Junkaholics Unanimous: October 2013

Thursday, October 10, 2013

My Other Man

Have you heard about "Grey Dey Thursdey?" I am so excited that Petite Michelle Louise decided to start this party, it gives me so much inspiration and I have always loved gray (grey). Right now my mind is overloaded with ideas and posts pertaining to fall and Halloween, so I decided to go back through my pictures to find something grey that I already had photographed for a quick post.

Here is my beloved David bust. Isn't he dreamy??? I go on an on about him so often that my husband may be a tad jealous! Or at least he teases me about it. I originally showed him in my Antiques Booth Favorites post, and he has made a couple of other guest blog appearances since, but I've never given him a proper post of his own. What better time than Grey Dey Thursdey?

Look at those eyes!

I found David at an estate sale for $35. Once I did some research on him I discovered that he was somewhat valuable, so my original intention was to sell him. I took him to my booth and used him as a centerpiece in a table display, but as soon as I set him up with all that yummy tarnished silverplate and ironstone I knew he was MINE! So I priced him "not to sell" and left him in the booth for a while. Every time we went in the shop my husband would joke about how he was a little worried about my attachment to David...

Look at those curls!

It was all in jest until David showed up at our Halloween party last year...

I thought maybe the hubby wouldn't notice if David was incognito. I introduced my "friend" as Scurvy Cap'n David, but my husband wasn't buying it. At this point he was really disturbed by my behavior. I began to defend David, but turns out that it was the skeleton holding the creepy, antique limbless doll that had him concerned...

I decided to keep David at home for the holidays, but since the guest bedroom would be taken, he had to stay in our room. I mean, he couldn't be stored in the basement! All that moisture? No way!

So he stayed on the floor, right beside my bed, adding beauty and joy to my holiday season...

I have to admit, that after a while I started to question my obsession with David, so, I decided to turn him facing the opposite direction of me so that his eyes weren't the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning. My conscious was clear.

After a while my husband got used to the idea of David hanging around. I guess he came to the conclusion that one day I'd come to my senses and realize that David was just another pretty boy made of nothing but stone. And since my husband is the real deal and is actually better looking than David, he never really had much to worry about to begin with. He's come to tolerate my girlie-girl-vintage-shabby-foo-foo décor, but if he would happen to come home and find the full David statue in the house then I'd say he'd probably have to put his foot down!

Hope you have enjoyed this post! Be sure to check up my upcoming Halloween posts too. David will be at our Halloween party again this year. Wonder what his costume will be?

Previous posts featuring David:
http://junkaholicsunanimous.blogspot.com/2012/12/romantic-cottage-bedroom-reveal.html
http://junkaholicsunanimous.blogspot.com/2012/04/antiques-booth-favorites.html
http://junkaholicsunanimous.blogspot.com/2012/11/halloween-favorites.html

Linking up with:
Monday:
Inspiration Monday
It's Party Time

Tuesday:
Tweak It Tuesday
The Gathering Spot
Tuesday's Treasures

Wednesday:
What's It Wednesday
Centerpiece Wednesday

Thursday:
http://petitemichellelouise.blogspot.com/
http://www.adelightsomelife.com/2013/10/home-and-garden-thursday-50.html
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.glamorousbride.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm Of Home
Friday:
http://www.commonground-do.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2013/10/feathered-nest-friday_10.html
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/2013/10/fabulously-creative-friday-linky-party-3.html
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftberrybush.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/

Saturday:
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/10/party-junk-208-funky-fall-decorating-2013.html

Monday, October 7, 2013

Scarecrow Nouveau: Decorating Dress Forms For Fall and Halloween

Happy October morning to you all!

Today's post is about creating chic "new" interior scarecrows using vintage dress froms. I will be showing you my favorite dress forms and how I have decorated them for fall. I had posted this earlier today under another title, but I got to thinking that dress forms can be employed as the new scarecrows used in interior fall decorating, so I changed the title to "Scarecrow Nouveau." Kinda catchy! I have seen some other really beautiful examples of dress from witches on pinterest that I love too. It's so easy to make them look spooky, but I wanted to do something a little different this year for my favorite dress from, so I went with more of a scarecrow look.

As I was "dressing" her the other day and it hit me that maybe one of the reasons we are all so dress form crazy is because it's like playing dolls for us, or playing dress-up. At least it gives us an excuse to play with beautiful vintage clothes, jewelry, accessories and baubles and to use our creativity. I see no signs of the dress form craze dying down yet but since I don't really worry about trends, I know my gal will with be with me for a long time cause she is just so much fun!

A couple of years ago, I did a post about how I scored this particular dress form from a fellow antiques dealer at my booth as she was putting her in the TRASH!!!! I felt guilty and even offered her money for it but she wouldn't take any so I really did get this beauty for FREE! Absolutely love the bronze! Here she is decked out in vintage lace collars and junky jewelry. I recently made her a belt using antique lace, some cute skeleton key ribbon from Hobby Lobby that I had in my craft stash, a broken picture frame for the buckle and a blingy vintage button for the center. It's fun changing her jewelry from time to time and trying out hats from estate sales.

Here she is, ready for fall 2013. I named her "Miss Autumn." This year I chose to give her a look that would last through Thanksgiving. She is dressed with my favorite fall scarf and cute cowboy hat embellished with some fall floral picks. I already had the jack-o-lantern and I just drew some eye lashes on with eyeliner. I did try a jean jacket on her but it really didn't stay on the shoulders and covered too much of that gorgeous bronze.

This beautiful owl necklace is just perfect for fall and Halloween, handmade by Amanda of Ruby's Pocket. I buy Amanda's jewelry just as much for decorating as for wearing!

http://www.Etsy.com/shop/rubyeellens

Here she is last year, a.k.a. Miss "Jaqueline O' Lantern," Looking very chic in her vintage black velvet hat, crow feather boa and very vintage owl necklace. Miss Jaqueline will be appearing again in an upcoming Halloween post, or at least her head will!

Check out that awesome $1 estate sale clutch purse in orange and black, perfect for Halloween parties! You can see more of my shabby Halloween from 2012 here:

http://junkaholicsunanimous.blogspot.com/2012/11/halloween-favorites.html

I also want to show you my pumpkin gal in my booth at the Catlettsburg Antique Mall, located in Catlettsburg, KY. I have dressed her in layers of old petticoats and skirts, a vintage apron, jean jacket, oodles of pearls, and an adorable burlap and straw hat. She is definitely a junker! See her pockets full of little treasures?

It's so much fun and so easy to dress up your dress form, and if you don't have one you can always make a traditional scarecrow look sassy and use her inside. Use trash bags to stuff a long dress (stuff sweat pants or pj's under the skirt and tuck the legs into some boots, making sure the skirt is long enough to cover the tops of the boots) and place a cheap fake pumpkin on the top with your hat of choice. Use long gloves for the hands or tuck her hands behind a large handbag. Sit your gal down in a corner chair and there you go!

Miss Autumn is ready for a fun-filled October and so am I!

Hope you have fun playing dress up this month, whether it's yourself, your kids, or your dress form. It's Halloween time. Embrace it!!!!

Parties:

Monday

http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2013/10/inspiration-monday-today-were-inspired.html

http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

http://getyourcraptogether.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-party.html

Amaze Me Monday

Tuesday:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/10/185th-inspire-me-tuesday.html

http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2013/10/knick-of-time-tuesday-107.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:

http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/2013/10/the-scoop-87.html#more

http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/monday-funday-link-party-38/

Wednesday:

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2013/10/sunday-showcase-party-215.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:

http://igottacreate.blogspot.com/2013/10/wildly-original-link-party-73.html

http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/cast-party-wednesday-112/

Thursday:

http://www.elizabethandco.blogspot.com/

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Friday:

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2013/10/feathered-nest-friday_10.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: blogspot/QoLtm (FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE)

http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/2013/10/fabulously-creative-friday-linky-party-3.html

http://www.commonground-do.com/

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/halloween-table-setting-with-mercury-glass-pumpkins-and-crow-

centerpiece/

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-sweet-home-140.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: TheCharmOfHome (The Charm of Home)

http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/2013/10/frugal-friday_10.html

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2013/10/open-house-blog-party_9.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: NoMinimalistHere (No Minimalist Here)

Saturday:

http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/2013/10/whats-shakin-link-party-80.html

http://staceyembracingchange.com/2013/10/10/creative-inspirations-linky-party-56/

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/10/strut-your-stuff-saturday-link-party-week-118.html

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/10/party-junk-208-funky-fall-decorating-2013.html

http://www.lifeonlakeshoredrive.com/2013/10/a-bouquet-of-talent-party-favorites-top.html

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2013/10/show-tell-saturday-101213.html

Sunday

Three Mango Seeds

DIY Sunday Showcase

The Sunday Showcase Party

Monday Funday Link Party

Friday, October 4, 2013

Fall Decorating: An Autumn Afternoon In The Garden

Hello my beautiful blogging friends and readers! I am really happy to be able to post about my fall garden this evening because that means I have "finished" outside decorating for this year. I guess I should say I am satisfied for now since I am always changing things! I am doing my best to refrain from buying any more pumpkins, but I have an addiction to pumpkins like some people have for shoes! I just can't get enough of them. I find them so intriguing and magical and I get so much enjoyment out of them from Sept. through the holidays. Despite all the negative things going on in the world and the devastating effects of modernization on nature, I consider it a blessing that we now have all kinds of beautiful new varieties of pumpkins and gourds that we never had access to in the past. I try to buy something new and create a whole new "ambience" each year.

Last year I took you for a walk on an autumn morning, this year we will be walking in the afternoon.

I am always drawn to cool and muted pale tones which add a bit of mystery and magic to the fall and Halloween garden. With such a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds to choose from these days it can be overwhelming, but they are all so beautiful so anything goes! This year I chose softer hues to create a romantic-French Country inspired look.

At first I was a little disappointed when none of my local garden centers or nurseries carried the dark purple variety of kale. I had intended to create a similar display to the one I did last year which I based around dark purple plants that you can see below.

"An Autumn Morning In The Garden" is still one of my favorite blog posts. I hope you will click the link at the bottom of the page to see the full post with lots more pictures.

In the past I have been able to find the darker kale at Lowes, but since they didn't have any I chose this new variety which has more gray/green with purple striations and that's how I got the inspiration for this new, softer palette.The same thing happened with the yellow mums. I normally would not use yellow in this area of the garden, but this particular hybrid has lots of coral tones in the blooms that led me to look for coral and peach pumpkins, which I thought would contrast nicely against greens and grays.

This area is the first landing of a set of stairs leading to our front porch. I love to linger here because it makes me forget I am in Eastern KY near a busy main road. My imagination takes me to other more serene places and I feel truly transported. To me that is the true magic of decorating and gardening. Being able to change your surroundings by adding things that are beautiful to you and inspire your dreams.

Isn't this just the shabbiest little cutie?

Oooo! I went crazy when I saw this white fairytale pumpkin! It was the only one, meant for me! I have to share this for White Wednesday.

I really love how the patina of the small urn matches the white and buckskin pumpkins.

I enjoy savoring every little detail of autumn beauty. If you look you will notice a lot more purple on the underside of the kale. The striations in the pumpkins are similar. I think this picture almost looks like an oil painting. My husband is an artist and I think I am going to commission him to paint this, using homemade sweet potato casserole as his compensation.

My favorite urn jam packed with fall goodness

View from the top level of our porch looking down to the first stoop.

It's definitely my favorite time in the garden. Nothing compares to the beauty of fall!

If you enjoyed this post I really hope you'll check back soon, as I am hoping to post about my backyard garden sometime this week. Also don't forget to check out last year's post "An Autumn Morning In The Garden" here: http://junkaholicsunanimous.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-autumn-morning-in-garden.html

Enjoy your weekend!

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