My faithful intern and I made a trip to the outlets in Dawsonville and to Lakewood Antique Market last Friday. I found this great vintage Dutch Boy paint can at one of the booths at Lakewood and thought it would be the perfect gift for HHM for Valentine's Day! I know Valentine's Day had already past, but HHM was out of town for both his birthday and Valentine's Day so I had some leeway. Inspired by my purchase, I changed up the table in my family room to pay homage to HHM for his birthday. He is of Dutch descent, so I like to throw windmills, wooden shoes and such into our decor.
HHM is also a big fan of houseplants so we made a quick stop at Lowe's on our way home to pick up this fern. I subscribe to the theory of treating plants like fresh flowers, you enjoy their beauty while it lasts, then you pitch them and buy something new. The tag states that this Lemon Button Fern is easy to care for -- we shall see!
Here is a before picture. The only items I kept on the table were the lamp and the Pottery Barn Navigation Desk Magnifying Glass (no longer available online but you may be able to locate one in the clearance center of your local store). The vintage stamps were a bargain at an antique store in Braselton last fall.
The ceramic peanut box and binoculars are also discontinued PB items, though the peanut box may still be available at some outlet stores. I would like to say I chose these items because HHM is a bird watcher and a nut lover - both of which are true. In reality, they looked good in the vignette. I always keep a supply of cigar boxes on hand to use for elevating decorative objects. Most cigar shops have a supply they will sell for $2 and up.
The gold peanut really stands out against the dark wood and the gold writing ties the two pieces together. The juxtaposition of the rectangular boxes with all the other round and curved pieces adds energy to the vignette. Now that we are empty nesters, HHM and I usually eat at this table so I kept the front half of the table empty. In the winter we enjoy a fireside meal, while in the summer when the windows are open we can hear the fountain bubbling in the background. (And, I am a messy cook, so we do not have to see the dirty kitchen!)
What areas of your house are you re-accessorizing for Spring?
Wendy