Wednesday, September 24, 2014

A White Pumpkin on our Mailbox

Our mailbox was the first thing to get it's new do in early September.....the rest came about little by little.

I resurrected last years mailbox swag and just added the new, white plastic, pumpkin and a new big, burlap bow.

It's the first thing to be seen that adds to our curb appeal.




The theme is carried right up to the front steps

and onto the door.

This was the wreath, that I made, that hung over our mantel last year...it looked nice in there, too.

A welcoming stand is on the right.



The owl is a single version of my "two southern owls."

Thyme is thriving in my rusty, little bike.

Red mums are the perfect addition for my old milk container.

I made an impromptu hand painted flag to replace our old glory.

Sweet potato vines and russian sage are "happy campers," too in our antique wash tub.

A lamp post vignette to welcome our guests.

My cast iron chair looks rather bare....it's had many seasonal looks. Last year's fall look was here.

My new vintage bike got a touch of fall, too!




More white pumpkins, the Halloween kind, found a home in the pots in the landscape vignette.

 Last year's version of  our mailbox and post, if you missed it, was here.

Our mantel was the next to get done....I'll be working on that post and will be back to share it soon, too! 


   Love, Hugs and Kisses,
JP
and Gucci, too!



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Monday, September 22, 2014

Sand Pumpkins & My Sea Shell Obsession

 "Hello to Everyone!"
 I'm sure that most of you probably thought I dropped off the face of the earth, right? Well, actually, I've been totally enjoying my life living so close to the beach and I have become absolutely
 "addicted to shellin'!"
We have a lot of beautiful beaches nearby us, but our Oak Island is the best place to find some really beautiful shells around here. 


 Our screened in porch has become the place for me to display my growing collection of sea shells.

And to fit in with the tropical beach theme that our porch is now beginning to acquire, sand pumpkins seemed like a no brainer to me.

With no spray on glue in my supplies and my need to get my project done I opted to just brush on some mod podge and then dip it in some beach sand....two layers covered best.

Now, here's a look around the room at how I have displayed them.

  An aqua bottle, with some cotton rope that I wrapped around it's neck, holds an assortment of  "whelk" centers....I call them "swirls."

An old water jug holds sand and lots more swirls.

A peek inside.

Small "augers" fill a bottle and a "cockleshell."

These are some of my bigger "cockleshells," with speckled patterns in rust.

There's a trio in my rusty, wire candlescape.

And an assortment covers the soil of our patio palm adding a bit of interest to it's base.

A patio palm stands in one corner of the room.

This is our rear entrance into our Carolina room.

Of course I had to add a few shells to this wreath along with a few leaves for fall.

  "Whelks" are eagerly sought by shell hunters and quite a "score" when one is found!

The larger ones are my 6 inch beauties.

These are shiney, little "jingles" and are quite easily found.

An endless array of patterns can be found on scallops and are fun to collect.

Bits and pieces are displayed in a cast iron urn.



These are called "shark's eyes" or sometimes "fish eyes"....tiny ones are abundant, the bigger ones are much more scarce.

"Razors" are quite often overlooked. The smaller ones are delicate and quite easily broken. 

The larger 5 inch ones are harder to find.

Another corner with a table top vignette...

 with ocean barnacles on a plate of sand
  and below in a distressed wooden tote.

Some very special, Costa Rican, shells that were given to me from a friend are stashed in my little hanging cage.

Now, can you see why our porch is, by far, our favorite room in the house?

So, you see my fall decorating has begun....next, I'll be back to share our outside look and living room mantel with you.

  Love, Hugs and Kisses,



JP
and Gucci, too!



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