Tried and True Best Sellers!

We spend alot of time trying to pick great items to sell - and we always love it when we pick things that our followers love as much as we do. The summer home furnishing markets have been going on over the last month and will continue through the first of August (in Las Vegas) and we are busy adding new items that we are sure will be equally as popular. Here are a few items that keep selling (and I keep packing and shipping) week after week! Let us know if you agree!!

Large 41" tall heavy scrolled iron decorative towel holder with swirled design basket at the bottom.


Vintage-style distressed vase/wine jar with French script writing!

Set of Two Tuscan Distressed-Looking Wood Plaques with Raised Medallions in the center


Another beautiful "Bordeaux" French Vintage Vase/Olive Jar in creams and brown and delicate script writing, and the last item below just came into stock and we sold all of them immediately and had to order more.......


This is a 49" tall by 14" wide wood panel resembling a vintage French panel door with open iron scrolling in the middle - makes a great piece of wall decor by itself or in multiples!

Visit Favorite Things Home Decor and check back for the new items that will be available within the next week as a result of the new introductions at the summer shows!

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Perfect Pendant Lights!

A pendant light is a light fixture that hangs from the ceiling, usually suspended by a cord, chain or a metal rod. Pendant lights are traditionally used in multiples, hung in a straight line over kitchen islands, dining areas and bathrooms but designers are using them in many other decorating scenarios as well - flanking them on each side of a bed or even using a mini-chandelier pendant above a baby's crib (as shown in one of the pictures below). With the widespread popularity of pendant lights, the materials and designs have changed and become much more creative than a simple glass shade or globe suspended from a cord.

Here are some things to consider when selecting pendant lights for your room.

• The size and scale of the room: a large room with high ceilings will command a larger fixture with wider, more prominent shades. If you choose a smaller-scale light fixture, then you may want to hang more multiples of the fixture so that they don't "get lost" in the room.
• With the variety of materials available, make sure you consider how well they will illuminate the space. Obviously, a clear glass shade or an open-frame style will allow the light to spread throughout the room. A darker shade or less transparent style will direct the light downward - however if there are openings at the top, it will allow the light to reflect on the ceiling above.
• Make sure your selection of a pendant light works well for your space - you don't want it to hang too low so that they are in the way or people will hit their heads on them!
  

With the last point in mind, here are some tips for the proper height to install them. As a general rule, they should be installed a minimum of 28" to 36" above the surface they are hanging and 60" to 72" from the floor to the lower edge of the fixture's shade. Install them about 24 to 30" apart when you are hanging in multiples.

I found some great pictures (from Better Homes and Gardens and HGTV) of rooms with great pendant lights and I've featured some great pendant lights available on our website, as well.

A kitchen with tall elongated pendant lights...

A similar Pendant Light made of recycled glass:

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Here's an example of using pendant lights in a bathroom with a vintage design:

A similar Open Framed "Saucer" Style Pendant Light:

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A baby's room with a Chandelier-Style Pendant light:

A Pink and White Pendant Chandelier that would work well:

Or... How about a Set of Two Antique Gold Pendant Chandeliers with clear beading...

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And another beautiful kitchen.....



How about the option below:

Vintage-Style Burlap and Chicken Wire Framed Pendant Light

Hope these pics inspire you - Remember - updated lighting can change the entire look of a room!

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Share your Decorating Experience!

I love it when customers share their ideas and the "outcome" of their purchases from Favorite Things Home Decor! Recently our customer, Michelline from Arlington, Texas, purchased several items from the website and sent us pictures of the results.

She had a very large blank wall above her fireplace that needed large scale items. She purchased the Set of 9 Colorful Tuscan Plaques pictured below, as well as a Tall Set of 2 Topiaries and the "Firenza" Votive Centerpiece (shown in the second picture below):

Here's how Michelline used them in her Living Room above her fireplace:


The orange rust tones of the plaques work very well with her window treatments and the terracotta floor. Each plaque measures 12" square so they make a dramatic statement on the wall. The low-profile "Firenza" votive holder below the plaques was an attractive way to hide an electrical outlet that is directly behind it. The height of the topiaries on the left help balance it.

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Michelline also purchased a Set of 4 Large Wood Plaques from Favorite Things Home Decor and placed them above her kitchen cabinets, instead of mounting them on a wall. Each one of these plaques measures 14" square.

Here's Michelline's kitchen....



Great job, Michelline - and thanks for sharing!

Father's Day Gift Shopping Made Easy!

Father's Day is June 17th and we have some great gift ideas for that special man!

Shop the Father's Day Gifts category at Favorite Things Home Decor and save 10% on everything in this category through 6/30/12.

Use Promo Code: DAD2012 at checkout.

See our best picks of unique things for DAD below:

Cast Iron Ashtray - Place his favorite cigar inside and tie with a bow!

Set of Old Fashioned Pulley Bookends!



Set of 4 Large Playing Card Wall Panels - Perfect for his Man Cave or Game Room!


Large "Fresno" Wine Rack, Designed from Wine Casks!

And, our favorite.... Retro-Style Wristwatch Alarm Clock!

Vintage Subway Signs - Offer Style and Inspirational Direction!

One of the most popular trends in wall art is Subway Sign Word Art! Designed after black and white vintage subway and Euro transportation signs, they can show an area's major attractions - cities, streets and normal stops on a major city route OR they can have inspirational words and sayings, designed with the same simple black and white, rustic look of directional landmarks. Take a look below at some great examples and find them at Favorite Things Home Decor:

New York Inspired Subway Sign Wall Decor
London-Theme Sign

Beach Theme - Perfect for your Coastal Decor!


Cottage Rules!

Beautiful Cake Stands - Just in Time for Summer Entertaining and Weddings!

Favorite cake stands for your special events and perfect for weddings and bridal showers, plus, they can serve as decorative candle/votive holders when not busy displaying your beautiful cakes and confections!

Gorgeous White Cake Stands with Clear Beading and Dangles

Dramatic French/Paris in Black with Clear Beading

Floral/Rose Embellished Pedestal-Design!

They make great centerpiece/candleholders, as well!

Hot Decorating Trend – French Vintage !!

Vintage French Décor is one of the hottest decorating styles for 2012!  It is inspired by French and European influences, and designers are using authentic flea market or antique finds to reproduce vintage-looking pieces with time-worn elegance and sophistication.  From pillows to clocks to wall décor – items emphasize informal simplicity with a weathered look and French post-card script writing on the finishes and fabrics .  Here are some items from our French Marketplace – all from Favorite Things Home Decor.

Beautiful French Pendalum Clock

 Set of 3 Fabric-Covered Trunks

 Paris Flea Market Pillow

Large Iron-Framed Pendant Light with Post-Script Fabric

 Eiffel Tower Stretched Burlap Wall Decor

Iron Roman Numeral Clock with Rope-Design Edge

 Blanket-Stitch Vintage Pillow