Monday, December 29, 2014

~ Happy New Year!

 
Will there be a long, or short, list of resolutions for you this year? I think the new year will be another good one to just re-focus a bit. The year in review was a productive one for getting  many things done around the house which had to be done. It's always like that when you live in an older house. Like us, they need a bit more upkeep with the passing years, but we're worth it, we think.

This is a close up of that pretty MacKenzie Child's harlequin star that brings out the black and white motif for Christmas decorating, and now for New Year's as well. The shiny silver with the black is a perfect complement to the Mercury glass.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Monday, December 22, 2014

~ Tis' the Sunday Before Christmas ... White Christmas Decorating

The Decorated House :: White Christmas - White Angel with Mercury Glass and Silver
 
Tis' the Sunday before Christmas and all through the house ......
there are still many things to do, but thank goodness no sight of a mouse!

The white angel is sitting on a side table in the living room with lots of Mercury glass 
and silver ornaments along with the pretty Mercury glass Christmas trees. They reflect
light so beautifully. A few fresh greens, pinecones, candles and a vintage silver 
bowl with ornaments and it was simple and lovely.

I'm getting ready to do a little baking! And since it looks like rain for the next 2 days
that makes it the perfect time to do that. Can you smell the cookies? 
You know there will be chocolate chip, and some gingerbread too
for Sweet Daughter and Cody Puppy.

I hope your week ahead is stress free and full of good cheer!

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Friday, December 19, 2014

~ Christmas - Counting the Days

The Decorated House : Christmas White with Black and Lime Green Accents

It becomes a bit of a countdown this time of year, finding the last gifts, wrapping presents, planning meals or trips. Maybe you research charities for a lovely end of the year gift where it is needed.
Whenever I see lots of presents all wrapped up, it makes me think of what a great time of the year it is to remember some of the best charities who depend on us to help them do their work. 

Please consider checking Charity Navigator to see how a particular charity spends the money that is donated. You can check to see how the CEO of the organization is paid and if they are paying a good portion of the donations to professional fundraiser companies. Both are red flags that may make you give you money to a more worthy charity.  Sometimes it might surprise you to see exactly where your money goes. Just because a group calls themselves a charity doesn't mean that they really are doing much charity work at all.

Most people who do the research will also tell you to look in your own home town, maybe first. The cancer centers, or centers for women and children in your area may have more need than the ones you see on TV all the time and may well make better use of your money and gifts. There are homeless shelters, pet rescue groups, charities that take care of those in need everyday, right where we live.

The Decorated House : Christmas Mantel : White with Mercury Glass and Silver

I still had a couple of details shots of the mantel to share with you. You know the Mercury glass crown is an old favorite of mine. I will let you all know if I ever see any again.

I am really enjoying the old antiqued gold frame again this year. Funny how you get tired of something and then sometime later it appeals to you again. Unfortunately, that makes me think what a good idea it is to save things! Which of course can make you into a  pack-rat. I'm working on that.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Monday, December 15, 2014

~ Oh ... Christmas Tree ~ The Decorated House 2014


The Decorated House :: White and Silver Christmas Tree with Black Accents

For the last few years I've wondered if I can do without the big Christmas tree. You know, maybe a small one on a table so something like that. I've watch how the Christmas tree trimming story played out with the older women in my neighborhood as their kids grew up, or even the grandkids grew up .... and maybe even some moved away. I think by the time I met them only one still had a larger, real Christmas tree that her daughter used to pull in the house on Christmas eve.  Another lady would still put a small artificial tree on a table in her front window and red bows on her outdoor lights, even though she lived alone.  I miss her, and that silly little tree and the red bows.

The Decorated House :: Christmas White and Silver with Black and Green Accents

For this year, there is still a big tree in the living room. Right where it has been for the last 30 years. I like to think my little family would miss seeing one there, but I'll most likely rethink the whole thing once the needles start falling, or I am wrangling the lights off the tree. Sometimes I forget to just let that be a part of the fun as well. 

But I never forget to enjoy the dance of the lights in the evening when all is quiet after a long or busy day. Somehow it brings you back to a peaceful moment and makes it seem worth the work it takes to put it all together. 

The Decorated House - White Christmas with Black and Silver

I hope your Christmas Season is going well and that you are creating beauty and joy all around you. 
~ See Y'All Soon ~

Sunday, December 14, 2014

~ The Decorated House - Christmas 2014



The Decorated House ~ Christmas Mantel 2014

It's that holly jolly time of the year again when you most likely get bitten by a bug ... the Humbug or more hopefully the Christmas Merry Bug! And yes, there seems to be some in between states of mind as well. Or you might flip from one to the other one day to the next. That's OK, just try to take a little time to breath in the beauty of the season and shake off the stress that sometimes comes with it.

Black and white at Christmas? It might seem like an odd color combo for Christmas decorating. But we have been using it for a while, and I still love it! I think it started for us several years ago when we got a Bambi, Radko ornament set with Flower and Thumper being the cutest of the lot. Flower of course is black and white/silver so that one has been displayed the most over the years. But it was the star that came later that really moved the color scheme to black and white.
 
Then a couple of years after Flower came to Christmas,  I found a pretty MacKenzie Childs star to add to the decorating mix. A few more, including one more star, came along in the next few Christmases. After a couple of tree crashes that destroyed a lot of the overpriced ornaments, I vowed not to get anymore. Out of all those glass ornaments, the stars are the only ones on the tree every year and I still love them!  The amount of lime green varies a bit year to year sometime a little more and sometimes a little less.  Still the Christmas decorating for me is white and silver with touches of black and remains my favorite combination with a touch of lime green.

The Decorated House ~ Christmas Tree and Mantel - White and Silver with Black Accents
Amazing to me, the presents are getting wrapped a bit early this year! Between procrastinating and trying to hide the gifts from my daughter, over the years I always seemed to be playing catch in on Christmas Eve, often everyone was in bed. This year I have a very good start on the packages which are going to be wrapped in white and silver, with black and lime green accents.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

~ Christmas Mantel 2014 - The Decorated House - White and Silver

The Decorated House ~ Christmas Mantel 2014 - White and Silver

How is your Christmas decoration coming along? Here is a quick peek at the mantel this year, and I'll post some more pictures when they are downloaded and ready.  I hope you are enjoying this part of Christmas ....  decorating, visiting and sharing your own.

After doing the mantel I remembered telling myself not to use fresh greens because it is such a mess to clean up afterwards. It was too late by then of course.  In this case I don't mind using the faux because I keep it and use it for many years,  and the snow capped greens on the mantel ledge are faux with some real added here and there. But around the frame, real look best right now.

I took fresh greens and wired them together to form a garland around the frame of the Madonna picture. It's such a beautiful painting isn't it? I printed it out on antique paper from the late 1800's which gives it a wonderful aged look.  Although I used the same picture last year, I changed the frame to add some aged gold to decorating this year. 

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Monday, December 1, 2014

~ White Christmas Time

THE DECORATED HOUSE : White Christmas Decorating

It was Christmas tree shopping time this weekend for us,  and this year's tree is awaiting its adornments. The next couple of days will be happily spent listening to Christmas music and deciding what do this year. My guess it will still be the same neutrals of lots of white with silver and Mercury glass with a dash of color. Time to get the boxes in and see what surprises I'll find that I completely forgot about having stored away.  Hope your week is going wonderfully, too!

If you would like to see how the finish was created on this 
vintage frame with the Madonna, click HERE.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Friday, November 28, 2014

~ Christmas ~ Bless The Animals and The Ones Who Love Them

The Decorated House ~ Bless The Animals. Christmas 2013. Adopt Rescue! Pottery Barn Bottlebrush Dog with Bottlebrush Trees. Christmas Decor 

We were blessed a few years ago with a rescue puppy who found us right after 
Christmas as many of you know. Probably because he came to us so close to this 
beautiful holiday, it is easy to remember to help out some incredible 
dog rescue people this time of year. The work they do day in and day out is amazing.
The world is certainly a better place for them.

Please consider making a donation to one of your local dog or 
animal rescue people, or organizations this time of year. 
You can save a life!

The cute bottle brush - sisal dog came from Pottery Barn last year. Since they are 
wire and sisal, it was easy for me to curl his tail a bit like our Cody Bear's tail is. 
He also got  some dry brushing of white paint to make him a little whiter.
Our lab mix puppy grew up to keep his pretty white color and the 
white paint made this one look more like our pup. 
And he goes perfectly with the bleached bottle brush trees. 

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful holiday
season. Slow down and eat the cookies and 
kiss your loved ones!


~ See Y'All Soon ~

Monday, November 24, 2014

~ How To Bleach Bottle Brush Trees for Christmas Decorating


How to Bleach Bottle Brush Trees :: The Decorated House

Have you fallen in love with these wonderful little bottle brush trees? I haven't seen them in their natural state of creamy off-white in stores, although they can be ordered on-line. However for just a few cents, you can create your own because you can change them very easily. 

The first ones I saw a couple of years ago were vintage, but today you can find them new as well.
The trees on the left are how I found them. They are sold for using in those little villages people put up especially during Christmas time. Look in the area  where you can buy the miniature houses and furnishings and that's where you find those strangely colored blue green trees.

I started bleaching them a couple of years ago, and I haven't seen anyone coming up with a newer idea.  It's all the same very simple process. After they are bleached you can use any kind of dye to make them another color like pink or aqua if you wanted to. Or just leave them pretty and natural.

HOW TO: This is all you need to know! 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

~ Decorating for Fall - Autumn with Vintage


No the Keno brothers from Antique Road Show are not looking for this little boot; this is a different kind of treasure. Family "treasure" might be a stretch, but this little copper plated boot - shoe was Sweet Hubby's so it  makes it a little family treasure. His mom kept long after he was grown, and gave it to him several years ago. Most of the time it has been on my desk being used to hold trinkets, paper clips and who knows what since then. At least it has been out and not stuffed in a closet. Since this Fall the decorating is copper and lime green, the search was on for copper. And this little "treasure" was perfect for holding a special pumpkin.

There is always a place in our Fall Decorating for this beautiful hand painted ceramic pumpkin. It has been a part of Fall for so many years, and it is always fun to bring it out.  The copper coffee pot also has been around here for at least 20 plus years. It has been hiding in the garage as I contemplated how much of the old copper stuff to give away. I actually forgot it was still here. Filled with late sumer flowers it adds a nice extra touch of copper. 


Sitting in the little round glass area of the copper shoe  is the smallest of the velvet pumpkins that I made. You can see how I made the pumpkins HERE.  If you are thinking that you would like to make some of these but you just can find any dried real pumpkins stems, then why not make your own? 

I had one pumpkin stem that was my favorite, but it was too large for this little velvet pumpkin, so I made a new stem for it. This one is made of air dry clay. I don't have the package so I'm not sure if it is paper clay. The air dry comes in different types, but I think this kind is the paper. It is very easy to use, and you can keep it from drying out by keeping a damp paper towel in a plastic bag with it.

 

I haven't used it in almost a year and it was not dried out at all inside the plastic bag. I laid a damp paper towel over it for a few minutes before I began sculpting with it, and if a spot seemed to dry I just dipped my fingers in a little water and applied it to that area. Very easy and fun to play with. 

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ How to Make a Pottery Barn Style Pillow with Christmas Wreath - DIY


The Decorated House - Pottery Barn Knock Off Pillow
Handcrafted Christmas Decorating Ideas:

When I first saw the Pottery Barn Pillow, I was smitten. There had been a few copycats and knock-offs but none where quite what I was looking for. Even the Pottery Barn version was the reverse of the colors of what I wanted. So of course, it's time to make your own!


See Y'All Soon~

Friday, November 7, 2014

~ 50 + Fabulous Fall - Autumn - ThanksGiving Decor Ideas

http://www.pinterest.com/decoratedhouse/fall-~-autumn-decorating/
Fall and ThanksGiving Decorating Pins

I hope you enjoy some of the wonderful things I have pinned 
for Fall and ThanksGiving Decorating.
Click on the picture above and you will usually go to 
the source of each picture for more pictures 
and sometimes tutorials and downloads.
Happy Weekend ~ See Y'All Soon

Friday, October 31, 2014

~ Happy Halloween!




http://thedecoratedhouse.blogspot.com/2013/10/happy-halloween-from-decorated-house.html


Happy Halloween
from our home to yours.
See Y'all Soon ~

Monday, October 20, 2014

~ Halloween Mantel 2014 -The Decorated House - Elegant Black and White Decorating

Halloween Decorating Elegant Black and White - The Decoratd House

Instead of all the spooky stuff, you can choose to enchant with a more elegant style when decorating for this fun packed holiday! It's almost Halloween time again, and that means it is a perfect time for adding some elegant black back into the decorating mix. Black and white has always been such a classic combination. I like to add Vintage Silver and Mercury glass, and Old Books ... along with a tiny bit of spookiness. The only really spooky thing is those spiders! Spiders are not one of my favorite guys outside, but

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

~ Halloween Decor in Black and White - Entry Table

The Decorated House - Halloween Black White Entry Table

Halloween may be the time of joy for children, but it is also a wonderful time to bring a little different twist to your own decor. This is one of the times of year when black and white is so perfect for changing the look of your home and celebrating this fun holiday as well, although it may not be the wise choice to get your own favorite candy to give out. 

Monday, October 6, 2014

~ Halloween Decor Elegant in Black and White - The Decorated House

The Decorated House Halloween Decor Black and White

As the weather cools a bit, it is the perfect time for a little Halloween Decorating.
The entry table is dressed in Black and White with Silver and
Mercury Glass. Antique Books are so pretty as they mirror the colors 
of the fall leaves just beginning to turn their Fall colors.  

Keeping things on the lighter side, you see faux Pumpkins painted 
Old White and Pure White with Chalk Paints 
and a lovely Velvet Pumpkin. 

The glittered spiders run havoc over webs and pumpkins, enjoying
the only time of year the are indeed free to roam inside. 

Welcoming all from the entry table this year is Abigail Bunny. 

You can see Abigail and other Halloween Art Prints are in the shop.

The Decorated House Halloween Elegant Black and White

See Y'All Soon~

Monday, September 22, 2014

~ Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Pumpkins - Black & White with Silver Halloween Decorating!



The Decorated House - Elegant Halloween Decorating with Black White and Silver

Halloween Decorating at The Decorated House
Halloween 2012:
Come take a look at how I used some decorative goodies to decorate
our entry table for Halloween with elements
 that you probably already have!

Friday, September 19, 2014

~ Velvet Pumpkins for Fall Decorating

The Decorated House - Fall Decorating - How to Make Beautiful Plush Velvet Pumpkins

It's beginning to feel like Fall in many parts of the country, and it sure seems to bring out
that desire to fluff the nest and make a few pretty things to decorate our homes with.
One of those absolutely lovely things is plush velvet pumpkins. Of course
 you can purchase some pretty ones if you are short on time,
but you can also make one, or a few, with some simple instructions. 
Click this link for full directions on how to make beautiful plush pumpkins
 to add to your home this year.




See Y'all Soon~
 ................................................................................
Click on any of the pictures below to shop  art from The Decorated House 

Thursday, September 11, 2014

~ Magnolia Leaves & Burlap Flowers - Fall Decor ~ Natural Elements

The Decorated House ~ Fall Decorating Burlap Flowers and Nature
 Magnolia Leaf Wreath 
and Burlap Ribbon Rosette w/Lace

Magnolias leaves, one of Mother Nature's best inventions are such a perfect natural element in Fall decorating with their beautiful shiny green leaves accented with rich velvet copper on the underside. This is my inspiration for Fall decor this year.  No wonder people have been decorating with them for so many years. And now it's Fall...well kind of. It's still quite warm, but you can fell the change in the gentle breeze during a morning walk. From now through the holidays the magnolias have wonderful seed pods in addition to the pretty leaves, and that makes them so perfect for decorating.

The Decorated House ~ Fall Decorating - Burlap Flowers and Nature

So while we were out walking the last few mornings  we also collected some natural elements to add to our home for Fall. I can remember when we were first starting out Sweet Hubby used to go out on bike rides and bring me back bags of weeds, flowers and pods to use for arrangements. This year I decided it would actually be fun to do much the same thing, and to  mix it up with a few things that I already have or a few things to buy, like this darling burlap ribbon with white dots!

This is another take on the fabric flower rosette that you all like so much.  You can find the directions of how to make it HERE. This time I used a burlap ribbon. So there is no need for you to cut fabric into strips, the ribbon is ready to go. It's the same technique, roll the middle bud, then fold the ribbon away from you and roll it around the bud, fold backwards and roll...and just keep going until it is the size you want. Add a drop of hot glue or stitch it to keep the rose in shape. 

I'm loving the copper and lime green this year. Perfect Fall colors for me. And then Halloween just around the corner. The last days of each year go so quickly don't they?!

See Y'All Soon~



Saturday, August 2, 2014

~ Decorating with Shells - Gifts from the Sea

 The Decorated House ~ Decorating with Shells - Vintage Blue Bottle - Starfish

Living Room Mantel 
Moss Ball in Vintage Milk Glass Urn
Starfish, Shells and Antique Blue Bottle
Living in a sub-tropical beachy location for almost my entire life means that shells bring back lots of memories.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

~ Bringing Summer Inside with Flowers & Seashells

The Decorated House : Summer Decorating with Shells

You would think with the heat outside that it would be a really good time to give the inside of the house some attention. Sounds so logical doesn't it?  But the projects and repairs seem endless outside as well. For a breather from the dust, dirt and heat, I decided to just bring out some pretty shells and think peaceful thoughts of the beach ... at least for a moment or so. Shells can help you do that. Some of the shells we collected on vacation; mostly they were purchased since so many incredibly beautiful ones are found all over the world. This is the one time of the year that I really enjoy having shells on tables, on the mantels or gently piled in a dish. It helps bring the love the ocean home since the beaches become way too crowded this time of year for me.  

The Decorated House :: Summer Decorating : Shells, Flowers, Ex Voto, Vintage Milk Glass

The hurricane glass in a vintage milk glass bowl with the seashells around it is such a simple idea and very easy to put together. A pair of them  would be pretty on a table for a coastal, beachy dinner or lunch. Bringing blooms in from your flower garden or from flowering trees is another very simple and totally free idea for spreading summer sunshine inside your home. Add a few star fish and sea shells and you can almost smell the the ocean breeze as you just take a moment to relax. 

See Y'All Soon~


Sunday, May 25, 2014

~ Summer Gardening and Succulents



It's been a race to get the flowers in the ground before the worst of the heat is here for the summer. Since today and tomorrow it is supposed to hit 96 to 97 degrees, I tried  to finish up with all those little pretties who convinced me to bring them home when I went to the nursery and garden center. 


Along with the flowers and annuals, I like to add some flowering succulents. The succulents lend the beauty of their green leaves, and are so little work, so they have become a staple of gardening. And the fact that you can find some that either have really pretty blooms or in the case of the lovely stonecrop, its fabulous bright green works so beautifully with the greens of coleus and sweet potato vine.

Have a wonderful weekend!
See Y'All Soon~


Monday, May 12, 2014

~ Happy Flowers & Gardening Weekend!

The Decorated House. Courtyard Flower Garden 2014

The heat is setting in  quickly here. Of course it usually does this time of year, but since we had a brief heat spell and then a slight cool down, the new round of heat seems a bit hotter and sooner arrived than usual. The dance of finding the right flowers in April and May was much the same again. When it is a tiny bit cooler, it is the perfect time to start planting but the flowers aren't in the nursery or big box stores yet. As soon as it hits 90*, sure enough, the plants are there and we are ready to wilt in the heat even before the plants get in the ground. None the less, it is a dance well worth working at and we just hope we get a bit better at it each year. 

The last month or so all my energy has been filling the kitchen side courtyard with flowers That often means a lot of annuals, which a swear I won't "waste" the money each year. Seasoned gardeners will always say to spend the money on perennials instead. Mostly I agree, but a pretty little lovey wearing an annual tag will reel me in every time if the color and shape is perfect for my mood that day. And so the dance will probably continue for many, many more years if I'm very lucky. 

This is a little look at what is in the raised berm in the courtyard this year. Many of the tried and true friends from past years. They sometimes have the same companions, and sometimes they get a new friend or whole group to try on the colors with. 

In the front it starts out with Lime Green Sweet Potato Vine and the Dark Purple, Blackie Sweet Potato as well. There are Fan Flowers growing between them which will show pretty purple flowers as soon as it catches up with the length of the vines.  To the right of the Blackie, is Stonecrop, and some Pink Zinnias.

Above the vines are planted  (from the left) Torenia, also called the Wishbone, Angelonia in white and lavender. The middle and back has White Pentas (the tall ones), Caladiums, and the beautiful deep purple Persian Shield, which is a tender perennial. 

Behind the caladiums and Mystic Spires Salvia. And there is a taller yellow blooming bush behind that. 

The work now is to keep it all watered and to accept that some of these annuals cannot make it through the whole summer with our extreme heat. I hope your gardening adventures are going well!

See Y'All Soon~

Saturday, April 12, 2014

~ A Little More Easter Decorating

The Decorated House - Easter Entry Table 2014

The weather has been so nice out it is perfect for getting some new flowers in the ground. And lots of shrubs and things need a trim. So it's been a little hard getting any decorating done with Mother Nature calling so loudly to come out and play. 

It has been fun to find the bunnies and see exactly where they would like to go for Easter this year. I'm always happy that I didn't give away all of them when  Easter and Spring arrive, and they do brighten up the holiday so nicely.

The Decorated House - Decorating for Easter Vintage & New


The entry table this year is host to my other favorite bunny who is charming in his cute little jacket. He's been around for a few years and it's always easy to find a spot for him. The cement garden bunny came along and is joined by a sweet bunny inside a the large covered jar.

The Decorated House - Easter Cloches & Abigail Bunny Art

New to the Easter party this year is Abigail Bunny holding her little friend Chicka Dee and in her basket is a delicious chocolate bunny along with some decorated eggs. (She is available in the etsy shop.) I used the gray painted eggs with lace with some spring lime green eggs, and the color combination is a new love.

The Decorated House. Easter Decorating with Vintage and New

The paper flower wreath is wearing a white dotted burlap bow and another little bunny nestled in the  center of it. The Easter display is finished off with a succulent  and a moss ball both in sliver cups. And a little crown just because .......


See Y'All Soon~


Monday, April 7, 2014

~ The Decorated House - Easter Mantel 2014

The Decorated House Easter Mantel 2014

There was a time when there were a lot of bunnies around here. None of them were real rabbits; those do not come to play in my garden. Which is probably a good thing since I've heard they like to eat a lot of plants and flowers that you did not intend growing for them.
But when Easter and Spring come along each year, it seems that the my bunnies have multiplied even though  I haven't bought one in years. And I swear I gave a bunch away. None the less, this time of year, I'm usually surprised and delighted to see them and quite happy some have stayed around.

The Decorated House Easter Mantel 2014

The mantel is dressed this year with an Art Print from my Shop, The Bunny Chandelier. Printed in gray, it looks really wonderful in that old gray painted frame that I used the chalk paint on. The altered - decorated peat pots and the paper and fabric covered eggs with the leaping bunnies are also being used again this year. Along with the vintage style bunnies, I've added a couple of hand made clay mushroom houses that I  have had for 30 years. They stay in a cupboard with glass doors so dust doesn't settle on all that intricately made elements.
You can click on the picture link below for last Easter's decorations and
some directions on how to make you own pretty peat pots.
The Decorated House. Easter. Decorated Peat Pots

The Decorated House. Vintage style Bunny for Easter Mantel 2014

This little Easter bunny is my favorite. The plastic gray egg next to him is painted with Paris gray ASCP. From the closeup of the mushroom house you can see how fantastic details the artist gave to each of her magical creations. Perfect for welcoming the magic of Spring!

See Y'All Soon~


Saturday, March 29, 2014

~ Decorating for Easter


The Decorated House. Decorating for Easter. Moss Ball, Cement Bunny, Antique Vellum Book
It's time for Easter decorating this weekend, I hope! Here are a couple of pictures from a couple of years ago. One of the best things about blogging is that you can go back and see images from other years. I totally forgot about that cute garden bunny. Wonder where he is? He might hop back inside again this year.
-------------------------
The bunnies are running wild in the house this year. Even this little old garden bunny is inside. I think he has been somewhere on the porch for couple of years, although he was an outside bunny once upon a time. He is sitting beside a reindeer moss ball in a slightly tarnished bowl. Together they are perched atop a beautiful antique Italian vellum book from 3 Fine Grains.

Thanks for the nice comments on the last post, but I deleted the whole thing due to an overactive spamming party over the weekend. Thank goodness blogger has that spam filter now. I've included the same picture below that was in that post. An open shelf cupboard with drawers in the kitchen. It won't be there forever since open shelves are too much work to keep clean for me.

The Decorated House - Kitchen White Dishes - Small Space Storage

This coming week I'll add a few more pictures of Easter decorating around the house.
Thank you for stopping by!

Have a Great Weekend 
See Y'All Soon~

Monday, March 24, 2014

~ Milk Glass & Succulents and a Little Green for Spring

The Decorated House : Decorating with Milk Glass & Succulents

The Spring Equinox! It always brings out that longing for the green of Spring and Summer. The heat will be here soon enough, so I'm not trying to rush Summer. It does however make me want to bring more green inside for a little while.
Milk glass is one of those old fashioned goodies that I wish I had seen the beauty of years ago.  But in the past, there was so much of it at the thrift shops, it made it seem just to grandma-like for my taste. Whatever pieces I used to have were long ago given to the Goodwill. In the last few years however I have picked up some here and there if it had really nice lines. Today, you can think of so many ways to incorporate this simple and beautiful white glass into your style even if you haven't quite embraced the grandma style. The lines of the ruffled pieces are so beautiful.

I'm still experimenting with succulents inside the house. They are so extremely easy to grow outdoors, but are a bit more difficult to grow indoors. The ones on the chest right by the window are doing very well. This one  is sitting on the coffee table further away from direct window light. So we will see how it does with less light that the other plants get. For many years I always had house plants, and just got away from tending them because there was plenty of work to keeping the ones outside alive and well.  Now it's one of those things that I miss having so I'm looking for some easy to keep green lovelies this year. 

The Decorated House :: Decorating With Milk Glass & Succulents

Also some green pillows are on the sofa at the moment. What is easier that changing out pillows with the seasons! Since pillow covers are so inexpensive and easy to make, just this simple change can keep your interiors looking fresh to you. 

Again after ignoring milk glass for a while, I fell in love these ruffled bowls. Instead of too old fashioned, they actually look quite modern to me.  They remind me of some of today's lovely blown glass art pieces.

The Decorated House : Milk Glass & Succulents

I'll let you know how all these succulents do inside. They may need a bit more attention than I seem to give indoor plants. I also brought in some bromeliads from the gardens, after washing them very well, which are doing fabulous. They are air plants after all, so other than giving them too much attention, they should be very easy to keep inside.  So far all I did to them is stick them in a container, pretty them up with a bit of moss, and remember to water  the little "cup" in the center before it gets dry. Now anyone can do that!

See Y'All Soon~

Friday, February 21, 2014

~ The Best (Cooked) Quinoa Gluten Free Chocolate Cake - Cupcake Recipe - Amazing!

The Decorated House ~ The Best (Cooked) Quinoa Gluten-Free Cake or Cupcakes!
Quinoa Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
The Best!

Really? Quinoa Gluten Free Chocolate Cake? You're thinking it sounds strange. Me too! After using Quinoa flour a few times, I really didn't like the flavor of it in baked goods. So this recipe calling for Cooked Quinoa sounded so strange that I'm surprised I tried it. Quinoa Pasta is the only kind of pasta we ever eat, and we don't miss regular pasta at all.  But using it in a cake recipe??  I almost passed it by thinking it might taste the same as the recipes using quinoa flour. If you love chocolate cake, and are looking for a gluten-free version that you can make yourself from scratch, try this!