Quick Change {Pillows}

I'd like to think that Fall is coming soon. But let's be honest... we live in Texas and Fall doesn't show up until... well, I'm not sure Fall ever shows up here! I've had the same pillow shams and throw pillow for probably 6 years. Why is that you ask? We'll I am a commitment-phobe. I was tired of our bedding after less than a year of marriage. I found my red quilt at TJ Maxx or the equivalent and the coordinating pillows for probably less than the old comforter cost. I made a commitment to my hubby that this would last a while...and it has lasted 4 moves. But even he said that the shams were getting a little "ratty"....gasp...that's music to my decorating ears! I was browsing our local TJ Maxx and found something that wouldn't clash with the red quilt (which I am not ready to part with quite yet) and sort of feels ready for Fall. Sadly, I'll admit that these shams will probably be used well into the Spring and Summer of next year. I am just not that "with-it" when it comes to home fashion... sue me.

THE BEFORE

THE AFTER

What do you think? And does anyone have any fun ways you get ready for the Fall at your house? Please share!

Finally! The day has come...

A year ago we bought a house that had been occupied by 5 college renters! You've seen the transformation we did in the kitchen. The exterior had seen its day. They grass was a breeding ground for mosquitos, there were no flower beds to speak of, the entire house was painted the same ugly color as the brick. I told my husband when we bought the place that the one thing I HAD to do was fix up the outside. My feeling about a house is nobody cares what the inside looks like if the outside is still ugly. Right?

So here is our beginning point... After a few years of 5 dudes "taking care of it"

The During... primed and ready to go!

Finished and waiting for the final touches...

We finished up the porch with new light, door hardware & house numbers.

Eventually I'd like to have two rockers on the porch but for now this wicker chair serves the same purpose. The little table is a TV tray which I got for FREE from a sweet friend and I've spray painted it black. I have a citranella candle on it to help keep our pesky Texas mosquitos away!

The final result! I'm pretty excited about how it turned out! I feel like our house is no longer the ugliest on the block! Maybe just maybe it's the best looking one?!

The window to the left of the door isn't normally that bright... obviously I could improve on my photography skills! :) And I think I see another project in my future with our leaning tower of a mailbox.

UPDATE: Thanks to Renae for asking you can now know our paint colors... Brick: Benjamin Moore "Crownsville Gray", Shutters: Sherwin Williams "Tricorn Black", Door: Sherwin Williams "Stolen Kiss" as for the trim... I can't remember...but it was some sort of creamy white.

Thrifty Decor Chick
Nesting Place

we all scream for ice cream!

Sydney's ice cream birthday party was this weekend!!

We held it in our backyard and prayed for good weather. There's nothing like cold ice cream to beat the Texas heat!

For simple decorations, I strung ice cream cones in the trees.

An idea I got from TheTomKat studio.

I had fresh, cold watermelon sitting out as the guests arrived. Whether eaten or not, serving a healthy snack cleared my conscience about all of the sugar that was about to be inhaled! I borrowed this shutter from my hallway to add color & interest.

The main attraction was of course, the ice cream table!

Campbell Ryan designed these adorable labels for the cups and toppings.

Inspired by Martha Stewart, I even tried to incorporate the ice cream theme into the cupcakes.

Kids grabbed bubble wands from 1 pail & wet ones from the other.

This pinata, from Hobby Lobby, was a huge hit with the older kids.

For the younger ones, I laid out toys on this rug

(a garage sale find from years past).

As party favors, each family took home their own ice cream shoppe.

A great idea from Polkadots & Pirates.

Just add ice cream!

Everything went over so well, we may be having ice cream parties every summer, whether celebrating birthdays or not~

chalkboard craze

Did you know that chalkboards are IN??

I'm relatively new to the phenomena.

I bought this weekly calendar a few months ago without realizing

how chic I was. I'm now looking for other ways to use it!

Here are some inspiring ideas...

Mabel's House

dwell in beauty

decor pad

ohdeedoh

iDiY

Living with Lindsay

These basket labels are actually made with chalkboard fabric.

What will they think of next??

Have you gotten into chalkboards or chalkboard paint??

I'd love to hear about it!!

{Recipe} Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole

We're back with another recipe! This one is a first time for me but I think it will be a keeper especially since it is really simple. This time the recipe comes from a church cookbook. Get your ingredients ready...
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. melted butter
8 oz. crescent dinner rolls

Preheat the oven to 375*. Brown and drain the beef. Add the sauce and heat thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the mozzarella, sour cream and Italian seasoning. Pour the beef mixture into a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Spoon the mozzarella mix over the beef. Mix parmesan and melted butter and set aside. Unroll the crescent rolls and place over the mozzarella mixture. Seal the edges of the rolls. Spread the pamesan and butter mixture over the dough. Bake about 20 minutes until deep golden brown.

And serve it up!!! Let us know if you try it and the family enjoys!