Christmas Hutch

I did a major change up on my hutch for Christmas this year.  

  Last Christmas it looked like this.

   But this year, I filled it with lots and lots of red.

I found this whole set of red plates and mugs at a yard sale this summer for only $5 and bought them before I remembered I already had a red set.  They're not the best quality and chip very easily, but I thought they'd look great on my hutch for Christmas.

I mixed them with the few pieces of red transfer ware that I own and peppermints and candy canes.  

  I added my glass cookie canisters that I've had for over 25 years and some gingerbread men that I made at least that long ago.  

  These little guys have been part of my kitchen decorating ever since I saw the idea at the Carter Grove Plantation in Williamsburg, VA.  A few have broken over the years, but with good care, they mostly still look like new.  

  I haven't gotten around to filling the canisters with Christmas cookies thus far.  Haven't decided yet it I'll fill them with cookies or candy or skip the calories and leave them empty.  

  For some reason unknown to me, I love decorating with candy canes.  To match the canes on the hutch, I made a peppermint wreath that I have seen on a few blogs this year.  

 Because it was a little smaller than I wanted the finished product to be, I added a faux wreath behind it to make it fuller and contrast better against the wall.  

  I finished off the table with what else but a red candle, surrounded with peppermints and greenery.  

  Looking forward to festive meals this season in my bright and very red dining room.  

   Linking with ~ The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~ The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday  

   

Kitchen Greens

I've been working on remodeling my kitchen  for weeks now with still not much to show for all the time.  My kitchen doesn't photograph well, so I haven't bothered to share many pictures of the makeover, but here is a cabinet I repainted with a few Christmas decorations on it.  

  This cabinet was one of those put-it-together kits I bought unfinished over 20 years ago.  I originally stained it a maple color, but now it is a lovely shade of green since my kitchen is being redone in white and green.  

  I started with this old aluminum strainer that I usually keep bananas and fruit in.  For Christmas I decided to fill it with tinsel and a collection of vintage ornaments.  

    I added a few glittery tree candles . . .   

   a green depression glass orange juice strainer . . .   

   and a vase of flowers and greens that were on clearance at the grocery store today.  

  Eventually I'll share more of the kitchen makeover, but for now I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak.  ~ Linking with ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday     

Bright and Simple Decorating

I don't know about you, but sometimes I use the same Christmas decorations year after year, and then for some reason, I feel a need to change it up every year.  Sometimes I'm into more subtle colors and then sometimes I want the bright reds of Christmas.  This is one of those times . . .  

 

This is a really quick and simple way to bring a splash of any color into a room for Christmas ~ a clear glass container with colorful balls inside.  These are just inexpensive plastic balls bought at Target last season.

I mixed them with a few red transfer ware plates, faux greens and red berries.

I found this bright red glass vase at Hobby Lobby several years ago on super clearance and it makes such a striking statement at Christmas time.

  

So if you need to brighten a corner for Christmas, try this simple and inexpensive solution.

Linking with

~

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration

~

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

~

The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday

 

 

Warmest Welcome

Although the color is mostly gone now from the  trees outside, it is still colorful inside my home. My sister made and gave me this sign a few years ago with vinyl letters from Uppercase Living.  

  I combined it with some faux fall flowers and dried Sweet Annie and used it previously my front door.  

  This year I combined it with an old black chippy window frame and hung it in my dining room.  

  I love the chippy texture of this old window frame and the fact that I can change it out every season and hang something different inside it.  

  But for now, I hope it expresses my warmest welcome to all who enter here.  

   ~ Linking with  ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~        

My Fall Hutch

I finally got around to removing my summer decorations from the hutch.  I loved them so much, I could hardly bare to pack them away until next summer.  But ~ fall is here ~ and it was time to move on.  

   I'll start with some fall dishes I found last summer at a yard sale.  I think the whole set was only $12.50 and they are just perfect for this time of year.  

  Then I found these sweet little ramekins at Goodwill that match almost perfectly.  

  Taking center stage on the hutch is this beautiful turkey platter that I found at a thrift store for only $10.  It has a lady's signature on the front, so I think it was made by this very talented lady.  

   These next items were found at the September Springfield Flea Extravaganza.  They are pieces of pottery from the early 1800's that were dug up at the Victorian Dump in England and brought back here to sell.  The vendor had dozens of pieces of pottery that he had personally dug up, wrapped in newspaper (dirt and all), brought to the states, and then cleaned up for resale.  Pits and pieces of long ago, each one beautiful and oozing history.  This first piece is a ginger beer container.  I love the cracks on the side and it's earthy warm colors.  

   The next few pictures are lids with no bottoms, but each has its own personality and unique beauty.  

 

 

 

  Then off in a corner of the hutch is my lovely fall pitcher and mini pumpkin snuggled in an abandoned bird nest.  

  On the top shelf is my trio of clay pumpkins on a tiny bale of hay sporting happy Halloween smiles.  

  A few weeks ago, my brother installed my favorite chandelier over the dining room table.  It previously was just hanging on the screened porch, but it was far to pretty to hang outside where it is not seen or used during the winter.  Now I can enjoy it year round and it gives me so much more light than my previous light fixture.  

    All in all ~ I think I've got it covered for fall, Halloween,  and Thanksgiving.  ~  Linking with ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday ~ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures ~ French Country Cottage    

Porch Almost Finished

You might remember back in September I started replacing some rotted wood on my screened porch, only to find the whole porch needs replacing.  I only had time to replace one side of the porch before winter and you may remember this is the last picture I showed you on the porch status.

This is the kind of rot I found when I took the porch apart.

Well, this is where I am to date, with the outside finished on this side, all except for the screens which I still have to make.

It's so nice to have gotten this far before winter.  My goal this week is to get the screens made before the wisteria leaves fall and all end up blowing inside the porch. My favorite thing is when I walk up to the screen door and see my newly hung coat rack that I posted about earlier, hanging by the back door of the house.  

  It makes me sad that it's getting cold and I won't be able to sit out here and enjoy the fruit of my labor much longer.  

  Or enjoy a meal at my lovely wrought iron table.

I so hate to pack it all away until next spring, but they are calling for some snow this week, so I'll need to move fast. How do you like the new outside light fixture?  It went from this . . .

to this.

At least I can look out my kitchen window and enjoy the view of a newly painted porch side during the winter and long for warm spring days to come. ~  Linking with ~ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday ~ Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday ~   DIY Showoff for DIY Project Parade