Faux House Plants & Arrangements...

It's been a month since I posted. This month has been filled with packing, unpacking, and a family reunion sandwiched in between! We've been very busy, but we are finally in our new home. We decided to build a home when we couldn't find what we liked in an existing home. It took 11.5 long months to build, but we moved in a couple of weeks ago, and, so far, we've unpacked a gabillion boxes and only have two gabillion boxes left to unpack. It's become a slow process -- mostly because I have the attention span of a gnat. Yesterday I started to unpack some boxes and got sidetracked with what I wanted to put in a vase in our entryway. I wanted softer colors than I'd had in our other house -- some cream and sage greens. My daughter-in-law, Meghann, turned me onto how beautiful these shades are together when she used them in her wedding. I used the same shades in a luncheon we put on for them after the wedding ceremony. Here's a few pictures of that beautiful day...

Anyway, I'm using some those colors on our main floor and loving it. There's a lot of browns, creams, gray, and sage colors. My husband commented on this yesterday and said he thought it needed more color, so I bought this little original painting on Etsy and will put it in the entry...

I gave him a choice of three paintings and he choose the one with the most color -- my favorite too. It's of Kittery, Maine, which is right up the highway from our new house.

Anywho, I digress. Let me get back on track. A few years ago designers were touting the opinion that you should never use faux plants or flowers in your home. They implied they were ugly and tacky. {Blah.. ba-blah... ba-blah.} I happen to like greenery and flowers, and if the real thing is impracticable or too costly, then... fake gotta work. So, I'm not going to apologize for my slacker plants cause I kinda love 'em. I went looking for some greenery yesterday thinking of the silvery and sage colors in a eucalyptus branch, and ended up with something different. After hitting up Target's Magnolia and Hearth and Hand botanical collections, World Market, and Marshall's, I knew I had to get serious, so I decided to drive the 30 minutes it takes to get to a Hobby Lobby. New Englanders haven't discovered the benefits of Hobby Lobby like those in the west. There's a Hobby Lobby in every town in Colorado. Here they have them spread far and wide and you have to put on your pioneer bonnet and hiking boots to make the trek to one. All I can say to that is.... geesh.

I went into Hobby Lobby with the idea of sage greens, silvery tones, and cream colors. I came out with something a little different...

I started by picking up the lambs ear branches -- beautiful sage color with a touch of silvery fuzz. Then I reached for that little branch with the berries {on the left}.

Those berries have a little purple/blue hue, so that took me off in another direction. Each branch or flower I grabbed had some sage green and a touch of lavender or purple. Purple is not a color I'm usually drawn to, but it's understated in this arrangement, so I love it.

Well, here I sit writing this post when I should be unpacking boxes. Like I said my attention span is limited. Wish me luck as I act like a dock worker and unpack today.

I just remembered. I also bought this fern yesterday...

I should probably get back to unpacking now... unless I can find something else to grab my attention.

Kitchen Renovation Reveal...

Well, folks, it's been long in coming, but I've finally gotten around to posting our kitchen renovation. For starters, it took about 5 1/2 weeks from start to finish, but I'm sure it could have been a week less if we hadn't gone on a 10 day vacation in the middle of it. I did get sick of eating out -- and for a girl who eats out a lot, that's saying something. One tip I would give if you are thinking about a kitchen renovation is to keep your microwave till the end of the reno. We had the kitchen gutted and all the appliances but the fridge taken away at the beginning of the project. It would have been great to have the microwave on a table to use during the reno. That's about the only thing I would have done differently. Also, we didn't change the footprint of our kitchen. I've always loved the spaciousness in our kitchen and I've never needed or wanted an island. That's due to the large peninsula we have with so much working space. Not changing the footprint really cut down on costs, which was great. Our kitchen does have plenty of room to add an island if someone would want to do so in the future.

Let's start with some before and after photos from different angles. Here's the angle showing the before desk area and the after. I guess you could say we changed the floor plan by taking out the desk. In the 25 years we lived here, we never used the desk as a desk. The counter above it became a catch-all for mail and the likes, so we didn't want it in the new kitchen. We love that the new area has more storage with more cupboards below and above...

Here's another angle. We always had a "built-in pantry" in the kitchen (shown in second photo), but the new pantry has pull-out shelves, so it is much more usable.

Another angle...

I absolutely love the products we decided upon. The cabinets are a warmer "white" than it shows in the photos, and the glaze around the cabinets picks up the dark brown in the granite. I wanted a really simple subway tile for the backsplash. I don't care for a "busy" backsplash. I would much rather the granite and the cabinets be the star, than the backsplash -- although the backsplash is often what your eye is drawn to first. I love the gray tile with the cream cabinets. The tile picks up the gray in the granite, and the cupboards pick up the whites in the granite -- beautiful...

I love decorating once a room has been renovated, and I always tend to add a touch of whimsy. I didn't want a lot on the counters. Most of the time anything on my counters in the kitchen has to be functional... except for these mice. I bought them in Bar Harbor, Maine, on our trip. Fell in love with them... even though I cannot stand the real thing...

Well, that's about the end of the tour. I did buy one more thing that pretty much typifies my life right now. It's this sign....

I choose joy. That's something I want to be reminded of daily -- that joy and happiness are a choice we make -- not a circumstance. One more thing I choose is fresh flowers -- often. {P.S. - I'm a sucker for Joanna Gaines' new line at Target. Get a load of that beautiful pitcher.}

It's beginning to look a lot like...

...Christmas! 

I love this time of year. It's magical. And inspirational. And busy. I'm the type of person who thrives on busy. When my husband and I were newly married and still adjusting to one another, we were watching TV one night. I was up and down doing this and that while my husband sat and watched a favorite program. Finally he said in an amused sort of way, "Can't you just sit and relax for awhile?" My answer, "I should try that." Today I manage to relax on the couch frequently, but I'm happiest when I'm busy with a project or two. Or three.

Lately, I've been very busy. Before Thanksgiving arrived I had all the Christmas presents to our children and grandchildren bought, wrapped and shipped. I've never been so organized for Christmas. Having done it once, now I know that is the answer to having less stressful Christmas season. It's been heavenly.

We arrived home from Thanksgiving holiday, and had only a few days to decorate. I got it all finished and then last weekend we were off to the Nashville area for my grandson's baptism. We were so grateful we were able to be there with him and his family for that wonderful event. A baptism is a great way to start the Christmas season. We arrived home on Monday and today we are having new carpet installed in our basement. So excited.

We have another very exciting piece of news. Our son got engaged over the Thanksgiving holiday to a wonderful girl. We are excited to be planning another wedding reception for the end of April. I've never helped plan a spring wedding, so that should be fun.

Along with the good, our family has faced some challenges lately. Life is full of dichotomies. Sometimes I wish I could insulate my family from the trials and difficulties of this world, but that isn't possible. Life is good, but occasionally living it can be really, really hard. I've begun to realize that trials and difficulties can help us to grown and learn and become more sympathetic to others if we let them. They can also be so terribly painful. When things seem overwhelming, I've learned to lean on the Savior more fully. In return I've felt his love, peace and guidance more present in my life. I'm grateful. Celebrating His birth will be more meaningful this year.

You may have noticed (or not) that I haven't been blogging much lately. When I get busy with family and family "things" blogging is found waaaaayyyy down on the list. I never apologize for that. It's how it should be, but I've missed sharing.

I hope you're enjoying this holiday season. Since I'm at home today while they install the basement carpet, I'm going to get some baking done. Some cinnamon rolls are going to be popping out of the oven... and perhaps a cookie or two. Enjoy your day!

Animal Magnet{ism}...

The other day I was browsing Pinterest and came upon this adorable pin...

I loved the idea and knew I wanted to make a version of those cute animal magnets. I chose to make mine a little different though -- more like the sculptured animal wall art {fauxidermy} we've seen in many stores this year. I headed over to Hobby Lobby to pick up some thin wood pieces...

...then to the Dollar Store for some $1 rubber animals. I chose an elephant, rhino and antelope -- that was about the extent of the choices unless you wanted a triceratops or brontosaurus. I will admit I felt a teensy bit uncomfortable as I took off their heads. I used a hack saw, but realized after that I could have used scissors. The rubber was very pliable and it isn't a solid piece of rubber -- it's just a thin layer. 

I gave each piece, including the wooden pieces, a hit of white primer and super glued the heads of the animals onto the wooden pieces. Then, I spray painted them with Krylon Brushed Metallic Satin Champagne Nouveau. {I think they would be really cute painted bright colors too.} When the paint dried I super glued a magnet onto the back of each piece. These are darling used on the fridge to tack things up or they'd be cute on a magnetic message board.

Animal Magnet{ism} at it's finest...

Because I'm such a frugal {not really a word I would use to describe myself} person I made one more...

I'm pretty sure it will be the next fad...

Have a happy day!

"Ribbon" Photo Holder...

The other day my sister called with a suggestion. My mother, who recently moved into a smaller place, needed a bulletin board or grouping of frames where she could tack photos of grandchildren and great grands and interchange them as she received updated photos. My first thought was to make a small grouping of bulletin board frames a little like the "Smith Fine Art Gallery" that we have in our own home. My mother wanted something smaller, however, so I was told to look for something about 16"x16". I went to Hobby Lobby hoping to find a nice frame on their 80% off rack that I could paint and convert to a bulletin board. No such luck, so I started looking elsewhere in the store. This is what I came upon...

I loved the look of this burlap covered photo holder, but I immediately noticed that four of the five decorative buttons were missing. I asked a sales clerk how much she could discount the item in that condition and was told: 50%. Score.

Then I went looking for some buttons or decoration to put in place of the missing buttons and found these flowers in the scrapbook section of the store. Love them and, more importantly, I thought I thought my mom would like them too.

Those sweet flowers against the burlap really feminized the photo holder...

I love this burlap photo holder, because the neutral color of the burlap will let the photos shine. I bought this because I couldn't have made if for $8, but it would be so easy to make: foam board, burlap, flowers and twine -- done! It's a little larger than my mother requested, but the 16"x20" bulletin board should still fit in the space available. The total cost of this delightful piece was $17!

Animal Jars...

I'm a little late in joining the "Animal Jar" bandwagon. I saw this idea months ago when I was visiting my son's family, and it was love at first sight. My daughter-in-law has incredible taste. Their house is a kaleidoscope of colors, textures and patterns -- and it works beautifully. She had made some of these jars and put them on a shelf in their bathroom to store Q-tips, cotton balls, and other small bathroom necessities.

When we started buying items for our latest bathroom revamp, I bought the necessary jars and animals to put on a shelf in our "new" bathroom. Then we went to the Outer Banks and I decided to do a beach-themed bathroom. These zoo animals didn't fit the part anymore, but I went ahead and made them as a house-warming present for one of my daughters who is moving into a new home the end of this month.

These jars are 9" x 4.5", 7" x 4.5", and 5" x 4.5", so I bought miniature animals that were slightly larger than the normal miniature animals. All these items were purchased at Hobby Lobby at 50% off, so it was very inexpensive. The largest jar was only $2.40 at 50% off and the smaller jars were even less!

Each jar had a brushed metal lid, so I sprayed each jar lid with a white primer and then with a flat white spray paint. I did the same to the little animals and then super glued them onto the top of the lids. Aren't they adorable? This little guy smiles at me whenever I walk by...

You could use these in the kitchen with colorful beans/popcorn/candies inside -- in an office with paperclips/scissors/etc. -- in a sewing room with buttons/ribbons/etc. -- or in a bathroom as I mentioned before. So cute and Anthropologie-ish.

I don't think I would try to open and close the lid by using the little animal as a "knob" though, because in time I'm sure it would loosen from the lid -- super glue is only so strong.

I'd love some ideas of what you would use these for so I can pass that information onto my daughter. Leave a comment with your ideas!

Linked to:
Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings
Link Party @ Bloom Designs
Handmade Cuddles Link Party

HGTV Decorator Fabric...

A month ago I was contacted by a representative from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and presented with an offer I couldn't refuse. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has teamed up with HGTV to launch an exlusive collection of indoor and outdoor home decor fabrics -- just in time for spring. They offered to send me some fabric to review. It's a given that I'd accept any offer having to do with free fabric.

I was encouraged to use the fabric any way I chose, so I decided to create a piece of wall art for my son and daughter-in law. Their bedroom has the same eggplant purple, moss green, and sterling silver tones that are in the HGTV Urban Blosson {in "Berry} fabric that they sent me...

Here's what I came up with...

Go here for the tutorial for this Deer Silhouette Wall Art.

Because we don't have a Jo-Ann Fabric Store near our home, I went to their website to peruse the aisles of HGTV fabric. Although you can find 30 different HGTV print fabrics in-store, Jo-Ann provides an expanded assortment of 74 exclusive designs at their online store. I love shopping from the comfort of my home for fabric, so this advantage was perfect for me.

Here's a piece of good news... From April 14th through May 4th, the HGTV Home line is 50% off at Jo-Ann!

More good news... From April 7th through May 4th, my readers can use the coupon below to get an additional 10% off any HGTV Home fabric or trim. In other words, during that time you can get 60% off any HGTV fabric or trim in-store or online by shopping the sale and using the coupon below!

A couple of weeks ago, I published a tutorial on how to make this Deer Silhouette Wall Art. 

Go here if you'd like to learn how to make your own.

Here is an example of some of the beautiful HGTV Home decorating fabrics that can be purchased online at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. The HGTV Fabric @ Jo-Ann Pinterest Board has lots of inspiration on how to use these beautiful fabrics!