WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING… AND EPISODE 11

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

If you love to decorate… and love your home, guess what? You ARE a decorator! Just like me, you don’t need an interior design degree or a home that is designer perfection. You just need the passion to hone your craft! And that’s where StoneGable and Decorating Tips and Tricks comes in! I’m here to come along side you and work with you and cheer you on to be an even better home decorator! Today let’s talk about some very important things you should know to be an extraordinary home decorator!

Today on our DECORATING TIPS AND TRICKS podcast we are talking about lots of things you should know to be a successful home decorator. I hope you will listen below.

And you can listen HERE too and get our show notes and important links! And if you want to listen on the go you can subscribe to Decorating Tips and Tricks on iTunes and on your Android. We would love, love love you to SUBSCRIBE, RATE AND REVIEW us over at itunes.  That will really help! Thanks!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

Libraries and bookstores are filled with how to decorate books. They take up a whole lot of space in my home library too! Certainly, we cannot cover everything you should know about decorating here on the blog or on the podcast. But I want you to know some very important things that will help you develop the MINDSET of a decorator! I want you to start thinking like the decorator you are and wish to be!!!!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

Much of home decor is honing your craft and gaining confidence! The more you decorate the better you will get and the more confident you will become. Being a good decorator does not happen overnight. So here are some things you need to think about to become your very own interior decorator!

Let me repeat again… YOU ARE A DECORATOR! If you are reading this blog post you most likely love your home and decorating it too!

There are many fabulous interior decorators who went to the best decorating schools who’s style is so impractical for my everyday home and your’s too! WE know what works best in our own homes! We need reset our mindset and think of ourselves as our own decorator… because we are!

Our homes need to be warm and welcoming and work for our families! They should be our personal sanctuary! They should be a reflection of who we are and who lives within their walls. You can and should be inspired by other decorators but only you can create your own home!

If you don’t feel too confident about decorating start with becoming good at one thing like creating a fabulous vignette, or styling the perfect shelf or arranging an amazing pillow grouping! Just like going to school, learn one skill at a time and practice! You will probably be surprised how good you will become!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

 

A home decorator should know how to do home diy’s. Now you may not lay hardwood floors but you can probably learn how to cover a book with burlap and use it to enhance your vignettes and shelves.  

How about learning to paint furniture? I think a painted piece of furniture can be transformative!!!!!

You might be thinking… I just don’t have the talent! Well, you may not now but with a little practice you will!  I believe from the bottom of my heart that if you have the right TIME, TUTORIAL AND TALENT you will be amazed at what you can do. 

You cannot rush the learning process. It takes time! There are so so many thousands and thousands of tutorials on-line and in books! Be a diy lifelong learner!!!! And the more you practice the more talented you will become! Nobody gets anything right the first time!

Make the time, tutorial, talent idea one of your decorating mantras!

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

Another thing a home decorator should know is how to curate a personal look! I just love the word “curate”! It has taken on a new meaning when applied to decorating. To curate is to create a collection that is purposefully and thoughtfully collected for a specific look. It carries with it a very deliberate meaning. We should all be curating our homes to reflect us in beautiful and comfortable ways.

Again, curation takes practice and more practice! 

Think of yourself as a curator… much like a museum curator! Pick and choose what you put in your home with a very discerning eye. Don’t be afraid to edit things out. Don’t crowd your home with “stuff”. Give each beautiful thing you choose room to breathe in your home!

Just because Aunt Alice wants you to have her dining room set does not mean you have to take it. Love your Aunt but don’t get caught up in the sentimentality of an object! 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

Decorating is a lifelong journey. Decorating is not having the most beautiful home in your neighborhood. But it is about having a home that is curated and looks like you and is neat and tidy and oh, so comfortable! Decorating is all about a sanctuary for you and your family. A soft place to land away from the outside world. And it is about the joy of learning and loving what you live with!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

 

Decor does not have to be fancy at all. Less is often more and simple design preferred! Something as easy to create as an uncomplicated vignette using an old mirror as a base can be elevated to decor! It can be burlap books and used wine corks in a bowl! A simple, curated look with everyday items can be very beautiful! It can be design!

Let’s acknowledge our inner decorator! And get busy learning our craft!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

You might like to follow me on Pinterest and see all the thousands of decorating posts I’ve pinned HERE.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DECORATING- be your own home decorator by knowing a few simple things!

 

 

 

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245 Comments

  1. Thanks for saying what every homeowner needs to hear about their home.

    Now tell us the difference between your blog and the pod?
    Good luck with this newest endeavor!

      1. Hey ladies! A podcast is like listening to a radio station. You can push the little arrow in the box and hear our podcast today! Just another way to bring lots of info and fun to my StoneGable family! xo

      2. Oh my! You must listen to the pod cast! It’s Yvonne and 2 other bloggers (Anita and Kelly) and it’s like sitting over coffee with good friends. A lot of ideas and inspiration and tons of laughs! Thank you Yvonne for all your encouragement! I love your design style!

  2. So true about stuff. Some of the ‘stuff ‘ I have saved over the years has been culled out and donated to agencies that can sell it and make some profit for people in need. Now I can enjoy seeing some of the things I love that remind me of special times with my family and friends.

  3. I totally agree that a home should be warm and welcoming. I love my home and I want to live in my home so there is nothing fancy or outrageous here! And I love old mixed with new. I want my home to be comfortable! Thank you for being so encouraging and optimistic about decorating!

    1. I love decorating and making my home that reflects me and my likes…just as much incorprating seasonal things. It seems I’m always searching for more and different things . For the love of decorating!!!!

  4. Home should be our sanctuary. Comfort is important to me as well as my family. What works for us is not for everyone. Thanks for all the inspiration.

  5. Your post encourages growth and change…two qualities that keep my home updated by rethinking use of well-loved treasures. Thank you!

  6. I really, really thank you for the encouragement to keep learning how to DIY and continually be in the process of transforming my home into one that I love even better than I do now and without spending a lot of money in the process.

  7. Just finished putting together a vignette for my kitchen using a wooden tray,a small faux boxwood topiary and a fresh bouquet of early blooming daffodils from my garden. Yvonne you have been such an inspiration to me with your decorating tips. May your health continue to improve and much success with your podcasts. Love them.

  8. I just listened to my first Podcast and I loved it. You ladies are really imformative and fun! Can’t wait to catch up on the rest of the podcasts. Great tips and discussions on decorating. Thanks so much for creating this venue…

  9. I love saying the words “I am a decorator”! I did the on-line Interior Design Institute, but the most I’ve learned about decorating, is just jumping in and doing it! I don’t always get it right the first time, but that’s when it gets more fun!

  10. It would be great if you would do a post about your favorite decorating books. Share the titles of those you refer to over and over again for inspiration. Love your blog!

  11. My daughter in law is redoing her kitchen, so, I have sent her to you! She loves your idesand helpful tips! Thanks for being here Yvonne!! ???

  12. Just put some paint on the wall,waiting to see if I like it.
    Your home is always a work in progress.Keep Decorating !

  13. My problem is I want to do it all. There are so many great ideas on Pinterest, blogs, books, diy shows, and magazines. By the time I gather the items to make a project I am more interested in another one.

  14. Thanks again for the tips. Some years back when I read Proverbs 24:3,4 which says, “By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with precious and pleasant riches, rare and beautiful treasures”, I made that my standard. I ask myself, Is it precious to me? It is pleasant? Of course, some things are just necessary, but I always ask myself that when deciding on buying or keeping something.

  15. Thanks for the great tips; I like the touches of green in the room. Ready to add spring to my hutch decor myself. And thank you for the chance to win gift card.

  16. Thanks for defining “curate.”

    On another note, I get frustrated looking at photos on blogs because of close up shots that give only part of the whole picture.
    Please back off and let me see the complete vignette in addition to the close ups.

    Thanks!

  17. Yvonne, when you all were talking on the podcast recently (Episode 10?) about the painted floors, who were you talking about that had the floors you LOVED? I was hoping I might find a pick of it. 🙂

  18. Yvonne,
    I have been enjoying your podcasts with Anita and Kelly. You girls are lots of fun!!! I am of your generation and my major in college was Home Economics. I still feel it is a fluff degree, even though I took some tough courses. I believe that colleges offer that major now but with a different name. But back in the late 70’s home economics was still a choice for college majors. It was so important for me to create a warm, welcoming home for my family that I wanted to learn about decorating etc so I majored in it at college.

  19. You have a wonderful blog and now in addition, a podcast. I love your style and the wealth of information you freely give. I also really love that you are a woman of God and especially enjoy your Sunday posts.
    Thanks for all you do.

  20. Good post! Many ideas that can help each of us to have a home that feels like ours and nobody else’s. Sometimes it’s a struggle to identify what is most you and weed out what is not because we receive so much input from magazines, on-line and TV. I think for me, my first response to something is the one to go with. There are exceptions, but not many. And I don’t always go with my first impression until I’ve considered other alternatives. But if I come back to my first impression after seeing others it’s likely that is the right choice. That’s just me, though. Others may have different methods for making choices.

  21. I follow quite a few bloggers and have never commented, but I just wanted to let you know how talented I think you are and love what you’ve done. I always had a real passion for decorating all of my homes.

  22. Dear Yvonne- I have been reading your blog for quite some time now. I am 39 years old and truly appreciate your decorating “insight” and Sunday encouragements. You do a fantastic job with your blog- decor, food, etc.

  23. I love your encouragement – always exciting to see your decor & hear your thoughts ! I too love to decorate & I use your advice often !

  24. Thank you for sharing your encouraging advice and tips. The one thing I have a problem with is editing myself. I still struggle with knowing when to stop and not add too much. I have to step back and see if there is an item I should remove. But I’m working on 🙂

  25. Love these podcasts! Thanks for the encouraging words advising us not to accept that furniture from Aunt Alice. It is really hard when a family member pushes you to accept it because of it being especially sentimental. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t cave into the pressure. You want to have a home that is comforting and enjoyable!!!

  26. I love your beautiful home and have taken to heart your advice regarding shop your home! I have inherited a couple of homes and have enjoyed exploring and upcycling many hidden gems! Have also enjoyed listening to your podcasts on my morning runs! Very informative and entertaining!

  27. I’m always checking your blog for ideas. I love my home and always want it to be inviting and cozy. Thanks for giving me some great tips

  28. As I look at the room settings with bright colors and the new green trend I know that I would tire of it quickly. More and more I am considering all neutrals, but not gray,. Husband likes lighter colors and I do as well. Just not so sure how well it will work with the sweet black lab Lucy!

  29. thanks for the encouragement always. I feel so good when I purge and donate, just why don’t I do it all the time?
    I also love the food and recipes, but have to pass on most of them, just too many carbs. Don’t know how you do it.
    your home is just perfect!

  30. Curate, curator. What great words to use for decorating! Leave it to you to think of it and pass it along. Great advice!
    PS: The podcasts are informative and FUN 🙂

  31. You have inspired me to start my spring decorating. Our temps in Ohio have been warm but temperatures will be dropping again this weekend. That means I need spring more then ever! Thank you for all the wonderful postings. I look forward to them daily.

  32. Yvonne, I love your take on each of us being decorators and defining curate as it applies to us. You offer such fresh and insightful views I never tire of reading. Thank you.

  33. I love that you said you don’t need the most beautiful house on the block. I want a home that is warm and comfortable but, not one where grandkids have to sit on the sofa with their hands folded.
    Karen

  34. I really admire you for unashamedly and unapologetically sharing your Christian beliefs with others. When you said what you did when you had a really terrible day recently, it was a good lesson for us all. We each need to take a deep breath and ask God to guide us on our worst days , but also every morning before we face what life may bring us on that particular day. The trouble is: most of us don’t seek God on good/ordinary days; only in our darkest moments.

  35. ‘Don’t crowd your home’. That is good advice for everyone. The things in your home need breathing space or no one can appreciate the beauty of each piece you have selected do carefully. I’m not one for clutter and find an overly filled room claustrophobic.
    I’m enjoying your podcasts. It’s lovely hearing the three of you discussing the various topics and enjoying each other’s company, if only from afar.

  36. I’m always so excited when I see your emails in my box, early in the mornings! Your tips and tricks always inspire me. I love love love the podcasts. Thank you so much for giving us a part of your day and expertise. Blessings!

  37. I love all the green! Makes me hopeful for spring! On the sidebar I love your calico dishes. Those were our dishes growing up and I have a couple left, they are my favorite!

  38. I too love to hear the podcast. Lots of fun you ladies have! Now I know what your voice sounds like when I open your e-mails daily!! I have followed you Yvonne daily for many years because I love your talent, your beautiful home, and your belief in Jesus! Never have we met but you’re like an older sister who helps take care of “the rest”. Thanks for helping us all so much. I truly enjoy!

  39. I love your home and style of decorating. A little farmhouse, a little traditional, a little current style and some whimsy thrown in. Hope your ankle has healed and your pain has subsided Evonne.

  40. Such a great reminder to style your home for your own family’s comfort and that decorating skills develops over time. Thank you for such a wonderful post!

  41. Love all of you ideas and encouragement! I always read your blog with my breakfast to get my day off on the right foot. Thanks

  42. Just read your post on paint, July 2015 – we are painting our bedroom and I am going to get a sample of the BM Sonnet with the Atrium White for the trim, woodwork and perhaps closet doors too. Read all this while I was listening to Podcast 11! Thanks…

  43. I love your posts,I read and save everyone. You give great advice and I look forward to receiving them. Continue the great work.

  44. I just love the pod cast! Not only is it full of great information, it’s fun. Yvonne, you make me laugh out loud in every one. Keep them coming.

  45. Your site is always so interesting. It is motivational – in making you want to tackle the projects that you have been procrastinating on beginning. Susan

  46. Those greens are so comforting and inspiring ! I’mde-cluttering and inspired by you and your thoughtful words ! Thank YOU !

  47. I agree with your advice. I love decorating but it is very time consuming and I wish I could just find things and be done! 🙂

  48. I’d love you to send me a$100 gift card, too! ! lol
    Love your ideas. Going through my house with the thought ” if I had to downsize, would I want to take this?” It’s really helping in weeding out things I don’t really love or need.

  49. I agree with your thoughts about curating over time. A young woman visited my home this week and commented how she wished her home looked like mine. I smiled and said, “Well, it has taken 48 years to get here. This is a lifetime of gathering, purging, and collecting again.”

  50. This is all such valuable information, especially for the person just starting out. They need to be making wise decisions so as not to waste money.

  51. Wonderful information! I always felt so good when someone would ask for my decorating advice because They loved something I had done in my home. Thank you

  52. Thanks, Yvonne, for your blog and for being a continued source of inspiration and joy for me! Please keep sharing your beautiful ideas!

  53. The line about not becoming emotionally attached struck home with me. I have kept too many things because of who gave them rather than because the meshed witch my style. Excellent reminder!

  54. Just popping in to tell you that I love your posts and really enjoy all the eye candy! Your posts are always beautiful and informative.

  55. Love your style!!!! I am about as far away from a minimalist as one can get, but some bloggers go way over the limit, It’s hard to see the forest for the trees. You on the other hand, are very tasteful and your home feels so comfortable. Enjoy the blog!!

  56. Thank you for the ideas and encouragement. I really like the word curator, a great description for adding the layers of details. I enjoy a glass of wine from time to time and never thought to put the corks in a bowl – I am using that tip.

  57. This is the first time I listened to the podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and I agreed wholeheartedly with everything you gals said. I am not a professional, but I have always been a decorator. It is my passion, and I am constantly changing my home to reflect my current tastes. Life is too short to live with the same look forever. I remember my mother in law, (who is now passed,) actually bragging to me that she had lived with the same furniture, and decor for over 20 years. She simply could not fathom why I would want to change my style so often.

  58. Great reminder that we are all “decorators”! Looking forward to all the podcasts!! Thank you for your inspiration.

  59. Great blog post. I have started to remove excess furniture and items from my home I find the older I get the less things I need

  60. Great podcast, thank you for all of your efforts. I totally agree with:” Less is more and bigger is better” in reference to wall decor.

  61. I love the way you keep decorating ideas simple and inexpensive. I have de-cluttered my home because of your ideas. I also enjoy the blend of your ideas and some of the personal reasons you choose to come up with them.

  62. Thanks for sharing your paint colors …. I actually painted my trim Atrium White too! Saw it in your pix and fell in love with it.

  63. You have taught me how to decorate my home. If I have a question I go to your blog and find something to answer my question. Thanks for giving of yourself.

  64. Thank you for your comment on sentimentality!! Inherited items can be a blessing, but can also be a burden!!

    Important to be able to pass or part with an heirloom item!

  65. I always enjoy seeing new ways to decorate and especially love the pictures you put on your blog. It helps to “see” what we read. Thank you for all your helpful ideas!

  66. I have been following your blog and receiving your newsletters for several years and now I am sod excited to listen to the podcasts!

  67. I loved all of your decorating ideas and always enjoy looking at the beautiful photographs you take/post. I really like the burlap covered books and am going to have to give that a try! Thank you for sharing – looking forward to listening to the new podcast! Blessings…..

  68. I have been curating my home’s for many years. I have also done it professionally all without the benefit of a degree in design. Yes Yvonne you do need to have a passion for it, it is your greatest asset. Thank you for your StoneGable blog, I am a faithful follower. I always love learning something new.

  69. Thanks Yvonne for all the wonderful ideas. I have used many of your suggestions and am so happy with the updates I’ve done. Every where I look has some little “Yvonne” touches-such as a vignette on the kitchen table, lots of white dishes-which I’ve always had. Am enjoying your podcasts! Fun!

  70. Yvonne, I love your home and appreciate your tips. I can’t wait to listen to your podcast. I’ll definitely do that tonight!

  71. I just heard the last podcast and love to heard you , Anita and Kelli you are so much fun and thank you for remind me that” I’m a decorator” I always open and learning new things from you and other blogger. You are an inspiration to me.

  72. I love the touches of green! I’m ready for Spring to arrive. Tomorrow in Oklahoma it will be in the 80’s and Friday in the 50’s. Got to love Oklahoma weather. I would also LOVE for you to send me the $100 to spend on decorating!

  73. Hello Yvonne, thank you for this blog entry, I really enjoyed it. I am also really enjoying the Podcast. It is nice to listen to your voices instead of reading sometimes. : )

  74. Vos intérieurs sont toujours superbes. Votre décoration, votre style sont raffinés , élégants et tellement cocooning.
    Je suis une inconditionnelle de la décoration et du diy. Je songe sérieusement à en faire mon activité principale . J’ai toujours apprécié le style de vos intérieurs, chaleureux et soignés . Vous avez des idées formidables en matière d’aménagement dont je me sers souvent. Je fais entre ainsi un peu de vos intérieurs dans ma maison, ici, en France.
    Depuis mon abonnement à Stonegable, je suis d’autant plus ravie que je prends connaissance de vos articles tous les jours et c’est avec un réel bonheur que je vous lis.
    Merci beaucoup de nous faire partager tout cela.
    Une française ravie.
    Nathy

  75. Your posts are always inspiring. Time is the problem for me-and maybe inability to keep organized. I’m enjoying your podcasts very much.

  76. I think de-cluttering has to do not only w/decorating but other aspects of our being. Sometimes just trying to cram too much into one day, one meal, one wardrobe—we need to scale down in SO many ways. I want to do this, am not good at it, but am intentionally thinking about the “how.” You said “don’t get caught up in the sentimentality of an object!” Good advice but extremely difficult to follow.

  77. Loved the podcast Yvonne! It was entertaining to hear the 3 of you interact but informative too. Could you please speak more on the topic of scale? I have high ceilings and I try to practice big is better but somehow big art or a grouping on my walls still looks small. How do I obtain the look of enough not sparse or cluttered.

  78. Hi! I love your idea of creating a sanctuary for one’s family, but I must confess I am “too sentimental” with objects, I still have the books I bought like 20 years ago for college! Thanks for your tips! Best regards from Barcelona, Spain,
    Marta

  79. Great tips. I sometimes look at an entire room and get overwhelmed with how to redecorate. The tip of tackling one area at a time is great to help keep our focus.

  80. Your blog is the first thing I check each morning! I can’t tell you how many of your ideas I’ve bookmarked for future reference!! Thank you for your wonderful ideas.

  81. First time commenting, I think. But I have prayed for you. Enjoy and appreciate all your posts. Thank you for sharing the talents you’ve been blessed with.

  82. I have learned several Rules for decorating: 1. Use what you have. 2. Love the colors/textures you are working with, because you will have to live with them. 3. Break all the rules and please yourself. 4. Don’t go broke trying a new trend. But I love to see how you work your ideas into daily living space. Thanks for the great ideas and cute decorations.

  83. Enjoying your podcast very much as well as your blog. Hope SPRINGS eternal and my hope in being creative again is being refreshed and renewed! Thank you!

  84. Always can use your ideas with inspiration – downsized to a cottage – looking for flat surfaces to decorate with my treasures. Really difficult. Thanks from Judy c

  85. I have learned to move thongs around over and over and see what looks best to my eye. I think it’s fun to see what u can come up with in a room that you may not have thought of before. Your ideas really do inspire motivation~

    Thx!

  86. Love the part about adding decorator items with a discerning eye. My mantra has always been only keep or add it if you absolutely love it! You would be surprised how that in itself can edit your vignettes!

  87. I’m loving the pod casts. Makes me feel like I’m sitting with you guys having a spot of tea! Makes it all just a little more real with hearing your voices.

  88. I love the books covered in burlap. They remind me of “way back when” I was a kid in school and my Mom would sew book covers for my school books!

  89. The journey of waiting for insurance settlement continues as we plan for our new home. Meantime, I have most of it decorated in my mind’s eye. I am stuck on what will be the perfect coffee table. Your blogs continue to give me inspiration and open possibilities. You have NO idea the impact you make on your readers’ lives. Thank you. xoxo

  90. thank you for the podcast, as a retired educator I know that learned information comes in many forms. When the same information is disseminated in a variety of ways (as you do, your three ways o sharing information is perfect) thru text, visual and auditory means you are sharing your information with all types of learners, the visual and auditory only learners will benefit, and those of us that learn all three ways will certainly maintain the information at a higher level. So thank you for taking the time to reach every person and thier type of learning.

  91. Such wonderful and encouraging ideas and suggestions!! Thank you so much for sharing !!! As always….. spring updates are gorgeous!!

  92. Yvonne, I think this is the best advice thus far! I have always been one to decorate our home with what we love and feel comfortable with, even if it wasn’t the “in” thing at the time. I knew it was working when friends would visit and comment how much our home reflected us personally and how “unusual” it was.
    The best compliment I received by far was a couple Christmases ago when a dear friend brought her sweet mom to visit and to see our gigantic Christmas tree. She said, “Lauren, you have created such a happy home.” It brought tears to my eyes (happy ones of course). I have never forgotten it.

  93. I love the green and white vignette in this article. Green and white is one of my “go to” themes. I love the touch of burlap, it’s subtle but so nice and simple.

  94. Thank for the decorating advice! I like what you said that each of us decorate our homes with things we love. We are each unique. I enjoy your blog.

  95. I love all the transition to Spring images! About to set up a nw-to-me home and can hardly wait to begin decorating.

  96. Thank you for this post. I was contemplating whether or not to hire an interior designer to come in and provide some direction for some refresh work I wanted to do, but now I am encouraged that “I got this.” Nobody knows my home like I do and what I like.. Sometimes I get in a rut and want to throw my hands up, but your blog has given me that extra boost of confidence and creativity I needed to carry on. You’re the best!

  97. Love your blog. Thanks for bringing a touch of Spring our way. We got snow today after several days of sun and warm weather. Oh well! Spring is coming!

  98. I recently listened to your podcast about china and silver. I absolutely love both china and silver. I am on the board of directors for our local Hospice Auxiliary, and last fall we had a fundraiser that was a Downton Abbey Dinner and Style Show. It was so much fun! A local venue graciously rented us her “barn” for a very modest amount. We sold 175 tickets and I supplied china, stemware, and silver for all the place settings. I also purchased cloth napkins for all the place settings because paper napkins would just not do! It was absolutely gorgeous! We raised $14,000.00 for Hospice, so we considered the evening a success! Believe me, we were all exhausted after washing all those dishes and accessories following the event, but we still had a great time. Now I have all those dishes wrapped and tucked away in plastic containers. My next project is a dish house/room. I want to purchase one of those cute portable sheds. My plan is to purchase a good sized chandelier, place it in the middle of the shed, and line it with industrial shelving. I would then organize my china and serving pieces inside the shed so they not only look great, but they are convenient for future use! I saw something like this in a shop that rents supplies for wedding and it just took my breath away!

  99. Great information and tips … thank you for sharing I do attend to keep too much out due to attachments of memories and so on Thank you

  100. Love your new pillows. I also like the green tree, bowl and candle vignette. I am liking green and have added it to my living room and guest bath in small touches. Always enjoy your post and seeing your home.

  101. Thanks for helping me realize that I have been a decorator for years and years. My decorating style is what makes me happy and my family feels comfortable in our home. Warm and welcoming has always been my way, not fancy magazine style but real life, every day, relaxed comfort. I really enjoyed reading what you wrote today, it made me see what I have been creating all this time, was my home sweet home.

  102. Love your style and copy a lot of your ideas. I too have a room with floor to ceiling shelf units for accessories I change out and a peg board wall for wreaths garlands etc…as you say move things to different rooms and they look new..keep up the great posts

  103. I really enjoy reading and seeing your ideas!

    Yesterday I was out browsing and saw 2 things I loved for my guest room but didn’t buy them. Today I hope they are still in the store because I want them after reading a few paragraphs of yours today. I have done decorating in the past for others but since Hurricane Katrina, I think I need to do some updates on what I had done 15 years ago to my house after that horrible storm. Your ideas have inspired me.
    Thank you?

    1. Vickie, I am so so sorry! My heart goes out to you and all who have suffered so terribly! God bless you! I am thrilled that StoneGable is an inspiration to you!

  104. Again you encourage and cheer me on. I have loved decoration my many long years. Your tips are practical and the look is lovely. Keep it up

  105. Hello from sunny Scotland! Just wanted to say how much I love your blog and your style. I discovered you via Pinterest and have really enjoyed catching up with all your past blogs and now I recognise one of your posts instantly from a photo. I love using your tips for inspiration in my own home. Thank you for sharing all your lovely ideas and your beautiful home ?