Simple as Black and White

I seem to be on a black and white kick lately. While I've always loved lots of white in my house, lately I've been deviating a bit from my usual pastels and adding some graphic punch with a number of black and white accents. I thought I'd show you some of my recent finds today. I'll start with an old photo that I came across at Goodwill last week.
While searching for some picture frames to use in the photo wall in my office, I came across this old black and white photograph of a little dog. It was housed in the most diabolical picture frame imaginable and I started to pass on it for that reason, but I kept going back and looking at this little guy, just literally begging for attention. Perhaps he belonged to a person who recently passed on. At any rate somehow he wound up at the Goodwill store because someone didn't cherish his memory, and that made me feel a little sad. I felt even sadder when thinking that someone else might buy the garish frame he was housed in and just throw away the picture, so I decided that I had to "rescue" him. Although I didn't know this pup, he will become a part of my adopted family and find a new home on my photo wall. Now I feel better!
I picked up the black and white saucer at a yard sale last weekend. It is surrounded by a bunch of great postcards that I lucked into for a dime a piece at a local close-out store.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the saucer when I bought it. Goodness knows I have more china than I know what to do with, but it was calling out,

"buy me, buy me", so I did. This is what I came up with:
Didn't it make a nice little photo frame? All I did was trace out the circle in the middle of the saucer, cut a photograph to fit and glue in place. By the way, that's me as a little girl with my grandmother's dog, Rusty.
I love old letters and numbers but rarely come across them, so I was especially excited to find this letter "D", as it is the first letter of my last name. It started out as a coat hook, though. The "D" sat atop a small wooden platform that was attached to a large hook. I sawed the platform off and painted it black.

My final find was one of those unexpected, unplanned purchases that you just know was waiting for you when you see it.
Isn't this old car just too much fun!

It found a spot on my bookcase next to the pic of my parents old Studebaker. I think they look pretty cool together. This was a tight budget week, so I think I did pretty well

with my $5.00 "allowance". Gotta love a bargain!

Until next time,

This post is shared on "Show and Tell Friday" at Cindy's gorgeous blog, My Romantic Home. You should check it out....lots of great ideas to discover!

One Thing Leads to Another...

A short time ago, I purchased a long-coveted sofa from a friend of mine, and realized that with the new addition, a new scheme in the living and dining areas of the house would be necessary.

Fortunately, I had a “look” in mind, based on a vignette that I already had in the house and wanted to expand upon.
I love the crisp romance of the black and white photo and the serenity of the white busts and cherubs that occupy the top of the piano, and knew that I wanted more of this look.

In anticipation of the arrival of the sofa, I began to make a few minor changes, the most important of which was the hutch display. In keeping with my craving for white, I removed my pink flowered dishes and replaced them with the white ones that are trimmed in gold.

Unfortunately, the bright turquoise background of the hutch, which had offset the pink and white dishes so beautifully, clashed miserably with the white and gold ones.

I thought about a color for the background, and decided upon a smokey gray; Something understated, but not white, as I wanted the dishes to stand out. It turned out to be a good choice. Good enough, in fact, to become the basis of my new color scheme.

Since I painted my walls a lovely pale shade of robin's egg blue last year, I've decided to stay with it. In keeping with the new direction, however, I'm planning to change the trim color from pale pink to pale gray. The photo below some of the fabrics and accessories that I've been gathering for use in the room.

As you can see, I've chosen a palatte of robin's egg blue with some grays along with silver and gold. All of this with a very healthy dose of white. I've chosen some formal and informal fabrics as well as modern, traditional, and vintage ones. I think it's going to be a fun mix. Now to figure out the guest/sewing room.... Stay tuned to see how it all comes out!

Until next time,

Refrigerator Art

I love it when I find something useful, pretty, practical, and inexpensive, and this little find certainly fits the bill. The other day I was at Ocean State Job Lots and found these great

little magnet sets. I believe they were designed for school lockers, but what great refrigerator magnets they make!

You see, I enjoy using my refigerator as a canvas for whatever "art" strikes me at a given time, and currently, I'm into displaying black and white

photographs there. Unfortunately, the typical decorative kitchen magnets just don't cut it with B&W photography! But

these little goodies are just perfect with their graphic shapes and black and silver color, and while they're wonderful on their own, they're even better combined with other types of fasteners. I thought I'd show you some of my favorites today.
In the photo above, I've combined one of the black magnets with a magnet made from a vintage brooch from the flea market. I'm planning to make a couple more of these as soon as I come across the right junk jewelry to work with, but I think that will be enough, as they could really make the display busy in a hurry! But a little bling goes a long way and a few of them certainly a bit of punch to the arrangement.
For these photos, I'm using magnetic photo holders that I found at a camera shop several years back. They've also been one of my "best little bargains", as I've used them to display numerous photos through the years. The holders are sized for a standard 4 X 6 print, however my vintage black and white pictures are a bit smaller. To compensate, I simply backed the snapshots with a piece of black paper, and for a little something extra, I cut a phrase out of a magazine to use as a caption for one of them.
For this photo, I repurposed a magnetic mini-chip clip in a metallic silver tone.
For this one, I used a magnetic binder clip from the office supply.

It's fun to let your imagination run loose when it comes to magnets and fasteners for this type of display. For the only color image in the grouping, I used magnetic childrens' letters to attach a

magazine page with a great photo of some delectable looking cookies. Other good fasteners could be fashioned from clothes pins, checker board pieces, or Scrabble tiles. I'm sure once you think about it and browse your home with a discerning eye, you'll see lots of potential fasteners that will look 100% better than the designated refrigerator magnets you can buy in a store, so have some fun with it and create a display that is uniquely you!

Until next time,

STYLE FILE: The Origins of Style Part I

	The other day I was thinking about what it is that truly inspires us in regard to our decorating choices. Of course, most of us seek and receive many inspiring ideas from blogs, books and decorating magazines.
A selection of some of my favorite books and magazines

Some of my favorite magazine sources are, Flea Market Style, Victoria, Romantic Homes, Romantic Country, Elle Decor, and the now defunct Domino. My collection of books and magazines is one of my most prized possessions because it continually sparks new ideas, which in turn, become fresh updates for my home.

But then I started thinking a little deeper. What is it that defines our sense of taste? Why do we purchase the books and magazines that we buy, while passing up others? What is it that causes certain styles to pull at the heart strings?

	I think our sense of style is cultivated though our life experiences; from both from having, and not having, and from being exposed to various sights, sounds, and stimuli. For instance, I always tend to incorporate some elements of neo-classical design in my rooms. I believe this has its root in the fact that as a sixth grader, I devoured
Vestal Virgin from Roman Mythology

our class studies on Greek and Roman mythology. As a result, I sought out books and movies with mythological themes, and found myself day dreaming in scenes from Pompeian villas and classical architecture.

I also have a strong penchant for roses, old china and linens, and “girly” décor. Why is this so? I’ve had to think about that one, as my mother’s taste was completely opposite this style, and the houses that I grew up in were mostly done in a transitional decor, heavy on colonial style
	Roses and Hats, and some of the vintage items I love

reproductions and interpretations. My mother’s color schemes were typically comprised of the popular color choices of the ‘70’s….avocado green, gold, and rust. When she did deviate to brighter colors, yellows, oranges, and lime greens were her picks.

	Where did I develop my taste for pale pinks, blues, and greens? Perhaps this stems back to some of my earliest childhood memories at my Grandmother Mull’s home in South Carolina. Grandma Mull lived in the country and dressed in
Me circa 1978 in our 1970's living room

styles more suited to the first half of the twentieth century than the second. She was a talented seamstress who made quilts, aprons, and bonnets in some of the most beautiful old fabrics. She allowed me to play dress-up in her old clothes and flowered hats, which certainly represented an era long passed.

Her dishes were flowered and mostly chipped, but ever so pretty. To many adults in the family, these items seemed terribly dated and, if they’d had their way, would have wound up in a trash heap. But Grandma had a strong sense of
	Grandma Mull

the past, and this was not her way. To a tiny girl these items were a vast treasure chest!

I can remember many times as a teen and pre-teen, hiking downtown to peruse the dusty antique shops there.

My purchases were usually limited to an old postcard or a chipped floral tea cup…all that my meager allowance would permit, but these treasures are still a part of my life and home. Another thing that I loved about visiting Grandma Mull was that she always had lots of animals around.

I loved playing with her dogs and cats, and on occasion, she also had chickens and ducks for me to enjoy. But the dogs were her favorites and mine.

	As a tiny tot, I remember riding her dog, Rusty like a pony. Rusty had endless patience and loved me dearly as I did him. Unfortunately he passed while we were away, and while he still has a very important
Rusty and Me

spot in my heart and memory, Grandma acquired other dogs who also became quite special to me. One was Judy, Grandma’s

German Shepherd Dog. Judy took me under her protection and was probably the world’s best babysitter. She’d position herself between others and me, and no one dared to cross her line -- especially when I was in
	Judy and Me

my little plastic swimming pool! And then there was Penny, who appeared to be an Irish setter mix. From morning ‘til night, she was a constant companion; and of course, little Pete, whom we rescued from the roadside on one of my visits to Grandma. In looking back at old photos I notice that my current dog, Lucy, bears a remarkable resemblance to him.

Of course, being a dog lover, Grandma had lots of little dog figurines that I found fascinating. I can remember sitting on her sofa and playing with them for hours! I still have the ones I was fortunate enough to acquire when she passed on, and have added to the collection through the years, so, I’ll

have to conclude that my love of dogs, humble little dog figurines, old hats, chippy

rose-covered china, vintage linens, and most things old fashioned was cultivated by pleasant childhood memories of visits to Grandma. But there’s also an edgy side to me. Where did that come from? And how does all this come together?

To be continued….

Until next time,

Addendum: Click here for part two.

Old Photos

Today, I spent time trying to wrap up some open-ended projects, all revolving around photos. One of my plans is a update for my photo wall. I'm planning to use gold metallic or black painted frames to highlight a collection of black and white images so I've been painting frames that I've collected from here and there to get them ready for some art. I've put together a photo collage of some of the prints that I'll be using. Some are of family; some of pets. By the way, that's me on the bottom left. I hope you enjoy the pics.


Until next time,