Advent calendar 1

Ladies and gentlemen,

'Tis the season... they tell me...

I feel I have neglected you, dear blog readers, as my time has been 

demanded elsewhere for quite some time now...

So, I think 'tis the season for an Advent Calendar especially for you.

Behind the different doors in this calendar, 

you will find small Christmas ideas that are either recycled, 

inspired by nature or simply 'on a shoestring'...

Most of the photos will be new, but some "recycled" photos of previous 

years' favourites might appear as blog stocking fillers too...

First up are more "lollipops", as they seem to be my theme tune at the moment. This time I made mini trees (lollipop-shaped) out of moss and small twigs, stuck them in recycled sweet corn tins clad with decoupaged napkins, made sure they stayed in place by adding gravel from our drive, and finally covered the gravel with a layer of rice. I thought these might be used when laying the table for Christmas, perhaps with one tree by each plate...

As I am a big fan of carrying a particular theme a little further if possible, I made a star cushion to go with the red star theme, using an old inner cushion I already had, some white sheet fabric, and made the star and the piping from my old maternity trousers that were just the 'right' red. 

So, there we are. First door opened and more to come. Some doors may be small, some seen before, but I hope that somewhere along the way, behind one of the calendar flaps, you will find that one little idea that might inspire you this December. Welcome back tomorrow, to peer behind door number two!

All the best,

Helena

Ps. Please remember that all images look better (and not so strangely cropped) if you click on them.

Dining Table Christmas Decor - Sneak Peek

Hey there!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and lots of yummy food!  If you're like me, you dig into the Christmas decor as soon as the Thanksgiving meal dishes are cleaned and put away.  It's festive and fun. 

Decorating for Christmas with my family is something I look forward to each year.  I've been stocking up on decor items that I've gathered here and there for this season and wanted to give you a little sneak peek of our dining room table decor for the holidays.

I've picked up some fun things on Etsy and have had so much fun putting everything together.  I can't wait to share it all.  I love this time of year.  Spending time with family and friends, baking goodies and, of course, watching Christmas Vacation.....puts a big smile on my face.

I also wanted to let you know that I've listed more walnut bread boards in my shop just in time for Christmas.  If you will be ordering these for gifts, now is the time to do so in order for them to arrive in time. 

Walnut is something I only have available during the holiday months so these few listed will be it until next year.

The photo above is my new long french walnut bread board.  These are available during the holiday season.

If you'd like to order, please click here.

I'm looking forward to finishing up our Christmas decor and blogging about it soon! 

Happy Holidays!
Diana

Hannah Turner Ceramics

The Hedgerow Collection

Dear readers, today I would like to introduce you to a ceramicist whose lovely tableware, playful patterns and cheeky birds are bound to cheer up the gloomiest of November mornings. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Hannah Turner! (To view sharper images, please click on them.)

Owl Eggcup

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of playing around with some of Hannah's items for some lifestyle photos, and with characters as charming as these, I could sit back and watch as they practically styled the session themselves...!

Owl

Owl Creamer Jug

Owl Creamer Jug, Owl Tall Jug & Owl Teapot

Every item in Hannah's different collections has its own unique personality, SO full of character, and you may think I am losing it now, but I could have sworn I heard one of the owl eggcups scorn the other for dropping its egg...

Birds

    

Peacock Eggcup

Some of you may be surprised to find this rather commercial blog post in what is normally an "ad-free" blog. However, I thought some of you might be curious to see one of the things that has kept me busy in the past few weeks, and if this means drawing some extra interest to Hannah Turner's funky ceramics, well I am very happy to do so!

Birdlife Collection

Birds & Birdlife Tableware

Should you feel your bird nerve twitching at the sight of these beauties, 

you may browse Hannah's webshop 

here.

 

Birdlife Collection

Again I would like to thank all of you who visit The Swenglish Home and 

an extra warm thank you to those of you taking the time to leave such kind comments. 

You make my day!

Wishing you a great start to the new week!
Helena

A New Member Of Our Family

Several months ago, a sweet little cat showed up on our doorstep and we were all completely smitten with her.  I blogged about her here.  But after about a month, she just disappeared.  We looked for her and posted flyers with the help of our neighbors but we never could find her, which left us all sad.  But I realized that for the short while that she was with us, we realized that we were ready for a pet.

My older boys have ALWAYS wanted a dog from the time they were small.  Especially our oldest.  But with kids with allergies and asthma, having pets has been something we couldn't do for most of their childhood.  However, as they've grown older, they have outgrown their pet dander allergies and I've been thinking that maybe it was time.  I grew up with a dog that I adored and I wanted them to have that same experience.

Occasionally, I would look through our local animal shelter for just the right dog, but the dog they had in mind was never there....until this past week.

Meet Andy....

We rescued him from our local animal shelter and it couldn't have been better timing.

I'm one of those types of people that tries to find a meaning and purpose behind everything.  Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it's not.  Most of the time, I choose to believe it's a positive thing.

When our oldest was only 3 years old (he's 20 now), his very favorite movie was Toy Story.  He absolutely loved Woody and Buzz.  We took him to the see the movie in the theater and he was so thrilled.  A big smile planted on his sweet face through the entire movie.  Then for Christmas that year, "Santa" brought him the Woody and Buzz Lightyear characters from the movie.  He loved them so.  

But his favorite part?

The "Andy" that was written on the bottom of Woody's boots.  He thought it was the coolest thing ever.

After all these years, we still have his Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys.

It's funny, at 3 and 4 years old, he went around writing "Andy" on several of his other toys, instead of his own name.  It's a funny, special memory that my hubby and I love to remember.

So, when I was looking at all the sweet animals at the animal shelter and came across a beautiful dog named "Andy", who was also the breed our son had always wanted, I just couldn't say no.

So, in a spur of the moment decision, we adopted him.

It was something our son needed and knowing how happy it made him,
made me happy, too. :)

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving with your families!!

A New Desk

We've spent months looking around for the perfect desk for our oldest son's room.  We really wanted to find just the right one without having to spend a lot of money and since hubby is always going to storage auctions, we figured that was the best place to keep our eyes open for one.

We finally hit the jackpot but it took me awhile to finally decide that it was indeed the jackpot.  This is what he brought home.

Neither one of us were a fan of the way it looked but it was solid wood and heavy.  Plus, I liked the modern lines and knew I could do something with it.  I just wasn't sure what, yet.

I went through a bunch of ideas in my head and kept going back and forth on painting it or not painting it until I finally decided to completely sand it down to the raw wood.  I really had my heart set on a wood desk for his room and I knew the wood could be really pretty if I gave it a makeover.

I hate using stripper so I tried to sand the orangey varnish off the top first.  Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to sand completely down.

At this point, my plan was to paint the base and only stain the top, but after staining the top with Minwax Dark Walnut, I loved it so much I decided to sand down the entire desk.  I also removed the drawer pulls and spray painted those with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

Also hiding in storage was a vintage school desk chair that needed a bit of repair and some new castors to look as good as new.  I thought it would go perfectly with the desk.  Here it is in the room.

I can't believe how perfectly the desk and chair go together and I didn't even plan that.  :)  And I love the color of the desk so much better now.

Our son loves to pin things on the wall that mean a lot to him so I decided to make him a pin board with an old painting canvas that I simply covered in a coffee sack.  I used bronze upholstery tacks for the "pins".  The pins stick into the painted canvas perfectly.

I still have a couple more things to do on the opposite side of the room before I show the full reveal.  And by the way, I was having a terrible time with taking photos that day because it was raining and dreary outside and I'm still learning the manual settings on my camera.

If you'd like to see the other projects in this room click here, here and here.

I have had so much fun putting this room together for him and I know he is loving it which makes me so happy.  I've also been working on our other boys rooms, as well, and will have some fun things to show you soon on that.

On another note, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving next week.  I'd love to know what you have on the menu.....I need some ideas!  :)  On Thanksgiving evening we always put up our Christmas tree and so I'm really looking forward to pulling out the Christmas decor, watching a Christmas movie and being with my family.  :)

Have a great day!
Diana

Souvenir Lifestyle Magazine

Hey there!  Happy Monday!  A couple of months ago, I was contacted by Melaine Thompson, the Market Editor for Souvenir Lifestyle Magazine, and she told me that my bread boards had been selected to be in the magazine as a gift idea.  Well, to say I was excited is definitely an understatement.  I was so honored.  If you have read our blog for very long, you know how important my bread boards are to me as they are a tribute to my Dad.  I was so thrilled to have them included and I know he would be, too.

I am a HUGE fan of the magazine, as well as, a huge fan of all the contributors and of course, its creator, Heather Bullard.  Getting to look through this magazine when it comes out each season is something I really look forward to as the photos and content are always gorgeous and inspiring. 

And this Holiday issue certainly doesn't disappoint.  If you are looking for some Holiday inspiration, here it is.  You can purchase an online digital version of Souvenir Lifestyle from the website for only $3.95, so, grab yourself a cup of tea, get comfy and prepare to be inspired....

And thank you so much Souvenir Lifestyle and Melaine Thompson!  :-D

Have a wonderful day!
Diana

Remembering a Gentler Time...

One day this past week a kind elderly lady was visiting our shop.  She was quietly sifting through a crate of old Christmas ornaments, taking such care in each one that she picked up.  After a few minutes, I noticed she was smiling, with tears in her eyes, and she seemed quite taken with one of the ornaments she had picked up.

Softly, she told me that the ornament was just like one that she had as a child and it recalled for her such wonderful memories of Christmas with her family.  It brought her such happiness... 

It also made me realize that the happiness on her face and in her heart from finding that tiny little ornament is really what makes this journey of ours so meaningful and not just a business venture.

I really hope everyone that visits our shop is able to experience that happiness.....memories of kinder, gentler times are something to be treasured in our hearts and recalled often. 

Have a wonderful weekend.  :)

Diana

Reader Redo - Ottoman

Hey there!  We've been so busy lately that I almost forgot about the Reader Redo Series we were planning on starting.  So, I'm gonna get right to it....

I was really inspired by this redo from Kat over at Maple Leaves and Sycamore Trees.  It really turned out beautifully.

She bought a table at Goodwill for only 10 bucks but then realized it was damaged.  Instead of throwing it out, she completely transformed it into a gorgeous functional ottoman. 

Here's a pic of the table as she bought it...

Pretty cute little table, huh?  But then she noticed one of the back legs was a little crooked....

So, she decided to turn it into something more functional for her family, which is awesome.

She removed half of the legs and spray painted them black.

Some foam, batting, pretty fabric and a LOT of work later, she transformed it into this....

Amazing!  I absolutely love it, don't you?!  And I'm loving that fabric.  You can find out her exact step by step process and see more photos over on her blog Maple Leaves and Sycamore Trees in case you'd like to try a redo like this.

Thank you, Kat!  :)


Have a great day!

Diana

A Christmas Open House

Hey there!  This past weekend our local downtown area had their Holiday Open House.  All of the amazing businesses participated and we were thrilled to be a part of that since our shop is now located in this beautiful area.

I don't know about you but I absolutely love decorating for Christmas and decorating our shop was just as much fun as decorating our home.  I really wanted the Holiday decor to reflect who we are and what our shop is so I put a lot of thought into it.

I really wanted to create a Christmas tree that was unique but vintage and industrial so I told my hubby to keep his eyes open on his picking trips for something that we could repurpose into a tree.

He definitely didn't disappoint, though he never does.  I woke up one Saturday morning to find this sitting in the back yard.

At first I thought to myself  'what the heck is that doing in the back yard?'  So, I asked him what it was for and he told me he thought it was the perfect Christmas tree shape.  Perfect!

Here's what I turned it into....

I wrapped the entire base in white wedding lights and then attached lots of vintage Christmas and Thanksgiving post cards from 1900-1904 with tiny wooden clothes pins.  Each card has actual messages written on the back from the sender and reading all the sweet sentiments from a time gone by makes them even more special.

For the star, I bought two metal barn stars from our local farm store, glued them together and then cut out a small hole in the bottom with metal cutters, then inserted a small dowel rod and glued in place with hot glue.   Then I inserted that into the hole that was already at the top of the base that held the part of the wind mill that blows around, and it fit perfectly.  It was the perfect Christmas tree to represent our shop.

For the other tree on the table, I wanted to keep it very understated, natural and simple so I placed it inside a vintage wooden egg crate, wrapped it in very wide burlap ribbon, added lights and a vintage wooden star topper.  I love the look of the tree sitting in the crate.

To add to the decor, I decided to make my own snow globes, so, I rummaged through our storage and found a case of old Kerr canning jars.

To make the snow "globes", I sprayed the inside of the jars very lightly with spray snow and let dry.  To do this, make sure to keep the jar quite a distance from the spray snow or you will end up with globs of it on the jar instead of a light mist.  I placed the jars on the ground and then stood above them and sprayed, letting the "snow" fall into the jars.

I found some little mini street lights in the Christmas miniatures section of the craft store.  I hot glued each one to the bottom of the jar and then covered with fake snow, not the spray snow.  Next I spray painted the jar lids with antique brass spray paint.  To give the jars a sparkly effect, I sprayed the lids with silver skin glitter spray that I found in the Halloween costume section.

After everything was dry, I drilled a small hole in the center of each lid and threaded a piece of hemp twine through the hole, knotted it, and then hung in varying heights from a very old wooden ladder that we hung from the ceiling.  I absolutely loved the look.  Very magical and who doesn't love tiny scenes inside jars.

I also made a few with tiny white Christmas trees, also found in the same section of the craft store.  You could also find these in the play train section.

I have to admit, the lamps are my favorite.....

I had so much fun decorating but even more fun at the Open House.  I spent the night before making cookies and caramel apple cider for our customers.

Throughout the afternoon, we literally had 100's of people come in and we felt so blessed.  It is such a joy talking with our customers and finding out what special treasures they are looking for.  Finding those treasures is very important to my hubby. 

It really couldn't have been a better day.  :)

A very special thank you to all our customers who visited us and who continue to return to our little shop.  This new adventure we are on has exceeded our wildest expectations and that couldn't have been possible without YOU.  Many, many thanks!

P.S.  If you'd like, you can follow along with our shop, as well as, find info such as the location and hours by liking our Vintage Accents Facebook page. :)

Lollipop love...

To better view the larger photos in this post, please click on the photos.

***

 - It's very dead, isn't it? 

The man in the house nodded towards what used to be a delightful olive tree, but what had, for a long time, been a rather sad sight...

- A-hem...well...

Having for some time refused to accept the sad state of my beloved tree, I was trying to buy time, not sure where this conversation was going.

- Isn't it about time you bought a new olive tree, because that one is really not pretty...

This ought to be good news, as there was an actual suggestion for the introduction of another olive tree in the house, but as I was busy feeling quite defensive about the attack on my green friend's appearance and knowing fully well I would not be able to find a new one this time of the year, I was not singing and dancing.

- Don't throw it away! I have a plan...

Now, this is not the first time these words have crossed my lips, and they were met with no surprise, even if I think I may have caught, out of the corner of my eye, the man in the house rolling his eyes...

***

So, armed with a bag of fresh moss, I set to work... and now, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce my new friend, the Green Lollipop! 

(I used the "skeleton" of the old branches and twigs of the olive tree and simply stuffed it with moss. To "reinforce" the lollipop against attacks from various paper aeroplanes, I used some this green sewing thread, but most of it seemed to stay in place just with the help of the little twigs on the tree.)

On one of the side tables rests the result of another nature walk recently: a star made from fallen down twigs. Could I possibly be getting into the Christmas spirit already...???

The tea light holder on the other side table is still one of my favourites, even though I am sure it will not  appeal to everybody in its rusty, quirky glory: an old chimney cap (to protect birds from falling down the chimney) with a small votive dangling in a rusty chain..

Otherwise, nothing new in the dining area...

 Even the walnuts are last year's harvest...

The last image was captured from the car on my way to the forest. Beautiful old stone houses climbing the green hills... through my Swedish eyes a VERY English view indeed!

Wishing you a great start to the new week and hope you stay 

warm and safe from hurricanes and treacherous icy roads!

Helena