I'm noticing a trend here

I've noticed throughout my house now I have a color trend. I have always been a red/green/gold girl and I'm starting to venture away from that scheme. It is honestly hard to do when I've always gravitated towards those colors while shopping. I am noticing that apparently I have a new favorite color...

I painted these shutters to hang in our living room and added my coffee filter wreath for texture.

This shutter was found up in the attic at our old house. My sweet hubby asked me if I wanted to keep it before he threw it out... of course he knew the answer {which is why I'm sure he asked}.

Remember these nightstands I showed you from my master bedroom?

And of course the biggest transformation at this house was our cabinets.

What about you? What's your color of choice?

My {Everchanging} Mantle

Well, we've been in our house for about 6 weeks now.
In that time my mantle has looked several different ways.
Is it just me or are mantles stinking hard to decorate!??
I've been Pinteresting (yes, that's a word in my vocabulary) to come up with ideas.
Here's my evolving mantle.
Option 1...

Option 2... I changed out the mirror and used a plate rack to add height on the right side.
I like it okay but I'm trying to fade out the red/gold/green color scheme.
Plus... entirely too many circles going on here.

And here's how it looks today.

I picked up the urn and floral stems from Hobby Lobby using a coupon and the 1/2 off sales.

I plan to hang the mirror to add height.

Here's my question: do I create two of the same urn or keep it different and asymmetrical?

I know as soon as I get the mantle "just right" it will be time for fall.

And time to change it up again!

A tale of two trees

See my {semi} matching topiary trees?



Crazy thing is I bought the green one at least 6 years ago at Ross. And the brown one three days ago at TJ Maxx. Either my style never went out ... or I hung on to it long enough for it to come back in! :)

Kitchen Reveal

I'm finally ready to show you what has been the biggest transformation of the entire home renovation. Remember when I asked your opinion on cabinet colors? So...here's how it turned out.
THE KITCHEN!!





Shall we take a trip down memory lane to see how it began??




I still need to get rugs, wall "stuff" for the big blank wall in the breakfast nook, and window treatments. I'm also trying to figure out what to put behind the sink area. I used what I had...and it will do for now. I'm so used to warm colors and this kitchen is so different than my last one that I need to figure out a way to warm it up and make it more "cozy" if that makes any sense at all for a kitchen!!

So, what do you think? Was going 'blue' worth the risk?

For those interested:
Cabinet paint - Behr Paramount
Granite - Colonial Cream
Wall Color - Sherwin Williams Softer Tan
Lighting - Home Depot
Faucet - Delta

Chalkboard Craze

I did it... I made my own chalkboard.

I turned a piece of artwork destined for the garage sale pile and created a new piece that will float around my house until it finds it's resting place.

I've had this artwork for 8 years... I still remember buying it with a crazy coupon the day after Thanksgiving our first year of marriage -- at the crack of dawn. It matched perfectly with our then master bedroom decor and in our many moves I've found a place for it to land each time. But, like my last post told you... I'm ready to weed out what I don't LOVE and take the time to slowly gather what I do.

The detail on the frame is awesome! I had a feeling it would look great in a different color.

Here she is all finished up. Fresh coat of red spray paint and a chalkboard center.

See the detail... I love it!

I'm not sure if it will end up staying here in our entry but I love the thought of being able to have verses, quotes and announcements to greet our guests. It's also visible from the stairs and living room so it will get quite a bit of notice. All I have to do now is work on my handwriting!!

I used chalkboard spray paint and the jury is still out on whether I love it or not. It's a bit rough and erasing seems to be a bit of an issue. Towels leave their residue (due to the roughness) and I'm afraid to use water. Any of you out there have spray paint chalkboards? How do you erase and clean the thing?


Linked Here:
Someday Crafts

Taking it Nice and Slow

So we have been in the new house for a little over a week now. Slowly but surely it's coming together. However, this time is much different than our moves in the past. I've always been quick to take things out of the box, hang it up/lay it out/put it up, and live with it. This time I want to be more intentional with what I do. I can honestly say it's due to reading all your lovely blogs that inspires me to try harder to make the house feel 'right'. My husband asked me the other day if that meant I was going to go slower.

Unfortunately, yes it does!

I am NOT patient when it comes to this sort of stuff (or much else for that matter). I see the blogs and Pinterest images and get inspired and want to do it NOW. I don't deal well with incomplete spaces. And I think I have decided why.

I care too much about what other people think. Sadly, it's true. Doesn't everyone want their house to show like a magazine (or be featured in a magazine?!). I have a habitual need to explain to my guests that "this won't stay like this" or "I'm planning on doing this" or "Eventually..."

Maybe this is a fine little test from God to allow me to learn to be content in the "in-between" stage - between the boxes and the final product. But for now I'll give you a tour of my FAR FROM FINISHED & very naked living room (and welcome any and all suggestions you may have for my "eventually" list). I have added more decor to some areas here & there but let's be honest... I'm too lazy to take and upload more pictures...and that gives me something else to blog about later.

This photo is taken from behind the couch in the corner of the room.

This is my number one priority area...
1. keep or sell the sectional
2. if keep then I plan to put a sofa table behind the right side with lamps and decor to fill some of the space. then I'll have the whole left side to tackle with some large non-artwork
3. PILLOWS!!! Must first decide on color scheme keeping in mind what my kitchen cabinets are

I want to paint the secretary some color... again WHAT?! :)

Another view

Kitchen Table Redo & Linky Party

I have had so much stuff going on that I have been dying to blog about, but nothing was ever complete! I've had bits and pieces here and there and it really is just now coming together since our move this last weekend.

My husband and I are DIYers. We love to save money doing things ourselves (when our skill set allows). In our new home I was going to need a new kitchen table since our current set up was too big. I began looking all over the place in stores for the "right" thing at the RIGHT price! I was coming up empty. Finally I knew what I needed to do... find one on Craigslist. After much looking I found THIS!



Oh I know what you're thinking... ummm... it's in pretty bad shape. But I just knew we could make something of it! The college guy who was selling it reduced his price to $35 and I jumped on it! My plan was to paint the bottom and restain the top and find some great chairs somewhere that would coordinate.

Here's how it turned out!!

Oh I love it!! I ordered the chairs online after another LONG search for the "right" ones. I have to give major props to my husband because other than me using the sander a few times he did ALL of this redo himself. He's such a good man! He did three passes with the sander using 60 grit, 110 grit & 220 grit paper. I picked out a stain that would as closely match the chair seats as possible (I still should have gone darker).

By the way...these are HIS man hands. Haha.



I think he did 3 coats of stain. (again...should have picked the darker stain).




All that was left was to paint the side apron and the pedestal base. I had the paint color matched to the chairs so that it all coordinated.











Ignore my blank wall... just moved in Saturday. LOADS of decorating to do!

Are there any other DIYers who have turned worn out furniture into your treasure? I'd love to see it! I need some inspiration for a secretary hutch that needs a facelift. Link up!!

Linked Here:
Chic on a Shoestring Budget
Miss Mustard Seed
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Finding Fabulous
The Shabby Nest

Thrifty Decor Chick