Stepping Back and Looking Up

I don't think I've quite recovered from the faux finish stained glass window project of last week. (If you missed that one, click here.) But there were a couple of things I wanted to show you for this week, and the one item was actually very easy to do.

I'll start, though, with taking a step back in the livingroom, and showing you just where that window is situated. Now I've gotten to clean up the craft-related mess, this is where the window actually lies...
It's a small nook in the room that's been a challenge to decorate usefully, but which I finally think I have under control. The cabinet there which looks like an old library card catalog is in fact cleverly-designed DVD storage I got from Target online.

You'll see my friend Claire in England sent me this postcard from her collection-- a very themic choice!...

She'd selected it because when she was here in the US for vacation, we'd gone antiquing. And from that short time, she thought it somehow looked like the sort of art I like...

Amusingly, and unbeknownst to her, I have a Waterhouse print of the same model in a different red dress in my livingroom. I'd promised I'd show her, so Claire-- this is for you.
I also wanted to show a few of you who were asking-- including the aforementioned Claire-- the red velvet sofa I'd thrifted a while ago, all in place...
I'd taken pictures when it was leaning on its side, waiting to be put in place, but not actually in the livingroom where it would live.
Thrift stores have been wonderful to me in providing just the things my house seems to need, but I really hadn't imagined they would come forth with a red velvet couch.

You just never know!

Now, the simple project I was telling you about earlier is this handkerchief valence in my guest room...
I've had folks ask me during various Treasure Box Wednesday posts, "What on earth are you going to do with all those vintage hankies you keep picking up?" And to be honest, I wasn't exactly sure.
I just loved them as colorful little works of art, their flowers so bright and realistic, like small nosegays of cotton.

I'd considered making a quilt (if you search online, there are some lovely examples of how these can be done). I'd considered just framing a few. But recently, I started thinking about simply tying them together to make a light and bright handkerchief garland.


I think it works rather effectively. Rather like a happy little washline.

The room was bright with sun today, and I enjoyed the warm glow shining in here...I added back into the room a thrifted French chair I'd gotten a while ago. A nice place to sit and read, perhaps, for any guests who might stay.
And that about ties up this week's post! I hope you enjoyed taking this more Big Picture peek at the rooms.

Take care, and I hope to see you Wednesday for our next post!

In the (Saint) Nick of Time

I feel I'm really pushing the Christmas deadlines here, trying to get things done. But then I looked back at my blog posts last year at this time and I was saying the same thing. So at least I'm consistent-- if also perpetually disorganized this time of year.

Forgive me, folks, that this isn't a terribly long post. I'll explain why in a moment. But first I wanted to show you how the guest room has been shaping up for the holidays.

The pink McCoy pot my friend Josette gave me last year has become part of a display for this one!...

I decided to use a tree decorated all in vintage jewelry, scarves and a hat in the room this time. Only technical difficulties ensued...
Oh, sure, everything looks okay on the surface, but the bedecked lady seems to have developed a bum leg...
In fact, there was a tremendous cracking sound just moments after I took this picture and... TIM-BERRRR! I caught it just in time.

I do believe this is one job that even duct tape cannot cure. So, I'm going to be moving on to Plan B. And no, I don't know what Plan B is yet. But it sounds positive and enterprising, at least.

What I'd mainly been working on today was moving my desk, computer and everything else to one of the unused rooms on my third floor. My desk used to face this McCoy-filled closet... Now it's just for display.
In the coming months, I hope to share with you how the third floor gets transformed from a dark two-room attic which hasn't seen inhabitants since the Victorian era, to usable, bright and airy office and storage space!

Well, there's much to do... and less time to do it in. So I'm off to do some wrapping and I hope to see you for the next post, on Wednesday.

Have a terrific start to your week!