Striped Hall Reveal {Before The Teardown}

Long time, no see, dear friends. Life has taken over and absolutely been insane and chaotic lately. I have been trying to accomplish everything I can before my time in glorious Europe is up. My home has felt like insanity as well. I have decided to sell EVERYTHING I don't simply LOVE and all the things I brought from The States, so that I could do more traveling and stock up on some European antiques before I head back to America in less than a year. As of late, my home changes daily, and as soon as I get it how I like it, I find a piece I like better and sell other items to pay for it! I have been collecting decor and antiques since I was a wee little one, and to be honest, it feels good to get rid of all the things (that don't have sentimental value) that I have been lugging around for years.
I had the striped hall like this for about a month before selling my childhood dresser, but wanted to share with you how I had it set up! I got the painting at a thrift shop and it reminds me of the wine region along the Mosel. When you drive on the Autobahn you see dozens of little villages and steeples like the one in  the painting. It will be a beautiful memory for us and a piece of my home here in Germany, all in a vintage painting.

 Even though my style is a blend of antiques and contemporary pieces, I am collecting all the antiques I can while I am here.  It would be absolutely ludicrous not to, since I can purchase them at a fraction of the cost as in The States.

I left my time-zone clock wall and eccentric art the same. To read about the meaning of our time-zone clock wall, click here.

I have also done some rearranging in my kitchen, living room, dining room and bedroom to add beautiful pieces like this hand painted and burned clock from the French countryside. 

What would you do with your last little bit of time in a foreign country??? Would you travel and stock up too?

{DIY} No Sew, Grain Sack Pillow Case

I don't know about you all, but I love a fantastic, frugal and stupid-easy DIY every now and then (or always). I am sure you have seen a zillion faux burlap sack pillowcases on expensive design and furniture sites and they aren't even the real deal! For the same price or less, you can get yourself an authentic vintage sack and make your own pillow that will have an awesome story behind it! Also, an authentic sack is classic and won't go out of style. 

I scored these two gorgeous sacks in France a few weeks ago and they are from the late 1920's. The coolest part is they have our monograms (we have the same monogram) on them! They have a different graphic on the front and back. What's even better is it will remind us of our flea market date day in the French countryside. It's a more pleasant reminder of our day than the pounds I have gained from stuffing my face with French pastries....

How perfect is this anchor for summer decor??

If you aren't the flea marketing type, click here to see a bunch of vintage sacks that you can order online from the comfort of your home. 

Because our 87 year old sacks were filled with dust from sitting around the past century, I washed them with a mild detergent on delicate and dried them out in the sunshine. It took the dust right out. They washed up beautifully! If your sack has any holes or tears, you may want to hand wash them. Authentic sacks are made for heavy wear and tear and are pretty darn durable. Most will hold "bed" pillows perfectly and will make a fantastic lumbar pillow. I didn't bother to even stitch the end of mine up because it stays closed and I like the option of cleaning the "pillowcase" or using the sack it for other purposes. 

 Do you enjoy decorating with old grain sacks as much as I do? They look relaxed and breezy and are perfect for summer (or any season really). It's the perfect way to add a "kiss" of industrial style to your home.