You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7
I will never forget the lesson my grandfather taught me one sunny Friday afternoon in late summer, when I was fourteen. He and I were heading to staples- joy. He had to pick up something boring, like printer ink. We pulled into a parking spot by the front door- right next to a big white truck in the spot to the left of us. My 82 year old grandfather slowly opened up his car door and proceeded to step out while I climbed out of my seat.
As we stood up we heard a voice from the white truck, “Hey buddy,” said none too nicely. We both turned and my grandfather asked the guy in the truck if he could help him. The guy in the truck proceeded to chew my elderly grandfather out for banging his car door against his truck. Neither my grandfather or I had been aware that my grandfather’s car door had touched the truck, certainly not aware of any banging going on. The guy in the truck told my grandfather how he worked hard for what he had, and how dare my grandfather just bang the door of his truck.
I watched open mouthed- I had hardly ever seen someone chew my grandfather out and the only person who got away with chewing him out was my grandmother. I couldn’t believe someone was talking this way to my elderly, depression era grandfather who, let me tell you, knew the value of working hard to own nice things. Everything my grandparents owned was kept in immaculate condition. I was a little scared of what was going to happen to this guy when my grandfather opened his mouth. When the guy finally gave my grandfather a chance to speak I was surprised to hear my grandfather apologize, saying he didn’t realize he had banged the other guy’s door, he hadn’t meant to and would the guy like him to move. The guy settled down and told my grandfather he would move his truck. We went into the store, me fuming to myself about how my grandfather had just been treated, and when we came back out the guy was gone.
We got into the car to drive away, I mentioned something about the guy in the truck and I’ll never forget what my grandfather said. “You know, you just have to feel sorry for someone like that. What must be going on in his life to make him go off like that.” My grandfather shook his head, “He must really have a lot going on.” That thought hadn’t crossed my mind, I had been too busy being indignant.
My grandfather modeled such grace and compassion that day, the lesson he taught me has stuck with me all these years. We don’t know what other people are going through, we can’t control how they will react to different situations, but we can control how we react to each situation. We can set a good model for others- we can take a poor situation and turn it into a teaching moment- even if the only ones we are teaching are ourselves. We can try to be like Christ, which is the best we can ever do.
Vignettes are the secret to up leveling your decor! Learning how to create a beautiful vignette will take your decor from looking like a bunch of things plopped down on a tray to a curated collection, purposefully put together. They can also be a great way to add seasonal elements to your decor, for more on adding seasonal elements to your vignette check out my post:
A Vignette is a collection of items, or furniture, that are styled together. That’s it in a nutshell but let’s dive a little deeper! You will typically use a vignette to gather items that you want to display together, styled in a way that makes sense and is pleasing to the eye, and one that tells a story. As I mentioned above a vignette can be as simple as hand soap and lotion placed on a dish, a collection of cutting boards, an herb plant, a pretty container holding your favorite kitchen utensils, and a lemon or lime stuck in for a pop of color. A vignette can also be as large as a floor lamp, a chair, and a stack of books on the floor; a vignette such as this tells the story of a lazy Saturday morning spent reading, or cozy evenings with your favorite books. There is so much room for variation in a vignette, and they are the perfect time to have fun and express your individual style!
Where to do a Vignette?
The great thing about vignettes is they work almost anywhere! I love to use a vignette to corral odds and ends in my kitchen example: I use a tray to hold a decorative hot plate that I use all the time, my pour over coffee maker, my basil plant that I haven’t yet killed, a utensil holder, my salt and pepper shaker, and other odds and ends.
Other places that are ideal for vignettes are: Mantels, end tables, coffee tables, dressers, shelving, countertops and anywhere in between!
Where to Start When it Comes to Creating a Vignette?
I like books and therefore I like to think of my vignettes as a story. The height of different objects acts as the emotional ups and downs that a good book will take you on, the varying textures in a vignette are the different colorful characters. Just like the setting in a book might be strongly textured and central to the books plot you may have a tray, box or bowl that is your vignette’s foundation, or you may not have your items on a tray and instead have the grouped together using colors to pull your vignette together just as many books have strong characters that pull the plot together.
The other thing you want to make sure you are doing in a vignette is layering! Simple vignettes are great but sometimes, (like on a coffee table), there are items that are necessary to the functionality of the room. For example; you might have a large book with a vase, candle and small sculptural object on top of it. Then you have 2 stacks of smaller books next to it, making the shape of a large rectangle. That’s cute! But what about the remote for the tv? And where did you put those matches to light the candle? Save yourself the trouble and replace one stack of the smaller books with a tray that will hold a small box of matches and the remote- your husband will be happy and you’ll use your candle more!
Or maybe you just have more to display! If you love art and have lots of it to display you might start with a large painting on your mantle, then by layering smaller pieces of art in front of it, you’ll gain a more collected look.
What are the Rules for Creating a Vignette?
There really are no rules when it comes to creating a vignette, but I know that isn’t helpful so here are a few things to keep in mind:
Pick an odd number of items: Usually my small vignettes end up with 5 or 7 items. You can go with more or pair down to 3, but generally the smaller the items the more you can get away with. Our minds like to group things together, and are always looking for shapes that it can group together. One of the most pleasing shapes for our mind to spot in a group is a triangle. For this reason you will typically want to include at least 3 items, and generally always an odd number of items. However, in case you can over analyze the situation as I have been known to do, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have 8 items- if the items read to your minds eye as more like 7 items. Example: If you have a stack of 2 books of the same size your mind will see this as 1 item, not 2 items. Create a little tension. My natural tendency is to make everything absolutely perfect and lined up, but when it comes to styling it’s often better for something to look slightly lived in. You want your eye to travel through the peaks and valleys of your vignette and then slowly be led off to the other decor in the room. Making things too perfect will keep your eye recirculating on your vignette and not let it wander to take in the rest of your beautiful room! Vary the heights of the objects in your vignette. Take your viewer on a tour of your vignette- and make it an interesting one! Vary textures! If you add only things that are smooth, shiny, or rough, it will be like reading a magazine in black and white. Companies add color to their magazines to grab your attention, and that is what adding texture will do for your vignette! Add personality! Books, decor items, pictures, coasters- these are all great but also toss in something unexpected. Like any decor you want to add just a little bit of visual tension to your decor- think plot twists in a book! So here is the place to drop in any odd keepsake you’ve been wanting to display but haven’t known where or how to!
On what should you display your vignette?
Just when you thought you couldn’t have anymore fun with a vignette the options once again opened up! A tray is probably the most common way to showcase a vignette, but a wooden box, a large bowl, a round slice of wood, a blanket, a mirror, a mantel, or a large book are all possibilities. A small end table or accent table will automatically act as a tray for grouping items. Get creative! What do you have around your house that you are under utilizing? Use that thing!
All Done?
It can be hard to know when to stop when it comes to vignettes! Sometimes analyzing all the details and tweaking so many things, so many times it can start to feel like nothing is working. When this happens it’s time to stop, and walk away for a while. Come back several hours later or the next day and take another look, oftentimes you will think it looks great, and if not the answer will most likely be much clearer! Walking away for a bit will save you so much time and frustration so don’t hesitate to try it!
I have been a long time lover of historical fiction. And I don’t mean just any historical fiction- I mean historical fiction that doesn’t feel like a history lesson! To me great historical fiction reads like another good book- with page turning suspense. They should be just as gripping, the character just as developed- just set in a different time period. Below are a few of my favorites.
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
The Secrets of Flight by Maggie Leffler
This is probably my most favorite book of the past several years- and not just because it’s set in my home city of Pittsburgh. The story alternates between modern day and the 1940s, narrated alternately by an older woman who was a lady pilot in world war 2, and between a young girl of modern day. This book is not only an exciting story with surprises and plot twists, but also one that educates about the brave women who stepped up to become pilots during world war 2 and the difficulties and sometimes sabotage that they faced. If you’re not a historical fiction enthusiast and need a book that bridges between modern day and recent history- this is the book for you!
Lovely War by Julie Berry
This tale is about 4 young people and their experiences during the First World War. What I really loved about this book is that the author chose to have the main characters stories told by several of the Greek Gods. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, is trying to pull together the main characters. Ares, the god of War, just wants to tell about the battle scenes, and then Hades… he narrates the death scenes, so we know someone is dying in the chapter, but we don’t know who. I really enjoyed knowing the topic was based off of which god was telling the story, but then I kept guessing as to who the chapter was going to be about. I thought this was a fresh way to tell a story about WW1, and one that had kept my attention the whole way through!
Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein
This story will keep you page turning as you read about the pivotal and bloodiest battle of the Civil War. This is the story of the cousins during the civil war- a northern girl and a southerner. Two different points of view are told as one war and one battle change their lives, torn apart by war and then brought together by it, what will remain of their once close friendship? As someone who grew up visiting the modern day town of Gettysburg I really appreciated the details depicted within this story as the events of the Gettysburg battle unfolds.
Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi
This is an older book by my all time favorite author Ann Rinaldi. This book is technically classified as young adult but don’t let that stop you! Is a well done story exploring the tensions and currents during the early days of the American revolution. Jem is wild and not content to be stuck at home in a classroom, especially with her tutor John who is a tory- someone who supports England and has the opposite beliefs of Jen and her family. That is until she gets the feeling that he may not be a Tory…And that she may have growing feelings towards him….
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
I’m a goner when it comes to anything about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. There is just something about an event that is still shrouded in mystery over 300 years later. If you aren’t familiar with the topic of the Salem Witch trial I suggest you pick up this book and educate yourself! The Salem Witch trials are about the winter of 1691/1692 when a group of young women, several of whom were still young girls, started accusing people in their town of watch craft- an offense punishable by death! 19 people were put to death by the accusations of these girls. This book drifts from modern day about a girl hired to transcribe a journal of one of the accused, and 1692 where we hear the story of one of the accused women, the owner of the aforementioned journal being transcribed.
Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
James 4:15-17 CSB
It was a month before our wedding when I decided we should take ballroom dancing lessons- because obviously there was nothing else going on in our lives at that time and we had all the time in the world to learn a new skill. I called around and found a place that could offer us classes at a reasonable price and the teacher thought we would be able to learn enough steps to fill the entirety of the song we had chosen for our first dance.
We both enjoyed the classes- I had taken traditional dance classes from the time I was a toddler until I graduated from high school. My husband loves music and likes to dance at weddings and other such events. Once we had learned enough steps to string together so that we could “dance,” we ran into a small glitch.
I was trying to lead. The woman cannot lead in ballroom style dancing. The man’s steps are less complicated, because he is the one listening to the music and signaling the woman on what steps she will take next. The woman on the other hand just has to remember the steps and heed the cues given to her by her partner. She doesn’t have to think about timing or what comes next- she only has to trust her partner and focus on him. The teacher told us what the problem was, that I needed to let him lead, and just do the steps. This system would be good for us because while I can pick up the choreography quickly, I cannot hear music. My husband-to-be, on the other hand, could hear the music and would keep our timing strong. All I had to do was give up control.
It sounds simple- just let go! But it was hard to give up control and stop trying to lead, even though I knew my husband-to-be was better equipped for that role. After several times of running the dance and seeing the teacher flinch as I would ignore my husband’s cue and start to take the lead again I was finally able to surrender to my partner. And guess what happened- I lived! And our dancing improved.
How often do we do the same thing with God? We hear Him gently nudging us to let go and release control and we fight it. We hear Him gently whispering to us that He knows best and we must surrender, but still we try to do things our way. How miraculous, when we relinquish the control that we never really had, into the hands of the One who created us that we then experience peace contentment that had been escaping us when we were so busy trying to do it ourselves. Funny how well things work when we submit to the creator of the world and do what He says.
A Vignette is a collection of items, or furniture, that are arranged together.. That’s it in a nutshell but let’s dive a little deeper! You will typically use a vignette to gather items that you want to display together, styled in a way that makes sense and is pleasing to the eye, and one that tells a story. As I mentioned above a vignette can be as simple as hand soap and lotion placed on a dish, a collection of cutting boards, an herb plant, a pretty container holding your favorite kitchen utensils, and a lemon or lime stuck in for a pop of color. A vignette can also be as large as a floor lamp, a chair, and a stack of books on the floor; a vignette such as this tells the story of a lazy Saturday morning spent reading, or cozy evenings with your favorite books. There is so much room for variation in a vignette, and they are the perfect time to have fun and express your individual style!
What should you include in your vignette?
Have I mentioned that there really are no rules when it comes to vignette? I know- no help! So here are a few guidelines to follow!
Pick an odd number of items: Usually my small vignettes end up with 5 or 7 items. You can go with more or pair down to 3, but generally the smaller the items the more you can get away with.
Objects of Varying heights. If you thought of each object as something in nature, what landscape would make for the best views? A vase or larger picture will add height, a small sculpture will bring interest to the details, a stack of 2 or 3 books will act as a bridge.
Vary textures! If you add only things that are smooth, shiny, or rough, it will be like reading a magazine in black and white. Companies add color to their magazines to grab your attention, and that is what adding texture will do for your vignette!
Add personality! Books, decor items, pictures, coasters- these are all great but also toss in something unexpected. Like any decor you want to add just a little bit of visual tension to your decor- think plot twists in a book! So here is the place to drop in any odd keepsake you’ve been wanting to display but haven’t known where or how to!
On what should you display your vignette?
Just when you thought you couldn’t have anymore fun with a vignette the options once again opened up! A tray is probably the most common way to showcase a vignette, but a wooden box, a large bowl, a round slice of wood, a blanket, a mirror, or a large book are all possibilities; what do you have around your house that you are under utilizing? Use that thing!
Add a Touch of the Season
Vignettes are probably the thing I change up most season to season. I have a wooden bowl that my uncle made on my entryway table. I love to add different touches of the season to this bowl, it helps to set the tone for the rest of my house from the start.
For fall I love, Love the little baby pumpkins. I love the orange ones, white ones, and the ones that are a combination of both! But there are soo many options such as:
Pine cones
Twine Balls
Cotton Bolls
Antlers- Faux or Real
Bottles
Strands of faux berry branches
Feathers
Leaves- you can spray paint faux ones to match your decor!
So many options, and still this list isn’t all inclusive!
Not Sure if Your Vignette is Working?
I don’t think I’m the only who after putting together a vignette, will step back and think, “Does that even look like anything?” Sometimes isn’t doesn’t and I have to tweak it or start over, but many times I walk away and when I come back a short while later I either love it, or can easily spot what needs to be changed.
I hope this inspires you to have fun with your decor! Vignettes are so much fun and fall is a great time to play around- so play! Have fun and enjoy making your home even more beautiful. And after you are finished creating vignettes of your own, I hope you will tag me over on Instagram so I can see what lovely creations you have made in your home. And for more pictures and inspiration from me come follow me on Pinterest at: EssentiallyEmmaMarie.
