Fall Colors

Awww...how quickly our colors change!  Yesterday, I took some beautiful photos of the autumn changes in my area.

I hope you enjoy-----

The first photo is taken from my back deck....how blessed am I??

This is a close-up view of a coleus in my parents' yard.....

This is another photo from my back deck....

This burning bush is also in my parents' yard.



This is taken at Beaverdam Lake in Asheville, NC...I am so lucky to live only 15 minutes from this gorgeous area!  *sigh*

One of the local farms just seconds away from my home.

I hope this inspires you to see the world through your camera lens.....and to truly appreciate the beauty God blesses us with, daily.

Finished Pool Signs

I have finally finished the signs for our outdoor/pool building! The construction will begin {yay} in February or March. Here is one I made just for 'us'......

We will have a 1/2 bath at the left end of the building. The plumbing and septic lines are already installed and ready for us to begin......So, here is a sign for the bathroom door.

This sign contains a portion of my absolute favorite song......it inspires me and makes me *oh-so-happy*!!!

In honor of my girlie-friends, I made a Mermaid sign.....we're all welcome here!!! I love this....

And----inspired by Las Vegas, I created this next sign.......and we promise, it's our truth!!!

This final sign was created as a gift for my brother and his wife.....the 'year' is not as clear in this photo, but it's "1985"......they live in Florida and also have a pool. Thought this was the perfect anniversary present for them to hang near their pool!!

I sure enjoyed creating these signs!! I hope they've inspired you to do some creating of your own!!!! There are many ways to use these signs and many creative *sayings* or favorite quotes!!

Autumn in the Air

Are you feeling the cooler (or colder) nights? In our area, we are still in the mid '70's during the day....but much cooler at night!

Our leaves are just beginning to shed the greens of summer. They are starting to become tinged with reds and golds. By the end of the month, they will be in their full fall glory!

Do you change your home's decor to match the season? My kitchen is already awash with greens, golds, oranges and yellows.....so not much changes in there. The biggest things I change are my entryway and the outdoor decorations.

My hall table changes many times over the year.

I decorate it for spring, summer, fall, Christmas and then the longer {seeming} months of winter.

Are there spots in your home that change with weather or seasons?

What are those areas? Are you one [like my over-ambitious friends] that change out bed linens, bathroom towels and kitchen linens or accessories?

If so, kudos to you!!! My door wreaths, outside *signage* and hall table are the only things that I have the gumption to change out!!

Happy Fall, y'all!!!!

Barn Lights Giveaway!!

Here's an awesome giveaway for you to enter if you blog....or even if you don't! Barn Lights is offering gift certificates to 3 winners! Go to http://www.barnlightelectric.com/barn-lights-online-giveaway.html and enter!!

Here are some of my absolute favorites, just to give you an idea of what they have....

This Benjamin Industrial replica pendant light would be perfect to place over my kitchen island......I think I'm in LOVE!!!

Look at this beautiful vintage wall sconce! Who wouldn't love a set of these in your bathroom?? Or in an entryway, on either side of a large mirror!!

Barn Light Electric also has a large clearance section for all of us trying to design our homes.....on a budget!

Good Luck & Enter away!!!!!!!

My Ever-Changing Foyer Table!

I don't know about y'all....but the console table in my foyer is an ever-evolving display area! Do you often change the decor or arrangements like I do??

Here is a picture of it in late winter.....

I had added clear lights to the tall vessel and some different colored ceramic balls. It was a bright and festive area.

Since then, I have had vases of spring flowers, such as peonies {soooo fragrant}, I've added store-bought floral arrangements, and then my own sunflowers.

NOW-----once again-----it was time for an overhaul!! I'm really liking the simplicity of it, the vintage feel and the ~friendliness~ of this 'greeting'!!

As you can tell, I am a big fan [and newbie] collector of the glass insulators. I have LOVED milk glass for years!

I found these candlestick holders on ebay......ordered TWO sets of them, actually, from different sellers. Milk glass pieces go with just about any decor {I loooooove them} and can be used in any room!!

The white, oval tray I purchased from OneKingsLane.com. There are some REAL finds at this site and I believe it was a steal at $20!! The blue, oval vase was a find from yesterday's clearance search at AC Moore! It was marked down to $3!! WhoooHoooo!!!! I then added some silk flowers to it and.....*tada*......I'm in love!!

So, what do you think? Do you like it? Does it inspire you? What are your favorite collectibles and how do you display them??

A Look At "How to create lettering".....

If you will go to this blog site, "Burlap & Blue", she has a fantastic tutorial on how to create painted lettering that looks like a 'pro' did it!!!

www.burlapandblue.com

The post is dated July 12, 2011......it truly works!!!

Happy Crafting!!!!

Homemade Pool Signs....

I am busying myself with making signs for our pool area! They will actually be hung in the outdoor kitchen/building. We will be starting that in mid-August. *Ugh....more construction!*

I started by buying unpainted wooden plaques at AC Moore. I bought two of the larger rectangle ones, two of the larger ovals, and one of each smaller size. I then painted them with Glidden's "Pacific Khaki" as the base color.

I also purchased small, wooden, decorative pieces to paint. Palm trees, life preservers, anchors and 'architectural flourishes'. I painted each small piece and am deciding on where to use each one.

This is a close up of the palm trees I painted. I even added 'coconuts' to each one! :)

My first sign is all about MERMAIDS!! I lightly drew the Mermaid with a pencil, on top of the painted plaque, then began painting her. As a redhead, I decided my mermaid should have read hair, also!! {hey---I'm allowed some creative license!}

This is my finished "Mermaids Welcome" plaque. I used the flourishes on opposite corners of this sign. I had painted them white, then did a wash in a light blue. I did the same to the plaque, itself. I learned a GREAT technique to painting on your own letters! I will post the link to that blog in a separate entry.

I have many others to create......so----I'm off to paint! I will post photos as I go.....What are y'all doing to 'let loose' your creative beast???