The Femme Fatale Life: A Vignette for Valentine's Day

Don't you love that word "vignette"? (Does the question mark belong before or after the quotation mark? I am a certified English teacher and I can't tell you!)

It's French for "little vine." It refers to a brief evocative scene or display or a little drawing on a page. In design, it refers to a small decorated space powerful in its own right. Designers love to create beautiful vignettes in homes. Home design bloggers are always sharing their creative vignettes on their blogs.

I thought I would try it today. I'm still waiting on my fancy camera to arrive (in my dreams) so you'll have to endure my little iPhone photos.

I spread a vintage embroidered tablecloth over my circular dining table and placed a metal filigree tray in the center. Everything on the table, including the tray, was given to me or bought at a thrift store, garage sale, or flea market.

I lined the bottom of the tray with a piece of red net fabric and then set in my pieces. This is a vintage wedding cake topper I thought fit the Valentine's Day theme, since brides and grooms are usually in love when they marry! Next to the topper is an old apothecary jar filled with left over peppermints from Sonic. Does anyone else do this?

I also placed an old wooden birdcage I picked up at a thrift store a few weeks ago. I may end up painting it, but today I placed an old Valentine teddy bear from hubby, an old "Wuthering Heights" book, and a few vintage pink Christmas balls in it.

I then clipped on a photo from back in the day. Who is that adorable couple? (hubby and me from 1982)

Behind the cake topper and jar I placed my mother-in-law's old silver candelabra on top of a copy of "Pride and Prejudice." In the candleholders I added more vintage pink Christmas balls.

In front of the birdcage, I placed a vintage Big Ben alarm clock, an old metal flower frog, and a vintage Valentine.

I couldn't neglect the corner behind the dining table. In time I want to put a corner hutch there or an old restaurant corner booth, but for now, there is a little wooden bar stool that I covered with burlap and added a rag skirt to.

I stacked some old books and placed a faux tree with some more old vintage Christmas balls on them.

It adds a nice little punch to that corner.

The little decoupaged cross and the painted subway art on the adjacent walls were done by my talented sisters!

Did you enjoy my Valentine vignette?

I'm not sure how much hubby likes it, but Valentine's Day will be here shortly and I can move on to leprechauns!