Easter Table setting

5 Ways to set a Perfect Tablescape this Easter

1. Start with a runner that compliments your color scheme.

 Since I have such a dark wood, I used a runner I made with orange, gold, and green. 

It sets the tone and softens your table.

2. Find a floral arrangement that will add height and draw the eye up.

I chose green hydrangeas with lavender and cattail spruces. The white vase is a 

beautiful contrast while incorporating the plates.

3. Add items with various heights and colors to dance along your table runner.

I chose two of these votive holders found at pier one. 

The blue Fenton Glass piece is from my grandmother. And the sweet chicky

 is a salt and pepper shaker.

This carrot bowl holds the all important jelly beans or favorite Easter candy.

4. Let your family get involved. 

I had my kids Paint Easter eggs to add to the centerpiece.

I love when a home can reflect those living there and not just a favorite store. 

This time we used plastic eggs because they smell better and we have so many. 

5. Make your linens work the table.

A special table setting has a story on the plate. It could be place setters or 

layers of linens between plates. For this table I chose to make  a bunny ears napkin. 

This is the tutorial I used to make them.

I hope this inspires you to create your own Easter Table scape. And no, that is not a bunny in the corner, just my fat cat, Bob.  He is just enjoying the peaceful spring surroundings.

Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

I'd love to hear from you!

Vintage Designed Bed & Breakfast

Today I want to Highlight one of my favorite Bed & Breakfast Getaways.

Not just because I love going there, but because 

I love when Historical Homes are Restored!

Petticoat Junction Retreat House and Scrapbooking Haven is located in Normandy, TN. 

It is about an hour outside of Nashville located in a quiet small town. 

The owner, Bonnie Esslinger took this house from disrepair to polished beauty!

She gutted and reimagined this house from top to bottom.

It is a perfect "girls getaway weekend"!

Now let me show you inside this beautiful Victorian.

Upon Entering the home you are greeted with the open foyer and staircase. 

The creamy walls brighten the space and set an elegant tone.

Directly to the left is a Parlor decorated with timeless 

blues, reds, and golds.

Straight through the foyer is a galley kitchen.  The cabinets have been 

painted in a Periwinkle Blue with sheet music above for a header. 

 Details are important and add so much personality!

The dining room is a great mix of furniture. One way to combine several style pieces is to paint

them out to match. Color then becomes the common thread to this Eclectic style.

The food is always great at Petticoat!! The cook comes and caters to your group all weekend.

The food varies, but has an emphasis on southern comfort. 

No one ever goes hungry!

While Petticoat Junction is advertised as a scrapbooking retreat, it could be a place for family reunions, girls weekend getaway, and of course all things crafty!

There is room for 15 guests to stay the weekend. 

The 4 large rooms are cleverly themed in their decor.

Every Room has a sign on the door. This is the 'Girly Girls' Room.

The use of Strawberry Ice and black balanced with white gives the room 

a soft feminine touch.

And the FLOORS!!

The 'Dream Girls' Room.

The Teal walls are a soothing dreamy background

 to the soft pink florals used throughout this room.

The 'Cowgirls'  Room shows off its Rustic charm with rich reds and dusty blues.

Red Paisley accent pillows make the room pop.

As used in the 'Girly Girls' Room, costumes adorn the walls 

while the rope and stars help accentuate the theme.

The last bedroom is called 'Glamour Girls'. 

The black and white patterns promote a Hollywood Glamour look.

 Punches of Red are added to this this contrasting palette.

The 'Inspiration Station' Room is a Crafters Dream!   In this 30'x19' room  you have your own table to spread out for the whole weekend. They have crafters tools, wifi, internet, color printers, and a stocked fridge so you can Crop til you drop! 

The craft room has a balcony off the room for fresh air. And you have to love the sign!

Last but not least, this Bed & Breakfast has options for pampering. 

You can book a massage, pedicure, or manicure.

There are so many rooms in this house to relax. 

One of my favorite places is the covered porch.

With swings, rockers, and screens to keep out the bugs, 

you can enjoy the outside breeze. A great spot to read and reflect.

The overall feel of this Victorian Getaway is elegant & timeless while fun & current.

It has been done well and remains a favorite place to go!

Here is the link to Petticoat Junction ~ Check it out!

http://www.pjretreat.com/PJRETREAT/Home.html

If you were to have a Bed & Breakfast, what would you name your rooms?

Comment Below ~ I'd love to hear from you!

Spring Forward ~ Into Color

The other day my youngest asked me, "Mom, when is Spring going to be here?"

 The next day it snowed 3" and we have two snow days off of school again. 

My kids are not upset with that. We enjoy playing in the snow, hot chocolate, 

and hanging out as a family. But, this is the weekend of Springing Forward

 and I don't know about you, but I am ready for warmer weather!

This past week I met with my fabric rep at Robert Allen as she revealed the new spring line. 

I thought I would show you all the new color palettes and then how I would use them.

Calypso Blue Collection

1. Endless Paths  2. Merlot Way 3. Wavey Goodbye  

 4. Silky Scrub-Parrot Blue   5. Bear Canyon

Coral Reef Collection

1. Aztec Flowers 2. Strie Velvet  3. Sunset Blvd.  4. Seacrest Shore 

5. Aimee Stripe  6. Nesting Zigzag

Spring Green Collection

1. Wild Oasis 2. Sweet Nothings  3. Many Diamonds  4. Strie Ikat 

 5. Belle Bloom 6. Classic Ombre

Sun Ray Collection

1.Northview 2. Little Brooke 3.Boxed Squares (Solid Herringbone) 

4.Fullerton 5. Rotary Way 6. Tiny Trinket-lemon 

7.Happy Beauty 8. Diamond Braid-Zest

Water Collection

1. Breath it in 2.Dream Chenille- Navy Blazer 3. Blossom Drops

 4.World Tour 5. Srie Velvet-Robins Egg

These are just some of my favorites from each collection.

 I am thrilled to see these beautiful color palettes this year. 

Now how do we put these colors into action?

Color makes an impact. It gives the room a certain feeling and personality. 

While I love the Sun Ray tones, it may be overwhelming

 to some to have this much of it.

One way to perfect the color balance in your home, is to start with complimentary 

neutrals and work pops of color into your space a layer at a time. 

Below are two color combinations that I put together for you using the 

new Spring Line from Robert Allen.

Hope you enjoyed a little Spring Inspiration. 

Winter is almost gone. Happy Spring Forward weekend!

Let me know what you think.

Comment Below~ I'd love to hear from you!

Front Porch Living

One of my favorite things to do, is hang out on the front porch with my hubby.

When the weather is somewhat warm,  we can go out and enjoy the fresh

air. There is a calm to sitting on a swing and watching the outside world go by.

This was the front porch when we got the house. It measured 20' x 3'. There wasn't a whole lot of room and or overhang to really enjoy sitting there for long.

My plan was to use the original width and just expand it forward by 7', 

making it an overall  20' x 10' outdoor living space.

The picture above shows the expansion. The posts first are set in concrete before 

the framing can begin.

On either side of the front porch, there was a 2'-0 deep brick wall extending all the way up 

to support the roof line. I took that brick down carefully, so I could reuse later.

The old sidewalk lined up with the previous front door, so that was taken out as well.

This view shows how much space we gained.

Here you can see all the bricks that were saved from the side walls.

Once the floors were formed, we began to extend the roof line.

We matched the shingles of the roof to create a seamless addition.

 Once all the woodwork was finished, we brought out the concrete guys to

rework the sidewalks.

The front sidewalk needed to be lined up with the new doors.

The other side curved around the house to reach our driveway.

We were excited to give our guests a solid place to walk to our beautiful new front entrance.

My boys enjoyed watching the trucks poor the cement and fit it into the forms.

The new sidewalks in place, grass seed put down, and the brick that I saved was relaid along the base of the new porch.

All that was left was to paint.

I chose a red for the ceiling. I put 2 coats on before my contractor put them up. 

Then I used his scaffolding to put another 2 coats ~ as red needs to be saturated to look right.

Tip: Anytime you paint a dark color, use a dark primer. 

Your paint store will direct you on which to use.

On one side we added a much needed swing. The other side got an outdoor furniture grouping.

We love our front porch and it has been one of our favorite places to hang out.

No matter what the renovation, when you are surrounded by good design, 

you can enjoy your spaces even more. 

Having an outside space to rest and reflect is a perfect addition to any home.

Let me know what you think!

I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.