Vintage - Polished Pebble Style

One of my favorite things about blogging is the wonderful and creative people you get to meet.  Not only do you have the opportunity to hear their thoughts, but you often get to see photos of exactly what they are talking about.  For visual people like me, blogland can be a place of endless inspiration.

So it's no surprise that when I stumbled across The Polished Pebble awhile ago, I was immediately struck by blog owner Kelley's unique and amazing sense of style.  In my line of work as a magazine writer and photographer, I get to see all sorts of beautiful homes, but there are times when it can all seem like you're floating in a sea of sameness.  Imitation may in fact be the sincerest form of flattery, but in a world where vintage has become an all too familiar phrase in the world of design, Kelley offers up something completely fresh and different.

She has a keen sense for using vintage items in a way that others have not, giving both her readers and her clients something to sing about.  Unlike so many who feel like more is more, Kelley takes a restrained approach to re-purposing vintage items and pairs them beautifully with more modern finishes, for what can only be described as upscale vintage.

Today, I've asked Kelley to give you all a little insight into how she uses items that others often cast off as no longer useful, and turns them in to the center pieces of her design aesthetic.  So without further adieu, here is Kelley from The Polished Pebble! 

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Hi there!

My dear blogger friend Kat asked if I might write a "guest post" on her blog!

I love it!

I have yet to do one,

so this is great fun and I hope to make some new friends via Kat.

I hope she makes some new blogger pals too!

so....here we go...

read it 

here 

or here

 Sometimes just a single vintage item 

like this wonderful old sign 

can bring out the great qualities of a rather simple room....

 I found this "Lawnmower" sign at an antique store

 and immediately thought it would be great in the

 master bathroom 

of our little ranch house

 Mason jars are another vintage and pretty item for any room, but 

make great storage for bath products...

and you can pick them up for just a few dollars

 The little basket holds hair clippies....4 dollars at a garage sale!

Overflow items like a hairdryer and lotions are kept 

in this antique bamboo cabinet...a bit on the pricey side but it is the only cabinet

in the bathroom

I will be covering the glass with some vintage ticking...

when I have a free afternoon.

I actually don't know where my sewing machine is right now!

That could be a problem

 I like having towels in spots that are easy to reach and my towel preference

is 

white, big and super fluffy

This old drafting stool is the perfect companion 

next to the tub...sometimes it holds a glass of wine during a long hot soak in the tub,

preceded by a long day of gardening

 Between the two console sinks 

is this victorian sewing basket

which holds makeup and skincare. 

 It is probably close to 100 years old and in great shape.  

Often I see these for pretty reasonable prices, only to find the wicker pretty beat up, 

but they are still very usable.  

This one is in great condition.

 Additional towels are kept on open shelves 

along with more vintage finds

The shelf brackets are from Restoration Hardware...I actually looked for vintage corbels but it was too complicated to get 4 the right size, not to mention square,

 so the glass would sit flush

 Vintage apothecary jars hold cotton and q-tips

and there is even room for a collection of 

vintage Native American pottery up top

I have had that "for sale" sign in a variety of spots 

but it's a lot of fun in here

And every room needs a touch of black, right?!

All of the fixtures are vintage inspired

 but definitely with a modern twist and I love the shiny chrome

 More towels in an interesting wooden box near the tub

The teak tub caddy is a nice spa touch...

I think I might like a teak tub mat too.

The cute little bowl holding the soap came from our local farmers market.  A wonderful woodworker makes incredible bowls from orange trees that have been cut down.

Always nice to include an item from your neighbors...!

A few easy ideas to use in your own bathroom

with a little vintage touch!

Enjoy your week 

&

thank you Kat

xoxo 

galvanizedkelley

Kelley & Company Home
kelleymotsch@gmail.com


on the web:
kelleyandcompanyhomedesign.com


blog:
ppebble.blogspot.com


houzz:
http://www.houzz.com/professional/6749/Kelley--Company-Home

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I would like to thank Kelley for this great guest post!  And to see more of her incredible designs, be sure to visit her at The Polished Pebble.  And if you are in need of some design advice, be sure to contact her through her website or email listed above!

Thanks Kelley, you are always so inspiring!!!

The Polished Pebble

 (Mrs. Cardinal's tree is all decorated for Christmas)

Wow, can you believe it, 2 posts in one day?!  I know, I don't normally do that, but I wanted to tell you that I'm so excited to be featured over at Kelley's amazing blog, The Polished Pebble!  

Kelley is an amazing designer and one I really respect.  She doesn't just re-hash what other people are doing.  Instead, she is fresh, innovative, and oh so clever with how she transforms rooms and whole houses into magazine worthy places that make you want to move right in.  So when she asked if she could feature me, I was truly honored.

Thanks so much Kelley!  And to read the post just click HERE!

Leap of Faith

It's funny how just a few decades ago many agreements were made with a simple handshake.  That handshake was a show of faith from both parties that what they said they would do, they would in fact do.  There wasn't a need for contracts full of unrecognizable text or lawyers to try and sort everything out just so that something could get done.  And even when a written contract was required, it wasn't the size of a book or too complicated for the average intelligent human being to understand it.

But those days are long gone my friends and no one understands that more than me right now.  I've spent the last few days in contract negotiations. The kind where everyone is trying to cover themselves from whatever imaginable thing that might possibly occur if something written as a form of entertainment ends up being twisted, turned, and messed up by someone silly enough to sue.   And of course should someone decide to create a frivolous law suit there will be an attorney more than happy to take their money.

Sometimes these thing become like a war zone with parties on both sides digging in their heels unwilling to yield because it could possibly put them at risk.  So everything comes to a screeching halt, lives stand still, and work simply doesn't get done...and man do I hate that!

Frankly I think everyone hates that.  Who really wants to come to a grinding halt on something they are passionate about?  I'm betting no one really does, not even the lawyers that seem to enjoy the minutia of the written word and how it may or may not be manipulated later on.

Anyway, enough about me and my work-a-day woes.  I've decided to take the "what's meant to be will be" approach.  So instead of getting mired down in it all I made lasagna and took it over to my friend Ms.M's house for lunch today.  I made two batches, one to take to her house, and one to keep here for our dinner tonight.

I've been meaning to update you all on Ms. M, but I keep forgetting, and that's actually a good thing.  You see she has returned home and is doing incredibly well, so I almost forget that something so life threatening happened to her not long ago and that I, along with everyone else, really didn't expect her to be here with us today, much less munching on french bread, salad, lasagna, and heart shaped shortbread cookies this afternoon with me!  So for that, I'm very thankful.  And because her son and daughter in law took a leap of faith and helped her move from the nursing home back to her own home, she is happy and thriving!

 

You may have noticed that I've mentioned on more than one occasion lately my belief that you have to sometimes follow your dreams no matter how silly or unrealistic they might seem to others.  Now I'm not talking about spending your children's college fund in order to take singing lessons if you can't carry a tune in a bucket.  I simply mean that if there is something you truly believe you can accomplish but you hesitate out of fear of rejection, or even fear of success, then I hope in some way I can be that mommy bird and shove you out of the comfy confines of the nest.

I'm great at giving advice, although sometimes I'm not so great at taking my own advice, but I'm trying to change all that.  This past year has proven to me that you're never too old to follow your dreams, and that if you wait for the "right" time, you'll be waiting a lifetime, and why would you want to do that?

So today, I took my own little leap of faith.  I was going to keep this to myself, because I don't know quite yet how successful I may be with my little venture, but thanks to an email and some wise words from fellow blogger and creative genius Kelley from The Polished Pebble, I decided to share my crazy dream with all of you.  I've also had wonderful support from Michelle at Emerald Cove, Suzanne of Privet and Holly,  Rebecca of Acanthus and Acorn, Kim of Savvy Southern Style, Kate of Chronicles Of A Country Girl, and Connie of Hartwood Roses.  These women, and especially dear Connie, have given me wonderful support as I chase this dream of mine, so thank you ladies for listening to me wonder, worry, and even whine about what to do lately!

For the last few weeks, I've been working on some fine art photography, the kind of thing you would see hanging in a gallery somewhere.  And I created the pictures you see above and then got up the nerve to send them to a gallery owner, and guess what?!...she liked them!  So after much debate about cost, 'cause it ain't cheap to produce gallery quality prints my friend and these will be on metal, I ordered the 3 photos above this afternoon! 

It was a big investment, but one I really hope will pay off in the long run if they sell.  I may have just created 3 huge pieces of art which will end up gracing the walls of my own home and never end up in a gallery, or I may sell all 3 and go on to create more...who really knows.  But I do know one thing, and I know it beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if I didn't take that leap of faith and see where this crazy road of life will take me, then I'm not really living am I?!  

I never imagined in a million zillion years that someone who has been in the art business for over 30 years would even look at my work, much less consider it (and she hasn't said yes mind you), but I'm glad I was willing to put myself out there and try.  I hope each of you will do the same, no matter how big or small your dream.  I hope you won't settle for "alright," "good enough," or "I could never," and that you'll take your own leap of faith.  You may fall flat on your face, and I might too, but you could be soaring with eagles too...never forget that my friends!!!