Living Shabby Chic Style

My style likes, needs and wants have definitely changed over the last 10 years.  I've gone through many style transformations from my early twenties and owning my first home and decorating it with a country flair to transitioning into a more formal interior style at one point.  As with life changes one becomes wiser with age. Understanding what is really important is understanding that you've come full circle. Once you've tested the waters of life, the feeling of  finally being settled sets in.

I find myself to be living in a more relaxed world a comfortable place.  I find myself living and loving passions that I did when I was 12.  Which leads me down a road of remembrance.

I loved working with my hands as a kid.  Sewing with my grandmother and mother, trying my hand at refinishing an old oak night stand from my grandfather who was a true picker at heart.  Loving anything that says bead-board, farmer's sink, porcelain top kitchen tables and climbing fruit trees in my grandfather's garden.  I realize that all of these memories have brought me back to living Shabby Chic style.

From the way I dress to the way I shop.  The way I look at people who I interact with on a daily basis all creative not only with their crafty hands but also with their mind. Everyone has an important job  they do no matter what it is.  As for their homes, which may not be elaborately decorated, they are happy because they have come full circle and have found peace with who they are, their style.

It's not the stilettos, the expensive dress, the Italian shoes and silk shirts that make a person.  The best part of my job is going into someone's living space and seeing their "stuff".  One comment always made is "please look beyond the mess".  I never see a mess,  I see a person's personality. One's home should reflect their personality.

I hope to think that when a person walks into my home, my space reflects my personality.  Family memories on the entry hall wall, DIY painted chests, old pieces of furniture mixed with comfortable seating, My collection of old framed mirrors painted shabby white.

My lifestyle is definitely shabby chic and realizing this now from a time of when I was 12 enlightens me.  I don't follow the trends in my lifestyle.  Knowing what they are and implementing them in my job is what I do. Living in your interior, knowing your style and surrounding yourself with beautiful memorabilia of old and new will make for a happier you.  What is your style?

Accent with Parson Chairs

Looking for a quick switch to an otherwise all wood dining set?  Whether formal or casual change an easy change of the two end chairs of the table will add warmth and charm to any eating space casual kitchen or formal dining.

Hear are some interesting and fun upholstered parson chair designs to enjoy and to help get your creative interior design juices flowing.

Bright and funky bird cage slipcover Parson

Sophisticated geometric coastal style Parson
with rolled back and pleated skirt

Fun marigold California style fabric slipcover
Parson with black leg finish

Spa blue and white botanical floral toile parson
with driftwood leg finish

Sling back accent Parson with French writing and espresso wood finish

It doesn't have to cost a lot to to achieve a new look at your table.  Two upholstered chairs and your done!

Valentine's Day Creative DIY Gifts and Wraps

It's not too early to begin thinking of ways to show your affection.  Gifts don't have to be expensive to give and the best way to show you care is in the wrapping.

Here are some creative gift wraps and do it yourself gits for the giving on the biggest LOVE day of the year.

Brown paper bag African violets or floral n pinks & reds

Chocolate wine embellished with red ribbon and red heart ornaments

Flock paper gift wrap with creative ribbon and buckle clasp

Lace trim and twine wrapped box with candy heart embellishment

Brown paper wrap with masculine ribbon and gift card for the man

Pink burlap wrapped can floral vase container

Pink button wire and chain necklace

Pink paper wrapped candy bars.
Write your own message with white pen

Red yarn wrapped jar candle votive

Create your own verse wrap or a page of poetry.
Embellish with red string and letter beads

These ideas will take a few minutes of your time to create.  Show your creativity through your Valentine gift giving.

Last Minute Christmas and Hostess Gifts

No time to shop?  Try making your holiday gifts from what you have at home or from a quick trip to the craft or dollar store.  Simple gifts for the holidays that you can create in a pinch of time will make you a gift giving star.

Button snowflake ornament create a set of 3 in different colors

Cinnamon stick wrapped candle

Cookie mix in a jar

Bouquet of flowers wrapped in a kitchen towel tied off with a wooden spoon

Ice cream cone sundae kit

Creative cork coasters

Puppy treats in a jar

Twig wrapped class candle votive

Creating a set of three candle holders or a set of 4 cork coasters tied to the neck of a bottle of wine is a great hostess gift during the holidays.  Making time to create unique and individual gifts for the giving says something special about the gift giver.  

Organic Wraps for Gift Giving.

What does organic mean to you? With society pushing the use of all natural, organic, raw and no preservatives in food, papers, coffee cups and even household cleaning products we use every day why not go one step further with giving and organic wrapped gift for the holidays or any time.

Remember he first day of school your assignment was to go home and cover your books.  Instead of buying pretty book covers, my mother always made us use  DeMoulas (now Market Basket) brown paper shopping bags.  Who would have thought that giving a gift of a nice book for the holidays would return back to an organic brown paper recycled bag used as glorified gift wrapping  What a great idea using wonderful natural embellishments to finish the look of the gift.

Giving a gift wrapped in brown paper, recycled and wrapped with hemp can be fun.  especially if finished off with all natural embellishments such as items from the woods.

Brown craft paper and bags can be found at Staples http://www.staples.com/brownn+kraft+paper/directory_brownn+kraft+paper? or even your local dollar store.  Or make is simple, use brown paper shopping bags and lunch bags for the smaller size gift.

Here are some simple and inexpensive ways to make your gift giving a special one.

homemade recipe book with handwritten recipes on organic papers

hemp wrapped brown paper gift boxes

simple pine cone and twine embellished gift

for the book club gathering a centerpiece of covered books and table runner of craft paper

the black and white photo says it all

Personalizing and creating a small or larger gift with brown organic or recycled papers can be fun and meaningful. Make the embellishment on the outside of your gift as special as the inside.

Remembering Your Grandmother's Afghan

Do you remember the Afghan?  It wasn't until I was searching for my winter comforter that I came across mine..  That special knitted blanket that my grandmother knitted for me in  1982.  How do I remember the date?  Because my Yiayia (Greek word for grandmother) had always hand-sewn  a special tag on the corner of her afghans with a little To and From note and the date of the special event she was creating for. What was funny was on the tag  she spelled my name with an " i " .  Yup that was Yiayia!

I also remember when I was a little girl that my parents also had one of Yiayia's afghans hanging on the back of the recliner in the den.  It was more autumn-like colors of oranges, olive greens and golds with long yarn fringe.  I never liked it so much until now that I can appreciate the hard and long work taken to create these beautiful blankets.

My grandmother always had a way with giving her hand-made afghans.  You always knew if there was a special occasion or life milestone such as a marriage or new baby on the way, you were going to get a new afghan and a little message sewn to the corner.

Mine is three shades of blue and white, the colors of the Greek flag.and was made for me for a wedding shower day of May 16, 1982.  After being tucked away for years, I am happy to pull it back out of storage and proudly use it as my bed blanket.

Yiayia has been gone now for 13 years but her special afghan blankets are proudly displayed in my home, my siblings and cousins home.

If you have an heirloom afghan share your story..  Remembering passed family members that have made an impact on your life is so very important. Recognizing them and the heirlooms and memories they've created is truly a blessing.

Closet Designs for the Littleones

So many little children are dressed to the nines these days.  The cutest little outfits can be seen walking down the sidewalks of the city, in the playground and let's not forget about the formal affairs of their little bodies outfitted in little fancy dresses and suits.

Designing a closet for displaying these little outfits can be part of a child's room design.  Because the fabrics are so colorful clothing can be be used as part of the room's color pallet.

Pink painted walls coordinate with the background of this open closet.  Open closets make it easier to view selections for choosing and assist in the ease of dressing little ones in the morning.

This space doubles as closet and book storage shelving

Mint green walls as a soft background let the clothing become color accessories in this closet

This closet stores not only clothing but has a built-in desk for duel usage of the wall space

Red, white and blue makes this closet an all American favorite with coordinating storage bins

Pretty in pink open framed closet without doors and a tab top curtain to hide clothes if needed

Color coordinate painted size dividers makes it easy to sort clothing

A neutral wall color lets the clothing colors stand out in this closet design

A standard closet opening can be used more efficiently with shelving and fabric covered bins

No matter what the design theme is for your child's room an open closet can add to the decor and theme of the room. Use coordinating fabrics for covered bins. baskets for small socks and shoe storage as well as adding themed pictures to the back of a closet wall to bring the room all together.