Hello sweet friends! ! Welcome to the May edition of the Pinterest Challenge. This monthly event is hosted by the fabulous Cindy of County Road 407. If you are coming over from A Stroll Thru Life let me say, “Welcome to Storybook Cottage”. I so enjoyed Marty’s décor. Today’s post here on DTA features a Summer Garden Themed Dining Room.
The Inspiration
This month the challenge was to create charming summer cabinet décor. Our lovely inspiration photo comes from The Painted Hinge.
The pretty image features:
- A sideboard
- Small filing cabinet
- Terra cotta pots
- Wire baskets
- Seed paraphernalia
- Love plants
- Floral frogs
- Books
Michelle of The Painted Hinge
I want to take a moment to talk about my friend Michelle who wrote The Painted Hinge. Michelle was tremendously talented. She had a true gift for creating lovely vignettes and room décor. She was also an expert in computer IT. I had hired her to work on some of the back end HTML coding side of Décor To Adore to make it run more smoothly. It’s not always easy to hand over your entire blog to someone but I had no qualms with Michelle. Sadly, my sweet friend suffered from depression and anxiety most of her adult life. It was something she talked about on her site. After developing long term Covid symptoms she heartbreakingly took her life in 2022. I will always wonder if there was more I could have said…more that I could have done.
Now I can do two things. Honor her memory by sharing her talent and make others aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
For anyone who needs to talk or find assistance with care you may call the National Crisis Hotline at 988.
Summer Garden Themed Dining Room
I will admit that this was the hardest Pinterest Challenge I have ever done. I considered hitting the easy button and not joining in this month. But in the end I wanted to honor my friend Michelle.
My image features:
- A sideboard
- Small filing cabinet
- Terra cotta pots
- Wire baskets
- Seed paraphernalia
- Faux plants
- Floral frogs
- Books
I began with the sideboard in the dining room. On top I placed a small filing cabinet that normally holds lace in my sewing room.
I then created a vignette featuring a few topiaries, frogs, pots, a book and wire basket on the top.
Some of the terra cotta pots came from a local antique store. Others, as well as the mini watering can, came from Michaels.
Shop The Post
I decided to use faux plants so that this display can stay up for a good month or more.
Two of the drawers hold seed envelopes. Our local library currently has a summer seed catalog file. Patrons can donate heirloom seeds from their garden. I’ve been going each week to see what local gardeners are sharing and collecting the envelopes. I plan to have a gardening themed giveaway on my Instagram soon.
I’ll be sharing the rest of the dining room in an upcoming summer home tour.
Up next is Lora Bloomquest. You will love how she has decorated her charming garden shed!
Laura
More Décor To Adore
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HI Laura
What a beautiful tribute to Michelle.
laura
I love your garden themed dining room. Your tribute to your friend brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing the National Crisis Hotline number and for promoting mental health awareness month. So important. Lastly, thanks for sharing info about the seed sharing program at your local library. My daughter works for Chicago Public Library who also has seed sharing program. It seems the kids are as excited about that program as are the adults! I myself am growing red carrots. They have sprouted…now should I thin the seedlings out?
A lovely tribute to your friend. So sorry for your loss. Cute vignette! Gives me some ideas! Yes, time to thin the seedlings. I thinned our turnips and need to thin the beets.
Your garden dining room vignette is fantastic and I love all that you incorporated from her photo. When doing mine, I realized I need to get some vintage flower frogs. I also love that you mentioned her and that May is mental health awareness month. Great job my friend. Michelle and I talked about the Lord but I still think sometimes I should have said more as well. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. I love your entire dining room and look forward to the full tour soon. Happy summer!
Such a fun collection of things that you added. I love the vintage. It was such a fun challenge. Hugs and blessings to you.
Your interpretation definitely honors Michelle, Laura. I love your collection of pots, and great idea to include the wire egg gathering baskets. What a fun lace organizer!
First, Laura, thank you for sharing your lovely tribute to Michelle. Her style will always be remembered with fondness. Your cute drawers are a perfect beginning to this vignette for summer. The spot of blue is perfect. I love how you used the pots and greenery. Thanks so much for sharing.
I am glad your friend is not forgotten, after reading all the comments above it’s easy to see. I read that the national 988 hotline has been very successful, so let us all keep it in mind. It’s still spring here, with nighttime temps in the 40s but this weekend will find New Englanders bringing pots out and doing lots of gardening!
Your post is gorgeous! Such a great tribute to Michelle. I am so sad to find out about her death. All of you have made an amazing tribute to her life and blog.
Laura, I remembered your blue cabinet and its holding laces and other sewing goodies! It’s a great piece to use anywhere and it looks lovely with the little seeds packets and plants tucked in and around it. Love how your vignette turned out here in your dining room. Charles has the same gumball machine though ours is still red. 🙂
Enjoy your pretty dining room and your garden tablescape, Hope to visit with you this summer!
Hugs,
Barb 🙂
Hi Laura, what a beautiful job you did re creating Michelle’s vignette. Unfortunately I did not know Michelle, and was very sad to read your story. Unfortunately depression and anxiety are real for so many people.
I love the story of the flower seeds and think that is such a sweet idea. I may have to start something like that in our area. Thank you for sharing your lovely home and the kind words about Michelle.
Such a beautiful tribute to Michelle and such a beautiful vignette using hers as your inspiration. I love how you put all the flowers, seed and plants together for such a beautiful display. Great tablescape too.
I just love this special vignette in honor of your friend! The file cabinet is so cute & I can also imagine how it looks filled with pretty lace in your sewing room.
Your timing for showing this post couldn’t be better fo rme. I don’t need to move my little file thing into the dining area but I DO need to put some things in it! It’s just pretty much empty space and since I’m eliminating one storage unit from my art closet already (and probably more stuff) I’m needing some space for a few things I AM keeping. This is a great idea!
Beautiful tribute to Michelle, my friend! I hesitated sharing too much but really appreciate your sensitivity and highlighting the crisis hot line! Your sideboard is decorated beautifully, I love that little cabinet and the vintage pots are gorgeous!
Laura you are spot on with our garden theme challenge! I love the seed sharing idea and how you styled your bins! I’m wondering if our library has a seed sharing project too. I really need to get out more! Thank you for sharing your memories of Michelle, it is such a lovely tribute and brings awareness to mental health that we need to pay closer attention to.
Your display is gorgeous (I especially love the gumball machine) and you did a great job honoring Michelle. ❤️