~ Halloween Decor in Black and 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. 

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

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.

See Y'All Soon~

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

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!

~ Velvet Pumpkins for Fall Decorating

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.

How to Make Plush Velvet Pumpkins 

See Y'all Soon~

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Click on any of the pictures below to shop  art from The Decorated House 

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

 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.

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~

~ Decorating with Shells - Gifts from the Sea

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.

~ New Ottoman From An Old Wicker Trunk - Chest

Make a Pretty Ottoman Coffee Table from a (Wicker) Trunk:

~ Bringing Summer Inside with Flowers & Seashells

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 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~

~ 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~

~ Happy Flowers & Gardening Weekend!

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~

~ A Little More Easter Decorating

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 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.

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 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~

~ 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 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.

The Bunny Chandelier is available in 8 x 10 in or 5 x 7 inch in my shop

by clicking on this word link.

The Decorated House Bunny Chandelier on Etsy
It is available in Tiffany Blue, Pink, Black and Gray.  

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.

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~