Making Home Cozy With Vintage Linens

Hello friends! It's time to start thinking about how I will dress my Thanksgiving table. I am a linen lover, so I use more linen at home every day than the average person. Even when our children were small we enjoyed using cloth napkins for meals, and pretty embroidered pillowcases on beds. I loved and used quilts as much then as I do now. 

It's a wide world, and there are many ways to define what makes a home, but I wonder what warm memories of home the average child now takes forward as they grow into adults? But nice linens remain one of my personal family values.

In our throwaway culture, using cloth can be a real standout in making your home more homey. And it saves on using so many paper products! But aside from that, people feel more special somehow when they sit down to a table set with a cloth napkin and a tablecloth. Many dinner conversations with guests have begun with comments about the table dressing at our house. I even find it easier to toss a cloth into the washer than to scrub a table!

But I can't help myself anymore at any rate. When I found these four lovely tea towels together at the flea market for about a dollar each, all I could think of was what nice napkins they would make for a table setting.

Linens add to coziness, but when the cold weather starts, almost everything turns inward for me. I read more, go to bed earlier, stay in bed longer in the morning, and think more about drinks and food. Recently I have wanted even more than usual to enjoy good scents in the house too. When I came across these pine scented inscense sticks, nothing seemed more cozy to me! Too early for fires in the evening still, but a little smell of a camp fire is a comforting thought. A little goes a long way when it comes to this though. A few minutes of a candle burning can infuse a lot and last quite a while.  

There is still time for autumm forest walks and leaf gathering, which we have to go out of the way to do here. For now, my little wooden acorns will do. 

I have been adding to my wreath collection too, which I have out year round. They all segue right into the holiday season, which has us thinking, more than any other time of year, of all things homey, cozy, and snug.

Taken all together, maybe adding a little linen love can help you on your way to a more beautiful and cozy winter season too!

Time now for a snuggly afghan and a good book!

What's making things cozy for you?

Sending warm thoughts your way, 

Jacqueline

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Finding Comfort in Collections

I just made the smallest shift in the arrangement on top of my dining room display shelf. For we compulsive arrangers it can be the best kind of therapy. But in truth, there is no stopping it anyway! We can't keep our hands off of things. And if we aren't arranging things physically, we are doing it in our heads.

Some people listen to music to soothe themselves. The shapes and patterns of my china and linens, and the rythm of my collections does it for me.

And entering the light-filled spaces of my rooms first thing in the morning just starts the day right! 

This little McCoy pottery hand tray is new to the rotation. Her reason for being is simply to look pretty while holding things; pins, earrings, coins. My mother had these little dishes all over the place full of the most unlikely stray objects that never seemed to find a proper place of their own. It drove me to distraction! Today she holds stray tallow berries.

I am also a creature of habit and tend to use the same favorite tablecloths over and over, so I went hunting for something different that I haven't put to use in a while. I can't seem to part with these gorgeous white on white embroidery cloths that are less practical for daily use. But just having them in a stack to admire for a change gives me a lift too.

A little lace peeking out can soften a day. . . .

And I will soon have a few white garden roses to add to this still-life!

This is the cloth I finally chose for the table. So perfect for spring with the lily pads and dragonflies. What a joy it must have been to make!

 I always layer smaller pieces over larger and plainer ones. I use these cotton drop cloths for millions of things.

I have admired this English ironstone creamer and sugar set by Meakin for years until I found a set of my own last year. Such a pretty little design.

Having a bit of Stafforshire here and there adds to the story.

The little berry creamer hasn't a maker's mark, but is probably English as well.

Finally, this sweet little tophy cup adds a little contrast to the group. It reads: "Best Hound, Cape County Fair Dog Show, 1925." Found for cheap at some long forgotton thrift store ages ago.

So that's the lineup for today!

How's your week going?

I hope you are surrounding yourself with a few happy things. . . .

So glad you stopped by!

'Til next time,

Jacqueline

Making Room For Romantic Style

I am looking forward to spring, and indulging the more romantic side of cottage style lately. I tend to swing between a mix of styles on a regular basis anyway. 

I also went sort of off script and bought this whimsical gardeny themed wall art that I saw on Amazon. I don't do much large scale whimsy in my decorating, but it is so cheery and has every garden fantasy I possess in one image. 

As usual I have been trying things out in the nursery/guestroom. This room has the most sunny window in the morning and so a lot of plants get revived for a spell in here now and then. I sometimes put on the spa music and pore over my books and magazines for a moment or two of reviving myself! 

I forage fleamarkets for anything garden this time of year too, and just found this darling little plant stand. A few McCoy vases show for now, but I love using a garden stand on a table to serve from or for displays. A shame to cover it up with too many plants! Haha!

These are the latest bits of linen and laces! I just love the creamy color, and the crochet trim on things.

Nothing more romantic than lace! The one in front is an especially old shawl. 

I also found a couple of old wooden hotel hangers for two bucks each. I have even visited San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara! These are full of old romance with the perfect patina. 

This space may be very small, but it has held many big dreams. . . .

Happy days ahead!

Jacqueline

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Simple Fall Pleasures

Well, hello again, my friends! I thought I would pop in for one of my "day in the life" posts since September has decided to fly on by. We got in a little travel, had family in a few times, went for a mountain picnic on the first day of fall, and fit in all the real life stuff in between the cracks. Isn't September beautiful?

Since an organized post hasn't made it's way into my days lately I thought I would just let you follow me around my beautiful life today. I call it beautiful because it is filled every day with so many things that I love to look at. If you saw the whole picture you would see a pretty good mess, but here in my nursery/guest/work room where I fold laundry, iron, and do shop stuff, there is always something to give me a lift, and the time to reflect on the big things that we always have to deal with in life. Here is a sweet little lamp that I found thrifting yesterday, for instance.

A new lamp shade, and voila! Ready to go!

You have to sift through a lot of nothing much in order to find the gems like this set of lacy cut work napkins that turned up at the same picking place. But it's the sifting through and turning things over, the sizing up and hunting down that is so therapeutic when you just need a day away from it all. And what a bonus! Even if it is the only thing you find!

I am considering for yet one more time whether or not to pass on to someone else this over sized vintage edition of Redoute rose prints.

It looks so beautiful, and makes a nice display among my lacy things.

I found some sweet frilly tops that are on their way to the shop. But they make the room so cheery while they are still hanging around.

The vintage wood hotel hangers that I use for display are only ten cents a piece at my favorite thrift store. You can find some too!

I always look like a giant froufy lamp shade when I try to wear something like this (lol!), but I just love the look of them on display.

Another fall thrifting obsession I get this time of year is balls of fluffy yarn in neutral colors. This was from only three bags of yarn costing only two or three dollars each. I usually knit something simple when the weather turns, but I think I will do a bit of crocheting this year.

This one is wool. . .

And there are a few fluffy balls of a mohair blend with an adorable vintage label attached.

I may make a dolly sweater or two because they work up fast and you think you have accomplished something. But I enjoy the cozy look of yarn just sitting around. (I forgot I was going to show this with my nice wooden knitting needles poking out.)

I am goofy enough to enjoy even the names given to colors so I leave them attached after taking off the labels that I don't love.

September also brought another lovely shop event (with lovely ladies) that we hosted this month at Cielo Heavenly Home Decor where I have space. Vintage is my life!

Okay, so I also waded through the latest tempting batch of fall magazines and selected this one from Victoria.

They have gotten smart and often include some luscious white decor in the center of the mix for all of us white addicts. Do you see me turning this down?

And heaven help us! the Christmas editions are starting to come out!!!

Finally, this scrumptious new book arrived at my house yesterday too. I always love a new book that gets my heart rate up a little when I flip though the pages. See what I mean about a beautiful life?

I know there are people who really do live like this, but this is just a wonderful daydream to me.

What might actually happen to me in a dreamy kitchen like this? Cooking maybe?

I love the collage-y section headings. Really a gorgeous book. 

I don't do any actual fall decorating. Just a few things get set down and shifted around. Still plenty of time for tucking things in on the mantel.

Thanks a bunch for tagging along!

 Your lovely comments add so much to my days.

It's wonderful sharing the simple pleasures in every day with you!

Jacqueline

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