I've Always Been a Book Worm

Some things never change!  Remember when I found these lovelies on Tricia's blog?

Well, it truly became a case of "I Can't Resist" and I ordered a few from her fabulous shop, Avolli. Tricia hand-picked my books for me...you heard right.  She gives incredible customer service and is a sweet spirited friend to boot!  So my lovelies arrived and here they are, right at home with my handful of other meaningful antique books from my grandmother.

Tricia chose Jack London titles for me... in Swedish!

I love how the edges of these pages are marbled, just like the cover!

I added my grandmother's Louisa May Alcott book to balance the blues on the mantle.  Love the combination of colors and textures.

My other antique books moved to my coffee table on the silver tray.

Not only do I love the personal touches and slices of history these provide, but they're beautiful, too. And they can work in any decor... I've pulled together an ideabook on Houzz to show you how.

How about you?  Any vintage titles on your shelves or tables?

Linking up with Cha Cha's Sentimental Sundays...

Happy Decorating!

Door Bucket Love...and a Giveaway!

One of the easiest ways to brighten up for spring is on the front door. Your front door sets the tone for welcoming friends and family into your home. Make it beautiful, welcoming, and friendly! Door buckets are a wonderful vehicle for changing the look of your front porch or stoop on a dime, and offer more flexibility than a traditional wreath. My all time favorite is my Willow House Flower Market Door Bucket, one of the first products I received when I became a Southern Living at HOME consultant. This piece is so hard-working! She’s been indoors and out, front door, back door, held fresh flowers and faux.

While seasonal door buckets are fun, I highly recommend going with one that can go from season to season simply by changing the filler. Choose a great finish that will complement any door color. And make sure it’s well-constructed if you intend to leave it outside for extended periods of time. Check your favorite home sites and stores for good deals. I use inexpensive door buckets in the garage to contain sunscreen, bug spray, dog leashes, etc. All the ugly stuff you need handy, but don’t want to look at!

A great look for fall…

And here she is for spring…

Door buckets make wonderful gifts, too!  Pop over to Houzz to view my Front Door Decor ideabook [again, only the tip of the iceberg!] and then come on back...

To help you jump start your front door makeover, my second Mondays in March Giveaway is this gorgeous Flower Market Door Bucket AND Must-Have Door Hanger! Here’s the scoop:


Comment here with where you’d display this lovely. {1 entry}


Tweet about this giveaway and mention @heidimilton, then come back here and let me know you tweeted. {1 entry}


Visit the Facebook post [Willow House with Heidi Milton] about this giveaway and comment there as well. {1 entry}

Contest is open until 7pm EST Monday, March 14th. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted that night. Good Luck!!

Maybe This Is Next?

Yes, I said on Friday that my family room bookshelves were...done.  Hmmm.  But into my Inbox pops my weekly ideabook update from Houzz (do you Houzz??) with a potential gamechanger.  What if I were to paint the interior of the bookcase?

This is the color of my family room walls... Porter Paint's Lincoln Home Beige.  I love this color for its neutrality, but it also has a nice punch against my white trim.  At certain times of day, it even takes on a teeny bit of olive, which I adore. 

I'm thinking I may even go a shade lighter to avoid the darkness that I was trying so hard to get rid of.  Or maybe even an accent color?  Celery green?  Blue?  Check out the Ideabook over at Houzz that got my wheels turning and then come back and tell me...

What do you think?