Our Cozy Little Den

Do any of you have a room in your home that you seem to gravitate to?  We do, and every morning, when the sun is rising, we're sitting in this little den, looking out through the double windows and watching.  Watching the sun hit our large oak trees and listening to the beautiful birds sing a morning song.

I sit in this room every day to read and talk with my husband over a glass of wine after a long day.

So, since this room is one of my favorites, I thought I'd share it with you.

The den is just off the kitchen and a very cozy space.  Here is the fireplace before the stonework.  I'm sorry it's so blurry, but you get the idea.

 
And here's the after.  The grate I use for this fireplace is an old window bar.  I found it at an old house salvage store and fell in love with the curves and the patina.  I left it exactly like I found it.

 
This is "my" chair.  I sit here everyday and it's the best spot in the den, (or so I think.)

This  old antique desk has a curved back and I wish the room were large enough to have it facing out so you could see the other side.  It's so pretty to see it on the rounded side.

The two lamps in this room are heavy cast cement.  I found them at a home decor store and because they were wired with a European plug, I was able to get them at a steal (they even came with the shades.)  

I love using mixed pillows.  Here's a sampling of the ones in the room.  Needlepoint is one of my favorite and I have several of these.

We purchased this Ric Standridge painting several years ago.  It is very large, as you can see, and so ethereal.  We always have lots of conversation with friends about it. You can purchase his art at many galleries or online at the link above.

 
Here are other hob nobs throughout the den. My welded-washer bowl that my husband gave me from Christopher Park Gallery, old porch spindles collected from salvage stores, my Santos doll from Pottery Barn that I got for a steal at the outlet, and a cast iron bull head. 

 
I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and to see you on Friday.

I'm Linking to:

Savvy Southern Style
Rain on a Tin Roof 
Ivy and Elephants 
The Shabby Creek Cottage 
A Delightsome Life 
Thrifty Decor Chick 
Lamberts Lately 
No Minimalist Here 
Miss Mustard Seed 
French Country Cottage 
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating 
Common Ground 
A Peek Into My Paradise 
My Romantic Home 
Funky Junk Interiors 
Craftberry Bush 
Worthing Court 
The Tablescaper 
Nifty Thrifty Things 
Sunny Simple Life 
DIY Showoff 
Twigg Studios 
A Cultivated Nest 
Dwellings 
Boogieboard Cottage 
The Dedicated House 
Uncommon Designs 
Between Naps on the Porch 
A Stroll Thru Life 
Coastal Charm 
Lolly Jane 
Elizabeth & Co. 

Arranging Saturday - Suitcases not just for Clothes

Arranging Saturdays - Suitcases

I can't believe it's already Saturday.  What a beautiful week we have had...sunny, warm temps, and a chance to pick a few more flowers to do arrangements with.

I love to collect old suitcases and I have a few on top of my bookcases in our den.  At Christmas, I put evergreens in these and let them spill out over the edge.  So, I got an idea to do the same with flowers.  This time I used a small wooden box on top of the suitcases.

I chose to use the beautiful, crisp, white azaleas.  They are in full bloom right now in our front yard and are so pretty.  

I filled a small plastic tub with water to sit inside the opened box and wadded up a bunch a wire to use as my flower frog to hold the flowers in place and to keep them from tumbling out.

Make sure if you use wire like this to make it a little larger than the container so it can fit tightly and not pull out with the weight of the flowers.  Also use a heavy gauge wire.

I think the white flowers against the white walls are subtle and draw your eye up to the top of the bookcases.

I may have to try and keep fresh flowers up there more often.  This sits directly across the room from my reading chair and gives me a pretty view.

I hope you have an inspired weekend, a relaxing Sunday, and hope to see you on Monday. 

I'm Linking to:

Six Sisters Stuff 
Fishtale Cottages 
Funky Junk Interiors 
The Tablescaper 
By Stephanie Lynn - Under the Table 
Nifty Thrifty Things 
Dwellings - The Heart of your Home 
The Dedicated House 
Boogieboard Cottage 
Coastal Charm 
A Stroll Thru Life 
Cozy Little House 
The Rustic Pig 
Knick of Time 

Boxwood Wreath

I just love small boxwood wreaths.  I've seen several on Pinterest that are so cute.

So....I decided I wanted one and chose to make it myself.  I have several boxwoods growing in my yard and I've used them before in many things.  I gathered my needlenose pliers, thin green wire, boxwood of course, and a small wire wreath frame.  I made my frame from heavy duty wire and it worked great.

 I held a thin boxwood branch and wrapped wire around it as I held it to the form.  It only took about 30 minutes  to make the entire wreath.

Here's how mine turned out with a pretty cream colored ribbon.  I think I'll put it on one of my bookcase or maybe hang it on a door knob.  What do you think?

Try one for yourself.  It isn't hard but so rewarding.  

I'm Linking to      :

Sunrise

Don't you just love to see the sunrise?  I know most of us are up at sunrise getting the kids ready for school ourselves ready for work.  But it is so nice to stop and notice the shadows coming in the window.  They bring a sense of magic....

This is looking out my den window as I read my devotions.
Here are some shadows and the sun coming in through the windows.  They add a sense of wonder and imagination.  As a little girl I would dream of other worlds living in these shadows.  Today they remind me of how blessed I am to be able to see the beauty and feel the warmth they give.  Take the time, just a few seconds, to stop and notice them in your home and be thankful for your new day to start fresh.  No matter what is happening in your life, a new day can bring new perspective.

Don't you love the shadow of the angel on the wall in the next photo?  And the bubbles from the lamp on the wall.  Very pretty.

Have a blessed day.  Looking forward to the sunset....lol   

Deer Antlers

I have recently discovered that I love deer antlers in decorating.  Not too much you see but just a touch.  I follow a blog The Yellow Cape Cod and loved how she used antlers on her mantle at Christmas last year.  This got me hooked.

Isn't this beautiful.  Her whole fireplace is heavenly.  So, when my husband and son went deer hunting this year (yes, we love deer meat in lieu of beef) I requested that he give me any antlers there might be.  Below is a picture of the Texas mount we had done with the antlers.  We used them in our library/den which you can see a little bit of.

If you notice the bookshelves, and we have two sets of these, there is a picture on them.  Below I've shown you a close up of the picture.  I love things printed on book pages, so I tore a couple of pages out of a magazine we receive and found two images on line, cut and copied these into a word document and printed them on the pages.  Then I framed them.  I love them.  It just incorporates the deer theme a little more.  Not too much, just enough to give you the feel.

I've shown you below how you can make your own antlers if you don''t have access to any real ones.  Just shape tinfoil into whatever antler shape you want and wrap with a baking clay and bake.  There you have it.  You can then paint them any color you want.

 Here are some other pictures I picked up of ways to use antlers in you home.  Maybe I can find some other ways to use them.

Makes me think of Christmas.