Curated Rustic Goods for a Montana Home

Sourcing a curating goods for my pop-up shop is a never-ending quest. Here are some recent finds that I feel fit into a warm and cozy, Montana rustic home style. 

Keep reading to learn the details on these fantastic finds.

A hand-painted barn scene, painted on a barrel stave and a brown plaid scarf that works as a runner, and a footstool with a needlepoint Pointer on it add simple rustic touches to any spot.

The stool will be appropriate in a cabin or country manor. 

On the mustard yellow, leather top table sits a broken, antique mantel clock and a vintage, brown wine "jug" with curly willow branches in it. I love this table because it is a great size, has a shelf, and is on metal wheels.

A vintage. souvenir sign from Yellowstone hangs on the wall. 

Also hanging on the wall is a framed sheet music piece. The music subject doesn't necessarily fit a cabin theme, but the gorgeous frame sure works beautifully in this vignette. A LARGE cutting board or charcuterie board incorporates warm wood texture. A vintage, souvenir Yellowstone bowl or plate and a handmade deer tie in well with the rustic theme.

I added a little wire to the back of the wood fish platter to hang it.

A weathered blue candlestick and a nest and pinecone sit on a wood tray that I copper-leafed. The tray sits atop two orange, green, and blue plaid pillows. 

The colors, the textures, the mix of vintage and worn objects help to create a warm vignette. 

Slow Styling and a New and Better Library Railing

In my previous post I talked about leaning into SLOW decorating this year, living in our spaces and not needing perfection to be content and comfortable. Our first home project of the new year is a perfect example of taking time to change our homes. This I know about me and my home--it will never be "finished" and it will always be a work in progress. With that said, I NEVER liked the railing on the lofted library in our great room (and I have lived with it for 10+ years).

Our home had some art deco styling, some Asian style, and some mishmash, idk what kind of design when we moved in. The doors covering the storage space under the lofted library were Soji screens and the railing was white, Victorian house style spindles that never made sense to me. 

Nine years ago I replaced the Soji screens with plywood, painted to look like an old sign for our schoolhouse. It has been fine, but it never looked aged enough and I have never loved it. So, right before Christmas I got a wild hair and decided to paint the plywood a green color from an oops can of paint and I added natural wood paneling. Note from the above photo, we changed out the propane fireplace about seven years ago for a more rustic style and more importantly, for one with a blower that actually helps heat the space.

I really like the warm wood behind the fireplace. I then convinced hubby to finally help me take out the white spindles and to put in an updated, more rustic, industrial railing.

Removing the old railing was probably the toughest part. The baseboards were glued to the flooring and we had to use a chisel to chip and splinter it out. The spindles were bolted in from underneath and they took quite a bit of muscle to remove as well.

We opted for wood posts and horizontal cabling for the new library railing. We used fir and stained it the same as the wood on the sliding doors. Does all of the wood in your home need to match? Gosh, NO! Different wood tones help spaces to look less flat. But, some connection between spaces is unifying. 

This was our first time using cabling like this and I must say, it was easy and I love the clean look. It really opened up the library space and it feels like it has always been here or that it belongs here. I want to change out the flat, office space, blue grey carpeting. For now I am getting rugs to put on the stairs, landing, and up in the loft area.

I moved the blanket ladder, an old school slide ladder, over to this wall rather than in front of the slider doors. I wanted to share the patchwork quilt on the ladder. It was a quilt top that I thrifted. I added a polar fleece back to it and "quilted" it by sewing on the patchwork lines on the top. It is created with vintage fabrics and I love it for winter. I do swap out these blankets seasonally.

A puzzle table that we made takes up most of the space in the library. It is a great space to sit in the afternoon and soak in some sunshine, drink a cup of tea, and read or work on a puzzle.

This project took us a weekend and we spent about $150 total on wood, stain, hardware, and cables. The change is truly amazing in terms of the feel of the space. It warm and matches my style much better than white, farmhouse spindles. 

It is so nice to have this new view during the winter months when we are indoors cocooning more. It was worth the wait and it was OKAY that it was a ten years, just live with what you've got project. Let your spaces be works in progress, make the best of what you have until you can change it, and create a home that is unique and comfortable.

Textural Cozy Curated Home Objects

Happy 2026! I typically like to start the new year out on the blog sharing trends for the new year. BUT, this year I hope to shift our thinking from trends to creating homes that are personal, warm, lived in, layered, curated, and slowly styled to fit our needs. I hope to help you to slowly decorate and to think of your spaces as living, ever-changing places--places that have good and bad days, great and really crappy days. And, for the love of God, I hope to encourage you to NOT design a room that looks like a sterile, commercial space or like aisle 12 of your favorite big box store.

So, with that goal in mind, I wanted to show you some recently sourced objects that will be for sale at my upcoming pop-up shops and share why these items help introduce texture and warmth and personality into a room.

Why do we want texture in our rooms? It keeps a space from looking too flat and boring. Texture is tactile and welcoming. Using earthy, warm colors feels cozy and grounding and connect interiors with nature.

This rust colored, knit, wool blanket is so heavy and warm. On top of it sits a wood trug styled as a mini vignette.

Old books, a wood candlestick, and a handmade metal and wood deer sit in the trug.

The wool, vintage Tree of Life tapestry is a wonderful way to incorporate both nature and texture on a wall. The picnic basket sitting underneath works well as a storage piece and balances the vignette.

I love this carved, wood wall shelf and the handmade, green, ceramic fish candleholder. 

Under the wood shelf above the chair hangs a print entitled The Berlioz House and the Hunting Lodge of Henri IV by French artist Maurice Utrillo. I reframed the print in a "more important" frame. 

These decor objects are unique, but will work with many different styles. What item do you love? How or where could you use it in your home?

Fresh Greens for Christmas

My name is Becky and I am here to admit, I have a fake Christmas tree. I feel guilty saying that sometime because real tree people often come across as being superior (I am not calling anyone out). We got a fake tree after Christmas 12 years ago after our real tree was so dry before the big day even arrived. I love that I can put it up whenever and leave it up for as long as I like. 

BUT, I do miss the smell of fresh pines. So, I decided to add some, plus other fresh greens for the holidays (be sure to read to the end of the post to see other LIVE things). This year I decided to try my hand at making my own pine wreath.

I really enjoyed creating this fresh and full wreath, although it was messy.  I started with a variety of freshly cut pine boughs from trees on my hubby's work property. I cut enough to fill a large, Costco reusable bag.  The juniper branches are from my yard. I could have made a twig base wreath, but decided to buy a $2 grapevine wreath from the thrift store to save time.

I wired together small bunches of pine (and fir) branches, creating a lopsided fan that fanned out more on the left side. I wired each bunch onto the wreath, keeping my floral wire intact and making each bunch one at a time. I plopped right in the middle of my floor to do this. Wearing gloves is advised if you do not want pitch on your hands.

If you do end up messy, GoJo took the sap right off. When I thought the wreath was full enough, I added a wire loop on the back to hang it to better look at it and to see where there were holes that needed filling. I used a heavier gauge wire than the floral wire because this baby is hefty!

It was a little sparse on the left side and on the bottom right. I tucked in and wired on more branches in these areas. Taking pictures of your progress helps too to see where you need to fill in. 

When I was happy with the shape, I added battery operated fairy lights that have a timer and a French blue, velvet bow. 

The wreath hangs on the door between my front entryway and great room. The door stays open during the day and we close it in the evenings when we will be able to enjoy the fresh pine smell and the bountiful wreath in our main space.

Next to the door, in the great room are more live greens and a new to me furniture addition. I bought an antique wicker set--a sofa, rocker, chair, and this table, this past weekend. I love the vintage green color! The table found a home in this corner. (The rest of the furniture is sitting on my covered, pop-up shop porch.. What I am doing with it is to still be determined.)

My Thanksgiving-Christmas cactus started blooming a few weeks ago and is still going strong. I love it on this table, especially when the afternoon sun shines through the front doors. 

I incorporated a little Christmas candlelight glow here too. 

In the large, unique, thrifted jar I added some moss from my yard. There is a floral foam block under the moss and I water it weekly. It has been living and growing for about three months now. I added tall, skinny thrifted candles to the moss, glass Christmas balls, and a velvet ribbon. The teacup candle holder I made  few years ago.

I love real plants and enjoy using them during the holidays where I can, even if I do have a fake tree. 😉

My Christmas Home decor tour got interrupted by my pop-up shop happenings. I am now done with pop-ups for the season, so let's get back to my space. Let's start with the inspiration for my holiday decor, this vintage winter painting.

I love the blues and greens and creams in the snowy scene. The amateur, vintage painting sits on the windowsill next to my Christmas tree.

Below the painting on a music cabinet that belonged to my grandparents, I put a soft blue and tan, plaid cashmere scarf.

On top of the cabinet sits a basket sleigh with a little tree, the clock shadow box I made ten years ago, and a brass JOY candlestick.

In front of the painting sits a 1918 Hans Brinker book with gorgeous color pictures in it. My aunt gave me the book and the cabinet and the rocker next to it this summer when we visited her. 

I added some accessories to my dining room light.  I started with making a French blue velvet chain, hot gluing the loops together.

I glued jute and velvet ribbons to glass balls and pinecones and tied them to the light fixture. A couple pom pom garlands that didn't sell in the shop completed the look. 

I framed a Currier and Ives print from a 1946 book and hung it on the windows.

Our tree is decorated with ribbons and glass balls and various other ornaments.

We put the tree in a different place than where we have had it the past few years. I really like it here and love the visual flow of my cozy Christmas decor along this wall of windows. I still hope to make a few live wreaths to hang on the windows too. 

Creating a Cozy and Welcoming Christmas Entryway

Our front porch and entryway spaces are my favorite areas to decorate through the seasons. They are good, big spaces to style and they serve an important purpose--welcoming friends and family into out home. Let me welcome you in with a quick tour.

You walk up some front steps to my main entryway. This porch is covered. The original double doors to our old schoolhouse are simply adorned with pine garland and premade wreaths from the thrift store.

On the left hand side of the porch is a sitting area with cozy blankets and pillows. Will I sit here in the winter? If it gets above freezing I might. Twinkle lights are on the mini tree, wrapped in the pinecone arrangement, and are stuffed I the metal tree cutout lantern that hangs in the corner. I created the painting, it is one of four seasonal paintings that I made for my front porch. I painted on both sides of two boards so I have less seasonal decor to store. 

This thrifted, green, metal planter gets changed seasonally. This year I added red sumac berry clusters from my yard, large pinecones, and some cedar sprigs. 

On the right side of the porch there are more pinecones, branches, sumac berries, and fairy lights. Both the front porch and the entryway get lovely late afternoon light.

When you come in from the front porch to the entryway, you are greeted by this wall across from the door. A small tree with battery operated lights sits in a rattan stool. I continue to enjoy seasonally changing the chalkboard art that hangs on this wall.

This year I chalked a cozy cottage in the snow. In the beginning of creating chalkboard art, I would erase and erase until it was perfect. Nowadays, it is a one shot deal. This scene will last until March.

Below the mirrored candle sconce that hangs here year round, I framed and hung a vintage card that was one of the last cards my great grandma received in 1953.

On the right side of the entryway, diagonally across from the door to the great room, is a bench for guests to sit on to take shoes off. A blue and brown plaid pillow (with an elk scene on the other side) and a nubby linen blanket add warmth and softness to the space.  The shelf and coat hook, from my second book, Wood Pallet Wonders, (BUY HERE) acts as a mantel for my decorating. The coat shelf is useful to hang coats and decorative items. I hang various leather cases that I tuck seasonal books and sprigs into. Coats can still hang on these hooks.

On top of the shelf lays a pine garland, various pinecones, nests, sparkly branches and three taller trees or branches with fairy lights in them. 

The basket with the round mirror stays year round as does the large, thrifted, gold school bell. the antique gold box adds a touch more metallic color and looks like something the wisemen could have carried. 

This year I am using this vintage watercolor from the thrift store that I found a few years ago. I framed it in the barnwood frame. The soft blues and greens and browns and snow incorporates my theme this year in both color and subject and style. 

98% of my porch or entryway decor came from a thrift store and yes, I am happy and proud to announce that. It is my hope that these spaces say to guests, "Welcome! We are glad you are here and we hope you feel warm and cozy while you stay."