0 Tartan School Days, Home For Lunch

To celebrate National Tartan Week, I created a "home for lunch" tablescape using a vintage tartan plaid lunchbox from the 50's that a reader sent me last year.

I envisioned a school day where "my student" would have a special lunch at home.

Plaid linens and a plate from the American Living collection coordinate with the lunchbox.

The placemat and napkin pattern is called Clemons Tartan.

It was originally sold by JC Penney, but is no longer available.

It can still be found on Ebay though.

The plaid plate is a little harder to find.

It is larger than a salad plate, but smaller than a dinner plate.

The apple juice glass is vintage.

Lunch time!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips and an apple....

Apple juice from the thermos....

...Old school style!

The napkin and placemat actually reminds me of a school uniform!

Thank you Randi for sending me your childhood lunchbox.

It was the perfect inspiration for my old school lunchtime tablescape!

Now it's your turn to show us your tartan.

Anything tartan!

Just add your post to the link below to join the tartan parade this week from April 1 to April 4.

Hosted by:

Moi at vignette design

Babs at Upstairs Downstairs

Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul

Alison at The Polohouse

0 A Kitchen Vignette

Yesterday was a good day for the kitchen remodel.

The new bark vase from OKL arrived!

Ryan installed a bamboo shade over the sink.

And...

...Mr. A bought me flowers.

He also bought me something else.

Can you spot it?

Let's just say, I'm over the moon!

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

0 Garage Door Inspiration, Carriage Style

Country Living

My friend Jane needs to replace her garage door. So for the last week, we have been doing the field research: taking note of every garage door that we like or dislike on our morning walk.

Carriage House Door Co.

The door above is exactly the door she wants.

Double row of windows, simple recessed panels.

It is what I would buy too, if I were in the market to replace my door.

Called a carriage style garage door, there are many variations, like this one with black hardware and more panels.

But she is adamant about no hardware and just a simple, clean panel.

Garage doors are so often overlooked, but in my opinion, they can make or break your home's curb appeal.

Houzz

Especially when your garage is one of the first things you see from the street.

Here in California, that is often the case with homes built on small lots. The garage can be 80% of the facade!

bhg

That's when a pergola and a carriage style door can make a major difference.

Amarr Garage Doors

Although this carriage style door is a bit too busy for me, I like how the vines soften the whole effect.

bhg

Just look at the difference a carriage style door makes here.

Although, I would have painted the entire door white.

bhg

Stained doors are a handsome choice and blend nicely with the shingles on this cottage.

I could also see a white door here too.

Just like here. I love how crisp the carriage doors look with the shingled house.

I also like the hardware. If I were to get new garage doors, I would want hardware.

To me, it's what makes it look like a true old fashioned door.

So here are my garage doors. A double and a single.

What saves it are the pillars and the pergola.

I can't help imagine how much better it all would look with carriage style doors though.

Here is a sketch of how it would look!

With the kitchen remodel still in progress, it won't be happening any time soon though, if ever!

I'll just have to live vicariously through Jane. I promise to show before and after photos!

0 Bee Skep Love

Ever since my Grandma Carrie gave me her bee skep honey pot, I've had a thing for bees, honey and skeps.

That was 30 years ago!

I've collected quite a few of these little pots since then, but lately I want the real thing.

A real bee skep for the garden.

I found this bee skep basket at a thrift store last year and left it to patina outside all winter.

I would love more but they are hard to find, especially antique skeps.

But I think new skeps would be better in the garden as decoration anyway.

After doing a Google search for skeps, I found and purchased this one from Susan Branch. Obviously not an antique, however it is 16" tall and for $37, a bargain.

I can't wait to get it!

Origin Crafts also has a collection of new skeps for sale. The one on the right is $35.90.

Perfect for that English country garden look.

I'm loving these French bee skeps too, found on Pinterest.

Bee skeps indoors would be great too.

I've had this photo in my inspiration file because of the glass front refrigerator, but just realized that the pendants are bee skeps! Very cute!

I can just see a skep on my kitchen island or even as a centerpiece.

In fact, it would be very fun to create a tablescape with my honeypots and an antique bee skep in the middle of the table. The possibilities are endless!

Bee skeps. Just one more thing to collect!

To purchase the Susan Branch bee skep, visit her website here.

Also, check out Origin Crafts for more skeps for your garden here.

0 Warm, Wonderful, Woven Wicker

I love wicker for the warmth and texture it brings to a room.

Chances are you will probably find at least one piece of wicker in every room in our home.

This wicker basket belonged to my father-in-law. As a florist, he took it every morning to the flower mart to purchase his flowers for the day. It's very old and precious to me.

In fact, I prefer vintage wicker, like this magazine holder with applied majolica flowers.

I found this at an estate sale years ago.

Another favorite piece is this little French picnic basket found at the flea market.

A vintage wicker settee in the entry was also a flea market find.

I upholstered it with grain sacks. It's a perfect place for a cat nap!

In Asti, an old seagrass table serves as a bedside table.

When we found this at an antique store, there was no hesitation!

A vintage tiered stand was another piece I couldn't pass up!

As well as this little vintage trunk.

Southern Living

It reminded me of a similar trunk that Heather Chadduck used for her bedside.

What can I say, wicker just speaks to me!

In the kitchen, wicker cake stands and vintage demijohns feed my need for texture amongst all the smooth white marble and tile.

I love this kitchen vignette styled by Heather Bullard, using a simple wicker tray to corral everything together.

This centerpiece wouldn't look nearly as good if the lilacs were in a clear glass container.

Many of my tablescapes incorporate some kind of wicker or willow too.

Wicker, majolica and burlap!

Grey washed willow placemats and matching barstools in Asti.

The same placemat under the tent, alfresco.

More alfresco tablescaping with wicker.

I found these chairs at Marshalls last year. They were quite a steal, and I love how they look with the concrete table.

And of course, the kooboo wicker chairs from Cost Plus gave the breakfast room a whole new look too.

A wicker trunk from Williams Sonoma Home replaced the formal coffee table in the family room.

It's also another great place to store stuff!

Even just a touch of wicker warms up a room.

Pottery Barn

Chances are if you love wicker, you also love linen, seagrass, grain sacks and burlap.

They all provide texture and are the foundations and backgrounds highlighting the finer things in our rooms.

See what I mean? The wicker covered bottle is what makes this vignette come alive.

Pottery Barn

But practically speaking, there is nothing like a warm, wonderful, woven wicker basket to hold it all together, don't you think?

After which I say, "you can never have too much wicker, or too many baskets!"

Look around. I'll bet you have more wicker than you think you do!