Creating a Welcoming Home for Spring!

Ahh, Spring glorious Spring! The time of year for fluffing our nests, saying goodbye to winter's chills, and welcoming the sunny days ahead!

Here are a few ways we can welcome this Spring into our homes using the 5 senses:

Sight -- Enjoy the bright, cheery colors of spring by spreading touches of spring color around your home! Add some fun accessories in citrus colors, or the color of your favorite flowers. Exchange darker colors in your home and wardrobe for those that are light & bright! Watch the children playing in the backyard! See the bees a-buzzin' around the flowers, and praise God for His creativity when looking at all of the different flowers and plants bursting forth from the ground! Clear out that clutter and do a little Spring cleaning for an instantly more beautiful home! Write a little note on a chalkboard saying, "Welcome, Friends!"


Sound -- Take some time to slow down and enjoy the sounds of Spring! Listen to the falling rain. See if your family can identify birds by their songs! Open the house windows and let in some of nature's music along with that wonderful fresh air! Remember that you set the tone for your home, and use a peaceful tone of voice! Be sure that your family hears an "I love you" from you at least once every day! Play some upbeat music to encourage a good mood while doing your seasonal cleaning!


Taste -- Go and pick some fresh strawberries straight from the farm, then make a yummy dessert! Share some lemonade with a friend on the porch swing. Hold the first outdoor barbeque/cookout with a top your own burger bar, and invite another family to join you! Start an herb garden and use the herbs in your recipes. Have a picnic! Treat the kids to a treat from the ice cream truck & go ahead and treat yourself too while you're at it!

Touch -- Put away those sweaters, and pull out your Spring wardrobe! Place crisp, cool, cotton sheets on your bed, and a lighter coverlet as well. Add some linen napkins to your table settings for meals. Walk barefoot in the grass. Get your hands in the soil and add a plant to your garden. Give your loved ones an extra hug!


Smell -- Light a fresh smelling, and lighter scented candle every day for a soothing atmosphere! Notice the air after a rain. Actually take the time to smell the roses! :) Fill your home with the scent of a fresh baked fruit pie! Chase the musty dust bunnies away with a good Spring Cleaning! On sunny days, open the windows to air out the house! Bring a bouquet of flowers inside and enjoy the lovely scent they bring!



I hope that y'all are enjoying SPRING! What do you just love to do in the Springtime?!

Vintage Rules!!

Today The Blessed Nest is Going:

Since several of you were asking me about the blue cabinet in my master bedroom (in pic below), and were wanting to know more about it, and where do I find my fun antique pieces, I thought I'd share some of my "wisdom" for getting your own "fun finds"!

Here are my "Rules For Finding and Using Antique/Vintage Pieces":

You can find them almost anywhere! From flea markets, to fun little shops, to a relative's attic, to a garage sale, to a thrift store, to the curb next to the trash can! If you are interested in adding some character to your home, and are drawn to antiques or a fun flea look, then have fun & shop around!!

The more you get lookin' & shoppin' the better off you'll be because you'll know:

What to look for. You'll start knowing when things are priced about right, too high, or when you're getting a great deal! (Thrift stores & garage/estate sales often have the lowest prices. Antiques stores & shops are often highest, I think. But know your stuff! Sometimes these shops can yield more unique items & sometimes for a great price!!)

If getting the "real deal" vs. a reproduction is important to you, you'll also start to recognize the difference, and the quality of items as well.

Don't be too quick to judge! A piece that most people might pass by could end up with a fabulous new life in your home! We bloggers all know what a good can of spray paint can do! If you're drawn to an item, see what you could do with it! Maybe you won't use it for it's original purpose at all, but it could look great and function well for you given a new role! I have lots of pieces that I've "re-purposed" and given a new job in my home.

Everyone loves the small little things that you can find when junking: old doorknobs, silverware, books, transferware, and even tinier bits & baubles! And they are certainly fun to add to your decor (and often inexpensive enough for most of use to buy!). But to make more of an impact, I would encourage you to:


Choose Statement Pieces! A statement piece is a larger piece that really becomes a focal point of a room or a wall or maybe just a vignette. These items are NOTICED and can really "make" a room!! (Like the giant chalkboard in an antique frame in my kitchen--pic down below) (or the blue cabinet in my bedroom)
These are pieces that you LOVE, and I guarantee you'll gain a bigger and better impact for your space with a statement piece than you will with lots of cluttery tiny things.

Where's it gonna go?? Some people say that if you love an item you should get it, even if you don't know where you'll put it. I say, that's a sure way for it to end up in the garage!

Think about where it could go in your home. You don't have to have a specific decision right there at the garage sale :), but the truly best pieces are ones: that look great alone or in groupings, & can work in various rooms of your home in various ways!
(For example: a great old dresser could be an entry table, a dining room buffet, or actually be used in a bedroom as intended!)

Choose items based on what YOU LOVE, not what is "in". Just because everyone is going gaga for a certain item in all of the blogs and shelter magazines doesn't mean that you have to love it too!

Think about YOUR style, what works for YOUR family, and what YOU LOVE and go with that! In addition, don't be worried about what anyone else will think of an item if YOU love it!

Around 8 years ago or so, I bought a really cool bench made from an old door. I LOVED it!!! It was going out of my decorating comfort zone at the time, with all of the chippy deep faded pink and cream paint, but I had to have it! I placed it in my home's entry, and every one of my friends wanted to know "when are you going to paint it?"!! They were shocked when I said I was leaving it as is, but NOW they all love it and want to know where I've placed that piece every time we move!! :)

Actually use and love your fun finds!! The best way to enjoy your new find is to use it! Give it a fun new purpose and enjoy (like my Pepsi crate turned garden magazine holder!)! And then take a picture and blog about it so the rest of us can see too :)!!

ps-- I got the blue cabinet at a local antiques store. I don't think that the paint is original, it's been painted over several times. The glass in the door does look old with it's bubbles! I can use it in lots of ways in lots of rooms, and I LOVE it! :)

Happy Birthday!!

Today is my little one's 7th birthday!!!


I can't believe my "baby" is 7 years old!! Doesn't seem possible! :) I am going to be busy today with her classroom "party", and getting her family party ready for tonight! Gotta make a pink cake fit for a princess, and get the decorations set for my special girl!

I hope that y'all have a wonderful day today & give a hug to someone you love!

Fun Weekend & Fun Finds

We went to the Biltmore this weekend for some relaxing family time!!! The Spring flowers, especially the azaleas, were in peak bloom! I thought I'd share some pictures with you!

The girls were getting sillier and sillier!

One of the kids took this pic of me and Hubby! They did pretty good :)!
(Check out that crazy wavy humidity hair on me!! :)

Everything was SO beautiful! We just loved wandering the Gardens!

We had a great time together! We toured the gardens and the Biltmore house, went to the children's petting barn, and also did some local shopping!! The prices were pretty high in Asheville, in my opinion, but I managed to snag a few vintage treasures anyway!!

So I thought I'd join in Rhoda's Today's Thrifty Treasures party!

I got this fun old galvanized tin seed tray! Love the slots on either side of the handle for a label!

I also found a pair of decorative wood pieces that (so the dealer told me) came off of a mid 1800's dresser. They'll get a nice coat of paint and be hung at our new house....when we get one! :)

A 1950's globe and a fun Florida tea towel with pink flamingos on it (!) round out my fun finds!

I hope that you all had a great weekend!
I have some fun posts planned this week, so come and visit again!

Birdcage, Industrial Style!

I love to go to flea markets and fun antiques shops! And, I'll admit, I also "dumpster dive" or nab "curbside castoffs" from time to time! Any junker worth her stuff will do what is necessary to get the good junk!!

One of the things that I find when out flea-ing are these old industrial light covers. They would cover a lightbulb to protect it from breakage. Well, I am drawn to these little guys for several reasons.....neutral color, great form and lines, and fun stuff you can do with them!!

Like turn one into a "birdcage"!! That's what they remind me of sometimes! :)
I have this cutie-patootie on my sunroom "potting bench".
Isn't this fun??!!!

Don't you just wish you had one too?!! :)