Spring Cleaning

I love cleaning my home....it's a chore I truly find rewarding....after all....there's nothing better than a sparkling, organized and clean smelling home.

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And I love these products....Mrs. Meyers....the Basil scent is my favorite.

And this is how I keep my cleaning supplies corralled....in a tin bucket. It's much roomier than those cleaning caddies you usually see...and looks prettier too....don't you think?

And this book helps me clean....green. It has great cleaning tips....and wonderful ways to use more environmentally friendly products.


Happy Spring Cleaning!


Andrea from Faded Plains

A Creative Space

A couple months ago....I moved into my new office/creative space.

It now resides in our sun-filled basement.

A space that really makes me happy....sometimes my family has to kick me out of this space....I can't help it though....it just makes me so darn happy.

Does your creative space make you happy?

If you'd like to see more of my creative space....just visit me here.

Have a wonderful and creative week.....Andrea from Faded Plains.

New Skill...

A peek into what I'll be doing this weekend....

I've learned a new skill....and now....nothing is safe from being slipcovered.

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving....

Andrea from Faded Plains

Love This Stuff

With the holidays right around the corner....

I thought I'd show you how I'm gonna wrap some of my gifts this year....

I'm gonna use this stuff....Japanese masking tape.


I love playing with this tape....


it's perfect to seal your gifts....


attach some to a shipping tag and write the recipients name on it for a cute gift tag....


the tape would look so cute wrapped around an old napkin ring with your guests name written on it.


or to make place cards....make a border for your holiday menu...


really....I could go on and on...but I'll stop here.


Now it's your turn...go play with some tape.


~Andrea from Faded Plains

For The Love Of Lavender

I have always loved lavender....

whether in a bowl...

on a silver plate...

or in a jar....

I have always had a thing for lavender. I love scattering bundles around my home...especially in the fall and winter months....just to remind me...that soon...they'll be back again.

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Hello...Autumn

Ummm....hello Autumn....I think you missed us.

A snapshot of Saturday morning here in the midwest.

Andrea from Faded Plains

Love This

Love the way this looks...

As you all know, I'm slowly going through our home and re-doing things here and there...and when I came across this photo, I loved it. I love that I already have many of the items in this photo...like the ironstone, silver trays and I have lots of hinged glass jars that I'm labeling and using for my spices....and I just love the chalkboard door...I think I'm gonna try that one. And of course, when we get done with our kitchen...I'll be sure to show you the before and after....it's gonna be a big change.

Photo courtesy of Country Living.

Andrea ~ Faded Plains

Fall Fashion

Today is the first day of school....and with that....I know that fall is just around the corner. It's one of my favorite times of the year.....I especially like the fact that I can dress in layers....I love dressing in layers. So with that, I decided to design a new outfit for myself here....I love how it turned out. I know some of you are looking at those Chuck Taylor's and thinking...why would you ruin that outfit with those....well, I gotta tell you....I love me some Chuck Taylor....they're the shoes your most likely to find me in.....any time of year.

I'm off to play some more with my outfit....have a great weekend!

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Ordinary Objects

Lately, I've been wanting to fix up my ordinary objects to reflect my style a bit more. I had lots of totes lying around...some plain and some with logos I didn't really care for...so I thought I might cover the ugly logos with scrap fabric. The tote above is covered in a paisley fabric that I just tore and left the edges raw...a little bit of fabric glue and there you have it.

This ruffle tote is made with your basic plain tote that I embellished with pre-made white cotton ruffles and some velvet ribbon. Again, a bit of fabric glue, an aged tag and lace and your done. {inspiration courtesy of this amazing blogger}

Now, this idea came from this wonderful book. I reference this book all the time and have really enjoyed making the transition to cleaning my home with more eco-friendly and natural products.

These are just your run of the mill everyday plastic hangers that I covered in torn white muslin. At first, I thought covering the hangers would just make my closet look nicer...but in fact...with the hangers covered, our clothes hang better and don't slip off...perfect for tank tops.


What are you doing to change your ordinary objects to reflect your style?

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Book Therapy

I love old books...

Their ability to make a home cozy...

their tattered pages...

their patina...

their covers...

Old books can add so much charm to a home...their mellowed pages just add a warmth and coziness that only books of age can do. To me, looking at my bookshelves, full of old books always makes me wonder...the people who read these...the tears they've shed on their pages...the giggles that escaped as they read...the inspiration they spawned.


~Andrea from Faded Plains

Outdoor Romance

I love dining alfresco...and here's a wonderful idea from Martha.

This outdoor dining area has been given a touch of romance...the sweet quilted jam jars holding votive candles casts a beautiful glow on the dinner below. Wouldn't these votives look just as stunning hanging from tree branches too. To see how Martha makes these...you can check it out here.


~Andrea from Faded Plains

Photo courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

Springn' Up

With spring just over a week away, ivy plants are springn' up everywhere. Ivy plants are some of the best indoor plants to care for, as they don't require a lot of maintance. Just a clip here or there a bit of water when their thirsy. They don't ask for a lot, but give a big punch to your interiors.

I decided to share some of the ways I pot my ivy plants at home. The plant above is potted in an old crock...perfect for the kitchen.

This one, is in an old ironstone soup tureen that was missing it's lid.

This little ivy is still planted in it's ugly "store" pot, I just wrapped it with a jute ribbon and some muslin...no more ugly store pot.

Wanna another really inexpensive way to fancy up your ugly "store" pots...this one is in a large cleaned out can of tomato sauce. Wrap the can with some burlap and add a touch of lace...cute, huh. It's also a great way to re-purpose something that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.

I also brought out some of my garden decor to add a touch of the outside...inside.

And finally, I replaced the inserts on my hutch with good ol' chicken wire...can't get much more outdoorsy than that. It also makes a great place to clip up some old photos.

What have you done to spring up your home?

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Thrifty Treasures

If your anything like me...then you love a good deal. Recently, I came across some wonderful "thrifty treasures" that I thought I'd share with you.

I fell immediately in love with this huge ironstone pitcher....a bargin at $12.00.

And these...lov'em...vintage seltzer bottles from England...they even have a stamp of approval from the Queen of England...how much you ask...$11.00 each.

This was a great find at the famous Rose Bowl Flea Market...a shabby white bench...another bargin at $10.00.

I found this beauty last weekend at a thrift shop for an amazing $25.00...love this!

A set of five old french watercolors...$12.00 for ALL of them, chippy frames included.

A couple days ago, I bought 37 french paperback books for a meer $11.50, that's only 31 cents each...was that a deal or what.

Good deals can be found anywhere...thrift shops, auctions, estate dispersal shops, etc...just keep your eyes open....and you too can find a "thrifty treasure".

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Collection Corral

How do you corral your collections?

In old jewelry boxes...

in ironstone bowls...

tied in ribbons...

in jars...

or left loose...with room to roam.


How do you corral your collections?

~Andrea from Faded Plains

Color Inspiration

What inspires the color of your home?

Is it beautiful pictures from your favorite magazines...

An old family photo...

A lovely old slip...

A stack of wonderfully aged books...



A collection of beautiful transferware and ironstone...

Insipiration is all around us...What inspires the color of your home?

~Andrea from Faded Plains