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This is the view today. I find it quite pretty and inspiring, but some people are adversely effected by dark skies and lack of sunshine, so, today, I am showcasing a few photographs with colorful ideas for the home.
This pretty dining room could be easily imitated by using any fabrics you have. There are easy ways to cover a cushion temporarily. One is to use the glue-back velcro and just wrap pieces of your favorite fabrics around and attach them temporarily. The goal is to create a bright and cheerful atmosphere inside the house, even if it appears to be gloomy ouside.
Clearing clutter and just displaying things that are pretty, can go a long way to lifting the spirit. These pictures are for ideas and inspiration. The purpose is to find something that would be feasible for yourself and in some way, put that nice touch in your home.
It is not necessary to decorate, or to know about decorating, in order to have a cheerful kitchen. The cleanliness and orderliness of this kitchen is beautiful, alone.
Lit candles are wonderful on a dark day. These come from this site , where there are more centerpiece ideas that would brighten up a dark day. There are now led-lites that you can use, which flicker, and are safer than candles. Candles in jars with a scent you like, can also be great for lightening a dark day.
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In my own home, I brought in an outdoor metal table and draped it with a green cloth, topped by a lace table cloth, and protected with a clear plastic, for water spills, tea stains, etc. This way, you can use your grandmothers's crochet table cloth. If you buy this plastic at Wal Mart, I would suggest the one with the black print paper background. It is the clearest and you can see your table cloth through it much better. You need 1 yard for a small round table like this. This table is sitting next to the fireplace, near the entry or the house, so that I can serve impromptu guests, any time, and will not have to gather up everything. Nearby, a basket holds a fresh package of crackers, and in the fridge are some things tucked away just for such an occasion. The teapot and cups are mix and match, some given to me, and some inherited. The lamp and clock are from yard sales.
Artists, such as Susan Rios
paint these humble indoor scenes.
Those who have visited me know that my house is not grand or rich, but that the effect of richness is felt, when you combine the harmony of color and light, touch, sound,scent, and a mixture of textures, together. Centerpieces and home arrangements are a great source of comfort and contentment. Arranging your home, instead of just putting up with a gloomy day, can go a long way to improve your mood.
24 comments:
Those chairs in the first picture are so practical for families! I would like to get some of those(IKEA?). We picked up our table at the thrift for an excellent price, but the seats are fabric, so I lay dish towels over them for the children - fairly easy to clean, but plastic would be better.
Alexandra
Dear Lydia,
I appreciate your flair for decorating on a budget and your willingness to share your ideas with your readers.
As for the preparations you have made for impromptu visitors which presumably include toothsome goodies stashed in your fridge, all I can say is "I'll be right over!" Just kidding ;) !
Kind regards from,
Susan T.
For some time now I didn’t know what to do with my small kitchen table and chairs. Rather than have the standard seat cushions and ties, I’ve kept the chairs bare. That is until I saw this pretty dining room and the small pillows sweetly placed in each chair. I very much like this arrangement; colorful, interesting and fresh. I am inspired! Thanks! Karen
Such lovely inspirations on a dreary day! I love them and am trying to make my home a bit more lovely each day.
Jan
Nice pictures. The dining room set-up looks like a Springtime image.
I absolutely love the pics of your home!! I know it has to be homey and a reflection of God's Love just like your blog!
Thank you for the time you put into posting to be an encouragment for us!!
Blessings,
Julie
I love the table that is ready for company! How relaxing.
I just love your blog Lydia and the comments about useful things to coincide with them are very helpful and encouraging.
Thought I would share a few things I have used and done when the weather if dreary.
I have often invited friends over for a tea by the fireplace.
I used an old quilt for the tableclothe, an old dresser scarf for a table topper, a teacup with flowers or tea light inside at each place setting and an old teapot full of either store bought bouquet or silk flowers or greenery from the landscape for a centerpiece.
For napkins I used pretty hankies, and for chair cushions old tea towels made into a cushion slipcover with bias tape ties.
Old aprons tied together into a bow make great window valances.
My friend who is a tea room owner used old broken car windshield glass to hold a flower bulb in a teacup. She watered them and they sprouted and blossomed. She she them at each table as a centerpiece. A nice touch for the Spring. Her customers came in every week to see if the flowers had blossomed.
I just love your blog Lydia and the comments about useful things to coincide with them are very helpful and encouraging.
Thought I would share a few things I have used and done when the weather if dreary.
I have often invited friends over for a tea by the fireplace.
I used an old quilt for the tableclothe, an old dresser scarf for a table topper, a teacup with flowers or tea light inside at each place setting and an old teapot full of either store bought bouquet or silk flowers or greenery from the landscape for a centerpiece.
For napkins I used pretty hankies, and for chair cushions old tea towels made into a cushion slipcover with bias tape ties.
Old aprons tied together into a bow make great window valances.
My friend who is a tea room owner used old broken car windshield glass to hold a flower bulb in a teacup. She watered them and they sprouted and blossomed. She she them at each table as a centerpiece. A nice touch for the Spring. Her customers came in every week to see if the flowers had blossomed.
nice ideas
beautiful images
cleanliness and happy colors make a huge difference
I love the blue kitchen!
I forgot yet again to post anonymously.
candy
The warmth of hospitality adds richness to any home and all the lives that enter it.
Lady Lydia, I noticed the little lace dollie you added to the lamp shade. It adds so much to the beauty of the table setting. Little touches like this add so much. the kitchen picture showing the triangles used as a valance can be done by anyone with a table cloth cut in half using only two points and such. I have even just folded a pretty table cloth over a rod, not cutting a thing so the cloth can be used again. Just one thing placed differently or taken from one room to be used in another can change the feel of a room. Really brightening it up and putting a smile on the families faces! I love this series!
Beautiful winter landscape photo!
Warm wishes,
Elizabeth
Beautiful winter scene photo, Lydia! I think it's a work of art!!
I am becoming more resourceful thanks to your advice here. Yesterday, I completely rearranged and cleaned my little girl's room and when she saw it, she was thrilled. It did not cost me a dime, but it took several hours to transform a mess into a room any little girl would be proud of.
Today, two packages arrived for me from ebay. One was a long dark blue dress in pristine condition and another was a copy of a vintage Victoria magazine. Including shipping, I spent a total of $20 on both items. The dress alone probably cost three times that new.
lovely.
:o)
A small home decorating "victory" that I've had this week came in the way of fresh flowers. On Monday I spotted some nice vases at the Dollar Tree while picking up birthday supplies for my daughter. I bought two. Then yesterday while doing the weekly shopping, I spotted roses on discount at our local grocery. They were $3.50 for eight. Beautiful pink and yellow ones. Now this Friday, I am enoying fresh flowers for about a total of six dollars! The vases will be reused Lord willing, and I'll keep looking for the discount flowers in the future.
Thank you Lady Lydia for such an uplifting blog!
I love how the pink candles in clear candleholders of varying heights mimics the elegant effect of a candelabra! Although all the holders are different, the fact that all the candles are pink and all the candleholders are clear glass unify the centerpiece. A good idea for "eclectic" (thrift store/yard sale) collectors, like me!
I have an antique table cloth similar to yours only more of an off-white color, showing its age. I love to display it and share the blessing, so I too use it under clear plastic. One of my guests told me how much more relaxed she felt, not worrying about a drip or two of tea here and there, or her children possibly tearing something. The plastic is such a GREAT idea and it is very high quality. I once did get a clear plastic cloth at the dollar store but it was foggy and not as clear as glass, like these are that you have shown. I think it makes a lot of frugal sense to be covering something like that with clear plastic, especially if you are a busy mother and dont want to be always washing things. These days, even the restaurants in my area use the clear plastic table covers, over elegant table cloths in bright colors.
I do have a photograph of the end of the bed, showing such a throw. It is an old chenille blanket from grandmother. The room is so small that I couldnt get very far away to take a picture of the entire bed!
You certainly are welcome to come and have tea. That is not the table where we sit. It is kind of like a buffet where guests help themselves and then take their cup and food to the couch or a chair in the living room. We are casual here when there are drop-ins.
I love your thought on having tea things ready to use any time anyone comes in. Also to have a few special treats kept to eat with it. This would make hospitality so relaxing for everyone. I had elderly neighbors that used to walk by nearly every day. In sunny weatherI would invite them to the back yard where I had set up a card table and chairs in the grass. I would put an old pretty table cloth and old fashiioned ice tea glasses and cloth napkins and fruit and treats out. It looked so pretty! We would sit under a tree and have our treats and talk of old times. Those times were so extra special. The cost to me was nothing but the memories and friend ship was priceless. Our family also enjoyed the special treat of eating out there under the tree. When we had company we would set the little kids tables around for the kids to have their own table next to the others. Even theirs had the old table clothes but theirs may have had a dresser scarf or such on it. What fun we had! :)
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