Short & Sweet 

joie de vivre

French lavender blooming in winter is not expected in north Texas, and was a pleasant surprise that brought a little French joie de vivre (exuberant enjoyment of life) throughout January and midway through February. 

I am not sure exactly when the French lavender plant in a pot on the back porch started blooming this winter. I was quite ill and did not go outside over Christmas and several days into January. 

Winter Blue and White Bathroom

Decorating a blue and white bathroom for winter has its challenges, but deer and wreath decor works beyond the Christmas holiday as winter decor also.  

Wreaths are good decor any time of the year. As you step into my blue and white master bathroom from the bedroom you can spot four wreaths, and two of them stay out all year round. 

There is a fifth wreath on the wood panel sconce not visible from this angle, which makes three wreaths that are part of the bathroom's daily decor. 

French Wood Panel Sconce Makeover

New reproduction French style wood panel sconces were too rustic even for my post and beam master bathroom, but with a makeover, now blend with my French Country inspired house. 

a f t e r   m a k e o v e r

After a little sanding, new gold finish, and an added small wreath, the new made over wood panel sconce has more style than the original wood panel did. While the wood panel sconce is still rustic, wait until you see how rustic it was originally. 

Vintage Valentines Display Tips

Tips to display vintage Valentines will give you ideas how to add a treasured Valentine to your home's decor without going all out in every room or on every surface with Valentine decorations. With a single treasured Valentine and a handful of complementary items, you can celebrate the day dedicated to love in your usual decorating style. 

It's a party! 

A Vintage Valentine's Day Blog Hop! 

Thanks to Amber at Follow the Yellow Brick Home for organizing over 20 blogs to share ideas using vintage Valentines with you for your home. You can find links to all of the posts at the end. 

If you are coming from Katie at Let's Add Sprinkles, you already have some good ideas for how to use vintage Valentines. If you haven't been to Katie's blog yet, you don't want to miss it! Katie and I live within 15 minutes of each other and are friends in real life, not just online friends. 

Whether you are having a party or merely want to add a touch of romance for the month of February, here are some tips to decorate for Valentine's day with an extra special vintage Valentine.  

Winter French Country Living Room

Winter decor in my French Country inspired living room includes an oval boxwood, an oval glass cloche, and a favorite old water bottle. 

Live green plants are always among my favorite things in the house... in every room, but live rosemary trees are hard for me to keep alive.