Happy First Day of Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring! Thinking of being out in a balcony in France!

Not that it is not lovely at the Brayton Homestead, but tonight here in Bew England, we are supposed to get snow! Yes SNOW!

 I am going to look at pictures of gardens from Romantic Homes magazine and plan my summer plantings while sipping tea- here a mug ring from my Brayton Cottage online shop...

http://www.braytoncottage.com/shop/viewcategory.php?groupid=3

Enjoy!

my Tutorial to make a Patriotic table centerpiece

Happy Fourth of July from all at the Brayton Homestead. 

It is an especially fun holiday to decorate for. This season it started with the bottom half of my dad's

rusted tackle box. If you do not have a tackle box, a wood box, ceramic dish or white

ironstone tureen would be great.

I have held on to that box for decades! A few pots  of pansies right in their plastic containers went in first,  white then red then white, 3 square pots in all.  

Then I added dollar store flags in each pot. Not liking that I could see the plastic of the pots, I cut a strip of read check gingham cotton fabric and places it around all three pots, tucking it in a bit but not enough to get wet when I watered it.

I forgot to mention that I took a few plastic cups of rocks from my stone driveway and placed them in the bottom of the tackle box. I would recommend using clean rocks, white or grey, available by the bag in many craft stores. 

The homestead, circa 1796 begs to be dressed with red white and blue, and is easy to

decorate. A small addition of color as in this tackle box patriotic arrangement could fit in any room in your home.

Hope you enjoyed...

Linking with these great blogs:

Thank you for visiting the Homestead,

Karen

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 A New Year with many thanks and a few wishes..

Ok ,really more than a few wishes. My family and I have had more than a few challenges this year. The economy has effected jobs, health issues and relationships have ended. But 2013 brought many reasons to smile!

My loved ones are still happy and for the most part healthy. That is the most important thing to me. Material things seem so meaningless sometimes do/t they? We had  lovely gatherings this year with family and friends,. Favorite times often are just sharing a pot of tea. Did not want to add a review of my blog but did add my favorite blog pic of a my post  featuring a tea gathering  of friends and family.

 This picture is from one of my favorite posts from 2013.

The little pic that is tucked in a much loved jewelry box that used to be my Mom's hold a picture of my twin brother Kevin and I. Mom is still around, she is 91. She resides at a nearby nursing home and is still a beautiful, brilliant gem.  My dad dies when I was 13, he was 52 so the fact that Mom is even more incredible to me everyday... 

A most fantastic event occurred when the one and only, Fifi O/Neil contacted me and then visited my house to photograph the homestead! What a treat. I am still a bit shocked about that. I am crazy for mu house and love living in it. Decorating is so easy here. Will have more news to share about that soon.  

pic is from the Paris Flea Market- I could just live there, my ode to Fifi...

I wish for continued happiness and health for all and a trip to Paris for me! Been years now!  I have gotten back to making my  one of a kind recycled jewelry pieces, mostly necklaces and started making  recycled  

upscaled skirts as well, so fun too make...

Will be adding new pieces to my shop, Brayton Cottage soon, thanks...

Hoping you had a lovely Hoilday season. Christmas time is always a favorite time at the homestead. 

Seems the perfect place to celebrate the holidays.

Have a list of things I want to try this year. Skating, making sushi, get more organized,

more photography and drawing and as mentioned traveling. 

What is on your list for 2014?

Make it great and may it be magical!

Karen

*All photos -Brayton Homestead Interiors

I am Remaking skirts 70's style

Creating recycled skirts to sell on Etsy and reliving my college days? Does anyone remember cutting off the bottom of the legs to worn out jeans and making a skirt?

I like to find gently worn or new skirts and recreate them into something unique..Some are new, never worn  like this Ann Taylor corduroy that I added a tartan plaid pocket and hand dyed doily accent with lace around the pleat.

This simple but flattering knit skirt just wanted coral lace around the bottom and bow made from the same lace...

Here I made the elastic waist skirt myself and added a signature pop art flower that reminded me of Andy Warhol. Love to know what you think of my designs and suggestions you have,

thanks for looking...

Karen

I'm making homemade lip gloss, you must try it

I have made my own lip gloss and it was fun .I got the idea from Pinterest: it was surprisingly simple.

It starts with a bit of left over red lipstick, the piece that is always in the bottom of the metal tube that you cannot get out. The color looks deep and dense but it goes on to make a stained look, very natural.

I took a tube of Vaseline and squeezed half of it in a small ramekin. Add to that the lipstick of your choice. I used only a half an inch of the red lipstick. Put it in the microwave to melt together. To be cautious I kept melting it at 15 second intervals and mixed each time. One minute and 15 seconds was all it took.

I placed the gloss in a clean mini  mint container. So pleased! Not only does the Vaseline work wonders on winter dry lips but is has a lovely reddish tone as well. I hope to find  some pretty new containers and make some for friends, but will of course use a new tube of lipstick.

Try  making some yourself and let me know how you liked it,

thanks,

Linking with:

How Sweet the Sound

Common Ground

Cozy Little House

Savvy Southern Style

Karen

BLOG GIVEAWAY here at Brayton Homestead

To thank all my friends who come to the

 homestead

to visit and leave such lovely comments, I am having a scarf giveaway!

I offer these soft cotton and lace scarves 

in these pretty colors at my online shop

BRAYTON COTTAGE 

to enter the giveaway for the romantic creamy scarf 

1st-must become a follower of my blog

and leave a comment letting me know that you are 

or that you are already a follower.

 for a 2nd entry,

 post about it on your blog 

and leave me another comment to let me know.

 for a 3rd entry, visit my shop

BRAYTON COTTAGE

leave me an additional comment tell me which item you liked and why...

  

you can also visit my facebook page,

BRAYTON HOMESTEAD INTERIORS

and become a friend for a another entry,

be sure to leave a comment for each entry .

the giveaway ends on April 30th

good luck and thanks!

Linking with 

FADED CHARM.

Karen

FIT FOR A PRINCE: my Krumpet

Is this not the cutest dog bed?

I found the pic on google and thought my yorkie, Krumpet, would love it.

It is not Krumpet in the photo but it looks alot like him. Think it will be fun to try to reproduce this couch/ bed with old salvage pieces of wood, and also to go green and recycle. The charm and vintage vibe to the couch will fit perfect next to my canopy bed in my room.

Krumpet has a bed in every room in the homestead to insure that wherever I am working he can be near by...

Enjoy,

Karen and Krumpet

linking with:

A BOWL FULL OF LEMONS

ps. you are so right Lilybets, I would cover it in a lovely fabric, probably a tapestry.

thanks...

Shadow Sunday

I joined Shadow Sunday with Hey Harriet- always inspired by Lisa's Retrostyle photos.

It looks like the side of a barn ~ but it is really the clapboard on my house ~ aging nicely.
Image: Brayton Homestead Interiors

Magnolia Pearl

Enjoy the soft colors and textures in the work of Robin Brown, owner of Magnolia Pearl. It is difficult to discern what I love most in this summer bedroom. The chippy columns that ascend to the wonderful tin ceiling? The mix of textured laces in hues of vanilla, almond and coffee (yum)? Perhaps the door adorned with a mirror left open to catch a summer breeze or the use of recycled materials? An overall cozy calm feeling is my favorite feature, what is yours?...

Image: Country Living

Inspiration Boards

So many ways to gather your memories
of the
PAST...

display projects
in the
PRESENT...

and most importantly
collect ideas
for the
FUTURE...

Hoping you are always filled with inspiration...

Images: Better Homes and Gardens, Flikr, Claire Richardson

Rose Corner Garden

Have a wonderful day! Roses tucked into a little corner spot surrounded by mint at the homestead. Iced tea with mint anyone?

Image: Brayton Homestead Interiors

Sunroom retreat

I want to hide away in this gorgeous sun room. It has all the comforts of home and more! Imagine the overhead glow of chandeliers and the moonlight? A comfy chair, fresh fruit, beautiful flowers and a cup of tea, OK, maybe it would be Merlot. Enjoy the view......

Image: Country Living

Peeps and malted milk eggs

Do I love how this room feels like Easter to me, the colors of blue, yellow and pink. Makes me think of a big basket of Easter candy~ oh yum, pink peeps and malted milk eggs. Swooning over the walls, what a great way to recycle vintage wood and go green!

Image: Coastal Living

Humpty Dumpty

HUMPTY DUMPTY sat on a wall

HUMPTY DUMPTY was handmade by me….He was hand drawn on fabric. I have had him copywritted as he his my original one of a kind creation and has many projects planned for his future (not scrambled eggs). My Mom quilted my twin brother and I each a Humpty Dumpty when we were babies! Check out my Humpty http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22166868%20 on my Etsy shop and have a great day….

Image: Brayton Homestead Interiors