Got The Red Out

After years of having red walls in our family room,

they are now a
delightfully, delicious
chocolate brown.Yum!

My Neighbors Might Wonder

I'm sure that if my neighbors looked into
my home in the evening
they would stop and take a second look.

They might be puzzled or bewildered.
They might wonder if I had lost my sense of style.
Wouldn't you if you saw such a sight?

It's just my way of trying to decide
which style of shade I like most for my thrifted,
awesome, oversize lamps.

Tell me, which style do you like most?

Coffee Table Talk

I've been making some changes to our living room. What can I say, I get bored with the same old look after a while. As much as I loved the coffee table we made from an old door, I couldn't resist buying this authentic factory cart from a cabinet factory that was going out of business. It's currently loaded with pumpkins.

A real pumpkin is resting on a gorgeous thrifted frame

and the pumpkins that I made last year
are grouped inside a wooden box,
also a thrift store find,
that I added a handle to give it the look of an old drawer.

I love to change things around because it makes me look at
old things in a new way.

Back In Love

I have loved my long green table for years. It was a thrift find that may have once been a school science table---the old gum stuck underneath, as well as the holes from a pencil sharpener would indicate that that was it's previous life. I painted and distressed it to match my home decor but that was a few years back and my style has evolved since then.
A couple of weeks ago I stopped to look at the mis-tints at the big orange box store. I fell in love with a quart of muddy gray paint that someone else did not care for. A few coats of paint and it looked like new.Wanting to keep the story of the science table in tact I gave it a glaze, darkening it over the dings and scratches, to bring out the previous chapters of it's life.Then to give it a little more interest and height I added some casters.

I am back in love with my table!

***Enter for a $100 Wal*mart gift card HERE***

Bye, Bye Butterfly

I love the fall! It's when I really get the urge to make changes in my home; some big, others small. I've been sprucing up our guest bedroom lately and when I saw this gem at the thrift store, I knew that it would look great above the bed---after it got a little makeover. I loved the organic look of the blossoming branch. I did not love that little butterfly. So, with the help of my scroll saw (a task that was tricky because the plastic kept melting back together due to the heat of the blade), and with a little sanding, I said bye, bye to that butterfly!

Bright glossy white spray paint
gave it the update it needed. And now there is no evidence of
the little butterfly that once was.It's just the right touch for above the guest bed.I'll be revealing more changes in the guest bedroom
and give away a $100 gift card this week.

Take a Seat

Now that my table has taken on a new look, I've decided to change up the seating. I have a weakness for anything with cabriole legs so these chairs had to come home with me from the thrift store---even though there were only two.

I gave them coat of gray spray paint

to freshen them up. A little glaze helped to age and bring out the details.Next came some new upholstery that will, hopefully, hide food stains.Now I just need to find a few more chairs to seat my family, but the hunt is part of the fun right?

Fabulous French Find

Last week, on the day before my birthday, I happened upon a delightful find at the thrift store; a set of French paperback books dating back to 1933.
I was immediately attracted to their subdued tones, naturally aged pages, and the texture created by the rough-cut edges. Oh, and yes, the fact that the original owner was French and these actually came from France, really made me happy!They were the perfect addition to the newly redecorated shelves in our bedroom.

Arrangment Perspective

I love having a formal living room, but the room has it's share of challenges. The ceilings are high.It's long and large, measuring 13 1/2 feet by 21 feet, but is has only one solid wall. The other walls contain large windows or door openings, with one that opens into the dining area.Because of the quirks of the room I kept my furniture in the exact same spot for a few years. Then one day, as I stood high upon a ladder painting, I viewed my near empty room from a different angle and perspective. I wondered why I had allowed myself to get trapped in a furniture arrangement rut?!?
Of course there were a few pieces that couldn't be moved because of size or practicality, but others could find a new home. Just because the room is odd doesn't mean the furniture placement has to be stuck in a rut.
Because of my ladder-top awakening I've never kept the furniture in the same spot since. These are some different arrangements I've had over the years.Sometimes it takes looking at a room from a new perspective to see how it can be rearranged. You can get on a ladder (like I did), empty the room out to start fresh, try an on-line room design site, or ask a trusted friend where they would place your furniture. You might even try switching furniture pieces from other rooms.

Are you in a furniture arrangement rut
or do you like to move things around?
***Don't forget to enter the Scentsy giveaway***

Couldn't Be Simpler

We live in an incredible age!

We have decorating inspiration galore at the touch of a finger. Yet, I fear we can feel that if we are not spending money and/or hours re-purposing, refurbishing, spray painting, sewing, hot gluing, or adding rope onto something then we aren't really decorating.

Making your home beautiful can be
simple and fast.

It's as easy as placing your favorite collection
in a silver tray or pretty bowl.Even simpler, place a pretty rock,
(I found this one at a nearby stream) or shell atop a stack of books.These are simple joys that make for a pretty home.

Living Room Vignettes

These are the vignettes in my living room

in the middle of the summer months.

Brass birds and oil paintings collected from thrift stores.

That's a real, live orchid that I've managed to keep living

and blooming for several months now.

I just purchased this orchid hoping to be able to keep it blooming too.

I love that it has twice the blooms.

The ceramic shell came from a Goodwill in Virginia,

the lotus flower from a thrift store in my hometown.

I love the reflective and airy look of the silver and glass

on the glass end table I found on clearance last summer.

I don't love having to clean kitty prints and dust off every week.

A little summer scene using a vintage lithograph of birds

and faux dollar store ferns.