Western Metal Art

As the daylight hour’s lengthen, our thoughts turn towards the outdoors.  Summer days of sunshine, barbecues & entertaining are uppermost in our minds.  If your home is your castle ~~ then the outside is an external reflection.  Western metal art in general and western welcome signs in particular are extremely good ways of kicking up your outdoor western home decor.  With the many different designs and size’s that western welcome signs are available in, you’ll probably have a hard time choosing between them.  From rodeo events and buffalo’s to outhouse’s. 

Give your western outdoor decor a touch of nostalgia with vintage pieces, which add an “it’s always been here look”. Adding worn items like an old saddle over a porch railing, or a broken down wagon wheel in the yard are examples of doing this.  Don’t forget the importance of good coir door mats.  They are also available in beautiful colorful western designs.

Born in Bonham, Texas in 1853, John Wesley Hardin became one of the most famous gunmen in the history of the Wild West. Possibly the most feared gunfighter the old west ever knew, he was Texas most notorious gunfighter.  As a matter of fact Texas was the most active gun-fighting state, with some 160 shoot-out’s from the 1850’s through the 1890’s. 

John Wesley Hardin reportedly killed one man for snoring, an Indian just for “target practice”, and another man he argued with in a card game.  He got into trouble very early in life by stabbing another boy when he was 11 years old, even tho’ his father was a Methodist minister and his family a prominent one.

I had heard that he could of shot the point of a Texas barn star!

He had briefly tried to go straight, even practicing the law and avoiding drinking, when he was killed in a saloon playing poker the evening of August 19th 1895 in El Paso Texas.
 

 The Old West is a favorite theme for many people, and cowboy decor is becoming more & more popular.  Not only with the cattle rancher and the cowboy, but with everyone who wants to honor & celebrate our heritage of the old west.

The invention of the fencing material barbed wire, by an Illinois farmer named Joseph Farwell Glidden, was responsible for  turning the open plains of the west into enclosed pastures.  This enabled the ranchers to not only isolate their cattle, but to also control breeding.  His invention was patented November 24, 1874, forever changing the society and economy of the region.   

Barbed wire was made out of twisted wire with spaced coiled barbs. Now you can incorporate barbed wire into your rustic home decor with western welcome signs outdoors, or western wall decor indoors.

There’s really nothing quite like the excitement of old stories about the Wild West, of a stampede on a cattle drive, dealings with the Indians, and hign noon shoot-out’s in the street.

The cowboy has been portrayed as heroic and romantic.  Actually his life was far from romantic, but he definately was a hero in his own right.  It took a strong and capable man to be able to withstand the rugged life of the early cowboy.  Being on cattle drives for months on end, always having to be aware that their could be a stampede if the cattle were panicked by thunder or lightening, or some other loud noise.  Indian attacks were also always possible.  It was dirty, lonely, back-breaking work across rugged land.

Western decor reflects the rich history of the Old West, and is more than just a design scheme, it reflects the passion you feel for your country and it’s history. It’s easy to incorporate this passion & history into your own home decor with western wall decor in any room of your home.

There was an article yesterday on AOL about things in America that are vanishing.  One of the things they listed was the Family Farm.  One of my fondest memories as a child was going to my uncles farm and seeing the metal welcome sign when you go through the gate.  To lose the family farm is not a good thing. 

That is not only very sad but extremely scary ~~ after all we do have to eat and produce straight from the field on a small family farm just can’t be beat!  The huge commercial farms just aren’t the same, probably because they don’t have the connection to the land & the community that the family farmer has.   My image of a farmer is one of admirable intelligence and skill, one with great patience and endurance.  Just like my uncle!

Before you begin any home decorating project, whether it be large or small, country decor, rustic decor, primitive or western decor it’s always best to plan ahead. A successful home decorating scheme for any room is one that is designed around your personal taste and style.

If your not sure of what you want, go to Home & Garden Shows, flip through decorating magazines, visit model homes.  That one is my favorite to do because you can see, smell, touch and “feel” the effect.   I was in a model home once where they used a real haybale in their decor and it looked totally awesome!  

Notice the common colors used together in a particular decor.   In Asian decor for example they use a lot of reds, blacks, & golds. Cowboy home decor as well as country styles use a lot of the rich and rustic colors such as deep reds & greens, earthty browns & sky blues.

Just remember that what makes a perfectly decorated home is one that showcases accessories that speak to your heart and makes you feel warm, cozy & comfortable.

The tradition of the barn star in America can be traced back to the 1700’s, and to at least the 1820’s in Pennsylvania. Barn stars were most popular after the Civil War.

On many older American barns, particularly German farms, one could see a large decoration in the shape of a star mounted on the face of the barn. Sometimes they were just aesthetic, but sometimes they represented the trademark of a specific barn builder.

It is our understanding the original star shape was a three-pointed star, but the barn star composition has changed throughout the years.  At first they were built directly into the barn. Later the stars were crafted from wood as a separate piece.  Still later they were crated from metal.  Today their are many variations of metal barn stars. 

Colors had significance with Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch barn paintings. These folk art designs, many of which were star shaped, were painted directly onto each end of the barn, and date back to the 1850’s. Read the rest of this entry »

Texas leads all other states in categories such as cotton, oil, cattle and sheep, Texas ranches and farms produce wheat, hay, sugar cane, poltury, eggs and a variety of furits and vegetables among other things.

Texas is also an industrial giant and a major agriculture state possessing many natural resources.

Texas comes from the word “Texsha” meaning “hello Friend” in the language of Caddo Indian Tribes ~~~ appropiately Texas’s motto is “Friendship”.

Rustic home decor is extremely popular in Texas.

“The Lone Star State” comes from the symbolism of the star on the 1836 flag of the republic, the “National Standard of Texas”. Read the rest of this entry »

The first day of summer is almost here.  As hot as it’s been it could’ve been called summer here (in Texas) for almost a month!

We’ve got the perfect way to cool off on the hottest of hot summer days.  Go to Hill Country, around New Braunfels & float down the Guadalupe River (it’s best to make reservations).  It’s SO cold when you first hit the water that it almost takes your breath away, but you soon get used to it & you’ll find yourself lazily splashing some of that cold water over yourself.

You float past stunning Cypress trees, beautiful plantation looking homes with meticulously manicured lawns, small weekend cabins & campgrounds filled with campers enjoying the same things you are.  The smell of various foods cooking on the grill, make you realize your getting hungry, and your eyes drift to the picnic tables filled with all kinds of goodies.  There’s even a metal napkin holder especially made for outdoors with an arm that holds the napkins down.

Adults sit around the tables & some have even set their plastic chairs out in the water with plates balanced on their laps.  They smile as you go by.  Children are playing in the water or building damns around the cypress knees.  It’s about now you decide it’s most definitely time to stop for awhile and eat.

So stay cool ~~ enjoy your summer, enjoy your family, enjoy the outdoors ~~ even on the hottest of hot summer days!

When I think of the old west I imagine myself sitting on a big porch looking out over the land, where spring fed creeks meander through the rolling hills and rugged terrain. Plenty of longhorn’s, horses and barns are part of the scene.  My grandkids are also visible ~~ running around barefoot and with their britches rolled up to their knees.  They play in the creek, picking up odd shaped rocks to show their Pop.

Then something happens that breaks the spell ~~ but it’s okay because I’m pretty much living my dream anyway.

All it takes to give your home that wide open, spacious feel, is to decorate with western decor.  Try a Texas Longhorn to celebrate your Alma Mater, the cattle rancher, or just because you love Texas and the longhorn.  It’s as much at home indoors as it is outdoors.  Something as simple as cowhide covered throw pillow’s on your sofa, or a throw rug with scenes from the old west.  Then imagine yourself sitting………….