I Dream of Decor

Summer Decor and A New Blog!

2011-06-28T09:39:00.001-04:00

I am so very sorry I have't blogged in 2 months but truthfully I was in a bit of a funk, trying to figure out interesting blog posts that were all about decor while I'm baking, crafting and raising kids along with trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life professionally! I decided to not box myself in and although it has taken me a pretty long time to gain my 65 followers I have decided to start a new blog where I can share everyday stuff about me, my craft projects, my love of baking, my new found love of sewing and of course some home decor! The blog is called Magnolia Sugar and I'm still working out the kinks with the design but I hope you will follow me there at http://magnoliasugar.blogspot.com/ . Okay so here are a couple of really easy things that make me feel happy it's summer and longing for the beach:) I really wanted something for my dining room table to say summer and I came up with super easy table centerpiece.

It wasn't a super cheap one to do, I spent a total of $24 for the hurricane, candle, sand and shells but I guess it wasn't too expensive since I can reuse the candle holder for other seasonal centerpieces.

This is a wreath I actually made last year after seeing a really pretty one on someones blog (can't remember where). I basically just wrapped a foam wreath in ribbon and hot glued shells all over it, super easy but very heavy!

Okay well that's it for my summer decor for now, remember for now on I'll be blogging about decor, craft projects, baking,etc over at http://magnoliasugar.blogspot.com/. Thanks so much for all your past thoughtful comments and suggestions, I hope you will enjoy the new blog even more!

Hugs!
Kelly

Entry Wall Stencil Project Completed!

2011-05-05T14:54:00.000-04:00

Well let me start off by saying that if I had to do it again I wouldn't have gone the cheaper route like I did! This project only cost me approximately $10 but the next time I will be ordering a sheet of stencils instead of purchasing one measley stencil from Joanne's for $5.... I am pleased with how things turned out but I wish I hadn't spent 4 days on doing it (while my toddler was running around), and here I was thinking it would only take me a day... What the heck was I thinking? The wall I stenciled serves as our entry way so I use the little green table to hold mail and the boys will generally sit in my much loved goodwill chair to put on their shoes, the coat rack usually holds my purse and a ton of jackets although I threw those all on the sofa so the photo would be a bit prettier:) I hate that our security console thing is on this wall but I wasn't there when it was installed and let me tell you I was furious with my husband when I came home to find that thing planted in teh center of the wall.... I am also hoping to find a larger table/desk that has more storage in the near future because I think that the scale is off by the table being so small, what do you think? I actually just picked up a free desk that I got from a fellow freecycler which I absolutely love but it needs a lot of tlc so it will be a while before I can use it in the entryway. I can't wait to finish ripping up the carpet and installing our bamboo floors and re-installing baseboards, everything is going to look so much better when it's all done!

Here is a close up of the stencil

And here is a larger view of the wall although I'm so ashamed that after almost a year of living in our home and ripping out all of the old baseboards that we still haven't put them in although they are sitting in our basement along with the uninstalled bamboo flooring (trust me it's on the honey-do list)....

So I have a question that I need your help with, when I do decide to replace the little green table with something larger, what color do you think it should be? I use a lot of green and blue throughout my home but I'm wondering is something white would look better instead of the green? Keep in mind that our flooring will eventually be a dark espresso brown....

Stenciling Project Sneak Peek! and a New Mirror

2011-04-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would share what I'm working on today real quick, I'm super excited to finish it!!!! and so far so good:)

I have been wanting a venetian style mirror for a while now and I finally found one I could afford last week at HomeGoods (my happy place:). It was on clearance for $115 and I really didn't want to pay that cuz well I'm super frugal aka super cheap but I knew I wouldn't find another one for that price anytime soon! I purchased it after walking away from it about 3 times and the hubz hung it for me on our entry wall this past weekend. Today I got started with my stenciling project for that wall and I like it so far. I chose a damask stencil that mimics the shape of the mirror, I'll give full details when I finish it and post a photo of the full wall reveal, crossing my fingers I can finish it tomorrow sometime... wish me luck:)

More Dining Room Inspiration

2011-04-13T13:42:00.000-04:00

Well guys I think I've made up my mind and the more I stare at my turquoise chair the more I dislike it....I either will be painting them white or not using them at all, stay tuned really soon to see what I figure out:) Until then I found this photo and love this room, I mean I just love it, with some pops of aqua blue or turquoise I'd say it would be my perfect room!

Splurge & Steal Woven Placemats

2011-04-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

2 blog posts in one day! I know crazy lady right:) I couldn't help myself, I just had to share my newest purchase that makes me so happy and all for just $10!...

So I'd been wanting some woven chargers/placemats for a while and I had seen these from Pottery Barn and really loved them but....

At $18 PER charger there was no way that was going to happen, I mean really Pottery Barn...geez

So a few days ago I was in Wal Mart for spray paint and lo and behold, I just love saying that, don't you? I stumbled upon these beauties for $2.50 a piece!

I only purchased 4 of them but I'll definately be going back for 4 more to complete my Easter Table, speaking of which here is a sneak peak of my Easter table settings for the tablescape I'm working on which I will post later on this week:)

Turquoise Dining Chairs - Part 1

2011-04-11T11:55:00.000-04:00

The other day I showed you the dining chairs I planned to paint turquoise and well I started on them and ended up painting 2 of them in Rustoleums Lagoon which I love the color of but I'm just not sure I love the final project...

I decided to upholster them in the fabric I used for my curtains since it's what I had on hand and I actually love the fabric against the bright turquoise/teal. The problem is I'm just not sure I can live with 4 of these in my dining room... My mother came over yesterday and saw the first completed chair and loved it, even told my sister about how pretty it was so of course that made me feel great:) I'm just not loving it... I may end up going back to my original plan and seeing what that looks like or I may just paint all 4 chairs and then decide. Am I crazy? Do you flip flop on decor ideas like I do?

Be Still My Heart!!!!

2011-04-08T18:37:00.000-04:00

This is what I thought when I laid my eyes on this image today and I just had to share!

Ted Yarwood design for Canadian House & Home

After viewing my dining room photo over and over and then looking at my future plans for the room something just didn't feel/look right. I just think that the chairs in there now are too square for the curvy lines of the table and china cabinet. So using the photo above as my motivation I started to think about painting these chairs that I purchased back in November of last year a shade of turquoise or aqua blue

When I purchased the chairs above I really liked them even though I knew they would need a lot of work and I decided I just didn't want to put in the work and so they sat in my basement, and sat and sat... you get the picture

When I saw that amazing photo of the turquoise chairs against the green table I just fell in love! I really love color but I also love the photo's of white spaces I see all over blogland... In the end I think my love for color is going to end up winning because today on a whim I started the process of painting all 4 chairs a bright turquoise! I can't wait to share the final project with you next week!!!

Cute Little Bird Coasters

2011-04-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

I purchased these from Pier 1 a little while ago, I thought they were so cute! plus at $10 for 4 I was sold:) I had planned to just hang them on the wall but now I want to do something a bit more interesting but have no clue what!!! Help me with ideas please....

My Cottage Dining Room - A Work in Progress

2011-04-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

So this is how our dining room currently looks which I feel pretty good about but it is still very much a work in progress.

Our table was purchased at a consignment store for only $75 and I love it but it is really dinged up and while my husband would rather sand it and stain it I really want to paint it white to match our china cabinet.

I love our floors but I was recently informed by my husband that he will be pulling them up and redoing them after reading that they will last longer if they are staggered....

So on my to do list for this room is:

- make or purchase white or off white slipcovers for the dining chairs
- purchase a new chandelier
- paint the dining room table white to match the china cabinet
- figure out what to hang on the walls

I couldn't find any photo's of what it looked like when we moved in but just picture dirty beige carpet, a ceiling fan from the 1970's and ugly wallpaper that covered even worse panneling!!! I've still got some work to do before it really looks like my inspiration dining room and I seriously hate my tiny dining room window but for now it works for us:) Thanks for reading!

My Dining Room Inspiration

2011-04-05T12:40:00.000-04:00

Generally when I see a photo of a room I'm inspired by online I right-click it and save it! I've saved so many images I like but these 3 are the top dining room's that inspire me. I think these are true to where I want my dining room to go, although of course me being me I'll be adding some pops of color to the white. I really wanted to take some photo's of my dining room and share them with you today but our weather today in Northern VA has been rainy and dark so I think I'll wait until a sunnier day to share my progress...

I love this room by Holly at Life In the Fun Lane! www.inthefunlane.com

I just love the contrast of the white table against the linen colored slipcovered chairs and the dark flooring. We just started installing dark stained bamboo flooring in our dining room that looks very similar in color.

Not sure where I found this one, wish I would have saved it with a name or something, but this room is just stunning in my opinion. Again I love the contrast of white against the dark floors..

I just love this dining room of blogger Deb of Cappuccino Cottage http://cappuccinocottage.blogspot.com, I'm actually steering toward painting my table white like hers!

So there you have it! My dining room inspiration:) Can't wait to share what I'm doing with mine. Thanks so much for all your comments and suggestions too!

I Think I'm In Love...

2011-04-04T20:08:00.002-04:00

Today the little man and I went to Chuck E. Cheese for our SAHM meetup group which I'm loving since I actually get adult interaction during the day! While there my mom called and asked if I'd be willing to take her to the hardware store and of course I said yes, I rarely turn my mom down:) She no longer drives since her cataracts have gotten so bad but she is hoping to have surgery this summer so she can get her license back. We went to her Lowes and I of course had to take a stroll down the chandelier aisle, by the way I really appreciate all your comments about the one I posted yesterday. I like it but don't love it and why pay that much for something you don't love, right? So while in Lowes I saw this amazing chandelier which pretty much stopped me in my tracks (sorry for the crappy photo's). The price also stopped me in my tracks ($299) but guys I really LOVE this one!!!!! This could be the one, I mean I won't be purchasing it right away because the price is a bit much but maybe eventually.... What do you ladies think?

Decisions, decisions...

2011-04-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

I'm not sold yet but I really like this chandelier my husband discovered and snapped a quick photo of at Lowes a while ago! He knows how much I like sparkle, although I really want something with crystals I really do like it, not love but like, hmmm....

What do you think? Be honest, I realize this is not everyones style but I am going for a cottage feel in my home... If I had to label my style I would call it clean and colorful cottage if that makes any sense. I really like cottage but I don't like too much frill such as doilies everywhere and ruffles on everything and typically cottage style is lots of white which I love to but I also love color! This week I'm also going to share a photo of my dining room and how the reno in there is coming along:) As always thanks so much for your comments!

Fresh Magnolia Leaf Wreath and a Revelation About Me

2011-04-02T14:01:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my niece and I collected a few branches from my mother's massive magnolia tree, the one I actually climbed as a child:) My niece loves anything crafty and has been my helper and my only craft partner since the rest of my family and friends don't really like crafting like I do, she's wonderful! I had decided to make a simple magnolia wreath for my kitchen with the leaves and I actually collected so many that I called my mom today to ask if she wanted me to make her one as well, her response was "yes I'll take it!". It took me maybe two hours but that was with interruptions by my 2 year old so if I had been making it non-stop it probably would have taken only an hour. So here it is! I just love it:) This one is going to my mom's house today to hang on her front door, I'm curious to see how long it will stay green...

Okay and now for my revelation! This has been something that has taken me quite a while to figure out but today as I was assembling the wreath it just kind of came to me that it makes total sense... I love flowers and I love making floral arrangements and wreaths, in fact I used to have a wreath business but when my father passed away last year I sort of went into a depression and didn't have the motivation to make it grow. What I have discovered about myself lately is that I love design but I adore flowers and anything to do with them, I would do it for free, and gladly play with flowers all day as a career.. So I guess my next step is getting some formal training in the art of floral design. There are some local classes I can take but also some online classes that I've seen that I'm thinking of taking. Anyway I just wanted to share with you my revelation that sometimes it takes a while to come to the conclusion of what you really want to be when you grow up.. I mean I'm 35 people! I grew up knowing a lot about flowers because my mother is a big gardener but I didn't love flowers until I was much older. Anyway I just had to share and let you know that I may start another blog devoted entirely to floral arranging since this little blog is supposed to be about decor and I'm not sure if you guys really want to read about my little arrangements and wreaths but please let me know if that is of interest to you! As always thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, I truly appreciate it.

New Ottoman & Butterfly Pillows

2011-03-29T12:23:00.000-04:00

I recently came across the perfect ottoman for my living room while in Homegoods. Of course I was shopping for something else like a broom or something not very expensive but I actually have been wanting an ottoman to use next to our sofa that had a cottage feel to it and when I saw it it was instant love! It was a bit pricey for me since I'm a cheapoholic ($99) but I walked away from it because it wasn't really in my budget. I went home a little sad and told my husband about it, he basically said get it but just tighten up the budget next month, woo hoo!!! I was thrilled and went back the next day with high hopes that it would be there. It was not where I saw it the day before and my heart sunk.... I walked around the store in despair and feeling really sad that I hadn't trusted my instincts the day before. Something told me to walk down a side aisle that I don't normally go down and there it was pushed off to the side:) I was super happy and anxiously put it in my cart and paid for it! I really love that it looks like an old post card and I really love the curvy legs on it...ah I just love it, oh and did I mention it's super cushy and comfy too? Here it is in my living room ,

please excuse my ugly shabby slipcover, I plan on making a new one this month using the Lazy Girls's Guide to Slipcovers which I just purchased here http://www.pinkandpolkadot.net/2010/04/lazy-girls-guide-to-custom-slipcovers.html and make a new fabulous one all by myself! (wish me luck).

I also wanted to share with you my new pillows, aren't they adorable?!!! I saw these on a recent Pier 1 advertisement that came in the mail and fell in love so when I was in the store a few weeks ago shopping for my giveaway I caved in and purchased them...

Stay tuned this week for a new wreath and some wall hangings I'm making using coasters!

Giveaway Winner and a Goodwill Bunny!

2011-03-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

I wanted to announce the winner of the giveaway and also apologize for not writing any blog entries lately, I've been really busy this past week doing all sorts of crafty things which I will share very soon:) I'm not a very technical person so instead of using random.org which I couldn't figure out to pick a winner I just basically wrote all the entries on strips of paper and put them into a big bowl, I then closed my eyes and chose one, the winner is .... drumroll please:) Horseygal!!! Horseygal if you are reading this post please email me at kelly_crews@yahoo.com with your address so that I can send your goodies to you:)

The other day I was thinking about pulling my Easter decor out and while in my local Goodwill store I came across this adorable little bunny planter for $1.97 which was the perfect size for a plant I just purchased at Lowes last week! How cute is this little guy?

I'm definately ready to start thinking about Easter now, it'll be here before we know it!!! Have you done any Easter decorating?

It's Giveaway Time!!!!

2011-03-17T15:33:00.000-04:00

I have been such a slacker lately with keeping up on my posts, seriously I think this blogger thing must come a lot easier to some... I'm just not the best writer, funny thing is I'm a goofball in real life and always cracking jokes with friends and family but when I try to do it in my writing it just comes across weird:( I don't know.. Anywho I've been wanting to do a giveaway since I had 50 followers so it is overdue! I wasn't sure what to do for a giveaway that everyone might like so I just decided to go to one of my favorite stores and pick some things I really liked:)

I really love Pier 1 and try to visit the store at least once a month to see what new goodies they have in store..these were a couple I really liked

- A glass doorknob wall hook (this would be great for hanging keys at your entryway or jewelry in your bedroom)

- 4 yellow flower napkin rings ( I think they are either magnolia or dogwood blossoms,either way I love them and actually have the wall hook in my closet to hang scarves on)

- a crisp bamboo sachet ( I was surprised I liked this fragrance since it's pretty strong and I usually like lighter scents but it smells really good!

How to enter:
- become a follower of the blog if you aren't already
- tell me where you would hang your wall hook and what will you use it for

Giveway will be open until next Thursday, March 24 at 12:00 AM Easter Time, I will announce the winner next Friday the 25th!!!!

You Can Get My Curtain Fabric in the US!

2011-03-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

Had I known then what I know now! I just found out that the manufacturer of the fabric I used for the curtains in my living room

is made by Premiere Prints which is an American company. The fabric is called Mingei and comes in a bunch of different colorways too...

I love this dark red color! so sophisticated..

I think this would be so perfect for a little girls room!

I think this would be perfect for a shabby chic or cottage style bedroom with it's soft blue and white shades..

This chartreuse color is super bright but would be lovely against white!

You can buy the fabric on their website here http://www.premierprintsfabric.com/index.shtml. Sure wish I had know that before I had ordered from Tonic Living, a great company to be sure but ordering from Canada and waiting almost 2 weeks to receive does not make this girl happy! Well I now know and a good thing too since they have some other fabrics I am seriously thinking of ordering. Hope this was helpful! Oh and ps..I am not being paid by this company (I wish!) I just thought this could help someone that might be interested in the fabric:)

New Houseplants and Some Milk Glass

2011-03-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

I have to confess, I don't have that much of a green thumb for the indoors... I do a lot better with planting things outside and I'm getting really excited about the upcoming planting season but until I can actually plant outside I decided to brighten things up a bit inside. I bought this little jade plant a little over 2 weeks ago at the grocery store and she is doing really well in the bright spot I placed her in, I have read many times that Jade plants are hard to kill so she is right up my alley!

On a side note I bought the little pot at Homegoods! I just love that place!

I bought this moss plant over the past weekend while I was in a local garden center looking at flower seeds and bulbs with my Mom

I just loved how drapey she was:) so feathery and feminine looking. I did a little research after getting her home and they prefer shade over sun so I haven't found the perfect spot for her yet, maybe in my bedroom since I don't get as much sun in there as I do in the living room/dining room areas...

About a month ago I purchased this little milk glass urn from a consignment/antique shop close to my house and I didn't really have a purpose for it I just really liked it and knew I'd find a use for it eventually...

So I decided to plop my little mossy plant in it and I really like the striking contrast of the bright white milk glass and the deep green moss!

So what are you doing these days to welcome spring into your home? Are you planning your spring planting like me and waiting on pins and needles?

My Completed Curtains!!!

2011-03-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to share with you my first completed set of curtains that I sewed all by myself! My grandmother would've been super proud:) She was an amazing seamstress that made most of my mother and aunts dresses while growing up and tons of dresses for me and my sisters while we were little girls. I confess I have totally been bit by the sewing bug! I am so ready to take on lots more projects which I will definately be sharing with you. So without further ado, here are the finished curtains!

And yes I know my sheers don't coordinate so well with the new curtains so I will be replacing those soon with a plain sheer in an off-white probably.

Here they are totally closed which I don't really like the look of but just thought I'd show you. I didn't get the pattern to line up exactly but hey for my first project I'm happy with it.

I also completed a couple of throw pillows with an envelope back using a great tutorial I found on Youtube! Check out the tutorial from Vanessa at Crafty Gemini here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhZnHhbcN-Q . She also has tons of other sewing tutorials her at http://www.craftygemini.com/

Please ignore my naked Ikea chair, I need to steam my slipcovers but didn't have time before taking the photo's. Here's a closeup of my pillow cover with the sweet william fabric

And that's it! Thanks so much for reading!

Happy as a Kid on Christmas Day!!!!

2011-02-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

I totally felt a rush of glee this afternoon when I opened my front door and there was my package from Tonic Living!!!! Woo freakin Hooo! If you have followed my blog at all you will know that I change my window covering pretty frequently... I never seem to find the right curtains or fabric for curtains, well that is until recently when I was randomly googling another fabric I was considering for living room curtains but it just wasn't speaking to me... Instead I ran into this gorgeous fabric called Sweet William from the Canadian company Tonic Living

The bloggers RamblingRenovators used it for bedroom drapes and it turned out so beautiful

You can read all about their experience and see more beautiful photo's

here http://ramblingrenovators.blogspot.com/2010/06/tonic-living-custom-drapery.html . Funny thing is I still wasn't sure although I couldn't stop thinking about the fabric, that is until one day I was in Homegoods searching for something for my mother's home and I spotted the same fabric used on a lampshade! I purchased the lamp and decided to order the fabric the next day! Here is a not so great photo of my new lampshade although I decided to use it with a lamp I already had and use the lamp it came with in my bedroom (I'll save that for another post). Oh and yes I know the lamp shade looks crooked although it doesn't look that way in real life...

So here is quick photo I snapped of my 12 yards of fabric I got in the mail today!!!!

I can't wait to get started on my new curtains!

Best Thrift Store Score Ever and a Small Project!!!

2011-02-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

I've written about my love for collecting china a couple of times and the other day when the kids were out of school for a snow day we were bored and the streets were clear so we hit up a couple of local thrift stores and I found a very gently used set of Dresden Rose china by Mikasa! The set was priced at $39 but the store manager knocked off $10 and I only paid $29 because one teacup had a slight yellowing around the edge which after getting it home and washing all the pieces turned out to be just some good ol dirt which washed right off! I left the store feeling like I had hit the jackpot! Here is my "new" china in my china cabinet along with my milk glass collection.

Oh and also don't know if you noticed but I also painted the inside of the china cabinet! I'm super excited about it since I was extremly afraid to do this but I love the results and it really makes the white dishes pop! Here is what it looked like a couple of days ago when I first purchased the china.

As always thanks for reading and a heads up that I'm going to do a giveaway very soon so stay tuned!

A Bit of Sparkle

2011-02-09T17:41:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but sometimes I just love sparkle! Especially during the gloomy winter days, I really need a bit of sparkle in my life. My husband and I have been looking at crystal chandeliers for 5 months and we had just about decided to purchase the New Orleans 5 light crystal chandelier from Overstock.com.

At $159 it is definately in our price range and has great reviews.

Then today I saw this one on the Zgallerie website!

I love that this one is a bit more modern but can work with traditional decor as well I think, but at $369 she is most definately not in our budget! She sure is gorgeous though...

Another thing I've wanted for the house for quite a while is a venetian style mirror, I'm sure you see a theme here right?.... I love sparkly, girly things...me the woman that has a house full of nothing but boys:)

I've been checking this one out at Anthropologie for a couple of months now...it too has great reviews and at $198 it's one of the least expensive Venetian mirrors I've seen for sale online (if only I could find one at homegoods in perfect condition for half that).

And last but not least the beautiful Pier 1 Hayworth vanity and bench!

The vanity is currently on sale for $299 I beleive, the mirror $199 and not too sure of the price of the bench. I would love to have this in my bedroom, have dreamt about having a vanity since I was a little girl but never had one and this one is right up my alley, although with a toddler in the house I'm not so sure mirrored furniture is a wise idea. Maybe I'll skip this one until he's a bit older:)

My First Sewing Project! Tablecloths into Curtains!

2011-01-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a really long time since I've posted and I do apologize for that, I've been fighting through a bit of depression since the past holiday season was the first one without my father... but I think I'm back on track now and I've got lots of projects to work on and share with you! I don't know if anyone remembers my blog post about using tablecloths for curtains back in June, http://idreamofdecor.blogspot.com/2010/06/tablecloths-into-curtains.html. Well I finally did it, I'd been searching for curtains for my living room windows for a long time and while I found a few prospects at World Market and ZGallerie, ultimately I just never found any I really loved. I had planned on having some made with this fabric from Waverly of which I have loved for a really long time but ultimately after doing my monthly budget I just couldn't swing the price of the fabric and the price of having them made.

One day I happened to be in TJ Maxx with my 14 y/o Devin and I think I was purchasing candles or something for the house and happened to see some gorgeous April Cornell Tablecloths and loved the floral pattern as well as the color scheme of periwinkle and aqua which would match nicely with our aqua walls! As luck would have it they had two rectangular tablecloths although one was 90 inches long and one was 120 inches long I knew I could hem one and have the right length I needed. I also purchased a matching table runner for my dining table, a pack of 4 napkins to make small throw pillows and 4 placemats, my total was only $65 for all of this so I was super happy!

One of my Christmas gifts from my husband was a sewing machine, something I'd wanted for a long time but just never purchased for myself seeing as though I don't sew much but right before Christmas i had read a post on Centsational Girls blog about teaching herself to sew and that was really the inspiration I needed, if she could do it then darn it so could I! Once I got my tablecloths home I got to work, the previous night I had threaded the machine and got it all set-up so all i needed to do was to make a pole pocket for my soon to be curtains and hem the longer of the two. Trust me if I can do this, anyone can! The only sewing I've done in my life was with my grandma as a little girl and then in Homec classes in middle school which was about 18 years ago (that makes me sound really old!). The photo is really bad because my camera is on it's last leg but here is a photo of my final result (the damask sheers are from Lowes if anyone is interested).

I love the pattern on the curtains and can't wait to do some more sewing, right now I'm working on pillows!

Decisions, Decisions....

2010-12-10T18:52:00.000-05:00

Our kitchen is almost complete, Jerry my husband just finished up the aqua backsplash tile last weekend and we are now contemplating knobs for the cabinets. Since most of the kitchen is white/neutral we thought about adding aqua/turquoise glass knobs to match the backsplash but then again you can't go wrong with a brushed nickel knob and pull... I also really like the look of a clear crystal knob/pull. Which ones are your favorite?

Aqua flower glass knobs from World Market

Aqua glass knobs from Amazon.com (These are my husbands favorite but also the most expensive at $10 per knob)

Faceted Acrylic Pulls & Knobs from Target (these are so pretty in person!)

Polished Nickel Cup Pulls from Target for Drawers

I was thinking of using the faceted clear knobs on the cabinet doors and the satin cup pulls on drawers but my husband really thinks the turquoise knobs would make the kitchen pop, I'm just not so sure, I love color and whimsy but don't want it to be too crazy...What do you guys think? I know it's hard to help when you haven't seen the kitchen and I promise to try to take some photo's of the progress very soon and post them so I can get opinions... Thanks so much for all the feedback you all give me, it really and truly makes my day:)

Found!!! Beautiful and Affordable Curtains

2010-12-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

I've been on the hunt since we moved into our house back in August for some very specific curtains with no luck. I didn't want much.. just that they be somewhat inexpensive, lined, and a floral print with aqua or turquoise in them, seriously is that too much to ask???.. So recently when I met Christina from The Seam on Etsy and had some pillows made I thought about having some custom curtains made even though they are a bit out of my price range but I really wanted some pretty curtains on my windows. The only problem was I couldn't find a fabric I loved except for the one that had been discontinued... By chance the other day I was online looking at curtains on the World Market website and spotted these

I loved them and since they were only $30 a panel I get to stay on budget! but I still had to be sure I loved them as much in person. When my Mom said she needed to go Christmas shopping today I got a chance to run into World Market and see them in person and let me tell you they are just gorgeous in person! I can't wait to purchase them and check one more thing off my house to do list:)

Fun New Christmas Ornaments!

2010-12-02T20:29:00.000-05:00

I recently won a blog giveaway from Sheena at http://sheenacolleen.blogspot.com/ who has my dream job of being an elementary school art teacher! She has a really cute blog and I love here artwork so check her out if you have time. She was giving away a $25 Michaels gift card and I actually won!!!! I was super surprised and very happy since I never win ANYTHING!!!! So the day I got my giftcard in the mail you know I had to make a trip to Michaels which I spend way too much time and money at by the way:) I pondered what to get, should I make a new wreath? should I get a new tree topper? new ornaments? what???? I had no idea but these little guys won me over

They were just so cute and colorful and happy and made me smile! I had planned on using just aqua, silver and red ornaments but alas I'm doing red and green on my main tree but I also have a table top tree that I'm going to use my aqua and silver ornaments on that I'll put in my dining room. Short post I know but I had to share:)

My Ballard Inspired Pinecone Wreath!

2010-11-30T11:36:00.001-05:00

Just like so many other bloggers I really get inspired by the Ballard catalogs that I get in my mailbox. My dream house would have lots of Ballard furniture with vintage pieces as well, but of course that's only in my dreams since Ballards prices are a bit out of my budget! I had been admiring their pinecone wreath since I first saw it in the holiday catalog

So pretty! so I decided to try and make a similar one but with smaller pinecones.

I decided to add a little color to mine but still not sure if I like it or not... what do you think? (I still have to pick all the hot glue gun strings off)? The little red balls were in the mix of mini pinecones and cinnamon sticks I purchased at Michaels and they smell great and have a little sparkle which you can't tell of course since I have the worst camera ever! Should I add a ribbon too it as well?

I would also love to try and make these little pinecone topiaries from Ballard, we'll see....

Woo Hoo! New Kitchen Valances Almost Done!

2010-11-24T10:39:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted lately because seriously I've been a little overwhelmed with the upcoming holidays, but I'm vowing to not let myself get too crazy and force myself to have a glass of wine and just enjoy them this year (seriously when did I ever force myself to have a glass of wine). So I just had to post a quick pic of my new valances that Christina at The Seam is making for my kitchen windows with my favorite fabric, I just can't get enough of it! Christina finished one of them this week and sent me these photo's (it was raining so she couldn't get a great shot).

(close up of the aqua trim)

I can't wait to hang them! Our kitchen reno is almost complete and I can't wait to share it with you.... Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Country French Furniture At World Market! Who Knew...

2010-11-16T12:25:00.001-05:00

When I go into World Market or check out their website I always like what I see, even if it isn't my own personal style, I just enjoy looking at all they have to offer. Well yesterday something big happened, I found french country furniture that I love at World Market!!!! I haven't actually seen it in person but plan on making a trip there tomorrow to check out the bench which I love and would be so pretty in my dining room! Have you seen it in person? if so what did you think?

Dreaming of...China Patterns

2010-11-10T17:45:00.001-05:00

I have always loved fine China, my mother's Blue Danube was proudly displayed in her china cabinet when I was growing up and of course all holiday meals were served on it. I guess it's just natural that one of the first things I thought of when we moved into our first home 3 months ago was finding a china cabinet and a china pattern. My wonderful mother had previously told me to find a china cabinet under $500 (probably a used one) and she would purchase it for us as a house warming gift. I've previously posted about how much I love my white shabby chic china cabinet that we found at On a Whim Antiques in Lucketts, VA! Now I really need some china to go in it. I had been searching high and low for something I loved and then I found it! It was white and turquoise, simple and elegant and it had a scalloped edge (something I love) and made by Lenox, a company my mother assured me made quality china. Then I found out that it was discontinued:( total disappointment. I still plan on calling the Lenox/Kate Spade China company to see why. Last Friday while in Macy's trying to find another china pattern that wasn't discontinued I spotted these pieces on a clearance rack.

I was super excited and thought I might get lucky and find more pieces at other stores but no luck, after doing a computer check the sales associate was only able to find 1 or 2 more dinner plates and they were all out of state... Well at least I got a great deal on the pieces I was able to find. I paid $13 for $120 worth of Lenox/Kate Spade china

So I was back to the drawing board. I really wanted something that was elegant but not to stodgy, something that would fit in with shabby chic decor and coordinate with the Gwinnett lane pattern I love so much and hope to find little by little. I really like Chirp by Lenox (pictured below) but one of my close friends thinks it's too casual. I think it would work with the Gwinnett Lane pieces though and I love the little bird...

I also sort of like Gilded Tapestry, again made by Lenox but not so crazy about all the brown. Do you collect China? if so is your pattern current or discontinued?

New Etsy Pillows & An Update

2010-11-05T10:18:00.000-04:00

If some of you may remember I recently took the plunge and purchased two of these beautiful chairs from Pier 1 a little over a month ago.

I loved these chairs so much that I would just gaze lovingly at them whenever I passed them, yep I've got problems, I think I spend way too much time in my house! So after owning the chairs for two weeks I noticed one of them started creaking everytime I sat in it. This wasn't a little creaking noise either, my husband and I both noticed it and I got a bit scared, if these chairs started creaking after two weeks then I just didn't think they were strong enough to stand up to the every day abuse that my family of 3 sons and a messy husband could put them through. I contemplated for a long time and even though about keeping them and just putting one of them in our bedroom since surely it wouldn't get sat on much in there... Well after plunking down $400 for both chairs my frugal self caved and decided it wasn't worth the worry to have the beauty and returned the chairs. I started searching anywhere and everywhere for the fabric so I could possibly have some curtains or pillows made out of my beloved pattern but it seemed like the pattern had either been discontinued or was sold out everywhere. Joanne's had it on their website but were no longer carrying it. One day I happened to be searching etsy for pillow covers and came across this!

Seriously I couldn't contain my excitement, I promptly contacted the seller and asked if she possibly had enough fabric to make me 3 more and she said she could order more! The seller was Christina and her shop is called The Seam, you can check her out here http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSeam. Christina was super easy to work with, really communicated during the process and did quick and great work, I highly recommend her!

So maybe a few days afer receiving my pillow covers from Christina I stumbled upon these dining room slipcovers on the Pier 1 website!

You know I was super excited right? I guess I'd never connected this slipcover to the chairs I loved because they have a different name....So I decided I wouldn't get my hopes up until I saw them in person. So last night I had a couple hours of time to myself and I'd been wanting to go to Pier 1 anyway to look at dishes for Thanksgiving dinner (I'm hosting it this year) so I killed two birds with one stone:) The slipcover in person was beautiful but I'm not sure they will fit my existing dining chairs which is okay since I really do need to purchase two more dining chairs anyway and Pier 1 has a chair that they make specifically for this slipcover. Okay enough of my rambling, I just had to share my excitement with someone and well... my husband just doesn't get it!

Fun & Inexpensive Art for Kids Rooms!

2010-10-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Well so far I haven't done much in the way of tutorials so I figured I'd give it a shot since this project was very easy and inexpensive. Oh and I happen to love the way it came out which doesn't happen a lot for me!

So Brendon's room (my two year old) is mostly a cars and trucks theme, and I know a lot of people don't like theme rooms but Brendon loooves cars and trucks so I thought it would be really cute to kind of run with that. I don't have much money to purchase artwork for his room so I thought it would be fun to try and make some and this is what I came up with.

Supplies you will need:

- Unfinished wood plaques from the craft store - I got mine from Michael's at $1.49 each and used two different shapes

- White Spray Paint or Craft Paint - I think I paid $3.00 at WalMart for mine, they have the cheapest spray paint I've found

-Finished or Unfinished Wood Cutouts from the craft store - they cost between $.50 - $1.00 depending on the size generally and you can find them on the woodworking aisle. I actually picked mine up at a yard sale and the woman had already painted them but I saw the same ones at Michaels for $.59 - $.99 each.

- Craft Paints - The cutouts I had were already painted but craft paints are generally pretty inexpensive at around $.99 per paint I think. Michael's also had pre-painted wood cutouts as well.

- Ribbon - you will need something to attach to your base wood plaque to hang it with so I

used some striped grosgrain ribbon I had laying around from another project.
- Gorilla Glue to attach the two pieces of wood together - I already had on hand which I purchased from Walmart I think
- A staple gun to attach your ribbon - also had on hand
- Nails to hang your plaques

Total cost of my project = $12.00

                                        $6.00 wood base plaques
                                         $3.00 spray paint
                                         $3.00 cars, trucks cutouts (yard sale)

I had all other supplies on hand

Step 1 - spray paint your wood plaques with the white spray paint or whatever color you want, I used white because I wanted the bright colors on the cut outs to really pop. I used about 2-3 coats on each plaque

Step 2 - If you purchase unpainted wood cutouts paint them and let dry

Step 3 - Once both your base plaque and your wood cut outs are dry you are ready to attach them with the gorilla glue. Now if you don't have gorilla glue you could probably use hot glue but I haven't had the best experience trying to attach wood items with hot glue which is why I used gorilla glue and so far it worked really well! Okay this sounds weird but it says so on the gorilla glue bottle so it's what I did. Dampen the back of your wood cutout with water, not drenching it but evidently the glue works best when one piece is wet so I just ran each piece under the water faucet and then blotted it off. I then drizzled the gorilla glue to the back of the cutout (not too much because it will expand once dried and spill over the edge, this happened to one of my plaques) and attach them to the wood base plaque. The directions then say to clamp the pieces together with binder clips or put pressure on them for at least an hour. I didn't have binder clips big enough so I put all my pieces on the floor and then sat my husbands tool box on top of them all. This sounds crazy but I wanted there to be plenty of pressure on all the pieces so they would stick well and it worked!

Step 4 - Almost done! After waiting about an hour I flipped my plaques over, cut the amount of ribbon I wanted to form a hanger and just stapled the ends into the plaque with a staple gun (watch your fingers).

Step 5 - Hang them up!

I still need to touch up some of the plaque edges with white paint but for now they will do! I'm pretty happy with how they came out and they look really cute in Brendon's room. I hope I didn't bore you with too many details:)

Found! Fun Kitchen Curtain Fabric

2010-10-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

Since we moved into our house I have been wanting to spruce up the windows in our kitchen with some fun curtains. We had finally decided on a color scheme and the renovation is 75% complete so I figured now is as good a time as any to find some fabric and then try my hand at making some no-sew curtains. Anyway after a long search for some fabric with some aqua/turquoise in it and something that is fun and kitchen appropriate I found it!!!!!

The fabric is designed by Bari J Ackerman for Windham Fabrics. It is from the FULL BLOOM collection and I found it on Ebay for $3.50 a yard. It came super fast and I'm hoping to start making them this week. Here is my inspiration photo that I found from graphic designer Kimberly Shaws blog here http://kimberlyshaw.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/best-teapot-fabric.html.

She has an amazing shop where she has teacup accessories, stickers, etc. I love that she used pom pom trim on hers and I think I may steal this idea too although I plan on making full curtain panels instead of just a valance. Wish me luck!

So Excited and I Can't Hide It!!!

2010-10-19T22:45:00.000-04:00

Yep I'm quoting lyrics from the pointer sisters cuz I'm a big dork! but seriously I am... Today I found these chairs on Craigslist and I'm super excited to say the least

I have been casually looking for some french inspired dining chairs for a while now, not really seriously looking since I do have dining chairs but I don't love them you know, but these I love! I love the price even better, they are $100 for the set of 4 and since they look to be in great shape I can't wait to see them tomorrow. The only thing I'd have to spend a bit extra doing is painting them If I decide to do that and switching out the fabric on the seats... I'll post again once I pick them up, wish me luck they are everything I hope they are:) Have a great night, I know I'll be dreaming of chairs tonight....

Little Photo Gallery Wall

2010-10-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

I love the look of gallery photo walls, especially the kind you see in Pottery barn catalogs that have all the different elements added like mirrors, words, signs, etc and I really wanted to do a small photo wall in my hallway but just couldn't figure it out with what I already had on hand. That is until I visited Natalie at http://endlesscrafting.blogspot.com/. She had just done a post about her plans to do a gallery wall and while she hadn't put everything up yet I loved her combination of plates, photos and mirrors. Well mine isn't nearly as nice as hers will surely be but I think it looks pretty good and I didn't have to spend a dime since I already had everything. Here is what I planned to do but I ran out of space for the large photo frame.

This is what I ended up with

I really need to get a laser level to make sure everything is lined up correctly but for now this will do, I'm so tired of bare walls and I really wanted to see some of our photo's up on the wall. Thanks for visiting!

Goodwill Goodies and a Distressed Table!

2010-10-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

I just have to tell you that I'm super excited because I just finished my first try at distressing furniture and I think I did pretty well for a first-timer, Woo Hoo!!! The other day when I was visiting my Momma I stopped at the Goodwill near her house and found this great french chair!!!!!

Have I told yall how much I love anything french inspired?... Well I am obsessed, but in a good way:)

Look at the detail!

It was $5!!!!! it is missing a support bar from the base of the chair but I'm hoping either my husband Jerry can fix it or if he can't figure it out, I'm hoping a carpenter won't charge a huge amount to fix it... we'll see. I actually love the color of the wood but I even thought of painting it an aqua or turquoise blue to go with a white desk for my living room that I've got my eye on from Craigslist.

The 2nd thing I purchased that was just calling my name since I've always wanted a little pedestal table in my living room, was this little thing that probably came from the 70's or 80's... It was $10 and I think worth it since it's very solid.

At first I wasn't sure what color I wanted it to be, and again I thought about painting it aqua but then again my walls are sort of aqua and some curtains I've been eyeing have aqua and turquoise in them and I didn't want it to be blue overkill! I decided on a creamy white since I already have a white china cabinet and entry table and I really like how those pieces make the room brighter, plus I just love the shabby chic/cottage style... I really wanted to try distressing, I'd never tried it and I really just wanted a light distressed look and well enough babbling... I like how it turned out, but do you think I should distress it more?

Obviously Brendon likes it too:) as soon as I brought it up from the basement after the paint was dry he decided it would be great to climb on and watch tv.... 2 year olds!

Thanks for visiting!

Mirror, Mirror on the...Floor?

2010-09-29T18:44:00.000-04:00

Yep this is a pic I took of my mirror on my kitchen floor...my kitchen gets the best light in the house and I wanted you ladies to see the true color of the mirror (which is a cross between bronze and gold) because see I need your advice... I love this mirror, I bought it 2 years ago at Tuesday Morning, if you don't have one in your area it's kind of like a smaller version of Homegoods or TJ Maxx and like those two it's either a hit or miss. When I purchased this mirror I was going after a Tuscan feel to my home and now I'm doing more of a shabby chic, modern cottage look so I want to brighten the mirror up by painting it, but what color? I'm thinking white since my entry/foyer table is white and I want to hang it above the table, the mirror I have leaning on the table now won't be staying since it's a bit too modern (another phase I went through). Also, please ignore my half finished fall tablescape:) I've also though of painting the mirror silver but since I have silver candlesticks and silver in the lamp I thought it might be silver overkill.... Anyway I'm taking a vote ladies, what color do you think I should paint my round mirror?

Can You Love a Chair?...

2010-09-27T12:23:00.000-04:00

Um, can you love a chair? If that's possible, I think I'm in love.... After stalking the Josette chair at Pier 1 for about 4 months now I finally took the plunge and handed over my credit card. At $199 a chair this was really steep for me. Like a lot of SAHM bloggers I usually do a lot of our home shopping at the Goodwill, Target, Craigslist, etc. but after searching for months for something similar on craigslist and in thriftstores I knew that I just needed to splurge on something. An added bonus is that my husband Jerry really liked the floral print as well and that's saying a lot! Like most men he doesn't have too much of an opinion on home furnishings, I'm lucky if I get an "oh that's okay" cuz usually it's just a grunt! Anyway let me stop gushing over this chair but seriously I am in love... The only con to the chair is that it's a bit short, I heard one shopper say it looks like a children's chair but they are wide and comfy and did I mention beautiful! I think my little guy actually loves them too:)

5 Reasons I Love Fall

2010-09-09T11:55:00.000-04:00

First I just wanted to give a huge thanks to my followers! I now have 30 followers, I know some of you have them in the hundreds or even thousands but for my little blog I think it's great! Now on to my reasons for loving fall. For me the first little inkling that fall is on it's way is when I see this

Apples in the farmers market! I can't say there is any apple that I dislike.

Image via oregonlive.com

And of course Mom's apple pie, my moms is the best in the world (yes I know everyone thinks their moms is)

Image via mccormick.com

High School Football!

My son Devin has been playing since he was 8 and this is his first year playing high school football! I love the excitement of it all, I don't know what's happening all the time but I know it's a heck of a lot more fun that watching the NFL on the TV

Photo by Eddie Saltzman and Mark Rodgers

Decorating for Fall

It's so much fun to scan all my favorite blogs to see what the latest fall decorating trends are, plus who can help but love when the Pottery Barn Fall catalog comes out!

Image via potterybarn.com

and the top reason why I love fall is HALLOWEEN!!!!!

image via thenewparentsguide.com

I'm a big kid stuck in the body of a 35 y/o stay at home mom so when halloween rolls around we always do it up, go to the pumpkin patch, decorate the house, go to the haunted lake in our neighborhood, etc. but best of all I think is watching the little kids parade around the neighborhood in their costumes! well that and eating left over candy:) So what are your favorite things about fall? As always thanks for reading!

Magnolia Wall Progress!

2010-09-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

So I got all my new magnolia pictures in the mail last week and started painting the frames I'd collected with silver leaf paint which I am officially obsessed with. I am going to be growing the collection and hanging it all along the entire wall including over the top of the china hutch. I took a couple of pics from my husbands Iphone camera but this was at night so they are not the best. For some reason my camera is dying on me, probably dropped it one too many times... Anyway here are some shots, also a couple shots of my new vintage shabby chic china hutch (I'm so in love with this thing) which was a housewarming gift from my mother (please ignore the ugly plastic light switch plate and unfinished baseboards, these will be finished and changed soon) more to come of the completed room soon! What do you think so far?

Magnolia Love

2010-08-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

First I want to apologize for not posting in so long, but after closing on our first home the last week of July I have been so incredibly busy trying to make our fixer upper a home! I will have lots of before and afters coming soon but we are still in the midst of a ton of projects so things are not quite at the point where I want to share just yet. The main projects I have been working on have been my living room and dining room and my 2 year olds room. For the last year or so I've been collecting photo's of Magnolia trees and flowers because I plan on doing a photo and art wall of just magnolias. Magnolia trees are near and dear to my heart because not only did I grow up with one in my back yard that I climbed daily, but my Grandmother had a huge one in her front yard in Georgia where I would have tea parties under when i went for visits in the summer. I also think the magnolia flower is just perfect and beautiful and I love that the tree stands for southern pride and strength! Oh and did I mention that Steele Magnolias is in my top 5 of all-time favorite movies! I recently purchased 3 new things to hang on my magnolia wall so I now think I have enough to put it together. Check out my new etsy purchases ( I just love Etsy!).

ACEO From etsy seller SharonFosterArt

Saucer From Etsy Seller Myclosetshelf

Photo From Etsy Seller MelissaKimberly

I am thinking of doing my magnolia wall in my dining room around my vintage white china cabinet that was a housewarming gift from my wonderful Momma! What do you think?

Goodwill Faux Silver Leaf Table

2010-06-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

I've been obsessing over silver leaf furniture for a while now but never had the nerve to try to do a project. Last week while in Goodwill I spied this table (I apologize for the grainy camera phone photo).

Priced at $10 it was so in my budget and I love anything with a cabriole leg. At the time I made myself leave the store and not take it home because I knew my husband would hate it (he hates anything old and I adore everything old!). I kept thinking about that table and since we don't currently have a coffee table I decided a couple days later that I'd see if it was still there. It was still there!!! no other goodwill shoppers could see that this table had style:) Lucky me!!!! So anyway I decided I wanted to silver leaf if but I was still a little unsure of using the silver leaf sheets since the table had some grooves in it and curvy legs and I didn't want to mess this beauty up. I decided to use paint on it instead. While I was looking at the silver leafing supplies I stumbled upon this really pretty paint that I decided to use instead

I really loved that it was so soft and shimmery and at $5.99 it was a great deal. I first gave the table a good sanding with my husbands sander, then I primed it with Krylon's Indoor/Outdoor spray primer in Gray. I then painted on the metallic paint with a sponge brush. The paint dries really fast and I did 3 or 4 coats because I wanted the color to be rich. I probably should have purchased a small roller to paint it with because I did end up with some streaks and I've been told a roller is best for this but I just used what I had. Once everything was dry I sealed it with Valspars clear satin spray (what I had on hand). Here are some photo's of the final project. I really love how it turned out, can't wait to move it into our new home next month!

Tablecloths Into Curtains

2010-06-17T23:36:00.000-04:00

In my quest to find Anthropolgie style curtains on a Target budget a lightbulb went off in my head after seeing some gorgeous table cloths at World Market today. Why not use a standard oblong tablecloth for curtain panels? Just get those clip on curtain rings and voila anthro inspired curtains! While at World Market I saw this and couldn't stop staring at it...

Purple is my favorite color and turquoise is a close second choice, so when I saw this tablecloth I instantly loved it since it was mostly purple with little hints of turquoise. The tablecloth was $34.99 so I would need 4 of them for the living room and dining room windows in our new home. I didn't want to jump to conclusions and spend $140 without knowing it could actually work so I did a little research when I got home and discovered that 1. I am not the first blogger to think of this wonderful idea and 2. this could totally work. Check out some of these examples...

From the ecklife.blogspot.com

From livinthesimplelife.com

From Apartmenttherapy.com

From theplaidpost.com

After looking in enough stores that I've lost count, the table cloth from World Market is the closest thing I've come to what I'm looking for. I may check out tablecloths at homegoods just to make sure I'm not missing something and hey if I could possibly find an equally amazing tablecloth for way I would be even happier:) I'll keep you posted and post pics once I make my decision. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my ramblings:)

We Are Under Contract!

2010-06-02T12:05:00.000-04:00

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in forever! I promise I have a good reason and I also promise that my blog is about to get so much better because we finally did it! we finally are under contract on our first home!!!! We met so many roadblocks through this process for sure and we still haven't closed but inspection is this Friday. I'm a mixture of nervous excitement, and hope. Please cross your fingers for us that our little fixer upper won't have too much wrong with it. She needs some work for sure but we are excited to take this little house out of the 1950's into the new millenium. She is a 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath with a large basement and large yard that backs to a local park. I can't wait to plant some flowers in the little flower bed in front and do something with the patchy lawn. I'll save the inside pictures for future post but there will certainly be lots of do it yourself projects on the horizon! Thanks so much for checking out my new post, I promise I will start posting more often.

My Name is Kelly, and I'm a Thrift Store-Aholic...

2010-05-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

Lately every time I pass a thrift store, I get this surge of adrenaline and feel the urge to stop and start prowling through all of their dusty treasures... It could be my new milk glass addiction, or my obessession with the lines of old furniture, or just my want and need to save money. Whatever it is, I cannot pass a thrift store without going in!!!! Yesterday I was on the way to pick up my son from my mothers, he had stayed overnight to help her with the mowing of her yard, weeding her flower garden, etc. (he's such a good boy, 14 years old and loooves his Grandma). Anywho I digress, I was on the way to my mom's house to pick up my son Devin and passed one of the many thrift stores on the way to her house and well the mission was to find an antique doily to go into my wall collage of doilies (I'll post about that later this week) but instead I found this

How could I pass this beauty up? and for $2 too.... can you say SOLD!

I didn't find any doilies so decided to take my milk glass vase/urn/goblet thingie and stop at the Goodwill that was also on the way. They close at 6:00 PM on Sundays and it was now 5:20 PM so I had to walk the aisles fast! No doilies to be had but I did find a wonderful glass trifle bowl for $2.99

I'd been eyeing one at Target for $12 but this one was better quality (super heavy) and $9 cheaper, Woohoo!!!! I also came upon another little milk glass vase, this one just a little bud vase for $.39!!! Gotta be kidding me right?

I was super excited since I recently declared that I was going to start collecting milk glass and now here I have two new pieces for $2.39! Yay. Well I guess thrifting is a pretty healthy habit, it's making my house lovely and I'm not spending large sums of money doing it. Now if I could just find that vintage doily to complete my wall of framed doilies! Thanks for reading:)

New Etsy Treasures!

2010-04-28T17:11:00.000-04:00

I looove me some etsy and recently discovered that I had a serious love for milk glass and decided to start a collection. I purchased this pedestal bowl from etsy seller Second Treasures last week and received it in the mail today and it's just what our refinished dining table needed!

Here is a closer photo, please ignore my ugly grapes that are starting to turn brown..

I hope to start scouring the local thrift stores and antique malls to find more to fill up the china cabinet that I don't actually own yet! I also purchased these beautiful crochet doilies from the same etsy seller

I plan on framing them and doing a wall collage something like this

(photo from http://www.craftynest.com/)

I will post photo's of that once I get it all together. Thanks and if anyone out there that happens to read this particular post knows of some great places to get milk glass or has some great photo's on your own blog please let me know! I'd love to check it out, it's my newest obession:) Thanks for reading.

Love,

Kelly

Liberty of London Love

2010-04-18T16:11:00.000-04:00

I have been in an out of Target half a dozen times since they launched this line but didn't really take the time to look at the dinnerware until last night and oh boy was I surprised! very pleasantly! I don't love melamine dishes but these were some really beatiful pieces and they would be great for summertime dinners when we actually do eat outside.

I looove this floral ceramic canister, but then I love anything with a floral pattern!

These teapots are beautiful, even though I don't drink hot tea I though about purchasing them...crazy I know but seriously aren't they beautiful?

I couldn't stop looking at these online and seriously they look even better in person

This one I just love, probably because of all the different shades of purple and pink in the pattern. I did purchase this one for my morning coffee because it makes me smile, and now I must go back and get the other 3 I saw on the shelf since they seem to be selling out everywhere in this pattern. It is currently out of stock on Target's website.

I want to do another post about the Liberty of London for Target line after seeing the beautiful bedding they have in the line. I seriously don't know where to start with that 1 but stay tuned for more... thanks so much for reading!

New Beginnings & Found My Furniture Style!

2010-03-26T17:50:00.000-04:00

I just looked back at some of my older blog posts and though yuck! I hate some of the decor I had last year but oh well, we live and we learn:) My husband Jerry and I found out the other day that we were approved for a home loan so we are on a mission to purchase our first home! Yesterday we put an offer in on a wonderful townhouse (that needs a little tlc) in an area we love and would be great for the kids but there were also 3 other offers so we are leaving it up to the man upstairs. If we get it wonderful, if not we just keep looking... Over the course of the last few months I have finally come to discover what my decorating style is. It's amazing what reading other peoples blogs and googling incessantly will help you to accomplish. I have become attached to reading certain blogs and I look forward to checking them each day to see what these ladies are up to, Suzanne at Sunshine and Wine is beautiful, sincere and has amazing style! Cassie from Primitive and Proper turns old furniture into beautiful pieces you WANT in your home, Meli from Meli Faif Life always has amazing stories, words of wisdom, photo's, etc. on her blog, blogger Six divided by Two with her wonderful photo's of her custom cakes and her wonderfully funny stories about being a twin, etc. There are too many to name that I enjoy but those are just a few that I sincerely look forward to. I used to think I was French Provinicial/Hollywood Regency but come to find out there is an actual term for the style I love so much! it's called Modern Traditional and Modern Eclectic and it's so me! A lot of traditional mixed with a little bit of modern and you get swoon worthy decor. I have been collecting photo's of rooms that I love over the past few months and there is definatley a pattern there. Anyway today I accidentaly found a new site/blog that had some amazing photo's of more Modern Traditional rooms. Check her out! http://maureenlynne.wordpress.com/. She has an incredible eye for beautiful photo's of rooms and decor so I just wanted to put it out there. Here is a little eye candy for you, some of these are from Maureen's site and some are ones I've collected over the last several months. As always thanks so much for reading:)

And my favorite of all, probably because I just love a camel back sofa and I love turqoise!

Spring at My House!

2010-03-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

I absolutley, positively looove spring! My son and I both have terrible spring allergies but with a little bit of claritin or alavert I can function ok. There is something about looking at all of the spring flowers at a littel garden shop or my local Lowes that just makes me feel giddy! I just love flowers and the smell of the air in Spring. I've been in the middle of trying to rearrange things in my humble little house and when I do I'll post photo's but for now i'll give you a little sample of what I've beein doing lately.

My colorful Easter wreath I made from faux chocolate eggs from A.C. Moore and hot pink geraniums, cost me about $20 to make

Better Homes & Gardens for WalMart plates I just purchaed, I love a scalloped edge:) ($3.46 each)

White ceramic Easter Bunny from Pier 1 ($8)

Little faux antique birdcage from Michaels on sale for ($5) along with 2 little ceramic birds that were about $1 each, also at Michaels

Little bunny candy dish from CVS ($4.99)

I have a serious love of magnolia trees and purchase photo's, etc of them whenever I spot them, the white magnolia photo on top is from Michaels, the pink magnolia tree on the bottom from Etsy seller BroadArrows ($20) http://www.etsy.com/shop/Broadarrows, she has some amazing work , check her out. Frames and mats purchased from Michaels ($9.99 for frames, $4.99 mats)

I am on the lookout for 2 more magnolia photo's to frame on the opposite side of the window so if anyone sees/knows of a place/site please let me know. As always thanks so much for looking and enjoy spring wherever you are!

Yellow Ruffles N Rosette Felt Wreath

2010-01-29T23:01:00.000-05:00

Lately I've seen these gorgeous felt valentines wreaths all over blog land and as most of my family and friends know I looove making wreaths but this one just seemed really time consuming and quite honestly I was a little afraid to try this project! I started working up the nerve to try it after seeing Maryanna's beautiful red heart shaped one over on her blog http://maggiepinkcheeks.blogspot.com/. I then found the instructions on Domestifluff.com and finally decided to visit the Hancock fabric store near our house. Well it turns out that they had no red felt left so I guess everyone else is Alexandria VA is making a red felt ruffle rosette wreath! I made an executive decision right then and there and decided to use yellow felt, it made perfect sense since yellow roses are my favorite color of rose and this way I could leave it up well past Valentines Day:) It took me two days to complete and about six hours worth of work but if you have an entire day to yourself you could easily crank it out in a day. The Domestifluff site says they used 2 1/2 yards of fabric which is what I ended up buying although I only ended up using about a yard and a quarter of it, it just depends on how large your wreath form is and how tight you want your rosettes/ruffles to look. This is what I used:

1 1/4 yards of yellow felt
1 10 1/2 inch styrofoam wreath form

straight pins (maybe 200?)
scissors
a 3 inch circle template - I used a pillar holder from my dining room table as a template
a pencil to trace your template onto the cloth
ribbon for hanging

Domestifluff has really good directions and since I'm not so good with that sort of thing I'm going to post the link to her tutorial, check it out here - http://www.domestifluff.com/2009/11/how-to-make-a-ruffly-felt-rosette-wreath/

Here is the final wreath in all it's yellow glory! I love it and may make another for my bathroom since I have all this left over yellow felt...

My Newest Obsession: Woven Dining Chairs

2010-01-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting for over a month but right before Christmas my father was having major health complications and had to go into the hospital for pneumonia. He is doing better now that he is over the pneumonia but still in the hospital so the past month has been really hectic with going back and forth to the hospital with a little toddler in tow so it hasn't left much time for blogging! I hope to do some projects soon and maybe even a couple of tutorials of my own:) For now I just wanted to share what has been a new decor obsession for me and has me dreaming of decorating our don't have yet but will hopefully in the near future house we've been dreaming about for a while now! A few months ago was when my obsession with woven dining chairs began, after seeing this in the Pottery Barn catalog

I just love that the chairs look relaxed and formal at the same time! So began my search for other woven chairs and ideas to creat the same look...

I came upon this photo and became even more inspired

from the blog http://www.paintingtheroseswhite.com/. I loved her mix of the woven chairs and the white slipcovered chairs! Love how beachy and airy yet still formal her dining room is.

Below is the Kaya chair from World Market which was given 5 out of 5 stars on the site

Here it is in GiGi's dining room from the World Market site

In World market user Azn's dining space done in bold colors!

And finally in World Market user Mel's dining room for a contemporary look

I am really in love with these chairs and trying to convince my husband that these would be great in our future home but he doesn't love them quite as much as I do...

Here are a couple more

From Pier 1, unfortunately these are not in the store at this time, I'm hoping they will bring them back because I love them and would love to see how they look in person

The Hyacinth Chair From Z Gallerie

And finally from Ikea, the Majby Chair

And seen here in their 2010 catalog

I Dream of Decor: DIY Butterfly Collage Wall Art

2009-12-22T00:44:00.000-05:00

I Dream of Decor: DIY Butterfly Collage Wall Art

DIY Butterfly Collage Wall Art

2009-12-22T00:37:00.000-05:00

I got the idea of this project from an Australian artist's website by the name of Catherine Swan who does these amazing paper butterfly collages and sells them for hundreds of dollars!

Her work is amazing isn't it?, check her out here http://www.paperbutterfly.com.au/story.html. So I was thinking hey I have that wonderful Martha Stewart butterfly punch that I've used a bunch of times making cupcake toppers so I thought I'd make it earn it's keep some more and try a smaller version of Ms. Swan's artwork. I used about 4 different patterns of aqua, cream, brown and green scrapbook cardstock that I bought especially for this project at Michaels and a 11x14 frame and started punching out butterflies for what seemed like days but that's probably because everytime I would start my 1 year old would try to climb into my lap:) I used a small salad plate to trace the largest circle very lightly in pencil, the 2nd circle I used the wide part of a pillar candle holder and the 3rd circle I used that same candle holder but used the skinnier bottom part. I then used regular ol Scotch brand glue stick to secure the butterflies to my circles and erased any faint lines that were still visible and here is my final project!

I'm feeling proud about it even though my husband didn't seem too impressed with it, he thought the colors looked to washed out but I actually wanted it to look sort of like a watercolor. I'm hoping my older sister will like it since it's a belated birthday present for her (she loves all things butterfly:) Thanks so much for looking, I truly appreciate your comments and suggestions!

More DIY Christmas Decor

2009-12-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

We just got a Goodwill in our city no more than a couple weeks old and I've been meaning to check it out but thrift shopping is not much fun with the baby in tow so I waited til my husband was home from work last Friday and told him I was in desperate need of a project or I was going to go craaazy! so he agreed and pushed me out the door (he doesn't like when I act nutty). My main reason for checking out the store was trying to find a few more Christmas decor projects to pass the time until the big day and while they had a couple of things I liked and could possibly redo I wasn't very happy with the selection until I saw these!

Yep I was excited and saw all kinds of potential because I had recently came across the instrucions for make beaded and sequined ornaments here http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95179616.tip.html and wanted to try it with all the crystal beads I had left over from all my jewelry making endeavors. So out of the bag of goodwill ornaments I ended up with 6 medium satin ornaments and 2 small satin ornaments to cover. To say I was excited is putting it mildly, I couldn't wait to get started on this project the next day and first thing Saturday morning I ran up to the fabric store to get some straight pins, there were 250 in the package I bought and though surely I wouldn't use all of them for one ornament. I was dead WRONG, it took about 260 straight pins and 260 beads to cover one ornament and it was a very time consuming project to boot but I love the outcome!

I am currently working on the 2nd and 3rd ornaments but I'm running out of beads so I'll have to take a trip to the bead store that sells these czech glass beads. I hope to make these throughout the year so I can have a tree full of them next Christmas.

Okay so my next quick project was to find an interesting way to cover the ever present Dollar tree disco trees

I thought of using feather boas from the fabric store (I'd seen another blogger do this) but they were $4.99 a piece and didn't want to spend $10 on this project so while wandering through Walgreens on Saturday looking for ideas I came across this

I wouldn't put this on my tree but to cover my little mirror trees I thought it might be pefect and here they are

I am pretty pleased with how they turned out and can't wait to use them on my tv stand, still trying to figure out what else to put on there that my little one can't grab off...

Another potential project I came across but haven't started yet is this garish gold hope plaque I found on sale at the Family Dollar for $2.50

When I saw it I knew it had potential but I'm still trying to figure out if want to spray it a bright red for Christmas or maybe silver so I can use it throughout the year and hang it in my bathroom or somewhere else... I'll post pics of the final project but in the meantime I'll be sanding/scraping off mounds of gold glitter:) As always I really appreciate you checking out my blog and of course I love comments, thanks so much!

More DIY Christmas Projects

2009-12-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

Now that the ball is rolling on Christmas I am just loving looking through all the blogs/website and trying to find decor ideas. This afternoon I hung a garland over my dining room (uh I mean dining room space, it's tiny) wall mirror that I made with all Dollar Tree supplies, I originally saw the idea on the Pier 1 Website and loved it but I surely wasn't going to run out and buy it for $35, so I headed down to Dollar Tree and bought one of those 6 foot garlands they have and a few red and green ornaments. Here is the Pier 1 garland from one of their online circular, I love it but we can't do much faux snow in our house since the little guy puts EVERYTHING in his mouth! so I couldn't do the snowy part... This is a horrible photo but for some reason their website is acting up when you try to copy photos...

Anyway here is the garland I made, my camera is crappy so the photo's just don't come out very well, it loks alot better in person.

I actually ended up doubling the garland before tacking it up around the mirror because the Dollar Tree quality is really skimpy but it was easy as pie to make and for about $3 including the ornaments you can't beat it. I'm thinking of making one to go around my front door.

Another project I did today was to make this wreath to hang above our tv, just a cheap wreath from Michael's, some small Christmas balls from the dollar tree and about 10 small poinsettia flowers.

And here it is hanging over our tv, so boring, oh and please ignore my unfinished Christmas display on the tv stand. I gotta figure out a way to spruce this wall up BIG TIME, ladies if you are reading please tell me what to add to this wall that isn't going to cost me much (oh and as a side note I can't move the smoke detector since it is where our landlord placed it:(. I thought about hanging stockings but thought it might look weird hung so high up... I'm lost

Christmas Decor On a Dollar Tree/WalMart Budget!

2009-12-08T00:29:00.000-05:00

I've been a stay at home mom for about a year and a half now and although the money is a lot tighter than it used to be when I was working, I have to say I love being at home with my little guy:) We cut corners a lot nowadays, I clip coupons a lot more than I used to and I mostly shop at Wal-mart, Target and Kohls, oh and The Dollar Tree has become a personal friend of mine. So when the Christmas season came around I kind of made it my own personal mission to do as much decorating as I could as inexpensivley as I could! I have learned a ton by reading other ladies blogs but I still have much to learn. Here are a couple of projects I've done for our home for the Christmas season. Happy Holiday's everyone!

I bought 3 of these trees not knowing what I would do with them or use them in my decor. I actually am not a fan of the disco mirrored look but loved the height and look of the tree and for $1 how could I resist. It wasn't until I stumbled across a blog entry from the Let It Shine blog (love her blog so much), http://let--it--shine.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-topiaries.html, she actually had the same tree and actually put some sort of glaze on it to tone down the bright silver I think. I decided to use a couple strands of pearl garland from the Dollar Tree and hot glue it around the tree form. Unfortunately I ran out of garland as I was almost at the top, I'll have to run out tomorrow and get more so I can finish it..

Here it is on my linen chest along with a photo of my two oldest boys taken years ago, a silver wreath made with all Dollar Tree stuff and the white tree skirt is also from Dollar Tree. The silver tree was made with a cylinder vase from Dollar Tree filled with snow from Michael's and the snowflake oranments I believe from either Dollar Tree or Wal-mart. I spray painted some branches from my yard silver and stuck them in the vase with the fake snow and just hung the ornaments from them. I originally wanted to get curly willow branches because I am so in love with curly willow but I ran out of money that day so had to settle for branches from our yard.

Here is a photo of our current Christmas tree. We decided to go with a table top tree this year after trying to put our 6 footer up and our 16 month old trying to yank all the lights off! Most of the Christmas balls are from the dollar tree, a few we got from Michael's on sale. The apothecary jars are from the candy bar we did for my son's first birthday party, candy canes and all christmas balls in the jars are from the Dollar Tree. The little angel on the table was something I won from a raffle at a little community festival here in Alexandria a couple years ago. I put everything up on a little shelf we have and covered it with a red tablecloth.

After looking at it I just thought it needed a little something extra on the table and remembered I had some ivy from Dollar Tree that I hadn't used yet so here it is after adding the ivy to the tabletop, I think it looks so much better!

I had also been trying to figure out how to find some nice table setting without spending a fortune and lo and behold while Jerry (the husband) and I were wandering through Wal-Mart the day after Thanksgiving I spotted a set of white porcelain dishes for $12!!! I was so excited because I had just seen some red chargers that I wanted to use with white plates. I had been thinking of those dishes since the day after thanksgiving so tonight I gave in and made a run to Wal-Mart and got those dishes and the red chargers to go with them. I paid $12 for the dishes and $5.99 for the charges so for under $20 I got some nice place settings for Christmas Eve dinner. I would like to add some napkins and dress up the table a bit with a runner but so far here is what I have,

I threw the centerpiece together using a vase I purchased a while back from A.C. Moore for $9, some votives I had from Thanksgiving, some fake snow, a berry garland from last years Christmas decor and 4 $1 bunches of white poinsettias from Michael's. I think it turned out nicely especially since it wasn't thought out very much. Okay and here is one last photo I had to share of my little one Brendon checking out the Christmas lights that Jerry had plugged in to make sure they still worked before hanging them outside. He was so enamored with those lights, it was such a cute moment:) Thanks for checking out my blog, I really appreciate it!

Kelly

Pottery Barn Lookalike Wreath

2009-11-25T12:58:00.000-05:00

I have been admiring this wreath on the Pottery Barn Website for a while now, http://www.potterybarn.com/products/outdoor-ornament-pine-wreath/?pkey=cwreaths-garland-holiday

I really like this one as well in all green

but at $79 I knew I could do better! I first gathered up my supplies which are

-1 $5 faux evergreen wreath from Michaels or any craft store or I've even seen some at Dollar Tree

-Assorted Christmas ornament balls in 2 or three different sizes, I spent about $15 on different Christmas balls from Target and the Dollar Tree

- Glue Gun and hot glue sticks

I first started trying to wire the ornaments to the wreath base but found that it was taking too long and was just too tedious so I just decided to break out the trusty glue gun and randomly glue them in trying to alternate colors and sizes a bit. This is what I ended up with

Sorry for the bad photo quality, I had to end up using my husbands camera phone because the metal part on the cord to my digital camera got bent (which I'm furious about). I think it turned out rather well and only cost me approximately $20 vs. $79!

A Passion for Purple!

2009-11-13T00:22:00.000-05:00

I have always loved purple! I have a school photo of me in the 5th grade and in it I am wearing a purple sweater and wearing a purple silk flower comb in my hair, it is one of my all time favorite photo's of myself as a child. I once had a room with purple velvet curtains and throw pillows but everything else was pretty neutral in the room. In my next home I hope to have enough space where I can dedicate my passion for purple in a whole room, I'm talking purple furniture, etc. I've noticed that while reading some of my favorite design blogs that more and more people are using the color in their homes. I see it used with grey a lot and I really love that combination! Well here are some photo's I've started collecting of purple rooms or rooms with maybe just a few spashes of purple. What do you think? is purple here to stay for home decor?

Love this carpet! and the grey velvet sofa, this is just so chic! I would have never thought to use a brown table though...

How luxurious is this bedroom?! Who wouldn't love to sleep against this beautiful headboard.

Not sure if this is exactly purple, looks a bit more magenta maybe? but I love the modern shapes in the room.

Love everything about this room!

This room gives me more ideas for my next bedroom, again love the combination of grey and purple with the chocolate brown headboard and dresser.

I am dying for the curtains and ceiling color of this room

Another beautiful room

Purple and grey again! a winning combination

My favorite one of all! that wallpaper and silver sunburst mirror is to die for! I also love all the mirrored pieces, this would be my dream room.

Decorating With Plates

2009-11-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to decorate with plates for a while now, after seeing this become so trendy and seeing how so many people are using them in their living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms even bathrooms I just know I need to try it! I have some very blank walls in my living room/dining area that I need to spruce up so I think the hunt will be on soon for some beautiful plates. In the meantime I had been searching all over the net to get ideas and came across some beautiful rooms with plates as a focal point. Check it out!

I love, love, love this!!!! Did I say how much I love it! But way out of my budget at $599 for the set at Room Service Home.com http://www.roomservicehome.com/productsl2.asp?dept=255. I hope that I can figure out a less expensive way to do something similar because I am in love with this look

Love this idea from Countryliving.com

From recovergirl.wordpress.com

Another one I love from Countryliving.com, I love black and white sooo much!

From casasugar.com, love this blue and white combination!

From apartmenttherapy.com member Katie, love the bright colors!

Can't remember where I got this one but I really like the contrast of green against the teal walls

And finally this one from HGTV.com which I love especially since it's a diy job that started with clear glass plates! they spray painted them a shiny chrome first I beleive and then sponged on the red shade...

Anyway thanks for check my blog out, once I finish my plate wall I'll be posting another inspiration to creation!

Inspiration to Creation!

2009-11-03T18:11:00.000-05:00

I have admired West Elm's furniture as well as their home decor for quite a while. They always seem to have fresh and fun new ideas that work so well with their modern furniture. My latest craving from West Elm is their Manzanita Wall art (pictured below).

I love it so much but just can't see spending $99 for something I may tire of in a year or two.... So on one of my many recent shopping trips to Target where I usually purchase things like, diapers, hand soap and paper towels I was checking out their candle decor aisle and noticed these for $15!

I
I thought that maybe with a coat of silver spray paint I could get a similar effect for the blank wall in my dining area.

This is them before painting them with Krylon's Brilliant Silver Metallic paint, very pretty but I really wanted silver...

And after painting them and hanging them on the wall (my husband will kill me if he knows how many holes I actually put in the wall trying to find the perfect spot on this wall!) Not the best picture

A close up

A little better picture

Well thanks for looking, just thought I'd share my inspiration and my little creation that I'm feeling so proud of. My husband actually walked in the house this evening and noticed these little candle holders on the wall and said "hey where'd those come from? they look nice" I couldn't believe it cause he never notices anything! Tomorrow I'm doing a post about purple and how much I love all the purple rooms I've been seeing online lately. Have a great night:)

Fall Centerpieces Part Two!

2009-11-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

So I guess my quest is finally over to find the perfect centerpiece to decorate my table for the fall season and I'm now going to move on to making my own Christmas ornaments soon, for the first time! so please cross your fingers for me:) I did purchase 4 green straw placemats from Target at $2.49 each and I think it definately helps the table. Here are a few of the centerpiece options I decided on depending on what I feel like day to day. The first option is fresh flowers and berries, I got the idea on about.com, here is their version

And here is the flower arrangement I came up with using a low square glass vase I already had at home, and I used yellow mums instead of cream carnations, it cost about $8 for 2 small bunches of the flowers from the grocery store and $6 for two packages of cranberries which I didn't use all of, not bad for $14!

And here is the arrangement on my table with my new straw placemats, I really like it and will use it on the table until the flowers die,

And here are a couple more centerpieces I came up with with some items I already had and some I purchased, For the centerpiece below I actually spent about $28, $8 on the tray, $10 on the candles and rest on the faux berries and leaves, all from Michael's.

Another photo of it on my dining table

This one was easy, I just used the glass bowl of foam pears I already had on my table and added a few of the leaves and berries from the centerpiece above, this one may be a favorite because it's simple but has a little oomph added to the berries

This one is the same one as above, only I added the apple scented candle from the centerpiece with the candles and leaves on the brown metal tray, I actually think this looks a bit Christmasy maybe? the red candle with the green pears makes me think of Christmas and not of Thanksgiving.

Well thanks so much for looking at my fall table decor ideas and let me know which one you think I should keep on my dining table, here they all are again

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Thanks again for looking!

Favorite Fall Decor

2009-10-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

We have a really tiny 2 bedroom duplex that I am dying to move out of as soon as possible but as long as we are here I am determined to make it as pretty as possible! We recently got a new dining table and chair set from Target which I love and I've been looking for cute fall decor ideas to make it more pretty, right now it looks like this

pretty boring right? although I really like my $6 pedestal bowl and foam pears (also from Target) I really want to dress up the table a bit for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday even though we won't be at home for dinner. I know the table is really small but I think with maybe a few placemats and maybe a more colorful display in the center that it will really wake up the area. So in my quest to find ideas I found a ton of really cute and easy to do table centerpieces. Check them out below!

These ideas come from the Better Homes and Gardens website, check out the how to on their site, http://www.bhg.com/holidays/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/pretty-thanksgiving-centerpieces/?page=3

check out these pretty harvest candle rings

How to's at http://www.bhg.com/holidays/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/pretty-thanksgiving-centerpieces/?page=5

I love this 1!

How to's at http://www.bhg.com/holidays/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/pretty-thanksgiving-centerpieces/?page=6

Another one from bhg.com although I think this one would be even prettier with brighter flowers

One of my favorites because I love the spray painted silver pumpkins sooo much!

This one is beautiful, festive and super easy!

Love this mix of green apples and grapes along with white roses, see how to do it here http://www.bhg.com/holidays/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/thanksgiving-fruit-centerpieces/?page=6

I would do this one on a beautiful white, silver or gold platter and maybe use just one color of candles

Something like this would work well for a small table like mine! Yay!

Another small centerpiece for those of us with tiny tables:)

Check this idea out from About.com! I love the simplicity of using carnations and cranberries! check out the how to's here http://entertaining.about.com/od/flowersandcenterpieces/ss/flowersberries.htm

Check out another from about.com and see how to do it here http://entertaining.about.com/od/flowersandcenterpieces/ss/pumpkinflowers_3.htm

And 1 more simple one from About.com, directions here http://entertaining.about.com/od/flowersandcenterpieces/ss/flowersgourds_4.htm

Well that's all folks! I hope you got some great ideas for table centerpieces, I know I did. As soon as I figure out which one I will do I'll post the results. Thanks for checking out my post.

West Elm Lookalikes!

2009-10-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

If you are anything like me and love the furniture at West Elm but sometimes don't love the price tag check out these West Elm knockoffs/look alikes!

This first photo is of the West Elm Framed Side Table ($149) and the and West Elm Framed Bridge Table($199). http://www.westelm.com/products/f999/?pkey=cside-accent-tables

These tables from Ikea are in no way exact lookalikes but if you need an inexpensive nesting table set check out the Klubbo nesting tables for $79.99, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30135026

The next lookalike comes from Overstock, the livinded three-tier vanity display table at $69.99, http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Livinded-Three-tier-Vanity-Display-Stand/4079442/product.html

compared to this version at West Elm for $169.99, http://www.westelm.com/products/f033/?pkey=cside-accent-tables

The Overstock version is a great deal for a $100 less and gets a great rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 on overstock.com!

These next photos are of the West Elm angled-leg side at $169, http://www.westelm.com/products/f913/?pkey=cside-accent-tables and

the angled-leg coffee table for $299, http://www.westelm.com/products/f914/?pkey=ccoffee-tables

but check out these very similar tables from Ikea!

the Vejmon side table for $99, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80136679

and the Vejmon coffee table for $149! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00136678

The next look-alike is my personal favorite but that's probably because I purchased it for my own home. Check out the cute scoop back dining chairs from West Elm for $99 each wich come in an array of colors and patterns, http://www.westelm.com/products/f886/?pkey=cdining-tables-chairs

and now check out my dining chair (sorry for the poor picture quality) from none other than Target!

It's not an exact match but comes pretty close and at $79 for a pack of 2 chairs I think I found a pretty good deal. They don't however sell these chairs online, only in the store.

Okay my next related lookalike is again my favorite since it the dining table that goes with my Target chairs. Here is the West Elm Parson's Table that seats 4 for $299 http://www.westelm.com/products/f860/?pkey=cdining-tables-chairs

And here is the Target lookalike in my microscopic dining area (please ignore my crappy photography and dirty carpet:) The Target table is not as sturdy as I'd like but for $99 I can't complain.

I must point out that I have owned furniture from West Elm and it is very pretty and solidly made although the wood tends to scratch easily so in the future if I did purchase another table from them I would definately have plexi-glass or regular glass cut to fit the top to preserve the life of the table.

My last set of lookalikes are mirrors and seriously the first set look so much alike I couldn't tell the difference when I saw it in my friends home. Check out West Elm's chunky wood floor mirror for $399 http://www.westelm.com/products/w217/?pkey=cmirrors

Now check out Ikea's version called Mongstad for $99!

I kid you not, this looks almost exactly like the West Elm version in person!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00081591

The last lookalike is of West Elm's Mirror-framed mirror for $149

http://www.westelm.com/products/a048/?pkey=cmirrors

Now check out a version I found in my local Lowes Store for $68, not an exact match but still very similar and trust me, so much prettier in person

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=145605-13437-8364&lpage=none

Thanks so much for checking out my lookalikes post, I have much more to post in the near future so please come back!

Pretty Chairs from Pier 1

2009-10-12T16:53:00.000-04:00

So my current obsession is chairs because I currently have a naked dining table, meaning a dining table with only 2 chairs! I purchased my dining table on Craigslist (another obsession of mine) a few months ago and while it needs a good coat of paint I still love it for it's curvy french lines and oval shape which took me forever to find (I'll post photo's later). So lately I've been searching everywhere for chairs that would suit it's french lines but not too french country looking since I'm trying to stay away from that. Well I had found some really great looking black and white upholstered dining chairs on the Pier 1 site a few weeks ago (the 1st chair above) but had not gone into the store to check them out for myself until this past weekend. So I popped the baby in his car seat and headed over to the store and as soon as I walked into the store what do I see but the chair I've been dreaming about for the past few weeks and it looks even better in person! I also discovered that Pier 1 has tons of other gorgeous dining chairs as well as chairs suited for the living room. Above are some of the best ones I saw. Check out the Pier 1 website for yourself and get inspired! http://www.pier1.com

Decor Dreams...

2009-10-12T15:44:00.000-04:00

I created this blog because seriously..I do dream of decor and sometimes it keeps me up at night which I know is really sad. I have another blog that is supposed to be about my business Urban Magnolia and my jewelry and floral designs created through the company but somehow it had turned into a mish mash of my work and my love of furniture and I'm not so sure that is working so I decided to create this blog which will be all about my love of furniture and home decor and some of the beautiful things I obsess about. My favorite design style is a cross between old Hollywood regency and french provincial. I will also showcase some of my own DIY projects that I plan on doing as well as things I've done throughout my own home. I welcome your links, suggestions and questions.