Treasures from Canton!!

Lindsay & I had a blast last weekend! No sippie cups, no diaper bags...just 2 days of flea market fun! Check out the truck full of goodies that we came back with!...Each anxiously awaiting their true identity!

My first project is this simple white end table. I liked the curved legs & second tier, but the color needed some revamping.

So I painted it RED!

It fills the random spot by my fireplace perfectly.

And at the perfect price of $30, my husband is even excited about it!

I may go back & rough up the edges. What do you think??

Quick Change {Wall Decor}

I've had this arched wood & iron piece for a while now. I LOVE the distressed look (that's why I bought it) but it blends in with my wall color & has gone unnoticed & unappreciated for far too long.

So I stained it this week.

The rough texture & imperfect stain job still gives it plenty of character.

Plus it brings out the warmth of my curtains & wood table. Much better!

{Recipe} Chocolate Chip Dip

YUM!!! If you're headed off to some Halloween parties in the near future this is a great recipe to make for an instant hit!

Your Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz.) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Graham cracker sticks (I have had a hard time finding these... so I used Scooby Doo graham cracker sticks... even though they look like dog bones they are tasty!)

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Linking Here:
Someday Crafts

More Fall Organization tips

Fall is officially here... at least it is on the calendar!! You may live somewhere that Fall is in full swing.... Here in Texas we've had a nice week of fall-ish weather that will probably be replaced next week with more "summer".

We're back with some more Fall organization tips from Jill over at Wise Changes.

Along with the colder weather means, fall clothes, blankets and heavier sheets for the beds. Now is a good time to air these items out, get them smelling fresh after being stored. Be sure to take any of these items to the dry cleaners or wash yourself, so it will be ready when you need it!

Country Living

Now is a good time for checking the exterior and interior of our homes to prepare for the winter months. Get your family involved and make it a fun game like eye spy! Tell everyone what to look for so that you can make sure windows are caulked, screens and gutters are intact, vents are sealed and doors and windows do not have any gaps that would let the heat escape and waste energy and cost you money. Dust off ceiling fans, vents, chandeliers, light fixtures and replace filters. These tend to gather more dust in the summer months and cleaning them will make your home more enjoyable as you spend more time inside.

House Painting Info

Although Hurricane season began June 1st, did you know it lasts until November 30th? Be prepared for a potential disaster in your home, make an emergency plan for your family and teach your children what to do in an emergency. Take some time to evaluate your emergency and first aid kits. First, make sure nothing has expired, and then replace any items necessary. If you don’t have either of these kits, now is the time to create one. Make sure your Emergency kit has bottle water, batteries, flash lights, canned food and other supplies that your family will need. Your first aid kits should have band-aids, hydrogen peroxide, ace bandage, gauze, tape and pain relievers, as well as, children’s medicine items.


Public Radio East

Quick Wreath

How many of you have seen the pre-made wreaths at our favorite craft stores? There are some super cute ones out there...but the price tags are NOT at all cute. I for one am not spending $99 on a wreath... just can't do it. So, I set out to make my own. I am not really great at floral arranging and greenery "stuff" but I did my best and am fairly pleased with how it turned out.

I started with a wreath for $4.99 and walked up and down the aisles of the store adding things to it until I felt like it was 'enough'.

I wrapped it with ribbon just for an added touch. I would have preferred wider ribbon, but this is what I happened to have on hand already so I went with it especially since it was a last minute thought only because I saw it in the bottom of my craft box while looking for the hot glue and floral wire.

Then I just added the leaves, berries, pumpkins and one flower to the wreath as I went. I didn't hot glue or wire anything until I was sure of the arrangement. Here's the final result!

My only problem is trying to figure out where to put it. I tested it on our front door...but it just wasn't right. I have it hanging on the door to the garage where it just may stay unless I get creative and find another suitable spot.

Have you made your own wreath? We'd love to see...

Linking Here:
Craft-O-Maniac
Cottage Instincts
The Girl Creative
Making the World Cuter

Spotlight Sunday {Lindsay}

Here are my latest favs from blogland...

I love this funky tulle wreath that Courtney at Between U & Me put together. I went to my local Hob Lob but didn't find any tulle in black, orange or yellow! I want to make one that's just orange and yellow to hang on my shutters so it can last all of Fall.

Crazy cute soap dispensers at Brown Paper Packages.

I LOVE this cute idea for pumpkin topiaries that Gail did over at Gail's Decorative Touch. If my mantel wasn't already decorated I would have totally copied her!

Tashia @ Home Inspired Bliss had a great idea for a revamping her old family calendar. This could be such a cute idea for anything else you need to countdown...Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, etc.

Our long awaited girls trip...

Guess where the That Village House girls will be this Thursday and Friday?!



That's right!!! We are headed to Canton... and can't wait! We've got our lists ready, our bags are packed and we are headed off with three other friends to see what kind of fun things we can bring home that we didn't even know we needed!

And let's be honest... it's also a time for us to check out some things that we will say to each other "I can make that!" So, who knows, maybe we'll come back inspired for more crafty Fridays and home decor changes that our houses need. Well, "need" may be an exaggeration...but we'll go with it anyway.

What about y'all? Anyone else headed there this weekend? Maybe we'll see you there!