With Memorial Day, Flag Day, and the Fourth of July all rapidly approaching I thought I take some of the gagillion mason jars I have left over from the Rustic Bridal Shower I threw and paint them to create a patriotic themed centerpiece. I’ve seen painted mason jars all over the place but I had never tried it before, I’m so glad I finally took the leap!

I used DecoArt Gloss Enamel paints to thoroughly coat the inside of the jars with paint. I didn’t want brush marks so I would just liberally squirt the paint in and then rotate the jars every so often so it would coat the interior.  After they were coated I turned them upside down on some wax paper overnight to let the excess drip out.

The paint bottle recommends letting the paint dry for four days then baking it in an oven but I’m too impatient and wanted to share with y’all now so you’d have time to make some for this weekend so I haven’t done those steps yet.  I just popped in some pinwheels and star floral picks from Hobby Lobby but I think these would look fantastic with flowers too!

Are you pulling out your red, white, and blue yet? I know Memorial Day signifies the beginning of summer to many but don’t forget to take a moment to remember the generations of servicemembers that have sacrificed their lives for our freedom!

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Original article: Painted Mason Jars Patriotic Centerpiece

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post Painted Mason Jars Patriotic Centerpiece appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

Thank you to Havertys for sponsoring this post, as always all opinions are my own.

We’ve been doing a lot of furniture window shopping lately in our search for the perfect décor in our dining room turned sitting room/bar transformation. We’re slowly but surely making progress like I shared a few weeks ago but it’s so hard to narrow down our choices and define exactly what “look” we’re going for in the room.

Last week I was in a neighboring town for errands and decided to swing by Havertys to browse their selection since I was passing by. (We don’t have one in our current town but we love it and it is where we purchased our sectional in the living room.)

Since I was in the store I thought I’d take a few pics not only to share with y’all but also so I could enter Havertys super cool Picture Perfect Contest and hopefully win a $2500 gift card (that’s a lot of furniture-buying moola!)

It’s super easy to enter, just snap a picture of yourself with something you LOVE at your local Havertys and send it to them-you can email it to them, tag them on it on Twitter, or share it on their Facebook page! I am a Twitteraholic so I tweeted my entry! (Contest runs through July 31, 2013, see the complete rules here)

It was hard to narrow down what my favorite thing was, this living room set was gorgeous.

And I loved the grey and yellow colors of this sitting area.

And there were gorgeous lamps everywhere!

But when I spotted this navy Moroccan beauty of a rug staring at me across the showroom I knew I had fallen in love! (Warning, fuzzy pic taken by a four year old!!)

I’m trying my hardest to figure where in my house I can put that rug-seriously; it needs to come home with me!!

I did find some great options for the sitting room but you’re just going to have to be patient and wait until our big reveal to see what we end up deciding on! I can’t wait to share it with you!

Don’t forget to stop by your local Havertys and enter their Picture Perfect Contest! You can also find Havertys on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Thank you Havertys for sponsoring this post!

Make your home picture perfect with Havertys. Click here to learn more about the Havertys Picture Perfect Contest where you could win a $2,500 gift card!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Havertys. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Original article: Window Shopping for a “Picture Perfect” Look

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post Window Shopping for a “Picture Perfect” Look appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

A while back I shared with you my new home office.  I had been using an old dining table (that I made over with contact paper!) as my desk but to be completely honest it wasn’t really working for me.  I needed storage-and lots of it.  I barely had room to work in the office because the desktop was always covered in, well…stuff.

So when my next door neighbor offered to sell me her awesome desk for only $50 I jumped at the chance. This thing is big.  And heavy.  Oh so heavy.  So it sat in my garage for two week while I figured out what to do with it.  It had a really nice ivory color with a distressed finish and I knew that it wouldn’t work in my office which is very crisp whites and metallics.  My husband spent days trying to talk me out of painting it but I knew it had to be done.  Honestly, if I could have found a place downstairs for it I would have left it the way it was, the finish was actually very similar to the buffet-turned-media stand we recently painted.

But when it came down to it I have one room in this house that is my retreat just for me and if this desk was going into my office I wanted to give it a touch of the Hollywood Regency style I’ve been obsessed with lately. I decided to paint the desk with white lacquer spray paint (Valspar) to get that super shiny finish common in Regency pieces.  I had never used lacquer paint before and to be honest I didn’t love it.  It was very difficult to get a good finish without drips and the fumes-good gracious the fumes!  It was worth it, and I only used two cans to finish the entire desk.

I love the glossy finish in the bright white.  It makes the wood top “pop” and blends perfectly with the rest of my office decor. The best part of this little makeover however were the new drawer pulls I found on eBay, they really put the finishing touch of the desk!

I paid $18 for six pulls shipped-awesome deal, right?! I’m so beyond pleased with the change in the office and all that storage I now have so I can at least {attempt} to stay organized!! What do you think? Would you have left the desk as it was or do you like the change?

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Original article: My New Desk with a Regency Update

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

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Are you overflowing in strawberries yet this spring? We are and we’re loving it! I took my younger boys strawberry picking (did you see the pics on Facebook?) and we picked nine (!) pounds so I of course needed to make a one of our favorites-Strawberry Banana Bread with Vanilla Glaze!

This is just a slight variation on my favorite banana bread recipe but the vanilla glaze takes it over the top!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Strawberry Banana Bread with Vanilla Glaze

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

A refreshing take on standard banana bread with fresh strawberries and vanilla glaze.

Author: The Happier Homemaker

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, smashed
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
• For the Glaze:
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mash ripe bananas with a potato masher or fork.
3. Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix.
5. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and mix well.
6. Gently fold in strawberries.
7. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Cool on a rack. Top with glaze.
10. To prepare glaze combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, and butter.
11. Slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Extra milk can be added to thin.
12. This is also great as muffins, just cook about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

3.2.1230

So tell me, are you knee deep in strawberries too? What is your favorite strawberry recipe, we’d love to try yours so leave a link in the comments!

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Original article: Strawberry Banana Bread with Vanilla Glaze

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post Strawberry Banana Bread with Vanilla Glaze appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

I was not an interior design student in college, nor did I ever know much about design in general until I started blogging about home decor.  I knew what I liked, and what I didn’t and that was about as far as it went.  Recently I found myself drawn over and over to similarly styled spaces and one day my good blogging friend Kelly from View Along the Way finally put a name on this “style” I was falling head over heels for: Hollywood Regency.

Hollywood Regency was a style made popular in the 30s and is enjoying a resurgence.  Some hallmarks of the style are laquered and mirrored finishes, fretwork and bamboo patterns, Chinoserie styles, rich colors and fabrics and luxe metallics.  Here are some gorgeous Hollywood Regency spaces:

It’s Great to Be Home

Elle Decor-Dressing Room of Aerin Lauder

Jonathon Adler

Gorgeous, isn’t it?

I’m working on a little Hollywood Regency style furniture makeover I hope to share with you next week but in the meantime I have gathered some affordable Hollywood Regency styled goodies for you from around the web (you can see I lean towards the neutrals and metallics!):

1. White Mirrored Cabinet from Kirklands $299  2. Starburst Mirror from Lamps Plus $205  3. Fretwork Window Panels from Target $25  4. Mirrored Accent Table from World Market $219  5. Vintage Brass Cranes via Etsy $25  6. Tufted Loveseat from Pier1 $599 7. Wall Mirror via Target $40  8. Brushed Steel Table Lamp via Kirklands $50

And want to know a little secret? I just bought that settee for my dining room-turned-sitting room/bar and I’llbe sharing that progress soon too!

What do you think of the Hollywood Regency style? Would you integrate it into your decor?

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Original article: The Look on a Budget: Hollywood Regency

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post The Look on a Budget: Hollywood Regency appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

I love hydrangeas.  Seriously, LOVE them.  The first thing I did last year when we moved in our house was plant five hydrangea bushes so I could have my own.  They haven’t bloomed yet this year but I was super excited to see cut hydrangeas in my grocery store last week and snapped some up for my kitchen table.

Keeping cut hydrangeas used to be hit or miss for me-they’d either do great or wilt almost immediately in the vase.  I didn’t know what was causing it or how to prevent it until I was given a helpful tip from the flower vendor at our local farmer’s market last year.  She told me that sometimes when you cut hydrangeas they form a sticky substance over the cut that prevents the flower from sucking water up through the stem (that’s scientific terminology by the way, “sticky stuff” and “sucking water up,” can’t tell I was a Bio major can you?)

To prevent that “sticky stuff” from forming you need the secret ingredient-alum! (Find it in the spice aisle.)  When you are arranging your flowers re-cut the stem and immediately stick the bottom 1/2″ of the stem in the alum, then arrange as usual.  It’s easy and works! No more wilted blooms!

Do you love hydrangeas as much as I do? What are your favorite flowers?

Sharing at Serenity Now

The Humble Brag

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Original article: The Secret to Long-Lasting Hydrangeas

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post The Secret to Long-Lasting Hydrangeas appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

Thank you to Lamps Plus for sponsoring this post.  I was provided product for review but as always all opinions are my own.

The bathroom is officially finished, which makes it the first room in the house I think! This weekend my husband and I added the finishing touch on all the changes we’ve made-we replaced the builder grade lighting with some sleek, modern fixtures from Lamps Plus.

When we were building the house last year we decided not to upgrade any of the light fixtures due to the cost difference…so they put in the standard builder-grade brushed nickel throughout the house.  One of the first things we did was spray paint the downstairs fixtures with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint to change their look, and we love them. We had not changed any light fixtures upstairs though.  Here is what I started with in the master bath:

(This pic is after we painted the walls and framed out the mirror) You can see they were just basic lights with that marbled frosted glass that seems to be everywhere in my house and really annoys me! (It’s a pet peeve for me I guess, it doesn’t bother my  husband but I hate it.)

Now we have these beauties though:

So. Much. Better.

Why I love them: they are sleek, modern, and not obtrusive.  They provide great light over the vanity and blend seamlessly with the other chrome fixtures in the bathroom where the previous fixtures were brushed nickel in a bathroom full of chrome. (We actually put ours in upside down from the way they are shown online but it looks great either way!) They really are the icing on the cake of my little bathroom retreat!

What do you think? Do you hate the veiny frosted look as much as me or do they not bother you? Have you checked out Lamps Plus-the variety of lighting (and decor!) they have is staggering!

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Original article: The Bathroom is Finished: Replacing Builder-Grade Lights

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post The Bathroom is Finished: Replacing Builder-Grade Lights appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

A few weeks ago my husband and I went out on one of our rare date nights and tried a newish restaurant in our area (Southern Pines, NC) called Firefly Kitchen and Bar.  When we first moved here last year the building Firefly sits in was an abandoned Texas Roadhouse.  We saw the renovations occur over a matter of months and watched them totally transform the building into something that looked pretty awesome.  We were excited to try it out and man, it did not disappoint.

The food and service was amazing but being the blogger I am I was mesmerized by their decor.  I got in touch with the folks over at Firefly and they were kind enough to let me go in this week and photograph it for you.

The restaurant was designed by the Dallas, TX design firm WalkerMiranda and it has a very rustic yet chic feel. There is a lot of texture and a lot of metal and wood-it is really gorgeous!!

The minute I saw these penny countertops I thought of my friend Ashley at Domestic Imperfection who did a recent DIY penny countertop. (That’s one of Firefly’s Signature Cocktails on the bar-a Cucumber Collins…sounds perfect for summer doesn’t it?)

What about these amazing wood utensil screens on either side of the hostess station? A scaled down version would be perfection as kitchen art.

The booths are backed by stained plywood…it lends great texture and would be a very affordable DIY project!

The entire bar is lit by gorgeous jar lighting…it’s beautiful!  The rest of the restaurant has industrial metal light fixtures with Edison bulbs.  I love it!

And how amazing is that herringbone planked wall? {sigh}

So, if you’re in the neighborhood (2014 US Open anyone??) be sure to put Firefly Kitchen and Bar on your list of places to go.  And give me an email, I might just meet you there for one of those Cucumber Collins!

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Original article: DIY Inspiration: Firefly Kitchen And Bar

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post DIY Inspiration: Firefly Kitchen And Bar appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

When I was a little girl I loved going to my great-grandfather’s farm on the weekends.  He lived in a gorgeous two story farmhouse in southern Virginia…one of those picturesque homes with the wrap-around porches.  There was a chicken coop in the yard, geese wondering around, corn and cotton fields as far as the eye could see.

In the barn out back were the pigs and I loved going and watching them roll in the mud or taking them food.  (For the record it took me quite a few years to make the connection between Great-Grandpa’s hogs and the amazing salted ham we ate at each family gathering.)

So a few days ago, when walking through TJ Maxx I spied this little piggy for $10 and I knew I wanted him not only for his undeniable cuteness but also to add a touch of nostalgia and whimsy to our decor.  I asked y’all on Facebook what you thought and the overwhelming response was that the piggy needed to come home with me! (My husband wasn’t quite as excited about it!)

I had shared with you last week that I was in the process of working on the mantel after moving the TV to our newly made-over media stand.  We bought a gorgeous white mirror at Lowe’s to hang over the mantel and I was inspired to do a monochromatic white look and wouldn’t you know that the little piggy was just the touch it needed!

To balance all the white I added a wood dough bowl and some vintage books I already had on hand.  I love the look of old, worn books, don’t you?

So what do you think? Do you like the pig? I promised my husband he’ll be moving soon off the mantel and over to my office.

Sharing at French Country Cottage

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Original article: This Little Piggy…or Our New Mantel Decor

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post This Little Piggy…or Our New Mantel Decor appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood® Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

So a couple of weeks ago I hauled the boys to Home Depot determined to get the supplies I needed to build my own cedar raised garden bed. I had an hour before meeting some friends for a much needed girl’s night so I was a woman on a mission! I somehow managed to maneuver three boys and two carts (in a dress no less!) and get my supplies. I had intended to use Ana White’s $10 raised bed plan but when I took a closer look at my wood the next day I realized I had purchased 6′ cedar fence slats rather than 8′.

A little quick improvising and in less than an hour I had made my own raised bed, albeit a little smaller than I originally planned!

To make the bed I bought a total of 6 cedar fence slats for under $3 each. I started by cutting two of them in half to create the end boards. I used 1.5″ wood screws to attachthe boards to scrap 2 by 4s I had on hand to brace the corners. It seriously took me about 35 minutes to make one. I was so excited-such an instant gratification project!

When I had it all built I removed the weeds underneath and turned the dirt over as deep as I could (this area of the yard has a lot of clay and not so great dirt due to the construction of the house last year as you can see from the not so pretty grass around the garden…the dirt is super hard!) Then I filled it with six 40 lb bags of 99 cent topsoil and 2 large bags of miracle grow garden soil.

I am really excited about what I planted-my intent is a salsa garden so I put in two tomatoes, jalapeno, bell pepper, 4 cilantro plants, and then I also added a banana pepper, zucchini, lavender, and my son’s strawberry plants that weren’t doing so hot in another part of the yard.

In my excitement I forgot to stain and protect the wood first-oops! If you do this I recommend doing that before putting the dirt in (duh!)

I used this really cool new tool from Flood® Wood Care called Staining Made Simple to figure out what I needed to do to protect my garden bed. I love this tool, I’ve already recommended it to several of my readers who have asked about staining the DIY Outdoor Dining Table I posted a bit ago. It was so user friendly and it told me exactly what I needed to know!

Check out the difference! Here is the garden bed before the stain:

And here it is after:

So pretty right? And easy!

I’m super excited because I have lots of cleaner and stain leftover to use on the used playset we bought (and finally assembled!)

I’m also super excited because they are hosting the Flood Better Backyard Sweepstakes where you can win a $1,500 gift card to instantly improve your backyard! Just hop over to their Facebook page to enter-and let me know if you win! Thanks so much to Flood for sponsoring this post!! I had a great time building and staining my raised garden bed and hopefully we’ll have lots of salsa and strawberries this summer!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States of America and (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/17/2013. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions visit www.facebook.com/flood. Void in Puerto Rico and where restricted or prohibited. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook.

Linking up to:

The Pinterest Challenge on Young House Love, Bower Power, Sparkle Meets Pop, and Red Bird Blue.

The Humble Brag
Remodelaholic

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Original article: DIY Cedar Raised Garden Bed with Flood Staining Made Simple and Better Backyard Sweepstakes

©2013 The Happier Homemaker. All Rights Reserved.

The post DIY Cedar Raised Garden Bed with Flood Staining Made Simple and Better Backyard Sweepstakes appeared first on The Happier Homemaker.