well, hello september

September 2, 2015 | circadee

Oh September, I’ve been waiting for you. Summer on the front end. Fall on the back end.

From flip flops to tall boots and iced coffee to the famous pumpkin spiced latte.

You might be my favorite of all…

Slightly bittersweet with back-to-school and the mass exodus around Cape May.

Homework and schedules are at ease as we retreat to September. We’ll take a few quiet, lingering afternoons on the beach before we trade sand for crunching leaves underfoot.

Pictured here is a sweet little desk painted in Layla’s Mint and finished with antiquing wax. It is available at The West End Garage. Open daily 10-6 in September.

this is happening

August 18, 2015November 11, 2015 | circadee

I’m really enjoying pulling together photo shoots. In this case, I had a finished coffee table to share as well as new seasonal merchandise so it just made sense to style it all together. It is so much more interesting than simple before & after pictures, I think. Plus it has given me the opportunity to work with my new lens and continue to refine my skills in prop styling & photography.

At any rate, the coffee table base is painted in Layla’s mint over flow blue. Both are August’s colors of the month. Admittedly Layla’s mint looks very similar to Eulalie’s sky in this equation. The flow blue underneath the green made it sway more bluish if that makes sense. A bit of the blue is peaking through on the legs. The top of the table is curio with a bit of white wax. The table is available at Serendipity Shops of Doylestown.

We’re big on burlap as we transition into fall. Who am I kidding? We’re big on burlap every season! The bow front pillows are a new addition. Check out the adorable burlap pumpkins and daisies. You can find all of these at both Circa Dee shops. (The table shown here is not for sale but it is painted trophy with white wax.)

We’ve also introduced ferns to the mix at West End Garage. They are the perfect low maintenance interior plant for fall.

Are you feeling the pull to nest for a new season?

home for the plants

November 6, 2014November 6, 2014 | circadee

With the fear of frost looming at the end of October, we had to come up with a suitable winter home for our plant collection which was taking up residence outside and our deck.

They’re now sitting pretty in our living room amongst my favorite pair of vintage chairs.

We came up with a game plan to extend our sunny bay windowsill in order to accommodate the plants and my favorite vintage pots, bowls and vases. We started with fantastic weathered old 1×6 lumber that has almost a barnwood-like quality. We needed 6 – 5 foot boards in total. The boards previously made up a section of simple post and beam fencing in our yard. Each was stripped down to expose the worn grain. Two boards were paired together to make a 12 inch deep shelf. Three sets of boards were attached vertically to one another to create a 3-tier shelf system.

Plumbing pipe shelving is not a new concept but we came up with our own simple plant stand version using pipes and fittings to connect the unit. There are 2 connecting points on each shelf therefore we used a total of 4 – 9 inch plumbing nipples and 8 flanges which screw into the wood. These also double nicely as book ends. The plumbing materials were the most expensive part of this DIY project.

We decided on a set of simple 7 inch turned legs for the bottom which cost less than $5 each at Lowe’s. The raw wood of the legs and shelves received an application of hemp oil for a durable water repellent topcoat which also left a subtle stain highlighting the wood grain.

The plants have happily been relocated to the new plant stand where they are enjoying the expansive window and, normally, bright light.

These snaps are from this morning during a dreary, cold November rain. I love the mix of terra cotta amongst the saturated colors in the kilim rug and mohair chairs – all vintage finds of course. Such a cozy new space!