Category Archives: Styling

Vintage Treasures

Hi everyone! Hope you have all had a lovely weekend.

Last weekend, I spent the days treasure hunting! A dear friend and I hit the Portland Antique Fair plus some vintage shops and flea markets. Hard work but so much fun! Here are a few of the pretty items we discovered. I will be listing them in the shop this week.

Love this sweet, Farmhouse style kitchen scale! It’s rare to find this color so I was thrilled when I came upon this one!

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There is something so homey about these lovely soup bowls. You can imagine filling them to the brim with a delicious soup while the rain comes down outside. I paired them with these stately antique soup spoons too!

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Mail isn’t as pretty as it used to be but we should still have a beautiful place to hold it right? Love this silver tone, vintage letter holder. Very Art Nouveau.

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I’m so drawn to lavender glass. It’s romantic, nostalgic and looks so gorgeous when the light passes through it. This antique wasp catcher is missing its cork but still remains a lovely, rustic piece.

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Okay well, these are just a few of the pretties we found. Hope you enjoyed them.

Have a wonderful week!

xo,

Ivy

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Filed under Etsy, photography, Shopping, Still life, Styling, vintage

Still life: Color Study

Hello. How has your week been so far? I’m not sure if it’s the shifting of seasons or just all the changes happening right now but I’m feeling a bit out of alignment, emotionally that is. Restless, impatient, moody, unsure…ugh I’m a bit of a mess. I’m trying to find resolve in some self-reflection but as many of you know – finding quiet time when you are at home with kids is rather scarce. However, with Chris traveling this week, I hope to spend some evenings painting. That usually does the trick and calms my spirit. We’ll see…

Anyway, wanted to share a still life/color study project I shot a little while ago. I find that most of my photo shoots just happen. One minute I’m cleaning my studio and the next, I’m arranging objects and snapping pictures. It always surprises me but the happenstance nature of it kinda works for me. This tiny rose was the catalyst.

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Seeing color connections makes me happy and this vintage tin set the pretty palette.

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Try doing this with pretty items around your home. It’s a great way to practice your photo and styling skills plus if your eye loves color like mine does, you will find this simple exercise very rewarding.

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Flowers always seem to inspire me. Thank you little rose!

Hope you all are having a lovely week.

xo,

Ivy

P.S. To further facilitate my self-reflection I’m considering getting “The Desire Map” by Danielle LaPorte. Anyone checked this out yet? Looks seriously good. (I’m not the best with maps but one navigated by desire sounds right up my alley.)

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Filed under flowers, photography, Still life, Styling, Thoughts, vintage

Still Life: Coral Peonies

Hi there! How has your week been? We are doing very well here,  just getting ready for summer and enjoying lots of warm sunshine. Grace asks everyday, “How many more school days till Summer?” I remember that feeling – you can hardly wait to have lazy mornings in your pj’s, endless afternoons running around the neighborhood with friends, hoping to hear the ice-cream truck approaching. No homework. Picnics in the park. Going to the beach. Wearing your swim suit all day. Childhood summers – I have many fond memories…

Nowadays, filling the house with fresh peonies is a sure sign that summer is around the corner. Friends and family have been bringing me bouquets almost weekly! My two little Peony bushes only gave 6 blooms this year. I hope next year will produce a larger bunch. Let me know if you have any tips on making more pop!

I have been challenging myself to arrange some still life compositions to shoot outside of the product shots I take for the shop. This series featuring three amazing, King Peonies in coral was such a delight to photograph. I had to cut myself off. Enjoy…

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In case you are wondering, the backdrop is a vintage map of Rome and the other props are vintage goodies I have laying around my studio. It was fun to pull objects together and find harmony and balance in their arrangement. I did my editing in Photoshop using the Rad Lab plugin and I shot with my Canon XS Rebel with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens.

Have a lovely Thursday!

xo,

Ivy

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Filed under Art, photography, Still life, Styling, vintage

Up for the challenge…

Hi everyone. Happy Friday. I come to you today excited about possibility, learning and expanding! Even though I am exhausted from a night up with my poor teething, Claire – I am thrilled at some of the new things I’ve been trying lately!

First of all, I am super excited to let you know that I just signed up for Blog Boss – a new e-course with Holly Becker from decor8! I took her first course – Blogging your way – a couple of years ago and it taught me so much! This next one looks to be amazing and I can’t wait for class to begin. There is still time to enroll – check it out here.

8488219001_66bd99db2d_oLately, I am trying to expand my photography knowledge so I’ve been dabbling in portrait photography. I know you have all seen my attempts with my children but recently I’ve been taking pics for friends and it has been quite the learning experience. I have such respect for those professional photographers out there that do portrait work. It is a true art! My latest subject was my neighbor, Taryn Emerson. She is such a fantastic friend and an incredible interior designer too! She asked me to take her portrait for her website (in production) and online social profiles. I agreed. So, last Sunday, I handed over Clarie to my hubby and off I went down the street with my trusty camera, in the hopes of capturing my friend and doing her beauty justice! The overcast sky provided the perfect, softly filtered light. We jumped around from her place to mine, outside, inside, front yard, back yard…but ended up with this as our winning shot!

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Some of our other attempts…

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Taryn was a great sport and put up with all my amateur-ish mistakes. In between giggles, she was poised and patient.

It is so wonderful to have another creative buddy right in the neighborhood and she is always encouraging. She likes to challenge me too…which is a rare gift in a friend. Since I have been avidly taking pictures, she suggested I shoot her gorgeous designer kitchen for her portfolio too. I balked at the request, insisting I knew nothing about interior photography and how we would probably have to rent lights and wide angle lens. She rolled her eyes and said, “Oh come on, let’s just try it!” So over a bottle of wine that night, we styled the entire kitchen and shot it the next morning…

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It was so much fun dusting off my interior design skills to style this lovely space and collaborating with another designer is something I have missed! When we started the shoot it was dark and gray outside and I was doubtful that the light was sufficient but like a sweet gift, the sunshine broke through the clouds, spilling light into the room. We scrambled to move Taryn’s heavy kitchen table so we could let the shadow of the window unfurl onto the warm wood floor.

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All in all, we were both pretty pleased with ourselves and I learned a lot! There is nothing better than the feeling of meeting a challenge, especially a creative one. So don’t limit yourself, expand your creative gifts – sure it can be a little scary and you might even mess up but one thing is for sure – you will learn and you will grow – and that is worth it every time!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

***Check out more of Taryn’s beautiful interior design projects here and like her new Facebook page here.***

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Filed under decorate, Home, interior design, News, photography, Stories, Styling

Guest Post: Vintage Dressers & Chests

Hello, everyone! It’s Mari here from Arcadian Home blog, a wonderful place to find lots of decorating inspirations, including all kinds of lovely lighting fixtures from ornate torchiere lamps to massive crystal chandeliers. I am so happy to have the opportunity to visit Grace & Ivy with a guest post about appealing vignettes that show off the beauty of vintage dressers and chests.

Today, I’ve brought along eight images to inspire you to continue to explore the possibilities of giving new life to one or more of the many vintage chests and dressers just waiting to be discovered at a local garage sales, flea markets or in family attics and basements. Please enjoy!

Vintage Vignette

Our first vignette is the focal point of this all-white bath up under the rafters. This antique piece has been transformed with a glossy white paint finish and deep contemporary vessel sinks. It’s quite charming with a vintage floor mirror and cherub pendant light.

Vintage Vignette

An ornate bombe chest gets a new life with coats of chalky white paint from those cute little feet to the swirly metal drawer pulls. What a perfect baby shower vignette that includes a charming collection of DIY cake stands and gorgeous dessert offerings!

Vintage Vignette

Even a broken vintage dresser can get a second chance at life in a guest bedroom. The “shelf” left behind by a missing drawer becomes open storage for extra towels. Lots of table decor (read found objects) add to the dresser’s worn charm.

Vintage Vignette

A small vintage vignette atop a distressed gray chest fits in beautifully with a charming wall gallery and metal pendant lights at the top of the stairs in this country home.

Vintage Vignette

A beautiful focal point is created in this farmhouse kitchen by pairing a vintage chest turned marble-topped work island with a glorious crystal chandelier. It seems even Mr. Dog appreciates great design.

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A vintage chest stripped down to its bare wood, lovely little arm chair and interesting side table create a stunning corner vignette. I am a big fan of contemporary lamps, but have never seen one quite like this tabletop beauty I’m quite smitten by its unique design.

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Quirky little “decorative accessories” add a sense of fun to this vintage vignette. How cool is the look of an oversize swing arm floor lamp as it appears to inspect the sprouting bulbs atop the repurposed map chest?

Vintage Vignette

Even a distressed chest deserves one last chance to shine. This aging beauty with peeling paint is perfect in an appealing outdoor vignette. What a pleasure it is to see vintage pieces that have served well for many years still being enjoyed well past their prime!

What do you think of these vintage dressers and chests? Leave us your thoughts below and be sure to stop by our website for more home decor, lighting, and inspirations!

Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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Filed under decorate, Guest Post, Home, interior design, photography, Pretty Rooms, Shopping, Styling, vintage

Be my Valentine

Hi friends!

Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is around the corner already? Time is flying by, as usual. This weekend was spent recovering from the flu but the silver lining was that I got a lot of screen time. Daddy Newport took over the crew and somehow cared for the baby, got Grace to school, took care of me, ran errands, cooked AND worked. You would think he would have turned into a raging grump but nope…he kept his cool. He is rather amazing.

Anyway, enough gushing about my hubby. During my bed rest, I stumbled upon this incredibly talented stylist – Alicia Buszczak. Oh my…her site is pure eye candy. I picked out these gorgeous shots to share with you since they remind me of Valentines Day and love notes…

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Alicia Buszczak

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I just love the different shades of red and the lovely textures of the vintage papers.

Do you have plans for V-Day already?

xo,

All images via here. Styling by Alicia Buszczak | Photography by Steph Fowler

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Filed under Love, photography, Styling, Thoughts, vintage