Adventures in Decorating

The DEETS of The Master Bedroom Mini-Makeover

2012-02-11T14:27:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday, friends!

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments about our "refreshed, yet not done" master bedroom ... I truly, truly appreciate each and every note you shared! As promised, I'm sharing the details of elements I used for our mini-makeover:

And, I apologize in advance because, not only am I sharing the same pictures as my last post, BUT, I'm also sharing a little video (don't laugh)! Please forgive the sound quality (that's what happens when you spill hot tea on your keyboard) and that, apparently, I have two black eyes ... yikes!

I know, I know ... you're still laughing at my big hair crazy self, aren't you? LOL ... I am, too!

Okay, back to the *deets* ...

The paint products I used are:

Walls: BM White Sand
Trey: BM Palladian Blue
Ceiling: BM Ballet White

The white down comforter and matching duvet are from IKEA (last summer), and, the "Dream" pillow is from SteinMart. The bedskirt is made from budget-friendly dropcloth!

The nightstands used to have the same finish as the bed, but, AS Old White chalk paint took over and, voila:

At the foot of the bed is the bench that normally sits in our dining room. It used to have a cherry stain, but, last Spring, I painted it BM White Dove, followed by distressing/glazing/waxing. I also recovered the seat in burlap:

The mirrored chest used to be in our sitting room. Isn't it fun to *shop* your own home for *fer-ee* ?! And, the slipcovers on the parson chairs are from SureFit (on sale):

The window treatments were made by me (*cough*) ... and, like I said in my video, I'm a cheater when it comes to decorating! Let's just say that there were a lot of straight pins involved in making these! Adding metal scrollies in between the curtain rod and top of your window is a fun way to fill in a bit:

As for the dresser ... this used to be on the wall where the armoire is now ... it's amazing what a big difference a little change can make! (The "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" sign is from my fave, Home Goods.)

The lamps *used* be red with flowers on them. Last year, I painted them Stratton Blue, but then, recently, added a coat of AS Duck Egg Blue. Such an easy way to make a fun change (and, yes, look at my cutie patootie who is about to turn six ... where does the time go?):

The pink wreath layered over the mirror above our bed is a recent 40% off (yippee) purchase from Michael's. I love adding a soft, contrasting pop of color to our spaces:

As for the little blue plate above the amoire, if you're *really* lucky (NOT), I'll post a video on how I made it. LOL

That's all for now, friends ... thanks again so very much for all of your thoughtful comments.

Happy decorating and have a fabulous day!

No, the Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet ...

2012-02-08T10:40:00.005-05:00

BUT, I do think that I hear her warming up in the hallway. LOL

Even though it's not quite done (waiting on a new chandelier), I thought I'd share our refreshed bedroom! I posted last week about how one simple painting project turned into adding new fabric, painting furniture, switching furniture around (blah, blah, blah) ... but, I must say, we're enjoying the new changes ...

Take a peek around ...

One more time ...

I'll be back soon to share all the "deets" with you. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking up with:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party
From My Front Porch to Yours/Treasure Hunt Thursday
Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations
2805/Potpourri Friday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
DIY by Design/Winter Blues Wednesday
French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday

Something Simple

2012-02-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Superbowl Sunday, everyone ("Let's Go, Giants!")! Being married to the biggest NY Giants fan *evah,* our kitchen is a mess right about now, as I prepare goodies for tonight's festivities! So, I thought I'd step away from it for a moment and share our great room buffet that has a few splashes of red added for Valentine's Day.

I started by adding a red shawl of mine as a runner. I then filled a glass hurricane with red and clear beads and added a candle. Of course, I then simply *had* to add shed antlers because they are *ohso* romantic, right? LOL

And, who says you can't mix pinecones, seashells, orbs and "faux" rose petals together?

I loved the little glittery chapels that I found at Wal-Mart for Christmas so much that I just *had* to incorporate one into our little Valentine theme:

Doesn't it just look so cute, romantic (and, okay, goofy) nestled on more rose petals ... go ahead and sing it with me now "going to the Chapel, and we're gonna get mar-air-air-reed!" (and, yes, that song will now be in your head all day long ... you're welcome!)

Lastly, I brought back my cream fleur-de-lis vase and added a few *Springy* florals to it.

One last shot:

Okay ... back in the kitchen I go to finish up chicken chili, yummy sausage dip, pigs in a blanket, and more calorie *infested* Superbowl treats (afterall, folks, they say that today is second only to Thanksgiving as far as most calories consumed)! Please pass the TUMS ... and, again, "Let's Go, Giants!"

Thanks for stopping by!

Winner of the Kirkland's $50 Giveaway!

2012-01-31T14:49:00.000-05:00

And, the winner of the fabulous $50 gift card giveaway, sponsored by Kirkland's, is ...

Linda from Coastal Charm !! Congrats to you, Linda ... I will be contacting you, shortly.

And, thanks so much to all of you who participated. I look forward to hosting another giveaway soon!

Question of the Day ...

2012-01-29T13:44:00.002-05:00

Okay, so *why* is it that when I set out to complete ONE project (in this case, simply painting the walls/ceiling in our master bedroom to FINALLY match the window treatments I added a year ago) ...

that it spirals into things like ... oh ... adding new fabric:

switching out furniture:

a trip to HomeGoods:

an unexpected order of chalk paint:

a touch of pink for Valentine's Day:

*way* too much time looking (and still looking) for a super deal on one of these (from Amazon.com):

annnnnd, winding up in our master bathroom, wielding my paint brush while my eyes start to spasm with ideas ?! Anyone care to give me the answer ?! Anyone ... anyone ...

Welcome to my world ... please tell me you're my neighbor. LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

Kirkland's Lamp Review and $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

2012-01-27T11:03:00.004-05:00

(Edited to add: the giveaway is now closed ... I'll be announcing the winner later today, January 31st!)

TGIF, everyone! Okay, raise your hand if you love Kirkland's. Okay, now raise your hand if you'd love a chance to win a $50 gift card from Kirkland's.

Imagine my surprise when, last week, a representative from Kirkland's Home Decor contacted me to ask if I'd be willing to review one of their new lamps on my blog, as well as offer one of my sweet readers a $50 gift card to Kirkland's! Of course, I said yes and *patiently* waited for the lamp to arrive!

Well, yesterday, this gorgeous "Metallic Mercury Glass Table Lamp" (which is 29" tall and retails for $59.99), was waiting for me at our front door:

Isn't it beautiful? While I love ANYthing mercury, I'm especially enamored with this lamp because of its unique base design. It's sophisticated, chic and fun, all-in-one. The mercury glass base even has a beautiful slight *dark berry* tint to it, and it also wonderfully reflects any color that it sits next to, as well. The classic drum shade (which, we all know is so very popular right now), is the perfect companion for the mercury base ... its tan color reminds me of light burlap. I also love that they chose a black base and finial ... it serves as the perfect contrast. This would be a wonderful addition in any room and compliment any style of decor fabulously! I *think* I've found just the right spot for it in our home (just *look* at its ambiance):

Along with the gorgeous lamp, we all know what awesome goodies await us at Kirkland's ... I love that they are bringing in several lighter colored, as well as vintage, accessories:

Look at this beautiful "Vintage Rose Buffet" lamp, which retails for $59.00:

And, what about this "Parisian Wall Clock," which retails for $29.99:

And, how cool is this "Vintage Key Candle Holder," which retails for a mere $14.99?!

That's only a mere *tease* of the fabulous new products that they have to offer!

If you'd like to enter this wonderful $50 gift card giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know that you're a follower of my blog (if you are listed as a nonreply blogger, *please* be sure and leave your email address in your comment, too, so that I may get in touch with you should you win):

Want a second chance to win? Then, in a seperate comment, let me know that you follow/or are now following my Adventures in Decorating Facebook page.

Want a third chance to win? Then, in a seperate comment, let me know that you follow/or are now following Kirkland's Facebook page.

Also, please see Kirkland's official entry rules for more details!

And, PS: if you don't live near a Kirkland's, no worries, you can use the gift card on their website!

It's that easy ... I will announce the winner Tuesday, January 31st!

And, a sincere "thank you" to Kirkland's for sending the lamp to me for my own review, as well as sponsoring such a wonderful giveaway!

Good luck, everyone!

Painting Continues and More Mesh ...

2012-01-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!

Well, I'm almost done painting the master bedroom, but then, I'll have to tweak and futz and tweak and futz. *Sigh* But, I must admit, I'm loving the new colors in here!

While I'm working away, I thought I'd share a few more mesh wreaths I've recently designed for others. I'm loving my new *side gig* and look forward to creating many more!

For a Nebraska Cornhusker's fan:

This fun customer ordered a wreath to compliment her Christmas tree which was done in blue, brown and silver. She asked if I'd also add a bit of animal print ribbon for some pizzazz, too:

A Valentine day wreath greets folks at our friends' house in Northern Virginia:

A fun new friend of mine gave her Mom a wreath of her choice for her birthday. She asked for a rustic/lodge wreath for their basement ... this is what I came up with:

Sweet friends ordered an "everyday" wreath for their front door in their favorite colors of black, white and red:

I made this one for my parents for Christmas ... they live on the ocean and love anything "coastal!"

Double the "LOVE" at our great neighbors' entry:

A winter wreath to fill the void on a sweet customer's front door:

Another Valentine wreath for a wonderful family!

Go Clemson Tigers!

And, lastly, our Valentine's Day wreath:

I'll be back soon with *hopefully* pics of our soft and serene master bedroom! Have a great day everyone ... and, "Go Giants!"

Thanks so much for stopping by!

2012 Means No More Proscratinating!

2012-01-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

See this? This is a picture of what this light switch in our master bedroom has looked like for the last YEAR folks ... with this little paintstrip from Benjamin Moore (Ballet White and White Sand) tucked up under it and a sample of the paint thrown on to the right of the switch. I've seen it EVERY DAY when I turn the lights on/off. My husband has teased me enough! LOL

What's holding me, Miss "ADD," back? Well, I'll tell, no show, you!

There are a BAZILLION nail holes to cover from where we had trim added to the trey ...

a GABILLION nail holes just like these to be filled on every single wall that Miss "I don't like to measure, just put holes in the wall until you get it just right!" added ...

Annnnnnd, our big ol' trey will have to be primed before painting:

Oh, and let's not forget moving bedroom furniture is NOT fun, nor is cleaning the baseboards and dust that is living behind everything! This room hasn't been painted since we moved in almost 6 years ago! And, I'm running out of excuses. I know I'm going to love the result! So, that's it ... since it appears that it's not going to paint itself, it's time to put my big girl painting pants on and just do it! The walls will be BM White Sand, the trey will be BM Ballet White, and the ceiling will be Ballet White cut at 75%.

Wish me luck ... see you in a year! LOL

Oh, Why Not?

2012-01-13T21:28:00.009-05:00

Howdy doo, everyone and Happy Friday!

Weeeeell, after transitioning our Christmas tree on the kitchen island into a Valentine tree, I decided I just couldn't let it stop there ... so, the "love" started to spread ... it's contagious, I tell ya'! I thought I'd share a few elements I used to create a budget-friendly Valentine mantel, and I hope to inspire a few of you to do the same!

First up ... the reason for the upcoming holiday! Remember my "Believe" blocks from our Christmas mantel? Well, I simply flipped a few of them around, painted them crimson red (with craft paint I already had on hand) and hot glued inexpensive, curly letters (from Michael's that I purchased with a 40% off coupon) ... instant "LOVE!"

So, ya' don't want to spend money on Valentine candles?! No worries, friends ... just add a small bit of decorative red ribbon to one (or ten!) of your simple white candles, which I KNOW you have on hand! Look(!), instant Valentine whimsy:

I'm also willing to bet that you have a white vase or something similar hanging around. Why not grab a few faux *Spring-y* florals from your collection and mix in a bit of red berry *Valentine-y* florals:

And, hmmmm, as the crowning touch, do you happen to have an inexpensive heart made out of *faux* roses? If not, then think about skipping on over to Big Lots and grab one (better yet, make one of your own, you crafty gals, you). And, THEN ... why not frame it with a picture frame (that you're currently not using) and layer both of those on top of a mirror?! I love adding layers, EXCEPT for layers of fat, which I seem to have added a LOT of lately (gee, thanks, holiday season) ... true story !!

After adding a few more simple, on-hand goodies, here's our first *eva* Valentine mantel:

Okay, so, how'd I do? And, now, it's *your* turn ... show me what 'cha got!

Happy Decorating,

Linking up with:

At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
52 Mantels/Mantel Party
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
Dear Lillie/Valentine's Party

Spread'n the LOVE!

2012-01-07T09:07:00.008-05:00

Christmas(?) ... what Christmas?! That was *ages* ago! LOL. And, now that it's over, it's time to spread the l-o-v-e around our humble abode!

I've never been one to decorate for Valentine's, BUT, this year, I just wasn't ready to take down the tree from our kitchen island. Soooo, I replaced our elves and gingerbread men with inexpensive hearts of different colors and textures, red and white striped mesh and ribbon filled with glittery hearts:

Aren't these felt hearts from Target the cutest? You'd never know that they're Christmas ornaments, would you? A sweet friend I met through Facebook suggested I take a peek at them. They're perfect (especially at 50% off)!

Love all the glitter:

A vintage "love" note is a great filler and down below is one of a few ornaments Jax made (from Michael's):

Of course, I couldn't stop there ... so, I added inexpensive heart bowls (from Wal-Mart) filled with good ol' Brach's *rot-your-teeth-out* candy hearts:

Annnnd, up on our shelves (a la Becca), I left the red and white polka dot bowl from Christmas and then decided to mimick it by adding a canister full of Valentine gumballs (from Cracker Barrel), as well as miniature red and white Christmas balls to a clear wine glass:

Down below, I added a French lamp (that I had on our screened porch) to this little vignette:

And, since the lampshade says "patisseries," it was only fitting that I place a sweet *faux* treat under the cloche:

Over to the left ... I brought back a white tray and then added a red striped napkin and placed our scale on top of that ... shiny red apples took the place of our sweet treats from Christmas.

And, well, I was happy to bring back my "summer" cookbooks ... yes, folks, I'm ready for warm weather!

Self-adhesive hearts (with my chicken scratch) add a bit of color and whimsy to our glass canisters:

Too bad *these* treats AREN'T fake! Ugh.

This candle was lonely until I paired it with leftover hearts ... what an inexpensive way to add a bit of fun ... I *know* you have a lonely candle somewhere, too, just waiting for a bit of company!

Of course, I couldn't forget the soffit:

I love our little tree all lit up ... hmmmm, a St. Patty's tree might just be next! LOL

Have a fabulous weekend ... thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm joining:

A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party
Dear Lillie/Valentine's Party

An Affair with Paint!

2011-12-28T19:49:00.005-05:00

As I'm still dismantling Christmas, I see that lots of folks are sharing their fun project(s) they conquered this past year. So, I thought I'd do the same! Let's just call this the "Year of Paint!"

I'll keep my babbling to a minimum so that the *tons* (sorry) of pictures can speak for themselves:

It all started with painting/distressing/staining a simple bench BM White Dove and exPLODED from there!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

That led to this ...

BEFORE:

AFTER (I painted every.single.piece of furniture in here BM White Dove, followed by distressing and glazing/staining) (sorry the pic quality isn't the best):

My paint brush then whisked me over to our sitting room, where I took it from this:

to THIS: Oh sure, let's paint the bookcase BM White Dove and cover the furniture with white slipcovers!

Next up, the buffet in the great room ...

BEFORE:

AFTER (this got coated with AS Old White, followed by distressing and waxing). Oops, almost forgot I painted the mirror, too):

Gee, Becca, while we've got the AS Old White paint can open, let's just go ahead and paint the fireplace on the porch! (Sorry I don't have a before picture):

Oopsee, SOMEbody then discovered AS Chateaux Grey:

And, hey, let's just bring the Chateaux Grey into the kitchen, why don't we?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now wait, since I painted the island Chateaux Grey, apparently, that meant that I had to paint the stools Old White for contrast, and, for good measure, add a fun French image by the Graphics Fairy!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Annnnd, because I love odd numbers when it comes to decorating, I thought it only right to paint a third piece in the AS Chateaux Grey. And, why not just make it a big ol' piece like the dry bar!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And, well, THEN, I thought that I might as well go ahead and paint the cabinets in the kitchen, too! Except, I only painted the upper cabs BM White Dove (later followed by a coat of AS Old White, follwed by distressing). I left our lower cabs in their original maple stain:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Still with me? Let's seeeeee, next was the kitchen table beside the dry bar. I painted the base of it AS Old White, leaving the top and chairs in their original stain (sorry no before pic):

Okay ... so, I'm pretty sure *this* is when I realized I had a problem ... even my poor pumpkins got attacked with AS Old White! LOL

Annnnd, most recently, while still in the kitchen, I decided to ask my sweet hubby to take down a lonesome cabinet in the corner and replace it with three shelves that I made all by myself! I then painted them AS Old White and distressed them. They make me smile, and I'll have a great time decorating them with each new season!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Needless to say, I've been one crazy painting mama this past year and think an intervention is definitely in order! Thankfully, I'm not sure that there is anything left to paint in our home. LOL (Nah, I'm sure I'll find SOMEthing to splash with paint in 2012!)

Okay, you're next ... what are your fun projects you conquered this year?!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm linking up with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

Delightful Order/Delightful Inspiring Thursday

Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations

Katherine's Corner/Thursday Favorite Things

No Minimalist Here/Open House Thursday

French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday

Happy New Year!

2011-12-26T14:40:00.001-05:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday! Do you have wrapping paper and empty boxes everywhere? Are you stuffed from this past weekend's fabulous meals? We are, for sure! Jax is busy playing with all of his new "goods," and John and I are cleaning up (yuck).

Are you someone who opted to go with the "less is more" motto this season when it came to holiday decorating? If so, I envy you right.this.second! Yes, I have the lovely task of taking allllll of our decorations down and, lemme tell ya', this is NOT a part of the holiday season that I enjoy!

Sooooo, while I am preoccupied in lots of *mess* this week, I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year, and that I can't wait to see what trouble our decoratin' minds get us into in 2012!

Honorable Mentions ...

2011-12-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

Okay ... Christmas is day after tomorrow, which reminds me of ALLL of the things I have yet to cross off my list! Who's with me?

I almost forgot to share a few other trees in our home ... so, here's a little shout out to them:

This simple one is in our master bedroom, done in soft blues, golds and whites. I can't show you the rest of our bedroom, because, well, it would make you want to sign me up for the "Hoarders" show:

Crazy topper (everything came from Wal-Mart last year):

Jackson's tree in his playroom, which he decorated mostly by himself ... Mommy and Daddy stepped in to fill in just a bit and add the topper:

It's filled with sports, superheroes ...

and his handmade ornaments:

"Little Bit" sits in Jax's bedroom on his dresser ... done in just sports to go with the theme in his room:

Annnnd, out in the "man cave" (a/k/a, our garage), sits our (I mean, John's) NY Yankee tree:

I filled it with all things "Yankee" ... from candy canes and coasters ...

pops of red and jersey ornaments ...

to these cute, little nutcrackers:

I hope you all have a great day, finishing up your shopping, preparing yummy treats or just enjoying the season quietly at home! Just be sure and watch out for the crazed lady today ... it's just me, and an I apologize in advance if I happen to knock you over while on my mission of last minute shopping! LOL

Happy Holidays,

Off to the Christmas Breakfast Area ...

2011-12-21T15:49:00.000-05:00

Eek ... I'm running out of time to share our Christmas home ... so, again, my apologies that I'm bombarding you with more!

Welcome to our Christmas breakfast area, which sits right off of the kitchen ... of course, it was only right to continue the whimsical theme over here, as well.

A little closer look:

I decided to keep the tablescape pretty simple ... both the red chargers and the cream plates are part of the BH&G line from Wal-Mart (purchased last year): And, the *ca-ute* gingerbread guys and gals are from Cracker Barrel. They're actually utensil holders; however, I opted to use them as napkin rings, instead:

I snagged the pretty wine glasses last year at Pier One:

For the centerpiece, I *scrunched* up a table cloth and layered a white cake stand (from PB) on top, along with a glass hurricane, which I surrounded with greenery, gingerbread cuties and red ornaments. I love the little houses I found a few years ago (from Big Lots):

Aren't they fun? Of course, the batteries went out on this one *right* before I snapped the pic:

I love seeing the glow of the Christmas tree through the glass:

Up above, I added some whimsy to the chandie by adding garland, mesh, ornaments and snowflakes. I then decided to hang a few ornaments from glittery red ribbon:

Here's the temporary home to our mirrored table (which usually sits where the tree is) ... just a simple vignette on top:

A little red candle nestled in faux snow glows in a lantern from Home Goods:

On the other side is our dry bar ...

I spy sweet treats!

Jax loves "his" new gingerbread house (Cracker Barrel), especially because it lights up:

Our Candy Santa stands guard ...

along with our Baker Santa. The candy trees are from Big Lots!

Thank goodness these treats are NOT fo' realz!

In the background is our chalkboard made out of inexpensive poster board (Dollar Tree) and my heavily relied on chalk markers!

Annnnd, of course, I had to carry a bit of the red up above to our white pieces:

I'll save a seat for you, so come on over!

Before you go, I thought I'd share the face of a boy who is beyond excited that school is OUT, and Santa is on his way! Wooo Hoooo!

I'm off to finish shopping ... wish me luck! Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm linking up with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

Whimsical Christmas Kitchen ...

2011-12-20T16:52:00.003-05:00

I like to keep things fun and whimsical in the kitchen each year! So, feel free to take a peek around:

I've added this tree to our island for the past few years ... I always love adding a bit of the unexpected ... too bad the middle section of lights *just* went out ... bummer!

I dressed the tree in lots of gingerbread ornaments, cookie cutters, Christmas note cards and other whimsical ornaments:

Little elves are scattered about ... this little cutie climbed up on the ladder and helped me decorate the tree:

This little elf is perched on top of a canister filled with snow and ornaments! The other canisters hold inexpensive candy canes and sweet treats!

And, *this* little Elf is taking a bath in more sweet treats!

I LOVED being able to add Christmas whimsy to the shelves that I made this past Fall!

I'm big on adding things in kitchen canisters OTHER than sugar and flour! Adding inexpensive cookie cutters is a fun way to add Christmas color to any kitchen!

This simple vignette sits on the counter below:

On the other side of the kitchen, I added red trees, garland, oversized snowflakes and a chalkboard to the soffit:

And, down below, I have one of my most favorite pictures ... Jax (when he was 3) taking a walk with Santa. Still makes me tear up when I pull it out of the box every year.

I hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

I'm linking up with:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday

Christmas Sitting Room

2011-12-17T08:33:00.004-05:00

Looks like I have a lot of Christmas catching up to do ... so, my apologies in advance that I'm going to be *smothering* you with festive picstures this last week (eek!) before the big day!

Today, it's the sitting room ... come on in!

I wanted to keep this simple in here this year, with a palette of red, white and gold.

This tree used to be in our kitchen during the Fall ... it was our Fall Family Tree. My sweet husband and I carefully dragged it to its new spot ... removed the Fall leaves and brown ornaments and replaced them with Chistmas pretties!

Don't you just love these sweet churches from Wal-Mart! I also added our 12 Days of Christmas ornaments that I found at Kirkland's a few years ago:

Family photos bring stories and laughter from years past ... like that little chubster in the background (a/k/a yours truly)!

Next to the tree, I just *had* to add a splash of red to the mirror ... the feather wreath is from Michael's:

Down below is a sweet nativity from Kirkland's, along with two gold fininals from Lowes (a few years ago). I placed one of the finials in a glass hurricane and then added snow and a sweet picture of my 97 year old grandmother and Jax:

I love the reflection of the tree in the mirrored accent table:

The bookcase has Christmas embellishments, as well. I tucked three small trees (Michael's) into leftover burlap and placed them in my IKEA pots. As for the "JOY" ... they came from Wal-Mart ... it was one ornament that I simply broke apart so that I'd have seperate letters ... easy peasy!

Santa and the reindeer sit on the shelf perched under the glittery snowflakes. Of course, I had to place them all on a small pile of snow:

Another sweet church from Wal-Mart:

A simple Christmas sprig sits in front of our family picture, along with a sweet saying:

Over on the sofa, I had leftover burlap and a Christmas spray, so I wrapped the pillow and tucked the spray into it:

I just had to include this shot of our wooden bowl filled with ornaments on the ottoman. If you look into the gold ball, you can see a fun, circular reflection of the room ... love the gold ceiling's reflection!

Ahhh ... the nighttime glow of Christmas lights is my favorite!

Have a fabulous day and, as always, thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm linking up with:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday

Christmas Great Room

2011-12-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Me ... again !!

Who is feeling the rush of Christmas ?! I know I am ... I have SOOO much shopping yet to do ... somehow, it all gets done. I love this season, however, admittedly, I'm a bit relieved when it's over ... am I alone ?!

I've shared snippets of our great room, and now wanted to share the "rest of the story."

I'll keep my commentary to a minimum and just flood you with pictures instead.

So, come on in!

Christmas pillows from Pottery Barn (on sale!). Our vintage tool box is filled with greenery, balls, pinecones and battery operated lights ... love the soft glow:

"Peace" pillow from Wal-Mart (last year):

Just *had* to share our Santa mantel one.more.time.

There's our other red feather tree ... love how the glittered "JOY" sparkles in the reflection of the mirrored table:

One last overall view ... "Seasons Greetings!"

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Buffet

2011-12-13T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's me again ... just trying to catch up sharing our Christmas home!

Some of you may remember that I painted the dark stained buffet in our great room Old White chalk paint this past Spring. I can't tell you how much I'm still enjoying the new color, especially during the holidays ... the red accents truly pop!

The view from our foyer:

I love mixing different elements together:

Isn't this a fun red feather tree? I bought two of them (and matching wreath) at Michael's a few years ago. They keep making their way back into my holiday decor!

I filled my silver vase with winter florals, along with a few lit branches:

And, lastly, I hung a bit of "JOY" from the mirror ... I love seeing Santa's reflection! He's always watching, isn't he?

I'm off to take more pics of our splashes of Christmas ... back soon!

Thanks for stopping by,

The Great Room Tree

2011-12-12T17:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments about our Christmas dining room, decked out in silver and gold with our new flocked tree ... I truly appreciate each and every one of your kind notes!

Today, I wanted to share a few pictures of the tree that is in our great room ... this is the tallest of the 7 trees that we have in our home this year.

Thar she blows:

We'll start at the top. I love to do "crazy" toppers, with things sprouting up and out here and there. This year, though, I decided not to add our two *ha-uge* bows ... thought I'd give them a rest this year.

I added gold mesh this year, which I'm lovin' combined with the red:

You may have noticed that I love adding our Christmas cards to this tree ... not only are they great fillers, but I love being surrounded by friends and family during the holidays! I also add our family Christmas cards from years past ... it's all going by too fast!

Not only are the Christmas cards great fillers, but big ol' snowflakes (from Dollar Tree) are, as well! I also love the white popping against the red and gold mesh, as well as against the tree itself:

Not only do I fill this tree with budget friendly ornaments, but also ones that have sentimental meaning, like this angel one from one of my sweet sisters:

Jax's "first Christmas" ornament:

A fragile and festive Santa from my sweet parents:

And, I also love this White House ornament (given to us by my brother-in-law) ... the blue background is beautiful:

I can't believe we get to enjoy the evening glow of this tree for only a few more *short* weeks!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Silver and Gold ... Silver and Gold ...

2011-12-10T09:01:00.008-05:00

are you thinking of Burl Ives singing that classic Christmas tune? It's stuck in my head now!

As many of you know, the super talented sisters, Vanessa and Heather (of their amazing blog, At the Picket Fence), are the brains behind a fabulous Blogger Block Party that's going on right now!! Unfortunately, I'm a bit behind in participating, but the creativity I've seen linked up to the fun is beyond amazing! Be sure you visit!

Welcome to our dining room decked out in ... you guessed it ... silver and gold!

Starting with our chairs, I simply attached faux poinsettia sprays to the back:

Up on the table, I layered a mirror from Wal-Mart as my base and then added ornaments, candles and a glittery set of reindeer (from Cracker Barrel) (I also added crystals from Wal Mart after taking this picture):

Love the reflection of the candles in the mirror:

Simple place settings are done with silver chargers, white plates and silver and white snowflake plates (from Target):

Over on the buffet, I sprinkled lots of pretty faux snow and added my two fleur-de-lis urns, glass and more ornaments:

I added more snowflake plates on the shelves, along with snow tipped greenery:

Of course, I HAD to add a Christmas tree in here ... but, not just any tree ...

... a snow covered or "flocked" tree, as we like to call it. I was thrilled to find it at Wal-Mart for a super reasonable price!

It's COVERED in thick, beautiful *snow*:

Love the view from the kitchen:

And, okay, from the great room, as well!

As always, thanks SO much for stopping by!

I'm linking up with:

No Minimalist Here/Holiday Dining
2805/Christmas Tree Party
Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday

B E L I E V E ...

2011-12-04T20:15:00.005-05:00

Greetings, everyone! Thank you so much for your kind comments about my crazy mesh wreaths ... I truly appreciate it! I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this new adventure and am looking forward to seeing what it brings in the future!

Now, it's time to share our Christmas mantel! And, I'm going to go ahead and tell you guys that you'll be a bit disappointed because after all of the absolutely sweetest (and sincerely appreciated) comments you all left about our glitzy Nutcracker mantel from last year, there is no way I could top it, BUT, it was time for a change.

I had no idea what I wanted to do, until my sweet 5 year old (or "5 and 8/4" (lol) as he will tell you) came up to me one day and had a bazillion and one questions about Santa ... "Mommy, how does he come down the chimney ... does he take the plate with carrots up to the reindeer or just the carrots themselves ... what do the reindeer get to drink ... does Santa sit down while he eats his cookies and drinks his milk?" Needless to say, his sweet innocence quickly reminded me what the magic of Christmas is all about. And, it was then that I realized what I wanted to do. Sooooo, I present to you our mantel of 2011 ... dedicated to the big guy in red!

I've had this beautiful Santa print (from Kirkland's) for a few years, but could never find the perfect place for it during the holidays, so, unfortunately, it usually ended up back in the attic, not being used ... that was, until *this* year! Shhhhhhh ... he's watching you!

The moment I spotted these "Believe" blocks (at a local, amazing Christmas shop called "Callahan's"), I *knew* they would be the perfect centerpiece to our "Santa" mantel:

I also knew when I spied this simple, white (aged) reindeer at TJMaxx, he would be the perfect companion to his neighboring rustic Santa:

And, in case it's dark when Santa arrives, I'll be sure and turn the lantern on for him so that he can see!

Of course, I had to add sprigs of pine and wintery florals for Santa to feel as though he's right at home! Let's just hope that Mrs. Claus is a fan of faux florals herself! LOL.

Would you just LOOK at this fabulous sleigh I found at HomeGoods?! It's all ready for Santa to add a few presents to the ones I already placed in there! Our vintage Santa is comfortably perched on top and ready to play soft music to relax and entertain "the big guy" while he leaves his goodies!

When Santa wants to sit and relax while he enjoys his milk and cookies, our chair is all ready for him. And, want an inexpensive way to make a Christmas pillow? Just add a burlap bow to a pillow you already have and tuck a piece of pine or a wintery mix into the bow and voila!

I have to say that, as much as I love glitz and bling and miss the sequined nutcrackers that usually grace our mantel, this is ... by far ... my most favorite Christmas mantelscape ... mainly because Jackson's eyes lit up when he saw it for the first time. I thank you, my sweet Jax, for reminding Mommy not to forget about the *magic* of Christmas!

And, while we all know the true "reason for the season," I hope that you don't forget what the magic of the holiday season is all about, as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Come on over and party for the holidays with me:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

From My Front Porch to Yours/Mantel Party

Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

It's Raining Mesh!

2011-12-03T22:28:00.002-05:00

Happy Saturday !! Gosh, I've been so out of touch this week, and I've missed visiting you all and your fabulous projects. I was busy, busy making mesh wreaths ... here are my latest creations that I've either custom made for others or for a recent open house. I'm also going to be featuring them in two fun, local boutiques ... yippee !!

I've had so much fun designing these wreaths, and have been truly flattered that orders keep coming in!

I'll share next our Christmas splashes ... can't wait to see everyone else's beautiful decorations!

As always, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Revisiting Last Year's Christmas Mantel ...

2011-11-26T08:36:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! Are you still full? I sure am!

Before I share our holiday home, I thought I'd show my sweet, new blogging buddies what our Christmas mantel looked like for the past few years:

It was filled with sequined nutcrackers of varying sizes:

Littles fellas perched on top of festive holiday nuts:

And, lots of sparkle and beaded garland:

It glowed and shimmered when it was all lit up at night:

While I loved the *blingy* look, I decided to do something different this year. Lemme tell ya' ... I was stumped what to do until my sweet 5 year old kiddo inspired me ... can't wait to share it with you !!

Have a great day and happy decorating!

"IT'S ...

2011-11-20T10:26:00.007-05:00

beginning to look a LOT like Christmas (sing it with me now) ... EVERYwhere you gooooo !!" Yes, folks, Dasher and Dancer; elves; Santa; and the "reason for the season" have landed in our home.

Being the tease that I am, thought I'd share a few peeks!

I love our cute visitors we get to enjoy for the season!

I look forward to showing you more very soon. For now, I'm enjoying decorating others' homes for the holidays, too !!

I'm linking up with:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures

My Backyard Eden/Make it Yours

At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Nautical Christmas Tree ...

2011-11-17T16:43:00.000-05:00

Last year, I was truly flattered to have been hired by local business owners, to decorate the Christmas tree in their shop, Marine Service Center (where they sell all things fast and fun on the water), as well as to spread Christmas around their home. In years past, the Christmas tree at their store had been a nautical themed tree in blue, red, white and gold. With the permission of the owners, last year, I traded out the gold accents for silvers ones ... added nautical rope and burlap, along with snowflakes and branches at the top.

This year, I was happy when the owners asked me to come back and "play" again. They didn't want to change anything from what I had done last year, so, I was happy to recreate the nautical tree again ...

Just a few pics:

I loved adding the nautical rope ... truly something one wouldn't expect to see on a Christmas tree!

Down below, I wrapped the presents in blue paper, along with white boxes (with red ribbon).

I'm now busy splashing Christmas around their home and look forward to sharing those pics with you, too!

In the meantime ... LOOOOOK what is FINALLY up and blinging away in our dining room !! I'm in LOVE and can't wait to show you our Christmas dining room!

As always, thanks for stopping by, friends ...

Fall Breakfast Area

2011-11-13T19:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Sunday, folks ... and, come on in! Welcome to what *used* to be our Fall breakfast area. It's all looking like Christmas right now, but I wanted to share with you what it looked like just last week!

There are a few changes to this area since I shared it last time.

The biggest change being that I painted the table base Annie Sloane Old White, and I also asked my sweet friend to recover our chairs. It's actually extra fabric that I had stored away!

I also added a bit of this fabric to the center of the table, layered on top of a *burlap-y* looking fabric. I then placed a grapevine pumpkin on a cream cake stand and covered all of that with a large glass cloche.

I also added "EAT" above the window ... I painted the letters Old White, followed by Chateaux Grey (to tie in with the neighboring dry bar, which is done in the same colors).

A view of the breakfast area from the great room ... you'll spy our Family Fall tree, which has become a tradition in our home every Fall now. For the last two years, it has been in our sitting room, but, this year, I decided to place it by our breakfast table so that it would feel more "present" during the Fall. I loved sitting at the table, and staring at all of the pics ... lots of memories always come flooding back, and I love that:

Crazy tree topper:

I fill this tree with special family pictures ... moments which we are so thankful for ... like the first moment I held my son:

Special sayings:

And, fun times with friends (like the day last year that my husband and I renewed our vows for our 15th wedding anniversary, surrounded by great friends, on the beaches of Punta Cana):

The family tree has since been moved to another room, and I look forward to sharing that, along with the rest of our house, which is now all dressed up for Christmas!

In the meantime, come on over and party at these wonderful blogs:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations Party

Thanks for stopping by,

Simple Snapshots ...

2011-11-10T13:29:00.002-05:00

Just a few snaps of a Fall afternoon taken last week ... I love the sun streaming into the sitting room:

Love how it highlights random leaves and branches ...

and how it bounces the reflections of the mirrors onto the walls:

Wait until you see the sun reflecting off of the Christmas tree ornaments which are in here now ... yippee!

Have a great day,
everyone,

Fall Dry Bar

2011-11-08T07:20:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away ?! I can't ... where has this year gone ?!

I thought I'd share part of our breakfast area today. Some of you may remember that I painted our dry bar this past summer ... it went from this:

To THIS (I painted one coat of Annie Sloane's Old White chalk paint, followed by two coats of Chateaux Grey). I then distressed it a bit and waxed (clear). I also removed the center, glass doors to allow for more of a display area. Here it is dressed for Fall:

My white ceramic roo from Home Goods (last year), nestled on raffia and a glass cake stand:

I filled a cream soup tureen with a few Fall picks ... you can see the *Menu* chalkboard peeking through in the back that I created out of black poster board and chalkpaint markers:

Another one of the beautiful, handcrafted velvet pumpkins that I won in a giveaway hosted by a sweet blogging buddy, Lela:

Up above, the shelves have a few little pieces of Fall, too. I recently bought the stainless "Give Us this Day our Daily Bread" piece from GoodWill for only $2!

Simplicity:

And, you may have spied my new rooster prints that I found at Kirkland's earlier this Spring ... perfect for Fall!

Admittedly, though, I have to laugh because this area no longer looks as it does in the above pictures ... it has already been transformed for Christmas! And, I look forward to sharing it all with you soon!

In the meantime, come on over and play at these fabulous parties:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures

Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Fall in the Kitchen!

2011-10-31T11:35:00.006-04:00

Happy Halloween! Do you have your bucket of candy ready by the front door? Are you dressing up? Jax can't wait to turn into Batman! John and I won't be dressing up tonight ... we had our fun this past weekend at a fabulous party hosted by our great neighbors. Can you guess who we are?! The super cool stick on bling letters on my purse should give you a hint. LOL

I thought I'd inundate you with our Fall kitchen today ... hope you're not busy because I've included a *la-hot* of pics:

I love adding huge arrangements to the island and thought a copper vase might be a nice Fall accent, too (found at Home Goods):

A glass vase I had on hand holds a battery operated candle that I wrapped in twine and nestled in corn. In the background, you can see a simple lantern filled with pumpkins, guords and leaves:

Splashes of Fall fill this side of the kitchen, too:

I used my fancy schmancy cheap-o craft scissors (from Michaels) to cut labels for the canisters ... I then wrote on them with my chalkpaint markers and attached them with just a drop of hot glue:

And, of course, you *have* to have a yummy candle burning! My faves are by Slatkin & Co. (from Bath and Body Works) ... currently burning "Spice." Bath and Body works also now sells these cute metal candle holders with many different holiday versions to choose from ...

I found this cute red roo at Kirkland's:

And, up above, our soffit is filled with white pumpkins, wheat and muted Fall garland, which I tucked lights into, as well. Love seeing it lit up at night:

Moving on around, another counter holds more Fall embellishments. As you can see, here's another roo, but I've sadly suffocated this one in glass cloche (sorry, little fella):

More canisters are filled with items and colors that remind me of Fall:

And, over on the other side, I'm SO loving my new DIY shelves!

Yup, I've already re-tweaked the shelves since I first showed them to you last week (surprise, surprise):

I found the picture at GoodWill for $2! I really only wanted it for the chunky "beat up" frame, but decided to keep the pear art in there for now:

Another Good Will score is the large, round wicker platter. I bought 2 of them for $3! I also decided to fill a cream pitcher with tall branches to balance the height of the items on the soffit on the other side:

Down below on the counter is a simple vignette:

You *know* I'm enjoying our new scale:

Of course, a Fall kitchen wouldn't be complete without REAL flowers full of rich color (from my sweet hubby):

Thanks so much for visiting our Fall kitchen:

Annnnnd:

Come on and join me at these wonderful linky parties:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
2805/Potpourri Friday
Common Ground/Vintage Inspiration Friday

I Finally Got One!

2011-10-28T08:16:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday !!

Some of you may know that I've been looking for a vintage kitchen scale for-EVA! I've scoured our local antique stores all summer ... looked online, but couldn't find one I liked anywhere. Then, I realized why ... because my friend, Kim, at Savvy Southern Style has ALL of them! LOL.

SEE ... look at those beauties on her soffit. She probably put them up that high so that I couldn't sneak over and easily "snatch" one!

Annnd, another (this one is my fave):

And, wait, ... there's one more!

I love her collection, for sure and, apparently, my subtle hints didn't work because one didn't show up in my mailbox with a Georgia postmark on it! Darn.

So, I was thrilled to have *finally* found one on Ebay ... it's fairly large.

And, I love its rustic look:

Can't wait to add something fun on top and to find the perfect spot for it ...

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

MAGIC TRICK REVEALED !!

2011-10-26T17:39:00.003-04:00

The other day, I showed you a "magic trick" of how we made our cabinet disappear.

It went from this:

To this ((*gasp*)):

Well, ABRA CADABRA ... have a lookie now !!

What I absolutely *lurve* about these shelves is that I built, painted and hung them all.by.myself! Wooo Hooo ...

I couldn't wait to get them finished so that I could *play* by adding a few things I already had on hand (of course, I'm nowhere near done tweaking):

I was so excited to add two of the five absolutely gorgeous velvet pumpkins that I won in a giveaway hosted by my sweet and super talented friend, Lela! She handcrafted these beauties herself (complete with real pumpkin stems). She has a fabulous blog, which is, unfortunately, private ... BUT, I'm hoping one of these days, I'll convince her to go public so that you all can enjoy her stunning Tuscan home! Thanks again, Lela ... so excited to have won!

Lastly, I placed my engraved cheese knives from PB, along with generic stemware in my glass canister for something different:

I'm so excited how it has opened the space up, too! I'll be back soon to share the details of how I built them (in the meantime, please say a little prayer that they all don't fall apart and come crashing down). LOL!

Thanks for stopping by ... and, come join me at these FUN parties:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Boo Y'all!

2011-10-23T11:01:00.002-04:00

Happy Sunday, everyone ... it's going to be a gorgeous Fall day here in South Carolina ... hope you're enjoying fabulous weather, too! I'm taking a break from my "magic trick" kitchen project, and thought I'd share our Fall mudroom.

This is our little space where I add a bit of Halloween, too.

Jax loves our little mice (bought last year at Michael's). His art is displayed on the walls, too, which makes me smile:

Command central has a few Halloween guests, too:

Meet Beatrice, the good witch who sits perched on her stool, while a mice is about to be "Boo'd" in the background:

Isn't she cute?

A tray holds canisters of yummy treats (which have been dug into quite a bit!), along with Halloween rings and scary spiders for Jax and the neighborhood kiddos to take when they want:

The soffit is a mix of birds, raffia and pumpkins ... oh my!

A simple grapevine swag with big ol' bow hangs from our farmhouse chalkboard:

Picture wall with a few more Halloween accents:

Love the "folkish" pumpkin men I found last year at HomeGoods:

And, like my Halloween wall art? It's actually a door mat I found at Dollar Tree that I simply attached to the wall with command strip tape:

Well, please say good-bye to Mr. Mouse who is heading back into his house, while I head back into the garage to continue my kitchen project!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Come party with me at these fabulous parties:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

2805/Potpourri Friday

A Quick Magic Trick For You ...

2011-10-19T14:59:00.001-04:00

Now you see it (along with my sweet, handsome hubby):

POOF ... now, you don't!

Any guesses what my crazy decorating self is up to in the kitchen now ?! LOL

Have a great day,

The Rest of the Story ...

2011-10-15T09:48:00.010-04:00

Since I shared our Fall mantel the other week, it occurred to me that I haven't shown the rest of the great room in quite awhile! Of course, things have changed a bit in here (I know you're shocked) ... feel free to take a peek around.

Here's the *new* look. When we added crown molding throughout our home, we REALLY wanted to add it in this room, but, because of the vaulted ceiling, it just wouldn't look right (so they said). Bummer:

In my lighten and brighten *lollapalooza* that has been taking place in our home this year, I replaced our striped accent chairs with two slipcovered wing chairs that were in another room:

Pillows on sale from Pottery Barn add a splash of Fall colors ... the French pillow is from TJ Maxx:

I placed my old faux fur rug from IKEA on the ottoman for added texture and coziness. Oh, and I totally copied my buddy, Carrie, at Dittle Dattle and raced to Big Lots to buy two of these rusty/orange pillows after she featured them in her fabulous Fall great room. Thanks, Carrie:

Leftover fabric that has been sitting in my closet forever is now scrunched up and serving as a base for my coffee table vignette (created with things I already had ... I LOVE free decorating):

Of course, I had to mix in a few feathers:

Here's the Fall mantel a-GAIN (that I recently added one coat of Annie Sloane's Old White chalk paint and distressed a bit):

Another painted piece (AS Old White/Chateaux Grey) has a touch of Fall on top:

A-NOTHER victim of my paint brush ... fun seeing the reflection of the mantel in the mirror:

I picked up these fun envelope prints from Marshalls this summer:

Love the vibrant pumpkin from Pier One (so much so that bought three of them on sale), which is paired with a lamp I recently scored at a consignment shop ... only $19! I saw a lamp very similar to this one at Home Goods for $49! And, hey, who says you can't use your remote as part of your vignette! LOL.

On each side of our French door, I replaced our humongo prints with smaller ones ... I also scored these mirrored tables this past summer at Tuesday Morning. And, for an inexpensive touch of Fall, I added burlap bows to the lampshades:

Yup, another Pier One pumpkin, this one nestled in greenery and feathers, all of which is perched on a small white pedestal:

View from the breakfast area ... it's funny how the afternoon light makes the paint color (Sherwin Williams Restrained Gold) looks so much darker and gold than it truly is ... I plan on continuing the Manchester Tan in this area, as well ... SOMEday:

And, since it's Fall, you *know* what that means in this house ... time for the Fall "Family" tree, which I'll share next time:

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

Come on over and party at these fabulous blogs:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday

Liven Things Up/Itz Festival Time

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures

Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday

DIY by Design/Fall into Fall Party

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

Savvy Seasons/Autumn Arrives

No Minimalist Here/Open House Party

At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday

Our Fall Dining Room ...

2011-10-08T07:38:00.016-04:00

Happy Saturday !! For those who may have missed my guest post yesterday at A Stroll Thru Life, I thought I'd post it here as well so that I could share our Fall dining room.

So, please, come on in (you may click on pics to enlarge)...

Since painting all of the furniture in this room earlier this Spring BM White Dove (followed by distressing, sanding and glazing), I decided to do this year's Fall tablescape in mainly neutral tones, but with a few pops of color here and there. I also added several mercury pieces because I'm loving the look of that right now, too:

You can see that I've incorporated quite a few elements ... pumpkins ... books ... silver/mercury ... raffia ... burlap runner and antlers. Some of these cute pumpkins USED to be orange. Rather than buy white pumpkins (as they can be unnecessarily expensive), I simply painted a few cheapie orange ones Annie Sloane's Old White chalk paint!

My hurricanes hold munchkin pumpkins, acorns and pinecones, along with tapered candles that I placed in candlestick holders (Dollar Tree) to add height:

And, do you want a fun and inexpensive solution to not having to look at glass hurricanes that get *cloudy* from the sun (despite cleaning them once a week!) ... just throw a few book pages (or scrapbook paper) in there, and, voila ... no more cloudiness! (Of course, either take them out when lighting the candles or just use battery operated tapers, which I need find!) And, how ironic that the chapter of the book I picked up to rip a few pages from is appropriately titled "The Pilgrim's Progress" ...

As for our table settings ... the silver chargers are from Old Time Pottery, the cream dinner plates are from Wal-Mart, and turkey salad plates are from Home Goods (last year):

Over on our sideboard, I layered a French print with a beautiful mustard floral, just to add more Fall-ish pop of color ... it also ties in with the oversized pillows on the chairs that flank the sideboard:

I love to mix in a few seashells with the "Fall-ness" ... have to stay true to my coastal living!

And, on the shelves, I nestled a mercury pumpkin on raffia. FYI: they sell these fabulous pumpkins at Tuesday Morning, too, for only $9.99! That's wonderful compared to Pottery Barn, where they are $24 for the smallest!

My plate wall remains unchanged ... still have the twine wrapped around select plates, having added a leaf and old photo for Fall.

And, one last thing ... just for fun, let's look at what my dining room looked like a few years ago (pre-blogging)! From that:

To this! Quite a difference, isn't it ?! LOL.

Now, if I could just put my new blingie chandelier together (which is STILL sitting in the box) !!

I'm linking up to:

BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday
Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
The Stories of A to Z/Tutorials and Tips
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesdays Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
DIY by Design/Fall into Fall
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party
Savvy Seasons/Autumn Arrives Party
2805/Potpourri Party
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
Colours Dekor/Of Spooks and Sparkles
Decor to Adore/Fall in Love
Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations
Thrifty Decor Chick/Before and After Party

Have a fabulous day,

Guest Post at A Stroll Thru Life ...

2011-10-07T13:44:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know the lovely Marty from her wonderful blog, A Stroll Thru Life.

Marty is not only kind, she's extremely talented ... is the queen of fabulous vignettes ... and hosts a fun linky party each week called "Tabletop Tuesday!" You simply must participate ... it's a fun and inspiring gathering!

Well, it appears that Marty has been taken against her will to this *horribly* gorgeous tropical island! ((*Gasp*)) Whomever took her will be making her enjoy long walks on fabulous beaches ... sip fruity drinks by amazing pools, AND, I think there might be hula dancing involved! And, to top it off, someone forced her to ask little old ME to share a guest post on her blog while she's away ... poor, POOR, Marty! LOL.

So, come on over to A Stroll Thru Life, where I'll be sharing my Fall dining room!

Have a great day,

Our Fall Entry ...

2011-10-06T17:56:00.006-04:00

Greetings, everyone!

Is it beginning to feel more like Fall where you are ?! It's beautiful here in the mornings, but it has still been pretty h.o.t. here in the afternoons. Not for much longer, I'm sure!

This year, I opted for the "less is more" theme for our entry alcove! As much as I LOVE including bales of hay, corn/sugarcane stalks, lanterns and scattered faux pumpkins in our alcove, I thought I'd give our blower, broom and my nerves a break this year from constantly having to: sweep up/blow the *bazillion* strands of hay that wind up ALL over the entry ... clean up melted candles from inside the lanterns ... and run (while screaming LOUDLY) from scary ~~little~~ HUGE lizards that like to hide in the corn stalks and jump out at me while I'm cleaning up said *bazillion* strands of hay and melted candles! LOL.

Anyhoooo ... here it is ... simplicity (please exuse the tacky orange cord):

One thing I *did* do again were pumpkin topiaries ... except, this time, I placed a white pumpkins in the middle for a bit of contrast and fun. Grapevine wreaths, Dollar Tree garland and strands of raffia sit at the base of them:

Making an encore appearance (from when I recently shared the custom wreaths I've been making for others), here's ~~our~~ Jax's "Mr. Boo" wreath that I made ... love how the glittery silver polka dots sparkle in the afternoon sun:

To add a splash of Fall to our fountain, I placed natural guords and pumpkins in it (can you say "paint me" please):

LOVE the different textures of the guords:

A Fall flag blows in the wind behind one of the beautiful Mums I picked up at Lowes:

Annnnnd, a few "faux" pumpkins rest on the mulch (which we desperately need to "top off"):

Well, folks, that's our humble entry ... here's to an easy cleanup and NOOOO scary lizards!

I'm linking up with:

Thrifty Decor Chick/Fall Outdoor Spaces
Kristen's Creations/Share Your Creations
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by,

You Better BeWreath Me ...

2011-09-28T19:51:00.004-04:00

Happy Day!

Well, it appears that I'm adding "adventures in custom wreaths" to my craziness! What started as a few close friends asking me to make wreaths for them has now grown into something fun that I wasn't expecting! I thought I'd share a few orders I recently completed:

My sweet friend ordered a "bridal room" wreath, which, even though I live in the South, I've never heard of one(!). So, here's my version ... thought I'd incorporate the colors of the wedding.

Had to brainstorm to create the centerpiece:

"Happy Fall" to a great family who is, hopefully, enjoying this wreath.

"Go Noles" ... ordered by my sweet friend, Melanie, at Southern Comforts in a Northern Life:

My son insisted I make a Halloween one for our door:

Mr. Spider slowly creeping his way around the wreath:

I created this for my friend's fabulous insurance company "Beach Benefits:"

"Go Packs" ... ordered by another sweet friend:

And, we can't forget USC Gamecocks, which another friend is proudly displaying. Actually, she's not too happy about these as she is a Clemson fan ... her husband ordered these without her knowledge. LOL!

This Fall wreath is on its way to Maryland:

And, "Go Steelers" ... this one is now on a friend's front door in VA:

Needless to say, I'm so excited that I've gotten several more orders for Fall and Christmas wreaths, and, as soon as I complete them, I hope to open an Etsy store ... got lots of wreath ideas swirling in my head and can't wait to bring them to fruition!

Linking up to:

Kristens Creations/Share your Creations
2805/Potpourri Friday

French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
My Romantic Home/Show and Tell Friday

Thanks for stopping by,

Our "I Give Up" Fall Mantel ...

2011-09-27T16:44:00.009-04:00

Happy *official* Fall Y'all! Deep rich colors are popping up alllll over blogland now, and I.love.it. Too bad it's still hot out!

Okay, after our mantel from last year was selected to be featured on Better Homes and Gardens website (BHG.com) as part of this year's Fall inspirational slideshow, admittedly, I found myself thinking "no WAY" will my creative juices be flowing this year. So, after tweaking ... and tweaking ... and tweaking, I gave up! Alas, here is our "I give up" Fall mantel:

I have to give the initital *shout out* to the bee-you-tee-ful iron piece that stands center stage on the mantel ... what can I say(?), Home Goods rocks!

I added lit branches to this simple arrangement in a cream pitcher (which I also wrapped twine) ... LOVE how they glow at night. And, I found this handsome birdie at Hobby Lobby ... I was instantly attracted to his beautiful warm colors:

This "Welcome Harvest" sign was also purchased at HL ... and, the garland below is much like last year's, except I removed the lights and added larger pumpkins:

This cloche, containing lots of smaller pumpkins/leaves, is perched on old books, which I turned so that the pages are facing out:

I hot glued an apothcary jar to this tall candlestick ... threw in some corn, a battery operated monogrammed candle and large bow (with Fall sprig) and call it *a day:*

Down below, our chair now has a coral pillow and simple cream pillow, which I added a burlap bow:

And, woohoo, I discovered this vintage tool box planter hiding at Tuesday Morning (my apologies to whomever hid it to come back and purchase later ... you see, I'm one of those sneaky "hide while I think about it" shoppers, too ... do NOT hide items like this ... I will find it.) LOL !!

Annnnnd, lastly, a simple white pumpkin topiary sits atop a grapevine wreath, raffia and leaves:

Oh ... and, I did bring back the wooden bead garland that I made last year:

I can't wait to see everyone's mantels! I'm linking up with:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
DIY by Design/Fall into Fall
2805/Potpourri Friday
French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
My Romantic Home/Show and Tell Friday
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party
Savvy Seasons/Autumn Arrives Party

Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Sitting Room

2011-09-19T18:52:00.012-04:00

Come on in to our *Fall* sitting room!

Soooo, I've recently changed things up a bit in here to welcome the new season. For starters, I painted one coat of Old White on top of my recently painted bookcase (BM White Dove). I then distressed it and added clear wax. I also removed the ottoman and replaced it with a super inexpensive higher table, which I then covered in drop cloth and then added a piece of burlap on top of that:

A simple Fall floral bunch sits in the red pitcher on the table:

I also added a bit of warmth and contrast to the bookcase by lining it with craft paper that I had on hand (pretty pumpkin courtesy of Pier One):

A super inexpensive pillow from years past was added to the white slipcovered sofa to spread a bit of warmth over there, too:

A leaf married a book page ... moved into a frame I had on hand and now they lay comfortably on an itchy piece of burlap:

In my IKEA pots, I replaced the greenery with pumpkins and raffia, and then I painted little discs "AS Old White," hot glued glittery brown numbers on them and then hot glued those onto the pots:

Love the afternoon sunlight streaming in:

And, off in the background, two leaf placemats (purchased a few years ago from Home Goods) have been attached to my mirrors:

And, LOOKIE, at my new piece de resistance! I've been looking ... and looking ... and LOOKING for a mirrored chest, withOUT the expensive price tag. So, I was more than thrilled to have recently spied this beauty at Tuesday Morning, at an affordable price ... couldn't get it home fast enough!

Isn't she perty ... angles and all(?) ... bounces the light beautifully!

And, there you have it ... for *now,* anyway. LOL!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Come party with me:

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures

YATTM/Linky Party
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
No Minimalist Here/Open House Party
French Country Cottage/Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
Savvy Seasons/Autumn Arrives Party

Fall Drama ...

2011-09-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

Folks, apparently, there is Fall *drama* going on in our sitting room ...

My IKEA pots *broke up* with the cute faux greenery once in them and now have new companions:

A ripped out page from a book has married a leaf:

And, this beautiful new piece of furniture from Tuesday Morning somehow just snuck in here! *Gasp*

Oh, and the dish ran away with the spoon. LOL.

I look forward to sharing more of crazy Fall *goings-on* in here!

Have a great day,

A Fall Vignette

2011-09-12T19:48:00.007-04:00

Happy Monday! Hopefully, everyone had a fabulous weekend, although I know that we all had difficult moments yesterday as many of us watched the 9/11 tributes. I can't believe it's been 10 years ... our thoughts and prayers will continue to go out to all of the families and friends who lost loved ones on that tragic day.

Back to decorating ... I thought I'd share a Fall vignette that sits on the buffet in our great room.

I loved decorating it with its new AS Old White chalk paint attire.

Starting on the left ... I raised our lamp up just a smidge by placing it on a small cream pedastal, which now helps to balance the cream in the vignette, as well. Our initial "B" was on a lamp in the bedroom ... not anymore! I then added a basket from Michael's, turned it on its side and "spilled" pumpkins, guords, pinecones and leaves from it.

Love all of the different shades of Fall in here:

I bought my handsome Mr. Roo at Pottery Barn last year ... thought he'd be a fun Fall addition to the buffet!

And, over on the right ... my cream fleur-de-lis vase, filled with natural elements, serves as a backdrop to the "must have" lantern.

I had leftover burlap, so I nestled this pretty leaves candle inside. Love that it's battery operated. Such a pretty glow ...

Speaking of glow ... how about an evening shot:

I'm sure I'll tweak this a bit more, but here it is for now! Thanks for stopping by ... I'm off to join these fun parties ... come on along!

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday
BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday
A Stroll Thru Life/Tabletop Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW
2805/Potpourri Party
The Inspired Room/Fall Nesting Party

I'm a Tease!

2011-09-10T09:40:00.000-04:00

LOL ... tweaking away in my dining room! I'm LOVING the look of mercury, cream and brown in here this year. And, totally loving raffia strewn about, too! Here's a little peak! Let the decorating continue ....

And, thanks to my sweet and super talented bloggin' buddy, Debbie Debbiedoo, for kindly giving my cute little chalk paint pumpkins a shout out (here)! I can tell you that she's decorating her beautiful home for Fall this weekend, and it will be fabulous ... don't miss it! I'm hoping I see a few Duck Egg Blue pumpkins show up in her decor! Thanks, Debbie!

Have a wonderful day, everyone ... hope you're splashing Fall around, too!

My New Use for Chalk Paint!

2011-09-09T14:36:00.002-04:00

I've always loved white pumpkins and enjoyed using them in my Fall decor last year. I want to add more in this year; however, I can't seem to find little ones ANYwhere. Soooo, I bought a box of these little cuties at Wal-Mart and introduced them to my AS Old White chalk paint!

Before:

VOILA!

Now to finish the rest of them! I look forward to showing you soon where I used these little cuties.

Thank you, Annie! And, just think, everyone, you could paint pumpkins any of the chalk paint colors you have to tie in with your color palettes! I bet a few Duck Egg Blues, with a hint of dark wax would be fabulous! Hmmmm ... might have to try that myself. LOL

I hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend. We're hitting the beach with friends and watching college football tomorrow. Speaking of football, I had fun making this USC Gamecock wreath for a friend of mine ... I have a few more orders to fill. Don't you just love Fall ?!

Thanks for stopping by!

And, so it begins ...

2011-09-04T12:20:00.007-04:00

Well, have you started ?! Has Fall begun to appear in your beautiful homes ?! It's being splashed around our house as we speak, so I thought I'd share a few pictures ...

Hope you come back soon for our Fall tour!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

I'm linking up with:

BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/Wow Us Wednesday
At the Picket Fence/Inspiration Friday
2805/Potpourri Friday

Adventures in Decorating

The DEETS of The Master Bedroom Mini-Makeover

No, the *Fat Lady* Hasn't Sung Yet ...

Something Simple

Winner of the Kirkland's $50 Giveaway!

Question of the Day ...

Kirkland's Lamp Review and $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

Painting Continues and More Mesh ...

2012 Means No More Proscratinating!

Oh, Why Not?

Spread'n the LOVE!

An Affair with Paint!

Happy New Year!

Honorable Mentions ...

Off to the Christmas Breakfast Area ...

Whimsical Christmas Kitchen ...

Christmas Sitting Room

Christmas Great Room

Christmas Buffet

The Great Room Tree

Silver and Gold ... Silver and Gold ...

B E L I E V E ...

It's Raining Mesh!

Revisiting Last Year's Christmas Mantel ...

"IT'S ...

Nautical Christmas Tree ...

Fall Breakfast Area

Simple Snapshots ...

Fall Dry Bar

Fall in the Kitchen!

I Finally Got One!

MAGIC TRICK REVEALED !!

*Boo* Y'all!

A Quick Magic Trick For You ...

The *Rest* of the Story ...

Our Fall Dining Room ...

Guest Post at A Stroll Thru Life ...

Our Fall Entry ...

You Better Be*Wreath* Me ...

Our "I Give Up" Fall Mantel ...

Fall Sitting Room

Fall Drama ...

A Fall Vignette

I'm a Tease!

My New Use for Chalk Paint!

And, so it begins ...

No, the Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet ...

Boo Y'all!

The Rest of the Story ...

You Better BeWreath Me ...