Last Spring while in Campinas, Brazil, I found myself at a thrift store. Imagine that... Unfortunately, the group I was with insisted we had only 10 minutes to shop. And they weren't kidding. So, I could (a) complain that it wasn't enough time or (b) SHOP! Easy choice! Ten minutes can be an eternity for a thrifty shopper like me -- and some of you... My thrift store magnet kicked in and drew me over to a pile of linens. Easy to pack in a suitcase? Yes. Lightweight? Yes. Go for it! One item in the stack was pink with a wide hand-crocheted trim. Hmmm ... pretty -- but not my usual "thing." What is it anyway? Curtains? Bed cover? Whatever it is, it's big... ... oooooh, and hand-painted... ... with bells??? ... What IS this ... Keep Reading...
Ivory and Gold
Ivory and gold ... I told you in a recent post (click HERE if you missed it) that -- besides the "memories attached" ornaments, these are my very favorite ones. I'm glad you stopped by again today to see the tablescape I did to complement them. I do love the combination of ivory and gold! I set the table knowing ahead of time that it would need a little something to give a "punch" of color ... What should it be? Click on pics to enlarge Aaah ... Much better! The simple holly candle ring gives just a touch of color ...and makes all the difference. I filled a favorite ivory and gold centerpiece bowl with vintage glass beads. Then I tucked in a vintage ornament, a ... Keep Reading...
Let it Snow!
It started snowing yesterday ... and through the night ... and much of today. It's beautiful! Since we don't get really pretty snows very often, my sweet husband bundled up and headed outside just after daybreak to take pictures. This is My Place wearing her finest Christmas dress! Click to enlarge These crocheted snowflake ornaments are the background of the picture above. I've made them black and white so you can really see the detail. Each one is different ... 'cause they're snowflakes! Click to enlarge They were made for me many years ago by my Grandmother. I hung them on our Christmas tree today -- as I do every year. Grandmother is no longer with us, but I am fortunate to have ... Keep Reading...
My Favorite Christmas Ornaments: If I Had to Choose
I've made a decision ... and it wasn't easy! As I pulled out Christmas decorations this year, I thought about this question: What decorations would I keep if I ever had to downsize my collection? Obviously, I would keep the "family" ornaments. The ones with special significance that we've collected through the years. But what about the others? Would I (could I?) get rid of the old Shiny Brites? Or the sweet little wooden ones? Could I part with the beautiful vintage silver mercury glass balls? Or the fabulous old cobalt? Could I walk away from that box of traditional reds -- or the newer, cheerful lime greens? The vintage hot pinks? Could I turn my back on the ornately bejeweled beauties? Or what about ... I decided YES (if necessary), ... Keep Reading...
A Woodland Christmas
During this busy holiday season, I am especially honored that you are taking time to stop by and visit. Thank you! If you saw my last post, you know that the tree in my sweet husband's study is decorated with a Woodland Christmas theme. It was my first inspiration for this week's tablescape. These handpainted salad/dessert plates by Royal Norfolk were my second inspiration. (I picked them up several years ago at one of the dollar stores.) First I covered my table with a golden-tan heavy linen tablecloth. Then I started on the centerpiece -- a couple of faux pine boughs laid down the center of the table. Next I tucked in a check ribbon ... metal star ornaments ... ... antlers ... clip-on birds ... ... Keep Reading...
Snowmen Everywhere! Decking the Halls … FINALLY
Have you "decked the halls" at your house yet? I finally got motivated to start (still more to do), but tonight I'll show you part of how I've spent my weekend ... This is the year that Little Man will LOVE snowmen. After all, their little eyes twinkle almost as much as his! So out came the boxes of snowmen. (If you don't know who Little Man is, you can find out HERE.) Snowmen are the order of the day for the living room this year. Every flat surface is now home to a snowman or two ... or three ... or four ... Why don't I just show you some before and after pics? (Just click on a collage if you want to enlarge it.) This "fancy" snow family ... some of my favorites! These little skiers -- and the sledder ... Keep Reading...
Grand Entrances
I'm adding a few more pics to my Idea Files tab. If you've been following my blog, you know that (like many of you) I've torn pictures out of magazines for years ... thinking "someday" I might use the ideas. This blog is helping me get them organized. I'm sharing them with you from time to time, but I have one BIG request ... Please -- remember that these were mostly torn from various magazines, and I am not always able to properly credit them to the appropriate source. I did NOT take these pics. (As with ALL text and photos on this blog, you may not reproduce anything without permission -- and I cannot give permission for you to reproduce any of the ideas/pics that will be in this Idea Files section because it's not mine to give! You may ... Keep Reading...
Snow Angels
We're changing with the seasons at My Place to Yours ... and it only took a few quick changes to turn THIS Autumn tablescape into today's Winter tablescape. I gave you a sneak peek of the changes HERE a few days ago. These whimsical Snow Angel Village salad/dessert plates by Debbie Mumm were the inspiration for today's Winter tablescape. I used the same basic place setting that I used in the Autumn tablescape. Brown placemat (turned sideways) that I dyed HERE ... clear ribbed glass charger ... clear ribbed goblet I found years ago at Dollar General ... Mikasa Italian Countryside plates and flatware ... vintage napkin with ribbed silver napkin ring Then I added the Debbie Mumm plates ... and a second napkin ring ... Keep Reading...
Ornament Exchange
Marsha, who writes the blog, Marsha's Musings, recently hosted an ornament exchange for bloggers. I thought it might be fun to join the party ... and it was! I had the privilege of trading ornaments with Pat, owner of Pat Carlson Miniatures. I wanted to send Pat an ornament that had some link to East Tennessee where I live, so I decided her ornament would be made of carved wood, a popular craft in the Appalachians. Pat, who lives in sunny Florida, told me she likes snowmen. This is the ornament I gave her ... In exchange, Pat sent me this beautiful miniature book ornament ... handmade by her! She said she chose The Night Before Christmas because she has such wonderful memories of Christmas Eves spent listening to the ... Keep Reading...
Quick Change Tablescape: Autumn to Winter; Thanksgiving to Christmas
If it's your first time to visit My Place to Yours, WELCOME! If you're returning for another visit, WELCOME BACK! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly enjoyed my time with family -- and seeing this bountiful centerpiece basket my Mother prepared for our table. Aren't the colors and textures beautiful? Such a great "final memory" of Fall before turning my decorating thoughts to the Winter season. But now I'm back home in Tennessee where the thermometer is dropping. It's time for my tablescapes to make some seasonal changes, too ... Today I'm giving you a sneak peek at some quick changes I made to this recent Soup & Silver tablescape. Besides the obvious lighting differences, the table ... Keep Reading...
Happy Thanksgiving – 2010
Happy Thanksgiving! This is my last tablescape of the Fall season ... and it highlights the one element of Fall decorating I haven't yet used in a tablescape: METAL. (If you missed my previous posts, I focused on POTTERY here, and WOOD here.) Today's is a very traditional Thanksgiving tablescape with a turkey and Pilgrims, oranges, golds and reds ... and I've included elements of tarnished brass and shiny gold. Casual and elegant. A mix not often attempted ... A quick look at the dishes A mix of metals ... * Brass tray * * Painted metal cache pot * * Brass hour glass * * Brass and copper pumpkin * * Gold flatware * * Gold-rimmed goblets and coasters * * 24-K gold-plated ... Keep Reading...
A Whimsy Christmas
A few days ago I posted A Gingerbread Christmas -- and added the ideas to my Ideas File tab at the top of this blog. Today, my thoughts have turned to whimsy ... so here are a few ideas I might draw from if I were doing a Whimsy Christmas theme. Some of these pics were taken by me, but most were my usual "tear 'em out of a magazine but forget to make note of which one..." So please remember -- As with ALL text and photos on this blog, you may not reproduce anything without permission -- and I cannot give permission for you to reproduce any of the ideas/pics that will be in this Idea Files section because it's not mine to give! You may use these solely for your own inspiration -- just as I do. (You can click the pics to enlarge them; some ... Keep Reading...
A Thanksgiving Remembered
It was Thanksgiving weekend two years ago while shopping in Home Depot. (Hmmm ... somehow that's very appropriate!) We got the call. My sweet husband and I were going to be grandparents! Oh, how our world changed ... A grandone was on the way! Fast forward several months. The big day finally arrived! Little Man made his grand entrance -- all 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 22" of him! Oh, how I wish I could show you pictures of his sweet face, but I have to respect his parents' wishes. (Yes, I know there are "crazies" out there in the world of the Internet...) I did get permission to give you a peek, though. Just a little one. How quickly he's gone from newborn to active toddler! These little feet have learned to walk, ... Keep Reading...
A Gingerbread Christmas
If you've ever looked at the Idea Files tab at the top of this blog, you know that (like many of you!) I've torn pictures out of magazines for years ... thinking "someday" I might use the ideas. Some of them I have; many I haven't -- yet. This blog is helping me get them organized. I'm excited about sharing them with you from time to time, but I have one BIG request ... Please -- remember that these were mostly torn from various magazines, and I am not always able to properly credit them to the appropriate source. I did NOT take these pics. (As with ALL text and photos on this blog, you may not reproduce anything without permission -- and I cannot give permission for you to reproduce any of the ideas/pics that will be in this ... Keep Reading...
Artsy-Craftsy
I don't consider myself to be a "craftsy" person although I could easily be. My daughters grew up hearing me say, "that would be sooooo easy to make ..." -- and often make it we did ... whatever "it" was. More often than not, though, they would just respond to my optimism with groans. (Imagine how I loved it not long ago when, while shopping with my young married daughter, I heard her say, "that would be sooooo easy to make." Yeah, I loved that!) Over the past few weeks, I've seen several things that caused me to say, "I could make that!" The truth is, I COULD, but I probably won't this year ... but the designer in me is just dying to show you ... in case you're inspired, too, and want to try! Some ... Keep Reading...
PINK Thanksgiving?
A few years ago, I found this tablecloth in an auction box of linens... I love the vibrant pinks and greens, but I'll admit that the design surprised me. Green oak leaves and pink acorns? Certainly NOT typical Autumn colors! I'll admit something else ... this tablecloth hung with my other linens, and -- until now -- I've never used it. I started to a couple of times, but I honestly didn't know what to "do" with it. How could I tie an Autumn tablescape in with hot pink and green? The other day I challenged myself to use this tablecloth. I tried a few things that made me laugh they were so bad. (No, I absolutely did NOT take pictures!) But finally, it started coming together ... and I love it! See ... Keep Reading...
