A bit of nurturing nature...

Autumn tends to nudge our hearts to bring more of the outdoors inside.

I think for a lot of us, 

it has to do with the cold, dreary, winter days ahead.

We feel the need to capture the sweet warmth and rustic-ness of summer

and continue to hold it close and surround ourselves with it.

With that need in mind,
not to mention
the cold weather knocking at my door,
I wanted to incorporate more nature-inspired vignettes throughout this old farmhouse.

In the living room~
a simple vignette of neutrals.

French gathering basket: antique market, grapevine heart:  Michael's, nest; Save-on-Crafts, cement urn: antique market

The combination of textures are soothing

and remind me of my walks in the woods this past summer.

The urn was whitewashed in "Old White" ASCP.

In the kitchen,
sits the newest member of the family.

She was purchased at Micheal's a while ago.
There was just something about her colors
and sweet look on her face
that prompted me to take her home.

She happily sits on a piece of Florida driftwood in the vintage birdcage I bought at an antique market last summer ~
next to her nest full of eggs.

"Toby's wings" shelter her cage protectively.

{thank you again, Sandi....♥}

In my study/studio/office

(what am I calling it today...?)

I hung a shade-bones from a small rack I made from a piece of distressed bead board
and a vintage wire coat hook.

Not quite ready to put my lavender away for the season,
a vintage galvanized bucket holds an armful of it
on my bistro chair
that Courtney tipped us off about this summer.
I painted it white.

Pashima: antique market find, lavender: Hobby Lobby

On top of the bookcases next to the bistro chair
is a vignette that whispers of summertime memories

 that I'm still clinging to ~

with my favorite old shell
and a vintagey tin heart.

Tin heart: The Beautiful Life, seashell: Florida, hubby: mine

This sweet, new treasure is from Bilancia Designs.
Lisa Moran creates the most amazing things from paper.
Be sure to visit her shop.
You'll find yourself ooohing and aahhhing over her beautiful creations.

I used a gift certificate that I won
to purchase this sweet paper gardenia topiary in a vintage creamer.

The petals look so incredibly real, I almost expected to smell it's sweet fragrance
when I unwrapped it.

It will look so Jeanne d'Arc when it's nestled in the midst of some cedar boughs
at Christmastime.

I'm very anxious to start draping pine boughs throughout this old house.
After spending hours inside the pages of last year's JDA Christmas book,
my inspiration is overflowing 
and I'm ready to create a simple, dreamy, rustic, Nordic Christmas atmosphere 
here at Heaven's Walk.


Bringing nature into your home - whether real or faux -
 creates a warm, "alive-ness" that is both cozy and nurturing during this time of year.

Listen to your heart when decorating for the seasons.

You'll know you have it right
when you hear it sigh...




Be blessed....and be nurtured,

my friends.

♥

[ Blessings ]

Be sure to stop by Fishtail Cottage for a great giveaway!

Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons
and some wonderful holiday decor and craft ideas!

Playing with Blocks

I'm

counting my Happies

today.

 Because the sun was shining

and the kitchen was flooded with it's bright, warm light.

Days like this are going to be hard to come by in the near future 

as winter slides in

and we have day after day of cold, cloudy weather.

So, I took a break today from painting furniture in the basement

to play

in my bright, sunlit kitchen

with some blocks.

This box of wooden blocks dated way back to when I was a child.

(Yeah...I know.  That was a lonnnnng time ago.)

After trying to sell them in various garage sales,
nobody wanted them.

So, they always ended up back in my basement.

(I guess kids don't play with blocks anymore...?

I still have the Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs my brother and I used to build things with!)

When I was cleaning the basement moving things around the other day, 

the box tipped over and the blocks spilled out across the rug.

As I picked each one up to put back in the box,

memories of building houses, fences, bridges, and roads with these colorful little blocks

floated around in my head.

Then, the little creativity angel in my head gave me a nudge.

I knew what I wanted to do with them.

Of course there had to be Annie Sloan chalk paint involved, right?

They were lined up like little soldiers 

and coated with a couple layers of "Pure White".

I was actually tempted to start playing with them ~

but restrained myself.

After they were dry, I took them upstairs to the kitchen table

where the fun began.

I simply stamped different words on them.

Deciding what words I wanted was the most difficult part.

I just let my heart guide me.

After distressed with a sanding block, I used a coat of Clear wax to seal them.

Yup.

I'm counting my Happies.

And 

YOU'RE 

one of them!

These blocks will be for sale at the Allegan Antique Market in May!

{ Blessings }

Linking to the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Click on the buttons and find some Happies!