Falling In The Kitchen

HAPPY FALL!

Hope you enjoyed a great first fall weekend.

I wish I could tell you it's cooler here, but NOT just yet!!

We did have some rain, but it only got hotter.

Now the weather people are predicting cooler temps this week.

So ready!!

It's fall anyway in spite of the heat

and I've embraced the new season

here in Rose Garden Cottage.

Welcome to a few views from my kitchen.

This is where family and friends meet!

Adding aqua to my fall decor has me smitten for this look this season.

I repainted a little counter lamp in soft aqua ~ love!!

"Fall in Love" note holder is perfect to keep a recipe handy.

This vintage glass carrier was also light aqua.

 I filled it with small milk bottles and pretty fall flowers.

Here's a wall idea pulled together for little cost using bits and pieces I already had in my stash.

The wall pocket added a bit of charm along with red and aqua painted birds.

The vintage medicine bottle was painted with chalk paint and holds a few greens and a fall daisy.

Because these bottles were usually shaped thin, it fits perfectly.

The house number tile was found on a treasure hunt.

I love the number 3.

Rolled up French wrapping paper finishes this wall vignette.

Have you seen The Pioneer Woman Collection?

I love the buffalo check tablecloth in aqua.

The bowls are from the Dollar Tree.

Score all around adding decor for less.

To the aqua ringed bowls,

I've added a large rusty pumpkin.

My kitchen is where we gather home!

At the end of the bar, sits this fun aqua rooster.

This darling kitchen towel was handmade by the talented

Kitty from Kitty's Kozy Kitchen

Love it!!

Cookie cutters fill a clear pumpkin jar ready for baking.

On the island is a tiered basket tray filled with fall accents.

A few aqua pumpkins with the traditional colors.

Handmade spoons tied with aqua ribbon.

The candle is on a timer and brings a cozy glow in the evening.

Vintage pie birds from my mother's collection  now grace my kitchen.

As the evening begins, this musical candle on a timer lights aglow

and brings so much coziness to the kitchen.

Do you cozy your kitchen for fall?

Now if only the weather would cooperate!

****************

Don't forget the Texas Blog Hop Tour

beginning October 3rd.

See you next week.

Painting Red Geraniums

Painting all types of flowers is a real passion for me.

This week I was inspired by my garden geraniums to paint a canvas of blooms.

Mine are mostly pink, but I have a few red and I just need my painting to be done in red.

You know artists are like that,

we can make changes by the stroke of a brush!

So out with my 12x12 inch canvas, I base coated the background a light ivory.

That will change with highlights and shading as the painting goes along.

In the end, I have red geraniums ready to frame.

Layering color~

Adding shading~

Ageing with a dry brush~

Highlighting the petals and giving a brushing of blue for the background~

Going outdoors~

Bringing the outdoors inside~

Ready to frame or make prints for my shop.

Do you plant geraniums? 

Here in Texas they do very well and tolerate the heat.

The heat we need right now to dry up the ground from all the record rain over the last month.

Flooded homes, roads, parks, lakes and so on have caused major destruction for many here in Texas.

Prayers go out to my neighbors that have suffered loss of homes and loved ones.

The good news is, we are predicted a dryer June.

See you soon~

Be Blessed

Celestina Marie

Joining

Make it Pretty Monday

Cooking and Crafting with J&J

Tweak It Tuesday

Roses of Inspiration

Mid Winter Mantel and Balance~

Hi Friends~

To brighten the winter grey days,

I've added a pop of red throughout my home.

To the Sitting room mantel, I did the same.

 When strolling down the 66% off  aisle in Hobby Lobby,

I came across this gorgeous red geraniums print with black, white and a canning jar for the subject.

I loved it and thought it might work on the mantel for late winter working up to springtime.

Plus it was such a great reduced price of 15 dollars, how could I pass it up.

The black and white is perfect for this room and a checkerboard design

always speaks to me.

My idea here is to not only share the red but to share positioning treasures for balance using

odd numbers of items.

I prefer the look of an odd number of pieces which I find pleasing to the eye.

Some of us like everything to be placed evenly and I do that too at times where needed.

This mantel just happens to always end up arranged in odd numbers of objects.

This rustic pitcher brings out the color in the prints frame corners and raised on books for elevation. This become a section and arrangement of 3.

The candles come on with timers each evening for a cozy glow

and this tall vase also picks up the colors from the print.

Again this side is in odd numbers of objects and not all vases need to hold flowers.

The pitcher on the opposite side with it's tall spike greens 

gives the height needed for balance.

The only red comes from the geraniums and to have more might take away from the focal point.

The eye settles in the center with these two sweet birds.

I hand painted these several years ago from a Dollar Store find.

Adding shades of white and creams give them interest.

So all together there is 9 items for balance.

I am counting the candle sticks and glass as one,

The stack of books as one.

The  pitcher and spikes as one.

The framed print as one.

The little birds as two.

Then lastly the tall vase, little quote plaque and second candle stick,

all as one each.

Totaling 9.

Is this crazy?

Maybe!

I do believe in decorating there are no set rules.

If it looks good to you and you're living with it, 

that's what matters.

I just happen to have learned the odd number balance when studying interior design many years ago.

Today those first ideas are not as popular

but many of us are doing this without even realizing it.

When you look around at your displays and vignettes,

I bet many are situated in uneven numbers ranging from 3, 7 and 9.

Look around.

You might be surprised.

As we move from Mid Winter to Spring I am enjoying the pop of red

and a bit of balance for the season.

 The End!

~See you next time~

~Be Blessed~

Celestina Marie

Joining

Make It Pretty Monday

Tweak it Tuesday

Roses of Inspiration

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING!

WELCOME to Fun Friday and Fashion. Today Deb, Ladybug fron Texas is hosting a Boot Party called, "These Boots are Made for Walking"
The idea is to show the boots we love to wear. Are you a boot gal? Do you love to wear boots with your jeans or dress clothes? We can share them them today in this boot party. Remember the song sung by Nancy Sinatra? These Boots are Made for Walking"

So let's have some boot stompin fun as my stuffed friends pose with my boot collection.
This first cowgirl pair of boots are comfy and fun, shown here with a pink crown cowgirl hat I found last year in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I don't wear the hat really, but I decorate with it, in my studio.

Oh let's try on that hat!!


I love ankle boots~~





And Red Boots and Bag~

Tall Scrunch Boots~~

Tall Suede Boots~~

The snowpeople love their boots too~

And just look at their faces in those comfy boots~~


Oh and I adore these little Mudd cuties~~

But I think I'll put on these hiking boots and hike over to see the other boots at Deb's party!

Thank you for stopping by the party of fun and fashion for These Boots are Made for Walking. It was great to have you. Take a moment to stop by my Texas friend, Deb's to see more.
Happy Halloween!
Smiles, Celestina Marie

"SEEING RED" ~~ART DECO VINTAGE STYLE BEDROOM~~

Welcome to another room decorated with vintage art deco furniture and walls all in red. Yes, that's right, I dared to go red on this one. Red is one of those colors that either works or it doesn't. The color I worked with for this bedroom is a deep rich red, not orangey like some of the photos appear, but rather a darker tone very deep and rich like crimson. It takes you in with it's warmth and is full of comfort. Whenever possible I like to angle the bed in a room. Not only does this seem to give more floor space but lots of interest from the same old room placement. I also like to add shutters or something tall, like the tree I added behind the bed to fill in the space.

The wall color here looks orange. Due to the light, I could not get the exact true color to show. But, trust me, it is not orange! LOL

To start off, I inherited the gorgeous 1945 furniture from my parents. This was their wedding set and is 63 years old now. ( and for the record, I am not near 63. LOL)

The pieces are in excellent condition with all original hardware. I just had to work it into a room somewhere. The tall armoire holds a closet on one side, drawers on the lower section and an entertainment center on the top right side. Perfectly angled to the bed for easy relaxing and viewing. The dresser has a gorgeous round mirror a top the curved lines of the dresser. Detailed from blended colors of hard woods and round art deco style hardware, it is really a pretty and unique old set.

The long drapes are Laura Ashley tab top panels given to me by my dear sweet friend Lorri. She found these at a resale shop for a few dollars. Realized I had a similar design going on in the quilt and gave them to me. What a sweetheart she is and wow did they bring the perfect finishing element to the room. Added to soft creamy sheers and long scarf on an iron style window rod.

I love adding a lot of pillows. In front of large shams reversed to coordinate with the quilt I have 2 pillows I had made in Euro style, the same fabric as the plaid chair. This helps tie in the look and makes it feel like it belongs with the mix of patterns. By the way, plaids, florals, stripes and the like, can work together nicely when chosen from the same color family. But I always say, if you like it, it works!!

Look closely at the wall area above the armoire. It has a resting place for the eye, on a patterned paper that is also painted the same rich red. It gives some interest to the other wise large area of red. This detail goes around the room about 24" down from the ceiling.Red and yellow poppies fill this large vase and sit atop one of my cross stitch runners. I do this when I am not painting. It seems I always have to have something in my hands working!

The next few pictures are a cozy red plaid chair that I had made many years ago for another room. Vintage 40's swing arm floor lamp with a new shade I made to coordinate. I really love trims and add them everywhere! It is a weakness!! Old vintage night stands painted yellow and distressed help to brighten for a dash of color. I have two of these along both sides of the bed. Also, a very old dining chair covered with patterned fabric similar to the quilt on the bed situated next to a heart table that holds all you need for tea!

And last, the walk in closet is mirrored and inside I like to also decorate with treasures I enjoy for a bit of surprise when you open the closet. The mirror inside was given to me by my dear friend Randi, from In my mother's name. It was made in Norway and is just a beautiful piece. I added a wash of black and have enjoyed it in many places, but for now it works here great!

Now on to the other side of the room viewing from the closet. Here I have a desk area where I have placed some more vintage pieces of glassware from the 40's and a gorgeous antique red tray plate made by my grandfather in the glass factory of Pt. Marion Pennsylvania in the 1920's. It is one beautiful piece. On the desk area I have placed a clear acrylic desk blotter with a Laura Ashley napkin that matches the other fabrics in the room and drapes. This instantly make a pretty desk blotter. You could add pictures, pretty handmade doilies or anything flat for interest. The darling red chair with rush seat, I found at an estate sale. Keeping the display of glassware on the book shelves helps to keep the room light and not weighed down due to the dark color. Red and white English plates with an iron wall piece give the area an anchor. I usually like to work in odd numbers when placeing accents. But this area called for more of a uniform placement.

The following pictures are closer shots of the patterns and accents in this "Seeing Red Room"

This quilt reverses to all floral with the same for the shams.

"Hands to work, Hearts to God" plate I hand painted many years ago.

Beautiful appliqued pillow made by Randi, many years ago. I cherish this hand work made by a very talented friend.

Wooden bed tray I designed and hand painted in shades of red.

Thank you for stopping by to view this "Seeing Red Room" I hope you have enjoyed viewing these treasures. If you missed the first room and would like to see that one, scroll down to visit there. Have a wonderful day and Happy Decorating! Celestina