DIY Flocked Pine Cones

Pinecones are a natural resource that is in no short supply around our house! We live in the middle of 10 acres of pine trees. I have more than I can handle! (Feel free to come pick some up if you so desire...my kids will be glad of the help!)

I love the natural look of pinecones, especially since they're so much a part of our home. I have found a way to use them that is safe and sanitary. I love using them in tablescapes or in baskets as part of my seasonal decorating, but I don't want any sap leaking, and I definitely don't want any creepy crawly bugs making their way out as we dine by candlelight! Simple fix...bake them!

I place them on half sheet pans and bake at 225-250 degrees for about an hour and a half. This low and slow method dries them out without making them brittle, and it kills anything that might have tagged along inside.

Once they're completely cool, I lay down paper and use snow spray to flock them. I picked up several of these spray bottles during 75% off clearance at Walmart one year. They were maybe $2!

I let it dry between layers. It's easier to build the coverage that way. I want them to look like they've been sitting in the snow, so I don't move them. I spray down from a slight angle, just like snow would hit them. I add a little more as needed. 

I store them in a box in my attic with my Christmas decor. Most make it through with no trouble from year to year. If I lose any, no biggie. I just grab some fresh ones and start the process over again! They really are a lovely addition to my decorations. The white really helped them to stand out. They would have been lost on the dark blue runner if they were their natural brown color. This is a fun, natural, low cost way to decorate!

 I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Farewell Fall...Decorations 2020

Somebody once said there are four seasons in the South: Pollen, Tornado, Football, and Summer. Truth. We usually have to make our own seasons around here, and one way I do that is to decorate! I usually put out my Fall decor right after Labor Day. You know, put away the white shoes and take out the pumpkins and gourds. (However, have you noticed that white jeans are HUGE this fall? I love that!) Anyway - Fall is starting to come down this week so I can do a quick, but thorough, house cleaning before I set up my Christmas decorations. I like to get a good two months (at least) out of them since it takes so long to get it done! (However, I've been transitioning to more of a Winter holiday scheme and not just Christmas, so a lot of stuff stays up through the end of January! But more about that later.)

The "Grateful, Thankful, Blessed" book stack (above) is hot right now. I'm seeing similar ones all over. This one actually came from Children's Harbor Thrift Shop. They were making them as a fundraiser. I think I paid about $5 for it which is much cheaper than what they're going for in boutique shops. They would be very easy to make on your own! 

I found this blue chest of drawers (chester drawers, anyone?) a few years ago at the thrift shop. At first I planned to paint it, but I liked the blue so much that I didn't bother. I have an old desk in the playroom that my mama painted blue years ago. They play well together. Blue is a bit of a neutral, but with a little more personality, right?

I love the mirror above it. It's across from my kitchen bar which holds the sink. It's nice to look into it, and it also makes the space feel larger. Magical mirrors! The mirror and lamp actually came with a small sofa table that used to be there. It was pretty, but too matchy-matchy, so it's gone now. The blue chest holds some of my seasonal decor like the artificial flowers I've been collecting. 

Speaking of artificial flowers, everything in this white pitcher came from Dollar Tree. I love how vibrant they are, and I thought these were pretty enough to sit out on a low surface. By the way - if you don't have some white vases or pitchers, get some. They're very farmhouse chic, and they go with everything! It's so easy to update them season to season.  

The pretty metallic wooden pumpkins came from Dollar Tree several years ago. So did the amber votives. I bought them this year for Jewell's 18th birthday dinner.  I love my wood slices. They're great for adding height, as well as warmth.

The tin hanging sunflower is from Bless Your Heart in Eclectic, as is the blue striped hanging frame. The collection is called "Round Top", I think. I have several that I have acquired over the past couple of years.

I used to change out my hutch decor each month. Now its changed seasonally. I just don't have the time right now to do it monthly. I moved out all of my whiteware and replaced it with my Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village" collection. Waccamaw basically gave me my first place settings! Not really, but almost! You can read about that here. 

I used some of my pumpkin collection to add a little color and then wound the orange leaf garland around the items on top, along with some fairy lights. The leaf garland came from Dollar Tree this year. I found two of them. I would have bought more, but that was all they had. You have to get there when they're just putting out their seasonal stuff because everyone is shopping there now!

I love the way my great-grandmother's copper jello molds pick up the gold and orange accents in the hutch decor. 

Here's another of the Round Top hanging pictures. I tried to spread the orange out around the room without being too in your face. The twig balls came from Hobby Lobby years ago, but they always have them or something similar. The "Count Your Blessings" pumpkin sign was a gift from a friend last year. I made the leaf garland last year (or maybe the year before?) from bagged leaves I found at Dollar Tree. I strung them on quilter's thread with a tiny bead in between so they would be easier to spread. Love them!

Here's more of my pumpkin collection. Most of them came from Hobby Lobby over the years. I get on kicks and collect things. Collections make the most impact when you display them together, but I didn't want them lined up like soldiers, so I put two of the orange wood strips pumpkins together (left) and put one on the far right. All of the pumpkins on the fireplace are made of twigs or wood strips, so they tell a natural story.

A lantern is a great decorating staple. It's usually always found on my fireplace hearth. I placed a large pillar candle inside, but use a small battery-operated tealight on top. I don't want an open flame near my propane fireplace.

I found this hay field Round Top this season. My parents live next door and have a huge hay field in front of their house. I absolutely love it when they cut hay and have the bales still sitting out. It's so pretty. I get the same vibe from this beautiful piece. I also LOVE the orange pumpkin made of leaves. It sticks with the natural story of the others on the hearth.

The pickle jar was my great-grandmother's. It's probably at least 75 years old. It's a gorgeous green color, and I swap out the flowers seasonally. It is definitely a treasure. 

I love painted furniture, but I'm so glad I have left my coffee and end tables natural. The wood is so warm and works with every season. I usually have a runner down the middle. It just adds another layer, plus it's a large table. It helps keep it from looking empty.

I found the tray several years ago at IKEA. It's a great neutral piece for any season. The cornucopia came from Adullum House Thrift Store a couple of years ago. It was .50 cents! The orange twine apples were on clearance at Ross a few years ago. The pheasant Round Top gives it some height. The white squirrel helps to lighten everything up.

Here's a closeup of another of the leaf garlands I made. 

I love to use coffee table books for height. I used to try to collect them on vacation where ever we went (these are from Williamsburg and Jamestown), but they can be really expensive! I take pictures of the ones I want in the gift shop, and then look on Amazon for used copies. It saves about 75%. 

The beautiful green velvet pumpkin was a hostess gift from my dear friend and Miss Manners partner, Nancy Itson. She made it. I left the note on it because it is so pretty! The amber votive holder and orange candle are subtle nods to my orange color scheme. 

I got this bench several years ago at Adullum House Thrift Shop. It was very 80's. I used some chalk paint and a light touch, then a very fine sandpaper. I'm so pleased with it. I think it was $15, and I already had the paint from painting Jewell's bedroom furniture. Her bedroom set was actually mine when I was growing up. I updated it with chalk paint. You can check that out here.  

Here's a larger view of the living room. We replaced our couches about 4 or 5 years ago, and I have really enjoyed the neutrality. I can easily swap out pillows and afghans for a seasonal look.

The stripe and Ikat-patterned pillows came with the sofa. I know the orange pillows (Ross) and the orange afghan (Kirkland's) don't match perfectly. That's ok! I just don't lay them side-by-side.

I have a couple of white afghans that work with any season. And of course we have to have a football reference somewhere! This football pillow came from Hobby Lobby a few years ago. 

Here's a closeup of "Jewell's china hutch". It has sets that I have been collecting for her. Lots of florals and pinks! You can also see my little lighted cherry blossom tree in the corner. I use the basket it sits in to hold afghans. I bought the wood screen pieces at an estate sale. It's actually a bookcase, but I don't use the shelves. I was going to hang the pieces on the wall, but didn't get around to it. I like the way it adds dimension behind the tree and actually makes it show up a little better. 

I bought these textured pumpkins at Dollar Tree several years ago. They were orange, so I took some dark green paint and painted them all over. Then I took some white paint and just patted my brush all over. I then carefully applied gold metallic paint to the stem and leaves. They were part of my 2015 Thanksgiving tablescape. I think they're pretty next to the gold-edged espresso cups I found at a yard sale.

Here's another one of her patterns. It's vintage Noritake. It's called "Ivanhoe". I have enough for tea. Still looking for dinner plates. I found it at a Friends for Faulkner yard sale.

I love to decorate on top of my china cabinet which actually sits in my foyer. I like to play with the heights, and of course fairy lights make everything prettier!

The white soup tureen came from a Friends for Faulkner yard sale. Its great for decorating around. The turkey tureen was a gift from a friend after her mother passed away. She knew her mother would love me using and enjoying her pieces. I was so honored. 

I collect the artificial greenery from thrift stores. It looks fine from a distance and it really fills out the space. 

The gold glitter pumpkins also came from Dollar Tree one year. They just fancy things up a little!

Moving to my dining room table. I wanted to carry the orange and natural theme into the room. 

This was an unpainted wooden tray made by one of the elders at our church. I painted it and distressed it. It's a generous size for decorating. I made the burlap runner for Easter one year. I use it all the time! The multicolor runner on top came from Hobby Lobby last year.

The orange leaves came from Dollar Tree this year. The fern leaves were something I ordered off Amazon this year for Jewell's 18th birthday party. I was not very pleased with them so I didn't use them on the table. I didn't send them back in time for a refund, so I am trying to use them where they're not the main focus. They'll be good this summer on top of my china cabinet or something like that. The taller orange flowers came from Bless Your Heart. They were 50% off during the Cotton Festival in October. The mix of items turned out nicely, I think.  

The antlers are "sheds". Gerald and the kids either found them in the woods or they came off deer that were not big enough to mount. 

The gold ceramic quail are just like the ones my grandmother had on her coffee table when I was growing up. I found these at a thrift store. I know they're not hers, but they sure make me think of her. They get moved around a lot.  

The acorns came from Hobby Lobby and the Indian corn was grown and given to me by my great uncle probably close to 20 years ago! He's gone now, so I really cherish them. It's dried, so it lasts from season to season. I store it very carefully. I just love how all of these elements look like they could have been found on the forest floor! Corn, acorns, antler sheds, dried leaves. Fall on a tray! 

My kitchen table has a pretty little teatime tablescape. It's pretty but easy to move at dinner time. I love to use my different teapots here. 

I picked up this teapot for $3 at Children's Harbor this past summer. All of these gorgeous fall-toned pumpkins came from Dollar Tree a few years ago. I see a few every now and then, but they go really fast. 

The espresso set is something I bought for Brack a couple of years ago at a Friends for Faulkner sale. He loves to make coffee.

I am SOOOOOO happy with this arrangement. The orange alstroemeria came from Amazon and looks so real! The tea olive greenery came from Bless Your Heart, and the white berries from Dollar Tree. I can't keep fresh flowers. Possum eats them, and many are poisonous to cats, so I have been investing in some very real looking florals. He took a bite and realized they weren't real, and then just left them alone! The white pitcher is Kate Spade. I found it NWT for $5 at a thrift store in Montgomery a few years ago.

Well - that's my Farewell to Fall decor tour! I'm leaving you with a pic of Jewell's 18th birthday family dinner tablescape. I'll blog it soon. I hope you enjoyed the tour! The golds and oranges were so warm and inviting this year. I love lighting the candles and turning on the fairy lights! But all good things must come to an end. I need to make way for my winter and holiday decorations next week!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Christmas Decorations 2019

Bye, bye, Christmas! I really hate to see you go...

Yep, I'm just getting around to taking down my Christmas decorations, but I'm not ashamed! I'd leave them up a lot longer if I could. It takes me a while to get everything up and even longer to take it down. How is that?!

Our schedule doesn't really begin to slow down until January, so I've really enjoyed reading by the fire at night and still being able to enjoy my decorations. I love to decorate for each season, but there is just something about Christmas...it's just so cozy!

I thought I'd give you a little tour - at least of our living areas - before I packed everything away. Here we go! 

I've tried to transition to more "wintery" decorations than those that are explicitly Christmas. These little red tartan deer are a great example.

I don't have a mantel, so I like to take advantage of my hearth as a focal point.

I learned a long time ago that displaying similar items together gives you more bang for your buck. These cone trees were collected from Walmart and Caffco over a couple of years. The angels came from Caffco, too. They're definitely appropriate for Christmas, but they don't scream "Santa". 

The tartan wrapped gifts came from Hobby lobby this year. The sleigh is from there, too, but is several years older. The little Christmas moose is Jewell's, but I don't remember where it came from. Cracker Barrel, maybe? The antique pickle jar was my great-grandmother's. It stays put year round, but gets different treatments depending on the season. The twigs you see came from Hobby Lobby several years ago. They were black, but a couple of years ago, I painted them white. Not solid - you can see a little of the wood underneath. It reminds of snowy woods. I've always heard that a cardinal in your yard meant company was coming. We love to entertain, so this little fellow (and a couple of his friends) are stationed around the room to keep watch for guests! They are beautiful and so realistic. They came from Bless Your Heart in Eclectic. (If you haven't ever shopped there, you must. At least come for inspiration. Their IG posts this week showcasing their new Spring merchandise are really what convinced me to take all this down.) The antiqued lantern came from Michael's. I use a battery-powered tealight in it for safety.

This little twig deer head actually came from Bless Your Heart. I won it at their open house a couple of years ago. I added the holly berries to his rack.

I love to display coffee table books. I change them out seasonally, so of course I pulled out some of my favorite Christmas cookbooks, as well as our copy of "Twas The Night Before Christmas". I added the red and green runner for Christmas. It came from Walmart - clearance right after we married - when I still had the energy (and desire) to do the big day after sales.

I've been collecting my Christmas pillows for several years - always on sale after the holidays! The red buffalo check throw came from one of my favorite thrift shops. It was $2! And it's wool...not fleece. Score! 

I have four afghans spread through the living room. Everyone loves to snuggle up during the holidays! This is actually a floor pillow, but it helps to soften this bench and make it more comfortable. (The bench was also a thrift store find that I chalk painted. I think I paid $15!)

Here's a bigger view. Excuse the harsh lamplight. Our home is really pretty dark. We're in the woods with deep porches, so we don't get a lot of direct sunlight. I keep lamps on all the time. Plus, I just like the ambiance! They're not that hot in real life. They just shine so bright because everything else is so dark. 

This is Jewell's china cabinet. It's in the living room behind my sofa. I scoot it over a few inches when I put up our tree.

I turned the lamps off so you could see it a little better. I have been collecting china for her for years. This is where it all goes! We used some flocked birdhouses on top. A couple of snow owls are roosting in among the china! And then I tucked in a lot of holly berries and other greenery just to add a pop of color.

I'll have to do a post on her china soon, but this pattern is 100 years old. It's by Spode. It's called "Copeland's Jewel". Jewell is named after her great grandmother, Jewell Ruth Dowling Copeland. Isn't that crazy? I'm still working on expanding her collection. I found the pretty pink glasses at a yard sale hosted by the women's auxiliary at Faulkner.   

If you look really closely - you'll see someone in the top tower window. Jewell printed out pictures of all her favorite Lord of the Rings characters one night (while we were all asleep!) and used them to replace all of our photos around the house. Yep. All of 'em. I eventually took them all down, but I missed this one, so I leave it there as tribute. 

My living room Christmas tree is full of clear glass, gold ornaments, bottle brush animals, and other natural elements. I also have my collectible Fitz and Floyd ornaments on it. It is so pretty!

My china cabinet actually sits in my foyer. I love to fill the top with beautiful things. The Fitz and Floyd deer are prized possessions and look gorgeous with my F&F platter and candlesticks.

Here's a closer look. The large deer are actually candlestick holders, but I think they're beautiful the way they are. The bedding deer is a lidded candy dish. I have collected Fitz and Floyd for years and always add to my collection when I can find it deeply discounted after the holidays.

My fine Christmas china is "Winter Holiday" by Fitz and Floyd. The dinner plates can be seen on the top shelf. I have about six different coordinating salad plates. The Santa on the bottom shelf is a teapot from the same collection.

The antique mirror belonged to my grandmother. My mother can't remember a time when it wasn't hanging in her childhood home. I added a pinecone and burlap garland.

We explained to the kids a long time ago that since we don't have a chimney (gas fireplace), Santa can just let himself in. Somewhere I have a key that we used to hang on the front door on Christmas Eve. Anyway, we also don't have a mantelpiece, so I hang the stockings on the chairs in my dining room. I really like the way they look. A Fitz and Floyd footed bowl and candlesticks from Caffco are simple but elegant on my dining room table. (They're also easily removed when we need the table.) 

I stumbled on the Willow Tree nativity set at Cracker Barrel a year or two after we married. It had been on display, and I got it for 75% off! 

The woven table runner almost looks like sand underneath. I leave the lamp in place. It kind of serves as a spotlight.

I put this centerpiece together this season. I pulled out the mug and saucer we use to leave cookies for Santa, and paired it with a letters to Santa mailbox I found on clearance a couple of years ago. I tossed in some silk greenery (Hobby Lobby) and some twine balls (Dollar Tree). As we received Christmas cards from friends, I tucked them inside.

I liked the way the stockings in the dining room looked so much that I bought some white knitted ones (Hobby Lobby) for the kitchen chairs.

I even tuck a few things in around my kitchen.

These snowmen came from Hallmark when it was closing in our local mall eons ago. They're so cheerful! I hope you've enjoyed this tour of our home. We have Christmas trees and other goodies throughout the house, but they're already down. I'll showcase them next year!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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