Well, hello there!

If you haven't been here before, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Sara Duckett. I am 35 years old and one of five girls in my family. I am happily married to a handsome, slightly older man named Josh. We live in Orange County, California with our pup Hannah and two kitties, Mason and Annabelle. We just recently were blessed with an unbelievably adorable baby boy, Finn, who we privately adopted earlier this year. He is the light of our lives, and is absolutley adored around here.

About four years ago, I decided to start an online shop, selling home decor and accessories. At the time Josh and I had been struggling with years of infertility and I needed a positive distraction. I am shopoholic, and thought nothing could be as fun as helping others shop just as much as I do! And so Sadie Olive was born. (Sadie Olive being the name Josh and I had once picked out for a future daughter).

Soon after I started the online shop, I started dabbling in web design. Sadie Olive Design allowed me to keep up with the boutique while helping others start their own online businesses. It provides an additional creative outlet for me and connects me with so many wonderful people.

This site has opened the door to many opportunities I would not have known otherwise; including the honor of being featured in a few magazines. Our home was featured in the March 2008 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine, the Fall 2008 issue of Budget Decorating (A Woman's Day Special Publication), and the Fall 2008 issue of Dovetales (A Boston magazine). My design business has also been featured in Artful Blogging Magazine, the Fall 2008 issue.

Photography is another passion of mine, although it probably gets the least amount of my attention. I truly believe that if you follow your heart and live your passions, they will shine through for others to see. I hope that you find this blog, and my photos worth peeking in on every now and then.

inspired by

Sunday, June 14, 2009

I mentioned in my last post that I was starting to collect old brushes. I was inspired by the article in Romantic Homes by Elizabeth Maxon where she shared images of her kitchen redo. Well, I was finally able to find a spot for mine, and I really enjoy how they came out.

Take a peek at my new “vignette”….

They hang in my bedroom just above the old shoe rack that holds some of my vintage treasures.

I kept the tags on them, because I thought they looked so cute that way. And I even added a tag or two when I was missing one. I can’t take credit for how pretty the tags are, as the Barn House boys did most of it! Some are tea stained gray tags with their logo, and some are old French vocabulary cards. Aren’t they so fun?

I would show you more of my bedroom, but someone forgot to make her bed this morning… and pick up her clothes, remove the cat hair from the bed spread, and maybe dust a little (can you see the dust in the cloche photo!!!) Shh… don’t tell anyone.

Posted in inspiration, our house

by Sadie Olive

33 comments

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June 14, 2009 - 4:08 am

karlene - LOVE it!

June 14, 2009 - 5:02 am

Jackie - Beautiful! I love how you kept the tags on – they are so cute that way!

June 14, 2009 - 6:15 am

Isabel ~ Maison Douce - What a wonderful idea!!!I would never have thought of it!
Isabel

June 14, 2009 - 7:39 am

cathy - Oh amazing again dear friend….you sure you can’t take a flight to Aus and help me with the shop!!!! I know you love flying lol and you would have to go across the big pond!!!! You posts are always my PURE inspiration they totally make me smile every time…love ya Cathy xx

June 14, 2009 - 3:05 pm

Susan - Love it!! I especially like the tags.

June 14, 2009 - 3:25 pm

Teresa Sheeley - Very cool Sara! LOL, I couldn’t bare to part with my BH boys tag either, they are sweet just by themselves. :)

teresa
xo

June 14, 2009 - 6:18 pm

Elzė - Wow, love it so much!! You always have so many great ideas and your home and photos are absolutely fantastic!

June 14, 2009 - 8:29 pm

LeahC - Love it…dust and all:)

June 14, 2009 - 8:35 pm

Brandie - Love this Sara! I would have left the tags on too, they are collection worthy themselves.

June 15, 2009 - 1:25 am

Diana leitner - I once had a hallway wall filled with old brooms and brushes. It was a requiem to a strong sweeping behavior that I have given up over the years. Not enough time for other life fun than to sweep everyday! I still love brushes and brooms and continue to buy sell them.

June 15, 2009 - 1:34 am

Tara - Looks great there Sara, I love the tags too! :O

June 15, 2009 - 2:58 am

jen r sanctuary arts - I love that! Where ever did you find so many brushes? ;)

June 15, 2009 - 3:08 am

lorraine lewis - I am so glad to see that someone else has dust!
Your display is wonderful. I adore that you kept the tags on the brooms.

June 15, 2009 - 3:12 am

Two Women Art Antiques - I loved your inspiring article in Artful Blogging. I too lost my job while building my dream business part-time. The job loss forced me into a “sink or swim” situation that really helped me to focus on where we wanted to take our business. I guess that some things in life are meant to be. Ive really enjoyed reading your lovely blog, and I’m sorry we have the opportunity to meet at Farm Chicks. Our shop had a booth in bay one.

The brush collection is a lot of fun. I’m not sure why, but I have several that Ive saved over the years. Thanks for the idea…now if only I had some wall space!

June 15, 2009 - 3:19 am

Courtney - Saw you in artful blogger… you are definitely going in my google reader! Love your stuff!

June 15, 2009 - 3:26 am

Janet - I love it!!! So cute. I am all over finishing my collections and putting them where I can see them and enjoy them.
Hope you are doing well…I have been out of the loop lately.
Back in the swing of things now I hope.
Take care
Janet

June 15, 2009 - 4:24 am

Alice W. - Beautiful and so creative ;)

June 15, 2009 - 1:37 pm

lissa - Sara! That turned out awesome! I never thought about it before but your style IS a lot like Elizabeth Maxon’s! I love it that you left the tags on the brushes!

June 15, 2009 - 6:16 pm

Linda - I love your music!

June 15, 2009 - 10:41 pm

kasey - omg! i have the same style rack that you do! lol…see great styles think alike.
love the brushes…..so cool.

June 16, 2009 - 1:52 am

Laura - Ah….and I thought I was the only one who collected brushes….hmm.. I’m lots older than you so that means lots more brushes! Will have to share pics with you someday! You have a great collection and of course it is very artistically displayed….oh and by the way….I have lots of dust too!
Take care, Laura

June 16, 2009 - 4:03 am

Jeanne - Magazine worthy!!! Stunning! Your photography has blown me away again! The wall turned out incredible and I am loving the rack and all your goodies.

June 16, 2009 - 2:05 pm

victoria - What a great arrangement… a man in Vermont makes handmade brooms… you might look on the web for him and have one made for you!

Victoria in Houston

June 16, 2009 - 2:11 pm

Barn House - Your pictures are always so stunning!! I will be studying your blog this summer to improve my own skills. And those tags are ok too…lol :o)

June 17, 2009 - 1:51 am

Brooke Ahana - oh my these pictures are making me drool – you are an amazing talent. Hope I wasn’t too obnoxious and scared you away in Spokane – I’ve been known…plus you heard we had some weird reaction from our diner meal (yikes – my eye is still twitching to this day).

so I’m just gaga over your blog and I added it to my “blogs i love”

June 17, 2009 - 2:50 pm

Melany - Ooh – the brushes look fabulous. I love peaking into your world and seeing things I never would have thought of – that look so cool! Thank you!

June 17, 2009 - 11:03 pm

Nel - I love your brush collection, it looks great! I also loved dropping by and checking out Elizabeth’s kitchen redo. Just gorgeous!

June 18, 2009 - 3:17 am

caren - So charming. Don’t worry about the dust – I have it too, it just keeps coming back!

June 18, 2009 - 4:17 am

Hayley - I love the brushes and the rack and the vignettes, and I am way into the black and white (and gray) myself. I wish my photos had the artful quality of yours, but alas, I am an English teacher, not a pro. I always enjoy your blog.

June 22, 2009 - 10:41 am

Gena - Wonderful! I just love the quirky use of old items …. it always amazes me how you can make the roughest, at times almost ugliest of items, into something truly spectacular!! I may link to this article in the near future as an example of “how to do it”.

Gena