Miscellaneous Home Decor

As requested by my extremely large reader base, here are a few other items that I acquired on my recent shopping trip to the charming towns of Amador City and Sutter Creek. I typically only go once a year so I have to make the most of my visit.

I bought this vintage shelf not knowing if I would use it in the kitchen or the laundry room. As evidenced by the replica detergent boxes that are on it, ultimately I hung it in the laundry room. I really need some other things to put on it, but that will have to wait for now as I don't have anything lying readily around the house.

Close-ups of both of the replica laundry boxes.

I got this during my visit to "the towns" (I sound like a villager in the movie "The Village") last year and haven't hung it yet because it is an antique and thus, slightly rickety. Also, the washboard is glass and I plan to hang it right over our cat's litter box and I have horrible visions of it crashing tragically down on him if not hung properly. My husband went to Home Depot yesterday for some clips with which to hang it safely.

This is really just a strip of material which could be used a myraid of ways, like as a small curtain. I plan to use it as a table runner once the holidays are over. Below you will find close-ups of each hankerchief square.

'Tis the Season

I love to decorate my house for Christmas. This is largely because our main living area is normally decorated in dark browns and tans and a deep red and this lends itself especially well to Christmas decorations. Most of the rest of the year, I have a hard time finding the exact right shade of red for our living area, but at Christmas I delight and drown in masses of things in the exact right shade of crimson. Each year, I try to add some items to my collection of Christmas decor. Thus far, the bounty has been:

I have the smallest reindeer shown

here. I love how it's sort of pitiful.

(Pottery Barn)

We've never had a proper tree topper before and I loved the vintage glitter on this one. It is supposed to darken in color as it ages. (Pottery Barn)

We decorate our tree in red and silver with white lights, so this is a nice addition to our ornament collection. Plus, it's glittery, so I am hard-pressed to pass it up. ($3, Country Living vintage shop, Amador City)

Again...with the red and silver tree and adding to our ornament collection. (24 for $6.50, Country Living vintage shop, Amador City)

...And one more ornament. I like how awkward the lone snowman head is. ($4.50, Country Living vintage shop, Amador City)

To finish with the tree, I added four more strands of this red glass beading to my current collection. I should not have the trouble I did last year in draping them around the tree (I did not have enough). The beads sparkle prettily when the lights hit them. ($6.50 per strand, County Living vintage shop, Amador City)

I mentioned before how it is difficult to find the correct red most of the year. A prime example is this silk table runner that matches everything perfectly, but is only brought out in stores now because it is Christmas time. (Pottery Barn)

A closer photo of the table runner.

I have been wanting a wreath for our door, but didn't want to buy an expensive one that I adored only to have it stolen off the front door by hooligans, so this fake, plastic one will do the job fine. And I won't die if something untowards befalls it. ($9.98, Ikea)

Last are these glitter snowflakes. These (like the tree topper) will darken as the vintage glitter ages. I really cannot resist sparkly glitter on Christmas decor, as you may have noticed. (Pottery Barn)

I think I might be.

Am I a bad person if I ordered one of these "Complaint Free World" bracelets after watching Oprah interview the Pastor of the church who started it and have waited at least 6 months for it to come in the mail and now I think to myself, "maybe I'll start wearing it tomorrow?"