Celebrating Summer

Welcome to the cottage.

Summer is just around the corner. Won't you join me for a quick snack in the garden?

Just a light snack on such a warm spring day.

I spent the entire morning weeding the garden and picking some fresh strawberries.

The roses are in full bloom already. Don't they smell divine?

So sorry you have to leave so soon. Thanks for the visit. You'll have to come back and I will make you a wonderful treat with all the lovely strawberries from my garden.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Stephiejo

Dreaming of Spring

Soon flowers will be in full bloom...




Children will be playing in the garden...



with their little furry friends...



having elaborate tea parties...



enjoying the sunshine and the great outdoors...



it cannot come soon enough...



It's almost Spring!

Happy Crafting!
Stephiejo

Garden Style Tablescape

Yes, it is October and autumn is in full swing. Mother Nature on the other hand has her own plans. Since it has been such a warm and sunny week here in the mid-west I thought I would hold on to those last fleeting moments of summertime. What better way than to host a casual garden inspired brunch.
Thank goodness I live in a tiny house or my obsession with dishes would spill over into the 1:1 world. That would be bad. Very, very bad. Pretty tablescapes require not only dishes but linens, silverware, napkin rings, centerpieces, flowers, and all kind of accoutrements that I have no place to store. It is challenging enough storing the little ones!
Although I am not able to create fun little vignettes on my own dining room table, I certainly can and do create them in miniature.
Treasure hunting recently I stumbled upon an assortment of vintage handkerchiefs. Darling little floral prints for under a buck a piece. What to do with them?

Hmmmm...how about a tablecloth?

The vintage floral pattern had the most darling color scheme. Fresh like a summer garden.
The yellow ties in well to the breakfast room patterned wallpaper and the greens coordinate with the banquette pillows and chairs.
Can I just say how easy it is to whip up some pillows when they are only 3" by 4" in size? My kind of craft project!
 Delicate gold trim on the charger and sandwich plates add a feminine touch. Blue bird is enjoying his view perched front and center near all the activity. He's from the Fairytale Dinnerware collection. Can I just say that the Fairytale set is divine! You'll see more of that later. (I bought 6 full sets!!) Crazy I know.

The blue ruffled dishes add just a hint of color in an otherwise monochromatic place setting. The prosciutto wrapped melon is light enough to enjoy with the entire basket of crusty bread...hmmm...carbo load anyone? Do you like your tea with cream and sugar? One lump or two?

An elegant table setting must always have a shiny object inserted randomly in the vignette. Shiny. Gold. What more can a woman ask for? The porcelain flowers in urns are part of a tic tac toe set I picked up a thrift store on one of my travels. Aren't they just the cutest things? I didn't even have to paint them! Bonus! I have a habit of repainting/repurposing most of what I buy second hand just to put my own stamp on it. Annoying, right?

Thank you so much for joining me for a cup of hot tea and a little something to whet your appetite.
I'd love to see what inspires your decorating vignettes.

Credits:
Kitchen Breakfast Room Diorama: SS-Designs Doll Interiors
Gold Rimmed Dishes, food, baskets, silverware: Re-Ment Luxury French Restaurant Series
White Patterned Dishes, tea set, gold serving tray, cake pedestal: Re-ment Princess Tea Party
Table and Chairs: Barbie

To view more inspirational tablescapes I am linking to Tablescapes Thursday at Between Naps On the Porch

Happy Crafting,
Stephiejo ♥

Fall Inspiration in the Retro Kitchen

Long time no see! Bet you thought I had abandoned this here ol' blog didn't ya? Nope. I'm here. Alive and kickin'.

Summer was a blast. So much traveling left little time for play but with the return of cooler weather and the tendency to hibernate I'll have project time again.


Fall happens to be my absolute favorite time of year. What better way to welcome autumn then with some fabulous decor in my mini retro kitchen.

Shall we take a tour?


In the beginning...

My little kitchen cabinets received a fresh coat of moss green paint.  A nice contrast to the fresh white counter & upper cabinets. I intentionally left the stove top bare so that it could double as counter space. Need a stove-just add a pot or pan and voila! Decorative paper backsplash adds a touch of whimsy.

Close up of the adorable woodland friend pattern. I ♥ scrapbook paper!

The sink received the same treatment although I am hesitant to leave the backsplash paper, just not digging it.

Backside of the sink unit offers premium display space-nice bonus!

Nice pop of color in the cherry red stools offers some visual interest.

Dinette set received complimentary finishes. The houndstooth wallpaper is set temporarily on my background wall. Since this is a piece I use frequently for auction photos it will not be part of the permanent kitchen set. One side has the faux wood panels (real wood strips glued to foam core). The reverse side of this wall is my faux stone finish.

My first attempt at accessorizing. Continuing the whimsical theme. Notice the absence of floor tiles?  This floor is the butcher block top to my island that I am now using for photo staging. I'll share photos of my set up in a future post. (too messy right now!)

The addition of a banquette seat in the dining area creates more options for staging. Vibrant pillows continue the color story and lend to the warmth of autumn. The window view showcases my backyard with hints of fall foliage just peaking out of the hedges. The wall unit for now is a prototype made out of foam core. My plan is to make a more permanent structure out of book board for photo backdrops. Foam core is easy to work with but since my studio space is in the basement the moisture is not friendly to this material. (even with a dehumidifier) Not to mention foam core is so light weight that it seems a bit flimsy especially for a piece that will house a bench & display space. The prototype is only twelve inches wide by 16 inches tall. The new unit will be wider & taller and adding a decorative ledge above the window for more merchandising space. (yes, that is a slight reference to one of my favorite designers Christopher Lowell).

Back to building the walls-my first attempt at using book board.

Thank you for visiting!
Stephiejo ♥