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Showing posts with label shops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shops. Show all posts

11.06.2017

a happy holiday is on the way!

I know we're right in the midst of Thanksgiving prep, my friends,
but I just found something that I couldn't help but share!

I've been hunting and gathering and making all kinds of happy holiday goodies
that will be making their way into my little shop in Room #1
inside the Needful Things Addiction Marketshoppe in old town Lake Elsinore, Ca.
just a few of the sweet vintage treasures that I've found...
there's ever so much more, but some things need to stay secret ;) 

and as soon as I opened up a big box in the garage and saw what was in it,
I just knew that some of you would be really happy...
because my original Sweet Sweater Snowmen will be headed to the shop!
yep, I found all of these guys. and some BIG guys.
and some Sweet Sweater SnowBABIES, too!

these are perfect for your holiday decor & gift giving, 
because they work as decor well into February!

my holiday wares will be headed into the shop for Thanksgiving weekend
and an upcoming Dec 2 event in our store... stay tuned for details SOON!

10.17.2017

bewitched, bothered, & bejewelled!

I'm so crazy busy this week getting ready to open the homewardFOUND shop,
that I've decided to just share my Instagram posts here instead of writing a whole post!
.
Working on creative display ideas for the vintage costume jewelry that I'll have 
in Room #1 at Needful Things Addiction in Lake Elsinore, CA very soon... 
If you want a stylish new pair of earrings or chunky necklace 
to wear to Thanksgiving dinner, I've got them!
,
stay tuned for my Opening Date announcement 
follow on Instagram . Pinterest . Facebook

10.29.2014

Happy HalloWEEK! Part 2: A Skeleton Crew...

When I walked into Roger's Gardens 'Hauntingly Beautiful' Halloween BOOtique this fall
and saw THIS decor element, I laughed out loud.
Last year, their decor made me think of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
THIS year, it makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean!
(Yes, I am an unabashed Disney Kid!)

If you've ever looked at cheap plastic skeletons 
and thought there is NO way those will EVER look good,
think again....
 because used as an overhead 'trellis' for climbing ivy, these old bones have full-bodied style!

The skeletons hang from the ceiling and dangle down at the edges of rooms & doorways,
creating arches overhead.
Faux ivy twines through and around them, looking ever so creepy.

I could also see using REAL ivy - DEAD, brown, shriveled ivy - for this project.
Or maybe BLACK faux ivy - with gray spanish moss dangling down!
 (Sorry, bad pic - but I love his face!)
This is a great decor idea for a front porch, entry hall, or over the dining table.
Just think of all of the 'helping hands' you'd have around!

See ALL of my Halloween posts here
Find Roger's Gardens here

10.04.2014

Haunted Mannequin

Once again, the master visual stylists at Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar, CA
have outdone themselves with this years' Halloween decor...
the theme is 'Haunted Elegance', and this Haunted Mannequin is a perfect example.
She's elegant and scary and vintage-looking
AND 
she has secrets!

I thought there were some ideas here that could easily be used to create your own mannequin
for Halloween decor in your home...

The mannequin herself is a simple black cloth figure on a black wood stand - 
you can find those new or simply paint an existing mannequin form black.

Her first secret is her clothes. They aren't clothes at all.
They are TABLECLOTHS!
Yep.
See that cabinet behind her? It's holding damask and netting linens for sale.
The visual crew used it as fabric to create her wardrobe.
(It's kind of a 'Project Haunted Runway' thing going on there)

And there's another secret to be shared:
Her skirt has an underlayer to give it shape.
It's not a petticoat or a hoop. It's more a SKELETON of a hoop - 
created with
(drum roll, please)
WIRE TOMATO CAGES!

( I LOVE using tomato cages as a decor element! See more here!) 

Cut open on one side and then bent and connected together, 
the wire tomato cages are partially wrapped with cloth tape (like medical tape) to hold them together - 
and it looks very musty and old.
Then the layers of fabric are added, tied on, pinned,
bustled and flounced to give her Edwardian-era gothic fashion style...
open in front to allow a peek at the underskirt framework.
A sash of black satin holds the 'skirt' on and is finished with a sparkling pin.

On her back, a swath of the netting tablecloth is gathered up to form a cowl collar on top,
and then fall like a cape behind her.
Her bodice is expertly adorned with bones.
Not an actual 'skeleton' showing her ribs, this effect is more artful and suggestive.
More bones on her shoulders give the effect of epaulets.

Bones can be found at the Dollar Tree or party supply store...
and no, they won't look like these!
However, after a wash of thinned light gray paint
and then some 'antiquing' with a dark gray paint wiped on,
you'll get an old, decrepit look to them.

...and then there's her jewelry!

This stunning necklace was created by combining multiple sparkling rhinestone 
pins, brooches, earrings, belt buckles, and necklace pendants.
The assemblage is pinned right onto the mannequin form, 
but you could hang a real assembled necklace on one, too.

I just love how the designers there come up with fun new ways to use materials
that we see EVERYWHERE for Halloween...
I mean, other stores put tablecloths on tables, for goodness sake.
But at Roger's Gardens, they elevate the everyday to ecstasy!

shared online:


Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d}

10.01.2014

le Style du Jour....

On Saturday afternoon, I spent a lovely and relaxing few hours with friends
as we attended an event at a beautiful local vintage/antique shoppe...
Vignettes is located in Ocean Beach, Ca (near Point Loma in San Diego)
It is one of the prettiest antique shoppes around, 
and the events there are frequent, inspiring, and always CROWDED!

This event was the store's 19th anniversary celebration, 
and the decidedly French theme 'La Vie en Rose' was everywhere.
To my mind,  nothing was more stunning than the 'front room', 
which was all decked out as a boulangerie/patisserie.
 This color scheme is so perfect...
the deep charcoal chalkboards (made on bread boards, did you notice that?)
and blue-green pumpkins create contrast with the warm brown wicker, wood, and bread tones.
 Up close, the details are even more inspiring...
vintage labels made into patches on a burlap-covered bench, vintage signs, 
onions and pumpkins - and more gloriously rich wicker.

Even the simple addition of the word 'VIN' in black paint on a plain old wicker basket
adds incredible interest here.

...and can we talk about that SIGN???!
It's an old walnut and maple footboard,
with the simple addition of some painted lettering and varnish.
Tres Chic! (and tres eeeezeeeee, oui? )

I was looking everywhere, inspired, shooting tons of photos, 
and I kept thinking:
Why couldn't this stunning display inspire 
the color palette, theme, and accessories for a ROOM?
Why couldn't a kitchen look like this?
Why not? Inspiration is everywhere. 
And Francophiles would certainly feel right at home here!

This chair was NOT in this room. In fact, it was in another store altogether.
But if I were decorating, I'd PUT in in this room!

Then on Sunday, while I was decorating my office, I uncovered an old photo
torn long ago from a magazine (possibly 'La Vie Claire'.... but I'm not certain....)
To me, this is EXACTLY what the outside of that sweet boulangerie would look like:
See more from Vignettes on their facebook, website, and blog.

6.19.2014

@ Liberty: Summer Ashore Decor!

Imagine, if you will, Lady Liberty... 
stepping down from her pedestal on Ellis Island to enjoy a summer yachting excursion.

That, in a nutshell, is the premise behind the summer theme
in my friend Liz's booth in an antique mall in San Diego!
Liz hired me to assist her in gaining some serious WOW factor in her booth,
which is in the WINDOW of the gorgeous shop.
She brought the goods, and I helped her with a design plan and styling services.

... and I think I can safely say that her booth is definitely a WOW!

These are simple yet stunning ideas
for combining Nautical, French, and Patriotic decor...

a vintage mannequin is dressed in a white petticoat and draped with a vintage flag.
Liz created her Lady Liberty crown out of tin!
a beautiful alabaster statue tips her crown to the colors
in a purely last-minute serendipitous combination,
a statuary head nestles in a silver yachting trophy, topped by a jaunty French beret 
Old Glory adds color to the sparkle of mirror and crystal in the corner
 a vintage French bed was rebuilt as a bench, then filled with nautical pillows and Old Glory
a life preserver forms a perfect halo above the mannequin
and a sailing ship is ready for the water
miniature Lady Liberties join in the fun!
.
Liz's business is 'My Little French Venue'
The store is Vignettes, in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California

shared online:
 

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

4.29.2013

Chandelier Fountain

I was enjoying the lovely blooming surroundings at local garden retailer Roger's Gardens on Sunday...
reveling in the birdsong, snapping photos of the roses,
and taking in the incredible feats of retail display work throughout their vast property.
The visual team is AWESOME!

... and then I rounded a corner and my jaw hit the floor.
I stand corrected: The visual team is made up of GODS.

Look again at the photo above.
Do you see what I see?  What assaulted my senses as I rounded that corner?

There is a stream of WATER dripping down that crystal chandelier
and into the fountain below!

There are many chandeliers in their visual prop closet, used in many ways in the store...
 they also had them over the Halloween banquet table that I photographed last fall:
My guess is that this chandelier somehow broke and was no longer functioning
so they came up with a STUNNING new way to use it.

It's one of the most original ideas I have seen, which is why I just had to share it with you!

In answer to the "How'd they DO that?" question in my head
[that may just be rattling your brain right now],
here's the answer:
 I spied a large fountain tube running from the fountain base up a nearby post, 
across the ceiling,  and down the back side of the chandelier
where it funneled water down the center of the chandelier and out the bottom.
[I didn't see the pump, but that thing has to be really powerful
to move water that far!]

NOTE: This chandelier is NOT electrified. There is no power to it.
They may have actually stripped out the electrical system, I don't know.
If you try to do this at home, please DO NOT use a working or wired chandelier.

A crystal chandelier that drips not only glistening, sparkling crystals... but also water. 
Now THAT's a way to make a splash!

I can just imagine doing this at a wedding reception,
or even in an elegant bathroom or greenhouse.
And what about a beautiful birdcage as a possible fountain?!
Isn't it fun to look at everyday things and see so many MORE possibilities???

Again, this is not MY project...
I just saw it and wanted to share. The photos are mine.
Find Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach, CA and online here


shared online:

Blog Hop | DIY Doyenne

4.15.2013

Don't Fence Me In!

i love using garden elements for decor.
watering cans, terra cotta pots, garden tools, birdbaths, fences...
especially fences.

over the years i've used old garden fencing in a multitude of ways...
i actually hauled a dozen vintage white wood fence sections around for ten years!

here are a few ideas to get YOU started!
* a section of fence as a backdrop in a vignette
it can be hung on the wall, or just leaned up there.

paired with a large garden urn, a large vase filled with lilac blooms,
and terra cotta pots that are stacked and tipped over, filled with various objects
[like balls of string and glass lamp globes and garden hand tools and seed packets]
keeps the whole 'garden' theme going...

another section of fencing was hung up higher and to the right, 
and another small section lies on its side below that...
the two pieces are visually connected  by adding some white wire garden fencing between them.
[this large arrangement was the focal point behind the cash register
during the spring vintage show on our farm in 2010.]

* fence pickets used as signs
i simply separate the pickets, and hand-paint them!
[that's also one of my headboard signs!]

* fencing as lumber supply: tables
 [the fence pickets have been separated from the fence structure before using as lumber]

another idea, shown below, is a little more complicated:
follow the white arrow in the photo, and you'll see
* fencing turned into a window awning

 some of the fencing i had hauled around for a decade was used in the making of it...
and that awning was used in four locations over five years!

* hung as shown above ^ in our antique store booth

*sitting on top of a metal tent frame in our show booth


* hung in my store on the farm (twice - two stores, two farms)

...and NOW it has been shrunk down in size,
and hangs over a bed in a young girl's bedroom!

fencing also works beautifully as:
*wainscot (lower wall treatment)
* headboards
* backs of benches
*shutters (hung vertically)
oh, yeah.... and in the garden!

have you ever used garden fencing as decor in your home?

*note: credit for the construction of the fence awning and tables shown above
goes to my late husband. he was very talented!*

shared online:

The Everyday Home Blog | Home{work} Wednesday
[thank you for the mention, Suzi at Worthing Court!]

cupcakes & crinoline | project inspire{d}