Honeycomb Creative Co.

{Almost} Spring Tulips

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Are you longing for spring as much as I am? I couldn't resist some soft pink tulips at the market the other day. Tulips just say "spring" to me.

I've loved getting to practice photography on different vignettes and objects around my house. The tulips in antique aqua bottles were a great subject to photograph.

I'm loving the light in my kitchen window here. The day was actually quite cloudy and rainy, but I've learned with the right settings you can make photos appear as light-filled as you want. I think I'm addicted to photography now : )

Here's to hoping spring comes soon!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

{Giveaway} at The Cottage Collective

2012-02-07T21:24:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to let you know that The Cottage Collective is giving away a fabulous bundle of goodies from the new shop! Wouldn't you like to be the first to get your hands on unique goods from each of our amazing vendors before we open?! The package includes a tarnished silver cream and sugar set from yours truly {as seen here}.

Click here to get the scoop and enter! {Sorry, we can't ship the prizes. Open to Wichita locals only.}

Wondering what The Cottage Collective is? Get my side of the story on the new shop I'll be a part of here. Or visit our website or Facebook page.

Happy entering!
{live beautifully}
Courtney

An Alabaster Lamp

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Do you have a few items that are always on your list to look for? Especially those things you would love to own but they're just a bit too expensive or too hard to find to become yours? Well, one such item for me was an alabaster lamp. I have adored them forever, but their $90+ price tag always stopped me. It's not that that's exorbitant, I just have a hard time spending that much on one item, even if I know it's worth it. My frugal ways don't leave easily.

I've admired these gorgeous lamps at one of my favorite local antique shops many times. Trina from A Country Farmhouse even wrote a beautiful post on them that made me want one even worse. But I knew I'd have to wait for a bargain.

Well, I was at the flea market a few weeks ago and spotted this alabaster beauty in one of the booths. I was on a strict budget and pretty much only buying for the shop, not for me. But when I saw the lamp I just about knocked a lady over trying to get over to see its price (yes, I am a competitive shopper). It was $65. A good price, but what's the fun of a flea market if you can't haggle a little. After some bargaining, we finally met at $35 and I was sold!

I knew I wanted something clean but with delicate detailing for the shade. Not too sweet, but not too plain. I found this shade at Target.com for only $24. I love that the pin tucks match our kissing pleat bedding.

Also, now that this lamp sits atop my vanity, I have no idea how I did my make up without the extra light.

Next on the list...another alabaster lamp! I feel a collection coming on!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage.

Featured Blog: Sarah and DrewB

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hey there friends! It's been a while since I featured another blog, and that's one of my favorite things to do. You gotta share a little love in blogland, right? So today I'd like to introduce you to Sarah and DrewB, an awesome blog with gorgeous photos, vintage finds and a sweet adoption story to boot.

Sarah and Drew live in a rental, which automatically drew me into their blog the first time I found it. It's hard being a decor-lover and renting sometimes, so I love to see what others do with their rented spaces. Sarah has created a gorgeous white and neutral color palette throughout their home.

Their kitchen is adorable, and very vintage farmhouse.

Wouldn't you die to have this awesome old cupboard? Love it!

I love the way Sarah introduces bits of soft color, adding depth to the all-white pallet.

Vintage chandeliers add a bit of sparkle throughout the house.

Their bedroom curtains were actually the inspiration for the white sheers I hung across our bedroom windows.

How awesome is it that they framed their flatscreen with a vintage frame?

What a cool staircase display.

The bedroom, rearranged.

Love the juxtaposition of the chippy cabinet, straw hats and chandelier in this shot.

What might be my favorite room in the house, the nursery.

They've added such sweet details to this room to welcome home their special new addition, Miles.

Isn't he sweet? You'll have to hop over and check out their adoption story, it's so cool!

I hope you enjoyed touring Sarah and DrewB's house! Be sure to head over and say hello! Sarah also has an Etsy shop, The Blue Basket, and you'll want to take a look at that too!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Be Mine?

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our room got a few Valentine's touches for the upcoming holiday.

Matt doesn't think it's a "real" holiday and prefers to call it Hallmark Day.

But that doesn't stop me from decorating...or from emailing him gifts I would enjoy receiving on February 14 : )

I repurposed the cameo ornaments from Christmas to the urn on my nightstand. I love a pop of black in a white room.

The little farmhouse bench got just a few sweet touches.

A antique book of poems, adorned with roses and perfect for the day of love {available here}

My favorite little sweetheart box, paired with chippy architectural salvage and placed under a cloche.

All people I love

A vintage Valentine on Matt's side of the bed.

Pink on the vanity

Pretties

A sneak peek of an upcoming post. If you've joined me on Facebook, you know what I'm talking about.

Will you be my Valentine?

{live beautifully}

Courtney

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Sneak Peek: The Goods

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday friends! With all the planning and buying and dreaming of the new shop, I have been just itching to display a few pieces. They're all things I'd love to have in my own house, so there was no use for them to sit in boxes in the garage for the next month and a half. I brought two or three boxes upstairs (we live on the second floor of an old house...in case I haven't mentioned that before) and decided to play a bit. I may as well get to enjoy all my fun finds before they go on to new homes later this spring!

Everything you see will be available at The Cottage Collective, set to open at the beginning of April. Of course these are just the more "kitchen-y" items, since this is my kitchen and all. But you'll find all sorts of things at the shop!

Of course ironstone and white ware are always staples!

A lovely collection of gravy boats.

I am absolutely in love with this rusty black old lunch box. The patina is amazing, as is the white chippy paint on the inside.

Ironstone creamer, tarnished silver, antique cake plate...yes please!

Ironstone pitchers...a must.

I love this old white bread box. Rust in all the right places, and the top reads "savory."

I bought this chippy moulding as a display piece. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet, but it was too fabulous to pass up.

Hope you enjoyed my little show and tell! And if you're local, I hope you liked what you see enough to stop in! I'll keep you posted on giveaways and opening news, so keep checking back! You can learn more about The Cottage Collective and all the vendors here, and like us on Facebook here.

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Winter Beauty

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I sometime find it a little hard to stay looking my best in the middle of the winter. The winter blahs take their hold and I start missing that mid-June glow. There are a few beauty products I'm loving this year though, and they're helping me fight the winter yuckies. Of course I'm also a sucker for packaging, so my criteria for beauty products is that they have to work and have pretty graphics/packaging to boot. These certainly fit the bill!

1. C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve
I'll admit it...I'm a bit of a nail biter. Terrible habit, I know. And that means my cuticles are always a mess, especially in the winter. I love to put on a bit of rose salve to help soothe and smooth my fingertips. It works wonders!

2. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm
Love this stuff! Not only does it keep my lips from chapping in the Kansas winter wind, it also adds a bit of color. My favorite shade is Red Dahlia.

3. Boot's Lavender Hand Cream
I found this little tube at Target, and use it daily to keep my hands soft and supple. I absolutely hate dry skin during the winter, so I keep this stashed in my purse at all times. Oh and it smells delicious!

Do you have any favorite products you use during the winter? Please share!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Thrifting 101

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

After sharing my awesome thrifting score of a tiered wire basket, one of my sweet readers {hi Maggie!} suggested I do a post on thrifting/junking. What a great idea! I decided that for now I'll just cover thrifting, because I feel like junking, flea markets, antique malls and estate sales are all different animals. But if you find today's post helpful let me know and I'll cover those areas as well!

{numbered canister set: thrifted for $4. Not old, but totally awesome!}

Many of you reading this might be thrifting experts, and if so, feel free to share your advice in the comments! I'm sure you've thought about things I haven't! And if you're a thrifting novice, I hope this helps spark your interest in what can be a fun, cheap way to find vintage goods. So here are my helpful thrifting hints...

{large white urn: thrifted for $9}

1. Be Brave! Be Adventurous!
This was a hard one for me. I've always shopped at malls and nice shopping centers, so the idea of going to a sort of "out of the way" location to thrift was difficult for me at first. But often times, at least in my area, thrift stores aren't located in the greatest part of town. And sometimes the thrift stores themselves are just plain gross. This isn't always the case. The Goodwills in our city are generally very clean, well-lit and well organized. But my thrift store of choice is, well, disgusting. We're talking it smells bad, merchandise is dirty and piled everywhere, the people in it are often not terribly clean themselves, etc. I try not to wear anything nice there because I come out smelling like the place {gross}. But I swear that store has the best stuff! I find probably 50% of the goods I sell on etsy in that shop (there, now you know my little secret). It definitely has a lot of older pieces, where I've found our Goodwills tend to have new items. If you're in the market for vintage/antiques...don't be afraid to get a little dirty, a little stinky, and go a little out of the way. It's worth it!

{distressed shelf: thrifted for $7}

2. Know What You're Looking For
I have a running list in my head of the general types of items I'm looking for. I know I {probably} won't find something incredibly rare and valuable in a thrift store, though that does occasionally happen. But I do know I'll find my favorite pieces: ironstone, white pitchers, tarnished silver, antique books and whitework linens. These are my staple pieces, and what I'm always on the lookout for. Your list may be different, but the best way to overcome the visual overload in a thrift store is to know what you're going for. I can look at a pile of junk and spot a white creamer tucked in the back because I've trained myself to do so. With a little practice, you can too!

{tarnished silver cream and sugar, forks and ironstone pitcher, all thrifted}

3. Know the Value of Things
Once you know what you're looking for, you'll also probably know what's a good price and what's not. For example I paid $1.50 and $2.50 for these ironstone pitchers {below}. But I could sell them for $20 to $50. So do your homework, browse eBay and etsy, and get to know the going rate for your favorite items. Then you won't overpay, and best of all, when you get a score you'll know just how great of a score it is! {cough cough... 28 cents for a tiered wire stand!}

{ironstone pitchers: thrifted for $4}

This also means knowing brands and manufacturers. I don't thrift for clothing, but if you do then obviously you'd want to be on the lookout for designer merchandise. The same goes for home items. I always turn dishes over to see the manufacturer. And my heart always skips a beat when I see certain markings {well hello, Meakin ironstone!} But I've had to learn what brands are valuable and which aren't. It's all part of the hunt!

{chippy white farmhouse stool: thrifted for $5.50}

4. Check for Quality
I recently found this chippy white stool at my favorite thrift shop. I loved the distressed paint, but it was a little wobbly. I turned it over to see if it could be repaired easily, and sure enough, all it needed was tightened screws. Check dishes and housewares for chips, cracks and defects. Often I don't mind a few chips on antique dish ware, but there are some things you don't want if they are broken.

{antique silver napkin rings: $1 each, set of white work linens: $1, antique book: $1}

5. Thrift Often
My favorite {stinky} thrift store happens to be on the way home from work, so I stop in there 2 - 4 times a week. Make thrifting a habit, and you'll eventually find what you're looking for, and get the cream of the crop when new merchandise is put out. Plus, we all love the thrill of the hunt, so hunt often!

{thrifted silver plate tray}

What are your thrifting hints and tips? I'd love to hear your best advice...and your best scores!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's

Shop Additions

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to let you all know there are some new additions to A Prairie Market! I've had loads of fun finding awesome new stuff to share, so please check it out! Architectural salvage, antique books, ironstone and more! Have a look!

{Antique Farmer's Almanacs}

{Chippy Garden Caddy}

{Antique Spools and Bobbins}

{English Ironstone Dishes}

{Rustic Wire Basket}

{Trio of Antique Crocks}

Click here for even more!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

28 Cents

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

While on one of my frequent thrifting runs, I discovered one of the best treasures I've scored yet ... this old three-tier wire stand.

When I spotted it in the store, it was covered in fake 80s pink roses and faux greenery...but I could tell what was underneath.

{what I would give if there was not an outlet in the middle of my wall...}

When I took it to the register, there was no price marked. The lady kindly told me $2.48 would be a fine price. I agreed. I've seen similar ones go for upwards of $60, and more if they're antique.

It was a week or two later, looking over my receipts, that I discovered her mistake. Instead of typing 2.48, she had missed the 4, and instead charged me just 28 cents for my pretty wire stand. If it hadn't been so long afterwards I would have gone back and offered to pay the difference. I hope it doesn't make me a terrible person that I kept it. I guess the DAV will survive without my $2.20.

While we're admiring my wire stand, here are a few updated shots of our kitchen, taken with my new camera. It makes such a difference! However, I think I need a wider-angle lens to be able to get a better full-room shot like I was able to with my little point and shoot, but you can still get the idea.

It was fun having the shelves decked out for Christmas, but I'm loving simple, fresh white after the holiday overload.

Still one of my favorite kitchen items, a chippy pistachio green antique scale. An eBay score several years ago.

Antique Belgian pitch pots. Love them.

How about you...have you had any {guilty} thrift store scores lately? Do tell!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Linking to Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's

Coffee and Cake

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Around Valentine's Day, I like to put out one of my favorite tea towels {out of my embarrassingly large collection}. It's from Anthro, and was a present from Matt (chosen by me of course : ) on our first Valentine's together.

Coffee and cake. What a perfect combination. Not to mention when it's beautifully written on a tea towel, perched atop a cake stand and finished with a cherry on top.

On this cold winter morning, I'm enjoying my coffee, but don't have any cake in the house...bummer.

I took these photos before adding my creamer and Splenda. Because once I'm done, it looks more like taupe paint than actual coffee. Not such a pretty picture.

Since the cream is {obviously} refrigerated, I stash a bit of lavender in my cream pitcher, and hide my all-important Splenda packets in the sugar dish. It's a lovely greeting as I fumble to the coffee maker each morning.

What are your morning rituals? Do you take your coffee a certain color? Got any cake you'd like to share?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Living Room Refresh

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! How are you this morning? Have you tackled the Christmas tear-down yet? It's quite a job! After I finally packed away the last of our Christmas ornaments, I knew I needed to do a little sprucing up in the living room.

It's always a little hard for me to decorate in the dead of winter. It's too early for spring decor and Christmas doesn't fit, but it's so blah outside that I want our home to feel welcoming and cozy.

This year I simply changed things up with different accessories. One of the great things about selling vintage decor is you have an ever-changing stock of accessories at your disposal. I try to use mostly what's mine so I don't get too attached to the things I have to sell, but shop products do make their way in here and there.

I think lots of pillows really warm up a space. I'm especially loving the two new burlap wreath pillows I got for Christmas!

The lovely fireplace shelves are still a bear to decorate. This time I used half of the Christmas layout with a few freshened accessories. I'm liking the tarnished silver and plates to add some depth.

Mmmm a basket full of cozy blankets and pillows is just what's needed in the middle of January!

This is the counterpart to the portrait book cover I told you about yesterday. Isn't it so pretty?

How have you refreshed your house after Christmas? Any good winter decorating tips? You know I'd love to hear!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

I'm linking to Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage, Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's, and Refresh Your Room Party at Jennifer Rizzo's.

Unexpected Valentine

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday friends! The last few weeks I have been junking/antiquing/bartering/thrifting/buying lots and lots for the new shop. Needless to say, quite a few things have come home with me. Almost all are in the garage, waiting to be cleaned and price for our spring opening. But there were a few little things, three to be exact, that I knew would remain with me.

As I was cleaning up from Christmas, these three things sort of came together on the coffee table, and I knew they'd make the perfect Valentine vignette. It wasn't my intention to begin decorating for Valentine's quite so early, but it all just worked.

The footed ironstone bowl, sweet little sugar dish and antique book are the three things I've decided I'll probably keep. Hey, three out of several hundred items isn't so bad, right?

I added a mercury glass heart ($1.50 at TJ Maxx from Christmas clearance), some pinecones and a few of my DIY ornaments to the bowl.

The sugar dish is filled with tarnished flatware I picked up recently. The detailing on old flatware is gorgeous, and I rather like it tarnished.

I couldn't resist the coral book from an antique store in Lawrence. I have another book with a similar portrait on the cover, and I'm afraid I may need to start a collection. The antique portraits are just so lovely.

So there's a little {early} Valentine's decor for you. Have you started pulling out the red and hearts yet, or are you still trying to get past Christmas?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Will You Be Watching?

2012-01-07T10:21:00.000-06:00

I am SO excited for tomorrow night!! Why, you ask? Well, it's the premiere of season 2 of my favorite show, Downton Abbey. Yes, it's a PBS Masterpiece Theater show. Yes, I am only 24, not 89. But before you start saying, "flip it back to the Kardashians, Court!" you have to check it out for yourself.

The Kardashian family has nothing on the Crawleys. Downton Abbey is filled with vengeful, conniving servants, jealous family members, fortunes about to be lost, impossible love triangles, and naked dead guys in heiresses' beds (yep, naked dead guys!).

{Matthew and Mary...if only they would get together!}

Not to mention the scenery and costumes are stunning. The plot is set in turn-of-the-century England, and the Crawleys' sprawling estate is a gorgeous backdrop to every delicious drip of drama going on from the kitchens to the servants' quarters to the drawing rooms and even the bedrooms.

{gorgeous!}

I don't know about you, but I'll be curled up on the couch, popcorn in hand, for season 2 of this intriguing show. It's on at 8 p.m. here in Wichita, but check your local listings if you want to tune in ... and trust me, you do!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Who Needs Wall Art?

2012-01-01T14:28:00.000-06:00

For the past few months, I've been searching for the perfect piece to fill up empty wall space in a small alcove of our home. There's a small bit of wall as you exit the living room into the hall to the bedrooms. I've never seemed to find just the right piece, but sometimes things come together better than you'd planned.

I've been collecting a few small farmhouse stools lately, and the make the perfect little stack up this wall, filling the space without having to hang something.

A perfect farmhouse solution!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

PS- If you like what you see, the smallest milking stool and the cow door stop are available in the shop.

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's.

2011: A Year in Review

2011-12-30T15:27:00.001-06:00

2011 was a big year for me! Number one being I got married! Then I opened my etsy shop. And most recently I announced the opening of a brick and mortar shop I'll be a part of. With such a big year, I thought I'd share some of my top posts and projects, both my favorite and yours. So if you're new here, this is a great time to catch up on what's been happening at HCC during 2011! Here goes...

January

For the first half of 2011 I was living with my parents as I prepared for my wedding, so the posts were a little lackluster {kinda hard to write a home decor blog when you don't have a home to decorate!}

But I did makeover this little wood cabinet...

February

In February my friend and I threw a pretty sweet little Valentine's party for our girlfriends...

And I learned how to make the most gorgeous of all desserts, French Macarons...

And Matt stole my heart with his sweet gifts on Valentine's Day...

March

In March I created a banner for the desserts table for our wedding...

April

I shared a few details from our gray and white vintage-inspired wedding as they came together...

May & June

Not too much was happening here on the blog, but I did get hitched! {more photos to come, promise!}

July

We returned from our honeymoon and I began to decorate our first little place...

August

I shared the first look at our living room {it's already changed so much!}

And our bathroom tour turned out to be one of the most popular posts of the year

September

In September we installed shelving in our kitchen {still one of my favorite things about our house}

And what seems to be everyone's favorite room {based on comments/page views} our bedroom was revealed...

October

October saw the opening of my etsy shop, A Prairie Market

{vintage cake tin...sold}

As well as a Thanksgiving tablescape in anticipation of Matt and my first holiday season together

November

In November, my besties and I took a road trip together for girls' weekend and had a blast!

I also shared much of our Christmas decor

December

And here we are at December, where we toured our house decked out for the holidays...

And I shared how God has blessed us this year, plus announced the opening of a new shop where I'll be a vendor.

There you have it, 2011 in review. Probably the biggest year in my life so far. But the year you get married will always be very special, I'm sure : )

Thank you again for all your support, comments and friendship throughout my blogging journey! I would not be here without all of you, and I wish you the very best in 2012!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

A Blessed Holiday + Big News

2011-12-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! How was your Christmas? Did you spend lots of time with family and friends? I sure hope so! I've enjoyed taking a bit of a break but have missed you all!

So, I have to be honest...I was really spoiled this Christmas. Like ridiculously so. I thought I'd share a few of the blessings I received with you, because I can still hardly believe it's all real. Just to warn you, this post is long, but it's good stuff so hang with me!

First, you might notice a bit of an improvement in the photo quality here at HCC. Well, that's because I got a Canon Rebel! My head is spinning with trying to learn to use it...aperture, shutter speed, ISO...what? I'm already having a blast teaching myself the art of good photography! Stay tuned as the photos here should improve with time : )

To go along with my new toy, I also received The Natalie camera bag from Jeanne Oliver Designs. I. love. this. bag. Not only is it gorgeous to carry, it is so well-made and perfect for holding my camera and lenses. Yes, I said lenses plural...my sweet uncle (who is a photographer) blessed me with a new lens that is perfect for product shots for the shop. It was totally unexpected but so exciting!

I just had to practice with my new toy on one of my other fave presents, burlap wreath pillows my sweet husband got for me. I just love them!

He also gave me these fun picture frames, which I absolutely love! (Can you tell I was totally camera happy for this post?! Hey, practice makes perfect!)

Now for the big surprise...Matt got me a Mac Book Pro! I have to tell you, this is such a God thing. Being newlyweds and saving for a house doesn't leave much room for extras like, oh, the most expensive laptop on the market. But my husband got an unexpected tax return (long story) and was able to use it for a new Mac. This is huge because I constantly get asked to do graphic design work for people (that's part of my day job as a communications professional) but I never had the tools to do it at home. What a blessing!

It's also exciting because...drum roll please...I am going to be part of a new shop in Wichita opening in spring of 2012! A Prairie Market is expanding from etsy into a local boutique filled with vintage finds and handmade goods. I could not be more excited!! God has truly blessed me when I am so undeserving. He has shown my business favor and I am just so grateful.

The shop will be a collection of ladies selling vintage/repurposed items or handmade goods. I met the sweet owner of All Dolled Up, Abbe Doll, at a garage sale I held in November. We have loose family connections and I had heard of her work refinishing and reselling furniture. We got to chatting and she mentioned she did quarterly tag sales. I later sent her a Facebook message asking if she ever needed another vendor for the sales, since I did vintage decor, but not furniture. We decided to meet for coffee, but before we met, God was at work and orchestrating a miracle. When we went to coffee Abbe told me she had wanted to talk to me about the tag sales, but in the last two days she had found a space for a shop and God had given her a vision for a vintage/handmade boutique. She wanted to know if I would be interested in selling there since our specialties complimented each other so well. I cried. You see, the reason I started my etsy shop, besides my love of vintage home decor, was to eventually be able to be a stay-at-home mommy. I love my job but it's my heart's desire to pour my life into my family. Matt and I want to wait a few years to have kids, so I was trying to feel out different business possibilities that would allow me to be at home but still have an income. I feel like God opened all the doors and just dropped the opportunity for a shop in my lap. I was never expecting it, especially at the age of 24. But he has worked out all the details for me in a way I could never have even dreamed. And the fact that we were able to buy a Mac and camera {hello shop marketing!} at the same time just blows my mind.

Oh, and did I mention that all the vendors in the shop are Christian women and stay-at-home moms? We'll all split time at the shop so everyone has plenty of family time. Pretty cool! I will actually still work full-time, but will do shop stuff on nights and weekends, just like I do for etsy. I know it's a big job, but I'm up for it! There's nothing I would rather be doing and I feel so blessed with this opportunity! I also will handle the marketing/communications for the shop, which is great because that's my other love and what my degree/professional experience has been in.

Isn't God so good?! I went "junking" with my mom yesterday to get the first of the inventory for the shop (the last few photos you see are a few sweet things we found). Stay tuned for more on the shop and all God is up to with Honeycomb Creative Co! I still can't even believe it! Thank you all so much for your constant support, sweet comments and wonderful friendship. I would have never started down this path if it wasn't for all of you!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- as if that wasn't enough information thrown at you in one post...I'm also on Facebook now : ) Feel free to follow along!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T13:48:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! It is such a beautiful time of year, but especially meaningful this year as it's Matt and my first Christmas as husband and wife. We plan to celebrate with our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but Christmas morning will be just the two of us opening gifts and spending our first holiday as a married couple. I can't wait!

All the presents have been wrapped, the stockings filled and plans made. Our packages this year were wrapped with simple brown paper and tied with cream silk ribbon or twine.

I also found some of this lovely reindeer ribbon. It adds a bit of whimsy to the simple packages.

I ordered this handmade clay ornament from Jami at Freckled Laundry. I had been looking everywhere for a cute "our first christmas" ornament, and just couldn't find anything that wasn't cheesey or ugly. I love this one, and that it includes our monogram.

I will probably take a bit of a break next week as Matt and I are both off work, but I'll be back soon with some big...BIG...news. Some big things are happening for me and my business, but it has to stay a secret for now. I can't wait to share with you soon though!!

So from our home to yours, have a Merry, Merry Christmas. May God bless you and your families immensely in 2012.

All my love,
Courtney

Holiday Housewalk Tour

2011-12-11T23:09:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! Today I'm joining Jennifer Rizzo for the Holiday Housewalk Party. She's shown us some beautiful Christmas homes over the last week, and now we can all join in the party! If you're visiting from the Housewalk, welcome! Let's get started!

The Living Room

First up, our Christmas living room. The theme this year was Casual Farmhouse Meets Vintage Sparkle. I tried to keep things simple and neutral, but still with plenty of Christmas charm.

For more details on our Christmas living room, you can go here.

Our Christmas tree is wrapped in burlap and trimmed with mercury glass and silver, along with vintage ephemera and silhouette ornaments I made.

For more on our Christmas tree and how to make several of the ornaments, you can go here.

The Kitchen

I kept the kitchen simple, just adding greenery and a few holiday touches.

I love the look of fresh greenery paired with clean white. It's so simple and elegant at the holidays.

For more on our Christmas kitchen, go here.

The Bedroom

Again, sweet and simple were the holiday themes this year. I added silver sparkle along with greenery to give our bedroom an elegant feel.

I love this basket filled with greenery at the end of our bed. It makes our room smell wonderful!

For more details on our Christmas bedroom, click here.

The Bathroom

These are just a few little detail shots of decor in the bathroom. I simply filled apothecary jars and mason jars with epsom salt and added flocked bottle brush trees.

I didn't take any overall shots of the bathroom, but to see those, you can go here.

The Entry

And finally, here is our tiny little entryway, decked out for Christmas. The vintage sleigh is my favorite!

For more on the entry, click here.

Well that's our little house! I hope you enjoyed the tour. Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to visit Jennifer Rizzo for more Holiday house inspiration!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

visit the shop: http://aprairiemarket.etsy.com

Etsy Sale

2011-12-11T15:23:00.001-06:00

{Rose Bud Salve Tin from 1914}

Hi friends, just popping in to let you know there's a little sale going on in my etsy shop. Plus, I listed a few new finds today. Head over and have a look!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Christmas House Tour

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday friends! Are you so glad it's the weekend? To finish out the week I wanted to show you my very favorite Christmas house, from Better Homes and Gardens. It's the perfect mix of elegant white, neutrals and natural greenery. Simply stunning!

You can tell this dining room would be amazing in any season, but the natural greenery and neutral stockings dress it up perfectly.

The daybed is perfectly dressed with simple linens, and the small tree and wreaths create holiday charm.

Architectural salvage and wicker baskets are the perfect pairing.

Probably one of my favorite Christmas images ever. The fireplace is stunning in its simplicity.

The tree trimmed with silver. I love the mix of colors and textures on the packages, but all within the same color palette.

This is one of my favorite interior images ever, and I've shown it on the blog before. I didn't know it had come from this house, or was a Christmas image, until recently. (I guess I should have paid more attention to the greenery at the top : )

Layers of furniture, patterns and texture create a comfortable space.

Paperwhites are one of the easiest ways to bring nature in at Christmas.

A simple holiday hutch. Greenery, pinecones, fresh flowers and white serveware are an elegant mix.

I hope you enjoyed this little holiday home tour! All images can be found here. Have a great weekend!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

A Winter Welcome

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

This little landing welcomes friends into our home. It's no bigger than a few feet square, but it's our "entryway" nonetheless.

Tote: Aerie

I'm in love with vintage sled made from chippy beadboard.

I made the wreath for our french door using striped ribbon and a $2 ornament. Simple and easy.

Welcome friends!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Christmas in the Kitchen

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday friends! Are you all fully into the Christmas swing? I know I am! There is Christmas music playing anytime we are at home, and the tree is constantly lit. It's such a beautiful time of year!

I've added just a few Christmas touches to the kitchen. Nothing too fancy, but I tried to bring in some natural elements and some sparkle to dress it up a bit.

I'm always so thrilled to have these shelves my father-in-law installed for me. I have no idea how I would decorate the kitchen without them. There's really no other space to place anything. The shelves make the kitchen for me! The base of the decor is the white serveware I already had, then I just added some greenery, glass balls and decorative items. I brought in the soft sage color that matches my antique scale (and my KitchenAid mixer, which sits across the room).

Antique zinc pitch pots look wonderful holding some fresh greenery. The zinc chalkboard reads "Joy to the World" but I've found it's hard to read unless you're at a certain angle.

I've had this little Christmas house for several years, and picked it up at Dillon's. I've seen very pretty ones at TJ Maxx the last few years too.

This little bird under glass is one of my favorite ornaments. He gets a place of honor on a cake stand this year, instead of residing on the tree.

I think the easiest thing about Christmas decorating is adding fresh greens. It instantly feels festive!

This little pine tree sits in a white serving bowl atop our fridge. The bow is just a ripped piece of drop cloth left over from our stockings.

Our eating area ready for the season.

I don't think I've show the above angle yet. The doorway leads to our hall, and the door shown is to the laundry closet. Love the "groceries" sign above the entrance.

A simple Christmas kitchen. How have you decorated?

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Our Christmas Bedroom

2011-12-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

Once again, I think our bedroom might be my favorite room in the house. It's beautiful during the day and when it's softly lit at night. For Christmas, I only wanted to add a few natural elements plus some elegant holiday details. Our bedroom is a little more grown up and a little less "farmhouse" than the rest of the house, so I wanted to reflect that at Christmas too.

The garland at the top of the bed (close up above) is from JoAnn's and I LOVE it. It looks natural and simple, not like tacky faux greenery. I may try to find more or buy matching wreaths during the after-Christmas sales.

I picked up a bundle of fresh greenery at the market and added it to a simple white washed basket, complete with curly willow branches. It makes our room smell wonderful.

On my nightstand, I simply placed a baby pine in the white urn and added a linen bow. I filled a mint julep cup with fresh greenery and pine cones.

All the silver in the room looks even better at Christmastime I think!

On our dresser, I filled the wire urn with silver and white Christmas ornaments, in keeping with the room's color pallete. I hung glittered letters spelling Noel from the mirror with my favorite striped ribbon.

I had to move my little gray bench from the end of our bed because my poor husband kept knocking over the silver bottle brush trees. After about the fourth time of vaccuming up glitter, I decided to move the bench to my side of the bed and put the basket of greenery at the foot. Poor Matt, he always complains he has to be "gentle" with everything around our house because of the decor. Sad but true. I guess it's the price he pays for being married to me : )

If you missed the tutorial on how to make these vintage paper bundles, just go here.

And I especially love the ambiance our room has at night. So soft and romantic!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's.

Great Gift Idea: Timeless Meets Today

2011-11-30T16:10:00.001-06:00

If you're anything like me, you've almost got the Christmas shopping wrapped up, but are still on the hunt for that elusive, unique gift. I love finding things that are out of the ordinary or are beautifully designed to be something special. This gift fits the bill... the Aphrodite USB Hub. I love it!

{via}

The handy USB hub keeps your desk neat while adding a timeless and elegant touch with the lovely bust of Aphrodite, goodess of love. Too fun! It's perfect for those of us who are totally wired, but enjoy classic beauty. Any bloggers on your list? I think this could be the perfect thing!

{via}

Have you found any unique gifts? I'd love to hear what's on your to-buy list...or your wish list!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Our Christmas Tree and DIY Ornaments

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! Today I want to share our Christmas tree with you and also how I created some vintage-inspired ornaments.

I was really happy with how our tree turned out. Shame on me though, because I used to have this exact faux Christmas tree (from Target) and got rid of it when I was purging things before we were married, thinking we'd buy a big, full tree. I should have known our first place would be small, because I ended up purchasing the same slim 6-foot tree I had before. Lesson learned : )

I wrapped the tree in burlap ribbon, which I already had on hand.

Most of the ornaments I already had and probably came from Target and Hobby Lobby.

I was so thrilled to find this mercury glass tree topper at JoAnn's for $7! It was perfect!

The silhouette ornaments and the vintage paper bundles are the ones I made myself. Want to know how I did it?

DIY Vintage Christmas Ornaments

To create the vintage silhouettes, you will need:
- Picture frame ornaments (mine were raw wood ones from the Hobby Lobby Christmas craft section, and cost 75 cents each on sale)
- Black craft paint and a brush
- Silhouettes you'd like to use (I grabbed mine from Google images, but you could also create ones of your family members. Here is a tutorial)
- Vintage backgrounds (I downloaded vintage ephemera from vintageprintable.com)
- Twine for hanging (my ornaments came with ugly red and green string tied through them)

This craft couldn't be easier! Simply print out your background, then print out your silhouette and cut it out. Or, I put mine together in Photoshop and printed the whole shebang so I wouldn't have to trim the tiny silhouettes. Then, paint your photo frames black and allow to dry. Trace the print outs with the backing of the photo frame, place inside and tie with twine. An easy (and cheap!) vintage Christmas ornament!

DIY Vintage Christmas Bundles

If you thought the ornaments were easy, try these vintage ephemera bundles. I just printed old documents from vintageprintable.com, cut the remaining paper off so only the document remained, then rolled them up and taped them. I tied them in bundles of three with twine and ribbon. They are the perfect Christmas accessory! I have them on the tree, in vignettes and even in our Christmas bedroom decor. This would also be great with vintage Christmas music.

Of course the best part of a Christmas tree is the glow at night. There's just nothing like it!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Christmas Living Room

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Good morning friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and a relaxing break! Mine was filled with family, eating, shopping and more eating : ) How about you?

Since the Christmas season is officially upon us, I spent the weekend decking the halls and trimming the tree in our little apartment. It's so exciting to have our first Christmas together and I went all out with the decor. Needless to say, I have lots to show you over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

For this year's Christmas theme I wanted to go with sort of a casual farmhouse look mixed with vintage sparkle. Luckily I already had a lot of decor that fit that bill, so I only had to buy a few additional items. It was so fun to open the Christmas box and unwrap everything, because I hadn't seen any of it since December 2009. It was like a big surprise with beautiful treasures I had forgotten about. Here's how it all came together...

Christmas 2011

Casual Farmhouse Meets Vintage Sparkle

I tried to mix casual textures like linen, burlap and twine with natural elements like evergreen boughs and pinecones.

I'm going to use the branches in the galvanized bucket to display Christmas cards as they come in. I absolutely love the little wire and twig sleigh that I found in the Target $2.50 bin! (PS- if you want to see where I got many of my ideas and inspiration for this year's decor, check out my Christmas pinterest board. I spent months pinning and planning : )

The vintage door all decked out.

So I was dying to have fresh pine wreaths all over the house this year, but the cost was just too much. But I think these $2.50 faux wreaths from Walmart worked out just fine. I tied a big burlap bow on this one and added a $1 sparkly Christmas ornament (also from Walmart). Budget was the name of the game this season!

Mmmm...vintage books and mercury glass.

Can you tell that white ball is broken? Half of it shattered because I didn't store it properly, but I couldn't bear to throw it out. Works great in a bowl like this! More on the vintage paper bundle coming soon...

I have to say I'm really happy with how the room turned out! The pictures are not my favorite as I picked a bad time of day to photograph and there were annoying patches of light streaming in, but oh well. By the end of the photoshoot, poor Matt was standing on that chair with a piece of cardboard trying to cover the light patches for me. He gets lots of husband points for that! : )

The Christmas mantel. Are you so impressed that I managed to totally redo my arch nemesis shelves for the season? I am. Only took me about two hours : )

I've had these numbered plates from Target forever, but never had something to do with them. I think they add a touch of whimsy to the Chrstimas decor. Plus there's always room for typography!

I am so in love with our new stockings! My mom made them for me, which makes them even more special. I fell head over heels for these stockings on etsy, but just couldn't bring myself to buy 4 at $25 each (though that was one of the better prices I found). So I bought the material myself and my mom sewed them up. I think I spent $20 total...much more reasonable.

The stockings are made of a painter's drop cloth from Walmart, which really is "poor man's linen" as I've heard it called. The white fabric and crochet trim are from JoAnn's.

This basket of poinsettias turned out to be one of my favorite things in the room. They are faux poinsettias by Better Homes and Gardens from Walmart, and were $3 per bunch. I debated and debated about getting them because, again, I was trying not to spend much, but in the end I'm so glad I did. I think they look great in my antique wire basket with burlap and fresh pine.

I love the little details like the vintage books for texture, pine boughs, and bottle brush trees. All the silver glass ornaments are from the Dollar Tree. They are sooo much cheaper than you will find glass ornaments anywhere else, so be sure to go pick some up!

Thank you so much for taking time to tour our little holiday living room. I had a blast bargain hunting, crafting and decorating, so I truly hope you enjoyed seeing it as much as I loved creating it! I'll be back soon with details on our Christmas tree and DIY vintage ornaments. Thanks for stopping by!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

I'm linking to:

- Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

- Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage

- Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's

- the Mantel Party at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

- Christmas Mantel Party at Southern Hospitality

Winner and Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

{photos via}

Happy Monday, friends! I am so glad this week is here because it means a two-day work week, Thanksgiving, black Friday shopping, and the start of the Christmas season, all rolled into one. A pretty great week if you ask me!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway for a giftcard to my etsy shop. Your support means the world to me. The lucky winner is #15, Stacey aka Rella who said, "Posted on my Facebook Page!!" Stacey, please email me at courtneymbrowning (at) gmail.com to claim the giftcard!

I'll probably take a bit of a break from blogging this week to enjoy time with my husband and family and prepare for the holidays. But I'll be back next week with tons of Christmas decor and inspiration. I've already done all my Christmas decor shopping and am so excited about the projects I have planned!! I'm so looking forward to Matt and my first Christmas as husband and wife, I can hardly stand it. I think it will be one to remember : )

If things go well this week, I should also have another fun, non-Christmas project up my sleeve. The images in this post have something to do with it. Can you guess what it might be?

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
{live beautifully}
Courtney

If I Had a Daughter...

2011-11-18T11:53:00.001-06:00

...this would be her Christmas present : )

found here

{live beautifully}

Courtney

The French Do It Better

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, Matt and my favorite date destination, I was browsing the shelter mags as usual. I spotted a title that was new to me... Campagne Decoration. I French decor magazine! Yes, please!

Though I can't understand a single word, the photos speak for themselves. Why is it the French seem to be so good at aesthetics?

Every picture is beautiful. The rooms boast age and patina most American spaces could never touch.

Even the ads are prettier : )

Sigh... to be French!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- don't forget there's still time to enter the giveaway to win a $25 gift card to A Prairie Market etsy shop. Click here to enter.

Funkify

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

...Or should I say punkify. I needed a change in our sweet little bedroom. It's still my fave room in the house, but I was craving something different. A little funk added to all our clean whites.

I decide to add some fall pumpkins to liven up the space for the week or two before Thanksgiving. It's almost the end of the pumpkin season so I wanted to go out with a bang.

I picked up this amazing gray farmhouse bench at an antique mall recently, and knew it would look great at the end of our bed. I love the patina and natural wear. And best of all the paint doesn't flake so it's perfectly useful.

It's the perfect spot to display the last of autumn's glory. I put a few varieties of pumpkins under my glass cloche collection to funkify things a bit. It's not the most "bedroom-ish" decor out there, but I thought it was fun to liven things up for a few weeks.

How about you? How are you celebrating the end of autumn before the Christmas craziness hits? Aaahhh I'm not ready!!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- don't forget there's still time to enter the giveaway to win a $25 gift card to A Prairie Market etsy shop.

Linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's

Giveaway at A Prairie Market

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday friends! I have a treat for you all today! Because you're all such wonderful readers, followers and sweet friends, I thought I'd do a little pre-holiday giveaway.

It has been so fun to open my etsy shop and learn as I go about selling vintage goods. It's something I'm truly passionate about, and I'd like to pass on the love. So one lucky winner will receive a $25 credit to my etsy shop, A Prairie Market just in time for the holidays.

Ironstone Gravy Boat

Vintage Numbered Iced Tea Spoons

You can pick up a little something for yourself, or something to give to a friend. This year, I'm going to strive to buy many of my gifts from etsy dealers, as I love supporting independent artisans and shop owners. Plus, it's a great way to give really unique gifts you won't find at the big box stores.

Vintage Wire Locker Basket

Gray and White Architectural Salvage Scroll

Here's how to enter:
1. Visit A Prairie Market and leave a comment telling me what you'd spend your gift certificate on if you won.
2. Blog, tweet or Facebook about the giveaway. Please leave a separate comment for each!
3. Place the giveaway button (found at the bottom of this post) on your sidebar, and leave a comment telling me you did so.

Simple Stoneware Pitcher

Vintage Wire Flower Frog

That's five chances to win! The giveaway will close next Sunday, November 20, and a winner will be announced on Monday.

If you don't have a blog, please be sure to leave your email address in your entries. The gift certificate is valid only in my Etsy shop, and it is only redeemable there.

Good luck guys! I can't even tell you how much your support and friendship has meant to me over the course of writing this blog, and now opening an etsy shop. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't do this without you all!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Country Girls

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well friends, I've been a bad blogger and haven't blogged in more than a week! I usually write all my posts on the weekend, since that's when I'm at home when it's light out so I can do projects/photograph. But last weekend I got to head out to the country (like, really, the country) to visit one of my oldest/dearest friends, Paige. So please excuse my lack of posts, but I was busy having some serious girl time and learning all about life in a small town.

{mini apple cobbler}

Megan, Paige, Sarah and I have been friends since kindergarten. I know, right?! That never happens! But we always have been and I'd like to say we always will be! Paige and her husband moved to the teeny tiny town of Osborne, Kansas, about three hours away from Wichita (or any civilization for that matter : ).

We spent the weekend catching up, talking about memories, weddings, married life and kids (someday!). We cooked and baked and snacked and ate. We took it slow, explored the Dollar General, visited the local coffee shop about 8 times, downed a few bottles of wine, and all around enjoyed the weekend. It was glorious! There are no distractions in the country. Just relaxation and time spent with friends.

Paige has an adorable little house that was built in the 40s, but remodeled a few years ago. She has awesome taste that's current and clean with a touch of vintage. All the photos in this post are of her cute little cottage.

Megan and Sarah taught us how to make the world's best cinnamon rolls. We made P-Dub's corn chowder, and I bought about 4 magazines to browse through on our lazy Saturday. Plus we found an old box of notes and pictures from high school. In one Sarah had written to Paige, "I can't believe in two years we'll all be going to college at different places. I hope we all stay friends." We realized that note was written 10 years ago.

So girls, here's to another decade of friendship! I love you all dearly! And Paige, I wouldn't have traded Osborne for all the shopping in the world : )

Lavande

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

On a trip to the market the other day I spied some potted lavender among the fall pumpkins and mums. I have never seen potted lavender for sale before so I jumped at the chance to take home a plant.

I've tried to grow my own from seeds and that never works out. At least I can enjoy this already grown version for a little while ... that is, if I can keep it alive. Gardening is definitely not my strength : )

I wrapped the plastic pot in some burlap and tied it with twine. It looks right at home on our coffee table with chippy finials. So very French farmhouse, oui?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- that French grainsack-like runner on the table is available in my etsy shop. I'm gonna have a hard time letting that one go : )

Linking to Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's.

Pinterest Inspiration

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Oh Pinterest, how I heart thee. Here's what's inspiring me lately...

{current fave image. via}

{rumor has it I might get to move from my cubicle to a real office at work. this picture makes me dream. via}

I love pinterest because I need constant inpsiration. I feel like my style is always changing and evolving. I'm never done creating, decorating, dreaming, tweaking.

{love the sink, topiaries, footed bowl, everything. via}

{this is my dream laundry room. via}

After gathering these images, I realized they all had something in common. Warm wood tones. Not just stark white. Pops of blacks and browns and woods and textures.

{those windows. i die. via}

{this is someone's closet. i want to be them. via}

Hmmm...now I'll have to figure out how to bring some warmth into my white little home. It's got my wheels spinning.

{from November's Country Living. Old wood and glass lockers were built into the wall to house china. This has endless inspiration for me. via}

{in love with the chairs, wall color, striped rug. via}

What are you inspired by right now?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

DIY Ribbon and Lace Chandelier

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I started pinning, I thought it would be fun to complete many of the projects I've pinned. As usual, life got in the way and I've pretty much only made one thing so far. A ribbon chandelier.

This was my pinned inspiration:

And this is my version (the original is by a professional photographer...so please don't judge for my lack of ethereally beautiful photos like hers : )

The project was simple. Just buy a medium embroidery hoop, color coordinated ribbon, and lots of lace.

Then cut all your ribbon and lace to approximately the same length (I cut some too short to begin with, so make sure you like the length before you cut a bunch).

Tie the ribbon around the hoop until it's completely covered.

Leave a little extra length at the top of the knots so it creates a "crown" around the chandelier.

Hang and you're done!

I really like how it turned out. It will hang in my closet, but for the photos I hung it in our bedroom. I'll use pretty much any excuse I can get to take pics of the bedroom...my favorite place!

I didn't have quite as much gray ribbon as I should have, but it still looks pretty with all the different lace. It adds some unique and romantic texture to the space.

What have you been creating lately? Any fun projects you're working on?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

from our home...

... to yours.

{live beautifully}
Courtney

A New Tradition

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last week my mama and I headed out for a night of fall festivities at our local Williams Sonoma store. They were having an open house and called to let me know I could receive 10% off for attending, on top of my 10% off for registering with them. Count me in!

My mom and I spent the evening chowing down on tasty autumn goodies like pumpkin quick bread, cranberry turkey paninis and apple cider. Yum! (Too bad I didn't think to take pics of this part...bad blogger!)

Besides purchasing some things I still needed from my registery, I also fell in love with this simple autumn gravy boat.

{love the leaf detail on top}

I just knew it would be the first of many traditions Matt and I will have as a couple around the holidays. Although this is probably one he isn't quite as in to as me : )

I know this little tureen will be a fixture at our Thanksgiving table for years to come (yes, mom, I'll bring it to your house this year : ) even though we don't host Thanksgivings quite yet. I want it to be something I pass on to my children.

Since we aren't hosting a holiday dinner I thought I would do a quick little Thanksgiving tablescape, just to give the gravy boat a proper test run.

Yep! Looks good with the dishes! : )

Do you have any traditions for Thanksgiving? I'll need some ideas to begin with our own little fam. Please share!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- a bit of housekeeping. I love to respond to your sweet comments! My favorite way is via email, so I can simply reply back to you. However, if you don't have your email address "visible" in your google account, all it says is "no-reply" and I can't respond to you : ( I will do my best to answer in the comment section, but if you'd like to to turn on your email, just go in to edit your profile and check the little box that says "show my email." I bet this would help a lot of bloggers answer your kind comments, which in my opinion is one of the best parts of blogging : ) Many thanks in advance!

I'm linking to Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's.

A Prairie Market

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's finally here! I'm shaking right now I'm so excited, but I just had to tell you that my Etsy shop is officially open! Welcome to A Prairie Market, my humble little shop.

Vintage Wire Flower Frog

Set of three Silver Goblets

Set of Six Tiny Silver Demitasse Spoons

I know I've been sort of MIA the last week (broke my excellent blogging streak, darn it : ) but now you know why! It's a lot of work to open an Etsy store. But I've loved every second of the shopping, pricing, photographing, researching. There are still a few items I need to list because I'm not sure of shipping (that part is tricky!) but they'll be there soon enough.

Vintage Sugar Sack Pillow

Vintage Linen Stripe Tea Towel or Runner

Ironstone Tureen

Stop by, have a look around. I hope you like it! It's a dream come true for me : )

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Baby Shower

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I recently had the privilige of giving a baby shower for one of my dearest friends, Talitha, who is expecting her first baby at the end of October. It was a simple shower, but I still wanted it to be festive and meaningful.

She's having a baby boy, but I didn't want the party to be too traditional. I was inspired by the colors in maps as the theme for the shower. I used soft lime, aqua and baby blue, with just a touch of navy.

For a focal point, I hung paper poms from the chandelier with lime letters and paper stars (ps- this is my parent's house...I couldn't fit more than four people in our little apartment : ). My friend Karis made the delicious and cute cupcakes, which were the perfect centerpiece. She makes amazing baked goods through her bakery, Genschies.

I made the little paper flags for the cupcakes and fruit, along with the paper bunting.

I'm in love with this striped grosgrain ribbon. I plan to use the black version in a lot of my Christmas decor, but the navy and white stripes were perfect on mason jars holding candles for the shower.

The shower turned out great, and I think Talitha got lots of wonderful gifts for their first little bundle. I can't wait to meet him in a few short weeks!

Congratulations, Tom and Talitha!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Autumn Texture and a Secret

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about decorating for fall is the texture. It's so easy to pull in natural elements like wheat or dried twigs, and even the patina of wood fits in perfectly during autumn. I break my rule of mostly white and add little hits of reds, oranges and brown, especially in natural, textural elements.

Today I thought I'd share just a few autumn details around my house. I truly apologize for the quality of these pictures. My camera really takes awful photos, plus I was in a hurry to snap these shots before heading out the door, which made things worse. So please forgive my sub-par photography : )

Want to know a little secret? This weekend I went on my first-ever buying trip for the etsy shop I'm hoping to open. I mentioned it way back here, but now things are finally falling into place and I'm excited to open the shop by November. So stay tuned for that! Several of the items in this post will be for sale in the shop.

I filled my tarnished sugar bowl with acorns and little pumpkin smell-goodies. I can't remember what the little pods are called but I love them because they smell like autumn and add the perfect bit of texture and color.

How have you added texture for fall? I'd love to hear your ideas!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and Farmhouse Fridays at LaurieAnna's and Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse.

A Little Color

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you were to walk in my house, or look at most of the pictures on my blog, you might think I don't like color. This isn't true at all. I actually love color, but find white and neutrals more soothing and easier for the eye to take in. I appreciate color in other people's homes or when used creatively. It's just not what I naturally gravitate towards for my personal style.

Sometimes though, I do need just a hint of soft color. This corner of our all-white bedroom was crying out for some subtle color and texture.

I just added a soft pink gown on a vintage wood hanger, paired with my favorite scarf and locket. {scarf from Aerie}

Just a little dose of color that's still easy on the eyes.

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Vintage Find: Ironstone

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

A vintage find that never gets old is ironstone. Perfectly white. Perfectly vintage. This weekend I stumbled upon an entire set at one of my favorite antique stores. I loved the lines of the gentle scallops, and the bird napkin rings paired with the set. The white pumpkin was perfect nestled among the dishes.

The price was good, but I really had no use or place for the set, so it stayed at the shop. It was lovely enough to photograph though, especially on the chippy farm table. Love it!

Have a great Monday!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Barnlight Electric

2011-10-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

It's a B.L.O.G. ... Barn Light’s Online Giveaway!

Barn Light Electric is giving away one $1,000 Grand Prize and one $500 2nd Place Prize to two lucky winners who enter. The two winners will each receive a Barn Light Electric Gift Certificate to purchase new lighting for their homes or to finish off that lingering renovation project.

THE DIRECTIONS

First, look around online at Barn Light Electric and pick lights you’d love to own. To view their lighting products click HERE

Secondly, feature your lighting picks on your personal blog, and link to the lights if you can!

Here are my picks:

I'd love this gorgeous chandelier for our bedroom!

And might choose this fluted pendant for our kitchen

Or maybe this industrial-inspired one...

Third, Copy/Paste "Giveaway Rules" at the bottom of your blog article

Here are the rules, in an easy to copy form:

1. Look around online at Barn Light Electric and pick lights you’d love to own

2. Feature your lighting picks on your personal blog, and link to the lights if you can!

3. Copy/Paste these rules at the bottom of your blog article

4. Once your personal article is up, you must email your blog link to:

contest@barnlightelectric.com to be qualified to win. The contest ends October 12, 2011.

5. Don’t have a blog? Find out how you can enter by visiting our website

Good Luck!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

A Breath of Fresh Air

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I read a lot of blogs. Like we're talking 250-300. I know, it's a bit excessive. But I just love getting a peek into other creative ladies' homes and lives, and the design inspiration can't be beat.

Sometimes though, I find myself needing a little pick me up. I've seen most of what's out there. I've pinned it. I've drooled over it. I just need something different.

Enter Frugal Farmhouse Design's living room photos. To me, they were a breath of fresh air. Just what I needed to see in order to rejuvinate my spirit and love for neutral decor.

Sometimes simplicity does that, doesn't it?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

all photos here
Whiteflower Farmhouse (her shop)
Whiteflower Farmhouse blog

Fresh Linen

2011-10-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love to have crisp, clean and fresh linens. I also am a sucker for anything that smells amazing. Perfume, hand soap, whatever, if it smells good I want it.

When I found this linen spray at Aerie, I knew it would be perfect to keep our linens smelling fresh and clean. The scent is heavenly. I think I've become addicted to misting our bed/room/clothes on a daily basis. The matching sachets do wonders in our drawers and closets too.

If you've been looking for some yummy linen spray, get yourself on over to Aerie. Seriously, I love this stuff! I don't think it's sold online, so you'll just have to take yourself to the mall, you poor thing.

I also may have a slight obsession with, well, everything in Aerie. Their clothes are completely me. They have a great mix of romantic, vintage and florals. I own a few choice items from there (I went nuts pre-honeymoon : ), but it's taken everything I have not to buy the entire fall line. Here are a few of my faves...

floral dress

floral tunic

softest tee

sweetest sweatshirt

floral lace tank

Happy shopping!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Hallway Help

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

I could use a little help. You see, the hallway I showed you the other day is a seriously boring spot in my house.

See what I mean?

I mean, my free artwork is awesome, but then there's the whole completely long blank wall thing going on around it, with no floor space for a table or anything. And our apartment is so small that that one blank wall is a big chunk of real estate. Here's what I'm thinking to pretty up a dead space. I have several options:

Wallcovering Options
1. Fabric

via

Cabbages and Roses fabric covered wall

Yep, you can put fabric right on your walls and peel it right off when you need to with this method. Great for rentals!
Pros: Looks fab, Cabbages and Roses now sells to the US, would add lots of soft personality to a taupe-painted rental
Cons: That's a long hallway. It might be a bit pricey to cover the whole thing.

2. Chalkboard

via

Yep, they make adhesive chalkboard paper that comes off cleanly. Another great option for rentals.
Pros: I love chalkboards!
Cons: That's a big a** chalkboard! Do I like chalkboards that much?

3. Antique Ephemera

via

Mmmm vintage book pages, vintage sheet music, the possibilities are endless!
Pros: Awesome, vintage vibe
Cons: I could be too lazy to sticky tack hundreds of book pages to a 10 foot wall.

Decor Options
1. Lots O' Mirros

via

Oh how elegant this would look in our little hallway!
Pros: Gorgeousness!
Cons: $$$$$$$!!!!!

2. Embroidery Hoops

via

I think this adds so much texture and interest to a wall. I'd definitely use some vintage-inspired fabric, hopefully Cabbages and Roses.
Pros: Adorable!
Cons: Too busy?

3. Shelf with Hooks

via

I think this is really the direction I'd like to go. It provides interest, storage space and display space without taking up floor space.
Pros: Perfection!!
Cons: None???

Here are my two options for shelves:

Cottage Shelf from Post Road Vintage

$155

Distressed Shelf from Bed Bath and Beyond

$54 ($43 with coupon)

So I think the general theme is I need a cheap, easy way to fill this space. I'm thinking my best option is probably book pages with the cheaper shelf. If I wanted to spend a little more, I'd go for fabric + shelf. But what do you think? I'd love your vote on what I should do from the options above, or even some ideas I hadn't thought of. How would YOU decorate this long, boring hallway? I'd love to hear your thoughts...ok I NEED to hear your thoughts! I definitely need some hallway help!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

PS- If you know of any other awesome vintage-y shelf/hook combos, send 'em my way!

On the Coffee Table

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! Do you ever find yourself noticing the "little things" on others' blogs. I love to look at exactly what's on someone's night stand, or in the middle of their dining table, or tucked into a corner. I think it's the little details that make a home. Sometimes my favorite pictures on others' blogs are pictures of their vignettes, especially what's on their coffee table. Maybe I'm weird, but I just think that's so fun to check out. So I thought I'd share what's on ours right now.

My sweet mother-in-law gave me a Groupon to a local boutique, and I got to pick out the two medium-sized finials. It was a very special treat because we are saving our pennies to buy a home and I don't get to shop quite as much as I used to. My "new toys" went front and center on the coffee table.

The white platter was a wedding gift from Target. I've had the tall wood finial for several years, from Home Decorators Collection. The terracotta pumpkin was 22 cents at Tuesday Morning.

The wire basket underneath holds ceramic alphabet balls from Pier 1 and Michael's.

This little vignette just makes me smile every time I walk by : )

Thanks for stopping by!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Farmhouse Fridays at LaurieAnna's.

Free Art

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love things that are free. Even better, decor that is free.

I had these two pieces of kitchen art, and I've always liked them. Only problem was I didn't have anywhere for them to go in our new kitchen. I knew I didn't want to get rid of them, so I got creative.

I simply printed off antique botanical printings from vintageprintable.com, affixed them to black paper, and slid the paper underneath the metal frames. Instant and free artwork.

{the french door leads to our entry staircase}

This tiny landing contains our "front door" from the staircase, the door to our little balcony, and the door to our laundry closet (to the left, not shown).

This hallway needed something at the end anyway, I thought. This does the trick! (PS- I have big plans for that huge blank wall on the right!)

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse.

Fall Mantel

2011-09-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday friends! Today I'm sharing my fall mantel (yes, I had to look up the spelling...) for Layla's Fall Mantel Link Party.

Since I have shelves above my fireplace and not a true mantel (boo hoo), it's more of a fall shelf styling party for me : ) As I've mentioned before, I don't like decorating shelves because they can look cluttered so easily, so I tried to keep things simple.

I love my little halloween man. He was $5 at Home Goods a few years back. I don't like to have tons of really "halloween-y" stuff out, but I think he's cute : )

I found several of these little terracotta pumpkins last summer at Tuesday Morning on clearance for 22 cents. Score!

I really wanted to fill the tall apothecary on the right side with small white pumpkins, but I haven't seen any yet. I've heard the drought and hurricane Irene have impacted the pumpkin crop this year, so I'm assuming that's why.

I plunked some Spanish moss and a pumpkin in a soup tourene. Instant fall charm.

The only new thing I purcahsed was this bundle of wheat from Dillons (of all places).

If you'd like to see the before of the shelves in their "normal" state, just go here. Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to head over to Layla's party for more fall mantel inpiration!

Happy Autumn!
{live beautifully}
Courtney

Taste of Fall

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last night I made pumpkin bread.

It was soft and comforting and delicious.

Recipe here.

Happy fall!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Master Bedroom Reveal

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there friends! I finally finished our bedroom after partially showing it to you before. So here is the full tour. I have to say I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think I achieved the soft, peaceful feeling I was going for, and it's a good mix of vintage charm and clean white. Just a warning, there are lots of pictures : )

This is the linen closet leading into our room. It's quite literally the only storage we have, other than the little closets in the two bedrooms and the cupboard in the bathroom. So we have to get creative with things. The drawers hold all my craft supplies/home improvement materials.

There she is, our room! I think I shared where most things were from in the first post about it. But let me know if you'd like the source for something. I'm sorry that I don't know the paint color, since it's a rental.

Even Matt said "Wow, that's a pretty picture," about this photo. So it must be good : )

I'm so glad I made the decision to take the sheers all the way across the window. They filter the light so beautifully and give the room so much soft texture.

I don't think I got to share my dresser the last time. I really enjoyed decorating this spot. I had envisioned either a silver or rustic oval mirror here, but when my purse was stolen and we lost our gift cards I couldn't purchase one. I had this mirror (from Target) in another spot, and it works great here! Another lesson in working with what you have!

The candles are from Target, except the tall middle one is the unity candle from our wedding. The silver tray is from the Dollar Tree (yep, really). The gray lace tray is from Anthro. The chiffon flowers and ribbon in the apothecary jar are from our wedding. I wore the white ones in my hair and the gray ones were on our cupcakes, all from Etsy.

The wire urn is from save-on-crafts.com. We used it to hold our wishing tree for the wedding. It's probably one of my favorite things in the room. The silver jewelry box was a gift from my aunt for high school graduation, and I've always loved it. My mom got the candlestick for me at an antique mall in Ohio.

My parents gave us this canvas print of one of our engagement pictures for Christmas. It's perfect in the space!

The dried bouquet on my nightstand is my bridal bouquet. The lace-wrapped vase is from our wedding. I never realized how many things in our room were from our wedding til writing this post : )

On Matt's side of the bed, I covered the plain side table with simple cotton fabric. The apothecary jar was my wedding gift to him and holds 75 reasons I love him, enough to read one every week for our first year of marriage and then some : ) The basket is the one I thrifted here. I whitewashed it a few weeks ago, and now it fits in perfectly.

On the other side of the room are my closet and vanity where I get ready every morning. I've always gotten ready in my room but it's especially helpful now since our bathroom just has a tiny pedestal sink.

I stole the oval mirror from my mom. I don't know how long she had it but I do think it was in my nursery as a baby. It was a dark brown and I painted it white, of course.

The desk has definitely seen better days. It's really more of a yellow-y cream in person. It came with my first-ever rental. It's banged up and dented and the drawers don't go in right. But it serves its purpose. The chair is from our kitchen set, which works perfectly because three chairs fit much better in our kitchen than four. You might remember the trashcan from way back here.

Can you tell I have a thing for perfume...and jewelry...

I made the earring holder years ago and it's still so useful.

This little space is one of my favorite parts of the room, I don't even know why. I've had the hooks forever and the wicker hamper is from Bed Bath and Beyond.

Well, there you have it! I love coming in here to relax after a long day. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and Farmhouse Friday at Laurie Anna's.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! How are you on this lovely Sunday morning? Yesterday we had the priviledge of having a fantastically lazy Saturday, and I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. They were delicious and the perfect was to ring in the official start of autumn!

I loved this canned pumpkin packaging the moment I saw it at Aldi. Isn't it beautiful? I love pretty packaging but you don't usually find it in grocery stores. This was a happy exception, and only 99 cents : )

The black, orange and white just pop. It's the little things in life!

Mmmm...the pancakes turned out soft, thick and yummy! A piece of fall in your mouth.

I had my trusty cup of coffee near by, with pumpkin spice creamer of course. The Aldi kind is the best I've found. It's delicious!

My peachy-orange roses were a bit faded by this point, but they still looked festive.

My antique kitchen towel made the perfect rustic napkin. (Thanks Talitha!) Smother with butter, syrup and enjoy!

Our fall breakfast table. The sunlight was streaming in, the coffee was hot, and football was on in the other room. The perfect autumn morning!

black + white + pumpkin = yes please!

Have you made any yummy fall treats yet? I'd love some awesome recipes! Have a great rest of the weekend!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Lovely Prairie Style

2011-09-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, friends! Today I'd like to welcome Jenn to Honeycomb Creative Co. She has some fabulous tips on creating lovely prairie style. My fave!

Hiya! My name is Jenn and I'm a writer for Arcadian Lighting, which is an e-commerce website that specializes in top lighting ideas around the world. I'm a fan of anything shabby chic. I love quilts, I drool over Jonathan Adler, and I swoon over beautiful light fixtures. I turn to great home decor blogs for both work and play, and a personal fave is Honeycomb Creative Co, where the posts, pictures, and ideas are always fresh and new. I'm thrilled to be writing here today, so thanks for having me!Sweet and simple, lovely prairie style is all the rage right now. Breezy colour palettes, delicate patterns, nature-inspired accents, all culminating to create traditional spaces that are beautiful in their own rite. A few delicate light fixtures such as pendant lights or wall sconces will complete the look.Take a look at these eight spaces that will make everyone fans of lovely prairie style.

A white slat roof, whitewashed antique furniture, and a myriad of eclectic accessories make this casual sitting room the epitome of lovely prairie style.

Sometimes two different motifs, such as white and yellow stripes along with the rosebud patterns seen here, come together wonderfully in a bedroom.

Hand-sewn quilts as well as blue and white china are a nod to the simplicities of eras past - they're the perfect showpieces in this country bedroom.

The appliances in this kitchen may look like antiques but they're actually modern-day models encased in vintage frames. The black marble countertops complement the eggshell cabinetry.

A chandelier ceiling light is a sophisticated accent piece over this aged prairie-style dining room table and mismatched chairs.

While the quilting and wood may be a reminiscent of traditional prairie trends, the bamboo cabinet and seashell lamp are unique and fun today.

This corner kitchen features open shelving to eliminate the clutter of closed-off cupboards. The all-white colour palette is clean and simplified.

Not only does this kitchen have all the necessary luxuries but it also boasts some distinct niceties, like a built-in bench, exposed ceiling beams, and double-sized windows.

Bring simplicity and coziness to your home with these prairie style inspirations. Visit Arcadian Lighting today to discover even more design ideas and an impressive array of lighting fixtures to match any style.Images (1,†2,†3,†4,†5,†6,†7,†8)

Thanks for sharing, Jenn!

{live beautifully}
Courtney

A Bit of Black

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! How are we all today? The weather is finally turning chillier here in Kansas, we have a few football games under our belts, and there are some fall colors beginning to peek through the summer green of the trees. I am ready for fall! I don't know if I'm completely ready to all-out decorate for Halloween/autumn just yet, though. I sort of want to slowly savor the changing of the seasons, and slowly change my decor along with it.

I thought the perfect way to warm things up and beckon in the changing season would be to add pops of black to my usually light palette. I've never been much of a fan of black, but lately I've found myself more and more drawn to it. I think I've been influenced by the way Jennifer, Janet and Trina can use it so beautifully.

First, I added this old street sign from one of my favorite bloggers/etsy sellers, Frog Goes to Market, underneath my kitchen shelves. I'd been looking for a place for it and I thought it really balanced out all the white going on on the wall.

Next, I switched out the pillows on my sofa for some simple silhouette pillows. I followed this tutorial from Dear Lillie for these and love how they turned out! One is Jane Austen, the other I like to think of as Mr. Darcey. In reality I think it's a silhouette of Edward Cullen from Twighlight, but I pretend otherwise as I'm not a big Twighlight fan : )

Also, I don't think I've ever showed you the collage above my couch. I just recently finished it with some of our wedding pictures. I love how it turned out, and wouldn't mind expanding it even more.

I had been looking for a neutral plaid throw for fall and winter, but all of them were soooo pricey. Then I came across the one above from Thomas O'Brien at Target on clearance for $27. We still have giftcards there so I went for it. Are you so tired of me telling you everything in our house is from Target? I actually have been thinking a lot about that and have been trying to bring in as many vintage elements as possible to supplement the "big box store" basics, but collecting those things takes time. Either way, I was thrilled with the gray and black plaid throw...Tarjay find or not : )

I moved the throw and pillows I had on the couch into the basket on the floor. I think it looks extra cozy, plus you can't have too many blankets/pillows in the cooler months.

For a final pop of black, I added these cameos of my sister and I as little girls to our bedroom. These are on Matt's side of the bed because I thought the black was at least a little masculine in the midst of all my white : )

I love the oval frame of the top silhouette, but my mom only had one, so the other two are in simple black rectangle frames.

How are you adding a fall flavor to your home? Have you broken out the pumpkins and gone crazy for Halloween yet? I'd love to hear what you all are up to!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Kitchen Shelves

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! How did the weekend go? I've been a bit absent from my blog lately as we've been busy and because I'm having some computer issues. Hopefully that will be fixed soon!

Today I wanted to show you the shelves my sweet father-in-law was kind enough to install in our kitchen. Our kitchen is not big, but does have plenty of storage space. But when you get married you get A LOT of kitchen items : ) So we still needed some extra storage to display our serveware/china. I simply went to Lowe's and purchased pre-made shelving and brackets. We aren't too "home handy" yet, so we had Matt's dad come over and install the shelves (hopefully we can learn to be handy homeowners soon...I'm sure it's a process!). The installation was no small task as our home was built in 1910 and the wall is some strange concoction of plaster, dry wall and plywood, with studs which may or may not have been in the right place. It took him 6 or 7 hours to get thse simple shelves up because of the wonky wall, and I'm forever grateful for the time, energy and care he put into installing them!

Please excuse the sideways "B" on the middle row. I'm still figuring out the best way to get it to stand up. It's meant to be hung but I think I'll use a plate stand to rest it on. I just haven't gotten that far yet : )

I love having this floor lamp in the corner of the kitchen. It adds so much extra light and make the room feel much more cozy.

My antique Belgian pitch pots are from Zinnia Cottage on etsy.

I couldn't resist this old cream and sugar set at the thrift store for just 95 cents. I love the patina of the tarnished silver against the white.

Can you tell that only one of these pitchers is old? It's the second one from the left. The rest were wedding gifts from Target or Bed Bath and Beyond.

I'm so happy with our little dining set from Target.com. Remember when I purcahsed it here?

I couldn't resist capturing the first bit of fall outside our window.

This is the view walking into the kitchen from the living room. The windows make everything so bright, which is wonderful in a small space. I've made the pass through our "command central" with a mail slot, chalkboard for notes/lists, and a wire memo board to hold papers, bills, invites etc. In a small space you have to think outside the box and this is our solution to a home office.

I have to admit, I don't feel like the shelf arrangement is quite done yet. But once again, I used only what I had on hand and didn't purchase extra accessories. My goal is eventually to add some interest with tarnished silver trays, woven baskets, chippy boxes and old cook books. But all of that takes time to collect of course : )

Below are several inspiration pictures I'm pulling from for the look I'm going for. I know I haven't achieved it yet, but it'll get there!

from A Country Farmhouse

I love the vintage feel this has, with the mixed elements of wicker, marble, tarnished silver and glass.

from Jones Design Company

This is the perfect mix of useful and pretty

from The Grower's Daughter

Everything Maria from The Grower's Daugther does is inspiring to me. Her style is simple, elegant and perfectly vintage. (and she's lucky her initial is an H and stands up on its own : )

What do you think girls? What would you add? Take away? I'd love to hear your feedback!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I can't tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to visit my little piece of the blogosphere!

{live beautifully}

Courtney

I'm linking to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and Farmhouse Fridays at Laurie Anna's.