It's a Dog's Life

Hi everyone!

As I was puttering around the house today, I started noticing all of the "dog" decor I've used in my decorating.  I never really thought about it, but wow!  I definitely have an unintentional collection going on.

The ears on this little guy - so silly!

This bird hunter was found in Branson, MO this past spring.  I am not sure why I like him, as I am not really a bird hunting kind of gal, but something about him spoke to me.

Even a hunt scene has made it into our house.  Do any of you remember when hunt decor was popular back in the late 80's? I did not have it in my own home, but I recall loving all of the plaid (no surprise there!) and the brass horns. This is an old canvas I purchased  a few years ago.

I picked up this cute little figure at a charming little antique store, Wonderland Antiques, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas just last week while Mr. Bluebird and I were vacationing.  The shop owner was the sweetest lady you would ever hope to meet!

Scottie dogs have been some of my favorites for a very long time.  I've had the tan cast iron doorstop (my Scottie purchase that started it all) for 34 years! These guys watch over my washer and dryer to make sure I am doing it right.

Every one has probably seen a version of this Boston Terrier door stop at one time or another. There are a lot of repros out there, and truthfully, I have  no idea if mine falls into that category.  He was a good price and looks cute on top of our master bedroom fireplace.

Of course, my favorite dog "decoration" is the one and only Palmer - who truly makes our house a home. Just look at that face!!

How about you?  Do you have any unintentional collections that just sort of "happened" at your house?

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Join me at these fun parties:
Inspire Me Tuesday
The Scoop
Wow us Wednesday

Burlap and a Dog

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a little corner of our living room with you all today.  We haven't traveled into this room on my blog much lately, so a post like this is long overdue!

 

I picked up the cutest, squishy burlap basket at Home Goods the other day - $4.99! Woo hoo!  They had a size smaller, and two or three sizes bigger, all stenciled with a different amount of pounds.  The five pounder was just right for me, so in the cart it went!

 

For now, I just placed a houseplant in it, and set it on my harp-based end table. It adds a nice contrast to the shiny lamp (an old Home Goods purchase) and although it looks a bit shiny in the pic, it is truly coarse, nubby, beautiful burlap.  It also goes well with the burlap shade on the lamp.

 

 





 

 

This area is pretty representative of the type of colors I am drawn to - golds, burgandys, greens.  The picture on the left is a handpainted oil that I picked up several years ago at Goodwill for super cheap - like $2.00 cheap. It's kind of crinkly and worn - I love it!  The other two pictures are so pretty, but are Kirkland cheapies.  Still, they work well here.

 

The yellow checked ottoman is a Target find, back when they first introduced their Threshold line.  It has storage and is great for extra seating, propping up your feet, or simply adding a pop of color and pattern, as it does here.  I painted and stained the old harp based table several years go, picked it up at a thrift store for - again - cheap!

 

 

 

The little collie on the old book is a favorite.  Just a sweet faced, little guy that adds some charm to the setting.

All these flower pictures and green plants have me longing for spring! We are having an ice, snow, rain, and thunderstorm event today - yes, that is our actual forecast! That's Wisconsin weather for ya - all the seasons wrapped up in one day! But sooner or later, I will be admiring the outside flowers and greenery!  (I hope so anyway!)

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Linking with:
Metamorphosis Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Les Chateau Des Fleurs
Amaze Me Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesday

Whiskers on Kittens

Well, I am guess you probably came here thinking I had a post about kittens, but  alas and alack, I do not!!! I was just wandering my house looking at some of my "favorite things."  Since we do have two cats, I guess whiskers on kittens would be a favorite, but today I just wanted to share some of things that make me smile around my house.

A sweet, ivory sugar bowl that was a gift from a wonderful friend and co-worker.  He sits on my kitchen windowsill and brings a smile to my face every day......

Right now, he's hanging out with a plant and a maple pig cutting board I picked up at Longaberger Outlet Store.

Here, you can see a few of my Wisconsin dairy crocks, through the winterlake style glass of my kitchen cabinets.  This glass and the crocks make me doubly happy.........

A sampling of my vintage scales.  The green Hanson I have had since 1979 when I had my first apartment.......

 A peek inside my china cabinet shows some ivory spongeware advertising pieces and a vintage coffee grinder.  The cute cow picture was cheapy Hobby Lobby purchase (yet still quite awesome!)....

In another cubby of my china cabinet, is a trio of white pitchers, all newer and  picked up at Home Goods for very low prices.  Lots of impact (and function!) for a small amount of cash and so timeless.....

Cute Redwing vase in gold, with a $1.00 WalMart plate, sweet bunny, and lamp.......

 

 

An assembly of discount store plates and a sprig of spring floral.  Nothing fancy, nothing pricey - but this group gives me a happy heart...... 

 



Two sweet canines protecting some old books in the den........

A vintage tin in a burnt orange color that was once filled with "Butterscotch" candies.  I picked this up because we have a sweet kitty named Butterscotch and thought it was a fun, personal accessory for the kitchen (it's also a great place to stash Christmas cookie cutters!).......

A vintage looking Howard Miller wall clock that my parents gave me for Christmas about twenty five years ago. It is about five inches in diameter and hangs in a little sliver of a wall between our kitchen and powder room......

 

 

Another "homage" to our pets, this 1950's advertising poster for Purina Dog Food, sports a border collie and Parker Kennels. Our dog - Parker - is a border collie and when I saw this on e-bay several years ago, I had to get it.  I think it was $3.00 plus another $1.50 for postage.  It hangs in a black frame in our laundry room.  How can you not smile at that sweet faced pup?



 

 

Also in the laundry room, is an assortment of dogs in china and iron.  The scottie on the left is an old door stop and he has followed me from house to house for the past thirty years. The other two are old floral arrangement figurines from the 50's.

 



Here, a few new finds that haven't been worked into the scheme of things yet, but just seeing them on my counter sets my heart aflutter.  I found the Brie holder for $9.99 at Target last week - super cool.  Not sure it will ever hold Brie, but it is a neat addition to the kitchen!  The bread box is beautiful and functional - I have needed a place to stow a loaf of bread for decades (yes, decades!).  I never could find one that I liked.  Pottery Barn came through with their Rhodes Bread Box - it is more than I had hoped for! Love it.

This next treasure truly is a treasure.  One of my older brothers found this when he accompanied my dad to the auto salvage junk yard when he was about eight or ten.  It is actually a very old, giant sized wind up alarm clock.  My mom had it on a table in our living room for probably forty plus years. Since my brother isn't in to collecting vintage, my mom entrusted it to me when my parents sold their farm in 2001.  I am so grateful that it has found it's way into my home, because I love it and even more so, I love the story behind it.......

Finally, one of my greatest treasures that I have not displayed in our home for quite some time and that is in need of a new, professional frame job is an advertising bill from an auction my dad had in 1968.  It was the first auction he ever held and it was  on our farm, but as the years went by we had one to two auctions from there on in through 2001.  I think my mom & dad were the original "american pickers" because let me tell you, they collected and sold alot of "junque" that they found hither and yon.  This first aucton promised a player piano (it was in our living room for about a year and we had great fun with it!), two butcher blocks, crocks, jugs, rocking chairs, clocks, commodes, antique cars, tractors - you name it, we had it.  In fact, on the morning of this first aucton they decided to sell our kitchen chairs! So, the hunt began in earnest the next day to find seven more for our large family!  Anyway, I am looking forward to displaying this in our living room - I think the graphics are so fitting to today's farmhouse look and of course, it will bring a smile to my face and my heart every time I see it....

Are you still with me folks? Apparently I have alot of favorite things!  Of course, my true favorite things aren't things at all ~faith, family, & friends~

Thanks for hanging with me today during this uber-long post. What do you treasure in your home decor?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking to:

Between Naps on the Porch

The Dedicated House

Whiskers on Kittens