Table Top Tuesday

Today is Table Top Tuesday, a party hosted by Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life. I have been following this party for only a short time, but I decided to go ahead and join in. My entry today is not a "before and after" tablescape or vignette. Instead I decided to show you various "tops" from around my home. After all, I AM trying to catch up with all of the other wonderful bloggers who like to decorate as much as I do! And, since table tops and vignettes are two of my most favorite creative outlets, this is definitely the party for me!



Here is the vignette on "top" of our dining table.

Here is the "top" of my mantle.

..a few vintage linens and a flea market picnic basket on "top" of an old chair in my kitchen.

The "top" of the my laundry room cabinet.

And finally, the "top" of an old chest in my entry.

Be sure to go over to A Stroll Thru Life and enjoy all the other entries for Table Top Tuesday!
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Office Redo

I LOVE decorating! It is my passion. When I do this type of work it feels like play, even though it is physically exhausting sometimes! Here are some "before" and "after" pictures:



South wall, before. I had to work around the cherry hutch as it needed to stay put. So, there was a balance challenge!

South wall, after. The dark color and heavy shelves help to balance out the hutch pretty nicely. It is a custom mixed color. On the Kelly Moore charts it is called "Old Brick" but I had it mixed in a Martha Stewart base. This color really brought the two different woods together.

West wall, before.

West wall, after. I did a ragging/aging technique using Martha Stewart's "Pear Cider"....great color!


Northwest corner, before.

Northwest corner, after. (The boxes on the floor are gone now!)


East wall, after.

My client was really pleased! Everyone in the building seemed to enjoy the transformation as well. I know I did! I think I could work in this space. I like the warm glow the colors created.

Sometimes I wonder...is decorating really all that necessary? It seems kind of frivolous to some. I mean, couldn't we get our work done and live just as well in plain, functional, unadorned rooms? I'm sure we could, but then I think about God's sunrises and sunsets. If He chooses to begin and end a day with glorious, sometimes dramatic colors, then why shouldn't we surround ourselves with them during our work, play, and everyday life. I also think about His perfect order. How every living thing has a place and a purpose. He chose to create our planet with perfect order and beauty. That must then be a model for our homes, offices, churches, schools and public places. Everyone feels better when surrounded by beauty. We all function better when there is "a place for every thing and every thing in its place." So there's my answer. YES! Decorating IS necessary!