s the scoop...

♦ When it’s placed in the living room, it’s called a sideboard.
♦ When used in a dining room, it’s called a buffet. Traditionally, buffets in the dining room are not only used for their storage purposes but also to display meals before serving.
♦ When an open front cabinet is added to the top of a buffet for additional storage and display options, the piece is called a hutch.

Kate Marker Interiors

Today you can find quality sideboards at thrift stores and flea markets. Here’s what to look for when shopping for vintage sideboards:

♦ Think about the space the sideboard will go. The height and depth of a vintage sideboard will vary, so make sure that the space where the sideboard will be placed is measured carefully and think about how you’re going to use the piece which might determine your size needs.

♦ Consider what type of storage the sideboard offers. Not all sideboards have drawer and cabinet space so if storage is a must, look for a piece that offers both types of storage.

♦ Analyze the quality. The first thing to do is to check the stability of the legs, doors, drawers and pulls. Does everything open and close smoothly and is the piece sturdy? Also look for dovetail joints which are a sign of quality craftsmanship. And a manufacturers stamp and company logos can indicate the age and quality of a piece.

I hope this post gets you thinking about sideboards in a new way. Thanks for stopping by!

image source: top image // 1 // 2 //3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

Thrifting Finds–All About The Brass

February 17, 2016

On Valentine’s Day the hubs took me out for a day of thrifting. Lately when we’ve gone thrifting we’ve shopped at my favorite antique stores and flea markets so this time around we decided to stop by several of our local Goodwill stores.

Shopping Goodwill is definitely hit or miss experience. Sometimes you can score some great pieces but more often than not, the shelves are filled with undesirable pieces. I’ve also noticed that over the last year or two, Goodwill seems to be increasing their prices so the deals you once could find are harder to come across now.

The stars and planets must have aligned for Valentine’s Day because I found several awesome brass pieces and a few blue and white gems.

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This tulip shaped brass planter was in perfect condition and I’m thinking I’ll put a maiden hair fern or orchid in it.

I also found these brass containers and will most likely sell these in my Etsy shop.

Here’s some vintage brass inspiration for you…

via

These blue and white tea cups were too cute to pass up especially for less than $3.00.

I love this Chinoiserie blue and white flower frog/brick and can image it filled with tulips. After doing some research I discovered this piece was made in Portugal and was designed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

And I scored these petite brass pots for .50 cents and think they’d be great for succulents.

a little something like this…

via

While I was thrifting, I also picked up a few pieces that I’m sending off to a fellow blogger as part of the Ciburbanity #SwapItLikeItsHot blog swap. I super excited to be participating along with a slew of other bloggers and can’t wait to share it all with you in April.

If you haven’t honed your thrifting skills yet, you can read my thrifting tips here and my flea market shopping tips here.

Happy hunting!

My Latest Thrifting Finds

January 26, 2016

It’s been months since I’ve gone to the Scott Antique Show or done any major thrift store shopping. I’ve been feeling the urge to do some shopping the last few weeks and decided to stop by one of my favorite thrift stores on Sunday. I wasn’t looking for anything specific but I always go into a store with the hopes of stumbling along a great bargain. I’m happy to say that my outing yielded some great finds. Here’s a look at my latest thrifting finds:

The first item I came across was a set of 4 signed and numbered watercolor art pieces. The artist, Joan Heflin Rankin lives in Alabama and specializing in floral art. I think these would be great as part of a gallery wall or having as a collection in a bathroom.

I found several blue and white pieces and this piece was definitely my favorite. It’s a hexagon plate with a domed lid and I have to tell you, it’s simply stunning. It The decision now is to keep it or sell it.

This cute little sugar canister caught my attention right away. I loved the floral design and the typography. This is another keep or sell item.

I also find this Chinoiserie designed hexagon shaped jar. The touches of pink with the blue and white are really charming and I can just imagine it filled with a pink roses.

I’ve got a thing for small dishes and couldn’t pass these up…they were only $1.00 each. I’m going to use these to hold jewelry on dresser.

I always sell these silver-plated toast racks when I put them in my Etsy shop. I style them as a desk accessory to hold notecards and stationery which gives them a whole new purpose. This one is really pretty because of the tray bottom and the beautiful scroll design. The pattern is also on the bottom of the tray.

And the last piece I bought was the adorable ceramic monkey holding a bowl. Isn’t he the cutest? Imagine him holding Meyer lemons or kumquat on a kitchen.

For my first outing of the year I’m pretty happy with my thrifting finds. I’m planning to go to the Scott Antique market next month and hope to find some more treasures for me and my Etsy shop.

I’m adding new items to the shop this week so stop by Friday and check it out.

p.s. anyone else have the thrifting fever??

Three Entertaining Ideas spotted at the Country Living Fair

October 27, 2015

Last weekend the hubs and I stopped by the Country Living Fair for a quick trip around the park. I didn’t have anything specific on my shopping list and love to go to the fair because it always so inspiring.

While I didn’t spend much money (a whopping $3.00) and didn’t take many photos, I did come across three entertaining ideas I really loved.

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I’ve always loved setting a table to unique paper products but never thought of using vintage player piano rolls as placemats. The rolls are functional and add so much character and charm to the table. I was so smitten with this idea that when I got home I went on a search of player piano rolls and found tons of really affordable options on Etsy.

The next idea I spotted takes the music theme to a new level. Pages from a music book were set up as a collage and used in place of a placemat and runner on the table. I love the eclectic feel of the this table and think it would be really fun for a causal jazz themed dinner party or entertaining around Christmas. I’ve scored some great sheet music books from Goodwill over the years so keep your eyes open when shopping.

The third entertaining idea I saw so such a simple touch but really added a lot to the table–fabric silverware pockets. I spotted these at the Cutlery Couture booth, which was packed with shoppers. The ladies behind this company use simple fabrics and everyday embellishments to create these fun pouches.

As usual, there are always a few items I pass up at the fair that days later I wish I would have gotten but I did pick up business cards from those vendors so I can order online.

If you’re wondering what I bought, it was these three brass stencil letters for a holiday project I’m working on.