This past weekend was one bargain-finding weekend. My favorite kind! I spent the weekend just outside Meta, Missouri (population: 230) visiting my boyfriend’s parents. Mixed in with the tiny towns, cows and rolling hills, the drive there also featured loads of antique malls and flea markets. I was itching to stop at every single one, but we didn’t stop at any. Not even one. Not to worry though, the best finds were later. While my boyfriend and his dad split wood (you read that right) and dug up gravel, his mom and I visited her booth at Old Towne Antiques, an antique mall in Doolittle, Missouri. The antique mall is where we found these goodies: This metal stovetop ring cost $1.50. Here I used it to frame a mason jar filled with flowers, but it could also be used as a picture frame….or…or…ideas anyone? I picked the flowers on the side of the road during a pit stop on the drive home. (They might be weeds, but I don’t know the difference.) This ladybug necklace, which I’m only using for the chain, cost $0.25. I’ve been looking for a longer necklace chain for a while. I think I’ll use...
Simple Mason Jar Display
Mason jars just have a certain charm. You can fill them with just about anything—flowers, candles, candy, drinks—and they look good. Yet, I’m also drawn to their simplicity. I like them just as they are. That’s why I decided to decorate the front of my fireplace for spring with just a simple row of Bell mason jars. There’s nothing to it. You can create this simple display yourself in just about any area of your home. Line a few mason jars along a shelf, on a windowsill, along the middle of your dining room table. It’s simple perfection. You could also drop a tea light in each one and light them at night for a pretty glow. Who loves mason jars? Let me know about your favorite ways to use them in the comments… Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....
Published In VintageKC Magazine!
Time to gush. I’ve had an article published in the winter issue of VintageKC magazine, and it all started right here on Red Leaf Style because of one blog post. The post featured a few photos and my experience at my friends’ barnyard vintage-inspired wedding. Through good ol’ Facebook, the editor of VintageKC saw my post and asked me to write an article about the wedding for the magazine! After months of waiting (the wedding was in July) the article has finally been published and is ready for you to read in all of its vintage-y goodness. Check it out here (page 24). Or, pick up a copy at select stores in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Related articles: Published in VintageKC Magazine: Winter 2014 Published in VintageKC Magazine: Fall 2014 Vintage Love: A Barnyard Wedding...
5 Ideas For Vintage-Inspired Headboards
With the right headboard to frame your bed, you can change the whole look of your bedroom. Whether your décor just feels blah or you love your current style but need a little extra drama, a “new” headboard can freshen up your bedroom. Create an eye- catching focal point in your bedroom with these five headboard ideas. They all use vintage or salvaged items to craft stunning headboards that are do-it-yourself easy. Rustic wooden planks image: House Tweaking Talk about a freebie headboard. Reclaim some old planks from a neighbor’s torn down fence, salvage yards, secondhand stores…wherever you can find them. Leave the boards in their weathered state or stain them in a hue you like. Then, simply nail them together in a pattern of your choosing above your bed. They’ll give off a rustic feel, and can look especially eye-catching with a simple message painted against the grain. An old door image: CAPow! This idea is a-door-able. (Yeah, I went there.) Simply flip an old door on its side and mount it to the wall directly above your bed. You can do whatever you want style-wise with this easy door headboard—paint it, leave it in the same shape you...
Decorating With Thrift Store Lamps
When it comes to lamps, I might have a bit of an obsession. My living room, which is quite tiny, includes four table lamps. My bedroom, three. I even have two in my kitchen and one in my bathroom. I’d like to decorate with more, but I’ve pretty much set one on every surface available. Why do I love lamps so much? I think it’s the warm glow they give off. It makes a room instantly cozy. And, I refuse to use nasty overhead lighting. Maybe it’s just in the apartments I’ve rented, but overhead lighting tends to emit cold, sterile light that reminds me of a hospital. Not quite the feeling I’m going for in my home. Where does one vintage-loving lamp obsessed shopper like me find all of these lamps, you ask? Thrift stores and secondhand shops of course! I picked up all of the lamps in my home at secondhand shops and thrift stores—never for more than $10! I’ll let you in on some of my lamp-scoring secrets. What to look for Search for lamps that have a base that catches your eye. Sometimes I go thrift store shopping with an idea of a color of...
Loving My Vintage Tea Cups
Drinking out of a vintage tea cup complete with matching saucer just makes you feel elegant—whether you’re a twenty-something or a seventy-something. I’ve recently discovered a love for vintage cups and saucers. I swear my usual Trader Joes English Breakfast tea tastes better out of china. I almost never want to drink my coffee or tea out of any cup without a saucer again! Sadly, my cup and saucer routine is currently just an evening ritual. Even though I already store my own plate, bowl, mug and silverware at work to avoid wastefully using disposables, I think I might get some strange looks if I sat at my desk sipping out of a tea cup and saucer. Although, I do already drink out of a reused pickle jar. Ha! While it may seem a bit silly to break out the fancy tea cup “just because”, why not? You can easily find mismatched vintage tea cups and saucers at antique malls and thrift stores for everyday use. Who says they’re only for special occasions? Give it a try! I bet you’ll love it. Do you use vintage tea cups and saucers to sip your favorite tea or coffee? Let me...
How To Arrange Flowers In Vintage Vases
I rarely buy flowers for myself. (I’m sure many of you can relate.) Even though they’re so pretty, flowers just don’t last long enough to justify the purchase. If I do have flowers around my pad, it’s because I snuck over to my neighbor’s yard and snipped a bloom or two. Hey, it’s a rental. They didn’t plant the flowers, so I don’t think they mind…hopefully. But, even that’s rare. So, when I do actually have flowers, I get super excited. They just make a room feel so…happy! Today’s my birthday and my sweet boyfriend bought me a bouquet. True to my vintage-loving self, I arranged the flowers in a couple of mason jars and a vase from a secondhand shop. Check out how I did it. The aisles at thrift stores and secondhand shops are usually overflowing with all sorts of vases—tall, skinny, round, glass, ceramic, you name it. Because I’m cheap, I always buy vases ast secondhand shops. I love the eclectic assortment…and the price. Most run $1 or less. I got the cute milk glass vase pictured above at a secondhand shop. I love taking a large bouquet and splitting up the flowers into several smaller...