Author: amykins100

A Winter Mantel

~ amykins100 ~ 23 Comments

There is a point every year that snow ceases to be charming and begins to be annoying…no wonder the Midshipman refer to this time as the “Dark Ages”. So when I woke to a winter “wonderland” I was not amused. Never the less it was a great weekend to celebrate Chinese New Year. The Princess partied in style and was quite taken with the cocktail umbrella that garnished her milk glass.

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Hoping that a little change might lighten my mood,  I turned some energy toward the fireplace and mantel in our front room. The fireplace is original to this 1920 four square home…although someone thought it wise to install a gas flame sometime in the late 1970’s …if only this home was truly mine (Oh the changes you would see)

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Please excuse the presence of the television. Another “if only” moment for another time. Let’s concentrate on the good! Like my beautiful tobacco baskets. I love the texture and color. Gracing the mantel, my French baguette baking form holding ceramic pears from Thailand and three wooden spools found at a consignment shop.
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A closer view of the fireplace. I love the original brick. On the hearth I placed an antique Swedish coal basket, a vintage fire bucket and extinguisher and antique milk bottles and carrier.

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Flanking one side of the fireplace…my very favorite arts and crafts era chair…it was a bit of a splurge but the minute I saw it I had to have it. The old suitcases have been collected over time. The Victorian tea basket was an eBay find.

 

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The other side of the mantel demonstrates what my creative hubby can do! We found this old radio case on the curb and with some time with his tools he converted it into a stylish way to hide that  definitely not vintage DVR box. Below is an antique Korean lunchbox and on top are treasures from our global travels. So glad we have been blessed with so many experiences.

Let’s Party…

Thrifty and Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s House

Tuesday at our House@Our Home Away from Home

Inspire Me Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life

Talk of the Town@Knick of time

Inspire Me Wednesday@Adventures of Mel

Work it Wednesday@The Turquoise House

Wow us Wednesday@Savvy Southern Style

Share your Cup Thursday@ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson

Share your Style@Essence of Home

Thoughts of Home@ Poofing the Pillows

Vintage Charm Party@Charm Bracelet Diva

Shabbilicious Friday @Shabby Art Boutique

Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home

Feather Nest Friday@ French Country Cottage

Friday Favorites@Simply Sweet Home

Share it one More Time @Vintage Paint and More

Making your Heart Sing Monday@Mom is the Word I Love to Hear

Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy

Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings the Heart Your Home

Something to Talk About@ Karen Upon the Hill

Show and Share@Coastal Charm

No Place Like Home@Rose Chinz Cottage

Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal

Inspire Me Tuesday@A Stroll Thru life

The Scoop@Cedar Hill Farmhouse

 

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McCall Manor

Sincerely, Paula
Oh My Heartsie Girl Friday Features Linky Party

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Home Matters Linky Party - Grab Button
Thoughts from Alice

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A Room for our Princess (Part 2)

~ amykins100 ~ 47 Comments

A little over a year ago we became a family of three…

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Our hearts had waited a long time for our sweet girl to come home and we wanted to welcome her in style…on a budget of course. Shopping the house was my first step and many items that adorn her room used to adorn a totally different part of our house. Ebay and Flea market finds added the necessary shabby elements and I never miss an excuse to visit The Twisted Sisters in West Annapolis.

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The Reading Nook

The Reading Nook is my favorite part of the room. The rocking chair was a thrift store find and the poodle blanket was my baby blanket, not an antique but definitely vintage. The rug was from a much earlier travel to China when I was still single. The antique baby gown was a lucky find buried in a box at flea market.

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The Play Corner
I truly desired a vintage kitchen set for her room but, alas, I was unable to source one that was not a king’s ransom or a trip to urgent care waiting to happen. This one was the most vintage inspired I could find…and not made from plastic. The framed children’s prints are from a book published in 1917 titled “Tick Tock All Around the Clock “by Mary LaFetra Russell. I managed to rescue a very distressed copy for $1.00 and revive the beautiful illustrations with dollar store frames.

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The Play Corner
Another Twisted Sister find holds all manner of vintage goodies shopped from all over the house plus some treasured gifts from dear ones. The grey stripped canvas bins from target store toys neatly out of sight. Vintage Nursery Rhymes collected for years have new life in dollar store frames. Yes, that is Elmo peeking out at you. A keeping it real moment brought to you by my favorite two year old…

Let’s Party at…

Thrifty & Vintage Finds@Dagmar’s Home

Talk of the Town@My Salvaged Treasure

Treasure Hunt Thursday@From my Front Porch to Yours

Share Your Style@Essence of Home

Share your Cup Thursday@Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen

Thoughts of Home on Thursday@Poofing the Pillows

No Rules Weekend Blog@Sincerely Paula

Refresh your Room@Jennifer Rizzo

Feathered Nest Friday@French Country Cottage

Shabbilious Friday@Shabby Art Boutique

Sundays at Home@Thoughts from Alice

Share it One More Time@vintage paint and more

Amaze Me Monday@Dwellings:The Heart Of your Home

Making your Heart Sing Monday@Mom is the Word I Love to Hear

Show and Share Monday@Coastal Living

Busy Monday@Pinch of Joy

Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal

The Scoop@Stone Gable

Tweak it Tuesday@Cozy little House

Friday Features

Thoughts from Alice

McCall Manor

 

Vintage, Paint and more...,
No Place Like Home
Home Sweet Home
Tada Thursday
Morning Cup of Jo
Home Matters
Sweet Inspiration
Best of the Weekend
Vintage Chic
Sunday at Home

Digging It.  Inspirational Monday

A Room for the Royal Princess (part 1)

~ amykins100 ~ 35 Comments

In our house, up the stairs, there is a Princess. A beautiful but fierce little Princess who loves school, dancing, her tricycle , all cats and noodles. She often asks for cupcakes in the morning… hoping I might change my mind on some random day.  She brings joy and sparkle to our house in no small measure and her Baba and Mama are completely enchanted by her charm and stubborn determination.

A princess needs a room to reflect her royal status. I took up the challenge last year to create a room that would take her from young toddler to big girl on a budget. Using some repurposed furniture, treasures from my travels around the world , flea market and Etsy finds and a few small splurges from Target (shabby chic line!) and a few bigger splurges from my favorite shop in West Annapolis, Twisted Sisters (www.Twistedsince1976.com) I created the vintage toddler  bedroom of my dreams.  Let me give you the grand tour, don’t worry the Princess will not mind…

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Welcome…

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The bed is a repurposed queen bed from a set I bought in the ’90’s. A coat of paint and a little sanding gives it the perfect vintage look. The quilts and vintage baby gowns are flea market finds. The pillow shams are Target clearance rack shabby chic line finds

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I fell in love with this miniature secretary at Twisted Sisters in West Annapolis. I filled it with vintage children’s books( ongoing collection). The Alice in wonderland tea set is from Hong Kong

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I love this antique dresser. My husband bought it years ago and I was so happy to include some of his things in the room as well. The flower girl gown and basket in the shadow box were used by Grace’s Grandmother when she was two. I added some pink depression glass, a Home Goods French children’s rocker and a painting I bought outside of a gas station (no lie) during my broke bachelorette days. The book ladder was once white and the vintage Nursery Rhyme prints were collected over time and popped into spray painted dollar store frames.
Let’s Party…
Sundays at Home@thoughtsfromalice.com
Making Your Heart Sing Monday@momsthewordilovetohear.com
 Amaze Me Monday @Dwelling the Heart of your House
Show and Share@Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Monday@Sand and Sisal
Friday Feaures
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Thoughts from Alice
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No Place Like Home
Friday Features
Home Sweet Home
Feather Nest Friday
Home Matters
Sweet Inspiration
Best of the Weekend
Sunday at Home
Share it One More Time
Peace Love and Link
Vintage Chic
 Digging it

 

Inspirational Monday

Christmas with a two year old…

~ amykins100 ~ Leave a comment

I remember well the first Christmas with my new husband as we carefully decorated our perfectly placed tree with our heirloom and vintage ornaments. My Mercury glass trees adorned our fireplace and nativity scenes from around the world graced every surface…it was lovely. Flash forward five years,add a precious two year old blessing from China and decorating for Christmas has,well,changed. This year our home is decorated with a simple hand.
Today I am featuring our dining room. A little information about the house. It is a classic 1920 four square we were lucky (or blessed might be a better word) to find as a rental in a lovely downtown neighborhood of Annapolis Maryland. My hero is on staff at the Naval Academy and we love the energy and vibe the Midshipmen add to this historic and beautiful city. Living in a rented nearly 100 year old house does have challenges but we have learned to work around and embrace the charm and character of our temporary home.

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My bottle drying rack and antique oak turned table are usually in the foyer with my favorite glass bottles. For the holidays it graces our dining room against the pocket doors. The obi runner is from Japan (I lived there for eight years) and the vintage Santa dolls from a local craft fair
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My dining table with a silk table runner from Hong Kong. My vintage toolbox is filled with my favorite antique obis.
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Santa and his elves are watching from the sideboard in front of my red transferware.

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