christmas in the living room

Just popping in today to share a few snapshots of the living room. I’ve been working on a styling project for the last week, and in between set ups, I did manage to get a few images of some of my favorite spots in the living room.  

 

This is a little holiday vignette on our living room desk. I’ve been collecting these little vintage advertising crocks over the last two years, and now with less time spent at thrift stores, I've been treating myself to a few new ones from ebay recently.  

 

A new place to keep some of my favorite books in the living room… My friend Dennis makes these pretty mahogany benches, so I just stacked two, and they seem to do the trick. 
 
Our living room is basically finished now. We added practically every mirror in the house to this large expanse of wall, and they seem to do the trick of adding lots of light. When seated in the room, we mostly we get reflections of the garden, which is lovely. 
 

Two of our family trees blend in with the grouping, as well. I’m really into genealogy and always have been. Back in the day, I’d spend my time researching our family at university libraries. Now it’s so easy, and everything can be done online. 
  
PS that little pink house was a roadside find this summer, along with a bunch of other discarded Christmas goodies. 

 

Our lovely Welsh Dresser has now become the centerpiece of our living room. Since the dining room's too small for such a large piece of furniture, this guy now sits front and center on the back wall where we can admire it from almost every room downstairs. 
 
This hutch is a well-loved family heirloom, and rumor has it, it originally came from the Henry Ford estate. I think the best way to show it off is with lots of white tableware and accessories. 

 

My hubby actually added some of the holiday décor to the shelves while we were decorating the tree. 🎄 Just the right amount of Christmas cheer, I think! Thanks, dear. 😘 

 

Here's a little peek at the styling work I'm doing this week for Kalyana Textiles, and I couldn't help but sneak in a little Christmas set up using their pretty red and white napkins. 

I'll check back with you soon, and I hope you'll check back with me too!

ciao! fabiana 

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Also wanted to share with you that I just found out this weekend that my new Amazon storefront has been approved! I’ve got several different categories for gift suggestions, including My Christmas Gift Guide.  

 

 

 

looking at farmhouse style for autumn

Aren't you really enjoying these sunny days and the gorgeous beach weather? It seems like summer just snuck up as this year seems to be whizzing by!  

 

So, here we are basking in the joy of summertime, while in the magazine world they’re staying one step ahead of the seasons, and are already looking at fall! 

 

I just love the new Autumn cover of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style. In fact, I recently found an antique card catalog cabinet similar to this one that I’m almost done refurbishing for my living room. I’ll share that soon!  

 

The main focus of the fall issue are the lovely home tours featured in the “Fresh Farm-Style Homes” section. One of my favorites is a new look at Liz Marie Galvin’s 19th-century Michigan farmhouse. 

 

As a regular contributor to the “Do-It-Yourself Farmhouse” section, I’m happy to share that I have several projects, recipes and DIY ideas included in this fun issue. 

 

Here’s a fun vignette I styled in my backyard to highlight this DIY stenciled pillow for Halloween. It’s a super easy project that will look great on a front porch throughout the month of October. 

 

I actually stenciled several different ones with fall greetings, as well, and they’ll last seasonally right through to Thanksgiving. They’re so cute in my front yard and in the back garden. 

 

How about stacking a couple of benches on top of each other to create a stylish shelving unit? My good friend Dennis Marchese* makes these beautiful benches out of mahogany and classic metal hairpin legs. 

 

Mums, pumpkins, picnic baskets, plaid throws and other vintage collectables create a fun fall-inspired focal point in my living room when styled on these stacked benches.  

 

Here’s the full, uncropped photo of what you’ll see on page 8 in the “Country Seats” section. We recently added shiplap to the back wall of our living room, and I just love the texture it adds to the room. 

 

I found a pair of vintage iron sconces for a great price at a local consignment store. They now flank our antique Welsh cupboard in this room.

My favorite shot in this issue has got to be this one that you see at the bottom of this next page...   

 

Here’s the full snapshot...   

I arranged a collection of vintage framed silhouettes above the mantle in my family room. A group of muted pumpkins sits below along with a few mercury glass votives holding little mums.  

 

Two female busts that I painted black frame out the top of the mantle, as do the tall black taper candles on pewter candlesticks. 

 

A last-minute addition of floating feather Monarch butterflies is my favorite touch, as they add a bit of whimsy and color to this autumn vignette.

A blank wall in my dining room featured this lovely arrangement of vintage transferware turkey plates and platters. Isn’t this a fun way to show off a collection for Thanksgiving ? 

 

Layered Turkey Quesadilla Pie 

If you know me, you know I love to cook, and I love to eat! So, when given the opportunity to contribute 2 “Easy One-Pot Meals”, I was thrilled! 

I've been cooking both of these recipes for years and years, so I’m happy to share them here with a real fancy picture, just like the one in this issue. 

 

California Chili (with sweet potatoes, avocado & bacon) 

The recipes are of course included in the Autumn issue, and I’m not able to share them here on the blog at this time, but when you buy the magazine, you’ll be able to fix these comfort food dishes for years to come, just like me!

I hope you’ll be able to read this issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style on your own to really enjoy it in its entirety.  

 

It’s really packed full of amazing décor, project ideas, recipes and heartwarming stories. My contributions are just a little bit of over 100 pages of fun! Check it out when it hits newsstands on July 13th, or enjoy it on your Kindle HERE! 

ciao! fabiana    

 

 

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*If you live near Orange County, California, you can order the mahogany benches directly by emailing Dennis at farmfresh2020@yahoo.com  

  

**Some affiliate links have been included for your convenience.