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Football Themed Cozy Reading Corner

When fall rolls around, a cozy reading corner is wonderful to enjoy along with a good book and a warm beverage.

My reading corner is football-themed, decorated with vintage treasures from my family.

Reading corner with a Virginia Tech football theme

Today’s cozy reading corner post is part of a monthly Pinterest Challenge hosted by Cindy of County Road 407. Each month Cindy selects a picture from Pinterest and challenges our group to create our own version of the look.

Many thanks to Cindy for hosting this challenge.

If you arrived here from A Stroll Thru Life, welcome! I have followed Marty’s blog from the beginning and it’s always a treat to visit her home.

Cozy Reading Corner

Fall means shorter days and longer nights, making many of us start to enjoy more indoor activities and fewer outdoor ones.

With darkness creeping in earlier and earlier each evening, reading a book cuddled under a throw becomes a delightful evening activity.

Our Inspiration for this Cozy Reading Nook Challenge

This month we were challenged to share a cozy reading nook inspired by this one decorated by Proverbs 31 Girl.

Proverbs 31 Girl Sitting Area

Doesn’t this look like the perfect place to relax? The chair and ottoman look so comfortable and they are located beside a fireplace.

Our inspiration for this challenge features a home decorated in the popular neutral style. My decor style uses color, so the version that I’m sharing isn’t at all neutral, but it is 100% my style.

My Football Themed Reading Nook

My reading nook is in the corner of our family room. Since football is associated with fall, I decorated this corner with a football theme.

I recently shared my fall home tour and intentionally left this space out knowing that I would share it for this month’s Pinterest Challenge.

Corner reading nook with gray chair, plaid throw, Virginia Tech pillow, and vintage football collectibles.

My dad was a Virginia Tech Hokie and a die-hard fan. I followed in his footsteps and also went to Virginia Tech.

I don’t watch football but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying decorating with a football theme, especially if it involves vintage.

This spot in our family room used to have a mid-century modern chair that I bought at a local antique shop and had reupholstered. You can see what it looked like in this spot in last year’s fall family room decor post.

My decor style isn’t mid-century and I wasn’t satisfied with how that chair looked in this corner, so I replaced it with this chair which is more my style.

The mid-century chair was given to my good friend and it looks great in her space.

Corner reading nook with gray chair, plaid throw, Virginia Tech pillow, and vintage football collectibles.

The chair holds a Virginia Tech pillow from Etsy and a large plaid blanket scarf that doubles as a comfy throw.

Grey chair with an orange plaid throw and Virginia Tech pillow

I have purchased four Virginia Tech pillows, two Wisconsin pillows, and a William and Mary pillow from this Etsy seller. I’ve given them both as Christmas gifts and as graduation gifts and I’m ordering one soon for a gift for a friend’s birthday.

Football Themed Display

Just for fun, beside my reading chair, I set up a football themed display.

The 1949 Tudor Tru-Action Electric Football Game was my dad’s. It’s in wonderful condition and has all of its pieces. I used it as a “wreath” for a football-themed mantel in 2012.

Vintage football display with Tudor Tru-Action Electric football game, 1920s football helmet, Wisconsin pennant pillow

I’m a Virginia Tech Hokie and Mr. SP is a Wisconsin Badger. When I ordered my Virginia Tech pillow, I ordered this Wisconsin one for Mr. SP.

The friend who got my mid-century chair is also a Badger, so you can guess what she got for her birthday last October.

For my football themed mantel, I made a Sweet Pea playing field where Wisconsin is battling it out with Virginia Tech. The players are the players from my dad’s game.

Wisconsin Badgers pennant pillow with handmade football playing field with metal players from Tudor Tru-Action Electric football game

I know zero about football, so I had to look back at my mantel post to see how Mr. SP set up the players on the field for me and then I tried to duplicate it.

Wisconsin Badgers pennant pillow with handmade football playing field with metal players from Tudor Tru-Action Electric football game

The Virginia Tech side of the field has a pennant that I made with game schedules, an antique football helmet, and the rule book for the Tru-Action game.

1920s football helmet, VT deco, Tudor Tru-Action Electric football game

The 1920s football helmet was my granddad’s.

The two coins are Virginia Tech football schedules from 1973 and 1974. I remember playing with these as a child and at some point I taped them both to an index card. They got saved and here I am in 2020 still enjoying them.

1920s football helmet, VT felt pennant with two coins showing 1973 and 1974 Virginia Tech football schedule

I grew up on a farm and every VT game day, my dad would turn the radio up on his truck really loud to listen to the game as he worked.

Coin with Virginia Tech football schedule for 1973

There was never any cheering but definitely cussing when the game didn’t go VT’s way.

The coins are still sticky from my childhood tape and Sherman’s fur somehow got on this one.

Coin with Virginia Tech football schedule for 1974

Football Themed Cozy Reading Corner Decor

I change out the art in this corner with the seasons. Fall always includes vintage Virginia Tech pieces.

Family room corner decorated with vintage Virginia Tech football themed items

When my dad was at VT, he was in the corp of cadets. My mom gave me these patches from his uniform and this sticker and I had them framed.

My grandmother made the cross stitch and my grandfather made the frame. This was in my brother’s room until he decided to go to JMU over VT.

I used to display it in my classroom when I was still teaching during football season. The classroom was not kind to it and I shared how I cleaned it in this post.

Framed Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets memorabilia with a Virginia Tech Hokies football cross stitch

Mama passed along this 1960 VPI vs VMI program.

Framed VPI vs VMI program from 1960

The sheet music under it is WWI era and belonged to a cousin of my grandmother.

My dad was a Virginia Tech student 1958 – 1962. His license plate hangs under the Tech Triumph sheet music.

Framed Virginia Tech Tech Triumph sheet music from the early 1900s with a 1959 Virginia Tech license plate

The last bit to share is this display.

Wood football puzzle from the 1940s and celluloid football player from the 1930s and Virginia Tech corp of cadets belt with belt buckle from the late 50s to early 60s with a Virginia Tech metal mug

The puzzle was my dad’s when he was a child.

The football man was my grandfather’s and he made the stand so my grandmother could display him.

I always thought that he was a childhood toy but this guy got appraised by an Antiques Roadshow appraiser, and I found out that he is a 1930s Japanese celluloid toy.

So instead of it being a childhood toy, my grandfather got it as a grown man. Granddaddy coached football at William Byrd High School in the 1930s leading his team to a state championship. Perhaps a parent or student gave this toy to him.

Wood football puzzle from the 1940s and celluloid football player from the 1930s

The mug is a Virginia Tech piece and was always on my dad’s desk filled with pens and pencils.

The belt with belt buckle was a part of daddy’s Corp of Cadets uniform. I also have his sword from the corp.

Virginia Tech corp of cadets belt with belt buckle from the late 50s to early 60s with a Virginia Tech metal mug

When Sherman isn’t in a post, I sometimes hear about it, so here is my precious fur baby sleeping in front of my cozy reading nook one evening.

Dog sleeping at night in a family room with a corner decorated with a football theme

The next blogger sharing her cozy reading nook is Lora from Lora B. Create and Ponder. Lora is a fellow vintage lover and I always enjoy seeing how she decorates her home.

More Cozy Reading Nooks to Enjoy

Many thanks to Cindy for organizing this fun monthly challenge!

Click on the links below to visit each blogger who is sharing their version of our cozy reading corner inspiration picture.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Cozy Reading Corner Ideas

28 Comments

  1. Paula, this is awesome! I’m always blown away by all the treasures you have in your possession! What a beautiful cozy reading corner with so much history. You always inspire me!
    Shelley

  2. One of my favorite things about your posts is always the ties you have to your vintage pieces. I loved hearing about your dad and grandpa. We LOVE football at our house so this reading corner was right up my alley. I love the pennant pillows and the perfectly plaid throw. I also love your pennant DIY!!!!!! I’m inspired!

    1. Thank you, Kristin! I also love visiting your blog to see your awesome collection of vintage. I had an hour and a half drive this morning and your new podcast kept me entertained on the drive.

      Paula

  3. Oh my word, this post is full of history and family memories, what a thrill. I loved hearing about all of the things you’ve gathered to create such a cozy and beautiful corner. Hearing the stories about your dad and granddad were amazing and all of their football items that you have treasured and displayed are amazing too. Such a fun post.

    1. Thank you so much, Marty! I’m lucky that my grandmother saved everything and also took great care of things.

      Paula

  4. What a fun, sentimental corner! Love the antique football helmet and all the vintage football things. I always enjoy hearing your family stories, too. We love the vintage for the stories that come with it:) My hubs played football and loves to listen to games when he’s in the garage; reminded me of your Gpa listening on his truck radio. Would love to see that old truck;)

    1. I had a lot of fun putting this corner together. One of my dad’s old trucks is still on the road. Wish I had it!

      Paula

    1. Thank you, Julie! My grandmother took great care of her things. She was raised by her aunt who must have taught her that skill.

      Paula

    1. Thank you, Corine! The Pinterest challenge is so much fun and it motivates me to do projects that I normally wouldn’t do.

      Paula

  5. I always enjoy your treasures and we actually share some of those. I have the same coins from when I was at Tech (1971-75). I have a few pieces from my uncle’s uniform as well. Go HOKIES!

    1. That is so neat that you have the same coins. If I remember correctly, I think there is something about a student aid association printed on them.

      Paula

  6. Oh my soul Paula, your treasures make me want to go back to a football game in the good ol’ days! That helmet, the game, the puzzle… I love everything! I adore your school spirit too. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. It’s a fantastic and cozy yet spirited reading nook.

    1. Thank you so much, Cindy! I always like going to my aunt’s house because she is a huge VT fan and has some great memorabilia. I love our PInterest Challenges and thank you for allowing me to participate.

      Paula

  7. Paula, I love all of the memorabilia you have shared here from your father and family’s time at college!! Sure makes for a fun reading area to be able to look at all those memories in each piece! <3

    Enjoy your cozy spot this fall and winter,
    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    1. You know that Sherman is the king of the house. At night, when he isn’t in “his” leather chair, he’s stretched out here.

      Paula

  8. As a color lover, I love all the pops of color and the family possessions; you are blessed to have so many treasures. I have so few! I am one who loves seeing pix of Sherman; I’d like to reach out and scritch him behind his ears and get rapped by a wagging tail–ohh-I am beginning to miss not having a dog–currently have 2 cats! Lady was a black lab mix and loved chocolate (which is NOT good for dogs). The Christmas after she was gone, I set an open box of chocolates on the coffee table. My son looked at me and said, “You know, that’s just not right.” Yep, pets rule our households!

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