Decorating your mantle...with topiaries ...

I am so happy that my fire place mantle doesn't have feelings...because it would have rejection issues... because I have stripped it down and changed it so many times... but one thing I have been wanting for a long time was topiaries for both of the ends .... Remember a past blog that i wrote things tell stories...that is why you will see many makeovers in my blog... I hope that as I begin to have followers you will share your stories behind your pieces... I place pieces on my mantle and wait until they speak to me and say "Why yes I do belong on your beautiful mantle, or no no no that is not the look you are going for.."  ...the for sure feeling I get is when I find something that connects with a memory inside of me, that moves me to emotion, and I get that warm fuzzy feeling and can see the moment of that memory happen at the moment I look at my piece... "Yes, you belong, living on my mantle, forever, I think ... so Apple Blossom Time  by Leur a old painted canvas with apple blossoms, and a farm house, with a primitive farmer's wife.. it looks wrinkled and watered damaged...but it is my favorite possession ...stay tuned to find out why...   first I will share some inspirational decor pictures of how others might use topiaries ... then I will share what my mantle looks like today...

I love these 3 topiaries that are centered in the middle of this mantle, they are using some of my favorite things, topiaries, black numbered, probably stenciled, and using a lot of white.

Look at this picture, they are using great balance, each side has exactly almost the same item balancing out on the other side. Is this your style?  Little to neat for me. But still beautiful.

These are beautiful four piece topiary set with boxwood leaves that Ballard designs offers, beautiful shabby chic planters. 

This above design, is a DIY design, found on the Michaels web sight, it is called a Bountiful Harvest Topiary... I will attach the link, so you can make one for your table this Harvest season.

http://www.michaels.com/Bountiful-Harvest-Topiary/e08386,default,pd.html

Now Presenting Two New Topiaries on The Mantle Of the Joneses

My two new topiaries are 1 foot potted spiral rosemary, artificial, in a mercury antiqued like pot. I have them sitting on some old worn vintage books.

Here is a close up, of one of the topiaries, next to an old farm basket, with antique door parts, and rolled up music sheets, and some pumpkins, I sewed a couple of years ago.  That is about my extent of sewing.

If you look closely you can see some of the names of the songs Moon River,  Stormy Weather, and Save the Best for last.

The picture up there is the famed " Apple Blossoms"  mentioned in the first paragraph of this blog.  I will someday write a entry on the story behind it...why I fell in love with it, and just had to buy it from a antique store, no matter what.  It has a story that makes me connect with a moment in time that brings the best kind of feelings back, and yet gives me the best kind of hope for the future.  Can you think of items that you own, that make you feel that way? Will you share your thoughts, I would love to know what stories, you have to tell......

Decor with vintage finds and hand made touches

Last week I wrote about how come we love vintage finds and hand made touches... today i wanted to post some looks that are out there...comment let me know back from you what is your decor style..

Love all these great looks where they are using industrial typewriters in modern settings, makes everything look just right.  And feels like each room can tell there own story.

This is my Yellow Farmhouse...with a red door...kinda where it all began

This is the yellow farmhouse on Sunnybrook lane... with the red door, that my husband, found and bought for me, about a year and half ago... it still as you can tell needs help outside.  ALL of those pavers have been sold:)  To a nice family that adopted some twins.  This farmhouse was yellow and had a red door when we bought, but we repainted a brighter yellow, sorry neighbors:)  I think the color is called Dunn Edwards Sunshine:)  I love the names of paints, and markers, and nail polishes..  just to give a start... i fill you in later, but everything on the inside had to be gutted out... and we did it mostly ourselves, and we still our...

There will be soon a place you can find items for sale, and we are thinking of for locals in Arizona having a farmhouse yard sale, with refinished furniture, and industrial items, in the beginning of Nov.

I am going to post one more picture of what I think Farmhouse Industrial Shabby Chic looks like... for today... 

These are some fun items in front of my fireplace, some rusted out routers, an old newel post painted in light blue chalk paint, some more rusted out stuff, and a peace subway sign I made, an old wooden farm box, and tray, and you can't tell because of the brightness of the flash, but there are two blue chalk paint re-purposed barn wood shelves.


for all of you blog followers that like to win contest... sign up to follow me on your email, and like me on your facebook page... after we get the first 25 likes and email followers, they will go in a drawing for the PEACE subway art in this picture..