A few weeks ago my little family and I took a long overdue vacation to Destin, Florida. I completely surprised myself by falling in love with the ocean. It was overwhelmingly beautiful!

While we were down there I had so much fun buying shells, starfish, and other ocean items to bring home with me.




 I really wanted to created an elegant beach mantel to showcase my treasures.




A photo shoot wouldn't be complete without fresh flowers. I love the soft lavender roses...




I also can't live without candle light...it creates magic in ordinary spaces.





I love this view when the candles are lit.




I brought home some white sand from Destin Beach and sprinkled a bit on the mantel.




I spotted this large gorgeous Conch shell at the thrift store a few days ago. It is definitely old, and has such a gorgeous soft pink color on the inside.



This next Conch shell I actually purchased at a high end antique store in Destin. It's actually over a hundred years old and I'm completely mesmerized by it!



So many treasures....





 I will be leaving this mantel up all summer! Every piece has so many special memories attached to it for me.





My son and husband helped me pick up the smaller shells while we walked along the beach.





I found these two sweet vintage mermaids at the thrift store also!





The glass bottles with the jeweled crowns came from a thrift store along the way to Destin. I filled them with the sand that I brought back from the beach.





Also at the thrift store I spotted this amazing vintage oil painting of the sea! I love that the painting is signed by its creator.





I propped it up on my piano for the summertime.





My Mozart busts wears a gold crown and keeps company with a couple of starfish.





Some more pretty photos...




The lady statues on my mantel remind me of mermaids.





Thats it...my elegant beach mantel.




Thank you so much for visiting!!

-Larissa

Hello again! It's been a while since I've posted! I came down with pneumonia which wasn't fun at all. I have literally gotten the flu twice this year and now pneumonia! oh my goodness!

We left for our vacation to Florida about a week after I had gotten my pneumonia diagnosis. Thankfully my antibiotics and inhaler helped me get a lot better before we left for our trip.

 Along the way down to Florida I couldn't help but do a little thrifting, and today I'm going to share with you a few of the treasures that I found.


In a thrift shop in Kentucky I spotted this sweet vintage print among the wall art.


The cherubs are so sweet and I love the many different types and colors of flowers throughout the print.


I have it propped up on my pink piano for now. I may move this print to the library in the future. I think the  colors would look gorgeous with the medallion I just painted and installed in there. If you missed that post you can find the link here.


I'm trying to add a bit more blue to the house. without fully committing to a major change such as painting a wall. Adding a sweet vintage picture like this and the blue garden chair at the piano, help me achieve that without going overboard.


My next and most expensive treasure that I purchased was actually at the same thrift store as the cherub print.


As soon as I saw this set of delicate china stacked among the mis-matched plates and mugs, I knew it must come home with me.


I seriously fell in love with its golden floral swag edging and soft pink fluffy roses the circle around each plate.


This set is old. I researched the marking on the back and learned that they were produced between 1930 and 1935.





I was elated that it was a large set, complete with soup bowls, dinner, salad, and dessert plates. It even came with a large serving platter! I can't wait to set a pretty table with these beauties.


My next treasures are a bit sentimental. I found four tea cups and saucers at another thrift store in Kentucky.


They are so special to me because my grandparents had this same set. I actually had three platters from them at one time and I absolutely loved them. I hung the platters on the wall to display them and  they all fell off and broke!


I think this set is so pretty and hopefully I can gradually add more to my collection over time.



My very last find came from an antique store in Albers, Illinois.
 I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this beautiful Madonna....and that her price tag said FIVE DOLLARS!


I snatched her up so quick! I cleaned her up a bit and soon she will probably be displayed In my home chapel.



She's amazing isn't she?


I hope you had fun seeing some of my thrifted treasures! Thank you for stopping by!

-Larissa

I hope you enjoyed seeing Kristin's beautiful outdoor space at White Arrows Home.



Here at Welch House we are blessed with a very large porch complete with beautiful Roman style columns.


The porch is so large that I was able to divide it into two separate areas..a "dining space" and a "conversation space."


This is my relaxing conversation area. I have decorated my porch in a black and white theme for a sophisticated Parisian vibe. The wicker swing and chairs have been with me for a long time. They were a gift from my husband for our front porch back when we lived in our first home in Kansas, a sweet little bungalow on the edge of town.


The coffee table was a garage sale find that I updated with a fresh coat of white paint. The French side table was also a thrift store find that I painted black.


Last year I gifted the house this pair of beautiful french style porch lights to replace the 1980's gold set that I had been tolerating...lol. Little changes make such a big difference and adds a touch of elegance.



I love my black and white striped seat cushions. Sadly, the cushion on the swing met with a disaster in my washing machine and ripped, so I just keep a cozy pink blanket on the seat to  add beauty and warmth, but also to hide the rip.








This is a photo of our home from the realtor listing many years ago. There was a screened in porch on one side put in by the previous owners which I removed and used that space as my outdoor dining area.


In this area I created a dining space by adding a french provincial style table and chairs that I found at a garage sale for $40. I painted the table pink and the chairs black from their original brown color, and then added black and white striped fabric to the seats to match my seat cushions on the wicker set.


I did hang a huge chandelier over the table for a fun look. My favorite part of this area is the white curtains. I love to watch them blowing around in the wind.


I have never photographed my front porch before. Mostly because it isn't "PERFECT'. The ceiling of the porch needs to completely be replaced and is not pretty. The roof needed to be replaced years before we purchased this house and sadly the leak completely destroyed the ceiling underneath. We replaced the roof but still haven't been able to replace the ceiling, so I've always shied away from showing this area because of all of the flaws.


But I am so happy Amber encouraged me to share this space anyways because it did photograph beautifully and is a gorgeous porch in spite of the flaws!


I just want to encourage and inspire you to decorate and enjoy your spaces even if they aren't perfect. There is beauty in the imperfections. Our home still needs so much work, and a fresh coat of paint, but I love her anyways and I work hard to gradually bring her back to her original beauty... slowly and on a budget.





I love love love this lady head statue planter! I always keep her on the front porch.


Today she is keeping company with my pink depression glass pitcher and goblets filled with lemonade. The fresh roses are from my garden this year.




I would also like to share one more special outdoor area of my home.


This little space is under our covered Portico.


It features a beautiful beveled glass window.. and my very favorite door.





This door actually leads to a very special room in my house..a small chapel that I created several years ago.


The door is so ornate. I love the black paint, but honestly I'm dreaming of painting it a soft pink.


This sweet little plaque my husband gifted me for our 4th anniversary..we will be married 13 years this December. It wouldn't be "home" if it wasn't displayed on our house.


I hope you enjoyed seeing my outdoor spaces today and hopefully you got some ideas for your own outdoor areas! Remember there is beauty in imperfection and don't wait until a space is perfect before you let yourself  enjoy it! Next up is Decorate and More With Tip! Enjoy!



-Larissa