Shabbying up the Living Room

The time had come to do a little something more inviting to one of my shore rental units. So today I got busy with it.

Sometimes when people rent it, they move furniture around to their liking and take paintings off the wall to replace with stuff they like for the summer season.

It has been looking a little thread bare lately so I decided to set out and gather all things soft, fluffy, shabby, white and lacy, and put myself to work! 

So first up are the before pics...

BEFORE

This area below is the first thing I am getting started on!

BEFORE

And little by little, I brought on the "Shabby" Vintage Cottage look.

AFTER

By moving furniture to a different arrangement, adding a vintage urn, some fluffy pillows, and a big white fluffy throw rug, I have created an inviting spot that draws you in.

The addition of a shaggy white rug, some vintage linens, pillows and a throw, complete the cozy comfy effect I was looking for.

The best part is, all of these items were around either my cottage beach house, or at the rental, in a closet or tucked into the shed. Even the lamps were hiding in a closet!

This transformation didn't cost one red cent!

I think it is fun to see what you can do to create a vision with just a little imagination!

I am more than pleased with how it looks now!

Fall Harvest Decor

I've been having a really lot of fun lately........working.
I am really blessed to have a job that I really enjoy and I am passionate about.
Working at an antique shop in Cape May gives me so many creative opportunities.
I love decorating the windows...

and I get a kick out of changing things up and bringing in new old things.
Amber glass is perfect this time of year.

This week I have created a fall theme booth with a few different dealers items.

Let's play a game.

See if you can find the 5 differences between the picture below and the very last picture

I used a old chippy white  mantle as my jumping off point. Added in some old stain glass windows and just hunted up an old washboard and a few galvanized buckets from around the store.

The old Gone with the Wind ad makes a nice substitute for the real flames!!!

  I had picked up some branches while walking on a crisp fall morning with my daughter, I knew I would use them in my display.

Isn't this wooden bowl with the wooden apples and artichoke just adorable?

I used shutters in another area of the room with an old crate and some enamelware.

I just added a wire plaque with birds to the shutters

People seem to enjoy the room's cozy atmosphere, and the chair in the first photo sold in only 4 days.

So you will notice a different chair in this last picture.

Enjoy the Harvest season!!

Answers
*Chair
*shutter
*Sachets on blackboard
*Center Table
*Items on side table
oops make that 6 ... The pumpkin garland also sold... replaced by a burlap and button DIY banner

 Simple fun and easy

Update .... Another chair sold from that booth, replaced by this cute and very Fall like peasant chair.

We officially are calling this the magic chair  booth now, because this chair also is sold... and the chair in 3rd photo top left. sold.         That is 4 chairs in 3 weeks!! It's a panic.

Now I just put 2 antique French chairs in there. Pictures of them later.
Visit a Fall Party!!
http://www.centsationalgirl.com
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com
Ten June Fall Party

My new Pink Rose Bush

I just planted a new rose bush in the little garden at the beach house.

 There is a big storm brewing and it's super windy so I am really hoping she doesn't get battered. The beach is just beyond that seawall and it is blowing sand like crazy!
It is so windy I could even go out there to take my pictures, I had to stand in the back door way!
So I cropped and zoomed, to show you this tiny little bush only 2 feet high. I'm sorry it's not a perfect picture. It's a very windy day!

..........But come inside and I can show you these pretty little roses.
After planting, I picked a few of the roses yesterday that were beginning to fade.

I heard that when you cut roses, if you cut down to the leaf that has 5 leaves it will flourish best.
Does anyone know if that is true?

Thanks for stopping by the Cottage!

Joining the
 Pink Saturday Party

Memorial Day Red White and Blue

It's time for a little bit of Memorial Day preparations

Some red white and blue in honor of our soldiers who have sacrificed dearly for our freedom.

In the shop I gathered some ruby fenton glass and some cobalt plates and set them on the

 Frenchy  table I recently  painted white. 

I added in some white lace, I picked up on a recent Florida purchasing spree.

Moved things around till I was content.

My dear sister, who is back in town now made these napkin rings.

I just call her Pickier

The adventures of Picky and Pickier  will begin again now ;). 

She just loves to go junking with me, and visa versa.

We managed to get the window decorated also in a red white and blue theme for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend

Here is a peek at the window with some white enamelware trimmed in red.

 Some little flags thrown in here and there, and as always my favorite....

vintage bottles, this time in cobalt blue

I love decorating the windows for the Holidays.

This one will work for Flag Day June 14th and Independence Day July 4th

(Let's see If I don't get bored and change it a bit)

And back at the Cottage, a fitting table ready for breaking some crabs from Ricky's

Yumm I am already thinking about steamed mussels

I hope you have a happy upcoming Memorial Day... the official start of summer... yippee..

It's only 2 weeks and 3 days away from Memorial Day weekend!!

 How come we don''t see stuff out 6 weeks ahead like we do at Halloween?

Yeah like in August already?

Anywho have a great one!!

Thanks to all our service men and women!!

Joining some parties

Nifty thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

White Hutch for White Wendesday

Just a few pics of my hutch and a pretty new turn of the century pitcher i found recently.

The one right in the center. It's a genuine Victorian era pitcher

Sorry the pic quality is not so great, it is getting dark 6 pm wednesday, and this is from my phone.

Below is a piece of white Hull pottery, and one of my favorite blue bowls

I hope all are having a good week!

thanks for poppin in.

Eileen

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

Project 15 Saint Patty's Day window Display at the Shop

One of the fun things I get to do at the North End Antiques and Collectables Shop in Cape May NJ is decorate the window. I did something green for St. Patty's Day, and the coming of Spring.

A bit of green fenton and a big old green apothecary jar

 A pot full of Shimmerry Gold tulle and Gold Vintage Purses.

 Another piece of fenton and an old lamp.

 This will be a simple change up for Easter by removing the crystal and silver and just adding some pretty yellows and a bit of pink  or blue pastels.

And that will probably involve some of these pretty linens, creating a little  cottage look

 A sneek peek behind the linens, at the old door I found that I have fallen in love with.

Aren't you glad spring is almost here?

French Inspiration at the French Cupboard

Feathered Nest Friday

Inspiration Friday at the Picket Fence

Vintage Inspiration Fridays