Log Cabin Chic

Lily Belle- The little white Pomeranian at the white log cabin!

The view from the deck of Centerville Lake- awesome~!

The large family room with the collection of old oil landscapes on the wall.

A comfy little spot to sit a while and enjoy your morning coffee while viewing the lake from inside!

Love the contrast of the crystal against the log walls.


Vintage wicker on the side deck- all set for fall with mums and pumpkins.

Statuary surrounded by velvet pumpkins and glittered artichokes.

A fall display on the dining room table - so romantic!



A spooky Halloween display on the kitchen island.

Love this idea - one to steal for sure- kitchen utensils in an old trophy set by the stove.

Old bread wooden board and silver bread trays on the wall- so very cool!


What a cool chandelier for the kitchen - love it!

The guest bedroom- the zebra rug really adds the punch to the room !

How about this incredible mirror in the hallway - really adds drama to the space!

More vintage mirrors are hung up the stair way.

I am just returning from a trip to my friend Marlenes's home in Cookeville, Tennessee. She and her husband Ryan live in a white log cabin home overlooking Centerville Lake. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Marlene has decorated their home with antique finds in unique ways. I love this house - so charming, so cool, and so unique. It's truly an original!

Pumpkin Urn

I am crazy inlove with this urn - a delicious confection of pumpkins, grapevine and kale. Every season I drive by this spot in Lake Forest to check out how it's decorated for the season. Great job to whomever created it!

Kitchen Details

As I promised, I am sharing more details of the kitchen that we are in the process of renovating. It's gorgeous and it's the little details that are being added that make it delicious! The hand painted metallic tile in gold and pewter is beautiful and adds an elegant touch to the back splash. The antique French sconces, mounted on the mirror that Laurell created, add the needed sparkle and glamour to the kitchen. They are showcased in the middle of the large armoir that serves as a pantry and serving buffet. We just placed the fabulous patisserie stand on the large island to break up the space and give the kitchen a Paris bistro feel. It is filled with vintage glassware, cooking spices and small plates for entertaining. We added the mirrored transom over the door to add more light to the space and to raise the height of the door frame to match the taller windows in the room . This is the perfect kitchen for entertaining - elegant, spacious and an inviting space to enjoy delicious meals.

October Roses

Just a quick post about our October roses- so beautiful as the nights are much cooler. Soon to be gone until next June, I love to have vases of them in the house. I love the contrast of the fresh roses against this awesome old rose oil painting that Lynda and I found at the flea market this weekend. Until next summer, I will just have to be content to gaze at it!

Fall Decorating Ideas - Our Special Velvet Pumpkins

It seems our customers cannot get enough of our velvet pumpkins, so very cute with their real pumpkin stems. They make a statement with just one sitting on a book or sitting in a compote. But I love a collection of them shown in a variety of containers with differing heights. Notice how they really show up in this collection of Italian creme ceramic baskets. We tucked in a little reindeer moss on the sides to pop the colors. A bittersweet wreath is placed over the display on the old mirror. As a final touch to this fall scene, we tucked in a little vintage orange vase filled with fresh flowers still growing in the garden. We just recieved a new shipment of this precious little pumpkins, with some new colors - a squash orange and a black with caramel undertones.

Antiques Inspire Creative Thoughts

On Fridays, I try to use the day to boost my creative thoughts. Antiquing certainly helps the process, as you never know what you will find. Last Friday, I came home from our local farmer's market a different way and happened upon a little Lake Bluff house sale! Treasures were abundant. I adore these little colored glasses and found many more to add to my collection. They are great for drinking wine or using as tea lights! The little pair of black satin slippers called my name and I could not resist them, even though they had been eaten by mice on the sides. I'll figure out a way to hide that spot, but I ponder how many parties those shoes had danced at?? The wonderful old tray with it's raised detail has a gorgeous floral fabric under the glass. A selection of old jewelry boxes with French inspired scenes was purchased to add to a collection. The boxes are detailed with gilded paint and little accents of a divine French blue. When I get all my finds of the day home, I realize how they all go together - it was a girly day of finds. Arranging my flowers from the farmer's market, I just stare at the new finds and start to plan how I will use them. I love all the colors together. My creative juices are flowing!