Pretty Little Shelf!!

I think I *finally* have the living room shelf just how I like it!! The final additions were the absolutely CUTE love birds from http://www.etsy.com/shop/homeforhire The wonderful benefit of purchasing from this etsy shop is that 25% of each sale goes to a family in the process of adopting a child!!

The framed print comes from http://www.freshwordsmarket.com/ There are many inspiring gift and home decor items from this site; including journals, cards and prints!

Be sure to check out the Home for Hire etsy shop! There are fantastic gift items, home decor pieces and holiday gift tags!

Christmas Hall Table

It's that time of year! Time to start decorating for Christmas! I love non-traditional colors and simplicity when it comes to holiday decor.

Here is what my hall table looks like.....I love it.

I went to the Home Goods store (TJ Maxx) and scored!

I love this....it's filled with pine cones, Christmas tree decorations and natural items. I sprinkled some cinnamon oil on the contents and now the entryway smells inviting and 'holiday-like'!

You can find the most unique items to decorate with. I love this dear deer! The silver placemat was only $3!!

I bought a box of these silver ball ornaments (4 per box) and used these 3 to hang from ribbon. It was so much fun fending off the cats as I cut ribbon and tried to hang each one!!

This 'icy blue' votive holder was a last-minute find and I love it. Again, a very inexpensive item....gotta love a bargain!!!

I hope you are enjoying putting up your decorations, chasing the critters away from your tree, and remembering the reason for the season!!!

New Paint for Bedroom & Bathroom

I finally painted the master bathroom & bedroom! It only took me over a YEAR to choose a color. I thought, at first, of using a neutral color scheme....taupe, beige, bone, etc....

The room was painted a golden color ("Spool" by Martha Stewart) and I was so tired of it. In looking at paint swatches, I decided to move completely away from the beige and 'yellow' tones.

After months of staring at the beige paint swatches~~~taped to the walls~~~I moved onto 'greens'. Those color swatches stayed taped to the wall for a couple of months before I grew tired of them.

I then experimented with gray tones. I love that gray is the 'new' neutral. My guest bathroom is done is gray and red. I was afraid that the gray would be too dark in our small bedroom and bathroom, so those tones were also put aside.

I then started leaning towards the blue/gray family of colors. After months of indecision, I had finally whittled the swatches down to two colors. At this point, I desperately needed help choosing, so----I called in the hubby!!

His favorite ended up being "Tradewinds"~~~a paint from Lowe's. So---before I changed my mind, to Lowe's I went!!! Here are some photos of the end result....I haven't hung any artwork yet.....ugh.

More decisions....what to hang and where to hang it!!! :)

We did hang the mirror and the wallmount LED fireplace.....that's it for now!

Yes, the kitty is already snuggled up on the bed!!

This is the quilt colors.

I love how the mirror reflects the window!

I removed the big ol' mirror and like this smaller, white mirror much better! I also took the wicker baskets that I use for 'everyday' items and spray painted them with a nickel spray paint!

So, it's now onto hanging pictures and deciding what to edit. *Whew*.....so glad the hard part is over with!!!

One of many BLUNDERS!!!

So.....

I am working on the master bathroom. I have painted the sink cabinet/vanity white to cover the ugly "contractor special" medium oak.

The wall paint has FINALLY been chosen, and the big mirror (just a huge 'slab' of mirror) has been taken off the wall.

I have ordered (and received) the new mirror, some new shelving and also ordered some beautiful depression glass knobs and pulls for the cabinet.

The cabinet never had any knobs or pulls on it, and I have always wanted to add them. I gave up on the hubby ever installing them and bought my own drill and 'cheater' template to install them myself.

{this is where the fun begins}

I drilled 8 holes and properly and put the new hardware on. See below.....

I had just said to myself...."Hey! I can handle this!" *Ahem* Famous last words, right???

So, on the LAST cabinet door, I drilled the top hole----no problem. As I was drilling the bottom hole-----------------

YEP!!! The daggum thing split!!!!! Must've hit a long grain in the wood. I cursed myself by thinking I was just cruising right along.

I promptly threw the drill down and walked out of the room. I guess today, the door will have to come off and use some wood glue and clamps to put the door back together again!!

Oh well.....just another day in DIY'ing!!!! How do you deal with blunders & mistakes????

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!!!!