My Primitive Pick

My Primitive Pick this is week is…

Curtains!

There are so many types of curtains out there – in different styles and fabrics – it makes it easy to find something that works for your house.  A lot of people aren’t big on curtains, but I am.  (Why else would I include this as a primitive pick?) 

It all goes back to the tiny, basement apartment my husband and I first lived in when we got married.  I was excited, but mostly overwhelmed at decorating the place, even though there wasn’t much room to decorate and we didn’t have much to decorate with!  My mom actually came a couple weeks after we’d moved in and helped me hang some things on the wall and mentioned curtains for the few (5) windows we had in the apartment.  We had one mostly normal-sized window and 4 tiny typical basement windows.  I hadn’t really thought about curtains at all.  My mom volunteered to make the ones for the living room and it was up to us to get something up for the rest of the windows. 

In starting to shop around for curtains I quickly realized that they can get really expensive.  I decided that curtains weren’t really that important and put it off for the time being.  About 8 months later, we decided to paint our kitchen since neither of us cared for the color and it didn’t go with any of our kitchen stuff.  After that, I decided I should probably get some curtains and did.  I couldn’t believe how much of a difference it made in the hominess of our little kitchen!  A few months later I found a valance in a pile of clearance items in Wal-Mart that was perfect for our bedroom window and, once again, was blown away at the difference a valance could make!  My mom got busy and the time to make our living room curtains just wasn’t there for a while, but after living in our apartment for about a year and half she surprised me with the curtains, and they were perfect!  Oh, and once again made a huge difference in our apartment.  Basement windows are not at all attractive!

So, you can believe when we moved into our current home one of the first things on my docket (after unpacking all most of our belongings) was to measure and start shopping for curtains.  Shop online or in stores that are local to you.  Also, don’t forget about ebay.  There are ebay stores that have great prices on curtains.  For many of my curtains, I found the cheapest place that I could buy from was an online store called Jake’s Country Trading Post.  Seems random, but I had a good experience and would buy from them again.  (Below are a couple of pictures of curtains from the Jake's web site.)  

My only regret is that didn’t make at least some of my curtains.  In the last year I’ve learned how to sew and now realized how simple many curtain styles are!  (So why are they so expensive?) 

So, whether you are buying or making them, curtains are a great investment for your home.  Even if you aren’t now motivated to work at getting some curtains up in a particular room in your home or apartment, I’m at least hoping I’ve motivated myself to get some up in our bedroom which I’ve unfortunately neglected in this area!  Here’s hoping! 

~ Carrie ~

2 Thumbs Up

It's been pretty busy around here what with a toddler getting over a cold and cutting 2 year molars (3 down, 1 more to go!), getting ready to take a short vacation, and Bible study last night.  Needless to say, I was not able to put a primitive pick up yesterday.  So, I'm going to count today's post as both My Primitive Pick for the week and my 2 Thumbs Up post. 

There are areas of my house that, from time to time, drive me insane really irritate me because of their lack of organization and constant disarray.  So, this leads me to contemplate what I can do to solve this issue.  One of these most recent areas of my home has been the bookcase in my son's room.  It is a constant disaster area and I don't have the time (nor the desire) to straighten it up every couple days. 

 

Another thing is that I also want my almost 2-year old to be able to put his books away by himself, without me having to re-do everything he's done.  I couldn't really come up with any good ideas at first, but then (during some online decorative browsing) I stumbled onto this idea on the Better Homes & Gardens web site.  

With a first glance, this could almost look like my son in this picture!  Maybe someday I'll have a picture similar to this...

Brilliant!  No having to stack books upright (which can be very difficult for little ones).  It's very easy for little ones to put away without Mom having to come and fix it all after.  My next thought was, this would be so easy to make!  So, of course, I began strategically planning when I was going to bring this little project up to my hubby.  I waited until he finished his current project, highly praised him for all of his hard work, and then said something like, "You're really getting good at building things!" (which is the absolute truth!).  By this point I think he was beginning to catch on.  I brought up our son's awful bookcase (my husband is quite an organized, type a sort of person) and said I had a solution.  Long story short, he's on board with it, but we haven't really gotten to it yet.  Hopefully soon I'll post about this project being completed!  Then it will be time to move on to the next project!  (I have a wonderful husband!)  

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

It's a miserably rainy day here and I've recently gotten all of my spring decorations up (which isn't much), so my primitive pick for today is...

Spring Decor!!

Sounds a little generic, I know, but decorating for has always been difficult for me (I'll explain why), so I wanted to lay out a few things that I've learned on how to decorate for spring.  

So what's so hard about decorating for spring?  Pull out some bunnies, eggs, and flowers and that's it.  Or is it?  If you have a very specific decor in your home, especially a very specific color palette, then you (like me) may have a hard time figuring out how to include some spring colors and decorations without it totally contrasting the rest of your home.  My living room, dining room, and kitchen are all mostly made up of neutrals (thankfully), but I do have some things that get in my way: a wine-colored recliner, a deep red color under the chair rail in the dining room, and a big sage green jelly cabinet (to name a few).  The things I decorate with cannot clash with these pieces because they are all so BIG!  So... here are a few suggestions (along with a link to where you can find a few of these things, since I don't have pictures for everything).  

1.  Glass - Bring in the light, whether it's a mirror, an old window pane, or some pitchers or other glass serving-type pieces.  Put it on display in a prominent place in your home - on a shelf, an entry-way wall, a mantel, or the table.  

Country Sampler

2.  Garden Items - You may not be able to get out and do much yard work yet, so why not bring the great outdoors in.  Decorate with some watering cans that match your existing decor, clay flower pots (with/without flowers in them, maybe even nested somehow), faux birds (can be found in a huge variety of colors, textures, and sizes), and birdhouses.  

Country Sampler

3.  Baskets - Since I've recently discussed baskets, I'll simply say this... Wicker or woven baskets in particular are nice this time of year because of their resemblance to nests and tree branches.  So if you haven't included more baskets in your decor yet, now is the time!

Pottery Barn

4.  Flowers - A few flowers in some strategic places go a long way.  For me, these places are my entryway (where people enter my home) and the dining room table.  Wherever the focal points of your home are, flowers easily brighten (and warm) up a stuffy, cold house once spring is on the way.  My particular choice is daffodils for two reasons: 1) I can get a small bunch of them from my grocery store for $1.99 and they are more than worth the money; and 2) They come in yellow or white, so if you want the ambiance of the flowers but can't handle the yellow in your decor, go for white.  There are, however, numerous other springtime flowers to choose from.  

Country Sampler

So, this is all I've learned so far.  Any other suggestions would be marvelous.  Stay tuned for some pictures of some pictures of my house with a few spring decorations.  For now, I think I'll wait to until the sun comes out before taking any.  

Check out the Flower and Craft Warehouse Outdoor and Easter sections for some of these very things that I've suggested... at really great prices, too!

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

My primitive pick for this week is... (drum roll, please)

Dish Towels

Yes, you read that correctly.  Dish towels are an easy way to add a little bit of seasonal decor to your kitchen.  I often have a hard time finding ways to include my kitchen in my holiday and seasonal decorating throughout the year.  Counter space is always taken up by cooking and baking supplies, and most of my wall space is covered with cupboards and appliances.  So how do you bring a little spring, Christmas, Thanksgiving, fall, etc. into your kitchen?  

Here are two options that I have in my house. 

This is a dish towel that I have hanging off my cupboard to the left of my sink on an antique dish towel rack.  It was a wonderful Christmas gift from my mom, so I'm not sure where you can find these.

This was a house-warming gift from my husband's parents and it goes great in my kitchen/dining room area.  I'm privileged to have so many people around me who share my taste in decor!

In my home, these two towels are "for decorative use only" (which is quite the joke in our family, since my husband and father never seem to know what towel they can dry their hands on - whether at my house or my parents!).  I do have some that are regular hand / dish drying towels.  So even if the only spot for a nice dish towel like this is hanging from the oven door, refrigerator handle, or cabinet door, it's still festively brightening up an otherwise undecorated area of your home.  Dish towels like these can be found in a number of places (and for a variety of prices) such as: Wal-Mart, Target, TJ Maxx, Christmas Tree Shops, Home Goods, and other specialty home decor stores.  

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

My Primitive Pick this week is a little different from prior weeks because it's something that I don't have much of!  It's also something that I've wanted to try my hand at for quite some time, but have never sat down to try it.  Maybe someday soon!  And you can be sure I'll be blogging about it when I do!  So, enough keeping you hanging... My primitive pick for this week is...

Primitive Stitchery

I only have a couple of things around my house that have some kind of primitive stitchery on them, so the following pictures are from a few web sites that check out from time to time.  I'll be sure to list the web sites at the end, in case you want to check them out.  If anyone out there has tried their hand at this craft and would like to give me some pointers I would certainly welcome them!  For now, here are some examples of primitive stitchery that I really like.  Enjoy!

"Families are like quilts - Lives pieced together, stitched with smiles and tears, Colored with memories, And held together with love."

State pillow - great for around the Fourth of July

"Believe: Live like you mean it"

This pillow is customizable.  You can have your own "snow" family stitched on this pillow.  The bottom reads, "In the meadow we can build a snow family."

"Having someplace to go is home.  Having someone to love is family.  Having both is a blessing."

"Some of life's greatest treasures are just the little things."

Web Sites Used

Lake Erie Gifts & Decor

Country Folk Primitives

The Bradford Mercantile

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

My primitive pick for this week is...

Sconces!

I'm a big fan of sconces.  I don't have very many, but I do love them.  I will share with you the sconces I have in my home, as well as some others that I've found in various places online that I also love!  So, for those of you who are still unsure what a wall sconce actually is... please check out the pictures. 

First off, my own personal sconces... 

Our mantle at Christmas this past year. 

A wooden wall sconce that my hubby made me for Christmas this past year!  I'd been wanting one for so long, but could never justify paying the money for such a simple construction.  I think he did a great job! 

 Now for some wall sconces I've admired online...

  

 Hope you enjoyed them and maybe got a little inspiration from these pics!  

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

I thought long and hard about what this week's primitive pick would be and it was right under my nose the whole time!   

Baskets

Yes, baskets.  It may not seem very primitive to some people, but they don't have to be.  Baskets are a great way to organize when you are short on space.  What will blend in better with your decor - a plastic tote or a basket?  I don't know if I can think of a better multi-purpose decorative item.  I'm going to share some ideas and pictures with you (some from my home and some from the professionals) that will hopefully spark some ideas of your own.  

Closet Solutions

My linen closet

When we moved into our house, one major goal I had was to organize the nice-sized linen closet that we now had.  These baskets were the perfect size for all our extra personal items.  


Clutter Baskets

Better Homes & Gardens

My house (also notice in the background the wire basket for all the cars and trucks)

Better Homes & Gardens

My house (A basket used for bills and/or mail and documents to be filed away)

Let's face it - we all have clutter in some way, shape, or form.  Baskets are a great way to disguise it a little.  Whether it's mail, toys, craft supplies, or magazines, put those things that tend to pile up in a basket to keep in out of sight, but not far away.  

Stow & Go

Better Homes & Gardens

Front hall bench at my house

There is about a 6 sq. ft. area just inside my front door where everything tends to land when we come in the door.  Anyone else have this problem?  Oh, and we have a coat closet immediately to the left when you walk in the house.  Yet somehow there are always those odds and ends that are always kicking around but you never want far.  This storage bench solves this problem for us.  One basket has Jadon's shoes, another has extra winter hats and gloves, and the third has some church odds and ends.  The best part is, Jadon knows exactly where to find his shoes and where to put them away - they are in his reach!

Kitchen Organization

Better Homes & Gardens (I have no baskets in my pantry... It's definitely an area in my house that could use some love!)

A basket in my kitchen to hold wet wipes and some of Jadon's table activities, like Play-Doh.

We are blessed with having a fairly new kitchen.  Unfortunately there isn't a ton of cabinet space.  Getting creative with some baskets on the counters or in the cabinets can help to maximize the limited space you have and keep things looking tidy.   

Gift Baskets

 
Gift baskets are a wonderful idea for any gift-giving occasion - Christmas, baby shower, Mother's Day, even Valentine's Day.  One word of advice... give a quality basket.  So often the baskets given with gift baskets are cheap and useless (believe me... I've thrown out plenty!).  The basket is part of the gift, so give one that will last.  

Decorative

I'm proud to say this is my house!  This grungy basket was an $8 thrift store find, and the faux foliage was found at a primitive store. 

Even though baskets are such a great way to organize your house, you don't always need them to serve two purposes.  Sometimes a basket can be there just to look nice! 

Is it no surprise that my 22-month old toddler has been saying "basket for about two months now?  I love them!  Hopefully you've been inspired to tackle some of those unloveable areas of your home and make them cared for and organized! 

~ Carrie ~ 

My Primitive Pick

Lit Rag Garland

Okay, so some of you might be saying, “It’s February.  Why would I still have garland up?”  Valid point… but string lights and garland are not just for Christmas!  Please bear with me…

While on a shopping outing with my mom some time ago (our frequent excursions all seem to run together), we stumbled upon this awesome looking rag garland.  After glancing at the price of the probably 4-5 ft section of garland, we gave each other that look that says, “Why pay that much for something I could easily make?” 

Unfortunately, I have said this countless times and has little to show for it.  But, in an attempt to be both crafty and thrifty in decorating the home my family had recently moved into, I dove in head first to attempt making this rag garland… and let me just say, I easily made it, and so can you. 

Two items are needed for this project, and if you are a somewhat crafty person, you may very well have both of them on hand.  The first supply is one set of regular Christmas lights.  You can choose either 50 or 100 lights, depending on how long you want your garland to be.  Please note (as I will mention in step 2 of the directions) that the overall length of your garland will end up being half the length of string of lights. 

The second item needed for your rag garland is fabric.  Choose 3-4 fabrics that go together.  When deciding what fabrics to use, decide where you will be putting your garland.  You may want to do your garland somewhat neutral so that it will fit the décor of multiple rooms in your home.  That way you’re not limited to keeping your garland in one spot all the time.  I’ve had my rag garland draped on the railing of our stairs, but lately I’ve had it on the window over our sink.  Get creative!  It could look nice anywhere… a mantel, a headboard, etc. 

Directions:

1.    Rip each of the fabrics into 1 1/4” x 6-8” pieces.  These are rough measurements.  I recommend trying a few pieces to see what you like and then tearing a bunch of strips of each fabric.   Don’t rip every bit of your fabric because you probably won’t need all of it.  Just start with a good amount of each and rip more if you have to later.  A good tip for tearing your fabric is to make a 1/4 inch snip with your scissors and then pull.  

 2.    Uncoil the Christmas lights.  Fold the string of lights in half (except for the tail with the plug because that section has no lights on it).  This makes it so that the bulbs are closer together on your completed garland.  

 3.   Decide how you want to alternate your fabrics.  Beginning at the folded end of the lights, tie the rag garland onto the wire.  You can double knot if you'd like, but just make sure you pull it tight.

4.    Now this is the tedious part… Keep tying on your strips of fabric until you get to the end of your string of lights.  You’ll have to stop every now and again to tear up more rags.  Easy to do at night while watching TV or a movie, speaking from personal experience.  Eventually you'll end up with a really nice-looking lit garland!  

 

Have a happy, snowy day!  

~ Carrie ~

My Primitive Pick

My decor of choice is primitive/colonial.  I love the comfort and warmth of it.  Lately, however, I've had a tendency to throw in little hints of more vintage and contemporary elements... sparingly.  I guess you could say I'm becoming slightly more eclectic in my taste and it is slowly beginning to reveal itself in my decor. 

Each week I'm trying to showcase something in the world of decor that has caught my eye (although it won't always be primitive).  Feel free to leave your opinion!

This week: Black Crow Candles

There are 2 reasons why I love these candles: they smell great (obviously) and they burn a really long time!  Good thing, too, because I burn them all the time.  These candles are available at a variety of primitive stores or you can order them online here.  Hope you've enjoyed my first primitive pick!  

Carrie