Easy Cake Plate Update

Ever ask yourself, "Hmmm, what were they thinking?" I do, quite often, especially at the thrift store. So when I spied this gun metal grey, metal cake stand at the thrift store for a few dollars, I knew I was buying it and I knew it would need a makeover. 

I mean, I like grey well enough, but not for food. It is just so depressing and an unappetizing color, not celebratory like a cake plate should be. So, I looked through my paint and chose a fresher and delightful color for it, a vintage mint green.

This was a paint sample can in a matte finish. I pained it right over the gray, which was also flat, after cleaning the cake stand. Remember to turn pieces upside down and paint the underside first and then flip over. 

I did sand the edges a bit where the grey paint was bumpy and then clear coated the cake stand with a matte, spray on finish. While the paint and finish is non-toxic, I would recommend sitting unwrapped food on a napkin or doily rather than directly on the painted surface.

This color is so much better and I love how it looks like vintage jade green cake stand. I styled it in my kitchen corner with some thrifted dessert plates (with GF Oreos), a small, battery operated candle in a wood spoon rest, and a jar of trail mix. I used Antique Gold Rub-n-Buff on the jar lid and glued a faux succulent to the top.

Paint--always a game changer and a great way to update thrift store finds!

Early Spring Vintage Finds

I know, it is only mid-January, BUT in the sourcing world, I have to be thinking ahead. So, spring (and late winter) have been on my brain as I curate items for my pop-up shop. Here are some of my recent finds!

COLOR--aahhh!! You might notice lots of florals and greens--prefect for spring. Keep reading to see DETAILS!

This faux lavender looks so real that I actually smelled it when I picked it up, thinking it was  dried bouquet. The silver candlesticks are perfect for Valentine's Day or a spring wedding. The original geranium painting is well-done and an acrylic I believe. Based on the framing, I think it is vintage.

This vintage, cast iron, Swedish casserole dish is quite the find. The green repeats on the dish part and it is HEAVY. The robin print is from a 1965 set of classroom posters. I got a dozen of them and will be framing many of them. The framed sheet music is  fun for lonely hearts during February. The small vintage sunflower creamer makes a good vase or cane be used for cream. These items are laying on two green pillow forms that I will be using on my loveseat.

A book bird print, a vintage oil painting, and a chippy white frame all say hello spring. The silver dish is a 25th anniversary Oneida bowl from 1969. I need to finish polishing it up.

This sweet applique art with buttons depicts a lovely cottage and picket fence.

A vintage needlepoint and a framed print entitled spring (that I reframed in this nice easel frame) and an Oneida striped pitcher all add much welcomed color to any home. I love sourcing new items for the shop and I enjoy sharing them with you. 

Recently Sourced Home Decor for the Pop-Up Shop

Even though I haven't picked a date for my next pop-up shop opening (I am waiting on weather), I am still busy sourcing fantastic, vintage items to sell. Here are some of my recent finds:

I love these old, vintage, wood, folding chairs (I have one hanging on my wall as "art", and extra chair). I revived them with Wise Owl Furniture Salve. You can buy it from my friend Tina HERE. I made the table from a metal table base that I spray painted and a wood lazy Susan.

I use washers and screws to secure the wood top to the heavy metal piece.

I love this primitive wood shelf with the scalloped beadboard on the back. Based on construction, I think this is a fairly old piece, although the paint on it is maybe a recent addition. All i did was use the salve on it to give new life to the dry wood. The watercolor painting on the wall is by a rather famous, American artist, Dale Hamlett. He passed in 2011 at the age of 89. He painted professionally for 50+ years and was painting up until his death. He won many awards both nationally and internationally. On the back of his painting is a return address label with his name and address in MN, so I wonder if tis was part of his personal collection that he kept.

On the shelf sits some smalls that will be for sale. I love the Japanese Majolica creamer.

I loved the pastel stripes on this vintage Oneida pitcher. Boy, this thing was filthy and took a lot of hot water and Dawn dish soap to clean up. The oil still life is primitive, but very old in an antique frame. I think it is. This was on the back of it:

I did a little research and found the artist's obituary, she passed in 1953

Curating items for the pop-up-shop is one of my very favorite things to do. I am happy with these finds and look forward to offering them to my customers. See anything you love?

Simple Warm Winter Entryway Decor

I loved my Christmas decor in my front entryway, but...

while I thought I would leave the pine branches up for winter, yesterday I decided I wanted to put them away and style the space is a more pared down, simple look for winter.

I kept a few wintry items, but then put back much of the everyday decor that I make small changes to through the seasons.

I kept the white pinecone candleholders and the Swedish rattan star or snowflake that I used for the holidays. The gold and macrame growler came back with bare branches for the season. I will add green branches in the spring. A thrifted, handmade, pottery planter is a new addition--I added some green moss to it to incorporate a touch of color. The warmth of the large, flat basket behind the mirror, the snowflake, and the antique gold bottle helps to make the space feel cozy rather than winter white cold.

On the other end of the entryway shelf sits the pinecone painting that I created using only wood scraps as paintbrushes. I left the green-blue creamer with a candle in it that I had here for Christmas, but replaced the pine and red berries with green moss. Remember to repeat items and colors and textures for a more visually pleasing display. A trio of vintage leather cases add more warmth and a large, gold bell (perfect for my old schoolhouse) anchors this end of the shelf. Vignettes most often should have odd numbers of items, different heights, and asymmetry to create interest and harmony.

Because I can't keep live plants in this entryway during the winter (it gets too cold, we close the door and close it off at night), I replaced the Christmas tree that sat in the weathered brown basket with hats, mittens, and a newly thrifted, green plaid, LL Bean Scarf.

When go in and out of this door when we walk the dog so it is nice to have some of those warm winter accessories nearby. I left the same pillow and throw on the bench and kept the chalkboard art the same. The winter cabin art that hung under the wall sconce was replaced with the vintage needlepoint "Love Spoken Here" art that typically hangs here.

The space is warm and inviting and functional still, but cleaner and pared down than it was for Christmas. Oh, and it gets the best late afternoon, winter sunlight.

I am always proud that every bit of decor in here was either thrifted or created and made by me--the light, the bench, the chalkboard, the coat hook and shelf, the stenciled wall. It is a fun space to decorate. My favorite hashtag to use is #thriftcuratestyle and I am happy to say that I not only preach it, but I also live it. 

Attic Bedroom Makeover with Thrift Store Finds

Out of sight, out of mind--boy does that saying ring true for me. We started a makeover in out attic bedroom space six months ago. I JUST worked on more of it, mainly the sleeping area. 

First, to refresh our brains, this space is a large area that was our daughter's bedroom when she was a teenager. It originally had pink carpeting that we ripped out ten years ago before moving in. We replaced it with dark, barnwood LVP. After she moved out, it sat empty until the boomerang middle child moved back home in 2022. He lived here for about 16 months. When he moved out, I reclaimed the space.

The makeover started or was inspired by this wool rug that I thrifted from the Habitat for Humanity Restore. I picked a mossy green color from the rug to paint the walls. Down on the one end I have my art "studio"-- a drafting table (that now sits on a shag brown rug), a record player, and a small dresser that holds art supplies. I stage items that I find up here in this space.

In the middle of the room I created a sitting area near the stairway pony wall. The bamboo chair has been replaced with my more comfy thrifted, rocking bentwood chair. I have also added ottomans.

Opposite the chairs there is a TV on the wall, a long wood bench with some hand weights and yoga mat under it. 

In the other end, in the nook, is a queen sized bed, the newest addition to the space. I put up the barnwood wall when my daughter lived her. A queen box spring will not make it up the stairs, so this mattress sits on a new, wood platform bed. The Woolrich, corduroy bed spread is a thrifted find that has been washed and sanitized and is ready for guests.

The bed can slide to the middle to be made. At the end of the bed sits a newly thrifted, narrow wood bench. I am not sure it will stay here. I really was just staging what I thrifted and will probably put the bench in my pop-up shop. It was a fun find! It works well to hold an extra blanket and to sit on to put shoes on.

I added a hanging light with on on and off switch that sits on the small shelf I attached to the wall The shelf sits right above an outlet and provides space to sit a phone and a book.

I've incorporated thrift store art in the space. We also have a small fridge, microwave, and coffee pot in the space, next to the bathroom, in the opening to the walk in closet space. I will share the whole space soon, but I am thrilled with how it is coming together!

Thrifted Coffee Table with Form and Function

One thing I have learned through the years of sourcing and reselling is that if I really love an item, it is okay to keep it for my home and sell it in the future if I tire of it. Such is the case with this rustic, vintage, homemade trunk that I thrifted a month ago. I decide it would make the perfect coffee table for my sectional sofa.

It is simply made from plywood and is quite rustic, but I loved its aged, oiled patina and that it provides a coffee table with both form and function. I want a coffee table that can BE USED--feet can be put up on it (so NO glass), it can hold cups of coffee and cocktails without fear or ruining it, and it provides a place for functional items such as books, readers, and remotes.

This trunk table does all of that PLUS it has storage. No staged photos here either--we use this space daily. We love lots of squishy pillows and cozy blankets on the couch and furniture pieces that are for living.

This is the view of the back from the couch. I love the rusticity of this piece in juxtaposition with the lighter, more modern sofa and the traditional rug. It adds warmth and character and grounds the space. 

To style the top I used a thrifted wood tray with an interesting shape and a lighter wood color to stand out on the darker trunk top. You want something with a little height on the table--I used a thrifted, utensil basket with branches for winter. A candle add glow and a lovely scent on cold winter days, and a small photo clip with black and white polaroid pictures from our town (a gift from my daughter) sitting on a vintage, unframe, thrifted cross-stitch also sit on the tray. The fabric adds a bit a softness and a different shape to the vignette. I will change out the fabric and what's in the basket and the candle color and scent with the seasons.

On the other end sits one of the books I am currently reading, I typically read 2-3 books at a time, the TV remote and my old lady readers, and a brownware bowl with coasters in it. This rustic trunk really doesn't need coasters, but I still like to use them to prevent rings. Atop the coasters sits a heart rock from my summer travels.

I am so happy I chose to keep this piece for now, I really am loving it and,

I really do use it to put my feet up!

Christmas Decor Inspiration from a Vintage Painting

I found this painting at a thrift store this past summer as was instantly drawn to its muted blue and green colors and the winter scene.

It is an oil painting, done by an amateur, that pictures a cozy and idyllic Dutch village. It is the "loose" inspiration for my Christmas decorating this year--snow, soft blues and mossy greens, and nature. 

Last week, I shared the small, vintage, European, wood sled I recently thrifted. I styled it as a centerpiece with traditional red and green elements. I was wondering if I should keep the sled or sell it. You all convinced me to keep it, which meant I had to restyle it to fit my new Christmas theme for the year.

I started with a new runner. I am not typically much of a plaid lover for home decor, but the colors and nubby texture of this thrift store find just seemed right. It has light blue , browns, and brownish-red that are perfect.

I utilized the same faux tree that I shared in my earlier centerpiece, but put it in a small, cement urn style planter instead of the red berry basket. The green books stayed, but I tied them with a brown velvet ribbon rather than a red one.

I picked up these books from a FREE bin at the thrift store. I got a dozen of them. I used the 2 and 5, 25, ones for Christmas.  A brown dripware candlestick holder with a white candle replaced the red candle.

A heavy metal deer adds more natural color. Lotus seed pods that came in a thrift store bag of sugar pinecones introduce organic textures in warm brown tones.

A frosty, faux pine garland draped along the table runner and around the sled runners adds a touch more of the bluish green color to the table.

I am glad I chose to keep the sled and I love the updated styling of it!

Creating a Warm & Nature Inspired Entryway

Christmas is on it's way and although we still have Thanksgiving to celebrate tomorrow, I started decorating for Christmas. My front entryway was the first area in my home that I worked on. 

I decided to change up my decor or theme a bit from last year--I am sty0ling with more natural and organic textures, incorporating a touch of a greenish blue and using fewer gold and red touches.

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I treat this pallet wood shelf in my entryway like a mantel. I made this shelf, and show you how in my second book, Wood Pallet Wonders, that you can get  HERE. It is so fun to decorate and style through the seasons. The shelf also adds so much function with the hooks for hanging coats and purses and bags.

There are some elements that stay here throughout the year--the round, flat basic and mirror, the leather, camera and binocular cases, the foot massager, wood bead garland. And, then, other objects that are added and removed seasonally. I started with adding the faux garland.

When using a garland on a mantel or across a table, don't simply just place it in front in a straight line. Give the garland sone movement, place objects behind it and in front of it, and in it--think layers!

The basket and mirror and the Swedish star or snowflake sit behind the garland while the thrifted, white, pinecone candleholders are in front. I used a brown, dripware, strawberry jug to hold pine branches and curly willow branches rather than the gold jug that typically sits here.

I placed pinecones throughout the garland. The smaller ones I foraged and the large, sugar, pinecones are thrifted.

I chose to incorporate more white and snow in my decor this year as well, so I found these crystal, snowy branches at the thrift store to include in the garland. I cut apart the branches into smaller pieces (boy, was that messy!) and tucked them in here and there.

I made sure that some of the snowy branches were in this part of the garland that hangs down off of the shelf or mantel. I replaced the gold bells that have been here with these thrifted, rattan ones, tied with jute and velvet ribbon. Think about different textures when decorating. 

On the other end of the shelf or "mantel" sits a painting of a snowy pine branch that I painted (see it above). In front of it sits on of my leather cases and a thrift store, green blue creamer with a candle and a bit of greenery and a velvet ribbon. Another tip to great a cohesive display--repeat elements. There is a floral foam block i the creamer to hold the candle in place. A pet peave of mine is displaying candles that look like they are never used, Burn the wick for a few minutes and remember to NEVER leave burning candles unattended.

On the wall opposite of the front doors sits a small bamboo stool with a brown basket holding a tree with lights and snowflake ornaments.

The ornaments were on the snowy, crystal branches from the thrift store. I love a twofer find,

Chalkboard art was all the rage five years ago, and while it is no longer hot, I do still enjoy changing out this chalkboard scene seasonally.

Next to the chalkboard art on the small angled wall by the door that leads into the main room, hangs a mercury glass candle sconce (that is always here) and I added a thrifted, vintage watercolor of a snowy cabin scene.

Make sure your entry space is functional as well. A bench or chair for people to sit on to remove shoes or boots, a place to set things, and something that coats can be hung on all add purpose to the space. 

I headed to the thrift store to find a new pillow and blanket for the space. The pillow has elk on the other side, nit my style. But, the plaid side is perfect, it introduces pattern and some of the soft greenish-blue color I am using. I typically don't use linen blankets in the winter, but this one was the perfect color, thick with lots of texture. It washed up beautifully. I looked up the brand, POM POM at Home and these linen blankets sell for hundreds. I paid $5.

You can also see in the photo above the open binocular case. I change out the books in this seasonally. I also tucked a little greenery in there. I may still open a few of the other cases and add items. I strung the rosehips four years ago and while they are typically included in more primitive decor, I liked the reddish brown color and their organic nature.

Tips to remember when styling a mantel and/or an entryway space:

1. Layers create interest and coziness

2. Natural elements connect the indoors to the outdoors

3. Textures and Patterns--mix them up and use a variety

4. Repeat elements--colors, objects, textures

5. Function matters too!

6. Use what you love, what speaks to you, what makes you feel warm and joyful. For me, the woods restore me and always feel right.