Sometimes Getting "Benched" Ain't So Bad

Amoung all of my decorating addictions, collecting benches is the most functional one. Now, hang in there with me while I test that theory ~

~ You can sit on 'em

~ So can your cat...

~ It is a great place to put a glass of ice cold lemonade

~ Or a beer

~ Or a pot of flowers

~ Or a decorative pillow, or two or three...

~ You can use them as extra seating at Thanksgiving

~ Moving the inside benches to the outside and

the outside benches to the inside is just plain fun and pure silly~ness

~ You can make a bench out of the head board of an old bed ~ totally cool!

So when you are faced with the possibility of getting benched...well, that ain't so bad...for sure !

Smiles!

Finials ~ Not My Final Word on 'em

Finial ~ noun ~ a crowning ornament or detail; as a decorative knob...you got that right sister! Crowning is right! When I add a finial as a decorating detail, and I often do, I aways hear a little, musical Ta, Da in my head...like I am crowning an item with the perfect touch.

I love finials! Yep, love 'em a whole, big bunch. They are one of those items that when I see them in a fabric store or at home depot in the fencing department or when I see an item that could be "transformed" in to a finial.....well I hear a loud TA DA in my noodle.

Ideas for finial "Ta Da" opportunities are as follows ~

~ on the end of wooden rods that hold quilts on the wall

~ on the top of fence posts

~ on the bottom of large terra cotta pots in the yard

~ on the bottom of chair legs {super, duper cute}

~ on the bottom of a dresser

~ on the base of a little bird house hanging from a tree {note my ETSY shop for more info}

~ on the top of a pincushion {total la-tee-da-ism}

Enjoy finding delightful finial placements in your home....I can hear TA DA's all over the world tonight!

~Smiles~

Here a Quilt, There a Quilt...

Everywhere a quilt....yes~sir~re bob, there are many a quilt decorating this ol' house of ours. I love quilts. Most of my quilts are new...I do, however, have some that are quite old and tattered. I love those the mostest! The one that hangs on the wall above our bed is mucho worn and I just know that in it's hay~day that it was mucho loved. The corners of it are completely torn....LOVE IT!

I use quilts to decorate alllllll over our home. I have them hanging from racks on the walls, drapped over old ladders, hung over the porch in the Spring....that is my personal favorite.....it blows people away because they are outside ~ Oh My Gosh! ~ because they might get worn and faded and tattered, and moth eaten (yum!) and ripped and stained and generally beat-the-heck-up in the most delightful way....decorating joy for sure. When they get all worn I just think that they look more interesting ~ like they have a wonderful story to tell about their adventures in life coming across the Oregon Trail or something....instead of their true story....that a crazy gal in Oregon bought me at Target and hung me over the porch rail all Spring and Summer and the fat cats in the neighborhood used me to sleep on. Personally, the Oregon Trail story is much more fun to imagine.

Hang a quilt in an unexpected place around your home...you will love it....you know...the juxtaposition of it all!

A Tisket, A Tasket....

....a million, zillion baskets hanging here and there and everywhere! E, I, E, I, Ohhhhhh. Yes, there are baskets everywhere in this house. I love them a bunch and then some. When the Hubs and I set up house many years ago.....I would go to Cost Plus and buy lots and lots of baskets to hang on the wall. They were sooooo cheap...so I could afford lots and lots.

After 28 years of marriage it is safe to say that nothing has changed much...we still have many, many, many baskets....everywhere! When we bought our current home eleven years ago....the first decorating project we undertook was to hang this heavenly~rusty ol'~paint peeling~heading for the landfill~piece of joy~ladder across the kitchen as a basket and pot holder. I couldn't believe that my husband was so supportive in hanging that rickety old thing across our new kitchen ceiling...he must have been overcome with the delight in my eyes....yep, I was truly, truly excited about this!

I picked up a very large basket tray at Target last year. It is pretty heavy duty. I use is all the time! I put dishes on it when we eat outside. I serve breakfast on it...I love the juxtaposition of the crisp white linen lining the bottom of the rustic weave. Love It!

I don't understand the joke about taking "basket weaving" in school...as if that would be a waste of time. I think studying such a craft would be a very lucrative career move ~ seeing how there is so much basket love in the world.