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Monday, November 15, 2010

Decorating with Dead Things!

I mentioned to my son that I was going to decorate the sideboard in November with natural things like sticks and grass and the monkey fist nautical knots I won in a giveaway from Suzanne at Meridian Road.  My 16 year old son replied "Oh so you're going to decorate with dead things".  Hmmm - I guess you could summarize it that way.  

So here it is, finally, our sideboard decorated with dead things!



I've wanted to do an African theme on our sideboard for ages and have just never got around to it, so I combined the natural elements with some of our treasures from Africa.

Let me give you a tour from right to left - 

The baskets and little elephant are from Botswana and were brought back by our eldest son Malcolm and my parents when they each visited my brother and family who lived there for several years.


I loved using the vintage mason jar in my fall sideboard arrangement and had to find a way to incorporate it into the November display, so I put some dried up, thoroughly dead, two year old high bush cranberry berries in it.  Who wouldn't want desiccated berries on their sideboard?  I guess these are the dead things!


I put the white pumpkins out in the long wooden bowl that Kate gave me last Christmas.  I love that dish - it is so useful and so pretty.



The giraffe was brought back from Zambia by my Grandmother when she taught there in the 1970s and the little ceramic jug is from Nigeria from when I lived there as a child.



And finally I stacked the monkey fist nautical knots at the lefthand end of the sideboard to add some visual weight.  Aren't they gorgeous? 




There you go - a sideboard decorated with dead things!


Linked to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

14 comments:

  1. It came out great! I love the Botswana bowls and the monkey knots :-)

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  2. Grace, love the long dish that the white pumpkins are in.....very nice. The monkey knots are wonderful.......your collection is beautiful!!! It is even better when the items bring good memories too, although dead they are still wonderful!!!!
    Hugs,
    Margaret B

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  3. Lovely!! I read once that it's bad Fung Shui to decorate with dead things. I think you will be forgiven because you created such a beautiful arrangement. :)

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  4. .. atleast you're not seeing dead people :-)

    Lovely dead things arrangement!

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  5. I kinda prefer thinking of it as decorating with natural elements! Your pieces from Afraica are fantastic - love the colours & patterns in the baskets. The little white pumpkins are cute, and love the nautical knots :-)

    Kelly

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  6. Love this post! Funny title and it looks great, who knew dried cranberries in a jar would look so neat!?!?

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  7. Well, I guess I like dead things 'cause I like this! My favorite is that little jug.

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  8. Very nice! I love those nautical knots and the giraffe. I really like how all of your items have a story behind them, it makes the whole thing even more special :)

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  9. Oh, I love your sideboard with its "dead" things. It takes a child...!

    Everything is beautifully arranged...but I love the plates on the wall most!

    xo Terri

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  10. Love your dead things! I'm glad you're enjoying the knots.

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  11. You sure can decorate with dead things. Wonderful display.

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  12. What an great looking "dead" vignette!!!!

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Christmas is right around the corner…hop over to enter my gift card GIVEAWAY…WIN some Christmas cash!

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  13. Well done...I really like the monkey's fists done in the jute in your last photo.

    My Show n Tell is here with the link that follows...I do hope you can find time to visit. click here

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  14. What a beautiful fall filled vignette. Keep up the beautiful work!

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