I received the same Ball® Jars being given away. All opinions are my own. Did you know that I absolutely LOVE mason jars? Back before they were popular, my aunt, when downsizing gave me a few boxes filled with vintage Ball® jars. I thought it was the best gift ever, and used them to decorate my sweet saltbox. Several moves later, the jars were popping up all over the place and I found them among my boxes and started using them here and here. As much as I love those vintage Ball jars, my heart would pitter-patter whenever I spied an amethyst or purple mason jar. However, I never saw one in … [Read more...]
Recently I did a little thrift and antique store hopping with my good friend. We had so much fun. One thing Rochelle collects is vintage aluminum trays. They're inexpensive, they don't take a lot of storage space, and they can be used for all sorts of things. Serving beverages? Grab a tray. Serving appetizers? Use a tray. Serving several kinds of ice cream for a sundae bar? A tray makes a great slop-proof surface. And then my favorite... using a tray to frame a moment (vignette). After shopping with my friend, we went to her house and played. Do you do that too? She … [Read more...]
As the seasons change, I like to feather my nest in small but big ways. Creating little vignettes in the areas where we live, or major traffic areas in the house go a long way to making our homes and their inhabitants feel loved. Today I have 5 easy steps to help you make a spring vignette. How to Put Together a Simple Spring Vignette. First... Choose a theme for your vignette. Because we're so anxious for spring after a long cold winter and because we also want to give a nod to St. Patrick's Day, today we've chosen a green and white theme for our little vignette. Color … [Read more...]
I'm now on Instagram! I'd love for you to follow me there! I just got things up and running yesterday... so be watching for lots of fun photos to come!! Do you decorate for St. Patrick's Day? The other day, a reader commented how she loved all the St. Patrick's Day ideas shared at last week's link party, but she doesn't decorate for St. Patrick's Day. If you don't... it's perfectly okay. But, if you enjoy splashing a little seasonal color in your house, the mantel or buffet or entry table might just be the perfect place. There's no need to go green everywhere unless … [Read more...]
Wow! So much St. Paddy's Day inspiration at last week's Project Inspire{d}. Here is just a wee sampling of the magical St. Patrick's ideas you shared with us! 17 Magical St. Patrick's Ideas Shamrock Cookies from Christianity Cove Rainbow Jello Snack from Christianity Cove St.Patrick's Day Thread Spools from Kaleidoscope of Colors Dollar Store Decor to St. Patrick's Day Pillow from Virginia Sweet Pea Cupcake Liner St. Patrick's Day Trees from Little Miss Celebration Mason Jar Tea Lights from Upstate Ramblings Shamrock Shake from 3 Kids and a Fish Lucky Charms Popcorn Balls from 3 … [Read more...]
Valentine's Day is just around the corner! The tree's been down and the house devoid of anything Christmas for about a month. Though lovely with a bit of simple winter decor, with all the white and gray and brown outside, I'm hungry for color. And since red is one of my favorite colors (I can't pick just one!!), and since I'm a wee bit of a romantic, I do have fun throwing some red around the house, with a few hearts, too. If you're feeling a little bit like me, you are ready for some no cost or low cost DIY Valentine's Day decorating ideas. To make it easier for you, I've gone into the archives and … [Read more...]
Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? Every year I look forward to adding an unexpected bit of whimsy to my decor in red and white for Valentine's Day. After the Christmas decor is stashed away for the season, our homes are usually re-organized and pared back a bit. I think that's why I love to bring out some red for February. I'm ready for a pop of color and the extra bit of life it gives my home decor in the midst of the loooong winter. Today I'm sharing an easy craft that will make your heart sing.... Beaded 3-D Hanging Paper Hearts Tutorial This fun project requires just a few … [Read more...]
This past week, I've been in the midst of some major organizing. Raise your hand if that's you, too. My organizing isn't exactly what you'd expect. I've been spending my time organizing the blog to hopefully make your experience here even better. Most of things I'm attempting to do require me to do some research to figure out how to do it... before I can even start. If you're a blogger that tries not to rely on an expert/designer, etc., you know how much time this takes. I must say there's a lot of satisfaction from the accomplishment. However, because I don't have many posts completed in advance, I … [Read more...]
This fall I gathered a plethora of acorns on my walks at the local park. I've never seen such a variety of sizes and styles and browns in acorns. Of course, I probably never took the time to look before. This year in my quest to decorate on less than a dime, I turned to Mother Nature. And oh my... did she provide an abundance. I wanted to create a centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table setting. I had already made lovely oak leaf chargers, so I did what we all do when we want inspiration, I popped over to Pinterest. While I was looking at pretty tablescapes, I saw an acorn basket … [Read more...]
Table art. If you're the creative sort, you not only enjoy setting an inviting table, you probably like creating something pretty for it, too. We are each blessed with some sort of creativity. I like creating with my hands and my camera lens. Sunday was one of those days when nature's bounty, creativity, a special gift, and beautiful weather all converged at the same moment. It was an amazing few hours. I had so much fun setting the table and photographing it. My husband, who so graciously went with me to the park to lend a hand, kept hearing me talk … [Read more...]
My heart sings for simple doable home decor. Even more... when it's inexpensive to make. Oh! And packs a WOW! Are you ready for a project that's all that and more? I'm going to show you how to create a flowery book page pumpkin that's extraordinary! The best part is that it's whimsical.... it delights children... and make adults smile. I brought one with me when I went to visit a friend and she fell in love with it. Don't you think it's looks adorable in her tabletop greenhouse. Sometimes we take seasonal home decor too … [Read more...]
Today we're making another stop at my friend's home to see her lovely living room dressed for fall. Earlier in the season I showed you her jewel-toned dining room, her stunning entryway, and I showed off my book page pumpkins on her screen porch. This past weekend I was at her home and finally the sun came out so I could get some good shots of her living room. In between a trip to the farmers' market and breezing out for a stop at the hob lob, I grabbed my camera and shot a few photos. I didn't take a lot of photos... this is pretty much everything. This was not a photo … [Read more...]
Last year I went hunting for acorns. I walked for what seemed like miles through the woods that rimmed the cornfield, eyes to the ground, carefully searching for those little nuts with cute hats. After expending all that effort in the hunt, I walked home with a small handful. That's all! This year I had success and found all the acorns I ever wanted! Please … “Pin-it” – Share it on Facebook – Stumble it! You know how you hear that there will be a bad winter when there are lots of acorns? Last winter was the worst I've known, and there were hardly any acorns in my neck of the … [Read more...]
With Sweetest Day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be fun to share a little vignette I recently put together at my friend's home. You might have seen her jewel-toned dining room here. Or her amazing tree-lined entryway here. Or her screened porch here. Today we're back in her entryway. She has the sweetest desk there and it made a perfect spot to create this vignette. Here's how it all started. Around Valentine's Day, I created a box disguised as a stack of letters filled with words of affirmation. (You can find the tutorial … [Read more...]
There's something special about a bundle of love letters wrapped up in ribbon. Want to top that? Create a lovely stack of letters that is a treasure box in disguise... Sweetest Day is just around the corner! Those of you who live in the Midwest are undoubtedly familiar with the special celebration in October called Sweetest Day. Saturday, October 18 is Sweetest Day, this year. It's a day created by Cleveland, Ohio confectioner manufacturers back in 1921. You might have thought this holiday was a creation of Hallmark since the greeting card manufacturers are enjoying this day … [Read more...]
It's true! I've been at it again..creating home decor with book pages. Today, I'm going to show you how to make pumpkins made from paperback books and create realistic pumpkin stems, too. Right now, pumpkins and gourds are overflowing at every farm stand along the road. They're beautiful and colorful and expensive. So...what'a gal to do when her pocketbook isn't filled with extra pennies for a plethora of pumpkins? Create them from book pages, of course! A nice tall book page pumpkin is easy to make. Crafting skills not required! And those amazing pumpkin … [Read more...]
If you've been following here for any length of time, you know how much I love book page projects. Creating everything from Christmas trees to medallion wreaths, to spring-flowering branches with book pages makes my heart sing. As summer rolled into fall, I got the itch to create another book page project. Any guesses as to what I might have tried my hand at? Yup! You guessed it! Pumpkins and gourds. Please "pin" and share this image. You really can create pumpkins and gourds from paperback books! Especially if you have a great … [Read more...]
