Five Ways to Use Nests in Spring Décor

We have been having some beautiful days here in Georgia and the flowering trees are in full bloom... all signs of an early spring! I am beginning to have the urge to add a little bit of it to my décor as well and nothing says spring to me more than nests! Sooo...I am sharing five ways to add them to your home.

DIY Rustic Terracotta Cloche Base

I am excited to share my latest fall creation with you, although I think I am going to enjoy it all year round! It’s my super easy and inexpensive terracotta cloche base! I think it adds just the perfect rustic autumn touch to my cloche!

Tiny Chalkboard Love!

Woo hoo! Look what I found…tiny little chalkboards…my new love! The French teacher in me is having a fabulous time…French words, chalkboards and chalk! What more can you ask for? lol

They come three in a package at Jo-Ann and have a not-so-cute gold thread as a hanger. Hmmm. So I cut it off and added twine with a glue gun! Now they are perfect! And they were $1.50...for three of them…waaaay cheaper than anything I have seen anywhere else!

Don’t forget that you have to “cure” them like you would any new chalkboard before you can write on them. Simply cover them with chalk and then erase. I just used a paper towel since I didn’t have a tiny eraser! lol

First, a big merci for my sweet friend Pat who sent me these vintage French spools...love them!

Or how about la poire to label this summery green pear?

Or le vin for my little wine vignette…and a chance to show you the fabulous vintage bottle wrapped in wickerwork that I found at Goodwill for only $1.91! I gave you a little peek in a previous post and promised to show you the whole thing. It once held Puerto Rican rum...interesting!

And of course, we must label our bread…le pain…although I suppose it should be le croissant, but that is too long! lol Plus…it’s been a very long time since I have shared my bunny chef. He’s meant to be a recipe card holder, but I like him better with a little chalkboard made from cardboard sprayed with chalkboard paint!

And I'm still loving my shabby pastry dome…made from a candleholder and a cheese dome! So frenchy!

And I cannot forget my petrified croissants…now two years old and still holding up! lol  I am having so much fun labeling things! What can I label next?

Hmmm…have I gone too far?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my tiny chalkboards! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Vintage Bird's Nest Cloche with Burlap and Chalkboard Sign

I am excited to show you this project because I am using some of my favorite treasures and Goodwill hunting finds! Spring is just around the corner and the bluebirds are inspecting my nesting boxes, so what better theme than nests!

I was inspired by Miss Mustard Seed (Gotta love her!) to put together my own little version of a nesting cloche vignette. One look in my stash and I knew I already had all I needed…so it was free! Here are my basic elements…vintage books, a sheet music wreath and some little nesting-themed accessories!  A tutorial for making the sheet music wreath can be found here.

Our co-hostess Miss Kitty reminds me that I have forgotten the most important part…

…a clutch of tiny bluebird eggs and the wonderful little box where they usually stay!

Several years ago, Mr. Bluebird had a very high maintenance wife who could not be pleased. He built her lovely nests in several of my nesting boxes but none of them seemed to suit her. She even laid an egg or two in the boxes, but finally abandoned them all before sitting on them.

So finally in the fall, I carefully gathered them up and stored them in this wonderful little box that I found. I love the bluebird egg blue interior…so appropriate, don’t you think? They have been there for several years now…my secret little treasure!

Another treasure is this sweet statue of an oh-so-frenchy little boy holding a nest with two tiny baby birds hungrily opening their mouths. I found it at Goodwill for under $4.00…one of my favorite finds!

The little sign was fun to make…a piece of poster board covered with burlap (attached with rubber cement) and another smaller piece sprayed with chalkboard paint and attached in the same fashion. Punch holes, add twine and voilà! Easy peasy!

And here is the copy cat shot…not identical, but of the same spirit! I’ll be posting this one at Debbiedoo’s for the Spring Copycat Party!

And there you have it…my springy, vintage-look nesting-themed cloche! What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my nesting vignette! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Debbie at Debbiedoo’s for the Spring Copycat Party
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday and the Spring Cloche Party
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday’s Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring and the Bunny Blog Hop
Jaime Lyn at Crafty, Scrappy, Happy for Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Me on Thursdays
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays and Spring Linky Party
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Magic Pumpkin Seeds for You…from France!

I can’t wait to show you my most recent little project…so cute and easy! And best of all…it’s French and free…my favorite combination!

It’s all centered around this wonderful wire cloche from Wuslu. Do you Wuslu? It's my new addiction! They sell one cute thing a day. Period. (It's not available at Wuslu right now, but I also found it here.) Honestly, Marty at A Stroll thru Life can tell you…I’m not a cloche person. But…this one is different! For one thing…it’s wire…gotta love that! I am just cloche-impaired when it comes to the glass ones!

And…it’s got a door! It’s sort of a combination birdcage without a bottom and a cloche with a door. Unique, huh?

On the inside...my vintage book bundle with a little baby pumpkin and something special that I will show you in a moment.

And if you know me and my obsession with mice, you know I had to have one of these from Pottery Barn…love it!

And here’s the French and free part…magic pumpkin seeds! Well, not the seeds actually…just the packet. I am always checking out the French websites for anything different…and this really is! I found it here on Marie Claire Idées among their Halloween ideas. Just click on Téléchargez le sachet illustré to download yours or I can email it to you if you can't get the link to work. Wouldn't this be cute for children? The front says Magic Pumpkin Seeds…

…and the back says…Sow these seeds along the forest paths October 31st before midnight... They will become lanterns, ghosts or a carriage… Hmmm…

Kitty and Baby Kitty are saying…Whaaaat? What’s that got to do with Halloween? What can I say? It’s a French thing! (More likely they are saying...This is my mouse!...No, it's mine!)

Here they are again…love the vintage look! I had to buy the seeds at Home Depot. You should have heard the clerk giggle. Yes…I know they don’t have time to grow!

And here it is again…my little frenchy vignette with magic French pumpkin seeds! And…I think that after Halloween I can take away the seed packets and the mouse, add a few leaves and use it until Thanksgiving. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Fall into Fall
Jill at French Cupboard for Voila!French Inspiration on Thursdays
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Michael at Inspired by Charm for Thrifty Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Fabulous Fall Fun
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Father's Day Gift Ideas...with a French Accent!

It was fun to see the store windows in Paris last week… filled with gift ideas for their Fête des Pères…Father’s Day…on the same day as ours! I was also excited to see my latest email from Marie Claire Idées, a French newsletter with lots of fun crafting ideas! For example, here's a fun camping stool made from an old flannel shirt that has also been used to line the creel-turned-picnic basket!

I love the masculine edge to this photo display with its frame made of branches!

Isn’t this clever? A framed organizer made from an old pair of  jeans!

If you are good with power tools...or know someone who is... how about reworking a piece of furniture to create a wine cabinet!

Oooh…I like this one…parts of old tools painted to serve as labels for the garden! Love the wonderful garden cloche in the background!

And finally, a cabinet revamped with a large print of a wine label! And…lovers of corks…just look at that pretty basket filled with them! Sigh! Maybe it’s a little too late to create one of these, but I am definitely filing them away in my gift idea file!
Bonne Fête and Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads in your life!

Christmas Home Tour at the Plate Addicts!

Welcome to the Christmas home tour at the Plate Addicts! It’s warm and cozy inside, so come on in and join us by the fire!

You may have already seen some of our home since I have shown you the mantel, filled with many of my recent projects… 

…and the dining room, all set for Christmas eve dinner!

So today I would like to show you some other parts of our home. This vignette greets you as you enter the door. I added little silver balls this year to tie in with my silvery theme and used some favorite silverplate pieces…a porringer and a wine caddy…as candleholders. I am serving corks in a little silver bonbon dish, much like the one I used in the dining room!

On the little pony wall, the fork candle from last year’s Christmas decor has gotten a shimmering new ribbon and is accompanied by a silver plate topped with a red bow and berries. I love this candle and change the bow with the seasons!

A second tree is found on the drop leaf table behind one of the love seats. This one is new this year…decorated with silver, blue and white! The bowl is filled with glittery fruit that I found at Dollar Tree…for 50 cents each! Beautiful and inexpensive!

Here’s a closer look at the decorations on my tree…flatware, napkin rings and salt and pepper shakers! The cute kitty and little plate came from my friend Kathysue at Good Life of Design and the demitasse spoons are from Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul!

And as a tree topper…this little urn-shaped salt shaker!

On the coffee table in front of the fireplace…my santos cage doll, holding a glittery ornament…

…and on my favorite grape-design Goodwill silverplate tray…a wreath dotted with silver balls and a red velvet bow surrounding a three wick candle! And do you see…just beyond on the media cabinet…

…a little vignette with some of my favorite things! The lamp was my mother’s and decorated our home at Christmas when I was little. And if you have been following my blog for very long, you know I can’t resist a mouse wearing clothes! lol Yes, I know…weird, but true! This one reminds me of Ratty in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame…my favorite childhood book! I gave him a jaunty Christmas scarf! And don’t miss the La Neige (“snow” in French) hoop ornament…a sweet gift from a dear friend who had it sent all the way from France!

A few more old favorites are on the painted table on the opposite wall…an ornament that was a gift from my mom, featuring little mice decorating their tree. It is sitting on some old books, GW finds a while back, under a little cloche…as a tiny wooden Santa and his reindeer stop by!

A tiny forest of glittery trees is on another old book…a Paris bookstall treasure…perched on the demi-lune table near the fire. That’s Kitty looking on and enjoying a warm spot! 

And here’s my third tree…sporting snowflakes and berries, along with a flock of little birds.

Most of them are cardinals…my favorite!

Another cardinal is nesting on the skirt, made of remnants of a wonderful French script fabric that I used to cover a stool and make a pillow…love it! This tree is on the little drop leaf table behind the opposite love seat. I decided that I would rather have three small trees than one big one.

And there you have it…our Christmas home tour! The staff here at Plate Addict and I would like to thank you for dropping by! We hope you enjoyed your tour…

…and that you’ll sit by the fire for a little while and have some homemade Christmas cookies and Russian tea! We would also like to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season! May this special time be filled with peace, joy and love for you and your family!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my Christmas decorations!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nester at Nesting Place for the Christmas Tour of Homes
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for Share the Decor
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Before and After Party on Wednesdays
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for the Holly Bloggy Home Tour and Transformation Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Linda at A la Carte for Junkin' Finds on Fridays
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
See you next time! A la prochaine!