sixties home

Now You See Me. Now You Don't.

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Engagement Shoot 4.16.2012

The Shed: 5.5.2012

With much sadness, I share these pictures with you. This tragedy just happened yesterday and is still very fresh. The smell of soot is in the air, the plants next to my house are singed, and the grass is black.

For all of you who were able to enjoy socializing in the Shed, I am happy to have those memories with you. It was a special place that my Grandfather built, my Mother grew up watching him build and renovate furniture, and that I had the honor of cleaning out and converting into a place to spend time with my friends.

My fiance and I had friends over last night to enjoy the weather, grill out and try out the new fire pit we received as a wedding gift. (Perhaps now I will stop using wedding gifts before the wedding, I'm starting to believe the whole "bad luck" thing). The fire burned in the fire pit through the night. Worried, I wanted to put the top on the fire pit or pour water on it when the night was over. As I went to sleep I watched as the fire was dying down. I knew it would be okay.

I woke in the morning to find everything as I left it. Fire was out, not even smoking anymore and went off to work as usual. Around lunch time I received a text message from my fiance to call him. When he picked up the phone he told me the Shed was on fire. I asked if he put it out, "No Kellie, the fire department is here."

"Is it okay?"

"No...it's flat."

As I sat down for lunch, tears started streaming down my face. All of the memories, everything in the Shed, it's all gone...

I think this is sap on the back porch.

Chad was cleaning up after our grill out last night and poured the contents of the fire pit behind the shed. The metal of the fire pit was cool to the touch. The leaves behind the Shed caught fire. Chad and the puppies had already gone inside to watch T.V. as the fire began to spread. Burning the old couches, a coffee table, kitchen table, vintage Coke machine, our lawn mower, my Grandmother's old record player and all of our Christmas decorations.

Lawn Mower. On it's side.

I may be registering for a new shovel and rake...maybe some weights for Chad.

Much more was lost in the fire. Angry and upset for hours, I am still thankful I didn't lose my fiance, my house and my puppies.

What you may not know is the Shed was a mere 15-20 feet from the house. How the wooden back porch or roof didn't catch fire, I can only thank God for. Seeing the plants burnt to a crisp over 30 feet away really made me count my blessing and thank my Jesus that my family is okay.

The shot below was taken over 30 feet away. There is no reason why our house should still be standing. Praise you God.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Thank you Jesus for protecting us. And thank you to all of my friends and family who ever spent time in The Shed.

Maggie the Magnolia

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 17 May 2011 04:20:00 +0000

Maggie has been on my list for a few ~~weeks~~ months now. She is a screen of privacy (which I love), but she, like most other nature-battles I fight around here, looks overgrown.

I never noticed different trimmings of Magnolia trees until someone brought it to my attention. Such a kind one, my sweetheart pointed to a nicely trimmed Magnolia tree while driving down the road one day stating, "see how clean that looks?" I couldn't help but notice how it looked like the Magnolia just received a cut ~~and color.~~

After several weeks of noticing every tightly trimmed Magnolia tree (like when you decide on a new car, and all you see is everyone else driving that car) it wasn't until Sherry's post at YHL that I decided it was time to take the plunge, with one difference..

I had a power tool.

One of my primary hesitations of cutting down all of these branches for a "cleaner" look was how many fuzzy buds were already on the tree. :( If you know me, you know how much of an appreciation I have for nature these days, age or not.

However, the first cut was made, and before I could shout "Save the Trees!" it was finished. That's what happens when you ~~make men feel macho~~ recruit help to use the ~~manly~~ heavy-duty tools.

The problem we ran into was although Maggie had been trimmed up much higher than 7 feet, her remaining limbs were still touching the ground. Ehh! This meant more ~~cringing~~ cutting. I gave the "go ahead" nod and had too look away (play with the pup) while the job was finished.

Upon my return, Maggie is looking pretty sharp, and it's also looking like we've got Maggie limbs for sale. All laid out in the driveway and such, I wanted to go put little price tags on each of them just to see what would happen.

While the hauling process began, I struggled with a few branches. No sissy to labor and hauling, I muscled the fallen limbs and realized that I, in-fact, had not grown weaker, but that the limbs that had been hanging out on the ground since I played on them as a child, were in fact rooted!

Maybe cutting these branches down was part sentimental for me, since this was the only tree in my Grandmother's yard that had branches that were low enough for us kid-o's to hangout on, climb, and have tea parties.

But after the cut, I wasn't about to let them boss me around, despite their secret rooting system.

Getting some momentum going the pup decided to help by tugging the limbs in the opposite direction from the burn pile.

Always determined there's something hiding under a big pile.

Tired pup after a long days work.

She's looking pretty nice! Next is raking the leaves and laying pinestraw.

At the end of the day, she's still determined there's a chipmunk in there.

Anyone trimmed any Magnolia trees lately?

We Have Bluebirds!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:19:00 +0000

For my birthday last year I received this bluebird house from my boyfriend's parents!! How excited I was!! And so fitting, since my nickname on that side of the family is "birdie" for a few reasons. One being, my appreciation for nature has grown significantly this year. Not sure if this is an age thing or that I just enjoy watching and feeding all of the birds I have around this property. They also gave me a bird book so I can figure out what kind of birds I have :)

What a perfect gift! The house came unassembled and unfinished. Which means I got to pick the paint color! I decided to go with this light yellow. I already had it laying around the house because I've been secretly wanting to spray paint my brass chandelier this color.

I assembled and primed my blue bird house with gray spray paint primer. Let that dry and then sprayed it chic light yellow. It didn't come out perfect and I think this would have done better with a paint brush or roller. You can see it's already worn a lot just by sitting out in the weather. Mental note for next time.. prime with paintbrush or roller for heavier-more protective coat. Also, you can't paint the inside of the house because you don't want those chemicals so close to the baby birds.

The boyfriend so generously hung the bluebird house (I hate doing that stuff). Here are some tips to increase your luck of getting bluebirds in here the first year (which we did!):

1. Face your bluebird house East.

2. Have it facing an open field. i.e. your front or backyard.

3. Hang bluebird house 6 feet up from the ground.

We hung this house some time in July or August to let it set-in. Also the bird experts recommended you hang the house from a pole (which they sell) rather than from a tree, to prevent predators from climbing up the tree and into the house, eating the eggs. They also recommend having a dish of worms near the house to attract the blue birds. (I didn't do this b/c the squirrels I have would eat the worms anyway. Fortunately we didn't even need to use this trick!)

I'm beyond happy that everything we did worked and viola! the bluebirds have arrived :)

Anyone else have bluebird stories? What has worked for you? Or have you had trouble attracting them?

Simple Party Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:15:00 +0000

Do you remember when I said how much I love hosting here? Well it's true. Face time is a must for this girl.

I got this awesome super-sized martini glass at my friend's wedding as a wedding-favor. These were their centerpieces! I just didn't know what to do with it for the longest time, but I felt it's unique potential and I had some friends coming by. Naturally, I start putting a few snacks out and then it hit me! Ding Ding Ding. Snack dish!

I don't plan on displaying this in my home as a snack holder 24/7. I actually think some wine corks or some fresh flowers (without the stem) would look nice in here. I also plan on using this as a display for any holiday candy.

For size comparison, here is the massive martini glass next to a normal-sized martini glass. Good thing I didn't use it for a super-sized martini, although all of that drinking makes me think of those wine corks my friend Michelle collected.

I think it's smart to use items that may not normally be used for display when you're hosting a party. This is my idea of thinking outside of the box. And it makes your decorations more interesting.

Go Deep With Me: Our brains ignore things that are normal or expected. The reason using something that is not typically used for decorations is so when your friends see it, it makes their brain think. They actually see the decoration rather than pass over it and ignore it. If it's unexpected, our brain is alerted to pay attention so we can understand what is going on. This is when the reaction comes in play: "Wow! I would have never thought to use such-and-such for that."

And here's the pup making sure she gets in the blog again... I mean really!? Going #1 right in the middle of my photoshoot. I don't know how she does it, but she always manages to work her way into my photos. She's still cute. ;)

What's something different you have done for party decor?

Does anyone else have an extra large martini glass? If so, how are you using it?

Linking up here.

Put a Cork in it!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

My friend Michelle invited me over to her house for some cheese and wine and I was quite surprised at the masterpiece I stumbled upon in her kitchen! Oh-My-Cork!

I'm starting to realize why she invited me over for wine and not just a beer or cocktail.

My mind starts filling with questions:

How long did it take her to collect all of these corks?!

How did she make this? Did she drink her way through this entire collection?!

That is A LOT of wine!!

She informed me that she, in fact, did not drink her way through the collection, but started asking for corks at local restaurants. Phew. Michelle is not a lush after all. So she says ;)

She used toothpicks on the wreath, sticking the corks into the base wreath (which appears to be one of those straw-like wreaths wrapped in plastic).

The entire backsplash in her kitchen is neatly crafted with wine corks which she attached with small nails.

Below you can see how they attached the corks to the wall. I could hardly the teeny nails while ~~marveling with my mouth open~~ standing in front of it.

Cork-a-licious!! Does this post make you thirsty? ;)

Linking up here.

Bookshelf Re-Org

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:13:00 +0000

I cringe a little when I hear the word "re-org" and can't help but think of big corporations cutting and slashing thousands of people out of work. I've also seen people come together and help each other find jobs and get back on their feet. I like to see the positives that come out of the negatives and the strength one gains for muscling out the hard times.

Fortunately, this post isn't about the economy. And although Re-Org is in the title, I promise... it's a teeny tiny re-org, and I probably added more than I subtracted.

My bookshelf before the Re-Org is pretty sad. It's empty, has random papers and quite the unbalanced feel with most of the books at the top. It's looking more like a junk pile than a display shelf of items that you see when you first walk in. Yes, this is my main entry way, and what a good impression this is giving off right from the start!

I believe there are several ways to ~~skin a cat~~ organize a bookshelf. I've seen so many beautifully decorated bookshelves that I find myself drooling in front of them while I'm getting a home tour. I typically stop in front of bookshelves because it's such a personal space. All of the books really tell you a story of who the person is and what type of family they have, just by the titles. The personal items on a bookshelf can tell you something about what they value. Anyway, I'm that kid who has to catch up to the rest of the group when I'm led around a home.

Right now, I don't love the traditional look of books all leaning against each other. This leaves no room for personal items and is not interesting to the eye. If you have enough books to fill up every shelf and simply don't have room for personal items then take out a center chunk of books and lay them horizontally. This way you'll have a spot to set something on top of it. Do this on each shelf, but in different spots. Making it random keeps it interesting.

Here's a quick after shot of my bookshelf re-org. VERY simple, but now it looks lived-in rather than giving off that freshly-moved-in-to vibe.

I did attempt to organize the books by color, but you can't really tell except for the mostly-red books under the picture of the cow. Yes that's a picture of a cow. I took this picture in Peru, and the cow has an ear tag with the name "Jose". It was just too classic to not frame it. All of the pictures are of my travels, from New Zealand, to Peru, to Alaska.

That black binder is a scrapbook I made for my boyfriend for our first Christmas together. Remind me never to do that again. It was a great sentimental gift, but it took almost as much time and frustration as the time I painted this door white.

I brought in a few pieces to help creatively display some magazines on the bottom-left of the shelf. That's actually a vase, but when I tried to put a plant in it and water ran out of the bottom (although there was no hole or crack) I deemed it a new magazine holder.

So there you have it. Something so simple it's a wonder why I didn't do this sooner. I have thought about painting this guy some kind of cool two-toned look, like a dark teal in the back with white shelves? But how endearing is it that it's exactly the same as when my Granddad owned the place here?

Fun fact: This actually used to be a door! Before my time, this living room used to be a carport and the bookshelf was a door with additional storage space behind it.

How have you guys transformed your bookshelf by just moving a few things around? Have you seen the ones with picture frames hanging on the shelf, essentially blocking some of the books? Such a cool look.

First Garden Post

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:47:00 +0000

There are few things more fulfilling than leaving your own permanent imprint in the world. Whether it be a perennials in a garden, new ideas at work that others keep using and improving upon each year, new recipes that find their way into people's homes and hearts, or a design idea that others replicate because they love it so much! :) I can say seeing my imprint is definitely one of the most fulfilling things for me.

And although I can't take credit for many of the flowers that grow here, I have planted a few that will come back every year.

These are the jonquils in front of the shed that are just coming up. Great view of them from the kitchen window and back porch. They bloom bright yellow buttercups. They've been here for as long as I know, which makes me think my grandparents (or even my parents) could have planted them here years ago.

Aren't they just adorable barely sprouting out of the ground? They grow so quickly I'm surprised I caught them at such an early stage. These guys get at least 12 inches tall and they're only about 3-4in. right now.

Just a few months ago (it seems) my parents gave me about 50 bulbs to plant. My Dad has a special bulb tool to plant the bulbs rather than digging up 50 holes. It's looks like an oversized power drill and that baby made planting these bulbs a 5 min process rather 30++min! Leave it up to Dad's to have tools like that.

They're Japanese Irises and they were already 6 inches out of the ground by the end of January! I'm excited to have a new addition in the yard and I can't wait to see what they look like when they bloom... don't worry I'll share :)

Here's the not-so-picturesque Before shot of me throwing the bulbs in the ground. That's my Dad standing behind me holding the tool I mentioned that was so helpful with the dig-50-holes process.

And this is the reward. I love it already.

Have you added anything new to your yard this year? What positive imprint have you left somewhere that you always proudly think back on?

Linking up here.

BYOC

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Bring Your Own Champagne!

It's girls night, I finally get some much needed socializing. Remember when I called myself Josephine, here, because of how much socializing I require? Yea, it's a lot. The one thing about crafting in a social setting is it helps with patience. I don't know about you, but I either have to be in a very patient or calm mood to get my craft on, or I have to be in the same room with 5 other women doing the same thing. I prefer the latter.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up and I have yet to make anything pink or heart-shaped, my girlfriend's and I decide on a Homemade Valentine's Day Card Night! BYOC, of course, and a few snacks + some cute little cupcakes never hurt ;)

Crafting supplies are laid out on the kitchen table. Somehow we managed to get by the whole night with one pencil and one ruler between all of us. There was a lot of "will you pass the ~~mashed potatoes and gravy~~ ruler and the pencil?"

Here is all the paper we had to choose from! Cutting out your own cards is no easy task. I found out I can't cut in a straight line, or draw a straight line for that matter. (Not that I like admitting that)

Miniature Cupcake Break!!

It was fun seeing what everyone else came up with. There were definitely a few winners that could have been sold at Hallmark or Anthropologie.

I'm going to go ahead and admit I need to invest in an extra luxurious for-night-owls-only flash since 95% of my crafting happens after the sun goes down. See other night-owl projects here, here and here. Any recommendations?

Do you prefer to craft alone or am I the only serial social crafter?

Linking up here.

Living Room Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:48:00 +0000

I can't stop walking into my living room just for a peek. Recently, I moved ALL of the furniture around for a better feel to the room. Before, the furniture was too spaced out which eliminated any chance for a cozy vibe.

To give you guys an idea of what the room looked like before here is a cute little layout I made on floorplanner.com Pretty nice so I don't have to attempt to draw this sucker out! And I realize you may not know what every item is, especially since I had to use the "room divider" icon to distinguish the doors and windows. And those little circle things are lamps. Regardless, the point is, it's so spacey. I tried to use the whole room, which really worked against me. Just look at how far that teeny flat screen is away from the couch!! Can't get much further than the COMPLETE other side of the room!! Not like we watch much TV anyway, we don't have cable, but when it comes to a "cozy" romantic movie night...it feels anything but that.

Before:

After:

And yes, I moved all of this around on my own. Which is why I grabbed the ice packs afterward, turns out I strained the lower back a bit, but it was so worth it. Making the decision to divide the room worked well because now this room has that cozy-factor it was missing for so long. The couch is not only closer to the TV for better viewing purposes, but the chairs are pulled in closer as well making those chair-sitters much less left out and more a part of the in-crowd.

Below are some real-time-just-snapped photos to give you a better look.

All I'm missing here is a sheepskin rug!

Although I'm not totally loving how dark the colors are in this space, that can always change. But check out those designer-looking pillows I snagged for $2.50 each!

And the eyesore of the room... that laz-e-boy officially belongs to the pup. Yep, along with her own personal blanket. I was so tempted to take it out of the room, because it just doesn't really belong with the new layout. However, she likes to nap on the couch without permission, and in an effort to keep her off of the couch, I left the chair for her. (Doesn't work as great as I'd like). Oh, and do you see that bucket?? That's catching some nice indoor rainwater... yum.

I brought this old mirror into the living room that was previously in the dining room. I found it in the shed in the back of the house when I first moved in. My Granddad used to call it "The Shop". He wood-worked in there on furniture, staining, painting etc etc. That was his haven, his hobby, and I believe he loved that space just as much, if not more, than I do.

I love hanging these indoor/outdoor lights to really bring that ceiling lower and increase the cozy-factor I so desire in every room of the house. I bought these at Target some time in my college years, and while they don't flatter a ceiling fan, they do warm up the room nicely! For some reason they've earned the name, "inspiration lights" around here.

A shot from the mantle.

And if that's not enough before and after for you, check out this shot!!

That's me and my Grandad back in the 80s..early 90s?? How crazy is this? For those of you who don't know the back story, this house belonged to my grandparents. It's where they raised their children (one being my mother), and now I have the pleasure of living in this special place :)

I tried to get the best after shot with the same angle. The only really difference, besides the furniture, and those sweet plates on the bookshelf, is the door that used to be a sliding glass door.

So there you have it! How do you like the new look? Do any of you have a room that just feels off? Has anyone pulled off a successful rearranged room that you just can't get over? I'd love to see it!

Linking up here.

Flower Power

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:40:00 +0000

So we're prepping to have a few guests over and I've decided to throw together a lovely centerpiece! The antique Coke (and Pepsi) bottles came from my grandparents house. My Granddad was the most organized collector, best bargain hunter, unusually innate business man, and DIY-er who created the most functional art. I'm starting to see a pattern between he and I.. That being said, I'm uber sentimental and love incorporating items in my home decor that belonged to people who hold a special place in my heart. It carries on their legacy, if you will. It reminds me of them and keeps me talking about them when others come over. I'm quick to say, "that was my Grandmother's" or "my Granddad made that! how cool is he!?" I love feeling they are still with me through beauty & creativity.

And just so you guys know, I'm an avid host. I get giddy when I have people over and am realizing I may require more social stimulus than your average ~~Joe~~ Josephine(?).

How do you like the updated look to the blog, by the way? ;P

These lovely ~~fake~~ bright yellow flowers came from Old Time Pottery. Oh yeah, $1.99 a pop. And since I've been spending money on curtains and lamp shades lately I was happy with the price tag. I was needing something bright to pull me out of this post-holiday-no-color-or-new-decorations-slump. And these did the trick.

Don't get me wrong, I do prefer the freshest of fresh flowers over perma-flowers any day. However! I do believe it is important to incorporate decorations within the home that will last, that you can reinvent and repurpose.

The great thing about these pieces are their height. And how perfectly do they look with coke bottles as the base?! I love the classic charm of a vintage glass bottle.

Are you loving this or what? I'm totally digging the new decorations :) And just in time for some feels-like-spring-but-it's-still-january-weather.

Has anyone else incorporated coke bottles into your decorations? And I'd like to hear what you did with your home decor to pull yourself out of that post-holiday slump!

Linking this project with some of these parties.

Link Love

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:03:00 +0000

Best thing for inspiration are finding other killer blogs! Fortunately we have what are called "Linky Parties" in the Blogosphere. Since I discovered these I've have found a TON of inspiring projects that I'd love to try around my house.

Here are a few blogs that host Link Parties on different days that I plan to link up my projects to in the future! Thanks everyone for hosting :) And to my followers, check these guys out. They might just have the project you're looking for!

Monday:

c.r.a.f.t.

mad in crafts

between naps on the porch

keeping it simple

tools are for women too

skip to my lou

sumos sweet stuff

sew chatty
making the world cuter
11 Heaven's Homemaking Haven
house in roses
sew can do
debbiedoos

craft o maniac
the girl creative
living on love and cents

Tuesday:
reinvented
todays creative blog
the herber family
new nostalgia
coastal charm
house of grace
ladybug blessings
these creative juices
sugar bee
vintage wanna bee
little eme
the gypsys corner
tip junkie

Wednesday:

savvy southern style
sew much ado
the trendy treehouse
me and my bucket
my backyard eden
blue cricket design
the thrifty home
domestically speaking
the t shirt diaries
someday crafts

take it from me
seven thirty three

traci 66

Thursday:

the shabby chic cottage
katies nesting spot
yesterday on tuesday
life as lori
thrifty 101
paisley passions
somewhat simple
fireflies and jellybeans
black kats design
fun to craft
house of hepworths
tales from bloggeritaville
beyond the picket fence
coloradolady
momnivores dilemma
between u and me
a little knick knack
passionately artistic
the two savvy sisters
the treasurista
allie makes

saved by love creations

Friday:
the shabby nest
favorite things
seven thirty three
chic on a shoestring decorating
finding fabulous
frugal fabulous design
romantic home
fun to craft
simply designing
504 main
blessings overflowing
the saturday mornings blog
creation corner
young an crafty

my repurposed life
design it chic
finger prints on the fridge
my new life as mom
on the verge
mom road
buzzing the day away
smart and trendy moms
thanks mail carrier

Saturday:

Sunday:
its so very cheri

under the table and dreaming

kuzak's closet

General:
sassy sites
the diy show off

What did I do with those old picture frames?

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:58:00 +0000

Remember those original vintage frames I dusted, sanded, and fell in love with?

Well here's an update of what I've done with them so far..

Do you love it? I got the middle piece at Hobby Lobby a loong time ago and never found a home for it until now!

One of my personal home decorating rules is to never leave art "floating". No wonder it took me so long to find a home for that ornate key hole. If I took the frame off of it, it's looks like it's wandering, something's missing, lonely and misplaced. Mainly the frame makes it more pronounced, solid and finished.

I'm saving the other frame for another project that I don't have all of the materials for yet. Right now I have it sitting on the mantel with some other decor. It's looking pretty good there, so I'll leave it for now.

Am I the only one with this must-frame-lonely-art rule?

Curtains are UP!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:56:00 +0000

Remember those IKEA curtains I mentioned here that I purchased for a mere $9.99 a panel? Well here they are! Finally UP!! We had to raise the hanging rod since they're so long. I can't express to you how much warmer the room feels with curtains. I've been on a curtain hanging spree lately (with the help of my lovely b/f who, after hanging these, proclaimed he hates hanging curtains!) I couldn't agree more...which is why I ~~have him do it~~ wait until I have his help ;)

The strange part about hanging curtains is it makes me feel like I'm still moving in. Which is weird because I've been here at least eight months. But I just chalk it up to priorities.

By the way, remember when I was so concerned that these curtains are a whopping 98 inches?! Well I'm loving them! Instead of looking completely too long and messy, they are actually looking full and luscious.

A better view..

When I saw this picture on Made By Girl's blog today it reminded me of my curtains! The length and color look just like my newly flowing romanticized curtains. This picture is from a Spanish magazine called El Mueble, which makes my curtains feel that much more exotic ;)

El Mueble

Just a quick before and after shot so you really get the warm fuzzy feeling.

You like?

Typically I only allow my curtains to slightly touch the floor, but I'm really loving the lush factor of these! Anyone else have super long curtains in their house?

Linking Up Here:
between naps on the porch

General Rules of Home Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:32:00 +0000

There are some general rules when it comes to decorating your home. These are the only few on my mind at the moment, but I will add to the list as I go.

Buy your curtains long!! Hang them as high to the ceiling as you can while they still touch the floor. This illusion makes your ceilings look higher! These are my ivory silk curtains in my bedroom from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Save your 20% off coupons!! They were $40 a panel! Ouch, but I was patient and used a coupon for every panel. Four in total.
Make sure they're at least in the >90" range. I don't recall how tall my bedroom curtains are but I recently purchased some 95" curtains at Anna's Linens and 98" curtains at IKEA (which I'm finding out the 98"s are too big, but they come with an iron-on hemming for adjustments), both running $9.99 per panel! Now that's a deal!

Your hand soaps and other every-day use products ARE a part of your decor! Think about it, they're things that you use all-day every day. This means, everyone that comes into your home sees them as a part of a whole; your whole home decor.

You look at them everyday yourself! It's the little things that count. Buy pretty or nicer-looking hand soaps, kitchen towels, etc. Get the ugly off-brand Windex and store it in the cabinet. But whatever is laying on your kitchen sink, or in your guest bathrooms, make it count. It IS a part of your overall decor.

For darker rooms, hang mirrors across from the windows in the room to reflect more light! I did this in my newly rearranged living room and it's been great! (Which I'll be revealing soon, the pic below is a sneak peek) Granted, the mirror is no window, but it definitely helps lighten the place up a bit.

A few others I haven't obeyed yet:

-Your dining room rug must be large enough to cover the chairs as they slide out. When the average person slides the chair out, to get up from the table their chair must remain on the rug. This is how you know your rug is large enough!

-When is comes to baseboards, go big. ~~Fatty~~ wide baseboards increase the lux factor of the house. In fact, I've seen a few less expensive ways to do this! House of Smiths has an incredible tutorial of this that I would love to do someday, but may never so I'll share her version of it here. So cool, and you don't have to buy new or replace your current baseboards! Woop!

What other general rules do you have for your home decorating? Are they must-haves or pet peeves? We want to know must haves!! What is something crucial that gives the home a whole different look? What are the basic standards that everyone needs to know to do first before diving into their home decor?

Color Of The Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:31:00 +0000

For all of you who haven't heard, the color of the year is Honeysuckle!!!!

The color experts, Pantone, release the color of the year as well as the colors of the year they expect to show up in high-end designer fashion, consumer products, home decor, upscale events, etc. Here is an article in the Wall Street Journal about the new color. (Pay attention to the Cynthia Steffe dress near the bottom left of the article... yep I used to be the South East sales rep for that line...)

So enough about Pantone, I LOVE this color!!! As I look around the house to quickly examine how stylish I am... oh, okay so I have nothing in this sexy hot pink color. Well shoot.

Then I recall, this is the fab color I searched for when I was planning a hot-ness upgrade to my closet. There is something fun and secretive about painting a ladies closet Hot Honeysuckle Pink! Upgrade!! There's something about it that is just-for-you and gives you a no-one-else-is-going-to-see-this-so-make-it-hot feeling.

This is the first project I completed when I moved back into my sixties home from L.A. I was needing a boost and a I'm-going-to-do-what-I-want project, thus, a stylish Honeysuckle closet I got. ;)

Love It! Now if I could only fit a teeny chandelier to really make be feel fabulous.

What do you guys have in this color??

Ahhh the Freshness...

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000

"I will never ~~drink again~~ paint again."

Here's to using primer from now on!! This baby took 4 coats of paint, several attempts, motivational tapes and music (ke$ha specifically so I could do paint strokes like I was in a dance club) to keep me painting. But it was so worth it.

If I haven't mentioned to you before, my sixties home is mostly brown and strangely enough, unfinished. Several windows and interior doors are raw wood and some still have installation pencil marks on them that say things like "Up" with an arrow pointing up. I like to pretend they're ancient markings, hieroglyphics from another time, although, they were most likely written by my Grandad. Which is a lot cooler to me that I can almost finish the story of what was going on at the time and that his imprint is still in this house :)

This door is one of the main doors in the house used by guests entering the home, and it shows. Check out this large step. Even the bricks are shiny from the years of stepping. It's like a museum with a "Do Not Touch" sign and a rock next to it that's unnaturally shiny from everyone's greasy fingers.

Here's another 'before' shot. Yes that's my dog sniffing the door. She has an "open door policy" shall we say. She gets upset if you close a door on her. More pictures to come on this.

Not only did this project take me several weeks to complete, it almost makes me never want to paint again! One particular painting session, I started getting really upset at those crossbars that separate the little window panels, questioning their existence and disowning them, telling them they're really getting in my way. Its times like these that I wonder why I ever started this project in the first place.

May I say that I am typically an exceptional edger? With the help of my Mother and professional painter friend Matt, I've been weened off the painters tape and taught how to use my paintbrush just right so I wouldn't have to scrape the window pane with a razor.

Well that all went the door (if I may speak in puns) with this project.

I look at this and tell myself, "Kellie, you're better than this!" And it's starting to sound like some kind of sporting event. But what it comes down to is, at that time, I was not better than that. Messy it may be. I wanted to get done painting!

I believe my first date with this door lasted about 2 hours. And my second was a longer, more intimate 4-6 hour date. Are you getting the idea of how tired I was of this thing?

Thankfully my boyfriend talked me out of sanding down the rough edges on that overused step and to just paint it instead. He said, "It adds character". I love him for the simple words he says to make my life easier.

Here she is again staring at me, along with the paint that just had to make it onto the window. And no the paint color is not hot pink, but this angle is taken from one of my darker rooms and in mid-daylight I still have trouble capturing the true color.

My wrists were limp, like after a tough game of bowling. After I finally finished painting this sucker. I put up my paint materials and waited another few weeks before looking at that ~~dreadful~~ delightful door again.

And here she is!! Isn't she a beaut? I love her now, and am so happy I finished the project. She brightens up both rooms and although I still never want to paint again, I am hoping that one day I'll get the urge to paint something else this creamy white color that matches the other trim in my sixties home. PS this angle gets more natural light so refer to this color.

Again with the open door policy..

The angle here does not receive as much natural lighting. Just believe me, it's not pink!

Does anyone else have I-should've-used-primer stories? How many months did it take you to start painting again? I'm swearing off painting for at least 6 months.. I think.

I just did something amazing.

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:25:00 +0000

This light fixture has been eating at me foooorrreevvvveerrrrr (imaging this being said like that scene from The Sandlot). I mean, how do you even begin to modify this, as a renter? Smokey glass globes? Not just one, but FIVE smokey glass globes. I'm tired of globes as it is. An owner might say, "Scrap it" or "Just replace the fixture"

Well, replacing the fixture would've most definitely been cheaper than scrapping the whole thing and starting over. And actually this Octopus-of-a-fan isn't nearly as bad as some of the others in this house. (I'll spare you the pictures until I update them too). But I didn't really want to scrap anything, I just wanted to update it. So when I came across a blog from YHL I knew I had my answer.

All you need is a lampshade! I got mine from WalMart for $15. I tried to find a large drum shade. The ones that are an exact circle and don't curve into a triangle shape. AND you have to get the kind where the metal part sits towards the center of the shade, where you screw the blub in. See below.

*NOTE: While shade shopping, turn the shade upside-down (it will be hanging upside-down on the ceiling fan unless you find a shade with a ring close enough to the top to not interfere with the blades, which I never found.) to visualize how close the metal ring is to the base of the lampshade. I tried to find shades whose metal ring was closest to the base of the lampshade so to not interfere with the ceiling fan blades*

I actually wanted to use this concept for several lamps in my house, but it only worked for one. Why? Because my Octopus-like ceiling fan actually sits lower than the other single-bulb fans because of it's fixture. The single-bulbs seem to sit farther up inside the fan, closer to the blades, which caused every one of the 5 lampshades I bought to sit too close to the blades, preventing them from turning. You can get a light fixture extender at Home Depot to fix this problem for about $2.50 if you're really desperate. It may take one or two since the extenders are only about an inch or so.

Take off all of the globes first, then hold your lampshade UPSIDE-DOWN toward the central fixture (the one you will be screwing the central bulb into). See if it fits, if it's low enough and covers (hides) all of the other four outlets. If it's a good fit, all you have to do is screw in the center bulb and your done! The bulb holds up the lampshade. The shade won't be as secure as you're used to on a lamp and you might have to make sure it's not crooked once you finish. But since you typically don't touch them, it will be fine once you have it straight.

I found that the lampshade made it a bit darker in the room, so I needed two bulbs and higher wattage. I bought this piece at Home Depot for a couple of dollars. It allows me to add another lightbulb into the same central light fixture. I have two 100 watt energy saver light bulbs in there, which emits a substantial amount of light. The energy saver lights don't burn quite as hot, which is good if you have them sitting close to a lampshade. Make sure they're not touching the lampshade. Either get smaller sized bulbs or a larger lampshade so they're still a safe distance away.

And VOILA!! My new updated fan that no longer looks like a smokey octopus globe fan. I love it :P

Have you done anything different to update the dreadful globes? I still need ideas for my other single bulb lamps that didn't make the cut for this project.

Snow Photo Opp!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:09:00 +0000

What better time to get pictures of your house than after a thick snow storm?! Everything looks so magical. Take time today to brave the cold weather and get quality photos of your house, car, loved ones and pets.

If you ever plan to sell your house or rent it out, these are photos that add something extra that other postings may not have. Take advantage of the GA weather and get your stand-out-from-the-crowd photos that may be a huge benefit to you in the future.

Here are a few of my favorites from today :)

White on white, I love it :)

This is the work I've been doing all week (with the help of Dad) Cutting up those dead trees we had cut down a few weeks ago. Keeping the scraps for bon fire material.

The baby didn't know what to do with all of this snow!

Did anyone else get something special to cook today? I got the ingredients to make homemade Italian Butternut Squash soup! The perfect warm and fuzzy food :)

Clementine Centerpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:20:00 +0000

For Christmas, the boyfriend and I received these tasty clementines from his parents! Yum! After downing a few I realized I could use this bright color to lighten up that post-christmas-decor-dullness we all feel after having to take down our Christmas decorations and lights :(

I picked out a vase that would clearly show off the color of the clementines and was small enough to be filled completely (with a few extras laying around so my centerpiece wouldn't be eaten in a week!)

So here's to remembering to use your fruit to decorate with!!

Merry Belated Ornament Wreath!

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:06:00 +0000

I had been wanting to hang an ornament wreath all Christmas until I realized HOW expensive ornaments are! Doing calculations in my head I realized my ornament wreath was going to cost me at least around $50, which for a DIYer is impractical, especially when a store bought ornament wreath is less than that.

So I was up visiting my parents in South Carolina and we decide to introduce my boyfriend to the local flea market. I've seen some interesting people at this flea market, including a man with a guitar for sale with a sign that read "Signded by..." So close! Poor guy, I wanted to take a picture but thought that wouldn't be the nicest thing I've ever done. ...soo I'll just blog about him instead ;)

While the guitar speller wasn't there on this visit I did score some sweet ornaments perfect for the wreath I've been dying to make for $2.50!! Now why I didn't think to grab a few more boxes, I don't know. From the look of the box I thought it would be enough, but I managed to do with what I had. Like usual.

I made sure to get a box that had the same color ornaments, but different sizes and finishes. The large ornaments have a clear glossy finish, and the small ones are frosted.

I picked up some Craft Rings at Michael's for this project because I knew I'd be using a glue gun. I can't picture what a glue gun would do to a styrofoam ring. If anything, I haven't tried.

PS these are so cheap, I think the small one was maybe 50 cents or so.

I wrapped my smaller craft ring in black ribbon because I figured that ~~beautiful~~ brown color would ooze through the ornaments. Always have black ribbon around. Black ribbon is to crafting what salt and pepper is to cooking. If you season your food, that is.

As you're wrapping your ribbon around the craft ring, heat up your glue gun. Mine cost about $5 at Michaels. When you've made it all the way around the ring with the ribbon, tape it into place.

Before you start gluing ornaments down, try to lay them out first so you can make sure you have enough or know where to put what. (Ornaments have proven to be difficult to "layout" mine rolled all over the place, but do the best you can!)

Above is my first layer of ornaments. I chose to put the largest ones on first to make a base for my wreath. Just incase you're wondering, this wreath will be one-sided since I didn't have many ornaments. But I love how it turned out!

Next, I glued the remaining large ornaments between the first layer of ornaments. Since the silver part is sticking outward on my first layer or ornaments, I decided this is where I would glue on the smaller ornaments.

First take off the entire silver part from the small and large ornaments, remove the hook and then glue the silver parts back onto the ornament with hot glue Now that the hooks are out of the way you can simply hot glue the ornaments together.

The last of the small ornaments I glued where there was extra space. I didn't want to be able to see through the wreath. I was able to make the pattern semi-consistent, although this isn't super important. Just get them on there!

Then add whichever ribbon you'd like, whatever goes with your color scheme that year. Lime green, white, creamy off-white, vintage grey.

After my wreath was done I ended up hanging it over an old empty frame (surprise). I just taped the ribbon on the frame to secure it and put the frame on the mantle.

Have you guys made ornament wreaths before? What about with a wire hanger? How did you secure it so it didn't turn into an ornament egg? What about hot glue and styrofoam? Was I right in dodging that disaster from the beginning?

Speaking of Frames

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:31:00 +0000

Okay I really love these! These frames came from my Grandmother's basement and have years of dust and who-knows-what-else on it. The frames are thick, bold, and sturdy. Key ingredients for it to look substantial in the home and not get swallowed up. I'm not a big fan of the tiny thin frames that look like they would snap if you ~~threw them on the ground~~ touched them.

LOVE! <3

I was thinking about leaving them like this until touched them and came up with a thick layer of dust. So I decided I would wipe them down... which really didn't do much. These babies needed a sander.

FYI: Bring this project outside! Gets pretty messy.

Can you see the difference already? No that's not a shadow. That is the actual color difference after sanding. And I must say, I like the lighter, cleaner look after all.

There's nothing like having a truly distressed frame. No need to add that antiquing gloss for these guys, (there's just something I love about not faking it!)

You can see the before and after. I had two frames and by the time I finished the first one, I never thought I'd be able to do the other one! Hand sanding these suckers was my workout for the day. But I absolutely love how they turned out. now to find something worthy enough to go in them!

What do you guys think would go great in these? Right now I have one on my mantle (empty). I love to use empty frames as a prop for photoshoots, wreaths, to frame wall art that would otherwise look a bit free. Maybe an old vintage mirror if I could find one or cut one to size? Any other ideas for these sweet original vintage frames?

Update Outdated Art

noreply@blogger.com (Kellie) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:13:00 +0000

I've been grateful to inherit quite a bit of artwork, furniture, etc. for this house. They're hand-me-downs, so if I don't like it, I don't feel bad about ~~messing it up~~ making it more modern.

Here's what I started with. The frame is similar, (I forgot to take the picture before I painted it, too excited!)

And below is the frame painted this beautiful copper color that I love, and am trying to make consistent throughout my house.

All I had to do is carefully pull off the matting. You can see double-stick tape holding it on. No biggie! You can either leave the artwork on and cover it with something new, or peel it off. I tried to peel it off but it wasn't coming off smoothly, so I just left it on and covered it.

I hated that marshy green color and wanted something that would contrast nicely with the copper I'm in love with. I chose black.

While you're letting your frame and your matting dry, cut out the pictures or new artwork that you want for your new frame! These are of my boyfriend's dog, such a sweetheart. I figured it was time for her to have her own place in my home.

To preview my newly repurposed artwork (and to see how everything fit) I placed the matting and the frame back over the art. Beautiful! Since the photo wasn't an exact square I knew I would have some whites lines...this is when I whipped out the ribbon.

Some of the white I was okay with, but the other photo didn't have enough paper at the bottom and allowed the old artwork to show through!! No!! Ribbon is my safety net, it always covers up. Plus I wanted to give it a little more ummph(?)

To secure the back and the glass in place (I'm sure there's a better way) I used small nails. I hammered them in to the back of the frame a bit and then hammered them over the backing of the art. I would recommend four nails, one on each side.

Final product!

(Please excuse the yellow-ish pictures, I'm a night owl and most of my creativity pours out after the sun has set)

I think she likes it! :) ...it took me forever to get this shot, my boyfriend had to put a bug on the wall to get her to look up there. But we really think she was looking at herself on the wall ;)

What about you? Does anyone else enjoy saving money and repurposing old items into new ones you love?

What kind of old vintage items do you find yourself collecting the most? I think I'm obsessed with old wooden frames.