Signs of Spring

Hello All!

Well, as disappointed as I am that winter was a farce this year, it's surprising to me how happy it made me to see the daffodils blooming under the tree in the front yard.  That little wink of bright yellow is so delightful!  Those little daffies were the inspiration I needed to shake off the last remnants of the winter that wasn't and breathe fresh air into the house.  My dining room is my homage to them.

The last time you saw my dining room it was done up in its Christmas finery and looked like this:

and now that Spring has sprung...

It started with planning what silk flowers I would use.  The first choice was to use silk daffodils but I just didn't like the way the looked.  Luckily, the faux forsythia branches saved the day!  I love how the mirror behind them reflects them back!  Generally, I wanted to lighten the feel in here with simplicity and bright colors.  For the winter months, I love using faux fur and chunky knit throws so for spring, the natural color linen feels breezy.

To bring the forsythia to the table, I used these gorgeous green vases to display them:

I layered different sizes and heights of clear glass candlesticks --my favorite!  It makes the table look bright and airy.

The tree slice centerpiece is a nod, even if it's just a small one, to my love of live edge dining tables (Arhaus has them and they are stunning!  Check them out HERE.  I enjoyed browsing their website for other inspiration too HERE.)  The yellow etched glass candlesticks are vintage and thrifted also.

I really like the look of the natural bark edge among all the pretty glass!

The place settings are a combination of thrifted vintage glassware (Imperial Glass Candlewick and Anchor Hocking Block Optic) along with new dinner plates I found at Pier 1 (Field Notes).  The stemware is Lenox Firelight.  I used vintage gold plate flatware (thrifted) and tiny glass bud vases/place card holders (also thrifted).

 

I had every intention of using the Williams Sonoma bunny plates I bought a few years ago.  However, these plates caught my eye because of the yellow-leafed branches.  They really are perfect!  With a sale and purchase incentives, the set of 6 cost around $40.

I layered it with my trusty candlewick:

...and tucked a wisp of forsythia into the glass bud vase.  I might end up hosting brunch this year so I wanted to add a coffee cup and salad plate (Anchor Hocking Block Optic).  It added even more yellow to the table.

Please ignore the fact the flatware isn't placed properly in this pic!

This forsythia wreath on the thrifted antique mirror brings in the eggs from the plates.  The little purple flowers keeps it from being too matchy/matchy

It really is lighter and brighter in here!

The sweet bunny pillow came from TJ Maxx.  I bought one for myself and another for my sister, Shelly.  I know she'll love it!

There is one more--well, two more--items I'm going to add to the decor.  I found these at Arhaus and they will be so great in here!  They will sit next to the forsythia branches on the buffet.

I wanted to share the antique mantel even though I have only just started with it.  I found that awesome silver plate eperne at Bthrifty ($3) and I cannot wait to use it to create a live flower arrangement.  I also found the giant basket ($4.50).  I'm considering putting some forsythia branches in it too but might just go with some silk hydrangea.   The adorable linen and gold flag banner was on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx.

Happy Spring!  Have a great week :)

Birthday Gifts and Thrifty Finds!

Hello All!  I've got a bazillion projects, all in various stages of incomplete but I missed the whole month of April and thought I'd try starting out May with a post!   Although it's been busy, I don't know how the time keeps getting away from me.  As I sit here now trying to think of  newsy things, there really isn't much to share.  I have been working new hours at work and even though they are later, it's been hard to adjust.  I've always worked early hours - 25 years of it --so this is like teaching an old dog a new trick and you know what they say about that - Hahahaha!

I got a bee in my bonnet a couple weeks ago to clean out the garage.  It turned out the bee was bigger than my bonnet -- cleaning out the garage was a huge undertaking and I have no idea why I thought it would be a piece of cake.  It's done though and it's wonderful having it cleaned out.  Dan and I are looking into storage and organization systems but first, there's painting and flooring to do.   I never realized there were so many options for a garage that would create so much more usable space.  Hopefully there will be some share worthy progress soon.

In the meantime, I had a birthday.  It was a lovely day - a Thursday -  and it streeeeetched into the weekend - woohoo!  ;)  Jenna and I had a mom/daughter breakfast.  I went to work and my co-workers had decorated my cube with balloons and there was cake!  Dan planned a thrifting extravaganza for me for the weekend and it was awesome.   Before I get to the finds, I want to show you this...

I was crushing on these BIG TIME:

Martha Stewart china dinnerware collection, "Sky Song." *love* 

And won't these look gorgeous with it:

They are La Rochere Carat Blue Ice Cream "bowls" --so, basically they are sherbets, right?  Ok, I've got dessert covered --now how about these for the beverages:

Vintage Noritake Provincial yellow goblets.  But these aren't the only vintage glass in this table setting because I'm going to use these too:

The napkin rings were thrifted.  But the rest I got for my birthday!!!  The goblets came from EBay, the china from Macy's and the sherbets from Overstock.  So, arranging a fabulous table scape is on my to do list and hasn't made it to "done" yet even though they are sitting out and admired daily!

Now, on to the thrifty finds!

I think this is really cool.  It's a one pound butter dish OR...wait for it...a FRUITCAKE dish!  How cool is that?  What's funny is I don't even like fruitcake but totally get that this little dish would be perfect to house one :)   As a matter of fact, this was so stinkin' dirty, it looked like a fruitcake had been baked in it!  But it sparkles now and it's perfect.  It was $1

I saw this unusual shaped dish and it spoke to me.

The lovely little bubbles, the dignified flea bites, the decorated bottom, all whispered of age.  Oh, and look at the detail in the scene:

I love the vine trailing up the tree :)  McKee Brothers, Deer and Pine Tree, 1886, (also known as "Deer and Doe").  127 years old, sitting on a shelf at the Goodwill with $1.99 price sticker.  What an incredible little treasure.

So we all should have a chicken in the kitchen right?  Who's with me?
I don't know what this guy is made of but his chicken legs are metal and there's just the right amount of chippy paint to make him all the more charming

He hangs out on kitchen island.

Lemony Chickets.  The basket was a thrift find too - 99 cents.  (The flowers are from my birthday - they are looking rather wilty here.  I have them in a thrifted vintage Hoosier Glass vase).

Funny story about this.  The darling swirled glass cups with hook handles (so smart!) were dug out of a bin at the Richmond GW outlet last summer.  12....a dozen perfect little punch cups but no punch bowl.  They are Hazel Atlas (Hazelware) swirl Colonial and they were orphaned.  I decided to take them in and foster them with my plain glass Crate & Barrel punch bowl.  Then, all these months later, on Saturday, sitting on a shelf at the Village Thrift --the punch bowl!  Three dollars later, the darling little swirl cups have been reunited to their rightful match.

GLEEEEORIOUS!  I love it when a plan comes together --or glassware--ok, yeah, that was a reach so never mind.  But seriously, it's these kind of things that reinforce that patience is a virtue and that you can find anything at the thrifts :)

I was excited to finally find a rose bowl...and a rose-colored rose bowl at that!

I love the diamond optic pattern.  There are no markings and I don't collect this pattern so I'm not sure of the manufacturer.  It's the color that landed it in my basket...oh and it was 99 cents - cray cray. 

This is another thrilling find!  Bryce, Higbee and Co. Grand Pattern (c.1884). 

Such a pretty pattern!

By now you all know how I love a good chunk of glass, right?  I am equal opportunity when it comes to chunks of glass milk glass, green glass, art glass, no matter thank you, I'll take it.  Look at this stunning ginger jar shaped art glass:

It was $10.  I painted some lamps parts with Valspar outdoor paint.  Now I know I have a lot of nerve for attempting to use a yellow paint considering my past experience with yellow paint *but* this buttery yellow did not disappoint, am I right?  It looks happy against those aqua walls and perfect for summer :)

I painted the base, rod (through the center of the lamp), finial --basically everything but the harp & socket, but I've decided to paint the harp as well because just the very edge of it winks out from under the lamp shade.  Since I had all the pieces for the lamp (the lamp shade came from the lamp that usually sits in this room) and the paint is for another project (this chair) all I paid was the cost of the of the glass - $10. 

My final share is this gorgeous cerulean blue glass compote. 

It's stippled and has a pattern on the pedestal that I think looks like waves!

That's all I have for now.  I'm so excited because my sister is coming to visit next week and we're going to have a blast!  I'm looking so forward to our thrifting excursions --and oh my sister is such a hoot!  She will have me laughing until my sides ache.  She's also incredible at organization and she's up for tackling my basement store room!  Only a sibling would have my back like that :)

I'm linking up!

Bright Green Door, Get your "Garage Sale On" Linky Party

Happy Mother's Day and have a GREAT weekend!