Foraging From Nature to Enhance Your Rustic Cabin Decor

 Now is the perfect time to enhance your rustic cabin decor and vintage style with natural elements you can find in your own yard.  Pink Pig's apothecary jars, mason jars and other vintage vessels are perfect receptacles for simple arrangements that make a bold statement.

Grab your clippers and a basket and stroll through your garden or yard with an new outlook on the flowers, plants, shrubs and trees that are there.  Look for natural elements that emphasize shape, color, texture and a bit of whimsy.  Late-blooming flowers, colorful foliage, dried flowers, evergreen branches, berries, pine cones, seed pods and small branches with interesting shapes make great accents for arrangements.
Use them indoors in small vessels to add a fresh look to your home for the fall holidays, or outdoors in larger pieces such as our vintage wooden crate or antique wooden caddy to make an eye-catching statement at your front entrance.  Check out our website at http://www.pinkpigwestport.com for endless possibilities for your unique style or contact us at for advice about creating a natural look for your home.
There's no limit to the unique looks you can create when you find inspiration in nature!
 

The Peppermint Pig

The Peppermint Pig - A Holiday Tradition in the North Country
 A local tradition here in the Adirondack's i thought i would share with all of you.... We are delighted this year to share with you here at the Pink Pig the "Peppermint Pig" by Saratoga Sweets.

The first dusting of winter's snow gathered in darkened downtown doorways and twirled by night's wind seemed to dance and whirl like sugarplum fairies. Behind the oaken doors of gingerbread-sized candy shops that dotted Saratoga, tireless old candy makers, bathed in amber glow of crackling hearth and bubbling candy pots, labored on into the night creating... and continuing a holiday tradition known to all as the "Peppermint Pig" by Saratoga Sweets

This "Peppermint Pig™ as aptly it was named, was cast of hard candy similar in fashion to candy cane and festive pink in colour. And while the pig is honored in Victorian holiday tradition as a symbol of good health, happiness and prosperity, these special "Peppermint Pigs",™ unique to Saratoga Springs, New York, came to represent much more.  They proudly stood for and old-fashioned Yuletide itself-a wonderful time when red-cheeked children laughed and rode old wooden sleds over fresh snow, when church bells pealed and fond recollections were shared by family and friends. After the holiday dinner, the Pig was passed amongst those gathered, each in turn giving the pouch a firm tap and sharing a tale of the past year's good fortune. The delicious broken peppermint and warm memories were enjoyed by all in hopes of prosperity for the coming year.

As holiday seasons passed and time marched further into a new century, the tradition of the "Peppermint Pig™ continued on in popularity...until Father Time could wait no longer. One by one the candy makers of Saratoga Springs passed onto their reward and the "Peppermint Pigs™ became but a wonderful memory.

Visit our shop and choose your selection of Peppermint Pigs to add as part of your Holiday Tradition! 

Decorative Pillows Give Rooms a Homey Flair

Have you finished decorating your living room, den or bedroom, but it still seems like something is missing because it doesn’t have quite the homey look that you imagined? Unique decorative pillows can add just the touch you are looking for, whether floral, ruffled, burlap, French Country, grain sack or primitive pillows.

We have several types of grain sack pillows to complement your rooms, including stripe grain sack cushions, double stripe grain sack pillows, antique stripe grain sack pillows, antique red stripe grain sack pillows and woolen grain sack pillows.

Our grain sacks are from Europe. Some have red strips and some have blue or red and blue. Pillows come with new down-like inserts for a fluffy, comfortable look that goes with most any décor you choose for your home. Our French grain sack pillows come with French words. Some come with vintage ticking trim. We also have soft woolen French grain sack pillows with gray plaid fabric and off-white stitching for a homey look in an elegant living area.

Choose from many different sizes and shapes, including square, long, a distinctive shape, large or small for the perfect embellishment for a sofa, chair, chest or window seat. Our decorative pillows give your home the perfect look, whether you want a rustic touch, an elegant touch or a mix of both.

Green is Gold - Article 14

A complete with much of the original wrought

Green is Gold
Living in the Adirondacks is like no other place on earth. We are an experiment playing out on the world stage. The balancing act is between wilderness/habitat and people/economics. Though this contest is played out on every inch of the globe, no other place has constitutional protection in place. To wit: “The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed.”
This overarching ethos colors our day to day existence. We go about our business often not fully aware we inhabit a six million acre PARK struggling to balance the mandates of wilderness, the needs of people and economic exigencies. We all share this womb struggling to birth a viable and thriving template the rest of the world might clone.
MOSTLY we just live here, year after year, as creeping awareness seeps, osmotically into our collective cells and changes how we view the world.
We like having almost no traffic lights. We like seeing faces of foxes, bears, eagles and falcons as we venture out for coffee. And we begin to see - no feel - the beauty of old things. Like old wood, be it barn boards and beams or the smooth well worn seat of an old chair.

                                                                                   

Here at PINK PIG in Essex, we collect and rescue these artifacts. And BREATHE NEW LIFE into them. We beat the bushes looking for the relics of a time when pride of craftsmanship was the order of the day. For instance, you will find late 1700’s and early 1800’s paneled doors. The wood is a bookmark of the great Northeast virgin forests and a door to today’s quest for re-purposing.
Here at the Pig we find great ways to play with old doors. We leave the vestiges of latches and hinges if we are lucky to find those still clinging. We love to see these doors as headboards, sideboards, work tables and desks or propped against a wall - maybe holding a photo a painting…. Maybe throw a rack over the top and display our camp blanket collection - a wonderful MIX of texture.

Seven billion people on the planet and counting….a challenging game of musical chairs indeed. Breathing new life into OLD STUFF is fun, creative and very ,very green. And GREEN IS GOLD.

Creative Decorating Tips Using Candles For Home Decor

Home Decor For the Cottage or Cabin
As the cooler weather blows in and the sun dips earlier in the day, why not decorate your cottage, cabin or home with candles adding warmth and ambiance to the space.  Fall is the perfect time to collect colorful leaves outside and harness their warmth when decorating with candles.  For example, you could use our mirrored winery tray to display leaves or flowers in red, yellow and orange with short amber or chocolate colored candles.  To maintain your vintage style, tie velvet, satin or other rich material around the candle and secure with a favorite brooch.  The mirrored tray will capture and reflect the light, creating an inviting centerpiece on the dining room table.

Using special items around the house for unique and unexpected uses is a great way to show off your creativity!  Look for an urn, a finial or a pedestal bowl  to place on a table in your entrance or foyer to welcome guests with the smell of cinnamon.  If using a clear container, fill with acorns or cranberries first, then using wooden florist wire as sticks, attach fruits of the season and fill in with flowers.  Surround your tall container with pedestal candle holders with cinnamon scented candles.  Greeting guests with fragrances of the season adds a nice touch to any home decor.

If you just can't let go of summer yet, fill your garden bistro table with fall leaves and pine cones and place votive candles in between.  To keep everyone cozy, bring out your blankets or throws, like this Kantha Throw.

Stop in at Pink Pig now in Essex, NY to touch and feel our yummy blankets in person or contact us with any questions you may have!