Decorating

I have to admit to a certain amount of uneasiness and even depression  this past week. I’ve been glued to the news and scrolling through social media for the latest photos and status on Harvey. I’ve been systematically overwhelmed, sad, horrified, and often hit with feeling helpless, and useless. And finally, hopeful. I still have a bit of survivors guilt. I know this situation could easily have been Florida. But it wasn’t. This time.  Hence the guilt. I needed to do something besides sit around and feel horrified and wring my hands. So I donated.

Look y’all, I know it’s people first.….but seeing the faces of terrified animals sent me over the edge. I felt helpless and more than a little angry. Don’t leave animals tied up, don’t leave them in fenced areas or locked up in garages or barns. Leave the doors and gates open. Let them at least try to find high ground. To leave a dog chained to its doghouse during a flood is beyond cruel.  Having a dog chained outside is cruel even when the weather is good. Don’t do this. Don’t have a dog if the only thing you can offer it is life at the end of a chain.

The image of dogs fighting for their lives at the end of a chain while flood waters rose kept me awake at night. Or paddling in outdoor kennels, or horses tied and locked in stalls. Some say, leaving horses locked in a barn keeps them safe. I ask, how can they be safe during a flood when stalls are flooded to chest height or in the case of Katrina, and now Harvey, much higher? This is a case of I don’t know enough and maybe shouldn’t be commenting. I lived through a flood. A horrendous flood, but not a Harvey. I do know what floods can do when it comes to companion animals. It’s devastating.  But I confess to a certain amount of ignorance when it comes to keeping livestock safe.

I  have a recurring nightmare about Harvey or a storm like Harvey, hitting Florida. We are sitting ducks here, Harvey would have covered our state. And demolished it. While we wait to see what Irma will do, I’m making a list of what to pack when if we must evacuate some day. If not Irma, then some unnamed super storm. I pray not. But if it happens, my dogs will be in the car before my clothes and shoes, that’s for sure.  And I’m praying for Texas and her people.  I donated. And now I’ll pray that my donation gets to real people who need it.

And since you don’t read my blog to hear my social commentary, let’s get to the Transitioning to Fall part.

It’s September, Blogs and Instagram and Facebook groups have been chomping at the bit to get to fall for weeks. There’s even a Facebook group dedicated to all things fall. (Check out Pumpkins and Spice) I shared one photo with a peek at what I’d planned for fall at the Brown abode, but as usual that’s already changed. I have a hard time thinking Fall when it’s 93 degrees and thunder storming every five minutes. I envy those who post, “It’s crisp here this morning.” Actually…..I hate those people. How cruel to taunt those of us who don’t live north of the Mason Dixon Line with words like, crisp, and fireplace  and jeans and boots??? Have they no mercy???

I got all my fall crap out of the attic and risked being instantly cooked by the thermal blast of heat that accompanies that task. I was standing on that flimsy drop down ladder, head and shoulders in the attic, reaching for the “Bin of Fall” when I suddenly realized my entire head was wet!! Did we spring a leak? Someone leave a hose up there and forget to turn off the water??? Noooo, it was sweat! Icky, dripping sweat. Gross sweat. I wasn’t even all the way IN the attic! I grabbed the “Bin of Fall,” slid down the ladder gracefully, (this is a big fat lie, I all but fell, skinned my shin, and broke a nail!) The lengths I will go to for Fall.    It’s my favorite season……says every human on Facebook, Instagram and on blogs. And judging by Pinterest, Fall is HERE! NOW! So I’d best get with it or risk my blog appearing out of touch and behind the seasons.

I dragged the “Bin of Fall” Um…..Let’s dispense with the quotations marks and the hype and just call it the bin from now on. mmmkay? Soo, I dragged the bin into the kitchen, hobbled off to shower, slapped a bandaid on my shin and cut the remainder of my broken nail off. Then the contents of the bin began piling up on the kitchen counters and island. It’s a large bin, my friends. And I purged last year when I told myself I would do simple Fall from now on. Remember how well the Simple Christmas went last year?  Multiply that by 10. Yep, that’s the bin.for.fall.

I artfully piled greenery and faux pumpkins on various and assorted flat surfaces and quickly realized I didn’t get the pine cones. OH NO!!! This requires another trip into the attic!! I went to my favorite chair, iced Barqs in hand and binged watched Netflix. Fall can wait until it’s crisp.

After the last notes of the theme to the second season of “The Last Kingdom” faded away, I threw a couple pieces of faux foliage on the dining room table, went outside and cut a few trimmings from shrubs, got my Grandma’s bowl down from the cupboard and tossed some apples in it. I call it “Early Fall (ish).” I spent a lot of time arranging things just so. All of 10 minutes. I had to wait for the rain to stop so I could clip a couple of leaves from the bushes.

Real Pumpkins will not be seen in this part of Florida for weeks, and I wasn’t feeling the fauxs that I have. It’s not time for pumpkins here. It’s not crisp. Unless you count the fact that most things are fried crisp by the sun at the end of August. Except we’ve had non-stop rain for weeks, so things that were once fried crisp and brown are now soggy and brown, not a good look for a centerpiece, even if it’s only fallish.

Apples will last for a couple of weeks in this arrangement. It’s cool in the house. And if you want to keep the clippings fresh, just use one of the dozens of water picks you’ve hoarded for years from floral centerpieces and gifted plants. You hoard water picks, right? Everyone does. I mean….Oh come on! If you don’t have any, go to your nearest Walmart and buy some. Or order a 10 pack from Amazon for $7.22. Geez. I didn’t use any of mine, I’m still hoarding them. For Christmas. (Which is only days away in Blogland.)  I have almost unlimited supplies of greenery, and trimming the bushes for centerpieces is helping Mr B with yard work. See how helpful I am? He loves when I help.

If you aren’t quite ready for full on Fall, get some apples, or pears and add a leaf or two, maybe a pine cone……unless god forbid your attic is like mine. There is a silver lining here, I don’t have to bake my pine cones to kill off critters. Nope, those suckers are baked to a high degree and are critter free. Ditto for the 5 pounds of acorns I brought home from Indiana three years ago. In a box in the attic, next to the baked pine cones…..my beautiful full sized acorns are also baked to a high degree. We don’t have real acorns in Florida, we have teeny tiny little fingernail sized acorns so I must import real ones. Because I want Fall! Real Fall! Crisp Fall!! I wonder if I have any pouches of cake mix left from the girls’ Easy Bake Oven??? Hmmmmm. Warm chocolate cake fresh from the attic??

HAPPY FALL Y’ALL.

Create the fall (ish) home you see in your heart. Love the home you’re in. You have a home. Many do not right now. Donate, please. Help those who only wish their biggest problem is how to decorate a table. Thank you for following me, I appreciate each and every one of you.

Trends. They come and go. Then they come and go again, sometimes ya never know what’s in…or out…..or if you even care. I know what’s out. Anything I buy. Yep, I take such a long time to jump on  a trend train, it’s usually either dead or dying by the time I decide I like it. Which is why I don’t pay too much attention to the “in” thing. I fill my home with things that please me, that make my heart smile. So my home is always “in.” Or at least that’s the story I tell myself.

But let’s take a look at some of the hottest trends going right now and some that have cooled off.

Hot:

Planked walls and if you are lucky, real shiplap. Planked walls show no sign of cooling off.  Beadboard and Board and Batten are timeless and aren’t  too far behind.

Interior doors painted in dark colors. (Think black, dark browns or grays).  This is a great trend if you have kids, or live with Pig Pen. Mr B I’m lookin at you. Those dark doors hide a lot of finger marks. Just sayin.

Buffalo check is hot, hot, hot! Any color. Tiny checks? Not so much, those are yesterday’s country. Today is about the big checks. Draperies, upholstered furniture,  pillows, it’s showing up everywhere.

Wood look tile is still going strong along with every imaginable material that can mimic wood.

A personal favorite of mine is the return of brass. Not your Mom’s shiny, lacquered brass, the new version looks like old, somewhat tarnished brass. It’s warm and adds lovely patina to any room. Mix metals in your rooms, it’s OK to do this! Really, I wouldn’t lie to you.

Polished chrome for faucets is starting to rise on the trendy list, while polished nickle is just beginning to lose favor. Oil rubbed bronze is holding steady, but I think that in the near future brass will overtake it in popularity. I could be wrong, but I’m seeing a lot more brass now.

Wallpaper has been trending for a couple of years now but has hit a new high in popularity. Try the newest generation of peel and stick.

Dark colors for walls, the accent wall is baaack. Charcoal gray, dark luscious browns, even black on walls for a moody feel.

Mid Century Modern and Boho are two of the hottest styles, and Modern Farmhouse is still holding its own. Those three styles own the highest rankings on Pinterest.

Painted furniture. Need I say more?? OK, I will….Painted furniture hasn’t enjoyed this much popularity in decades.

STILL ALIVE: Faux fur. Fur pillows, throws and faux fur rugs are still showing up in almost every style, thanks to the whole Hygge movement. I still can’t get into the fur thing. Except at Christmas. I use a couple of furry throws then. I live in Florida, I’m pushing the envelope with a flocked Christmas tree and greenery. Fur just seems silly to me when it’s 93 degrees with a heat index of 105. But then again, my northern friends make horrible fun of me when I post my holiday photos of my flocked tree with palm trees in the background. So guess a little fur is fine.

Signs are still going strong. And single book pages or Bible quotes enlarged and printed on canvas or paper and mounted to wood, then framed.

On the upswing: Botanicals, along with vintage bird and rabbit prints are showing up in more and more homes. Almost any vintage animal is hitting the hot spot again. Hung in a grid, these offer a modern take on the declining gallery walls.

Maps. Maps are everywhere still. As wallpaper, as decor, framed, unframed. They’re even cooler when they’re vintage. Ditto for blueprints.

COOLING OFF: Feathers, gallery walls, galvanized metal and dollar store cow pictures (not that there is anything wrong with using any of these. I’m just reporting the trends, don’t shoot me, or send hate mail…..mmmmkay?)

WHAT’S DEAD:

Arrows, ampersands and the @ symbol. Matching collections of furniture. “No matchy, matchy” has been my mantra since the late 80’s.  It’s OK if you buy a room full of furniture from Rooms To Go…. if that’s your jam, but add some personal art and accessories.

Document fabric and the Eiffle Tower decoupaged on anything. Dead and buried, thankfully.

Soooo, what do you think? Is your home a hodge podge of trends that are hot, warm, or as cold as yesterday’s fried chicken……or…..is your home warm and inviting, filled with classic finishes and unique and personal things that speak to your heart? Don’t try to follow every trend, they are called trends for a reason. Very few make the cut to become timeless. Fill your home with things that make you smile, things that allow you and your loved ones to find comfort, security and peace from the increasingly noisy, negative world. And OK, throw something trendy and fun in the mix to liven things up. Just don’t jump on every trend train that rumbles by. It’s expensive, you’ll never be satisfied,  and your home won’t look like YOU.

Create the home you see in your heart. Let’s make that a trend!

photo credit: all photos used in this post are courtesy of Google Images, origins unknown or not listed

I’m three weeks in my 30 day self imposed no shopping challenge and it’s going well. I’m really surprised at how easy it has been. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE to go to junk stores, antique malls or roadside pop-ups loaded with vintage stuff. It cheers me up when I’m down, lifts my spirits and inspires me to try new things in my own home. Not doing any of that should have left me down in the dumps. Strangely enough, it’s had the opposite effect.

I walk through my rooms now and look to see what can be removed, changed or gadzooks! I might even like what I see. I don’t look to see what I can add, I don’t walk around thinking….”If I only had ……, or I should get……., or I wish I had one of those………. Nope, I’m enjoying the process of changing things up by using what I have.

My attic is a crawl space and it’s about 200 degrees up there right now. So any forays into that hellish space must be thought out and planned like a Special Ops raid. Like right after a storm in the evening. Crawling up in there ain’t for the faint of heart. I usually ask Mr B to do that for me, but I just can’t bring myself to do that right now. I like my husband, I want to keep him around. Heat exhaustion is not an option.

The result of not getting into the attic means that all those items I’m hiding saving for future use, are in boxes in the garage. This has resulted in some remarks from Mr Grumbly Pants, aka the a fore mentioned love of my life. I asked for another project to be completed and the look I received in return withered my eyebrows. (Almost…. I have some pretty wiry brows and not even the wrath of Mr B can scorch those completely.) Normally his stink eye renders me silent…..but I’m on a mission. And no amount of stink eye will stop me. “I can’t do any more projects until I get my garage back,” said Mr Crabby Appleton. “But it’s sooo hot in the attic.” I whined….. “It’s too hot to go up there.” He stood firm and stink eyed.

So yesterday I lost 22 pounds of water weight sweating in the attic, moving bags of pillows. BAGS of pillows. Um, who needs that many pillows??? My responsible Self said… “just donate those.”  My normal Self  said, commented, screamed, “What if the world suddenly has a pillow shortage and my attic stash saves women everywhere from dying from the loss of pillows for sofas and beds??”  I cannot be responsible for that. So I’ll keep those bags of pillows. Just in case.

I still have boxes to move, but now I’m too weak from yesterday’s heat, weight loss and the thought of no more pillows. I’m guessing Mr B will begin project completion for me in November when the attic temp comes down to a reasonable 95. In the meantime I’m using what I have in the house or hidden stored in the garage.

I recently became enamored of seltzer bottles. Again. Especially the ones with faceted glass. They look so pretty in social media photos. I HAD to have one. Completely forgetting I already have three that I never use. “But they aren’t faceted,” my must-have-everything-Self said. “I  already have those others,” my I’m-trying-to-purge-Self remarked. The internal arguments between these two are draining. If you see me wandering around, wide eyed and mumbling, just give me space. Don’t make any sudden moves, speak quietly, lest my brain implodes.

A few days ago in the midst of a mumbling fit I happened to be looking up at those seltzer bottles when I had a Holy Cats!  moment. On the top shelf in the laundry room, snuggled up next to the seltzer bottles I don’t use and really have no good spot for were my vintage lemonade bottles. I totally spazzed. I was so excited I grabbed the ladder and brought them down immediately. I can’t believe I’d forgotten these gems.

I went to an elderly widow’s home in the 80’s to look at a Singer treadle sewing machine. While we were chatting my son became infatuated with some bottles and asked about them. The woman’s late husband had invested in a company that wanted to offer a soda that would compete with 7Up and/or Sprite. She said the plan died because, in her words, “no one wanted to buy anything German.”

She had cases of bottles left and offered them for $1.00 each. We left her house with the treadle sewing machine and 6 “Limonade” bottles.  The labels on the these bottles have been loosely translated…. The drink was to be a carbonated Lemonade with Citrus and Orange extract, sweetened with sugar, by Peter Wiertz and bottled by the Aachener Buger Brau company. They have porcelain stoppers! They still seal. I had a brainstorm. Where the elderly woman saw failure, I saw possibilities.

I sterilized them in a water bath. You can Google sterilizing methods, there are several, but I just did the simple, stick em in a pan of water and boil them until everything in them, or on them is dead. After they were cool I used them to hold…..wait for it…..Lemonade! I decided to decant my lemonade into them and use them to serve friends and family. I love those stoppers and the bottles offer a neat way to pour and serve any beverage this summer.

If you have vintage bottles that are just collecting dust, think about ways they can be used. Decanters for laundry supplies? Bath oils? Dish detergent? With the lemon craze that has hit Blogland this summer, I’m doing my part, except I won’t be adding lemons as decor on my table. I want to sit outside where I can enjoy the humidity and buzzing of insects, while I sweat buckets but look oh-so-cool serving lemonade from these old bottles. Fresh squeezed lemonade, I might add. Yeah…..I’m all about the fresh.

Look around your home, are there things “hiding in plain sight?” Have you grown so used to your displays that you no longer see what is there?” Move things around. Look at them with new eyes. Don’t store things in a drawer. Or keep them in a cabinet. Find ways to add them to your daily life. After years in a box, I now use my Grandmother’s silver. It make me feel connected to her, brings back memories of childhood Sunday dinners, and using that silver makes my heart smile.  I’ve added some vintage transferware to my every day dishes. Those dishes also make me smile. Isn’t that what a sanctuary should be? A place for smiling hearts.

Create your own sanctuary no matter where you live. One room at a time. Create the home you see in your heart.

Sooo, I’m in the middle of my 30 day challenge and am here to report, I’ve not done a lot of anything! What???? Where’s all that get up and go? All those little projects waiting to be completed? Photos to be filed? Furbaby to be trained? Books to be read? My get up and go…..went somewhere. It left me curiously un-inspired this last week. Each morning I get up and greet the day with…….”geez, I’m still tired.” “Think I’ll take a nap.” I did finish a couple of small projects, but truth be told, I’ve spent the majority of my time just hanging out with my Granddaughter, watching senseless TV, reading, listening to music, eating junk food and being lazy. It’s been pretty darn good, my friends. I treasure these last few days with her, she’ll be returning to Ohio soon. Projects can wait. I needed to recharge my creative brain cells.

There is no sanctuary for me without family, friends, and critters.

I’m not all  twitchy to go shopping, in fact I don’t miss it! OH! my stars! I can’t believe I just said that….in print…..on-line…..where it will live forever.

I have been reading quite a bit. I’ve finished 4 books and am working on a fifth. I read every night before turning out the lights and almost every day poolside. I can feel the fat collecting on my body as I write. I see lots of walking in my future and maybe cutting back on the Barqs. Catching up on my reading was on my list and as I write this, I realize I’ve accomplished at least one of my 30 day goals.

I did finish a project and played with paint as I hinted in my last update. I tried Amy Howard One Step paint for the first time and followed her tutorial for getting an authentic looking crackle finish.

It seems a bit strange to be doing a faux finish that needs to look authentic…….but who wants their fauxs to look fake? Right???

So here’s my opinion on Amy Howard’s paint. I’m unsure. Ha! How’s that for a ringing endorsement? The paint itself is smooth and  creamy but it isn’t a one step, or one coat product. I’ll  have to try it on another piece of furniture and I’ll know more.

Crackle finish is almost instant gratification. I took a throw-away-clock I’ve had forever and didn’t much care for and gave it a makeover. All I did for prep was to clean it with my trusty 50/50 water and vinegar solution and remove twenty years worth of dust. It was hanging high on a wall and I don’t climb ladders to dust, I’m almost ashamed to admit that if something in my house is hung high on a wall or placed on top of a cabinet, it probably doesn’t get touched more than once a year, when I clean to add Christmas decor. Truth is harsh. I’m suspicious of folks who climb to clean. It’s unnatural. That clock was pretty grimy. Um…..Maybe I should take another look at my cleaning habits. I taped off around the glass after it dried and it was good to go.

I slapped a coat of paint on it with an old chip brush, (don’t use a good brush for this project), and let it dry, then I applied a layer of crackle medium. I used some old Lowes crackle medium that I had on hand. When it was dry to the touch, ( about 15 minutes) I applied another coat of paint, using smooth strokes. Don’t go over your second layer in a back and forth motion, it will remove the crackle. Lay the paint on in one direction, it doesn’t have to be precise.

The magic appears within a few minutes. For best results use flat or chalk type paint.  You want to make a paint and crackle medium “sandwich.” A base of flat/chalk paint, followed by crackle medium, followed by another coat of flat/chalk  paint. When the second coat of paint is about half dry, use your fingers, or a brush and push your paint here and there to lift it and cause it to lump.

This causes those bumpy, lumpy spots that appear on old finishes where paint dripped or wasn’t applied smoothly and was painted over with new paint over time.  Repeat your layers as often as you wish to replicate years of paint. Use contrasting colors for a dramatic look or various shades of the same color for a more subtle finish. When your project is almost dry, use a scraper to remove some paint from the edges, but don’t go along an entire edge. Think about how old pieces get dinged and bumped and scratched over the years. That’s what you are aiming for. I used 3 different colors of paint, besides the Amy Howard, I used Waverly Chalky Paint from Walmart as the final layer.

When you are satisfied with the amount of crackling and the number of layers and the amount of distressing, let the project dry completely. Top coat with matte sealer or wax if desired and buff to a soft luster. You can highlight with dark wax to bring out the crackled areas or leave it plain. I opted to leave mine without a top coat for a more tired, old look and kept it to the white and ivory paints, I didn’t want a lot of contrast. I finished this update by using a single edge razor blade to remove some of the painted gold accent from the glass to make it look worn. And I aged the clock face with some burnt umber acrylic craft paint. I dabbed some paint around the edge of the face, then immediately wiped most of it off with a damp rag. The final steps were to remove the tape, clean the glass and reinstall the knob.  A project completed! I might keep this clock now…. Or not…. What do you think?

It’s a fun and easy project and gives a much older crazed look than the crackling kits of the 80’s and 90’s.

Supplies I used:

Amy Howard One Step Paint in Bauhaus and Linen

Waverly Chalk paint in Cashew

Burnt Umber acrylic craft paint (optional)

Lowes Crackle medium

Chip brushes

Old paint scraper for distressing the edges

Damp rag

Painters Tape

Single Edge Razor Blade

Have fun with paint and don’t be afraid to experiment.

As always, I recommend that you watch on-line tutorials, read blog posts and use scrap wood or “throw-away” pieces until you are sure you have mastered a technique. And always read the directions for your product. Different brands of paint, crackle medium and waxes all have different drying and working times. Follow the directions for your chosen brand.

Create the home you see in your heart. Create your sanctuary no matter where you live.