A small town girl's perspective on decorating, collecting, designing and living...
BLOG.UPSCALEDOWNHOME.COM
Window Treatment Wednesday--the Buckles are Back Edition
Welcome to Window Treatment Wednesday--a weekly blog post where I share out of the box ideas and inspiration for your window treatments. If you've read my blog at all, you know I love repurposing items. Last year I had come up with the idea of turning belt buckles into curtain tie backs for those who love an eclectic look. I made a couple of examples and listed them in my Etsy shop. Unfortunately I had to "take them off the shelf" due to technical difficulties. Mr. Upscale and I had tried several different glues and epoxys but none of them held up to our drop test which was to drop the buckle tie back from waist high to the ground. Even though I had purchased about 30 belt buckles for my inventory this idea was put on the back burner. We've been working on solutions are are now using torque screws because they are flush with the surface. It wasn't my first choice because I didn't want to alter the buckle's design but we must have both form and function to make this idea work. Believe it or not, there's more to it than you would think because of the different thicknesses of the buckles and sizes of the tie backs themselves. After several discussions and attempts, we are finally on the right track.
Once we get a few more done, I'll be listing them again. Have a you ever started a project and had to come back to it and begin again?
Once we get a few more done, I'll be listing them again. Have a you ever started a project and had to come back to it and begin again?
If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Window Treatment Wednesday--Burlap Edition
Welcome to Window Treatment Wednesday--a weekly blog post where I share out of the box ideas and inspiration for your window treatments. Today's inspiration has made quite a splash on the decor scene in the past few years. It used to be relegated to the barn but now our country cousin has taken center stage because of its simple design and inexpensive pricing.
Cote de Texas
source unknown
Thistlewood Farm
Nieman Marcus
circalighting.com
curbly.com
veradana
triciafontaine
Cote de Texas
source unknown
Thistlewood Farm
Nieman Marcus
circalighting.com
curbly.com
veradana
triciafontaine
Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique.
Unknown
Unknown
Croquet Balls Repurposed
We had a croquet set at our house growing up; did you? We brought it out for parties in the summer and for something to do on a lazy day. I've always loved how bright and colorful croquet balls are and when I found a lonely set that had lost their mallets at a garage sale a while I back I had to find a way to repurpose them. So my dad cut them in half for me and then also cut a slit across the top. I think they will be perfect for summer parties as...
Place Card Holders...
Menu Holders...
Picture Holders...
Party Favors...send your guests home with one with a picture from your event.
They're already listed in my Etsy shop and waiting for your summer party!
Place Card Holders...
Menu Holders...
Picture Holders...
Party Favors...send your guests home with one with a picture from your event.
They're already listed in my Etsy shop and waiting for your summer party!
So they left the subject and played croquet, which is a very good game
for people who are annoyed with one another, giving many opportunities
for venting rancor.”
Rose Macaulay
Do you have a croquet set?
Rose Macaulay
Do you have a croquet set?
Kitchen Floors and Pinterest
I spent the better part of 3 hours today scrubbing the grout on my kitchen floor tile. That much time on your hands and knees gives you time to reflect. You see my preferred floor in a kitchen is a wood one. In my very first house, I had carpet in the kitchen and can you believe I put it there? That was way back before HGTV and the DIY Network to warn you of the danger and idiocy of carpeting your kitchen. The house was a post war brick bungalow with a 10 x 10 kitchen. The rest of the home had gorgeous oak hardwoods but the kitchen had ugly linoleum. I was only 24 and didn't want anyone's advice and Mr. Upscale and I thought the carpeting would make it cozy. Like a 10 x 10 kitchen isn't cozy?? Live and learn! My next home was a 1960s ranch house that also had linoleum in the kitchen. Interesting thing about it was that the former owner had painted it. She was a true DIYer and sponge painted every surface in that house. It was cream with light blue checks and was a killer to keep clean with 3 little boys. So we replaced it with a beautiful dark walnut wood. It was so easy to maintain and to clean. Fast forward to this house, a 1940 colonial and we have ceramic tile with grout. I think it originally was light gray grout but it definitely isn't anymore! With teenagers and Corgis in and out of my home on a daily basis, my kitchen floor gets dirty! I pinned an idea on Pinterest a few weeks back that suggested using carpet cleaner to clean your grout. So today I gave it a try...
BEFORE:
I used Woolite Heavy Traffic foam carpet cleaner, a Scotch-Brite green scrubby pad and then wiped the floor with a damp rag followed by my Shark steam cleaner. While the result is not perfection, it did clean and brighten the floor quite a bit. In the past I had used a toothbrush and bleach and I found this to be much easier and just as effective.
AFTER:
About half way through my cleaning job, my son asked me if in the grand scheme of life did it mattered if the grout was clean? I told him no but it made me feel better. His comment changed my reflection from my former kitchen floors to my blessings. I made sure to spend the rest of the time on my knees counting them.
Thank you God that....
--I have kids stepping in and out of my house everyday and that it is a busy place and that I can be a mother to my wonderful boys and their friends
--I have a healthy body that I can spend time cleaning on my hands and knees. I see people everyday that can't hardly walk.
--I am getting an arm workout as I clean
--I have furry friends that add so much love to our home
--I have a beautiful home with a tile floor
It's amazing how time on your knees can change your perspective.
BEFORE:
I used Woolite Heavy Traffic foam carpet cleaner, a Scotch-Brite green scrubby pad and then wiped the floor with a damp rag followed by my Shark steam cleaner. While the result is not perfection, it did clean and brighten the floor quite a bit. In the past I had used a toothbrush and bleach and I found this to be much easier and just as effective.
AFTER:
About half way through my cleaning job, my son asked me if in the grand scheme of life did it mattered if the grout was clean? I told him no but it made me feel better. His comment changed my reflection from my former kitchen floors to my blessings. I made sure to spend the rest of the time on my knees counting them.
Thank you God that....
--I have kids stepping in and out of my house everyday and that it is a busy place and that I can be a mother to my wonderful boys and their friends
--I have a healthy body that I can spend time cleaning on my hands and knees. I see people everyday that can't hardly walk.
--I am getting an arm workout as I clean
--I have furry friends that add so much love to our home
--I have a beautiful home with a tile floor
It's amazing how time on your knees can change your perspective.
Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.
Victor Hugo
What's the worst kitchen floor you've ever had?
Victor Hugo
What's the worst kitchen floor you've ever had?
Vocabulary Building with a Vintage Twist
Tim Gunn, of Project Runway fame, said, "Few activities are as delightful as learning new vocabulary". I couldn't agree more, Tim! I've had a penchant for educational games and activities for as long as I've had children. I was one of those moms who bought all the Discovery toys. My boys may be big but I couldn't pass by this vintage vocabulary building game during my rummaging adventures this weekend. I've still got one more son in high school who needs to take the ACT and vocabulary building is a very important part of that.
Of course I couldn't leave it in its original package if it was going to be sitting in my kitchen. So I transferred the cards to this vintage candy tin. I'm envisioning lively discussions about interesting words and their meanings with all the teenagers who drop by my house. They'll probably stop dropping by...some day they'll appreciate that cooky Mrs. Ives.
This tin was featured in one of my favorite movies. Do you know which one?
Of course I couldn't leave it in its original package if it was going to be sitting in my kitchen. So I transferred the cards to this vintage candy tin. I'm envisioning lively discussions about interesting words and their meanings with all the teenagers who drop by my house. They'll probably stop dropping by...some day they'll appreciate that cooky Mrs. Ives.
This tin was featured in one of my favorite movies. Do you know which one?
I'd call him a sadistic, hippophilic necrophile, but that would be beating a dead horse.
Woody Allen
Have you increased your vocabulary lately? Do you have a favorite word?
Woody Allen
Have you increased your vocabulary lately? Do you have a favorite word?
Antique Taco
Happy Monday! Today's post is dedicated to living your passion... I am pleased to announce that I have my very first retail account which will be selling my embellished upscale antlers! Antique Taco is located in Chicago and is the brainchild of a husband and wife team, Rick and Ashely Ortiz.
They combined both their passions to create an amazing restaurant where Rick uses fresh and local ingredients to put a modern spin on Mexican cuisine.
Ashley takes her love of decorating and antiques to create an unique ambiance much different than your average Mexican restaurant.
Together they are a winning combination that has been recognized by Chicago Magazine, Serious Eats Chicago, ABC News and many others. Ashley has a small shopping area in the restaurant where the antlers will be placed. She is also starting a flea market this summer.
If you're in the Chicago area, give Antique Taco a visit and tell them Sarah sent you! I know a visit is part of my summer plans. I'm looking forward to trying the Maple Farm Duck Enchiladas and Abuelita's Pop Tart from their eclectic menu.
They combined both their passions to create an amazing restaurant where Rick uses fresh and local ingredients to put a modern spin on Mexican cuisine.
Ashley takes her love of decorating and antiques to create an unique ambiance much different than your average Mexican restaurant.
Together they are a winning combination that has been recognized by Chicago Magazine, Serious Eats Chicago, ABC News and many others. Ashley has a small shopping area in the restaurant where the antlers will be placed. She is also starting a flea market this summer.
If you're in the Chicago area, give Antique Taco a visit and tell them Sarah sent you! I know a visit is part of my summer plans. I'm looking forward to trying the Maple Farm Duck Enchiladas and Abuelita's Pop Tart from their eclectic menu.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman
Do something to feed your soul and passion today!
Harriet Tubman
Do something to feed your soul and passion today!
The Child's Anti-Slavery Book
Do you watch the Academy Awards? We do at our house. It's how we get ideas for which movies we want to rent for the next few months. We've been working our way through the list of Best Picture nominees and have recently watched Django Unchained and Lincoln. Both pictures take place in the 1800s before the Civil War and at the end of it. Ironically I found a wonderful treasure from the same time period during my antiquing adventures.
You may be thinking that it looks like an ordinary book; an old one but quite ordinary. That's precisely why you can't judge a book by its cover. It's a rare copy of an anti-slavery book for children published in 1859. This mid nineteenth-century, abolitionist tract, distributed by the Sunday School Union, uses actual life stories about slave children separated from their parents or mistreated by their masters to appeal to the sympathies of free children. Vivid illustrations help to reinforce the message that black children should have the same rights as white children, and that holding humans as property is "a sin against God."
It contains 3 sets of stories about the lives of real slaves and also has a short introduction about the immorality of slavery from a Biblical perspective. I've always enjoyed history class but through watching the movie Lincoln I realized I'm just a casual observer on the subject. During my education, history was approached through a series of events and dates and not from the perspective of its participants. I always thought that "everyone" in the North was against slavery and "everyone" in the South was for it. I never realized the political wrangling that went on to get the 13th Amendment passed and that a good portion of the people in the North were against it.
The book contains 10 etchings depicting slave life by Charles Howland Hammatt Billings who also illustrated Uncle Tom's Cabin. I read this book this week and found it to be quite moving. I absolutely can not believe how despicably humans can treat each other. I can appreciate the way Quentin Tarrantino rewrites history for his movies so the bad guy loses in the end and the good guy triumphs. That's the way we'd all like it to work. Even though Django Unchained was quite violent and there were parts I could not watch, I do admire his creativity.
I'm so glad that fate had me stumble across this simple and powerful volume and that I took the time to learn from its contents. I plan on selling it on Ebay to someone else who will appreciate it.
You may be thinking that it looks like an ordinary book; an old one but quite ordinary. That's precisely why you can't judge a book by its cover. It's a rare copy of an anti-slavery book for children published in 1859. This mid nineteenth-century, abolitionist tract, distributed by the Sunday School Union, uses actual life stories about slave children separated from their parents or mistreated by their masters to appeal to the sympathies of free children. Vivid illustrations help to reinforce the message that black children should have the same rights as white children, and that holding humans as property is "a sin against God."
It contains 3 sets of stories about the lives of real slaves and also has a short introduction about the immorality of slavery from a Biblical perspective. I've always enjoyed history class but through watching the movie Lincoln I realized I'm just a casual observer on the subject. During my education, history was approached through a series of events and dates and not from the perspective of its participants. I always thought that "everyone" in the North was against slavery and "everyone" in the South was for it. I never realized the political wrangling that went on to get the 13th Amendment passed and that a good portion of the people in the North were against it.
The book contains 10 etchings depicting slave life by Charles Howland Hammatt Billings who also illustrated Uncle Tom's Cabin. I read this book this week and found it to be quite moving. I absolutely can not believe how despicably humans can treat each other. I can appreciate the way Quentin Tarrantino rewrites history for his movies so the bad guy loses in the end and the good guy triumphs. That's the way we'd all like it to work. Even though Django Unchained was quite violent and there were parts I could not watch, I do admire his creativity.
I'm so glad that fate had me stumble across this simple and powerful volume and that I took the time to learn from its contents. I plan on selling it on Ebay to someone else who will appreciate it.
That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.
Aldous Huxley
Did you like history class? Have you seen either Lincoln or Django Unchained?
Aldous Huxley
Did you like history class? Have you seen either Lincoln or Django Unchained?
Window Treatment Wednesday--Roman Shade Edition
Welcome to Window Treatment Wednesday--a weekly blog post where I share out of the box ideas and inspiration for your window treatments. This week the future's so bright we have to wear shades...Roman shades...
Jenny Wolf Interiors
Amanda Nisbet
The Nesting Game
Maple & Magnolia
Amy Morris Interiors
Country Living
Kevin Malone
There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion.
Audrey Hepburn
Jenny Wolf Interiors
Amanda Nisbet
The Nesting Game
Maple & Magnolia
Amy Morris Interiors
Country Living
Kevin Malone
There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion.
Audrey Hepburn
Vintage Finds--Jewelry Edition
I'm a homebody. I love to be at home so my new job has been a big transition for me emotionally and I'm still working through it. I'm very thankful for my new position but like I said, "There's no place like home" and I have had less and less time here between work and other activities. All this had me feeling a bit down last week but it was nothing that a good garage score couldn't fix. Usually all the "good stuff" is taken on Saturdays because the garage sale pros hit the sales the first day but I was blessed enough to stumble across a gem of a sale. (pun intended) It was an estate sale advertised as a garage sale and the prices were fantastic. All the jewelry was $.50 each. Here are the treasures I found...
BROOCHES
EARRINGS
BANGLE BRACLETS
And a carved Butterscotch Bakelite one...
For those of you in the cheap seats I'd like ya to clap your hands to this one; the rest of you can just rattle your jewelry!
John Lennon
Did you find any treasures this weekend?
Solving Mysteries as Furniture Detectives
Riddle:
What has 6 sides, 28 joints and is red all over?
Answer:
My latest antique purchase!
Mr. Upscale and I enjoy a good mystery whether it's a movie plot or an antique so we purchased this six board chest at the auction house on Sunday. I loved it for its milky red paint and he for its dovetailed joints. We hauled it home and started to clean it and discover some of its mysteries.
Case in point: Notice the different types of woods between the chest and the trim.
The trim is oak and the chest is pine. This means that the trim was probably added at a later date. Sometimes the maker did use different types of wood on the same piece but these two just don't look like they go together at all. Different types of woods would be used because people used what they had on hand and also because they planned on painting the piece. Most likely it was someone's effort to restore it. We believe it had trim originally and here's how we know for sure. We removed the nasty oak trim and found this underneath.
Notice the nail holes. There are small ones where the oak was nailed in and there are larger ones which means there was another type of trim on the chest. It was most likely made of pine like the rest of the piece. Now that the trim has been removed another question has to be asked...Is that red paint that I love original? What do you think? Are you a furniture detective, too? I don't believe that the red paint is original because of the gray look of the boards underneath. It could have been painted red with the trim on and then this top piece would still have a gray border but this picture of the back leads me to believe it was originally gray.
The back of the chest has no red paint on it at all but can you see the traces of gray in the picture above? I do believe the red paint is quite old just because of it's lovely worn and milky patina.
Even though this six board chest is missing some of its original elements, like it's original trim, paint and hinges it's a lovely example of 19th century handmade furniture. It's called a six board chest because it is made of six individual boards and there was no joining of wood to make wider pieces. Think about how big those trees had to be to harvest wood that wide.
Now it sits in my living room as my coffee table and I will thoroughly enjoy it in all its handmade glory. If you'd like to see more examples of antique chests, I found this Pinterest Board called Trunks, Chests. It's definitely eye candy for the antique chest lover! I also found this example of a blue six board chest that is probably a bit earlier than this one but with all its original parts.
What has 6 sides, 28 joints and is red all over?
Answer:
My latest antique purchase!
Mr. Upscale and I enjoy a good mystery whether it's a movie plot or an antique so we purchased this six board chest at the auction house on Sunday. I loved it for its milky red paint and he for its dovetailed joints. We hauled it home and started to clean it and discover some of its mysteries.
Case in point: Notice the different types of woods between the chest and the trim.
The trim is oak and the chest is pine. This means that the trim was probably added at a later date. Sometimes the maker did use different types of wood on the same piece but these two just don't look like they go together at all. Different types of woods would be used because people used what they had on hand and also because they planned on painting the piece. Most likely it was someone's effort to restore it. We believe it had trim originally and here's how we know for sure. We removed the nasty oak trim and found this underneath.
Notice the nail holes. There are small ones where the oak was nailed in and there are larger ones which means there was another type of trim on the chest. It was most likely made of pine like the rest of the piece. Now that the trim has been removed another question has to be asked...Is that red paint that I love original? What do you think? Are you a furniture detective, too? I don't believe that the red paint is original because of the gray look of the boards underneath. It could have been painted red with the trim on and then this top piece would still have a gray border but this picture of the back leads me to believe it was originally gray.
The back of the chest has no red paint on it at all but can you see the traces of gray in the picture above? I do believe the red paint is quite old just because of it's lovely worn and milky patina.
Even though this six board chest is missing some of its original elements, like it's original trim, paint and hinges it's a lovely example of 19th century handmade furniture. It's called a six board chest because it is made of six individual boards and there was no joining of wood to make wider pieces. Think about how big those trees had to be to harvest wood that wide.
Now it sits in my living room as my coffee table and I will thoroughly enjoy it in all its handmade glory. If you'd like to see more examples of antique chests, I found this Pinterest Board called Trunks, Chests. It's definitely eye candy for the antique chest lover! I also found this example of a blue six board chest that is probably a bit earlier than this one but with all its original parts.
Uncertainty and mystery are the energies of life. Don't let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.
R. I. Fitzhenry
Do you love a good mystery?
R. I. Fitzhenry
Do you love a good mystery?
About
Hi, I'm Sarah, a wife and proud mom of 3 sons. I am passionate about design and decorating, vintage shopping, and living life to its fullest in my small Midwestern town. I believe in creating a home with upscale style on a downhome budget. I've created my own line of window treatments and am excited about the possibilities it is bringing my way! I love it when friends stop by so come back often and hang out a while. Email me at: sarah@upscaledownhome.com
Window Treatment Wednesday Link Party
Follow Me and I'll Follow You!
Pintresting...
I Shared the Infinity Curtain in Atlanta!
Favorites...
Featured
Featured
Featured
A Great Place to Visit!
