World Market Rocks for Adding Farmhouse Style

I have been sadly neglecting my craft blogging duties and I have several projects going that aren't even close to being finished and I haven't added anything new to the Etsy shop of late.

I have a lot on my mind, a lot on my work plate, a lot on my to-do list and a very cluttered personal space that needs attention. 

But yesterday, I got to thinking about Cost Plus World Market.  Someone I follow on Instagram posted some awesome mason jar themed finds from that store, and although I have never been in a brick and mortar (nor am I sure there is one in the Connecticut area) I fell in love with the online shop when I was searching for glass, gasketed pantry storage containers last Spring (you might recall.) 

And here's a picture if you don't recall. 

Anyway, I found myself browsing last night.  Also as some of you know, my budget is on lock down as I save, save, save for our pending move in Spring 2016.  I can't and frankly don't need to buy any more home décor items.  But that doesn't stop me from admiring and coveting from afar!

I thought I'd share some farmhouse style finds with you, that are surprisingly cheap considering.  And you know I like cheap décor.  I don't believe in shopping at the fanciest places.  Instead, I like to gain inspiration from those places (like Pottery Barn or Williams Sonoma or Ballard) and find cheap sources of the same types of products.  Saving money yo.  Saving money.

It's really not that difficult or that expensive to change the look of your home a little bit at a time.  It surely is, if you do a full makeover, but I prefer to switch it up progressively.  It's more fun that way and more affordable.  Choosing a color scheme or a new theme (such as farmhouse, or floral or beach cottage or nautical) can get you started.  Be creative but be true to yourself.  Think about your hobbies, your family interests, your favorite colors, the feeling you want the room to evoke, and the functionality.  (Do you want to Relax? Read? Or do you want a vibrant space to inspire you creatively? Do you entertain in the space or is it for private family use only?)  Function is just as important as style. 

As you know, my personal style has evolved from a sleek, bright, contemporary love of red and black, to a more casual, country vibe that draws from the English and French countryside.  But, I still like bold modern prints, and I still love my red and black, only now I temper it with teal, turquoise, and white and an appreciation for more natural fibers/fabrics (hemp, burlap, linen, etc.)

Here is the link to this item.  27.99, and it's barn metal:

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/aqua+barn+metal+4-photo+frame.do

 

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/charlotte-lined-wire-baskets.do

 These lined wire basket would add practical, but attractive, farmhouse style storage on a media console or a bookcase in the living room OR kitchen pantry storage OR bathroom / linen closet storage.  These range in price from $7.19 to $22.49 depending on which size you are ordering.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/wire-3-tier-glass-drying-rack.do

 French drying racks work wonderfully as display stands for mug collections.  You know: for those of us that have extensive mug collections.  Want!   This one is only $14.99 which is a steal.  I have seen similar items at more expensive retailers for about one hundred dollars.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/single+white+cast+iron+switch+plate.do

  One easy and cheap thing you can do to add personality to any room, is to change out the light switch plates.  When I painted my bedroom when I first moved in, I ditched the ugly almond broken switch plate in favor of a matte finish black one from Target.  This plate is country and distressed but also an elegant and refined touch.   $6.99 a piece!

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/linen+clare+tufted+upholstered+bench.do

 I had to include one splurge item.  I love the idea of using a tufted ottoman as a coffee table, with a serving tray on it as the hard, storage surface.  This particular piece is expensive because the upholstery is done custom for each order, and personally I adore this antique red.  This would be a statement piece in a living room.  While it seems pricey, it's linen and it's made in the USA and hand tufting is no joke: very time consuming.   $343.99 each. 

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/aqua,+black+and+white+floral+rosie+table+runner.do

 This fabulous, aqua and floral table-runner is only $12.49 right now and I adore it.  Modern and yet, evokes a French or English country aesthetic. 

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/red+villa+stripe+table+runner.do

And speaking of French Country, you can't get any more French than a table runner inspired by a French ticking striped grain sack.   $12.99!  I prefer table runners to table cloths for everyday use so that you can still see the table underneath but it adds a pop of color.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/metal+3-tier+stand.do

I love the versatility of serving pieces like this.  Right now, I use a wooden three tiered server that belongs to my sister Jennifer but I'd prefer something like this because it adds another material to a room (I like combing wood, metal, ironstone, glass, etc for visual interest).  It also reminds me of a project I recently checked out on the Dear Lillie blog where she made an Ice Cream Station on a 3 tiered grey wooden server.  See link here: http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-little-tiered-ice-cream-station.html

But really, there are so many things you can do with a piece like this.  If you have a buffet or a larger coffee bar, it could make an excellent storage piece.  You could do a variety of themed stations, such as Hot Chocolate in Winter, or perhaps it could serve as a dining room table centerpiece during the holidays (can't you just see pumpkins, ornaments or greenery in there!  I can.)  So many ideas, and so much room for creativity.  $39.99 from World Market for this particular model.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/blue+geometric+cast+iron+teapot.do

 Not much needs to be said about this awesome, turquoise, cast iron kettle.  World Market has a large selection of awesome kettles and teapots / infusers in a variety of colors, and I love tea kettles just as much as I love mugs, so at some point I will take advantage of their excellent selection and affordability. $24.99 for something truly unique and far beyond your basic Farberware kettle.



http://www.worldmarket.com/product/floral+concealed+tab+top+rosalie+curtains,+set+of+2.do

 Now that I have begun dabbling in sewing, I finally understand why curtains are soooo expensive.  Fabric is not cheap.  A decent home décor fabric ranges from $8 to $50 dollars PER YARD and you need many yards to make a pair of curtains.  It's worth it to invest in curtains that you KNOW you are going to enjoy for quite some time.  I know they say that you should not design around one element in a room, but for those of us on a budget, curtains (like area rugs) can be a commitment.  My Threshold brand Farrah floral curtains (black and linen) inspired my modern French country redesign and I waited to purchase them until they were clearanced and actually traveled to THREE Target stores around Connecticut to find all 8 panels that I wanted/needed.   So, to make a long story short, curtains are not cheap for a reason.  Yes, these are stunning (and notice they are the same pattern as the table runner I admired above) and I wouldn't mind owning these for a long time.  These are $69.98 to $93.98 for a PAIR depending on which length you order.  Not bad.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/teapot+chalkboard.do

At $4.99 this is a ridiculous steal, and I would love to hang this over my coffee bar.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/distressed+gray+aria+oval+mirror+sconce.do

These definitely look like they would cost a fortune at Ballard or Pottery Barn.  They really evoke a French or English cottage style, and I would LOVE a pair of these to coordinate with my white distressed wooden finish pillar holders I currently have on the mantel.  $17.59 a piece! You can't beat that at Pier1 or Partylite or the higher end department stores.

Bennington Potters

My mother and I have been researching new places to live.  We both need a fresh start, in an environment aligned with our personal values and a place to encourage us both to shed our introverted ways and get out there and join something.

Bennington, VT may just be the town for us.  I had been there before, but Mom had not.  At any rate, I loved it more this time than the first time I visited, and frankly, Bennington Potters may have been the best part.

Here is a link to their website.  Bennington Potters

And here is an excerpt on their history.  American made pottery has a special place in my heart.

 (direct link to this quote here http://www.benningtonpotters.com/our_history )

The History makes it special

What makes this store so unique is not just the stoneware pottery, country home decor items, and Vermont specialty foods sold inside, but the history behind Bennington pottery itself. One of the oldest crafts known to mankind is also what has helped put Bennington, Vermont and Potters Yard on the map.
Pottery-making has been part of the area's economy since the Revolutionary War when in 1785 a former Revolutionary War soldier, Capt. John Norton, began producing "redware" glazed pottery. Bennington was a convenient location for producing redware pottery because of the close proximity to local clay deposits, as well as deposits along the Hudson River. Bennington also had an abundant supply of waterpower from local streams, which was necessary to power the machinery used at the time. Around 1804 stoneware pottery was introduced, which was more sturdy than redware pottery, and therefore more suitable for everyday use.
Through the 19th Century Norton Pottery and another firm, the U.S. Pottery Company, achieved considerable success employing hundreds of people and even representing the nation's pottery industry at the 1853 Crystal Palace Exposition in New York. Unfortunately both Norton Pottery and U.S. Pottery failed to keep costs down and eventually went out of business by 1858.
Even though the emerging 19th Century middle class was seeking both decorative and practical pottery items for their homes, the pottery business in Bennington began to decline significantly, and between 1911 and 1948 had nearly died out.
It was at this time that a potter by the name of David Gil began making ceramics as part of an artists' cooperative. Gil eventually opened Bennington Potters in a small unheated barn in downtown Bennington. In 1964 Bennington Potters expanded into a former home and business supply building located on County Street, where it is still operating today.
This rustic 1900s building was once the Home Depot of Bennington, located just 4 blocks from the old Bennington Freight Yard. This location enabled prior owner Henry W. Meyers to off-load coal, firewood, ice, lumber and farm equipment for home and business delivery.
Over the years, under the leadership of Gil, this former supply building transformed itself into an active craft pottery that today is one of southern Vermont's most popular destinations. Bennington Potters is also referred to as Potters' Yard.
*Excerpts borrowed from "Town's earliest industry still a survivor", July 8, 2004,
Bennington Banner, www.BenningtonBanner.com

Here are some photos I took from today to share with you!  I wish I had the money to fill my home with handmade, locally made, artisan items.  Someday!

Living an Artful Life: Creativity as a Means to Heal

Normally I save the serious posts for my personal blog, but I have been meditating on the subject of creativity and how it can assist in healing.

I have said before that I feel that the home and our location are intimately connected to our sense of serenity, purpose, and even identity.  That is not to say, that from time to time we don't find ourselves blocked, stuck, and at a cross purposes with our soul path.

In fact, it is in precisely those times that I think we should turn to art: and when I say "art" I mean the term in the most inclusive, all encompassing sense.  I think living an artful life happens every day.  It happens while you are sipping your coffee, and really savoring that moment.  It happens in the tub when you reach for that artisanal goat soap from your local farmer's market.  It happens while you are cooking dinner, or even while staring out the window with sudsy hands over a sink full of dishes.  Life is art.

But life is also pain.  And loss.  And disappointment.  And acts of creativity can help center you: it can literally return you to you.  I feel that the artist within is a direct connection to the inner child.  Who were you when you were eight?  What did you believe?  Who did you love? Who did you want to be?

I think that too many people worry about having "talent."  I think that is an unnecessary worry.  Creating isn't about being the best at anything.  Being a maker (living as a maker) is so much more accessible than we think it is, and that can heal.  When you purchase something off of etsy, you are a maker and a supporter of makers.  When you pick up those sharpies and do some zen tangle, you are "making" and healing your soul.  When you sit down with your child and jointly put some Crayola to coloring book page, you are doing something amazing.  This is not about being Picasso.  This is not about obtaining an Art History degree, maintaining a blog with the most followers, or branding yourself in such a way that you make a lot of money.  None of those things are negative in any way, if that is your particular journey, but those goals aren't the "point." 

Creativity is a spiritual fulfillment, and unlike other means of spirituality, it's not exclusionary or controversial or dogmatic.  It can be those things, but art is not inherently any of those things.  Art is life.  And the process of making art can heal the broken and direct the lost.

Style Evolution... out with the old?

I've never known exactly what to do with my love of interior design.  I've never had much money.  I have only owned my own house for 2.5 short years of my adult life thanks to my divorce.  Rental spaces are limiting and often small.  However, despite these limitations, my desire to create a cohesive home has never diminished.  It is definitely my "thing." 

Confession time.  When I was married, and should have been considering a family of my own, all I could think about was decorating a nursery, not actually using that nursery.  I took that as a hint that I wasn't ready for motherhood, clearly, but nevertheless, the constant drive I have to reinvent a room persists. 

Theme?  Color? Mood?  Your space offers up a canvas to tweak your own identity.  Sure, I guess I have a personal style: I tend toward a certain rocker chic aesthetic which I don't adhere to very strictly.  I do tend to like a dark and bold look, so I guess that is similar to my home decor design sense. 

But I have to acknowledge that since my divorce my sense of style has evolved significantly.  Though my preferred color schemes remain the same (black and white, red) I tend toward a more traditional, country feel and that was not at all true in the past.  I am having a hard time, actually, because these remnants of my old life and my old sense of style remain and are obviously contrary to this new sort of french country, natural, rustic direction I want to take my home toward.  I often wonder if my new appreciation for all things country is due to my career choice.  I work in organic marketing, and honestly, farm to table, local food movements have influenced my desire to live in a small town and develop a simpler, more organic way of living.

Out with the bold, geometric, modern Marisa motif, circa 2012 and earlier!  In with country.  If you had told me, when I was 18, that I would eventually appreciate a country style I would have told you that you were crazy.  Country used to be exactly what I hated: gingham and gold and 90's trend disasters like wallpaper borders and brightly colored carpeting!  But thankfully the new country that we see today is worth emulating.

But, that leaves me staring at pieces I love that no longer work for me.  And yet I am reluctant to take them down!  And I'm not entirely sure what I should replace them with. 

acrylic paint on canvas

acrylic paint, mock "stained glass" on canvas, made by me 2012

super modern throw pillows, need to recover?

I loved these IKEA lamps when I bought them in 2011

metallic wall art from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  They still sell this, and I still love it :(

black ceramic bowl with red inside: filled with decorative balls from Pier 1

These large dragonfly pillows are backed in red microfiber.  They came with the couch.  Never loved them.

So what do I do?  It feels wasteful to no longer use these things.  I know this is a familiar problem with most of the design bloggers that I follow.  How can you justify buying new things when you have perfectly good "things" already?  I know that many of them sell their old decor, but truthfully, mine isn't worth much.  I was a poor 20-something girl starting out on my own, purchasing items from big box stores or making things like these canvases.  So sad.  But I really want to perfect my space and move toward that look I am going for.

I recently picked up this frame from Michael's Crafts which is much more in line with my new sense of style: I thought that the picture of my nephew picking apples at the orchard was not only cute but very appropriate to the decor style! 

I'm not sure what to replace the art pieces with.  I don't know what sort of art or wall decor would be appropriate.  I keep looking around at blogs for ideas.  I notice that many display their vintage or antique plates, but seeing as these are rental walls I don't know if I want to hang anything heavy or potentially damaging.  It's an ongoing dilemma.  Burlap?  Shabby chic frames?  Wood or pallet signs?  Antique store finds?  Landscape or still life paintings?  I am just not sure.

DIY project I found on Pinterest, from the blog "Creative Mommas"

Wooden Pallet Sign, Etsy, from RescuedandRepurposed

As for the pillows, I'm not sure if I should recover them in toile?  If so, black and white or red/cream?  Burlap?  I also appreciate Parisian printed fabrics.  I am into words, lettering, monograms.  There are too many choices out there.

Etsy, Red toile pillow covers from Elizabethdecor

 

French script pillow from Wordgarden

burlap pillow, etsy, from thislittlehome

Help!  I am open to advice...

This Past Week in Pictures

 Hi Interweb friends,

I'm really settling in to New Hampshire life, and I'm at peace.  Naturally with the colder temps, I'm feeling more inspired in the kitchen.  Here are some pics of a breakfast and dinner from this past week.

The first is Banana Steel Cut Oat Casserole  (modified from this recipe found here http://findyourhealthyhaven.com/2013/02/25/blueberry-banana-steel-cut-oatmeal-bake/  )

Boil 2 cups of water and 2 cups of almond milk (I use vanilla UNSWEETENED in most of my recipes) and then cook 1 cup of organic steel cut oats in it (the longer cooking oats, not the quick cook).  I also added several tablespoons of cinnamon, and a teaspoon of organic almond extract to the mixture, as well as a 1/2 tsp of baking powder (aluminum free) and 1 tbsp of chia seed and 1 tbsp of flax seed.  Cook the oats until they are fairly well done and not too full of liquid (for me, that was about 20 minutes since I used the full cooking version of the oats.)   Now came the tricky part.  The original recipe said to add 2 egg whites, but I have no issue with yolks and just wanted to add one whole egg instead, however, even after removing from the heat, the egg pieces cooked immediately.   When I make this again, I will let the oats sit for several minutes off of the heat before I add the egg.   Meanwhile, I had sliced four bananas that I had previously frozen (see that yucky mess of peels on the cutting board in my pic!) and placed them in the oiled bottom (NON Gmo Canola) of a 9x13 pan.  I sprinkled a bunch more cinnamon and nutmeg on the bananas (did not measure, I love spices) and then poured the oat mixture on top of it.   The original recipe called for drizzling agave nectar on the top, but for me it was a no brainer to drizzle organic maple syrup (the real stuff, not some Log Cabin lookalike.)   I baked in an oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, and it was super yummy.  I froze individual portions to heat later. 

 

My second concoction this week was pizza.  I adore pizza.  Yes, I want to move to a clean eating lifestyle.  But I have to have pizza, and I personally see nothing wrong with whole wheat.  I don't have a gluten intolerance, and yes, I work in organic foods so I've listened to the debates as to whether we should ALL remove gluten from our diets anyway.  But, I know take out is horrible for me, so this is my compromise.  I used Cucina Antica Sauce (full disclosure, my brokerage represents them) because they are such an authentic, low sugar pasta sauce that might as well be crushed tomatoes with seasonings because they are such a rustic, clean brand.  (Incidentally, they are coming out with Organico Bello, which is a similar pasta sauce concept only certified organic.)   Anyway, I used wheat refrigerated pizza dough from the deli section of the store (short-cut, #semi-homemade) and layered that with the sauce, a ton of organic dried basil (fresh would have been better) and then cut up two sausage links from Al Fresco's chicken sausage line (sweet italian sausage flavor).  Lastly, I dropped pieces of mozzarella I shaved off a chunk.  Fresh mozz is even better though.  I like using this method, because it saves calories to not cover the entire thing in cheese.  And there you go.  I baked it at 450 degrees on my oiled (organic 365 brand EVOO) Pampered Chef pizza stone for 15 minutes.  Yummers.

 

 The rest of this grouping is just some pictures I have taken on recent bike rides.  Yes, I am finally getting use out of that Specialized Mountain Bike I bought this past summer.  The rails to trails starts right across from my apartment, and I am loving the New England, late Autumn scenery here in New Hampshire.