February Vignette

A February vignette that very much looks like it should be in March.  We continue to have such warm days and the biggest azalea bush in the front is starting to really fill out with blooms.  I couldn't help myself and brought some inside.  The green vase helps bring out the magenta color and it sits on top of the winter green glass bowl that is sitting upside down.  The combination of the two help pick and a reflect the light.  Pinecones still out for the winter decor could further confuse an onlooker.  Is it winter or spring?  Yes, I agree it's confusing!




This big mirror was living across the dining room on top of the armoire but I missed it here.  The mister moved it and I know I need to keep it in one place because it's so old and fragile.  You can't miss the cloudy spots on it.







Jan

Mother's May Table

A May table that is simple and sweet.  A table to enjoy one another's company.



Vintage plates routinely used.  Special memories tucked in with the roses' beauty.







“I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” —Mitch Albom






“Mother’s love is bliss, is peace, it need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. If it is there, it is like a blessing; if it is not there it is as if all the beauty had gone out of life.” —Erick Fromm






Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. - Lin Yutang, Chinese writer






The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.
She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. - Rajneesh






"Oh, mother, mother, mother," the boy groaned, and he longed, as if his heart was breaking, to lay his head on her knee, and look up for comfort to her face, as he had often done in his childish troubles. "Dear, dear mother!" and the tears came at last, raining through his fingers, and taking away that dull stupor of pain from his heart. ~Cousin Alice, "All's Not Gold that Glitters;" or, The Young Californian, 1858  [Emily Alice Bradley Neal Haven (1827–1863) —tεᖇᖇ¡·g]






A man never sees all that his mother has been to him until it's too late to let her know he sees it. - William Dean Howells






The mother memories that are closest to my heart are the small gentle ones that I have carried over from the days of my childhood. They are not profound, but they have stayed with me through life, and when I am very old, they will still be near. - Margaret Sanger






The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her. - Author unknown






“one of the best and the most painful things about time traveling has been the opportunity to see my mother alive.”
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife










Jan

Mother's Day Table

I hope you have a nice Mother's Day this Sunday.   This is a special table made with memories.

 The tablecloth is an old dress of mine.  I remember celebrating Mother's Day while wearing it when my daughter was young and my mother was still here.  The painted decorative glasses were a gift from my mother.  They are very fragile and I don't get them out often.







Not expensive but priceless memories.

















































The chest when it was in the dining room.  You can see the set of glasses here along with the decanter.  The photos were put together by my daughter of my family, it was a school project at the time.






One of our first outings and I am wearing that dress.  How high was your hair in 1992?












Jan

What's In ~ What's Out

On December 29, 2015, the Wall Street Journal ran an article online Top Five Interior Design Trends for 2016.  The article is here. 

Here is an excerpt:

Wall Street Journal ~  Top Five Interior Design Trends for 2016.


What’s in for 2016

OLD-WORLD ORNAMENTATION

"People want the traditional and dressy, with a shot of nostalgia, to feel like everything is going to be okay," said Toby Fairley based in Little Rock, Arkansas.  In 2016,  look for brocades, tapestries and Georgian and Empire antiques.  Fringe, cording and tassels soften the austerity of modern upholstery noted  Kirill Istomin, who has offices in Moscow and New York.  Expect, too, dramatic drapes.  "Rooms without curtains are like a man in a suit without shoes," said Kathyrn M. Ireland, British designer.


What’s Out for 2016

THE INDUSTRIAL LOOK

Joe Lucas of Lucas Studio in Los Angeles considers “industrial chic” an oxymoron. “Enough of looking like we are living in the garage,” he declared. The style has become a signifier of millennial-coffeehouse design, said Mr. Brown, who maintains a design practice in New York. “I’m all for reduce and reuse, but I would prefer not to drink out of another Mason jar in a barn in Brooklyn.” New York designer Julia Haney-Montanez takes the oversaturation personally: “I have ended friendships with people asking me for Edison lightbulb resources.”

SISAL AND JUTE

Of these two types of fiber rugs, sisals are the tougher but also the rougher. “They don’t feel soft or cushy on bare feet and are not very child- or pet-friendly,” said Mr. Corrigan. And jute lacks durability, said New York designer Philip Gorrivan. “It wears quickly, stains easily and is virtually un-cleanable.” Its worst offense? Ubiquity. “When you can get a rug for $140 at mainstream stores,” said Birmingham, Mich., designer Corey Damen Jenkins, “the trend has overstayed its welcome.”

What's your opinion on this?  Do you think sisal and jute are on the way out?  What about industrial chic?  Are you a fan?  Brocades and tapestries a look you like?  What about dramatic drapes?


~ And on to other news, on the mantel, what's out are the plates I shared on my last post on my mantel.  What's in ~ are my new to me vintage plates!
























Jan

Finally The Stairs

When we left off, the dining table was being shared. It is dressed for Christmas in blue and pinks, reds, burgundies, crimson, etc.  The kitchen/dining room is one large room with the stairs going up from here.




  The stairs needed something simple because there already is a lot going on, which is the way I like to go.  I am definitely a more is more kind of 'girl'.  I mixed some magnolia leaves in the wreaths and added a bow.  It's simple but effective in an already decorated room.








I have added a lot more greenery to the wreaths before but it ends up shedding most of it before Christmas and can be quite a mess.




The buffet is wearing a garland with light green faux pointsettas and a little gold here and there.  If you squint your eyes, you can see my little reindeer is standing proud there as well.


















Jan




http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/12/wow-us-wednesdays-251.html
http://www.cozylittlehouse.com/2015/12/its-time-for-holiday-link-up-party.html
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2015/12/treasure-hunt-thursday-232-highlights.html
http://www.adelightsomelife.com/2015/12/home-and-garden-thursday-126.html
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2015/12/home-sweet-home-250.html
http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/2015/12/feathered-nest-friday_10.html
http://shabbyartboutique.com/2015/12/shabbilicious-friday-christmas-link-party-12.html
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-crackers.html
http://www.21rosemarylane.com/2015/12/share-your-style-link-party-43.html
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/mongrammed-door-mat-from-frontgate/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2015/12/show-and-share-no-292.html

Gathering Christmas Photos

Are you gathering your Christmas photos from the past to give you an idea of what direction you will be going this year?  May I just go ahead and tell you that I want to pull my hair out of both sides of my head, at the same time, and run screaming into the woods beside my house?!   Maybe I can hide out there until January, then go inside my home and take a long awaited bath. (It would only be a month and a half, geez!)  and ask you all if you had a good Christmas and we can all pretend I am normal.  No?  That won't work?  I figured as such.

Aesthetic ~ Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.  Giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty; of pleasing appearance.

Obsessed ~ Preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

 

 

Yes, that would be me right now!  So today I want to share with you some of my Christmas photos from the past.

 

I haven't bought anything new so you just act surprised when I show this again in December and say Oh you did a great job!

 

Christmas in my bedroom.  Remember that picture on the wall?  It was last seen in my living room but it's upstairs again.  That was my grandmother's little ceramic green box with the rose on the lid.  The perfume bottle was a gift many years ago by a dear friend.

 

 

The mantel last Christmas.  I feel myself being swayed back to this look but I have a new to me mirror that deserves the spotlight this year.

 

 

 That deer has been with us for many years.

 

 

 My mister's violin.

 

 

 

 Family painting centered over vintage mirror.  Garland over mantel holding a Christmas horn.

 

 You can see the age of the mirror here.

 

 

 Especially here!  I didn't know I would love the look of the old vintage mirrors as much as I do.  It pairs so well with vintage Christmas decorations.

 

 

 Same mirror but you can't quite see the age as well.

 

 

 

 I had moved the Christmas tree across the room, you can see the reflection in the mirror.  My mister thought I had lost my mind because it was blocking the front door.  I told him everybody comes through the kitchen so it doesn't matter.  I got quite a look from him. : )

 

 

Red berries from the yard.




Jan

http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/2015/11/saturday-sparks-link-party-141.html
http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/2015/11/amaze-me-monday-137.html#more
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/7-christmas-porches/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/show-and-share-no288.html
http://www.cozylittlehouse.com/2015/11/tweak-it-tuesday-167.html#more
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2015/11/293rd-inspire-me-tuesday.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-248.html
http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/2015/11/feathered-nest-friday_19.html
http://www.21rosemarylane.com/2015/11/share-your-style-link-party-40.html

Decorating the Mantel

Hey! Ya'll okay today?  Good!  I wanted to share a couple of photos of my mantel.

 



I got real lucky this past summer and ran across this very old mirror.  It's really very fragile and I don't believe it can be hung on the wall anymore as its so old and the frame is barely holding it.  But I knew when I saw it this mirror it would look good leaning against the wall over the mantel.  It has places where the mirror has faded away ,which I love, that makes it so rich with history and gives it such a time worn patina.

 

My greatgrandmother was an artist and this is one of her paintings.  I love the red in it and it being a flower, but it is very sentimental to me as well. I don't know what kind of flower that is, do you?  I would love to hear from you if you have any ideas!  I found the two plates at a consignment store.  The green plate is stamped Autumn Leaves Hand Painted with a Royal stamp.  The other plate with the white background said Very Old Plate on the tag when I bought them.

 

 



The hydrangeas were from our hydrangea bushes last summer.  I dried them out and was able to really put them use!  Oh and the fancy lamps!!  I know, aren't they something?!!  I got those girls at the dollar store!  I had a lamp that I really loved but broke it when I was rearranging one day.  (Sometimes I am like a bull in a china shop!)  It had those really pretty globes on them with the fringe.  I really have a thing for fringe!  Well, I really didn't want to let those globes go, so on a whim I said what the heck I am going to try this.  And I stuck each one on the dollar store lamps, and they fit!!

 

The wooden bowl pedestal was my grandmother's.  I turned it upside down and put the green bowl on top of it.  The green bowl was my mother-in-law's.  The bowl went with the color of the hydrangeas so well.  I put some I had left over at the base of the wooden pedestal.  I like this for almost any time of the year.  But my husband insists I move it when we have a fire going in the fireplace as they would catch on fire so easily.

Thank goodness we are through with the cold weather now(as I cross my fingers) and won't have to worry with a fire.

All new viewers you are invited to go to my Facebook page for this blog!  It's justjanblog.com on Facebook.  Just click the "Like" button and you should receive all future posts.

Thanks,

Jan

Vintage Fun! Having fun with beautiful roses and vintage plate!!

During these bleak days of winter I find myself craving color more than usual. My daughter received these beautiful roses and I couldn't help but to notice they matched this very old plate I bought at a consignment store. The back of the plate says Autumn Leaves and Hand-Painted. So while she was busy with other things I "borrowed" her roses and 'played' to create my own piece of Spring! I love trying different looks with the same flowers, kind of like making different outfits with the same clothes-- just switching things around to get a whole new look!



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Jan