Just got a little more time on my hands

So I quit my part-time school year job. Got a little more time on my hands to finish up house projects. With the kids in school, I am enjoying the quiet hours of getting things done without interruption. Okay, well maybe I haven't quit started that list yet as I did just quit three days ago, but I did make a list. Here's what I hope to accomplish by the end of the year.

• Clean and rearrange my closet [later post]
• Curtains for the family room
• Curtains for the lower level
• Spray paint Pottery Barn desk [find a chair for said desk ~ refinish?]
• Finish mudroom decor [already did board and batten] just need to finalize
• Paint walls, touch-up woodwork, trim
• Paint stairs and stain landings
• Design foyer architectural detail [thinking board and batten]
• Wallpaper powder room
• Sort and rearrange gift wrapping closet
• Sort and rearrange boys' linen closet
• Sort and rearrange storage area in lower level

Looking at my list, I feel like I didn't do anything over the summer! Lots of organizing and shuffling around, hopefully not spending too much money since I'm not working and all.

sometimes it's the little changes

before ....
after ....

doesn't paint on a table do wonders? and a new rug and new curtains and a new lamp from homegoods?

paint swatches

I found a handy way to keep paint swatches. I paint a wood door hanger [found at any craft store for less than $1]. I like looking through the hole at the fabric to see how I feel it's going to work in a room. I feel having the ability to look at the color all the way around a fabric is really essential for me.

On the back of the door hanger, I write the paint information.

Here's another hanger which is my house's primary color. I have this color memorized, but wrote down which areas of the house were painted with this color.

Yea, it's pretty much everywhere.

I keep all my swatches in one drawer and if I need to look for a match, I can easily grab the swatch [door hanger] and go.

my baby is growing up

She declares that this is too babyish for her in all of her 7 years oldness. Soft baby pink walls, darling patchwork quilt from Pottery Barn Kids in soft greens, blues, pink. Cute, floaty butterflies. We built our house when Sophie was 1 1/2. This was what I did her room in back then, so I guess it's time for a change.

I still picture her sweet head upon these pillows all of 2 years old with bouncy curls and a whale spout on top of her head. So tiny in this big bed.

And change we did. She should wake up happy every single day with this color on the walls. Turquoise and fuchsia. She actually picked out the paint color. Ah, a decorator at heart.

Quite an impact color, but yet quite feminine and pretty too.

[More to come]
sweet daddy making all her wishes come true

simple, easy Goodwill find hostess gift

You've all seen them at garage sales. Many times when I got hunting at our goodwill store, I find them. These cute glass dome cheese plates. Sometimes with a wooden plate, sometimes with the pretty marble slab, like the one below. $6. Decorated up with some ribbon, burlap and a bell. Add a block of cream cheese, some hot pepper jelly and voila, a wonderful hostess gift.

If the wooden plate looks bad, keep the glass dome, toss the wooden plate, get a pretty plate from Home Goods and you have instant charm and whimsy.

Goodwill Find - Lamp ReVamp

I am becoming a weekly goodwill hunting addict. I found two lamps there recently for $1.99 each. One had a pathetic ill-fitted lampshade while the other had none.

This lamp was in pretty good shape, just need a fresh coat of Heirloom White spray paint.

I love the shape of this lamp, short and fat. I needed that for a tall cream colored table, so this lamp needed to be painted.

Lamp No. 1 with a fresh coat of spray paint and a new lampshade from Target.



Lamp No. 2 with a fresh coat of spray pant and a new lampshade also from Target.

Thrifty Finds

Linking up to rhonda's blog at southern hospitality. Goodwill find on the denim valance $1.99, hockey stick [free from a neighbor] and the hanging rings from Wal-mart. The hardest part was trying to figure out how to mount this. BB is playing house hockey this year and is a huge Columbus Blue Jackets fan. So that's what his bedroom is done in. The walls are a blue/gray color, not light blue as the first photo looks - had to use my flash because it's raining and that's a dark corner in his room. Wall color in second photo is much better.

the smell is in the air

I love Country Living magazine. Here's a sneak peak of some wonderful pumpkins to get you in the mood. I'm so ready for fall. Boys are playing football, BB is getting ready for hockey league, Soph is in soccer. Although it's still fairly warm during the days, the nights are getting chilly, the grass is very dewy, and it's time to take out all my annuals and put in some mums. My favorite time of year.

Owl & Hedgehog Bedding at Target - WOW

This is from Target, but I feel it's a complete knock-off of the Pottery Barn owl collection from last year, read about it here. That is what Target is all about though, finding what sells and duplicating it. Have you ever felt the kids clothing looks like last year's Mini Boden? This line is very wallet friendly, very, very cute [although PBK is cuter IMO], but only comes in a twin size. I remember seeing an ad in a Sunday flyer last week and it had the wallies with trees and owls and hedgehogs. Read the reviews if you are interested.

It started with this ~

The bedding ~

the valance ~

the lamp [which is much cuter in person] ~

I think I have a crush on a gay man .... Eddie Ross

Yes, me. A suburban housewife with 3 kids, 2 dogs and an SUV have a crush on Eddie Ross. I'm pretty sure my husband will be okay with it, don't worry. How can I not love a man who decorates so beautifully!!

And, creates stunning tablescapes ......




And beautiful food :::::


And, WHAT ... he does flowers too .... be still my heart peonies and rananuculus

Please, oh, please, how I'd love to go flea marketing with you ~ :)

I have followed his career since being on one of my favorite Bravo TV shows Top Design. Loved him on that show. He started this blog and I just love his look, his designs, his fun take on life, in general.

Craft Room Tour

I love seeking inspiration from others. Many of you know that my husband completed my studio in the fall and I've been trying to figure it out since. My desk has been in three places [and I finally think I've found the perfect place for it]. My fancy schmancy table has been in two places and it is perfect where it is [now I need a couple chairs]. My armoire has stayed where it always was and looks very happy there. I feel I can decorate now. I feel like it's finally working for me.

Sometimes you have to live with a space for a little while to see how it's going to work for you. It takes time for a space to evolve. You have to figure out how you want to use the space. I think a creative space takes longer because you just don't know what works quite right. You may think in your head it's right, but then when you're there actually using it, you need to switch it up a bit. That's okay. Here's some inspiration for you ~

Lovin' the red and black and cream colors in this room.Very well organized, things are hidden [which I like] and look at those yummy window treatments.

I'm all about apple green. That's the color of my studio too. LOVE IT. It makes me smile. Love, again the red accents.
This blue is everywhere. I love it paired with black. Again, this inspires me because this room looks organized - a place for everything.

The toile roman shade is my favorite here.

Not quite my style, but it looks nice.

Obviously this crafter likes to sew. Or is that a seamstress who likes to craft? Either way I love idea of her ironing board right there out in the open. If you're going to use it alot, then make a good spot for it.

DIY Tutuorial on "CHEAP" Wall Art

Want a neat wall art project that doesn't cost a lot of money? How about do it yourself canvas squares. It's very easy. I've had these papers [12x12 size] for about a year now knowing that I wanted to paint my studio this green color once it was finished. This is also cardstock which I would recommend using instead of regular scrapbook paper.

So you buy these 12x12 canvas squares at JoAnn's whenever they go on sale. They come two in a packet.

Paint the sides and a bit up onto the top of the canvas with a matcing acrylic color and let dry.

glue on your cardstock using any adhesive [I used a tape for scrapbooking anything double sided will work - I would not use a wet substance though like glue]. Layout your arrangement on the floor before you stick it on the wall to see what works best and then hang on the wall. These are very lightweight so you don't need a big nail, just a bit of patience trying to line them up.

The Nester -~ Garland Show & Tell

Inspired by The Nester, here is a short garland tour of my home, Garland Chandeliers. I do have garland on my mantel, but right above our mantel is our TV so it doesn't look as pretty as some of the others on her site. I do enjoy decorating our chandeliers every year. They make me smile.

~ Dining Room ~

~ Kitchen ~

~ Beautiful flowers a surprise yesterday from my Mom ~

Christmas around our house

I realized that it's been so long since I've written, before Thanksgiving, and here we are on the 6th of December. Busy organizing the house. Going to snap some photos of my Christmas decor and send a link off to the Nester for her garland show and tell. So this is my first Christmas item I got out this year, our advent shadow box. Isn't this beautiful? From the very talented ladies at Doullina. They make such fun stuff.

wholesale shopping trip

It's been a while since I photo'd one of my shopping trips. Here's my trip to a wholesale place. Two birdhouses which will become Christmas birdhouses here soon {watch Etsy}, more ribbons, SB joined Daisies so I got a daisy flower candy mold and some melting chocolate, also see those two tall metal candle holders? They are a dark brown, I'm going to spray them a different color and see where they will fit in around here, also spraying the fleur de lis a cream color for our center in the basement. And, of course, more fun ribbon. I love fuschia tulle, I use it to wrap around my Etsy packages and also I use a ribbon on presents. I like it so much better than regular ribbon because it's big and fluffy.

i love pretty dishes + i love home goods

I just love finding beautiful dishes. I bring them home and wash them and lay them on my counter for a couple weeks until I can finally stop smiling at them and put them away. But my dishes have to be functional too. That pretty burnt orange square dish is dishwasher/microwave/freezer and oven safe --- now that's my kind of dish. My blueberry teacake will look so pretty in there. The other two bowls are just sweet, my favorite shade of green. Can't decide whether to keep them in my kitchen for dips and such, or let my studio have at them. So both green dishes were $2.99 a piece and the square dish was $9.99. Gosh, I love Home Goods (or TJ Maxx or Marshalls).