Archives for January 2015

Decorating with Moss

January 29, 2015 Jennifer Davenport 2 Comments

Have you noticed that decorating with moss has really become popular? I love it! Why? Well, for one thing, moss is inexpensive! And this is a decorating idea that is easy! Decorating with moss is a bit temporary because it can collect dust like little squirrels collect nuts. And yes, you can gently Swiffer it clean, but after a while it needs replacing. But, hey! At a couple of dollars a bag, who cares!

This gorgeous design is by JFY Designs of Nashville! I recently attended a Parade of Homes, and boy did I hyperventilate at all the fabulous design ideas. This one was at the top of my list! How easy is this idea? Mason jars, sand, rocks, moss, a tapered candle and you have an adorable decorating idea.

Isn’t this just stunning? You could also place the mason jar candles on a dining room table, or a table on your porch. It would make quite a romantic look!

Here small moss balls were placed inside of a small urn. This is such an inexpensive idea, but such an elegant look!

These candle holders sit on a table outside. Just a little bright green moss, tucked into one of the candles sets the whole look! I usually purchase my moss from the craft store. It comes in bags of mixed varieties of moss, as well as one particular color.

Place some moss in a small silver box. This one sits on a silver stand in the master bathroom.

Another cute table display! One little tiny moss ball placed inside of a miniature glass dome. I am all about easy decorating ideas! Decorating with moss is a perfect solution. Have a fabulous day!

Make a Bridal Bouquet

January 28, 2015 Jennifer Davenport 1 Comment

I decorated for two different weddings this past summer. And, I will have to say making the bridal bouquet was my favorite part! An average bridal bouquet cost between $150 and $350. Below, is a bouquet I made for under $100.

Don’t let the thought of making a bouquet intimidate you. It is actually pretty easy, and below I have a step-by-step photo tutorial to show you exactly how to make one.

Choosing the Flowers

Below are the six flowers and fillers I used in the bridal bouquet. Flowers can be purchased by the dozen, half dozen, and what is called “bunches”.

Flowers:

Garden Rose – This was the most expensive flower in the bouquet. Garden roses can run around $50 -$65 a dozen. For this bouquet you only need six.
Double Stock – These add height to the bouquet, purchase 1/2 dozen. $12.50
Spray Rose – Purchase in a bunch for $12.50

Fillers:

Wax Flower $12.50 bunch
Hypercium bunch $12
Eucalyptus Orbifolia – bunch $10

The other supplies you will need to make a bridal bouquet are twine, floral clippers, hot glue gun, satin ribbon, and lace.

You can purchase your flowers a day early. When you get all your flowers home, trim all the stems and place in water. This helps them to stay fresh and will allow some of the closed flowers to open.

Trim Your Flowers Before Arranging

Some of your flowers may have some damaged petals. No worries! You simply trim the petal with scissors!

See, just snip off the damaged petal! No worries.

Next, trim all the thorns, and extra leaves off of the Garden Roses, as well as the Spray Roses. Once you have trimmed a rose, immediately place it back into the water.

This is what Double Stock looks like untouched.

Now, at first I felt horrible removing perfectly beautiful flower buds, but you really need to do this in order to have just the right size and shape bouquet.

Repeat this technique with your Wax Flowers, Hypericum, and Eucalyptus. You want about 5-6″ of flowers. Don’t worry about trimming the stems, you will do that later.

Time to Begin Arranging the Bouquet

You want to begin with the Garden Roses and the Hypericum.

Here I began with two large Garden Roses, and two small sprigs of the Hypericum.

Now add a Double Stock stem. I arranged three Double Stock stems, at the bottom of the bouquet. They were spaced evenly apart.

Stop here, and tie some twine around your flower stems. This will help keep the flowers in place as you continue to add more.

Nestle in some Wax Flowers sparingly. Then place a few Spray Roses between the larger Garden Roses. Keep the Spray Roses the same height as the Garden Roses.

Add the Eucalyptus to your bouquet. You will want to have your Eucalyptus higher than your roses. This gives a very airy and elegant look to your bouquet. Repeat the above process until you have used all 6 of your Garden Roses, and everything looks just how you like it. Take more twine and wrap around your stems tying tightly.

Now, trim all of your stems evenly. Eight to ten inches is a great length. Place your bouquet in water for about 30 minutes before adding the lace. Your flowers need a good long drink.

The Finishing Touch to Your Bridal Bouquet

Place a drop or two of hot glue on the twine near top of your floral stems, then begin wrapping the satin ribbon all the way down. Use more hot glue to secure the end of the satin ribbon at the bottom.

Now, place your bouquet into a glass with enough water to cover the stems. That’s it, you’re done!

What a beautiful bride!

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Outdoor Living Spaces

January 26, 2015 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

This summer I decorated for a wedding at the wedding venue located at Belle Meadow Farms. I thought the barn venue was breathtaking until my eye caught the stunning brick home sitting ever-so-slightly on a hill.

The beautiful farm is located in the rolling hills of Tennessee, and is owned by Susan and Howard Wilson. Susan was kind enough to invite me to return and photograph her outdoor living space.

As you exit the back door, you step onto a gorgeous porch. She has it decorated beautifully! A long distressed black table sits against the back wall of the home. A beautiful mirror and two matching lamps brings the indoors cozy look outside.

As if this back porch wasn’t beautiful enough, she has a large wood bed swing that would call my name hourly. I seriously wouldn’t get any work done if I owned a swinging porch bed. Nada, none.

This is the pool house. Yeah, again, I am salivating. Seriously, this pool house is so lovely!

This brick fireplace calls out to you, “come hither and sit”. The two dark wicker chairs make for a perfect spot to whisper secrets with your girlfriend.

They installed a sink, and area for grilling, and a small refrigerator. I asked if I could pack my bags and come live with them.

I love this table. The chain link, rope lamp, and old wood give it so much character. She had outdoor panels made, which soften this beautiful outdoor living area.

In the evening, the deer graze near of the edge of the woods, and gives a reminder to what a wonderful creator we have.

Creating Your Own Beautiful Outdoor Living Spaces

Owning a pool or pool house may not be a luxury for everyone, but everyone can create a relaxing outdoor living space. Here are a few tips on creating a special and relaxing outdoor area:

1. Comfortable seating is key when designing a cozy spot. I purchased Adirondack chairs and painted them white. Then a few outdoor pillows were placed in them, and they are a perfect spot to sit and talk.

2. Make sure you have lighting to set the evening mood. I adore the large round outdoor lights on a string. You can light several candles if electric lights won’t work for you.

3. Decorate with potted plants and pretty yard decorations. Natural items make the most charming outdoor decorations.

Speaking of charming, Susan and Howard embody southern hospitality. The photo shoot ran a little long, and edged into their dinner time. They were both gracious hosts, along with my new little friend “Gus.” Thank you both for letting me show your fabulous outdoor living space.

Flea Market Finds

January 23, 2015 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

One of my favorite places to shop is the Nashville Flea Market. I love to look for unique things for my clients as well as for myself! Many times when I tell friends or clients that I shop for home decor at the flea market, they respond with “Really? You find things there?”

I don’t just find things; I find treasures! When I first consult with a new client, finding out about their wants and needs, and particular decorating style is important and first priority. But, I always like to dig a little deeper. What are their interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes? What things do they already own and want to use in their design plans? How can I add to what they already own?

For example, I had one client that loved to take photos, loved antiques and things with history. I shopped the flea market and bought two different antique cameras, a vintage 8mm camera, as well as a vintage Kodak photo flasher. What did I do with these items? Well, they had two large bookshelves flanking their family room fireplace, and these items paired with things they already owned, made a really unique and interesting collection.

I found this cool old bench for a client who owns a log cabin. I covered the bench with real cowhide (yes, they sell that at the flea market), and painted the bench a pretty shade of blue to help it stand out on the cabin porch.

My husband did a great job integrating this galvanized bucket into the design of our ceiling fan!

So, is there a lot of junk at the flea market? You bet. But, if you are looking for flea market finds that you can turn into unique home decor items, here are my top 3 tips:

1. Get to the flea market early! Unique and cool items go quickly!

2. Shop the outdoor vendors first! Make sure you walk the entire outside perimeter of the flea market.

3. Although many flea market vendors now take credit cards, cash is still king.

Some of My Favorite Flea Market Finds:

This is one of my favorite finds. It is an old cable spool that I converted into an ottoman. I paid $20 for the spool, made a round pillow for the top, and hello! What a really cool ottoman for our bonus room!

This old metal lunchbox sits on our living room bookshelf. What a story it could tell if it could only talk! How many lunches did a sweet wife fix for her husband as he trailed off to work?

This cool table sits in my entryway. I sanded the entire piece down, and then gently coated it with Tung Oil to bring out the natural wood tones. I love the character this piece has, right down to the adorable key!

This old porch posts sit on a table behind my couch. The chipped paint, the worn wood, I just love them. I really love to accessorize with unique items. Again, what stories these posts could probably tell!

A Cool Headboard Made From An Old Door

This headboard used to be an old door! I paid $20 for the door. My handy-dandy husband framed the door with wood molding. Then, I applied a faux painting technique and whoop, whoop – – a cool and inexpensive headboard!

Be careful. The flea market it addicting. You get to meet a lot of special and unique vendors. There is one in particular, that I look for every time. She is a sweet, sweet lady in her late 80’s, and she sells vintage linens. Her husband is a WW11 veteran, and comes and sits with her. The linens are washed and pressed to absolute perfection. (A lost art in my opinion). They both are full of joy and kindness, and they make my day just to have a moment to chat with them.

If you see me at the Nashville Flea Market, be sure to say “hello”. I will be the blonde with a huge grin on my face, because I’m having a blast hunting for that next treasure.

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Valentine Table Decorations

January 17, 2015 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

Ready to create a special table?

Need a unique idea for your Valentine table decorations? Do you want to create a charming table for your guests or that someone special?

I like holiday decorations that don’t cost you a lot of money, and incorporate using things you already own. But, the really special idea we are going to talk about is a unique napkin ring craft that will be the center of attention on your table!

Valentine Napkin Ring Craft

How cute is this napkin ring? I found the silver napkin rings at Pier 1.

I have recently stumbled upon a really neat aisle in the craft store with a ton of scrap booking and paper craft embellishments. I just love how neat and unique these little letter embellishments are!

The letters have a sticky backing, so all you need to do is stick them into the little metal circles. Spell out whatever word you wish to have on your napkin ring, and then hot glue them on! It is that easy!

I really like to decorate with an understated style, and not clutter up a table. But, it is the small details that make all the difference. The scalloped stitching on this napkin is beautiful and adds just the right touch. This was another find at Pier 1.

So how do you fold a napkin before placing it in the napkin ring?

Simply lay your napkin out flat, pinch it in the middle and place it in the napkin ring. Then fluff our your napkin edges neatly.

If you really want to dress up your table, use a plate charger. They add elegance and style to your table. Break out your fancy silverware for this special dinner.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match. I love going to the flea market and buying several different pieces of silverware.

White plates go with anything. I love mixing and matching them with every holiday. Add a simple salad plate with either a touch of red, or use a solid red plate.

Make your own homemade place cards for the table. Use some heart stamps to decorate and give your place cards a touch of elegance.

Another idea would be to add a felt rose to your napkin ring. Just attach with hot glue. You can find felt roses in all colors at the craft store.

Styling your table for any holiday isn’t hard at all, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money if you incorporate silverware and dishes that you already own.

I hope you enjoyed these Valentine table decorations.

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