Hanging Plates

Ok....I'm obsessed with hanging plates. I saw these plates in Layla Grace and fell in love.

The trick to making the collection feel cohesive is to find plates in similar colors. I am searching for vintage white plates, some with subtle blue designs. Every so often, I pop into some of my favorite antique and thrift stores on the hunt for the plates. I love this look! I have the perfect wall in my dining room that is just waiting to be dressed up.

Some more inspiration.....

In my quest for finding the PERFECT plates, I stumbled across The Salvaged Tea Party. This adorable Etsy shop sells china that is "Discarded by others and then found, re-purposed, hand adorned..." They have some gorgeous pieces, like this little Snail plate. Love it!

An "English Garden" Inspired Flower Bed

We built our home 2 years ago, and our backyard is pitiful. I mean, it needs a LOT of work. We have spent the past two years trying to grow grass, and now that we have some, we are determined to begin landscaping. My first project: a small, modest, English Garden inspired flower bed beside the back porch.

I'm growing:



Salvia



(image from http://www.panacheexteriordesign.com/plants/salvia.jpg)
(the image above is just too pretty not to share)



My ACTUAL Salvia below






and Lavender



Similar in style, but the mix of the two flowers have a natural and romantic feel. For the border of the flower bed, I found the following old scalloped brick edging and decided to whitewash it.






To whitewash brick:

1. Mix 5 parts Hydrated Lime (found in farm supply stores-be careful not to buy dolomite lime which is used commonly on your lawn and found at Lowes or Home Depot) with 1 part table salt. I add enough water to it to make a loose pancake batter-like mixture.

2.Paint the mixture on with a paintbrush, and let it dry.




I love the finished brick. One of the reasons I chose to whitewash the brick (rather than paint it) is because it will actually age gracefully over time, requiring little maintenance. The more worn it becomes, the more it will add to the "English" charm.

The end result:

Meet....me!

       For over a year now, I have been saying I'd get a blog started. It has been on my running "To Do" list for too long.

       I have been busy loving (and now chasing!) my 9 month old little boy, working full time, hanging out with my husband, and decorating/crafting! I am so excited to be able to have a forum in which to post my little projects. I hope to slow down and take in everything I'm doing (not something busy mommies do very often) because time seems to be flying!



My munchkin, Briggs, and I


My husband, David, and I


Our sweet Lab/Golden Retriever mix, Cody


Last, but not least, our mischevious little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Topper.