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~ My love of gardening, making home comfortable and entertaining friends and family.

Garden, Home & Party

Tag Archives: collections

Vignettes and their contribution to a room

22 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Accessories; details, House and Home

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

accessories, antiques, collections, vignettes

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

Let’s face it, there are so many details that can make or break a room’s appeal.  Details that draw us in, can be (and usually are) different for each of us.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and such.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

A stunning antique piece, a window with special detailing, beams in a ceiling, and accessories are my hot buttons.  More specifically, a great vignette can pull me in like a tracktor beam on Star Trek.

Garden, Home and Party:  Vignettes

Some people are so talented at achieving this magic, that I forget to look at the rest of the room.  Here are a few examples I’ve amassed over the past few months…

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

An interesting grouping of items can give a room sparkle, make you want to know more about the people that live there.  These items can be collections or simply an attractive arrangement of flowers, books and a lamp.

Any room with blue and white accents is already ahead of the pack, in my book…

I love the use of coral and shells.  Add nature of any kind to the mix and I tend to take special notice.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

Alison of The Polohouse does such a beautiful job with each tabletop and shelf in her lovely home.  Her vignettes are always of interest.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

I tend to rotate my own accessories throughout my house on a regular basis.  Seasons, and a need for change, these reasons excuses keep me restless where my tabletop vignettes are concerned. 🙂

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

Garden Home and Party: Vignette

Even a chippy bathroom shelf, when decoratively adorned with essentials, can be all the charm a bathroom needs.

Jermaine, of French Kissed has a style that I attempt to emulate.  She has a way with collecting, and displaying nature’s treasures and antique pieces that has always inspired me with my own vignettes.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

{via}

This particular tabletop vignette [below] is a favorite.  The porcupine quill lamp shade, the blue and white porcelain vase with blue hydrangea, and the 2 wooden boxes…simplicity is an appealing factor when accessorizing. Less is more, right?

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

I believe I got this image from the Barbara Wesbrook Workbook, but I cannot find the exact photograph.  Visit her Workbook newsletter, you won’t regret it. Her talents are teamed with talented folks that she interviews and features.

I love this shiney and bright mercury glass display—I believe it’s a holiday season display but I think I like it for its cheery brightness.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

{Pinterest}

Another favorite, is the talented Heather Bullard, contributing editor for Country Living Magazine.  Her stylings are always perfect and obviously, she applies her talents to her own home.  Visit her site, you’ll love the recipes and ideas you pick up during a visit.  There seems to be a nature-theme to my favorites, doesn’t there?

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{via}

 Marian of Miss Mustard Seed can turn any homely piece of furniture into a treasure, and she’s a skilled stylist.  I love the vignettes she shares from her home and her studio.  She’s got her own line of paints and inspires many of us to convert Aunt Ingrid’s hutch into a fresh, country cupboard.  I always come away from her posts with wonderful ideas for arranging collectibles.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

{via}

The next image, while really a harvest display, comes from a site that no longer posts…and George.  They operate a store that sells antiques and one of a kind furniture and decorative accessories.  You can visit the webpage and you will see what beautiful items they offer as well as the displays they create.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

{Christy Ford photograph}

Open shelving is tremendously popular right now, when I spot a grouping like this, I want to rip out upper cabinets and install shelves to hold a variety of lovelies.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignette

{via}

Is the arrangement of collections something you gravitate towards?

One last thing, if you haven’t read Dear Carolina yet, there is still time left during the summer reading season.  Kristy’s book is such an uplifting, feel good story.

Garden, Home and Party: Vignettes

{GHP} My Best Find Ever

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Collections & Accessories, House and Home

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

collections

Show-off-your-favorite-find-Craigslist-yard-sale-trash-day…-what’s-the-one-treasure-you-just-cannot-believe-you-found-Come-link-up-your-best-findWhen Victoria, over at Restoring our 1890 Victorian, invited me to play lead guitar for her Linky party, I was thrilled.  Victoria will be Lead Singer and Danielle of Storypiece will be on drums. 😀  Playing with blog friends is so much fun.  Then reality set in, what was my favorite find?!  I’ve always loved scouring flea markets, antique stores, and thrift stores for treasures.  Since I’m now more mature (read: older) I have amassed a lot of good stuff from these excursions.  So what would win the beauty contest as the best thing I’ve ever found?

I thought and debated with myself…I had recently done a post on homes becoming the scrapbook of your life and figured I could use that post to link my finds.  Then I decided to work on my creativity, “let’s not become lazy where your blog is concerned, Karen!” and I came up with a recurring theme with my inventory of “treasures”…TRAYS, specifically silver trays, but pretty much any tray that strikes my fancy.  Trays have always been a draw for me, as evidenced in my two previous posts on the topic HERE & HERE.

I have been given a couple of trays by family members and a particular favorite tray came from a friend (she found it for me on one of her excursions)…but most of my stash comes from bumping into the odd tray at consignment, antique or thrift stores, the prices have one thing in common, they have been rock bottom for all of the useful benefits they can provide the willing owner (moi).

Bar tray - dining roomBoth the tray above and below belonged to my mother-in-law.  I was honored when she gave them to me a few years before she passed away.

Tray - hutch, QEThis tray (below)  is hammered silver and coincidentally has a B monogram, our last name starts with a B.  Our friends know us well…we love this tray!

English tray and biscuit barrelIMG_0418I bought the larger tray at a flea market last year, but the tray in front is a trophy tray I purchased in 1999 in Oxford, England.  Such a find, and a great reminder of the fun we had as a family while visiting England during Christmas.

trays=kitchentrophy tray=kitchen

This Sheffield tray came from a favorite antique store in San Clemente, Stanford Court.  It was cheap because it was missing a foot {I love footed trays} but a visit to Normandy Metal Finishers remedied that for me for only about the price I paid for the tray.  It remained a bargain…

4-dining-rm-buffet-kb-2_thumb-e1331591539930I’m now using the tray in the reading room.  It holds a couple of antique books, one of the little nests I’ve found in our yard, and an orchid.

IMG_0420

books on tray - libraryThis silver plate was found at a consignment store for $25.  I love the detailing

tray - kitchencloseup tray - kitchenRecently I stumbled upon this little, and I do mean tiny, tray.  I couldn’t resist.  Look at the detailing on this cutie…

tiny tray = barAnother recent find…wait, am I overboard on this collection?  No, can’t be, one can never have too many trays, right?

tray-family room

There’s always a holy grail of trays I’m in search of, the impossible find, and this is it…

inspiring interiors 9.19.12 used{source}

If you know where I can pick up one of these beauties for, oh say, $25 let me know!

Join me over at Victoria’s place…it should be fun finding out what surprise “find” Victoria recently acquired and some of the treasures other collectors have discovered.

Wait until you see what Victoria has to share!  Visit Restoring our 1890 Victorian.

Wait there’s more…I’ve visiting Art@Home for her “My Happy List” party, and Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesdays,  Stop by.

{Home and Party} Collections :: flatware serving pieces

06 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Entertaining, Personal Information

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

collections, silver flatware

As some of you may remember, I’ve declared my addiction to pottery, porcelain and/or china, basically dishes of all kinds.  I believe it comes from my delight in setting a table for a meal, any meal.  There is something very satisfying and creative in the process for me, and I have enjoyed this task since I was a teenager.  I don’t observe strict rules about matching silver with china.   Rather, I enjoy the look of using my sterling with a simple pottery.  Or everyday stem ware with china.  Anything that strikes my fancy is doable in my book.  I’m happy that the rules (or lack thereof) on setting a table, at least here in Southern California, have been relaxed.  Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate a strictly formal table setting when provided, but it appeals to my sensibilities that to entertain, one does NOT have to have crystal, sterling and fine china.  All of us can relate and enjoy a meal served to us where the table is pretty, interesting, playful and/or reflective of the seasons.

This was our Thanksgiving table before I set the flatware and glasses out.


 

I realize at this point in my life I probably have more than enough dishes and truth be told, simply do not have any more space for another pattern.  When scouring antique shops and thrift stores in search of a charming set of dinner or dessert plates, I have stumbled upon various pieces of flatware (serving pieces) and usually have picked them up for very, very little money.

One of my favorite finds is this horn-handled carving set  I found while visiting my friend in Washington.  We visited this large antique store on one of the last days of my vacation and this set was only $50.  Linda & Gretchen’s (two dear friends) dad sharpened the knife for me and the set has graced our Thanksgiving table every year since I acquired it.

The monogram at the end of the handle is so lovely.  I wish I knew where to have silver monogrammed in this style (or would it be cost prohibitive?).

Soon after I purchased this, Linda gifted me the horn handled butter knife and berry/olive spoon(?).  The horn handle on the butter knife is worn smooth, all the more appealing to me.  I wonder who used these in their homes so many years ago?

A close up of the detail on the butter knife shows its intricacy. {Thanks, Linda}

 

While growing up my mother was a bank officer  and was good friends with  a wonderful lady by the name of Mildred.  Mildred never married and left the contents of her  home to my mom.  This berry spoon was one of my favorite pieces and to this day I love it and the memories it conjures; it is so beautiful, I treasure it.

It’s the stories behind antiques that warms my heart each and every time I use the utensil, don’t you agree?  As Brooke Giannetti {Velvet & Linen} explains in her book, “Patina Style” …”When we bring antiques and artifacts from our past into our homes, we connect with the stories behind them…”  The sugar spoon and butter knife below came from my father’s grandmother (my great-grandmother) and I really like the pattern on this set.  I don’t believe this set is sterling but it’s in great condition and I use it quite often, believing that silver develops a beautiful patina when used and carefully cleaned.  In fact, I purchased silver-felt liner (from Container Store) for a drawer in my buffet so that I could keep my silver serving pieces readily accessible.  It keeps the silver from tarnishing for the most part.  I found that when I had to pull out my wooden silver box it was sometimes too inconvenient and I wouldn’t bother.  If you have lovely silver, glassware and dishes you should use them even for everyday meals, this practice enriches day-to-day living, don’t you think?

This sweet sauce ladle was given to me my my friends, Georgiann and Tony.  They knew I would enjoy this and they are so right, I use it for dessert sauces all the time. {thanks G & T)

Close up of ladle handle.

The meat fork captured my attention because it is monogrammed with a “B”, our last name begins with a B {I had to have it!}  Truthfully it was not very expensive.  The serving spoon beside it is from a shop that is since gone out of business, by the name of Westminster Lace.  It was a gift from my good friend, Julie.  {Thank you, Julie}

It’s always fun to have something on my collection search list.  It just is.  I do love the mismatched meat forks, serving spoons and olive forks that I’ve collected and I’m currently on the hunt for a pattern of silver plate called Charter Oak.  Wish me luck, the eBay pieces seem a little pricey.  I’m hoping I can track dinner forks down at thrift stores and antique barns.  I’m not in a hurry, just would love to have about 6 dinner forks and maybe 6 knives.

Do you have treasured pieces that you have either inherited or picked up along the way.  Do you have a particular pattern you are always in search of?

Christmas Collections

06 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

collections, nutcrackers

I’ve come to realize that I’m not a very sentimental person.  I came to this conclusion when I realized I ultimately grow tired of things I have collected throughout my married life.

Through the many Christmas seasons we’ve celebrated as a family I have, during various years, collected teddy bear ornaments, White House collective ornaments, snow men figures, Santas and nutcrackers.

Except for my nutcracker collection, I’ve either given away or permanently stored these collections.  In fact, the teddy bear ornament phase was tied to having two small sons and I seem to remember there was a huge interest in “teddy bears” at the time (maybe the early 80’s?).  Those ornaments have been divided up between 2 boxes labeled to go to my adult sons once they’ve got children of their own, Son #1 will receive his box of teddy bear ornaments this year! {smile, sigh}

image via Southern Accents

I’ve tried to analyze why I don’t feel attached to items for very long but I’ve come up blank.  Maybe it’s the fact that our home is on the small side and really doesn’t have a ton of storage.  Maybe it’s just that the chase (tracking down the perfect _________fill in the blank) is what attracts me.  In any event, I’ve decided to think long and hard before starting any new collections of anything…except maybe the silver spoons I’ve had my eye on at eBay!

My nutcrackers have always held court on the mantle…I sometimes use a garland but this year went with greens tucked in and around the base of each figure.

The short red and white nutcracker by the clock was Made in China but Son #2 bought if for me when he was very young and while the paint may be toxic (not really sure) I love it!  We’ll keep it out of the hands (and mouth) of small children!

This baker nutcracker sits on the kitchen counter each year. {apologies for dark photo}

What kind of collections do you enjoy this holiday season?

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