This weekend...

Oh, I hope everyone takes a wonderful 

nap...

eats a meal outside on 

the porch...

drinks some wine 

with friends...

reads a great 

novel... 

pampers yourself

and...

this weekend!!

Take care,

Caroline

Images: Coastal Living

Welcome!

So over the summer my husband and I usually have the fortunate opportunity to entertain/host some friends visiting Nashville for a weekend and I thought it would be a perfect time for a little post on guest rooms!

I love setting up the guest rooms and I wanted to find all the little ideas that were out there to make our guests feel as welcomed as possible! 

Image: Veranda

This picture shows a wonderful selection of items to have in the room...maybe on a cute side table next to the bed....or on a desk?

I think having stationary with the name of your home (if named) or the street that your home is on...is so perfect! Some cookies...mints...alarm clock....books...hand towels!

Image: Country Living
What a cute idea to hold the towels, soap and other toiletries...the suitcase is even outfitted with a mirror! 

I have an antique white wrought iron wash stand..to hold towels/washcloths and soap right outside the guest bathroom.  My husband found this piece at the Nashville Flea market...I was so impressed with him!

Image: Veranda

Isn't this perfect! Everything a guest may need...an iron, toothpaste, lotion, advil....a sewing kit and much more!

Image: Country Living

Wouldn't you just love to wake up as a guest to this beautiful setting! A quaint table with cute chairs...a vase of flowers and some tea...or coffee for me!

Image: Country Living
I have been told to keep a dresser in the guest room cleared out for our guest's clothes and the top of the dresser fairly clear too so they have plenty of room to settle in!

Of course, a beautiful vase of flowers and some candles and matches in case the electricity goes out...is always nice too!

I had to include this picture also because of the boots!! I am writing this from Nashville...so the boots fit right in!

Image: Country Living

I could totally curl up in this chair and read a great novel!  I am on the look out for a cozy chair for our guest room!

Image: House Beautiful

                                                 

I wanted to leave you all with this happy yet serene guest room picture...

so welcoming but also relaxing! 

 Have a wonderful Wednesday evening!

Take care,

Caroline

Image 1: Country Living

My Shoppe: Re-Do

So this is no Ruthie Sommers'....but her showroom photo (see below right) definitely inspired me to improve my booth "look"! 

 

I have posted some pictures of my booth and am very happy - especially due to what I had to work with. 

First of all, I painted the walls a blue color, which is actually called Birds Egg by Benjamin Moore, which I found in an article in Southern Accents.  

After painting the booth, I still had an issue with it!  And most of the discontent revolved around the "beautiful" peg board that I have as one of my side walls (not my choice, it was there and cannot go anywhere)....so I thought, maybe hanging up drapes to hide it??

So I was off on a search for drapes!  I started at Calico Corners because sometimes they have some great sales if they have a few pre-made drapes left over...but nothing was there!

So I was then off to The Fabric House on Sidco Drive...and decided to pop into Another Time 

Another Place, which is right next to The Fabric House.

Another Time Another Place is a home decor consignment store, but to me their main inventory is consigned drapes...they have a huge selection!  So I found 3 that I thought would work, but chose the pair above....it cost next to nothing, but they are lined, interlined...and so forth-- so they are very nicely made and look it!

I know that I need to get a steamer to get those wrinkles out, but please just look past that in the picture until I can get there with a steamer this week!

I think it helps the colors pop a little bit more and gives the booth a little bit more of a "look."  Of course, I am one of those that is never completely satisfied...especially when you look at showroom pictures in magazines, which are so so much nicer!

But all I have to work with is my little 5x7 booth, peg board wall and my inventory....and I am happy for now!  But I will continue to change and improve...hopefully!

This is a pic of one of my milk 

glass pieces and I put my new business cards in it!

A cute little vintage metal shelf! And the oh so beautiful peg board...the one part of it that I was unable to cover.

A Homer Laughlin platter that I have hanging....

One of my cute two aqua chairs that I already posted about...it is holding two of my painted vintage metal mirrored trays.

I love finding these mirrored trays and painting them white...you can hold drinks on them, hang them in a  grouping or use them as they were made to be used on a dresser...but I love love them in white!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!  

Take care,

Caroline

My Shoppe!

                                               Image: Ruthie Sommers via Patricia Gray's blog

Or actually...my booth at an antique store at this moment, but I can always dream!

I recently found the picture above on Patricia Gray's blog and it is of Ruthie Sommers show room at one time...I just loved it and it has inspired me with my booth! So I am off today to paint the walls and re-arrange everything. Currently, the walls are a very very very light blue, which I have not been so fond of....I am not going pink, but will have a picture hopefully on Monday of what it looks like after this weekend. So excited!

I also love love the crisp white furniture in the picture above and it is exactly what I like to to do with my "tossed away" finds! And the fabrics....wonderful colors...modern, but classic patterns....love it!

I will leave you all with a picture of Tuffy on some of my "freshened up" tossed away chairs. Oh, some people have asked what breed Tuffy is....he is a West Highland Terrier...I would definitely recommend this breed...so loyal, smart, loving with a little bit of stubborn mixed in...and oh so cute!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Caroline 

My two cute aqua chairs!

I recently finished these two aqua chairs that I found at a flea market here in Nashville. Aqua is not a normal color I use, but for whatever reason it was on my mind and I used it!

The color was a little much (to me) when the chairs were all painted, so I decided to distress the chairs a bit, which is something I usually do not do...but I felt that it "mellowed" this aqua color a bit! I am still trying to get used to variants of aqua...but really love it!

I was wondering how I became so "aqua" inspired...since I do not use this color in my home...but I have found that I do love it when I see it. Such a happy color and what a statement! So here are some of the pics of aqua/turquoise/azure that have inspired me:

Image 1: Patricia Gray Image 2: Suzanne Kasler via Southern Accents

Patricia Gray has a wonderful blog posting on turquoise/aquamarine and Southern Accents has a wonderful article on the use of turquoise also.

Image: Southern Accents



Just love the combination of aqua/azure with this dusty pink...so lovely...cool, happy and relaxing to me!

Image: Traditional Home

I also like how aqua plays off of red really so well....look at that lamp and how it is set off by the red! And I would have never thought of putting those two colors together!

Image: Patricia Gray 

Wouldn't this door make going to work every day just a little bit better! To see this beautiful color on my front door every day....would be so nice!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Take care,
Caroline

Dreaming of White Bedrooms....

Image: Country Living

Isn't that perfect for a Monday back at work!

I absolutely love white bedding in any bedroom and beautifully ruffled bed skirts....that are white or a very simple off white pattern....just so lovely and very relaxing!

I have posted a few pics below of bedrooms I love. I currently have the white bedding in my own bedroom and the lovely ruffled bed skirt, but am working on "whitening" my current 4 poster mahogany bed and cozy side chair....and these pics are inspiring me!

Look at the beautifully ruffled white bed skirt and the slipcovered side chair...love it! I am always on the search for a lovely vintage mannequin....

Images: Country Living

I love all the "flea market/vintage" finds in this room! The beautiful needlepoint pillow and the rustic chic metal desk and the iron work over the bed...and that headboard! Then there are some vintage mirrors and crystal sconces...and my favorite...the holder above the bed is seemingly dripping with pearls and also hats! And they all play off the white bed linens and canopy...so relaxing!

Even though I love rooms based off of a completely white theme...I never actually pull one off! I always end up with color somewhere in the room and that usually is on the walls. I absolutely love this little blue bedroom below...the white mirror and ladder are so crisp, clean and white!

Image: Country Living

Image; House Beautiful

Oh, look at this lovely bedding...with the white and pink scalloped edges!

We have a 4 poster mahogany bed, which was a find...so when Robert (my husband) is not watching...I am planning on painting it a fresh white color and I am on the search for a Swedish armoire like this picture here!

Even though, I have been dreaming of white bedrooms today...colorful designs always sneak through...and I found this lovely picture of a pink and green bedroom from the 1970's...and it looks so current, happy and fun to me!

David Hicks c. 1970's via Patricia Gray Inc Blog

Have a wonderful Monday!

Take care,

Caroline

Friday Finds!

Today, I am reloading my booth because I have finally finished some projects!! The picture above is a wooden "something" that I found and thought it would look nice painted and used as a jewelry/necklace holder...so that is what it is now! I love how the graphic designer made my business cards/tags, so I took a picture of my tag above too.

I also found two iron candelabras and thought they would look better in a white color, so I have a picture of one right here. I love them! I can totally see them on a mantel or table!

I also just "found" this vintage hobnail lamp. As I have said many times...I love love milk glass!  However, I have never found a milk glass lamp that I liked since I think many really look too "old fashioned" for me...but this one was different! This milk glass lamp just needs a shade and it will be so nice!

My big project has been this chest of drawers.  I found it at a yard sale and it is an old piece made by a Memphis furniture company....it even has the sticker on the back!  The chest of drawers was painted with a brown paint, which I did not like...so it has been "re-freshened" in white.  I wish I could have taken a better picture of it, but it is too big for my background...so I had to be all about the angles!  Now I have to figure out how I am going to load it in to my booth without Robert's help today...we will see!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Caroline

Social Inspiration: Philanthropist Boutique

So as we were traveling this weekend to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for my brother's wedding...I bought the latest Town & Country magazine when we were in the airport.

This was the Special Philanthropy Issue of Town & Country and had a wonderful article about a new boutique in San Francisco named Philanthropist Boutique, which gives back 100 % of its profits (after operational costs) to the community. Every 3 months, they take this money and give it to a charity-- which focuses on poverty. What a wonderful idea!!

This totally inspired me since I just started my little antique/vintage chic booth at Gas Lamp Antiques and have been wanting to use my abilities to further a non profit cause close to my heart (which is usually always child health care issues due to my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner).  

So now I am fixated on creating Caroline's Lost and Found as a not-for-profit organization that will give 100 % of my profits (after operational costs) to a very deserving child health care cause here in Nashville!

My lawyer of a husband will not know what hit him in a second when I tell him my plans...but I have actually already run my plan by him during the long flight to Pennsylvania and he seemed to be very interested in helping me out with all the legal things, which I would just get lost in! 

I am so very excited about this new mission/calling and can't wait to start the building process and see where it all goes!

Also, since I just finished being a bridesmaid, I just wanted to pass on my favorite thing to do with a bridesmaid dress...I donate it to the local high school for the next prom/homecoming....so they have some free dresses to give out to those girls who cannot afford to buy one.  What a wonderful thing to do with an absolutely beautiful dress that I know I will never wear again!

Take care,

Caroline

Morning Inspiration!

I just love these pieces of scripture (made into art) that I found this morning on Red Letter Words!  They are perfect for me right now during times of change and transition.   

Take care,

Caroline