Cozy winter decor

After Christmas, I really do love to get the house all straightened up and let it breathe for winter, and usually that means I bring in more white. This year, though, I really wanted to keep the green and red palette because the winter landscape here is full of evergreens and red berries, so I packed up the Christmas-specific items and added more greenery from the property and other accessories I had.

Cozy vintage winter bedroom

The cold nights of winter definitely call for a warm, cozy bedroom. Down comforters, quilts, thick wool rugs and warm colors are always my go-to elements for a snug and comfy room.

White Christmas in the mountains

 Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas😊 We got the sweet gift of snow on Christmas Eve, and despite how quickly the rain turned to snow and started to lay, everyone got home safely. 

Flow Blue for Christmas

I have never really been a tablecloth kind of person, but I wanted to set a Christmas table with a white lace tablecloth, so my mother let me borrow one, and I got to work creating a simple but elegant table for Christmas.

Christmas music room

 Hello friends! The season I love so much is getting away from me, but I’m trying to savor every moment while it’s here. It’s never been about gifts for us but the hope of Christ and the spirit this season of hope offers - and certainly hope we can all use in these dark days. 

I didn’t include my little music space in my home tour because I never felt I had it right. I cleared most everything away, and that was all it needed.

Christmas Past Home Tour

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!"

-Charles Dickens

Vintage Victorian Christmas

Well hello friends! When Stephanie asked me to join the My Home Style Blog Hop Christmas Tree Edition, I was seriously humbled because there are amazing bloggers on this tour😊 

I always love the opportunity to collaborate and share my own unique perspective, so I immediately said yes and got started on my living room tree. Before I share my tree, I want to welcome those of you coming over from seeing Ginny's beautiful and colorful tree at Au Petit Salon.

Cozy Chunky Blanket

It's that time of year when we all want our homes to be cozy and warm, and nothing says "warm and cozy" more than a chunky blanket or throw!

Fall Farmhouse Porch

It is my favorite time of year here in the mountains, and nowhere is that more evident than out on the porch where I try to reflect the amazing color that surrounds us.

Fall in the Victorian-inspired parlor

Fall is the season I look forward to all year, and I love for the inside of my home to reflect the warm, colorful and inviting feeling the outside has. My living room is ablaze with fall color in a big way.

 

Far Above Rubies is now Whispering Pines!!

Well hello friends! Yes I am still Anita from Far Above Rubies, but I have made a change I've been wanting to make for a while😊 

Autumn in the farmhouse kitchen

Hello friends! I'm so excited to again be part of these Fall Home Tours always hosted so beautifully by Marty from A Stroll Thru Life. This particular tour, however, is different. 

Marty and her husband both contracted Covid-19 this summer, and although Marty recovered, her husband, sadly, lost his battle. I know many virtual arms immediately wrapped around her because she has impacted so very many people through the years in such a positive way.

She wanted these tours to go forward, and the icing on the cake will be her tour at the end of the week. So be sure to check out all the tours each day, and go by and give Marty a big virtual hug on Friday. I'd also like to thank Linda at It All Started With Paint for stepping up to host this season's tours.

I'm leading off today's tours with my kitchen and dining area, so be ready for some color because fall is not neutral in these parts friends😊

I'm a firm believer that fall cannot be found in the aisles of a store. For me, it's crisp air, Carolina blue skies, farmers' markets, corn shocks and scarecrows and so much more. When the leaves finally turn here, the mountains will come alive with a symphony of color that leaves one breathless. I want the inside to reflect that, and I do it with color - fabrics, rugs, dishes and anything I can find outside.

Summer Bedroom

Hello everyone!! Here we are in the dog days of summer, and a cool bedroom is seriously inviting at the end of a hot, humid day. I'm excited to join 15 amazing bloggers as we share our summer bedrooms. Thanks so much to Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for putting this fun tour together. Welcome to everyone coming over from Laura's beautiful home at Decor to Adore.

It gets hot - even here in the mountains, and I don't want my bedroom to be light and bright, I seriously want it to feel like a cool, dark cave.  I remember as a kid visiting caverns nearby in the summer, and the joy I felt at getting out of the hot sun into those cool, dark caverns is exactly the joy I find in this room. 

Bold and colorful summer home tour

Well hello friends! I hope you and your families are well, safe and full of hope. I thrive on any glimmer of hope and finding the good in situations, and always strive to share positive and uplifting posts here and on social media. 

Today, I'm so happy to be joining a group of 28 other bloggers to share some summer home inspo. Thanks to Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for putting this diverse group together because there's something for everyone throughout the entire week.

First, I would like to welcome all of you who are coming over from Jenn's beautiful home at Clean and Scentsible! Her flavored water bar is such a great idea!!

I am going to start my tour here in the living room...

Franciscan Desert Rose on the porch

I used to share a pretty table at least once a week, and I'm not sure what happened along the way, but it's something I'd sure like to get back to so I pulled out the Franciscan Desert Rose and headed out on the porch.

The pink kitchen

Well hello everyone! I wanted to pop in and share a little change I made in my kitchen😊

I am inspired frequently by fabrics and nature, and I kept thinking about pulling out the pink in the Kaufmann Queensland fabric I have in the kitchen, so I got out the leftover peachy/pink paint from the girls' bathroom project several years ago, and started painting.

Spring Centerpiece

Hello everyone! I know, I know, I've been missing since my spring tour. Things have been busy here, and with the craziness and uncertainty that has ensued with quarantines and closures, I've tended to focus on instagram. Anyhoo -- I wanted to share this sweet little centerpiece.

Victorian Spring Home Tour

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.” -Margaret Elizabeth Sangster
And so it is even in times that seem uncertain, so I am choosing hope and joy, and I certainly hope to spread some happy spring spirit as I share my home today.

I'm excited to join Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Spring Home Tour series along with 29 other very diverse bloggers, and I'm so happy you are here stopping by from Julia's beautiful home at Cuckoo4Design. 

Picture rail and dark gray

I am a lover of history and my current obsession is the Victorian era, during the reign of Queen Victoria, 1837-1901, and beyond.  So many of the antiques and architectural details from the old house I have inherited are from the late 1800s in particular, so I love to read about styles, colors, etc., from that era.

Great grandmother's Eastlake chaise

My grandmother promised me great grandmother Knight's chaise lounge when I was a young girl. I always loved it, and it went with me to my college apartment.

Winter buffet

It is no secret I like to change things up using what I have. There's no better way to freshen up a space and get a new look than by removing everything and shopping my own house.

Antique millwork restoration

If you've been here long, you'll know I've been restoring and installing in our house the 100+ year old millwork that was stored from my great grandfather's house here. I'll link to some of those posts at the bottom.

This is a project I'm really passionate about, and I've certainly improved my woodworking skills in the process😊

Continuing in the living room, I worked on the baseboards and window trim last week. Oh what a difference millwork makes!! The rich texture of this old wood is just beautiful, and I'm so happy to give it new life in our home.

What makes a kitchen the heart of a home

Y'all knew I had to bring some color back to this kitchen, didn't you? 

I get really bored and need to add color to spice things up, so I brought back my Indian sari curtains and sink skirt, the red velvet table runner and some red towels😊

Victorian Chairs

Oh the joy of facebook marketplace😊 You just never know what you might find there, and I have discovered it to be the best resource in my particular area for all things antique and the best deals.