Coastal Art!

 

You may remember my pledge to decorate our home in a Louisiana coastal style….at least for the summer, them it may go to a Louisiana French Country style!  I don’t know, maybe!  Anyway, I then shared the pelican painting, then the DIY oyster mirror.  Well that left the side wall empty!

 

 

I searched around for some coastal art but everything I wanted was just too expensive!  I decided to look at posters.  I have used Zazzle quite a bit in the past for invitations and business cards so I decided to try out some art.  I chose this crab…

 

 

and a larger oyster print.  The oyster print is really what started it all!  I’ve seen several that I just loved and thought it would tie in well with the oyster mirror.

 

 

Hunter made the frames for me after he cut the mats using the mat cutter that I found at Goodwill.  You can read about that here.  It took me awhile to decide what color to go with.  I finally decided to go with a blue.  I lightly painted, allowing some of the wood to show though.

 

 

After it dried, I applied a coat of clear wax followed up with a dark wax.  I finally discovered that applying a clear coat before the dark allows you to work the wax better.  Duh?!  It took me long enough!

 

 

I finally found a vintage clock!  It joined the BHG reproduction clock!

 

 

Now, here’s my question for you!  I also found a narrow but long Audubon print of sea gulls that would fit perfectly above the oyster mirror BUT do you think that will be just a little too much?  Let me know what you think!

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife

Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Tips, Tutorials, & Tidbits @ StoneGable

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

Dessert Stations

 

 

Yes, I know the 4th is next week.  Yes, I know we’re expecting between 35 to 40 people for our annual 4th of July BBQ.  Yes, I know I haven’t planned any!  For goodness sakes, I just mailed the invitations yesterday!  Yes, I am a procrastinator, but I’m trying to get on the ball!  I wanted to set up a separate little area for desserts and have browsed Pinterest for ideas so at least I have a plan, kind of!  I have to tell you, I found some great ones!

 

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I love, love, love this first one!  Hunter has an old pie safe in the barn that I may get out and clean up to use.  I could use fabric or even scrapbook paper to line the back to give it a festive look.

 

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Putting food on ice is a necessity here in south Louisiana!  We won’t start our little shindig until about 6pm but it will still be pretty hot!

 

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I really like the idea of combining some nautical elements since we hold our party in the backyard around the pool.

 

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Party City has went all out on this fabulous table!

 

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I do love the vintage feel on this table!  I know the next one is going off theme here but I just had to share it with you!

 

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Just a simple bookshelf would work here!  Once again, line the back with some themed paper or fabric and you’re set to go!

 

Do you have any ideas for a dessert station!  If so, I sure would like to hear about them!

 

Sharing with:

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Let’s Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Trash or Treasure?

 

Last week Hunter helped his great uncle clean out a storage room on the old dairy barn.  This is a big thrill for him!  I snapped a few pics of his first load including the old Bakelite radio you see above.  Hunter and I both have a love of old radios and fans.

 

 

Like these two here!  The large fan, made by Hunter, works great but the smaller one was not working….yet.  He found quite a few old chicken feeders.  I don’t know what his plans are for those!

 

 

I love the old chicken cage!  They were selling at the local auction last month for about $100 each!  I started to bid and he told me there were several in the barn!  Saved me some money, even though I don’t know what I’m going to do with it!

 

 

He opened this butter cookie tin and found two old wood planes!  He plans to keep these for himself!

 

 

As I said this is his first load!  I didn’t get any pics of the other loads but he ended up with several old farmhouse tables and quite a few stools!  He also got me an iron base from an old wood stove!  I just know that there has to be something fabulous that I can do with that! Do you have any ideas?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife

Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Tips, Tutorials, & Tidbits @ StoneGable

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

The Sunday Showcase Party @ By Stephanie Lynn

DIY Balloon Topiaries for the 4th of July

 

This year I wanted to do something a little different for the centerpieces on the tables at the annual 4th of July bbq.  I found some inspiration from Pinterest but it came without instructions!  Sometimes my mind doesn’t cooperate with me when I have a vision!

 

 

I picked up the hats and garland from the Dollar Tree.  The dowel rods were 79 cents each from Home Depot.  The balloons and ribbon were items I had on hand.  Now by no means am I an expert here!  I’m totally winging!

 

 

I used an ink pen to punch a hole in a cup.  I filled the cup with gravel from the driveway and glued in to a paper plate that I trimmed down to fit inside the hat.  After cutting the dowel rod in half, which left it 24 inches, I inserted it into the cup, pushing it though the gravel.  I then hot glued the opening of the cup around the dowel, hopefully giving it a little more stability!

 

 

After punching a hole in the center of the hat, I slid the hat over the dowel rod until it rested over the plate/cup base.

 

 

I attached some garland on the top of the hat to cover the opening.  After blowing up 6 balloons, I tied them to a ribbon and attached it to the top of the dowel rod.  I dropped a little hot glue to the top of the rod and attached a balloon.  The part of the balloon below where I knotted it is the part I adhered to the rod.  Does that make sense?

 

 

I made two for last weeks tablescape, which you can see here.  So far, so good!  They are still inflated and attached to the rod!  Are you hosting a patriotic bash this year?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife

Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Tips, Tutorials, & Tidbits @ StoneGable

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

The Sunday Showcase Party @ By Stephanie Lynn

Patriotic Table for the 4th of July

 

 

I finally got around to doing a table for the 4th of July!  I pulled some of last year’s clearance items that I found in addition to some yard sale goodies!  The bear….

 

 

and the candleholders were from Hobby Lobby last year at 90% off.

 

 

The tablecloth, which is really just a long piece of fabric, and the napkins were from the same yard sale this past spring.  The white flatware is by Gibson.

 

 

Red placemat is from the Dollar Tree.  Large white ironstone plates/chargers are vintage Homer Laughlin.  The red square plate is made by JCP.  The clear blue plates were purchased from a little gift store a couple of years ago.  Their shape reminds me of the flag blowing in the breeze!

 

 

The champagne glasses are from Goodwill.  They are kind of unique in that the top is glass and the red is plastic!  The blue goblet is from the Dollar Tree.  Our store hardly ever has this color in stock so I got online and ordered me a case!

 

 

I thought the table was a little overloaded with patriotic touches but Savvy loved it and said it’s one of her favorites!

 

 

Oh, there are the centerpieces!  I’ll be telling you a little more about them in a few days!  Thanks for stopping!

 

Sharing with:

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Let’s Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Our New Antique Booth

 

Happy Monday, everyone!  It’s been one month since Hunter and I opened up our very own little booth at the local antique store!  You wouldn’t believe how nervous I was!  We went back and forth trying to decide if we wanted to do it probably for about 2 months!

 

 

So many questions and fears were racing through my mind! Would we sell anything?  Would others like what we had?

 

 

If we did sell anything, could we keep it full?  I finally realized that I was overthinking it….as usual!

 

 

So, we took the plunge and have been pretty successful our first month out!  At least, I think we have!

 

 

We are still in those first baby steps!  We have changed some things and still plan to do more as time permits.  This past week we added another shelf for display and need to bring it some smaller items.

 

 

Some of the furniture pieces are not what we expected to sell either but so far so good!  We’ll just have to see how it evolves!

 

Do any of you have booths? If so, do you have any advice for this newbie?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Make it Pretty @ The Dedicated House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife

Project Inspired @ Artsy Chicks Rule

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fabulously Creative Party @ Jennifer Rizzo

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Tips, Tutorials, & Tidbits @ StoneGable

Spring Party @ DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Affordable Linens at Dirt Cheap!

Are you always on the look out for linens at a good price?  I am and I’ve found a very good place to find them!  I rarely pay regular price for any of my table linens. In the past, I purchased at Marshall’s, JCP, Pottery Sale in the the clearance section and, of course, yard sales and Goodwill!  I have found a few at Goodwill, but if it doesn’t look new, I usually don’t bother with them.  Because at our Goodwill, a tablecloth is $5 and right down the road is a Dirt Cheap store! 

 

Our Dirt Cheap is very messy and this turned me away for a long time!  I don’t like to dig but after I started discovering the great deals on the linens, I became hooked!  The most expensive price you will pay for a tablecloth is $5 and they gradually get marked down to $1, usually within a couple of weeks.  The majority of the table linens that I have purchased were originally from Target.  They are new but are sometimes out of their original packs.  My mom has purchased quite a bit of the Shabby Chic line there for her bedroom.  A couple of weeks ago, Savyy wanted a lighter weight quilt for her bed and we found a white Shabby Chic for $10 for a queen size!

 

Here’s a just a few examples!  I still have linens that I haven’t used yet! 

 

This first table has two matching table runners that were purchased for $2 each.

 

On the Screened Porch

 

The bright yellow patterned napkins in the Blue Willow table were either 50 cents for a dollar each.

 

Blue Willow Table

 

Both the tablecloth and napkins are from Dirt Cheap on the Modern Tarnish table!  I have the tablecloth that matches the napkins as well!

 

Modern Tarnish

 

I actually have several sizes of this tablecloth from the Hospitality Table.  After I purchased the first round one, probably for $5, they reduced them down to $1 so I purchased some larger ones.  You may remember the yellow napkins for the Blue Willow table.

 

The Hospitality Table

 

Both the napkins and tablecloth, on this Tee Time table were “Dirt Cheap!”  I also have the tablecloth that matches the napkins.

 

Tee Time for Father’s Day

 

If you would like to see if there’s a Dirt Cheap store close to you, click here.  Have you found any good deals lately?

 

Sharing with:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Make it Pretty @ The Dedicated House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Scoop Link Party @ The Farmhouse Porch
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife

Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Tips, Tutorials, & Tidbits @ StoneGable

Spring Party @ DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Dining at Destrehan Plantation

 

Welcome back to Destrehan Plantation!  There is a bounty of food laid out for your pleasure!  Faux food, that is!  The first couple of pictures are from the kitchen inside the home on the first floor.  This is probably where they assembled the food for serving since there is also a kitchen that is unattached to the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, on the dining room.  I don’t have a lot of pictures of this room because the light was not good.  Also, we were with a group of very young couples who seemed to want to rush though so I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted to!

 

 

 

Homes built this early on where not as fancy as some of the later built homes.  Plus, we have to realize that in 1787 there weren’t any furniture stores to buy from!  On the other hand, for this time period, they were lucky to be so close to the Port of New Orleans where they could have items shipped in from France.

 

 

The rest of the pictures are from the movie Interview with the Vampire, which was filmed here at Destrehan.  I’m pretty sure this is Louie’s home, where the vampire Lestat, played by Tom Cruise was having dinner with him.

 

This is Lestat again after Louie sets fire to his home after informing his slaves that he is the devil!

 

 

 

Did you know that Anne Rice actually wrote the book, Interview with the Vampire and that she is a native of New Orleans herself?  Brad Pitt must have really liked the area himself since he and Angelina Jolie also own a home here.  Hmmm, I think there’s another post in here somewhere!

 

If you click on the pictures, it will state you to the original source.  If you missed Part 1 of Destrehan Plantation, click here.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed the tour!

 

Sharing with:

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Let’s Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll thru Life