Vintage and Antique Shopping in Willis, TX, Fall 2025

Fall Home Decor found in Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX
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Who’s ready for Fall? Yay!

I’ve been very excited to visit our favorite vintage and antique shops here in our area (Willis, New Waverly, Conroe, TX). Our first stop was at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis. I follow them on Facebook and have been seeing some of their posts showing new Fall home decor items, so, come on Willie, let’s go!

Our friend Kelly with Sweet Magnolia Emporium has several booths here, and we did actually run into her during our visit, so that was definitely a fun surprise. Ms. Shirley and Stan were there as well, so it was great to get caught up with everyone.

Upon entering the store, we were immediately greeted with cozy Fall ambiance.

Fall decor at Yesterday's Treasures, in Willis, TX. 2025
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It smelled really good in here too, definitely adding to the feels.

I took a few snapshots of some of my favorite new finds, including some of the goodies I brought back with me to Royalview.

These beautiful blingy pumpkins are what caught my eye right away.

Pumpkin bling at Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX.
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I brought home the rhinestone covered pumpkin in the back, and the white and gold pumpkin in the front. These are from Kelly’s booth.

Kelly also just upcycled some old fans, and turned them in to gorgeous home decor items. She texted me about these about a week ago, and I thought her idea was so brilliant. Here’s one that is currently in her booth at Yesterday’s Treasures:

Here are some peeks at what you can find this Fall at Yesterday’s Treasures:

Blue glass pumpkin at Yesterday's Treasures, Willis, TX
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Fall decor at Yesterday's Treasures in Willis, TX
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Now, these beauties also came home with me. There is another set still there that is similar. So beautiful!

Vintage style lamps at Yesterday's Treasure in Willis, TX.
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Vintage Coca Cola sign with lady, at Yesterday's Treasures, Willis, TX.
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Home decor at Yesterday's Treasures.
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I hope you get a chance to visit the fine folks at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis, TX sometime soon, and enjoy shopping all the unique vintage and antique offerings from many wonderful vendors.

Till next time, enjoy getting ready for Fall! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Vintage and Antique Shopping, Willis, Texas, Fall Home Decor, Unique Finds, Glass Pumpkins, Rhinestone Pumpkins, Blingy Pumpkins

August 22, 2025 0

Visiting Our Friend Kelly’s New Sweet Magnolia Emporium Booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market, in New Waverly, Texas

Sweet Magnolia Emporium's Booth at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, Texas.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

She’s here, and all set up to go! Woo Hoo! Willie and I were both very excited to visit our friend Kelly’s new booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market yesterday. She always has the most beautiful collection of vintage and bling. I honestly do not know where in the world she finds all this gorgeousness, but I’m so glad she does!

Hey Kelly!

Kelly of Sweet Magnolia Emporium, now open in Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, Tx.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

She is the sweetest! We actually scared her when we arrived yesterday, hollering out hello to her when we turned the corner. Sorry, Kelly….

Kelly and her husband Bill also make and upcycle goods for sale. Here’s a little wooden heart that Bill made, and Kelly blinged out. This one came home with me. I love knowing that this was made by them both in a joint effort.

Wooden heart bling from Sweet Magnolia Emporium.
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https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/

There is another handmade heart in her booth that’s waiting for you to take it home.

Blinged out wooden heart handmade by Bill and Kelly of Sweet Magnolia Emporium.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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So pretty! And these are solid.

Here’s another beauty that came home with me from Kelly’s booth. Well, actually, both items are from her booth (vintage mannequin and metal crown).

Vintage style mannequin/dress form covered in vintage Ladies Home Journal pages. From Sweet Magnolia Emporium in Rosey Opals Collective Market, in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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These are so beautiful, and the mannequin is a perfect example of Kelly upcycling something and making it even more fabulous. She covered this really cute mannequin/dress form in vintage articles from The Ladies Home Journal. I looks like the articles are from Christmas 1894. I love this so much. She also added the beaded skirt to the bottom. This is going in my office, for sure.

Kelly loves old mannequins/dress forms, so you are more than likely to find at least one in each of her booths. There were three here yesterday, so still two more for you to take home.

Vintage mannequin/dress form in Sweet Magnolia Emporium's booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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I may have to go back and snag this little cutie.

Black wire vintage mannequin/dress from from Sweet Magnolia Emporium's booth in Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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There’s just so much goodness to see in every little nook.

Vintage items found at Sweet Magnolia Emporium inside Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetmagnoliaemporium/
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I think I went back and looked through her booth at least 3 times while I was visiting yesterday. And her prices are always fantastic.

Here’s a picture of my complete haul. A couple of items are from other vendor booths at Rosey Opals. This place is filled with so many beautiful items for your home, plus there are fashion boutique booths, handmade candle booths, just a lot of goodness.

I’m so happy with all my goodies! I always find unique items for Royalview at Rosey Opals, and now that our friend Kelly is a permanent fixture there, it’s going to be extra fun to visit.

And don’t forget. They have an ice cream parlor! The Red Bird Creamery also resides at Rosey Opals. They hand craft creamy ice creams and Italian ices. You can take a seat and have a nice ice cream break.

Red Bird Creamery inside Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, Tx.
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https://www.facebook.com/redbirdcreamery

Ok gang! Till our next adventure, we hope you are doing very well and following your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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antique shopping, vintage shopping, vintage bling, vintage home decor, fashion boutique, New Waverly, Willis, Conroe, Huntsville, TX, vintage haul, vintage finds, upcycled home decor

July 26, 2025 0

Royalview’s Summertime Landscape Refresh

Royalview from front bridge view.
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It’s Summertime! We’ve put out the flags for the fourth!

Hey everybody!

This blog post has been about a month in the making. We’ve had a new landscaping team working with us to get Royalview’s landscaping all refreshed and looking her best again. All of our gardens looked fabulous, and bloomed all through Springtime, but some plants got a little crazy, and grew over the other plants, or died out, so we really needed some professional help.

Willie and I had been in search for a company who has a great lawn maintenance team, as well as a gardener. We decided to head to our local gardening center and inquire about any known possibilities. We were given a card for Green X Scape, located in Huntsville, TX.

We were very happy to meet Albert Tsai, owner of Green X Scape. He is a very nice young gentleman who went to school at Sam Houston State University. He began his business while he was still in college, and now hires college students.

Upon their first visit, Green X Scape got to work on our back yard garden, clearing out all the under, and overgrowth.

Albert Tsai and team from Green X Scape, LLC, Huntsville, Texas.
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They even cleared out our ivy plants and transplanted those along the back fence.

You can see how overgrown it got back there. They did a fabulous job!

There were a few plants that needed to be replaced, so Willie and took a trip to Growers Outlet, and picked out some new ones that would stay in their spots and not spread.

Grower's Outlet, Willis, Texas.
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We love visiting here. Our landscape design team got a lot of Royalview’s original plants from here as well.

We chose some Silver Star Sage, and Southern Star Blue Ruellias.

Silver Star Texas Sage, and Southern Star Blue Ruellia.
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These are so pretty! I love the purple flowers.

Southern Star Blue Ruellia in Royalview's back yard garden.
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On their next visit, the Green X Scape team planted all the new plants for us. And, we did end up getting 2 more of the Texas Sage to plant along with the others, to balance everything out.

Royalview's backyard tiered garden.
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It’s looking so much better. We do have a gardenia that doesn’t look like it’s going to make it, so Albert said he would bring another to replace it, or perhaps we’ll put some more Liriope in back here. I love Liriope, as you’ll see in the front garden pics.

Today, Green X Scape visited again. They visit every 2 weeks. This time around Albert worked on our two front gardens, getting them all cleaned out and rid of dead plants.

Both of the front gardens look much better now.

Royalview's front South garden overlooking the lake.
acrossthelake.blog — Royalview’s Front Southern Garden

Royalview's front North garden with swing.
acrossthelake.blog — Royalview’s Front Northern Garden

We are so thankful to team Green X Scape for all they’ve done for us here at Royalview. Beyond the fabulous work in all our gardens, the lawns are looking great as well.

The front lawn at Royalview.
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I’ve had fun putting out American Flags along our front walkway, and some festive ribbon on our Northern bridge today.

American Flags down our front walkway for the 4th of July.
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American Flags along our front walkway at Royalview.
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And our Liriope are blooming! I love it!

Welcome to Royalview!
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And we certainly love Royalview. We are so grateful that God led us here.

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Visit Green X Scape’s website

Summer Landscaping, Landscape Refresh, Conroe, Willis, Texas Lake House

June 25, 2025 0

Creating Floral Arrangements for the Office and Bedroom

Faux floral arrangement making supplies.
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I love floral arranging! I may not be a professional, and I’ve not taken any classes, as someone’s asked, but I certainly enjoy expressing my own creativity in making arrangements for our home.

I will also make a confession to you. I sometimes have to do them over twice, or more, to get them just the way I want them. But it’s always just a lot of fun for me.

I purchased an array of blue and white faux florals at Michaels this time. They were having 50% off all Summer florals. I could see a lot of empty shelves, and Halloween stuff now being brought in. It’s the same at Hobby Lobby now, too. It won’t be long till we’re all decorating for Fall!

When I begin an arrangement, I’m never quite sure how it’s going to come together, so I just start with pieces that I think will make a great focal point in an arrangement.

Making faux floral arrangements in blue.
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I thought these larger sprigs were really pretty, so I chose the variated Hydrangea for an arrangement for my office, and the other tall blue floral with multiple layers, for our bedroom.

I left these two larger florals in-tact, and began building around them.

That’s where I went wrong, but I did not realize it at the time. Here are my completed first attempts.

This first arrangement, I was calling Marie Antoinette. I suppose you can see why.

Blue, white, and purple faux floral arrangement, that ended up being re-done.
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The second one was way too heavy in the back.

Blue, white, and beige faux floral arrangement that ended up being redone.
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And, I made two other accompanying arrangements for each, in the glass vases.

Faux floral arrangements in white that ended up being redone.
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I lived with all of these arrangements for one night. They all got a makeover the very next day. And that’s the great thing about making floral arrangements (at least for me, the beginner, still learning), they can be redone very easily, or changed around.

I took everything out of all the vases/cans, and started anew. I did stick with a blue and beige toned theme for our bedroom, and went blue and purple for my office.

Ready for the made-over arrangements?

Blue and beige for the bedroom:

Made-over faux floral arrangements in blue, beige, and white.
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I like these so much better! I cut apart that really large blue sprig that had all the different layers of flowers, and dispersed them throughout the arrangement. It made everything more balanced. The arrangement in the glass jar received additional florals to fill it out more, plus I added one of the blue florals to make it cohesive with it’s partner.

A closeup of the larger arrangement:

Blue, white, and beige faux floral arrangement.
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And the smaller one:

Faux floral arrangement in white, beige, and blue.
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And for my office, I re-did the arrangement with the Hydrangea (Marie Antoinette), plus made an accompanying arrangement in the taller glass jar:

Blue, purple, and white faux floral arrangements.
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Do you recognize the blue florals in the glass vase? Yes, those are 2 cuttings from that really tall blue sprig. I put one in the jar so I’d know where it was, and I really liked the way it looked, being able to see all the florals inside the vase, so I added a few more cuttings from that sprig, as well as another with blue and purple, and thought that I really liked it kept simple, so I did keep it simple. It’s all a matter of what makes me smile.

So, here’s a closeup of the larger blue and purple arrangement. I purposely chose florals with lighter/brighter greens, as I plan to have more green and teal tones (along with blue) in the office.

Blue, purple, and white faux floral arrangement.
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And the simple arrangement in the glass jar:

Simple blue faux floral arrangement in a glass jar.
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Sometimes simple is best.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my floral making attempts, and that they inspire you to give it a try for yourself.

Till next time, be kind, and always follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Faux Floral Arranging, Floral Arrangements, DIY floral arranging, Blue, White, Beige, and Purple Faux Floral Arrangements

June 24, 2025 2

My New Farmhouse Desk is Assembled, Time to Set up the Office!

Whalefall 55" White Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet and Charging Station from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/45olhf8
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I am very thankful to now be setting up my office/makeup room. This has been a little while in the making, but we wanted to first get settled in our main living spaces, of course.

I found this charming White Farmhouse Desk on Amazon, one of my very favorite shopping spots. I instantly knew this was the one for me. It’s called the Whalefall 55″ Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet and Charging Station in White (It comes in 3 other color options as well; White Grey Wash, Light Walnut, and Cherry Brown.)

I’ve also been on the look-out for decor that may bring me joy in my office, and I’ve curated a few vintage pieces on our antiquing trips, that make me smile.

Getting ready to set up the office at Royalview.
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The bicycle picture was spotted by Willie at Mimi’s on Main, in Conroe, TX, and the two Southern Belle ladies are also from Mimi’s. I found those a while back and did not initially pick them up, but went back to find them. Thankfully they were still there, waiting for me. The vintage shadowbox ladies came from the Conroe Woodlands Antique Mall.

Curated vintage decor for my office at Royalview.
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My office decor is taking on it’s own hues in blue and teal. I may add some peacock blue and purple in here as well. I’m having fun perusing the area rugs on Amazon for ideas.

But back to my lovely desk. It arrived from Amazon unassembled, in a large box. Willie took the reins of this project. I’m so glad he knows what he’s doing. The desk arrived in parts. Everything was labeled very well, and had assembly instructions.

Whalefall 55" White Farmhouse Desk unboxed, unassembled.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Willie got to work , and made good progress very swiftly. He brought it inside in sections and assembled as he went. The desk is a nice quality, thus heavy.

White Farmhouse Desk (from Amazon) being assembled in sections.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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White Farmhouse Desk (from Amazon) being assembled.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Willie finishing desk assembly.
White Farmhouse Desk from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Great job Willie! I’ve always loved watching him work. This was a fun project for him, and made the desk even more special to me, with it being put together by my sweet Willie.

White Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Can’t wait to get everything out of boxes and organized in my new desk. I’m really excited to get my makeup table set up and organized as well. I’ve felt a little lost since we moved from Wintergreen without my makeup table, but I’ve been managing just fine.

I have 2 vintage mirrors that I found while rummaging through a storage building that I’ll be redoing for my office/makeup room as well, so more adventure awaits!

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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White Farmhouse Desk Assembly, Amazon Associate, Amazon Finds, Amazon Home, Setting up a Home Office, Home Office Decor, Vintage Decor

June 13, 2025 0

Making Cheerful Faux Floral Arrangements on a Rainy Day

Blue, white, and purple faux floral arrangement in silver tin.
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It has certainly been rainy lately here in SE Texas, and I am loving it! Such a great reprieve from the heat, and a great time to do indoor crafts.

I had 4 floral arrangements in mind that I wanted to create for our dining room decor. One for the top of our grandfather clock, one for the top inside tier of our antique curio cabinet, and 2 for the second inside tier of the curio cabinet.

Places for the new floral arrangements at Royalview.
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I already had 3 of the “vases” here. Two little cute coffee cup planters that I painted several years ago, and a large glass mug that says Beer 5 cents, that was given to Willie by his younger brother, Thomas, many years ago, before we even met.

Faux floral arrangement supplies.
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The fourth vase, or planter, I found at Dollar Tree. I knew I didn’t want or need a pricey vase, as this arrangement will be going atop our grandfather clock, so it will not be well seen, plus it wouldn’t be tragic if it had an accidental fall from high up. This tin bin that says Flowers & Gardens is perfect. The perfect price point, height, and shape for this task.

Silver oval flower tin that says Flowers and Garden.
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I knew that I wanted the arrangement for atop the clock to have some downward flow.

Making a blue, white, and purple faux floral arrangement.
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I began with just blue and whites, but it needed a pop of color. How about a pop of purple?

Faux floral arrangement in white, blue and purple.
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There we go! I’m loving this!

The little cuties and beer mug had their makeovers as well. I kept these pretty simple, as they are going behind glass, in the curio cabinet. The white florals will help bring in much needed brightness.

Faux floral arrangements in various misc. vases/holders in blues and whites.
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The little mugs are just too cute! I call them Fifi and Penelope. They’ve become favorite keepsakes.

The beer mug now shines new light with it’s white wispy florals, pearls, and clear stones.

Beer mug with white floral arrangement.
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Such a beautiful way to add brightness (and lightness of mood) to this dark cabinet.

White nick-nacks in an antique curio cabinet.
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Fun note: If you spy the red Christmas light inside this cabinet, it’s there because Willie’s Father built this cabinet when he (Willie’s Dad) was in his 20’s, probably in the 1960’s. I’m guessing this was his way to bring brightness in. These lights are so fun and sentimental, I’ve opted to leave them in place, as he placed them in his beautiful creation.

And for our arrangement atop the clock, I think it ties everything in together very well.

Faux floral arrangement atop a grandfather clock.
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Everybody’s happy now in their new home. We’re making good progress with the dining room and curio cabinet decor.

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Faux Floral Arranging, Floral Arrangements, Vintage Style, Antique Furniture, French Country House, Lake House, Decor, Decor DIY, Keepsakes, Upgraded Home Decor

June 12, 2025 0

Royalview’s Business Cards have Arrived!

Business cards featuring a photo of Royalview.
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We’re so excited, and so happy how our new business cards turned out. We’ve been waiting to have cards made till Royalview was at her best. She’s come a long way, as I’m sure you know if you’ve been following us from the beginning of our journey here.

We have found that we are really going to appreciate having these cards as we meet new people/vendors here in our area, and chat with them about our story. It will be so much easier to hand them a card rather than reciting the blog address.

We’re all official now, well, at least Royalview is! Thank you VistaPrint. Not a sponsor, but satisfied customers for years.

Johanna and Willie

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Business Cards, Home Photography

June 4, 2025 0

Finally Unpacking the Back Rooms: Making Tough Decisions and Donations

Back bedroom filled with boxes waiting to be unpacked at Royalview.
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Well gang… The time is here. No more avoiding the boxes in the back rooms…

We’ve been having so much fun getting the front part of our home all set up, that we put the 2 back bedrooms on the bottom of our to-do list. But not any longer.

One of the back rooms has been serving as an office, and it will continue to be an office.

Back office before photo at Royalview.
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Isn’t she lovely? Well, she will be, hopefully! This has been my point of operations for blogging, bill paying, etc., and I’m really looking forward to getting everything all set up and beautified.

Willie is in the beginning stages of putting my new desk together.

Desk parts ready to be put together.
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Can’t wait to show you the reveal. It’s a really cute farmhouse desk design.

While Willie was working in the garage getting the desk pieces sorted, I went to work on all those boxes in the second back room. I had to make some tough decisions. I had already gone through everything before moving from Wintergreen (our former home), but since we’ve been living here almost 6 months now (move in date was December 18, 2024), and I’ve not used items that are in the boxes waiting to be unpacked, I figure I must be able to live without them. The exception being, seasonal and holiday decor, and must-keep pictures and keepsake items. So here we go. If an item does not fit in the keepsake or holiday category, and I’ve not needed it, nor do I feel like I will need it in the near future, it either gets donated, or thrown out.

Looks like I am able to live without a lot of the stuff we brought.

Our truck loaded with items to be donated to Goodwill.
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We headed for town and donated to our favorite college student, our local vintage store, and Goodwill.

Goodwill Donation Center in Willis, Texas.
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This Goodwill Donation Center is located in Willis, Texas. It’s very nice, and really easy to pull right up to the door. The gentleman working here opened the door and helped us unload.

Now we are clutter free! (Almost!) But we’ve gone through pretty much of our belongings, and we are learning that less is definitely more, especially if you’re just storing it, thinking you may use it down the road. We’re learning to just let it go. It’s very freeing.

We headed back to Royalview, and got busy moving furniture and the remaining boxes, whose contents will be used in some capacity.

Getting our back room set up. Boxes have been moved out and now setting up a couch and rug.
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We moved this love seat from the office to the second room that was once filled with boxes. We brought this love seat and area rug with us from Wintergreen. It doesn’t go with the rest of our decor here at Royalview, but we’re going to keep it for now, till we decided exactly how we want to use this room. But for now, we’re going to use it as a resting area for Willie when he comes in for a break after working outside or in the garage. We kept the TV that we used in the living room before our new TV purchase, so we’ll get that set up for him in here and get it decorated a bit more. But it already looks better, and he can take a break in here now. There is a window in here that overlooks the back yard as well, so it is pleasant.

Entry view of our back room in progress.
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For the office, we moved my current desk (table) over to the wall where we once had the love seat.

Getting the office ready for the new desk.
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This makes room for my new desk to be in front of the window.

Window area cleared and ready for our new desk.
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This is my gorgeous view.

Office window view at Royalview.
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God is so good! What a joy to be able to work indoors and still get to see this beautiful view. I’m still pinching myself everyday, and giving God praise everyday for guiding us to Royalview.

I’ll keep you updated on our progress. Willie’s installing blinds in the two back rooms today, as I’m blogging. He is so awesome, and doing a great job.

Willie installing blinds in the office at Royalview.
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Till next time, be kind, and always follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Moving Into Our New Home, Unpacking, Unboxing, Decorating, Moving Furniture, Putting Furniture Together, Hanging Blinds, Setting up Office, Lake House with a View, Conroe, Willis, Texas

June 4, 2025 0

Another Antiquing Adventure with Willie and Aunt Bunny! Memorial Day Weekend, 2025

Antiquing and Dining at The Cheesecake Factory at Woodlands Mall and Mimi's on Main in Conroe, TX. acrossthelake.blog

Can you tell yet that we love a fun adventure?

We definitely do, and Willie and I love living here! There is so much to see and do in the Woodlands, Conroe, Montgomery, and Willis, Texas area. It’s so fun!

When we spoke with Aunt Bunny about where she’d like to go for our next adventure (Hobby Lobby is always her first choice, but we decided to go antiquing again), she said Mimi’s on Main in Conroe. I’ve had a pair of pictures on my mind ever since our first visit there, so I was definitely happy with that choice, as was Willie. He had already made fast friends there on our first visit, and really likes the shop too.

And of course we have to have an awesome brunch before all that shopping, right? We all decided on The Cheesecake Factory at The Woodlands Mall. Willie and I have been there twice and have loved it both times, and it had been a while for Bunny, so yay, another easy decision for us all.

We all really enjoyed our brunch. The restaurant itself is quite beautiful. They have the paddleboat swans out front, the trolley passing by, it’s just a really fun and pleasant setting.

The Cheesecake Factory at Woodlands Mall.
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And we did good. We resisted the cheesecake! Maybe next time!

Next stop, old downtown Conroe to visit Mimi’s on Main.

Farmers Market window display at Mimi's on Main in Conroe, TX.
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They have such a cute little Farmer’s Market display up right now right as you walk in. The entire store is a joy to see and walk through. So much to see, but my first intention was to look for that pair of pictures I was hoping was still there.

Guess what?

They were waiting for me.

Vintage pair of pictures of old fashioned Southern Belles found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX.
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They are so pretty. These are going to be such a fun addition to my office at Royalview.

A moment later I heard Willie prompting me to come and take a look at what he had found.

Blue bicycle picture found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX.
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So cute! I’m loving bicycles right now for some reason. These had to come home with me as well. For my office? Yeah! These pictures will all go wonderfully with the vintage Victorian lady Shadowboxes I found at the Conroe-Woodlands Antique Mall just a while back. I don’t think I’ve shown those to you yet.

Here they are. I found these the same day I acquired the miniature tea set for our antique curio cabinet.

Vintage Victorian lady shadowboxes from the Conroe-Woodlands Antique Mall on 336.
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I’m really loving how these finds are going to make my office such a beautiful setting for me to enjoy, and I cannot wait to get started putting it all together!

But anyway, back to Mimi’s, and where’s Bunny? I always know where to find her. In the book section.

Aunt Bunny reading a Cherry Ames, Boarding House Nurse book at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, TX
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She remembered reading the Cherry Ames Nurse Books when she was younger. We always find treasures from our past here at Mimi’s.

And speaking of treasures. Look what else I found.

Beautiful vintage cream colored glass lamp found at Mimi's on Main, Conroe, Texas.
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A vintage-style cream-colored glass lamp, with a raised velvet cream-on-cream botanical-style shade. Isn’t that gorgeous? Can you believe I walked away from it? I did, but I came back later and got it! I couldn’t go home without it.

Mimi’s was just as great a treat on this visit as on our first. There are all types of styles in these individual booths. I love seeing how each vendor curates their space.

We did stop in at three other shops while we were in downtown Conroe. Willie and I really love the old downtown area. In our search for a new hometown, that was one of our main criteria. We wanted to live in or near a historic old town where the stores have been turned into cute shops and boutiques, and there are eateries and such. Conroe definitely fills that bill. While walking to Mimi’s we came across an old theatre, called Crighton Theatre.

Crighton Theatre in downtown Conroe, Texas.
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We cannot wait to explore even more.

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Downtown Conroe, Texas, Antique Shopping, Vintage Goods, Vintage Finds, Vintage Shops, The Woodlands Mall, The Cheesecake Factory, Woodlands, Texas

May 28, 2025 0

Making Fragrant Dried Lavender Sachets and Bouquet

Dried Lavender Floral Arrangement and Sachets.
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Can you smell the lavender in the air here at Royalview today? It’s so lovely.

And while it smells, and also looks very lovely, it is going to serve a good purpose in our home living environment.

I encountered a little scorpion hiding in a hand towel the other day. That gave Willie and I both a bit of a scare, and we also inherited spiders that live here on the property, so I began looking into natural ways to sway them away from wanting to live with us in our home. Lavender came up on both counts (for scorpions and spiders) when I did a Google search, and a knowledgeable plant specialist also told me that lavender, as well as fresh mint, and thyme, all work.

I ordered pre-made lavender sachets just a little while back, but they did not seem to be very fragrant, so I decided to search for dried lavender that may be better sealed, and attempt to make my own sachets. I searched lavender farms here in Texas, and also searched my favorite go-to, Amazon. I succeeded in finding a vacuum sealed bag of dried lavender on Amazon, as well as some really nice bundles of dried lavender flowers.

Bundles of dried lavender flowers from Amazon. https://amzn.to/43sl7AZ
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Vacuum sealed dried lavender from Amazon. https://amzn.to/43CdMzO
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I also found some really cute burlap sachet bags with heart shapes on them which I thought were really pretty, and would be great for putting in dresser drawers, cabinets, and for display as well.

Burlap sachet bags with cute heart designs from Amazon. https://amzn.to/4k2Clfd
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I was very excited when everything arrived. My Aunt Bunny gifted me a beautiful clear glass vase, which is perfect for my dried lavender bouquet.

Items for making dried lavender sachets and floral arrangement.
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First things first, opening the vacuum sealed bag of lavender. How would I contain all that, once it’s opened? Luckily, I remembered bringing a metal tub with us when we moved. That will be the perfect size to pour all the lavender into.

Cutting open a vacuum sealed bag of dried lavender.
https://amzn.to/4k5J87Z
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Opening a vacuum sealed bag of dried lavender flowers.
https://amzn.to/4k5J87Z
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Once the bag was opened and the lavender poured into the metal tub, it was time to start spooning it into the little sachet bags. And the aroma… So beautiful! So fragrant! I love it!

Spooning dried lavender flowers into burlap sachet bags.
https://amzn.to/4k5J87Z
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In the description of this vacuum sealed bag of dried lavender flowers, the seller suggests gently crushing the dried flowers to release even more fragrance, so as I spooned the lavender into the bags, I would then just gently smash the flowers in the bag. I could smell the fragrance even more after doing this. I spooned approximately 3-4 teaspoons into each bag.

Set of 20 burlap sachet bags with cute heart shapes from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4koLtuj
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Aren’t these little burlap bags just the cutest? I love that the set came in 2 different tones. 10 in white, and 10 in beige, and they have the little light brown burlap hearts on each. So perfect for farmhouse decor.

Next up, a dried lavender flower bouquet.

This was so simple to do. At first I thought that I would be using both dried lavender flower bundles, but it turned out that 1 bundle was plenty.

Dried lavender flower bouquet from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/43CfNfs
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I put in a few faux florals with the dried lavender, and added blue satin ribbon (that I had purchased from Amazon previously for another project).

Blue satin ribbon from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/43jSUfs
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It’s so simple, yet elegant.

I was wondering where I may want to put my new lavender arrangement, and Willie suggested atop the curio cabinet in our dining room. I already had a floral arrangement there, but you know, he may be right. I think it looks really pretty, and the florals fit into the picture frame above the cabinet very well.

Dried lavender flower bouquet. Dried lavender from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4kkdWBs
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Dried lavender bouquet made with dried lavender flower bundle from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4kkdWBs
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I’m very happy with how everything turned out. The amount of dried lavender that I purchased (7 oz) in the vacuum sealed bag was perfect to fill all 20 (3×5) sachet bags.

20 burlap sachet bags with cute heart designs filled with dried lavender and tied with a white frayed chiffon ribbon from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/3SNGtU8
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I tied a few of the bags with a white frayed chiffon ribbon that I also purchased from Amazon. So cute!

Now I can place these cute little sachets all around, filling Royalview with their beautiful fragrance, and hopefully encouraging our little visitors to depart peacefully.

I think I’ll do another batch as well so I can put them in all the closets and cabinets in every room. So fun and easy to do.

Well, I hope you enjoyed visiting with me as I made my dried lavender crafts, and hope this inspires you to do your favorite crafts as well.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Amazon Home, Amazon Affiliates, Homemade Dried Lavender Flower Sachets, Burlap Lavender Sachets, Dried Lavender Bouquet Arrangement in Vase, Lavender for Spiders and Scorpions

May 19, 2025 0