To Portland or Bust

I will have to interrupt my postings on Cape Cod for a few posts.
Today we leave for a trip to Portland Oregon.
Portland is quite the experience!
Wikipedia states "Portland is a city located near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in Oregon. With a population of 568,380 it is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest.The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in public transit. "
It is attracting and capturing the hearts of our youth and families. A visit there gives a glimpse of the why. Portland is one beautiful city with an exciting blend of historic and modern architecture (I will have to do another post devoted to the architecture, it is wonderful). Vistas of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River, stately Douglas Fir trees, beautiful flowers and roses. It is a study in contrasts. Combined with great art, farmers markets, waterfront festivals and a diverse population, you have one very exciting city.

Some highlights, I experienced on a previous visit.
Some of the best small local dining establishments, I have ever had. The neighborhoods are more like small towns. You can walk (and most do, a wonderful site to see neighbors outside and greeting each other) to a cup of coffee, a grocery or one of the many quaint shops. Yet you are only a 10 minute drive to the city proper.
Did you think I would just mention the shops in passing ? No, no, no, that will be a post in itself. The shopping was just as exciting as the city.
Back soon, have a wonderful Tuesday.
Sue

Some parts taken from a previous post.

Fall

The first day of fall.
It's not my favorite time of year. I'm more of a spring type. I get excited when I spot flowers peeking out of the ground, hear the birds chirping, see the days are getting longer and life seems to be waking up.
Yes, fall does have its merits. Apple picking, apple pie, pumpkin's, lovely walks on a quiet beach, sitting by a warm fire. It brings us back into our homes, to settle in and nest.
With a chill in the air, it is time to put away the summer weight blankets and take out the warm comfy ones.

My favorite ones are striped vintage wool blankets. Hudson Bay blankets, dating back to the early 1800's, are probably the best known. They have small vertical black stripes or tick lines at one edge indicating the size of the blanket. Others well known are Beacon and Pendleton. But don't pass up the many wonderful ones which were homespun in homes though out the country. Each one unique to the makers taste and colors available to them.
I have one posted on my etsy shop at http://solsticehome.etsy.com
The simplicity of these blankets blend perfectly with today's decorating trend of a more casual atmosphere. Even the ones with blemishes can be used. Try a pillow cover, cover a headboard, warm up a chair by reupholstering it.
Tip
Have a favorite ottoman that is a bit worn?...It's the perfect candidate for a blanket cover up.

For today.... have a wonderful first day of fall
Sue

It Is Everywhere!

On my post yesterday I talked about the color yellow.

I had very limited time left after that. So, I scurried out to only the yard sales in town.
Well,
imagine my surprise and delight when I happened upon...........

Yup, you guessed it!
A big bright bold yellow vintage Nelson Sprinkler!

It didn't take me long to snap it up.
That color is popping up everywhere!

I came across only a few other great finds. Sometimes it's not how much, but how great.
And these are great. I love them all!

Not bad for an hours work!

Might be hard for me to put these in my etsy shop.....We will just have to wait and see.

For now have a lovely Sunday
Sue

COLOR ME YELLOW.. or not

Bright Bold Yellow
has been in many of the design blogs in the past few days. It seems to be coming the next favorite decorating theme color. See more photos here

It does seem that it is making an impact. It is the type of color people either love or hate.
Which is it for you? Let me know and I'll post the results.

I have to say, used sparingly it does make you feel sunny and bright. It will bring most
definitely bring a smile to your face.
Me? Well.. I'm loving these lights.

If your one who does, you might also like to take a look at the mid century chair on sale on my web site.
It is done in a more subtle yellow. I just love everything about this chair. More info here

However
you feel about this color,
I wish you a bright sunny Saturday
Sue

The Art of Display

Dear readers have not had much of a chance to be out and about the past few days. Trying to finish up some projects before heading out to Portland Oregon next week. Expecting to have some great posts from there as there are also some wonderful shops in Portland.
Instead I thought I would share a post from another blog which I follow and you may have missed. This blog is written by Benita at Chez Larsson, found here .
I found it handy since I'm still settling into a new home and hope to start decorating soon.
Enjoy the post and happy arranging...Sue
ps..you might find some new items to display here at my new listings

The Art of Display

Having received some questions on how to display items on shelves I will give you some tricks of my trade. These are some very basic tricks that I teach the staff in the shops I work for.

Of course there are more advanced display techniques and there are more advanced variations on the ones I'm teaching you but I won't get into that today. Also, it's not necessarily so that all beautifully styled shelves that you see in photos and in magazines have been styled using these techniques, some people just have an eye for it :) But once you know of these tricks you will probably start noticing that they are being used. Check out the chain store window displays next time you're out and about. You'll probably see a few examples.

Trick #1 TRIANGLES

Items which are grouped in a triangular shape draw the eye to the group as a whole instead of each individual item. The triangular shape is pleasing to the eye and without realising it your eye "reads" the display, starting at the top point, going to the bottom right and on to the bottom left and then back to the top.

Trick #2 GROUPING

For a triangle to be effective you need to group your items properly. Pick out the tallest item you want to display or add one if you were not planning on having one. This tall item will be the top point of your triangle. Add your mid sized items in front of your tall one. Place the outer ones to the side but still overlapping the tall one. Then place the smallest ones in front and to the side of them.

Grouping means exactly what it says, the items are or are almost touching each other (at least looking at them from the front) and yes, you may not see the every inch of the one at the back, but you will have a pretty grouping of items.

Trick #3 EMPTY SPACE

Don't be afraid of empty space when displaying. You may not have empty space in your bookcase but you should strive for some where you're not storing, but displaying.

Empty space basically means that you leave a bit of space around your group of items until there is another group. It helps the eye focus on your groups.

Trick #4 REPETITION

Repeating similar items is also a great attention grabber. If you have a collection of similar items you can simply line them up 3, 5 or 7 at a time. Uneven numbers are more pleasing to the eye as the eye tends to group things in two's which will "break apart" your display. Again think about the grouping trick, although this is not a triangle you still need to keep your repeated items close together, if not touching or overlapping. Also remember the empty space. Leave a little bit of space in between groups.

When displaying I often use the triangle technique for a larger group and incorporate some small repeated items at the in bottom left or right of my triangle.

Trick #5

Keep it simple. Don't try to display all your nick-knacks at once. Store some and bring them out to switch your displays around.

Good luck!

Thank you Benita..hope to try some of the tips soon.

Sue finds Sea Finds

Back from the beaches of Falmouth......

Such a hard job, ha!

I can attest, the water is warmer. The sun was shining and it truly does have a different feel from some of the other Cape beaches I've been on.

Captivating in its own right. I have a feeling as I travel these areas, each will present their own but entirely different beauty.



One thing I was surprised at and happy to discover is each area
of the Cape's sea shore produces different types of sea shells.
This is a sample of shells found there. Love the earthy quality of
the shells, some have natural holes in them. These are perfect
for jewelry making and or many crafts projects. They will be in
my etsy shop soon.

Off now to plan the next destination...Happy Hunting

Off to Falmouth

Falmouth Ma

After moving to the Outer Cape it was not a spot we headed to. As a result I had not been there in a long time. Now that I am living on the Upper Cape it is a place I will visit more often.

Best known for the ferries to the Islands and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Falmouth also has a charming center, with a mix of unique shops.

Blast From The Past is a fun retro-inspired shop, with its collection of vintage lunch boxes, signs and ephemera. From the moment you walk in the door, it just makes you smile.....

Falmouth is also known for having the warmest water on the Cape. I guess a trip to a few of its beaches is in order. A girl has to do what a girl has to do...back soon!

Off to find

One good thing that has come from the lack of having a

brick and mortar storefront is more time to explore and hunt

fabulous finds for my
web site www.solsticehome.com
and my etsy shop www.solsticehome.etsy.com.
It is also giving me the opportunity to visit some of the shops
and talented people here on Cape Cod.
Known for nurturing the independent spirit, Cape Cod is home to many gifted and skilled artists in all forms of media. The end of the summer season seems a perfect time to hit the roadways, byways and seashores. You might just find a treasure or two along the way.

ps; If there is a direction you want me to head in, let me know...
I’ll try to make that left turn.