spring project - garden update

Credit for this project goes 100% to my wonderful husband. He spent all day Saturday making trips to the local nursery, picking out new plants, and then actually doing the work to get it all planted.

Here is the before, kind of. I forgot to take a true before picture so just imagine all this with just the vinyl sheeting. Pretty sad beginning, right? 

Back row is azaleas, and in front are pink and purple bougainvilleas. 

He added a few impatiens for more color variety (they were also fairly inexpensive).

and after:

He did a beautiful job, didn't he? I'm so lucky to have a husband that cares to create a beautiful home just as I do. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Only a few days left until the precious weekend is here again!

I'm linking up with...

Toot Your Horn Tuesday

I'll be there with (cor)bels on

On Friday night, the hubs and I got a much-needed date night out. Grandma was visiting and stayed home to babysit our son, so we went out for a night on the town to one of my favorite restaurants (Bonefish Grill).

Have you had their martinis? Their newest seasonal one - strawberry - is to die for.

Sorry for the bad pictures here - I wasn't planning on taking any pictures so I had to use my phone's camera.

Hubs & I had a really nice evening together. It's so important to spend time as a couple when you have a child, and it's always refreshing to spend time together one-on-one.

I'm so glad we had that time to relax, because this weekend has been a whirlwind of thrifting, garage sale-ing, yardwork, and projects. I have updates all these things planned for this week, but for right now I have a hungry husband whining at me so I'll make this quick - I have one awesome garage sale find I want to highlight.

I have been searching for a set of pretty wood bookends for months. I wanted them to be corbel-style, and I didn't want to pay a lot. Restoration Hardware has some for sale, but they were way too pricey, and I wanted something that had been owned and loved before.

I finally found these at probably the tenth garage sale I visited Saturday morning. The people were moving out of the country so they were really trying to get rid of everything.

These beauties were everything I was looking for.

Before I found these, I was planning on painting & distressing the set. But this pair is a beautiful cherry red color, and I can't bring myself to do anything to them.

I love the intricate carvings of flourishes and flowers.

They're beautiful. They're perfect.

The best part? I got a great deal on them! They sellers wanted $20 for the pair. I offered $15 and scored! Good thing, because the lady next to me was eyeballing them too. Oh, and the retail price?

$47.95 each. It must be love.

Also, here's a quick preview of the big project I've been working on. It's not quite done, but stay tuned for the full reveal later this week!

I'm linking up with...

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

little steps

Without risk, there is no reward.

A very wise person has had me thinking about risk lately. Risk in decorating, at the very least, if you can't or won't take larger risks in our lives.  The Nester declared today "National Take a Risk in Your Home Day" and challenged us this week to take a decorating risk in our homes. It could be something drastic, or as simple as investing in some bright new pillows.

I'm not usually a risk-taker. I like to play it safe and rarely take so much as a step over the line, so this was a little difficult for me. I've spent most of the past week thinking about a risk that I could take that didn't have too-drastic consequences.

Finally tonight, I had a lightbulb moment. I remembered a carved wooden wall hanging I'd received as a wedding present from Pottery Ban. It was sitting in my garage waiting to be sold at our upcoming yard sale because I'd lost the hardware to hang it with. I still loved the piece, and my "ah-ha!" moment saved it from the sale.

I've been looking for things to put on top of my cabinets (they've been bare since we moved in) and I realized this piece would be perfect. I tried it in a few places - it was a little tall and I'll have to adjust a bit more later, but it fits beautifully above my stove.

Then I found a vintage-style Parisian clock I'd forgotten about. It's been broken since I bought it on clearance at Marshall's a few years ago, but I still love it. I propped that up next to the scrolly piece.

And then just for fun, I threw in a wicker pumpkin I had laying around. It's technically an autumn piece I suppose, but isn't that what risk is about?

I never would have thought to put these items up there if I hadn't been challenged. I'm so glad I was, though - I love it and I can't wait to see what other items I can find for the space!

I know it's not much of a risk for some people. But for me, the risk was in learning to step out of the proverbial box and try different things. I'm learning to shop my house for things I already have. I'm learning to use things in ways other than they were intended and allow myself to be creative in my own way without confining myself to the things seen in magazines and catalogs.

What risks have you taken lately?

how does your garden grow?

Now that spring - oops, I mean summer - is here, the hubs and I are about to redo the landscaping and garden in front our house. I've been planning out what plants I want to include this year, and I am SO inspired by all the fancy magazine picture I've seen.

I've always loved hydrangeas, and this pink shira featured at BHG is gorgeous. They're a little too big for the small space we have, but they'd be perfect in my "someday house."

Source: BHG

And I totally adore these peppermint zinnias that Lindy over at Cottage Hill cut from her garden.

Source: Cottage Hill

And you can never go wrong with a little ornamental decor either.  I love what Michelle from Vintage Junky has done with a few found vintage items.

Source: Vintage Junky

I recently came across this Bienvenue wreath from Susan of Homeroad. Isn't it adorable? It looks like it would be pretty easy to change up the flowers on the wreath through each season...I think something similar is going to be on my front door soon!

Source: Homeroad

We'll be headed to the nursery next weekend, so stay tuned for the finished project!

What are you planting in this spring?

memories in the imperfections

I've been thinking lately about how easily we get attached to certain things in our home. They become part of us and part of our lives as they sit watching over us. They are there through the good and the bad, the joyful celebrations and the most difficult days.

Sometimes a minor flaw or imperfection in an item becomes the memory. A dent in a table may bring back memories of a special meal, for example. Or a stained carpet, though not pretty, may have occurred during a party among friends.

I started on this train of thought a few days ago after glancing up at the rooster that sits on top of my fridge. My husband bought him for me a several years ago when we were moving into our home. It was love at first sight (I have a torrid love affair with roosters in my kitchen - I'll make sure to dedicate a post to them someday), and I immediately set him out in the place of honor on my kitchen table.

Somehow, during the chaos of moving in, the tip of his tail feathers broke off. I was heartbroken.

Over the past few years, I've moved him around to different places in the kitchen to try to hide the damaged feathers. I finally settled on the top of the fridge. He's safe there from the hubbub of our crazy lives (and our curious toddler), and as you'll see in a minute the height of the fridge provides a more flattering perspective.

As time goes on, I've stopped seeing the broken piece when I look at him. Instead, I'm reminded of the feelings of joy and excitement we felt then. We were thrilled to be homeowners and to have such a beautiful, perfect new home. We were in awe of the possibilities that lay ahead of us - not just in decorating the home but also in what it symbolized - and humbled by the huge responsibility that being a homeowner brought with the title. It was the perfect start to our lives together as newlyweds, and a big step forward into the big, scary adult world.

It is one of my favorite memories.

So, how big is this break? In the grand scheme of things...not that big.

You can see it pretty well in that picture, right? But if you take a step back and look from a different angle, it's not so easy to see.

And looking up to where he is perched on top of the fridge, you would never even notice the missing piece unless you were looking for it.

So just because something is broken, flawed, or not-quite-perfect doesn't mean you should toss it in the trash - just the opposite! It's so easy to find a way to minimize the "problem" by turning it a certain way, changing the lighting, or even tucking the flawed part of the piece behind something else in a vignette.

What things in your home hold special memories for you? Are there any flaws that add emotional value?

Sweet Springtime

Spring is really one of my favorite times of the year. Winter is over, plants and flowers are growing back to life, little baby animals are being born...it's a fresh start for everything.

Yes...I live in Florida and don't really have any excuse to complain about the winter! But in our neck of the woods, it goes from winter right back to 85 degrees. Usually it gets so hot that the soles of our shoes melt if we set foot on the pavement. It's really rare to actually have a day that's cool, yet still gives off a touch of warmth from the sun shining on your face.

We were lucky enough today to have one of those days. It started off cool, but warmed up as the sun rose. There was a warm breeze blowing, and I actually turned off the A/C and opened up the windows. It was gorgeous, and it really got me in the mood for some spring decorating!

I brought in this little chicken garden decoration and propped it up above my stove behind some pretty green succulents.

I love the way plants and greenery brighten up a room. I would love to have some real plants inside, but my track record with keeping them alive isn't great so I'll settle for the next best thing.

My mom brought the chicken to me as a housewarming gift a few years ago. It's a sweet message, and since I don't see her as often as I'd like (she lives several hours away) it has a special meaning for me - like she really is wishing me a good day :)

I also found this little duck tucked away in my guest room. I've had him for a few years, and I just love his pretty blue sheen. Just having him out and about again makes me feel happier!

I caught this sweet moment with my son while I was watering my herbs this afternoon. He's seen me smelling the mint and lavender before, and since he likes to copy everything my hubby and I do, he pretended to do the same. I'm lucky that I had the camera handy to capture it! 

(Now, if I could just get him to copy me doing the dishes...Kidding!)

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

I'm linking up with Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors. Thanks for visiting!

Simplify: The Closet

Tsh over at Simple Mom is hosting a five week organization challenge. She'll guide us throughout our homes to find hidden "hot spots" to attack and declutter. I'm participating to try to get these areas of my house under control.



This week, the hot spot is the closet. I know - I was pretty intimidated at first too. I had good intentions, but I've put it off all week and just realized it's Thursday night. I guess I should get around to tackling it, huh?

I had already started weeding out old clothes a few weeks ago, and I've done a few Goodwill runs to donate the  "rejects." Most of the things left we actually do wear, although I'm sure I could find more to donate if I was harder on myself.

Now, I have a confession: I didn't go through every single item or pull everything down from the shelves. Instead, I took a tip from The Nester and organized all our clothes by color. The way I had the clothes organized before just wasn't working. I took a "before" picture for you, but apparently the memory card wasn't in the camera so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

The "After"

My side

Hubby's side

It looks SO much better already. Just having everything sorted with like colors made a world of difference - and now I can see just how much black I actually own. Yuck.

I still have plenty of work to do to clear off the shelves, but even baby steps are progress, right?

Etsy Favorites - Reading

Mondays can be pretty rough days, and window shopping for pretty things always makes me feel a little better. Here are my favorite Etsy finds for this week!

Today's theme is reading. There's really nothing quite like curling up with a good book, is there? And there are some things that make it even better...

from ChunkyMonkeyShop

Friends Book Marks, set of 5

from southerncharmquilts

Marmalade Large Rag Quilt

from abbyberkson

Love Bird Mugs

from ElsaBeta

Dachshund Silhouette Pillow (I love weiner dogs, don't you?)

from gingerscraps

Rustic Vintage Bookends

Looking at all these things makes me want to go sneak away with a good book...unfortunately they don't really like it when I do that at work. Oh well - there will be time for that later when I get home. I hope you all have a great week!

Welcome!

Welcome to Paisley and Porter!

I'm Emily. As a child, I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's Civil War era farm in Maine. She still lives in the home that my mother and aunts and uncles grew up in, and most of the items she keeps in her home have remained unchanged throughout my life. Even though I live far away now, these pieces and the memories that go with them have always had a special place in my heart. Because of these pieces, I developed an early love of the distinctive New England style and architecture, and many of my design preferences now stem from my grandmother.

After living in our cookie-cutter builder house for the past three years, my husband and I are finally taking steps to make the house our home. We love the newness of it, and realize how fortunate we were to be able to design many aspects of it ourselves...but it lacks that "certain something, and the character that many older homes have.

We've experienced some financial difficulty over the past few years, and haven't yet had the opportunity to improve upon the house the way we would like. I'm tired of looking at the plain white walls and college student style bookcases, so this year I've made up my mind to start making some changes. We're still on a tight budget, but I think we can do it! . 

I've created this blog to show our progress as we transform our house. I hope to avoid the retail furniture chains and mass-merchandisers that are so popular these days. Instead, my goal is to furnish and redecorate using second-hand, vintage and antique items. I'll frequent thrift stores, yard sales, and Craigslist wherever I can . With the character and inspiration from these pieces, it's my hope that I can create a true family home out of this stark builder-grade house. 

I hope you enjoy what you see here - thank you so much for stopping by! Please feel free to look around, and come back soon!