My Favorite Items For Our Home Vol. 2

Remember this post?  You guys loved the first installment and I have been meaning to add volume 2 for so many weeks and then it just kept getting pushed back.  I am so sorry for that little detail, my life has been crazy and sometimes just keeping the regularly scheduled posts up and running is harder than it should be.  I have so many things I get excited about sharing and then I look at my editorial calendar and realize I missed something big I meant to share.  But, I am here today to fix that detail and get the post I promised to you off the books today.

So ... here we go. 

We were chatting about things I love about our home that can be replicated.  Obviously there are so many personal details that are just us, but there are also so many things I can share and if they are your style as well then I have great sources for you.  The feedback from the first post was so huge I hope you will love this one just as much!!

First up, candles ... 

I love candles and we use them everywhere.  From tapers to amazing scented candles and even votives I have a huge section of my butlers closet devoted to candles.  I have great sources for all of them and I most definitely have candles I buy over and over again as they are just the best and burn so well.  I do not like a taper that drips and gets on my linens or my candlesticks.  I am very picky about somethings and this is one of them.  I have learned to prep my candles before using them and this has cut almost 100% of the dripping which makes me very happy.

For tapers I only use Creative Candles.  Their tapers are hands down the best you can find.  I love them so much and I buy them in bulk.  I will purchase a few colors each season and use them all the way to the bottom.  I love adding candles to a table and even to the mantle and these are the best I have found.  Also, the color options are stunning.  You have to love a company that has 7 choices for blue and 3 for pink!  Currently I have the petal pink + holly green for Christmas and mango + wedgwood on deck for fall.  I purchase the 15 inch tapers.

When it comes to scented candles I have three companies I buy from time and time again.  Personally I am a citrus + floral girl and we use these scents year round.  I am not a girl who pulls out her autumn spice candle in the fall, I keep to my usual scents.  I have purchased a fabulous Christmas candle in the past and if I find it again I will give you a heads up.  I was the best.  I also love matchboxes and I have the best source for those.  I am a loyal shopper, if I love it I buy it time and time again.  I love the way candles can instantly make an evening warm and cozy and a house smell and feel homey.  If the question is candles my answer is yes please, I will take all of them.

Art, both new and old ... 

Our whole home is a mixture of old, new, vintage, inherited and hunted at the local antique shops.  I love the mix and we buy what we love and make it work for us.  For us our art collection is the same.  We have a few that have been handed down, but the most of them I have snagged either at antique shops, auctions, or local artists.  I could not love the mix more.  It is like every other thing in our home, it is a collection of what we love and we make it work.  I highly recommend doing the same with yours.  I don't think there is a recipe for success when it comes to art and I truly believe you can mix old + new, traditional + something more modern.  Do what you love and make it work for you. 

For great vintage and antique oil paintings I would check the local antique auctions and Etsy.  I have found a lot of success in both places.  I love florals, ships, and people.  I love when I get asked about paintings we have and I get to tell others I have no idea who she is but we call her our great aunt.  It always sparks good conversations.

For me I love local artists and small businesses and I have collected a great group of them that I buy from a lot.  I have pieces from all of the people I have listed for you and I would recommend using and purchasing from each of them.  If you need something custom, they can do that as well! 

Paige Gemmel, Evelyn Henson, WillaHeart, Megan Carn, Laura Dro, A Thing Created, Mari Robeson + Anne Harwell McElhaney.  🎨

Anyone else love a stool? ... 

We have stools all over the house and they are a combination of garden stools and upholstered pieces that are both old, new, and of course, thrifted.  I have a fabulous brass piece I love so much next to my side of the bed that everyone else is not a fan of since it has sharp edges and seems to get their knees and ankles a lot.  I love that thing.  I scored it for $25 dollars and it is ah-mazing. 

I don't have a single source or two for stools, but I do have some great sources for you to scour to find something that you love. I have a pair I bought during a snowstorm that I love and every single person comments and loves them and I have linked the newer version below. I have also linked some great needlepoint options which I think are so fabulous.  I love all things needlepoint.  I like all kinds, porcelain, wood, upholstered, short, round, tall ... I think they are perfect for everything from magazines, your coffee cup, your feet, and even extra seating.  I do love a stool, or ten.

I hope you find some things you love from the many items above.  I think creating a home is so fun to do, to take a blank space and fill it with the people you love and the items you collect over time.  Our home is my happy place for sure and provides a refuge on almost any day.  

Happy Thursday loves!