{ how does your garden grow? }

Happy Monday dear friends.

Just a few snaps from my garden to share with you today.

I worked last week on adding some new color to my beds,

and here is a little peek at my garden cart with it's new flowers.

I still have a little space at the back, so a trip to the farmer's market is in order.

For now though this is how it turned out,  I think it will be much more lovely

as the season goes on and the flowers start growing and spilling over it's edges.

I think I've decided for now to let it be just as I found it, no paint job needed.

When all of my gardening and planting is done, this is where you can find me.

My { n e s t } , it's quite perfect for long afternoon naps.

*peace & love*

Carrie

{ simply succulent }

On recent trips to my local farmer's market I have seen many vendors selling lots of lovely succulents.

In the past I have never been a huge fan of succulents, but suddenly I find them very appealing.

I love their simplicity, their structure, their ease of care, and their wow factor.

Today at Lowe's, I picked out three new succulents.

I can't begin to tell you which ones they were 

because I had them out of the pots before I even looked at their names.

On my way home I stopped into my local Goodwill 

to look for interesting and inexpensive containers to plant them in.

I found some interesting bowls I thought might work.

Two being the little white pottery barn bowls above, 

I love their shape,  and for $1.00, you can't find a cheaper planter.

I picked out some of my milk glass containers,

as well as some old silver footed bowls, all previous thrift store finds.

I especially love how the succulents look in the aged silver bowls.

Once I started planting I just couldn't stop. 

I was taking bits from the few succulents I have in my own gardens

to add to the different containers I had rounded up.

When I had them all planted, I loaded them up in this garden basket also found at Goodwill today,

and took them up to my private little nook outside of my bedroom.

I purchased the cutest little vintage tea cart at a local antique store a few weeks ago,

and I've been looking for just the right plants to add to it.

I think these are the ones, they aren't too big, and they aren't too fussy.

So here is my first attempt at arranging my new goodies on my cart.

Hmmm.  It was feeling a little too busy for me, so I edited out a few planters,

and this is the arrangement I ended up with.

Simple and clean...

this way I can add some cute little tea time goodies in the future.

Maybe a cute little teapot, and some sweet tea cups.

I would really love to find some adorable tea towels too.

Okay, now my wheels are turning.

Somehow I think this isn't the last you will see of my tea cart.

* peace & love *

Carrie

{ lightening up }

With spring here and summer on it's way,

I have been feeling an extreme need to lighten and brighten my home.

I'm wanting to change out the darker colors of fall and winter,

for the light and airy ones of spring and summer.

Put away cozy throws, and roll up the heavy rugs,

and trade them out for light wood floors and throw pillows.

While I would love to do some major changes,

like painting, or recovering furniture...

these things just aren't in the budget right now.

Soooooooo.

Today while I was doing my weekly cleaning,

I started playing around with some things just to try them out.

It first began with taking up some rugs to be cleaned,

Then I moved on to my slip covered sofa in my keeping room.

I removed the slip covers to find a lovely canvas body on my sofa.

While I had removed the cushion covers before,

I had never really seen the sofa completely without it's cover.

I was pleasantly surprised by the color and look of the fabric.

So much so that I thought I would just leave the covers off,

and add an old chenille bedspread to the cushions.

Voilà , a lighter brighter sofa.

Now, be honest with me... 

should I leave it like this,

or should I cover it back up?

What do you think?

Does it work?

I pulled the straw colored textured pillows from my living room sofa

to help add in some of the colors from the curtains, lampshades and floor.

The little ivory pillow was borrowed from my bedroom.

I know the coffee table is really dark, and it really needs a new paint job,

but for now it will have to do { until I get around to that }

Now, here's the other side of the keeping room.

To balance out the room and the new light color of the sofa,

I added a couple of creamy throw pillows to my comfy café au lait chairs,

a sweet little vintage linen table cloth and milk glass compote to the table between.

To help lighten up the coffee table  { that needs to be painted very soon },

I added a whicker tray, some light colored books, and a little plant in a milkglass planter.

So, what do you think?

Should I keep it?

Oh yes, 

and what color if any do you think I should paint the coffee table?

White?

Gray?

Distressed of course.

Oh, and what about the lamp?

Do you think I should paint it or leave it?

I know, I know, that's a lot of questions,

but I really would like to know what you think.

I love new ideas,  and I really value others opinions of my spaces.

Alright, with all of that said and all of my decorating questions out of the way,

here is my keeping room before the mini makeover.

Oh yeah, see that sleeping dog there... remember her ?

you know... BIG DOG little basket.

That's my Lucy, she's 15 years old,

and that spot she lays in right there,  it looks like it's 15 years old.

She has absolutely ruined my super soft and comfy cream rug...

hence the beginning of this mini makeover.

Removal of the rugs.... 

oooh and did I mention she also sheds something awful ?

I love her to pieces though, 

and if I have to sacrifice a rug here and there,

so be it!

{ she's worth more than any stinky ol' rug anyways}

* peace & love *

Carrie

{ vintage juice glass l..o..v..e }

Nothing says summer like a nice tall glass of fresh lemonade.

Especially if you are lucky enough to be serving it in one of these vintage sets.

I admire these beauties each time I go to my favorite antique store.

Alas, I'm holding out to find my very own...but at a slightly more reasonable price.

Not that I don't think they are worth it...but... 

I would surely love to find them at a yard sale or thrift store.

You know,  the thrill of the hunt.... and the bargain.

Isn't this set just lovely, I'm loving the sweet little orange and white flowers.

I can so see having some lemonade on the porch in these sweeties.

Maybe red roses are more your style.

I would be happy to find a set like this as well.

Oh to have such a lovely pitcher, and fun glasses.

Well, so far I haven't found a full set like this.

I have however been lucky enough to come upon the mother load of vintage juice glasses.

The kind of mother load that makes your heart race,  and your palms sweat.

Only then to find out that they were already spoken for.

This is what went down that day...

One snowy winter day,  on one of many excursions to my local goodwill,  

I'm walking down the aisle of my favorite section of the store when I spot them.

The sweetest loveliest collection of vintage juice glasses,  all kinds, colors and patterns,  

a whole shelf of them, I see them there....

at just the exact moment they are being pulled from the shelf and placed in boxes.

I asked the store associate,  what he was doing with them....he said " some lady just bought them all."

Okay, seriously,  this is where my heart sank...

and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really wanted to cry.

I was crushed, I couldn't believe my horrible luck and timing.

I followed the boxes on their journey, to see the lucky one they were going home with.

But wait, they weren't going home yet.... there was still a chance for me.

I asked for the manager,  who had agreed to hold them up front for this lucky lady.

In a moment of desperation I told the manager that I would pay double what the other lady

was paying if she would sell them to me, as it is not generally goodwill's policy to hold merchandise.

She wouldn't do this, and I know I was probably horrible for asking....I just couldn't help myself.

She did however agree to give me a call if said lady didn't come back for them that evening.

So I go home in the falling snow,  and I can't stop thinking about the glasses that got away.

I distracted myself with my computer, but as I sat there I just watched the clock.

When I hadn't heard anything by the given time, I assumed they had been picked up.

Then I thought... wait a minute, what if they hadn't.  So in a last ditch effort I call them back.

"yes hi, I was in earlier today, I'm checking to see if the boxes of juice glasses were picked up. "

The response from the goodwill employee was a resounding " NO, no they haven't,

and if you would like to come pick them up then they are yours."

This of course is music to my ears, as my heart beat quickens again.

So of course I hopped in my car snow fall and all and drove right back up there 

to pick up my little lovelies... my sweet little vintage glass treasures.

  

  

   

  

Here are just a few of my vintage lovelies, you can find the rest 

in my etsy shop....

{ the vintage wren }

I know they aren't exactly like the ones from the antique store,

but I think they are the just the cutest.

Which ones would you choose?

Do you have a vintage treasure you are searching for?

Hope you are having a lovely week so far,

thanks for stopping by to see me.

* peace & love *

Carrie

{ garden goody preview }

Okay, so I'm a little late with these photos,

seeing as how I took them to share for Mother's Day.

These are a few of my awesome { to me } finds,

at the yard sales and antiques stores last Saturday.

I just adore this old wooden "PET' milk crate.

I don't have any of the larger sized milk bottles { I'll be looking though }

so instead I've filled it with a collection of other bottles,

perfect for adding cut flowers to the center of my patio table.

I purposefully took this photo of it's most worn and aged corner.

It's filled with some of my favorites pretties from right here in my gardens....

{ I love spring } peonies, verbena, hydrangea, dianthus, 

and some cuttings from my favorite tree.

This beauty is an old wooden bread tray.  There were many to choose from,

there were old Merita ones, and a very cool Watts Bread Co. one,

but I chose this one purposefully because the writing is so worn away,

and it had the most excellent patina....I just love it.

I was originally going to use it for flowers, as you can see by the pots,

but sitting out last night I changed my mind and decided I will use it to

hold a collection of candles in glass jars instead. { now to find a collection of jars }

What do you think?  How would you use this old box ?

Forgive the lifelessness in this photo, it's certainly not how I think this beauty will

look when I've had a chance to add my flowers to her and the great old bucket.

I nearly died when I saw this guy out at the yard sale,  I literally ran over to stake my claim

before anyone else could realize how awesome it is.  { or maybe i'm the only one who thinks so }.

Anywhoo, I do think it's awesome, this very, very old wooden flower cart with it's amazing metal wheel.

I've already filled it with the pots from above, but I've yet to get to the farmer's market for flowers.

Oh, and please excuse the poor lorapetalum behind it, I just transplanted it,

and I'm pretty sure they aren't going to make it....though they look surprisingly good every morning.

I actually feel really bad, because I don't even want it there now that I have the cart,

but I'm not sure it could survive being moved again.  What to do, what to do?

So, what do you think I should do with this lovely little garden cart?

Should I leave it as is, or should I paint it?

Will flowers be enough color?

I'd love to know what you think.

* peace & love *

Carrie

{ studio under control }

Ahhh, nothing feels better than the completion of a project.

I was finally able to tackle my studio today, and

oh what a difference a little organization, and a trash can will make.

My funky gold knitting chair, has some new additions,

one great vintage crocheted pillow { goodwill }, and one sweet little yorkie.

I also couldn't help myself but to keep the two little suitcases

originally purchased for my shop.  

they are just so darn cute, 

and their colors go perfectly in my space.

One holds extra magazines, and the other all of my camera chargers.

The wire in and out box was purchased to keep kids homework in,

but since I love it so much I had to confiscate it.

Now it holds more magazines and hides the lamp cord.

The two ironstone pitchers hold my knitting needles within easy reach.

My little vintage doggie planter just sits there looking all cute,

waiting for me to add some cuttings from the garden.

The lamp is the only thing that's new { Target },

it's just perfect for holding vintage yarn balls, and I love the burlap shade.

Oh, there's my other great vintage chair { goodwill },

and to top off this little fun vignette is my vintage floral painting { goodwill },

I love the sunny yellows, greens and that little pop of the red apples.

This is the business side of my studio, where all the computer magic happens.

If you read my last post you probably saw all of my inspiration photos,

and in all of those photos you saw mostly white furniture.

Now, I love white furniture, but I had absolutely no desire to paint either of these

desks,  they are only a few years old, and match the bookcases.

I did want to lighten up the room though,  and also hide some of the more unsightly bits....

my solution was to add the little skirt under the desks

I'm not much of a seamstress { though I would like to be },

so I grabbed my trusty staple gun, and a fun sheet { goodwill }.

I folded the sheet in half and cut it straight down the middle leaving a nice seam on each side.

I then crawled, and contorted myself under these very small desks with my staple gun in hand,

I began by just gathering small sections of fabric and stapling them in place to achieve a gathered look.

I think it turned out quite nicely, and it definitely hides all the uglies underneath.

My desk chair is a thrift store find also.  I just recently recovered it 

using a fun vintage floral sheet...I love how it turned out, it even has a little brown in it

which makes it work perfectly with the brown chair and desks.

I added the two green shelves above each desk to hold supplies within easy reach.

I found the shelves at a yard sale this Saturday for $1.00 each,

They have chippy paint, and are very old.....love them.

The artwork above my desk area is also a collection of thrift store and yard sale finds.

I'm always on the lookout for new pieces to add to my wall,

I especially love old canvases,  and find them very inspiring.

Welcome to the storage side.

Here you will find all of my yarns, fabrics, and books.

Oh yeah, and do you see the rusty little beauty holding my tri-pods, and craft paper?

I found that fabulous beauty at a yard sale Saturday.

I could hardly contain myself when I saw it.

I immediately snatched it up and inquired about it's price,

I was really afraid it wasn't for sale.

Not exactly like the one in my inspiration photos, but it's close enough for me.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT.

I honestly had the best luck and found some other really great things,

but I'll save those for later.

There's that little green ladder again, it just keeps popping up in my photos.

It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that I'm only 5' 4" on a good day.

I may as well just strap him to my hip around this house.

This is my art corner, and hopefully a sewing table 

when I finally get up my nerve to break out my long neglected sewing machine. 

Hmmm,  let's see,  I'm 37 and papa got it for my 30th birthday,

and it hasn't been used since....how bad is that?.

Oh come on, I know you are also jealous of my gorgeous

golden orange wooden screen there.  

I know, it's not the prettiest thing, and someday I would like to paint it white.

It does serve a purpose though, that corner desk isn't quite as deep as my

other two desks, so this helps me bring it forward without a huge gap.

It also hides my huge art portfolio, and my easel.

Now I just need to come up with a good way to hang things on it,

and it will be a good place to display my art projects, and inspirations.

I'm open to any ideas and suggestions.

So, are you ready to see the befores?

I'm almost too embarrassed to show you what a mess it was before,

Papa teases me and calls me a hoarder.

I promise I am not a hoarder, I just had too much going on in a small space.

So here goes....

WARNING these images may be disturbing to some viewers.

         Isn't it a good thing I added the skirts.

I would love to know what you think of my design on a nickel redo,

I'm also so open to suggestions for improving my space.

Thanks for stopping by.

* peace & love *

 { the vintage wren }