Blog

I am so thrilled to announce that Rusticity Decor and sister company, Lillie Wild, will now have a mini store front within One Rose Decor! One Rose Decor is a boutique shop in Midlothian, Va that specializes in chippy vintage finds and handmade home decor from dozens of local artisans. The shop even has an entire room filled with fashionable free-spirited clothing and a candle line created by the store owner herself!

I was scheduled to do a pop-up event with the camper outside of One Rose Decor, but it was raining so heavily that day that I ended up setting up shop inside instead. The mini store vibe that I created in the space was a huge hit and fulfilled a need for Emily, the owner of One Rose Decor, since the room where I was set up in had been empty for awhile. Instead of packing it all up at the end of the event, I ended up renting the space from her! I’ll be packing the room full of one-of-a-kind upcycled pieces along with thrifted clothes, handmade jewelry and vintage home decor.

My sister and I started a company called Lillie Wild where we grow flowers, make bouquets, harvest honey from our bee hive and make pottery so this new space will be a way to sell all of those items as well as provide a place for us to hold classes and events! The possibilities are endless and I am thrilled that Emily is sharing her adorable storefront with my sister and I! Come by and check it out!

My cousins are opening an organic food market in the picturesque town of Monterey, Va. They leased an adorable stone building right on Main St. that just screams, “little country store!” It boasts original wooden floors, a full commercial kitchen complete with saloon doors and a custom-built bbq smoker. Their mission is to bring a source of real and healthy food to the people in the beloved mountain town. They will be sourcing from local farmers in addition to trucking food and supplies in from nearby areas. Fresh herbs will be available in bulk along with grass fed meats, organic produce and pasture-raised eggs. They have big plans for the space including holding events and conducting maple syrup tastings.

They hired me to decorate the store to enhance the already “country-store” vibe of the space. I packed my van with old crates, baskets, burlap table cloths, rustic decor and salvaged elements from my personal collection. When I was unloading, all of the pieces seemed to fall into place organically – it’s like the items just knew where they wanted to be placed. Everyone was very happy with how it turned out and I can’t wait to see all of my pieces full of merchandise. The store is set to open on July 6th!

You can never have to many crates in my opinion! They have so many uses! Stack ’em up and make a cubby shelf. Hang ’em on a wall for a unique storage shadow box. Use them to store unsightly stacks of papers and dog toys. Turn them upside down and use them as a coffee table or on the side to use as an end table. I have done all of the above in my house.

1. Vintage clock faces
2. Disco balls
3. Champagne corks
4. Tinsel
5. Vintage glassware

I love collecting bits and pieces that I can turn into wearable art. Whether it’s salvaged furniture hardware or discarded pieces leftover from other projects – I just put them in a box and save them until I’m inspired to make some jewelry. I find vintage keys and clock parts at flea markets and salvage yards. I also keep broken pieces of dated costume jewelry and throw them into the box as well. I consider my junk jewelry wearable pieces of art! Each one is a one-of-a-kind conversation piece!

Collecting vintage items is fun, but here is your friendly reminder to actually use the items you love so much. Use the fancy china for breakfast. Wear the vintage outfit that’s been stuffed in your closet. Everyday is a special occasion y’all! Just live with what you love and get rid of the rest (but let me go through it first lol)! Happy thrifting!

Old tins are something I will always scoop up at a flea market! I just love how they look with the fun colors and graphics. I like showing them off with dried flowers or using them to corral wooden spoons in the kitchen. Give an unexpected whimsical touch to a potted plant or a bouquet of flowers – the ideas are endless!

I had made one of these before and it’s not as easy as it looks because you have to remove the old rusty bolts that hold the wheels on. Once I was finally able to remove those, I cleaned it up and sprayed a sealer over the entire wagon. Then I cut two pieces of wood to fit snug within the frame. I love thinking of ways a forgotten piece can live on as something else. This would look so cute in a child’s room holding special treasures! This one sold, but I am always looking for more rusty wagons to transform.

This antique bed was beautiful, but had an old orangey finish to it. I was going to sand it all down, but that would have been quite the project. I had heard of using Easy Off oven cleaner to strip furniture down to the naked wood so I decided to give it a try. I sprayed it on the bed, let it sit for awhile, used a hose to rinse it off and then let it dry off in the sun. It was so easy! Pun intended! I think the natural wood is so beautiful and has a bohemian look to it. Needless to say, I will always have a bottle of Easy Off on hand! You guys should give it a try- it certainly saves a lot of elbow grease.

I don’t have any kids, but I had seen this Cozy Coupe makeover idea on Pinterest and when I spotted one at the flea market for a couple of bucks I thought I would give it a try! I took it apart, spray painted it to look like a VW bus and even made a little surfboard for it. So much better than the original red and yellow version don’t you think? A sweet little girl fell in love with it at The Chippy Hippie Market so now it has a new home.