vintage

TENNESSEE BARN WEDDING

I’m back from doing a destination wedding in Tennessee! Y’all know Tennessee is one of my favorite places…. all that Southern hospitality! This time I ventured further south of Nashville towards Chattanooga and spent 6 sun and fun filled days in Sale Creek at an amazing lake house! Sunrise, sunburn, sunset, repeat!

Believe me I wasn’t in any rush to get back to reality, especially since I was missing the CMA Fest by a week…but I also couldn’t wait to get back and tell you about the venue we worked with for the wedding! It’s called The Barn at Drewia Hill in Sale Creek, Tennessee. It was the cutest, most amazing, authentic barn venue I have ever worked with!

We drove up the dirt road and I was still taking it all in when I spotted the barn and it was immediate barn envy!  Little did I know what would be inside…. when those barn doors opened there it was…that high vaulted, exposed wood beam ceiling that I know you all love as much as I do! As you know the ceiling alone creates barn charm, but when you add soft draped fabric, and romantic twinkle lights… it takes it to a whole different level, and its magical!

There were vignettes and accessories set up all around the inside and outside, showcasing unique, vintage, rustic pieces! I saw old windowpanes, vintage luggage, antiques, metal signs, wood signs, candles, an old typewriter, and antique pieces of furniture! Old doors with vintage hardware, glassware, lanterns, wood and metal walls and ceilings, mirrors and frames, chandeliers, wine and whiskey barrels, and lots of twinkle lights! The bars inside and out are vintage trucks, there’s a trailer outside and even an old bathtub! There were hundreds of rustic accessories and so many things I don’t have room to mention…. literally enough to fill a barn…ha-ha pun intended.

The brides vision fit right in! She had collected vintage colored glass vases and bowls for each table, the dessert bar and the cake tables. The vintage glassware was filled with colorful, assorted wildflowers and placed on large aged doilies. The wildflowers were drop dead gorgeous! They hung from the archway outside, they made up the most beautiful bridal bouquet I’ve ever seen and even Mollie strutted with all four paws down the walkway with her wildflower collar.

So here I am taking all this in thinking I was either in heaven or a Hallmark movie….and the big barn doors swung open revealing not only the picturesque green countryside, but an old vintage truck parked outside in the distance… It just doesn’t get any more authentic than that… the truck belonged to the venue and has even been in the family for generations!

Talk about Southern hospitality, Kris the owner/manager is one of the nicest, most accommodating people you will ever meet! Just one of the reasons I love the South, everyone is so nice! She personally catered the food and it was amazing all the way around. Bundtinies, a candy table and a pressed wildflower cake fit right in! Fun fact; I actually made the cake the morning of the wedding…ha-ha no pressure there!

It was a, successful, beautiful, rustic, Southern wedding from the confetti kiss and the all-night dancing to the after dark sparklers. Even with a few unexpected surprises like the heat wave and the bee that flew up the bride’s dress….it was absolutely perfect!

If you need a rustic destination The Barn at Drewia Hill has it all! www.thebarnatdrewiahill.com

And if you need a destination wedding planner, or ideas, don’t hesitate to contact me at The Striped Barn….. we have lots of Southern hospitality to share!

What was your favorite rustic event?

Carrie
XOXO

By |2019-08-25T16:53:44-07:00June 10th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

Flea Market Home Decor Inspiration

OK, so I just have to share….  My friend sent me this pic of the gallery wall she did with all of her finds, treasures, and memories! The cool vintage furniture, the accessories, the rugs,..everything. Now if that’s not some serious flea market, junking, thrift store scoring, treasure hunting inspiration I don’t know what is! That’s Mollie Mae on the sofa and Vixey on the floor, her prize possessions… they were found and rescued too!!

She is an expert thrift-er and you can follow her on Instagram, she always has fun things for sale!  @thethriftydarlin

So all my DIY friends…If you want to create your own gallery wall just do it! Don’t try to lay everything out and match each side or make a template…. just start hanging! A gallery wall should be as unique as you are! Mix it up with memories, mementos and all your fabulous finds! If you only have a few items hang them up and then start searching, you will fill your wall up in no time! See you at the next flea market!

Happy Hunting!!

Carrie
XOXO

By |2018-10-22T07:43:12-07:00October 22nd, 2018|Blog|0 Comments

The Mix and Match Design Trick to Creating Rustic Style

The new comfy, cozy rustic styles are trending but can be very confusing. Is farmhouse the new Shabby? Isn’t organic the same as rustic? What is woodsy? What is modern farmhouse? How can I add just a touch of rustic? Can I mix vintage with everything? I get these questions all the time!

Confused? I can tell you what you are probably doing wrong…..Don’t pick just one style….How boring would that be? Plus when you limit yourself and focus on just one exact style, it’s actually harder to pull off!  That’s when you usually call me in to fix it, which is great, but you can do it yourself, really! Mix it up, pick at least 2 or 3 styles you like and start in. Don’t be intimidated.  How many times have you seen a room in a magazine where you thought, “Oh, I like this but I wouldn’t have done that, or put that there”.  I know I have a million times. But someone else loves that room! That’s the best part about being unique with your own style… it is your unique style and there is no way everyone is going to love it, but you do.

I love that my style is a crazy mix of many things:  Farmhouse, rustic, reclaimed, repurposed, boho, vintage, ranch, industrial, cottage, shabby with a touch of chic and a hint of modern. The blunt version:  flea market finds, DIY projects, wood and a few modern conveniences.  I love a room that has character, is lived in, has a cozy feel and reflects who I am the moment you walk in.  Yes, I have a thing for anything distressed because it has a story, has been a little abused, and is in need of some TLC. The best part…..it’s my unique style.

Growing up we lived in every inch of our house and we didn’t have that room that was off limits except for holidays.  There were always a few scratches and dings on the furniture and an eclectic mix of furniture pieces, some bought and some inherited that were one of a kind. In full disclosure most of the scratches and dings did come from me as a child! Back then a wreath or dried flowers was considered “rustic”, and many would have things refinished so they were perfect again. However, today we pay top dollar for all that furniture with imperfections and it’s the “new rustic”. Who would have ever thought? I love all things distressed and like to rescue furniture as much as I like to rescue animals.

My advice to you, don’t get hung up on styles or names. My rustic might be your organic but we share the same style vision so who cares what it’s called…it’s your own unique style and you can mix anything and call it whatever you would like! That’s what you’re missing and that’s what you will be happy with. If you’re looking for your wow factor, what draws attention is your unique style, not the same thing everyone else has. Years ago we called it eclectic, which was the fancy word for mismatched. Maybe different chairs at a table, at a table, colors, or opposing textile styles.

Mismatched fashion is huge right now. I can grab anything out of my closet whether it matches or not and look like I spent hours pulling it all together!  That’s what you can do when you start mixing styles. Graphic designers, interior designers, fashion designers, magazines, social media posts always mix up styles and make it their own to create interest and to give you something new and interesting that you haven’t seen.

By |2018-10-08T17:03:35-07:00October 8th, 2018|Blog|0 Comments

Somethin’ bout a truck

Somethin’ bout a truck….

Ahhh the romance of something so classic and rustic mixed with something so beautiful….

That truck has miles of memories and the flowers are so fresh and new. Adding a touch of new to anything old brings it back to life.  It wakes up the past stories that might have been while creating new memories that will remain timeless.

There is always something in the past worth remembering and something in the future we dream about….

Carrie

XOXO

By |2018-09-09T19:02:17-07:00July 16th, 2018|Blog|0 Comments
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