One of my Favorite Copycats....A Rerun

I have so much fun doing copy-cats of things out of

catalogs...

blogs...

just about anywhere.

The following is probably one of my favorite copy-cats.....

pure fun.....using things around my house.

one day, looking thru some of my decorating magazines, I spied that luscious
FRENCH COUNTRY
tabletop....

 I was just drooling over every bit of it....

I delight in copying a beautiful scene with my thrifted items...

I just LOVE showing that you don't HAVE to have a
 lot of money to spend on a certain look...

I just LOVE showing that you can get the same
FEEL...

MOOD...
LOOK
... with just some great imagination and some fabulous thrifted finds....

I think the key is to learn to be able to use OTHER items to represent the look you are after...

I surely don't have all the beautiful things on the table above.....

but....let's see just what I DO have..

♥SUNFLOWERS...check (my table would look a LOT better if I had REAL flowers...)

♥BOOKS....check

♥ROUND TABLE.....check < from my mother>

♥AWESOME TABLE COVERINGS....check

♥ROUND TRAY ...check

♥CUTE CUPS.....check

♥REAL FRUIT....check

OK, I am ready to satisfy my COPY CAT instinct...
Let's start gathering....

Gathering....
see that bit of fringed fabric...?......LOVE it...
and...it looked a LOT better after I pressed it...
*

 
Not just like it.....but close.
The idea is why I love INSPIRATION photos so much....

OF COURSE it is not exactly alike...
MY colors are LIGHTER..
we only use INSPIRATION photos that we LOVE to help us establish what we would like to accomplish.
If I were going to gather items for a table top JUST like this one,
I would choose all my pieces in about the same, neutral darker colors..as in the INSPIRATION...
(I would also probably be in the SOUTH of FRANCE...:)

The INSPIRATION photo is from

2001 DO IT YOURSELF magazine and

gives this great TIP...

"When arranging, go for a graceful curve:

Imagine drawing a line over the top of the display;

the resulting line should be wavy, not flat."

♥

 Now that's pretty cool to know....
however...
I generally fly by the seat of my pants when arranging pretties..
if it looks good to me....I go for it. :)


Now, I am thinking THIS might be a good arrangement for the things that I DO have..
♥
See how an INSPIRATION photo can spur you on to create your OWN ideas,
USING THE ITEMS YOU ALREADY HAVE.
It's not nearly so much fun if you go out
 and BUY things especially to copy a photo.

Is being able to satisfy your own self when you create a table top.
.a mantel...a dining table,
a form of creativity ?

 I've been told that it IS.. 

I think we don't have to be able to create a table top that will go into a beautiful magazine...
What I love is when my family says something like
"OH, GOSH...that old table looks fantastic !"
*

I like the brick red of the SUNFLOWER because it

matches the brick red of the sunflower plate..  ♥

....even the little tiny flowers on the french, paisley print book blends in well.

I love the little french pot that my daughter♥ gave me years ago...

and I love using it EMPTY....

I loved learning the tip about the wavy line....

I love that we are NEVER too old to learn...
and....NEVER....EVER...too old to play !!

OMGOSH....
Ain't life GRAND !

Foodie Friday 
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