5 things that are perfect for summer stylings

It is the middle of July.

And it is HOT.
I thought California was hot. And Atlanta was hot. But Charleston in July? With that humidity and near triple digits? Okay… they might win. That was HOT.

But you know what summer and mid July and hot weather mean? Other than dips in the river or beach days?

Junking season.

You might remember that junking trip I went on a couple of times with my GMC family a few years ago. We would drive along the Worlds Longest Yard Sale and fill up our GMC vehicles with treasures to decorate a house for a Habitat for Humanity family. Some of the best memories right there – and a whole lot of happy tears. You can read about the reveals here, here and here.

This year, I am doing some junking but mostly local.
And when I say junking- I include thrift store shopping, flea market shopping and garage sale stops- I don’t care where I find a treasure- I just want to find them.

So I thought today I would share 5 of my favorite things to bring home for summer stylings. Summer is all about light and airy. Warm and welcoming and bright and sunshine filled in feeling. As opposed to chunky knits and warm plaids for autumn and winter- summer brings to mind whites and lights filled with pretty.

White Dishes

Never enough. Well… okay that is debatable if you ask my husband.

But yes… I might have a few white dishes on shelves in the house and in the cottage. And a few platters on the walls and a few more tucked into the armoire.

White dishes can be stacked, hung up and just set on the shelves for a charming look- and you can find those for under $5 and less quite often.


Wicker plates

This is a weird one I know. But one day while shopping for baskets, I bumped into a ton of those little wicker paper plate holders for picnics. And I imagined them on the wall.

They are super inexpensive and look so cute grouped together on the walls for a display, above the fireplace or stacked. And they are perfect for autumn as well.

Blue bottles


Yes, I am obsessed with bottles of all kinds. But blue bottles are just so perfect for summery stylings.

From lining them up on the mantel to marching down the center of the table- bottles with flowers add that perfect pop and can often be found for 10c or less.

Buckets

There is something about old buckets that speak ‘Charm’ loudly.
And sometimes even newer ones are just as charming.

Same thing goes with watering cans and any other metal bits. Search near the tools, gardening or industrial housekeeping areas where you can often find them for $1.

Architectural Salvage

Of all kinds. Any kind. Every kind. This is one of my favorite things to bring home- especially for summer stylings. Chunky corbels, pretty little old chippy picket fence panels, old boards.

Something I have a huge soft spot for is old picket fences that are less than perfect and chipping away wonderfully. People toss them in favor of new or metal fences- and I love to grab them. They are not only perfect for photography backdrops- but for fencing just a small area where you can grow tall plants like foxgloves and climbers on them – they are perfection.
Old fence boards can become a table or bench and corbels- bookends.

Another thing- even doors. Remember this cutie that I loaded up a few weeks back? The one with the diamond grids and a 1960’s door knob on the front? It is an oldie but goodie and a Habitat find.
Stay tuned to see just where this one ended up… and why my husband thought I was crazy for buying it.

A door can serve as a door, as a divider or simply as interest in a room with a hat and a bag on the knob. I once used an old screen door as my office door –  not a lot of privacy of course- but it was super charming.

What about you- do you have any favorite summer styling elements to keep your eye out for when shopping?