{twenty}something

2012 Christmas Home Tour

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Hello! I am so happy to be linking up to the 2012 Christmas Tour of Homes. Take a peek around. If you enjoy my posts, poke around at some of my other popular posts or check out my Projects or Our Home tabs. Consider following me through one of my buttons on the right. You can also find me on Instagram as @twentysomethng.

Master Bedroom

The main focal point is a mirror that my dad framed me years ago that I painted blue and my coffee filter wreath.
When I shopped my house, I pulled together all mirrored pieces and mercury glass to keep the design simple and shiny. I also used some of Home Depot’s fresh garland ($5.00 on Black Friday) to add a natural element. Not to mention, my room smells amazing every time I walk in there! Inside of the apothecary jar are antique ornaments that I found thriftiquing around Dahlonega. Plus, they tie into my blue theme.

Normally, I just decorate the main parts of our house, the kitchen, living room and dining room, but I always loved going into the old homes in my hometown during their open houses and seeing all of the rooms thematically decorated with a tree and all. When I thought of extending the decorations into the master bedroom, it was almost as if a light bulb went off. What hadn’t I thought of this before?!!

Dining Room

Rusty and I typically eat at our ottoman in the living room or in the kitchen breakfast nook. This means that I can always have a nicely decorated dining room table. This year, I kept the silver, white and pearl colored ornaments from last year and bought eggplant colored ornaments and decorations for an accent color.

I added the burlap runner that I cut off of some yardage I bought at a local fabric story. My place settings are white plates on white placemats. The green napkin is wrapped in the same eggplant ribbon I bought for other areas in the house. The lettered mercury glass ornaments from Kohl’s marks my seat and Rusty’s seat. It’s hard to photograph my table as a whole because I had to move it to fit my tree. Here is the best picture I can get of the whole design.

Christmas Tree

I’m not too fancy. I’ve been blogging for two years, and I still photograph everything with my point and shoot Canon and edit all of the pictures in Windows Live Writer. This means it is really, really hard to photograph a Christmas tree. Especially when the Christmas tree blocks all natural light in the room!
I used all of my silver, white and pearl ornaments and added in some eggplant colored balls. I also bought the largest cut tree possible (thanks to my hubby), so I wanted to add some bulky decorations to it. Without spending lots of money on the large ornaments, I just picked up some laser cut, large frames from Michael’s and sprayed them purple. I put in some black and white prints of the family, including Hank and Dagny. I also wrapped some fake presents (mostly the empty boxes after opening my strands of lights) in some glittery wrapping paper. I tucked a few pictures under the ribbons to stick with the photo theme.

Mantelscape

My favorite space to decorate in our home is our mantel. We have very high ceilings in our living room, so I can play round with some pretty dramatic décor in height and form. This year, I pulled this look together for our Christmas mantel.
I used the same shutters that you saw in my All White Winter Mantelscape from a few years ago. I layered an old window that I picked up from a yard sale. For a natural element, I put up a fresh wreath from Home Depot. It was definitely worth the $5.00 to have that amazing smell all month long. I took some fresh garland and beefed it up some with our free tree trimmings. I just pulled some ornaments from the tree and strung them together to tie in a little more purple. My accessories are from Wal-mart, Kohl’s and HomeGoods. I just shopped my house and played around with the arrangement until I liked what I saw. I’m loving this look so much, that I think I might just take down the greenery and stockings and throw up a different wreath for January. How easy is that?!
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking up with Nesting Place.

Purple Christmas Tablescape

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:23:00 +0000

Rusty and I typically eat at our ottoman in the living room or in the kitchen breakfast nook. This means that I can always have a nicely decorated dining room table. This year, I kept the silver, white and pearl colored ornaments from last year and bought eggplant colored ornaments and decorations for an accent color.

I added the burlap runner that I cut off of some yardage I bought at a local fabric story.

My place settings are white plates on white placemats. The green napkin is wrapped in the same eggplant ribbon I bought for other areas in the house. The lettered mercury glass ornaments from Kohl’s marks my seat and Rusty’s seat.

It’s hard to photograph my table as a whole because I had to move it to fit my tree. Here is the best picture I can get of the whole design.

Linking up at: Home Stories A to Z,

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:57:00 +0000

After two years of blogging, I don’t believe I have ever mentioned that I have a mantel in my master bedroom. Years ago, I was driving around Dahlonega and saw this great estate sale. At that time, I was living in a cabin that measured in at less than 300 square feet – bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room included! However, I couldn’t pass up the mantel when I saw it. For $40, I loaded this beauty up and it set in storage until we moved to Sadie Court. Believe it or not, Rusty installed it for me days after we moved in here, and two weeks ago was the first time I have ever really staged it. It looks so nice!

The main focal point is a mirror that my dad framed me years ago that I painted blue and my coffee filter wreath.

When I shopped my house, I pulled together all mirrored pieces and mercury glass to keep the design simple and shiny. I also used some of Home Depot’s fresh garland ($5.00 on Black Friday) to add a natural element. Not to mention, my room smells amazing every time I walk in there!

Inside of the apothecary jar are antique ornaments that I found thriftiquing around Dahlonega. Plus, they tie into my blue theme.

Normally, I just decorate the main parts of our house, the kitchen, living room and dining room, but I always loved going into the old homes in my hometown during their open houses and seeing all of the rooms thematically decorated with a tree and all. When I thought of extending the decorations into the master bedroom, it was almost as if a light bulb went off. What hadn’t I thought of this before?!!

What new decorations have you put in your house this year?!

Linked up with: House of Hepworths,

Halloween Front Porch Decorations

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:18:00 +0000

It’s only a few days until the Halloween. Are you carving your pumpkins and getting your candy ready? Here are some pictures of our front porch this year:

This Party City spider is a favorite!

For $5.00, our Martha Stewart mice have been a hit with everyone who sees them. We laminated them at school, so we could use them for years.

Even UGA got a little makeover with some gauze and leftover cheesecloth fabric.

The 1st year we moved into our neighborhood, we got so excited about trick-or-treaters that we ran out and stocked up on candy. We got a whopping ZERO kiddos that year. Last year, we were gone until pretty late at night and bought no candy. Right as we pulled into the driveway, two of our neighbor girls came over to trick-or-treat. Nervously, I dug through our cabinets for something. I saw two Reese's cups, but I passed over them knowing my sweet tooth would kick in soon and grabbed something else instead. Secretly, I dropped two 90 calorie chocolate chip Fiber One bars into their bags. I am hoping it got all mixed in with their other loot and no one was the wiser! True story.

Happy Halloween!

Framed Halloween Art and Chalkboard Messages

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Some of the easiest decorating I did this Halloween was to shop my home for black and white accessories to pull together this mantelscape and tablescape and transform the art in my frames. Between buying a few packages of Dollar Store Halloween die cuts and printing off a few free printables from The Graphics Fairy, I came up with another cheap look!

“I love you so much it’s scary” It doesn’t scream “obsessed” that I put this on Rusty’s nightstand, does it?

I scattered a few die cut owls on ledges….

and mirrors…..

and in frames….I also added in a few black and white family pictures to keep with the theme. (I love you, E.I. and Papa)

I changed out the art in parts of my gallery wall…

Don’t forget to add some spooky messages to your chalkboards, too!

For my guests in the guest bedroom…

The message in the dining room…

If you stick to making simple, inexpensive changes to your home, you won’t be overwhelmed to change out your décor for seasons that only last about 31 days!

Halloween Spider Curtains

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:37:00 +0000

I absolutely love what I have to share today! When I started decorating the house, I tried to find something quick and easy to do to our breakfast nook. Here is what I came up with:

To replicate this look, pick up a $1.00 pack of paper spiders at the Dollar Store and some double sided tape. I just placed them on the curtains and tried to randomly organize them to look like they are all creeping out of one corner. This idea gives you a huge bang for your buck without breaking your wallet!

Halloween Tablescape

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:21:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I set our table for Halloween.

I decided to shop our house for black and white accessories to keep the theme matching my mantelscape.

Runner – Dollar Store Halloween Fabric
Black Birds – Pottery Barn Outlet
Sugar Skull Plates – Homegoods
Skull Candleholders – Homegoods
Candlesticks – Thrift Store
Placemats – Z Gallery

A little white spray paint and a black Sharpie works wonders….

Halloween Mantelscape

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:21:00 +0000

For the first time ever, I pulled together some decorations for Halloween. I use a lot of blues and greens in my house, and I felt that orange would clash too much. I decided to shop for black and white items from all over the house and bought a few items from some different stores to pull together this look for Halloween.
I bought the creepy black fabric from The Dollar Tree. The clock was $4.99 from Hobby Lobby. The chain came from Party City on sale for $5.99. The skull is a $3.99 Wal-Mart purchase.

I loved making these little ghosts out of cheesecloth, water and corn starch. Check out the easy tutorial here at Love and Laundry.

Coming up this week, I have more Halloween posts including framed Halloween Art, a Halloween Tablescape, some easy front porch decorations and a unique set of Haloween Curtains.

Patriotic Chalkboard Wreath

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:30:00 +0000

In just a few days, Rusty and I will be celebrating our 10 year date-a-versary. 10 years ago, we were feeling that rush of excitement as we made our commute to work where we would get to see each other for an 8-10 hour shift. After a few months of practically being inseparable, we sat down and backdated a date we felt like we became a couple. That date fell on the 4th of July where we went to a pool party and stayed up until 4 a.m. sitting in my Escort parked in his driveway just talking and falling in love (kisses came MANY ~~months~~ - ok, let’s get real – ~~weeks~~ - maybe I’m just being modest – days later and have never stopped…seriously, I force him to make out with me every day for an uninterrupted amount of time.)

Skip ahead – isn’t this a home décor blog?!

The 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday!!! I bleed red, white and blue, so, of course, a wreath was a must for my front porch. Here are a few picture of something I threw together today to make our front porch extra special for the 4th.

The supplies I used were:

Grapevine Wreath (on hand)

A 2-pack of American Flags removed from the posts

Red ribbon (on hand)

Assorted Wooden Stars

Chalkboard Paint (on hand)

I am trying to think of other sayings to put in the stars. 2012. Free. What else?

Here you can see where I just used some hemp string to tie the flags on. I have the option of reusing this grapevine wreath, but this one is so cute I think it will be permanent!

What are your plans for the 4th?!

Mod Podge Rocks! {and} A Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:52:00 +0000

This giveaway is now closed.

Random.org chose:

KimJune 2, 2012 9:34 AM

“This Rocks!” Thanks for the chance to win!

Kim - you are a noreply commentor. You have 48 hours to email me at twentysomethingtransue@gmail.com to claim your prize before we redraw!

Imagine my surprise when I pulled into the driveway after a day of work, checked my mail, and found not one but TWO copies of Amy Anderson’s new book Mod Podge Rocks!: Decoupage Your World!

This book is large and in charge with it’s bright yellow cover. Amy features over 40 projects that vary from Wearables to Home Décor to Holiday projects.

I love that in Amy’s intro she calls Mod Podge the “Holy Grail” of crafting that most people can pick up and use with little training!

Here are my favorite projects in each of the sections:

Wearables

Wouldn’t it be so cool to make little charms for necklaces and bracelets?! I didn’t even know that Mod Podge made this kind of product!

Home Décor
I bought some lamps over a year ago because I loved the base; however, the shades are red and don’t match anything in my home. Little did I know that you could Mod Podge fabric!

Holiday
I love playing around with pumpkins as décor. This fall, I will try some of the Mod Podge crafts to jazz up my pumpkins. I am thinking lace and rhinestones. I love the glitter effect of the stems, too!

Giveaway!

PRIZE: A free copy of Amy’s new book Mod Podge Rocks!
TO ENTER: Follow my blog and comment on this post with the words “This Rocks!”
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Thursday, June 7th at 9pm EST
NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
WHO'S ELIGIBLE: Anyone anywhere.
FINE PRINT: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday as an update to this post. I will also e-mail the winner if your profile is linked to an e-mail address. If the winner doesn't claim the prize within 48 hours, we draw again! Good luck…

Here is the book information:
Mod Podge Rocks! Decoupage Your World
Paperback, 128 Pages, $14.95
ISBN 978-1454702412
Publication Date: June 2012 Check out Amy’s Blog at modpodgerocksblog.com.

How To Make An Upholstered Tufted Ottoman

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Although my blog has been dormant for…er….months, I, my friends, have not! Other than being consumed by what we, in the biz, call “May Madness” a.k.a. GHSGT, EOCT, AP Tests, Finals, etc., I have been working on this piece of beauty since Spring Break.

I have been wanting one of these for years now. I kept pinning picture after picture of great DYI tutorials. They all began with my hunting down the perfect thrifted coffee table. Well, after turning down one sticky or cigarette smoke laden table after another, I asked my man to build me one. He obliged! I watched :)

The Tutorial:

To start, you want to hoard up your Michaels, Jo-Ann’s and Hobby Lobby coupons. I picked up the supplies below on different days at different stores depending on which combination made them the most cheap. My ottoman has 12 buttons. I bought one package of the batting and two packages of the foam.

We also had to make a run to Home Depot for some supplies. We already had all of the wood we needed left over from my Pottery Barn Knock Off Clock. We bought four packages of leg hardware (found beside the legs in the trim section) and four legs. There are many different shapes and sizes, so have fun! I stained ours Ebony.

Rusty built my box 36” x 36” out of plywood top and a 1" x 8" board for the sides. We spent some time measuring it out in the living room. You can even put some painters tape down to get a good visual, but I am a complete “eye ball” it kind of girl. Rusty, however, is not and needed measurements. He attached the leg hardware, and we pre drilled the 12 holes in the grid pattern Rusty measured out for me. I forgot to take pictures of this part, but you can see some of the holes through the batting in the pictures below, and I linked up some tutorials that helped me at the end of this blog.

Here is where my “just eyeball it” mentality came back to bite me in the butt. After putting 2” of foam all over the box and covering it with the batting, my ottoman grew ….to…. 40” x 40”. This really freaked me out in the basement, but it was too late!! I used some spray adhesive and pieced all of my foam scraps together to cover the ottoman. Don’t worry about creases. If you look closely, you can see where we pre drilled holes thorough the wood and foam…drill slowly, though, with a very small bit. You don’t want to rip your foam all to pieces. Use a larger drill bit for the wood. It makes the needle finding the target much easier!

Your next step is to do the tufting. My biggest tip is to use the hemp threading like I did. I tried cording that was too thick to go through my needle and fishing wire that hurt my hands when I pulled from below. It was a very easy process.

1. Tie your upholstered buttons to the end of the hemp.

2. Push the needle through your fabric/foam and into the pre drilled hole.

3. Get under your ottoman and have someone press the button firmly until it
meets the wood. You don’t want to pull from below as hard as you would
need to get a tight tufting because it will risk popping the buttons you just
upholstered.

4. Staple underneath in a zigzag pattern to keep it secure.

After all buttons are tufted, you will flip your ottoman on the floor. Starting in the center of one of the sides, pull the fabric tightly and start stapling towards the corners. Once you get two sides stapled all of the way to the corner, it is time to tailor your corners. Here is how I did mine.

1. Pull your excess fabric tightly to the center of the corner and secure with a
few staples.

2. Pull your right side to the left making a clean fold and secure with a few
staples.

3. Pull your left side to the right making a clean fold and secure with a few
staples.

4. Trim excess fabric and keep securing.

You end of with tailored corners like these:

After screwing on your legs, you are done! Here are my favorites of the after shots!

I. Love. It! Now, I am looking for a good complimentary fabric to make some throw pillows for the couch. It was NOT too big. It is perfect!

HERE and HERE are some pictures of what we were using for our “coffee table” before…

HERE, HERE and HERE are some links to great tutorials I checked out!

On another note, totally sad the Picnic is gone for photo editing, but http://ipiccy.com was great!

Next project? I just pinned this on Pinterest:

Come follow me at http://pinterest.com/twentysomething/ to see what other future projects I have pinned!

Linking up: House of Hebworths, Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Somewhat Simple, The Brambleberry Cottage, My Repurposed Life, The Shabby Nest, Home Stories A to Z

House Tour – A Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:18:00 +0000

I am so proud to be guest posting over at A Woman’s Haven! Chas does a wonderful job of running a series called Home Haven Tour. When she approached me to guest post, she gave me the assignment to focus on what makes my home my haven. I had so much fun thinking, snapping pictures and making categories as I tried to answer that question. I ended up creating a post that I feel captures our home the best I’ve ever captured.

Here’s to my first home tour after almost a year and a half of blogging. I hope you choose to hop on over and see the rest of my home!

Click here to see my 1st house tour!

Best of 2011

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:32:00 +0000

Sometimes when blogging, you get so wrapped up in all of the other great posts you are reading of mind blowing projects that you get down on yourself. You think you don't post enough, or when you do post, they are nothing in comparison to blogs with five and seven thousand followers with book deals. That is why I love this post idea so much. It gives you a chance to look back at your year (my 1st year in blogging) and see that you really have worked your bottom off!

Here's what kept me busy in 2011! (All photos link back to the original post)

January

I debuted by 1st major project with my Pottery Barn Hundi Light Knock Off.

February

I got creative and turned an Ikea Ribba Frame into a shadow box for this skeleton key.

March

I jumped head first on the trend train of decorating this spring with my original farm ladder.

April

I won a major contest with my tutorial on how to stencil curtains.

May

I tackled another Pottery Barn Knock Off when I made this faux clock.

June

We got all personal in June when I posted about our extra jobs and our little family!

July

Big month! We redid our guest room with the hot and trendy faux board and batten look and put up a hallway gallery wall.

August

In one marathon night, one of my students and I crafted up all of her dorm room decor.

September

In September, a new obsession began. Milk glass!

October

I splurged on live decor with these bold pumpkins used in my tablescape.

November

I wrote my 1st sponsored post for Plaid Craft Paints and Martha Stewart where I made this Christmas Typography rug.

December

This Christmas, I decorated with fresh garland that I beefed up with some free tree trimmings.

When I look back at my Home Goals 2011 post, I know that there are a few things that I didn't get to in 2011, but I think I squeezed in a few more projects than originally projects. Somehow, in my twisted mind, this balances out to me. Bring on 2012!

Look back at your year...I know you accomplished great things!

Linked up at Southern Hospitality Blog.

How To Tie Duvet Ties

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:20:00 +0000

On Christmas Eve, I opened some pretty amazing gifts! One of the was this beautiful duvet cover and two Euro shams from West Elm.

I just love its pattern and knew it would look killer with my Gray Matters by Sherwin Williams master bedroom.

Now, I have had MANY duvet covers before, and I always fight trying to get them on and fight trying to keep them looking polished. I decided that the living room would be the best place to spread everything out and tackle it.

First, I lay out the comforter insert on the ground. Next, I turn the duvet inside out and lay it on top of the comforter. As I go to grab the corners to "flip" the duvet over the comforter, I saw these:

Duvet ties! I have never had a duvet with ties, but I went to tying them like so:

After I had all four corners tied, I just flipped everything inside out and buttoned her up. The comforter filled out the duvet perfectly, and it is looking great on the bed.

I can't wait to show you the whole master bedroom.

What about you?! Are duvet ties old news to you? How do you keep yours in place?

Christmas Home Tour 2011

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Even though I have had my Christmas decorations up since Thanksgiving, I am just now getting around to hitting post for you.

Enjoy some eye candy of what we got to enjoy for the last 4 weeks.

This has been the most relaxing Christmas break ever. No lie. I don't know what is has been about this break, but Rusty and I have been both productive and super connected by spending lots of time together on the couch and under the Christmas tree lights.

I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas!

How to Make Christmas Garland

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:24:00 +0000

As teachers, we live our lives from break to break. The last day of Thanksgiving break, I dabbled in outdoor holiday decorations for the 1st time. In about 2 hours, I transformed our front porch into a scene of tasteful Christmas bliss.

The best part about my project was that it only cost about $10.00! Here is what I started with:

I bought rolls of 15' Whit Pine garland from Home Depot at $7.00 each. I grabbed nails and 28 gauge wire (from this project) out of my craft box. I then took all of our tree trimmings (and a truck bed load's worth since HD gives it away for free!) and got to creating Christmas.

I first tacked up some nails and swagged some garland. I trimmed off the excess to save for my railings.

Then I used my supplies to add on some of my FREE trimmings to beef up the garland.

Here's a snapshot of what it will start to become....

After finishing, I just strung up some lights...

I went on to use the rest of that roll plus about 8' of the second roll to affix to my railings with twine. I strung some lights around the railings and the corner bush.

I put out my peace rug!

And even UGA got a little Christmas makeover.

I even slaved for hours to trade out my plants in my window boxes....

Just kidding...I cheated! But no one can tell.

I used the other 7' or so of the garland to gussy up my mantel which I will post all about tomorrow!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Ombre Paint Chip Art

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:03:00 +0000

This was such a quick and easy project for my living room gallery wall.

Yes, I still have empty frames in a mini gallery wall I put up 1 year ago!!!

I just get creeped out when I see tons of posed couple photos or wedding photos in a couple's home, so I was waiting for just the right idea to come along to fill that larger middle frame. There are so many tutorials online that there is no need for me to recreate it!

Here are the basic steps:

1. Put your innocent face on as you walk into Home Depot to score free paint
chips

2. Punch out your circles using a 1" circle punch (purchased at Michaels using a
50% off coupon)

3. Start at the bottom and work your way up hiding the tape under each layer

4. Go back to Home Depot and grab a few extra paint chips in the colors that you
did not grab enough of in the first place

5. Go back with double sided tape and tape down any flaps that are behaving

6. Frame and hang

The colors aren't the best in the picture, but my chips range from (top) creams, (middle) purples and (bottom) grays.

What do you put in those larger frames?!

Get Inspired!

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:25:00 +0000

Rusty and I have been out of school all of this week. We have spent so much time cuddling on the couch watching movies, but we have also put in some serious work in the cleaning/organizing department. And know what we ran into? An old binder full of torn out magazine sheets that we found almost 10 years ago when we began dreaming about our first house. Let's just say I am SO glad we lost that binder since it was filled with authentic cabin looking decor!

In the days of Pinterest, we can get lost online pinning to our little organized boards, but what do we do with those magazine pages that we rip out?

Apparently, I have a system. I didn't really know I had a system until I ran into about 5 pages thrown around my house. I tape them to the areas that I am planning on transforming! I live by the mentality of putting those dreams/goals/desires out into the universe, lol!

Here is what I have done with some of those magazine pages:

Gallery Wall

Click here for my Gallery Wall post.

Guest Bedroom

I have had this taped to the back of the door. My makeover is almost done, and I'm not too sure I stuck to any of the inspiration. But, hey, it's still pretty!

Click here, here and here to read my guest bedroom posts.

And here are some projects that haven't come to fruition just yet:

Office Desk

This one is an easy transformation since it is basically just staging with things I have.

Click here to read about my office.

Open Kitchen Shelving

This is taped to the inside of my current cabinet that I plan to take down for transformation!

Christmas Decor

Here is what I had tucked under a pumpkin on my last mantlescape waiting to transfer it to Christmas!

Garden Tub

I bought all of the supplies for this lighting project this week and hope to have it up soon!

So - as a tip from me to you - hang some inspiration around your home and be amazed at how much faster you will end up getting the projects done!

Isn't it so funny what you learn about yourself when you just step back and analyze a small pattern that emerged?! Do you still find tangible inspiration outside of Pinterest?

Happy 1 Year

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Source

Today is my blog's 1 year anniversary. We are very much still in the "honeymoon" stage. I am loving this new hobby more and more each day. Thank you to all 354 readers I have! I probably know about 10 of you irl, and it continues to amaze me that you are enjoying my little corner of the blogosphere. Here's to another wonderful upcoming year!!!

Christmas Typography Painted Rug and Plates

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Have you seen the new Martha Stewart Plaid line in your Michaels? It's like Martha herself crawled into every craft bloggers little mind and answered our wishes for these perfectly convenient supplies....and right in time for Christmas!

When my box of crack came, I ripped into it to find paints, brushes, sponges, stencils, texturizers and GLITTER!!! It was one of my weaker moments, and I was glad I was home alone.

For today's project, I am using an Ikea rug, Specialty Sponges, 1" Flat Brush and the paint colors Scottish Highlands and Habanero in Satin.

To start off, I tapped into my K-5 days and taped off some lines to create a little piece of penmanship paper. I used this as a guide to free style my cursive font.

When painting the words, here's a tip: start with the middle letter first and finish off the end of the word. Then, work backwards towards the beginning of the word.

Next, I took the Specialty Sponges and made random little red balls that could pass for ornaments.

After I finished up this project, I just wasn't ready to quit. I rounded up some white plates and began playing around with more typography. I chose to work with Peace, Merry and Joy. I also pulled out the Four Seasons Stencil, Adhesive Holiday Icon II Stencils, Holiday Icon Stencils, Specialty Sponges and paint colors Scottish Highlands in Satin, Fruit Punch in Pearl and Sterling in Metallic.

I began with the same technique of taping off an even space/line.

After letting the lettering dry, I went back over it again with my brush. I used the different snowflake stencils to create a random pattern of Winter Wonderfulness!

The stencils were so easy to use with the stencil adhesive. Just spray a little on the back, let dry for about 30 seconds and create up to about 5 stencils before you need to reapply. It helped my lines stay extra crisp, and I highly recommend this product when working on a slick surface such as a plate.

Of course, I had to go back and add some GLITTER!!! Here they are on my floating shelves in the dining room. I can't wait until we go get our tree and garland for me to complete the look!

Playing with my Martha Stewart products was so much fun. This is just the beginning of what all I plan to make. Make sure you stop by her aisle at Michaels and to check out the stencils and pops of paint colors for your crafts, but don't go alone!!! Take a friend and maybe even pack a lunch!

*I received product and payment for this post - all opinions are my own.
** Check out Plaid's Martha Stewart Page!

I'm partying with The Shabby Nest, House of Hepworths, Sisters of the Wild West, Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Making the World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Skip to my Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Sew Can Do, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Slide Beneath My Sheets

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Nothing like waking up early and getting the perfect light to photograph my new guest bed linens! These came in about 2 months ago, but ..... just but. B.u.s.y.

Enjoy!

I'm not going to lie; our guest bedroom is beginning to feel like a little resort. Rusty walked in there yesterday after I had spruced it all up and told me it looked better than our bedroom! This is true. We waller in bedding like bulldogs and have worn out the comforter...time to shop!

I got this Madison Park Sasha 6 Piece Duvet Set at Designer Living on sale for $83.00 with free shipping!

Now - who's coming to stay with me?!

See the total transformation here and here.

Fall Tablescape and Mantlescape 2011

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:03:00 +0000

I have never been one who like to be alone. It has been a challenge for me to sit at home for a few hours on a Friday night with Rusty coaches his team. In fact, I ended up signing up to sell tickets for the 1st half of his games to occupy my time. I never want to eat alone. I will wait until Rusty gets home to eat with him. But one day last week, I got a wild hair and went to a local pumpkin patch with an empty truck and two $20s....all my myself. I spent about 1 hour and bought a wagon full of fall.

After a few hours at home, I came up with this dining room tablescape and mantlescape. Enjoy!

Notice I just used a box of Uncle Ben's rice to fill the vases with my left over stems from Waters Mill. I also played around with stacking and propping the pumpkins all different ways.

I am also planning on taking a large mirror from my dad's shop, doing a little Vintage Revival's treatment and trading out the clock for the mirror. Stop by in a week or see and see my updates.

Like the clock? Check out my tutorial for it here.

Here is my Christmas 2010 Mantlescape and my May 2010 Mantlescape!

How often do you change out your tablescapes, mantlescapes or shelves? I mean - are they ever really "done"? Once we get them the way we like them, don't we all just start of different ways to do the next one?

Have a great week!

I'm partying at The Shabby Nest, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Home Stories A to Z, Dream Home DIY.

Milk Glass

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:13:00 +0000

One of the things I am playing around in my house right now is staging the shelving in the dining room. Sadly, I made this goal back in January on my "Home Goals 2011" post. Since the dining room and living room are connected, am trying to stay away from anything too over-the-top "dining room". I also have an issue with thinking that these shelves compete with the fireplace, so I try to keep the height of the shelves low. Here are pictures that show the dining room and living room and how they are connected.

This summer, I removed the top shelf and touched the paint back up. I think it looks much more balanced and doesn't steal the thunder from the mantle. Here is what I just threw together.

I am loving the top shelf full of white dining room themed items, but I want to change out the bottom. It looks too crowded for the look I am going for. I would rather keep the walls simple and pimp out the dining room table with a killer centerpiece and an awesome tablescape.

I love white ceramic pieces.

This tray and pitcher came from Homegoods for about $5.00 each.

The goblets and bud vases are milk glass. A vintage glass that you can find at estate sales, antique stores or in your birthday package from your grandmother (thanks E.I.!)

I'm almost positive that the bud vases came from a florist's shop. I remember when arrangements came in these vases over the clear glass ones. I am hoping to keep adding to my little collection. The white is so timeless and classic!

What about you guys...do you find yourselves tweaking and rearranging shelves and table tops all the time?!

Friday Finds

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

This morning, I started out with VERY good intentions. I was going to teach all day, coach after teach, tutor after coach and clean after tutor. Well, I taught the same writing lesson to 133 freshmen, practice finished early because my team rocks and my tutoring kid canceled, and Rusty left on a 4:30 bus to coach an away game.

On my lunch break, I caught up on my Google Reader and saw this inspiring photo:

Source

This picture really got me thinking. I started feeling guilty that I haven't blogged in over a month and have completed no major projects. I miss my time. I miss my creativity. Is it summer break yet?

After practice ended, I decided to stop by a thrift store to see what deals I have been missing. Here's what ended up in my shopping basket:

I can't wait to get these frames sprayed in some fun color!!

All 4 frames totaled about $15.00.

2 little wire baskets at .99 cents each.

This great square basket was only .99 cents. I am going to fill it full of toiletries and put it under the sink in the guest bathroom.

This wire magazine rack was only $1.00 and will work perfectly in any room!

Then I stopped by the outlet malls and scored these shoes!!!!

The heels and wedges were on clearance for $6.99 with a buy one get one 50% off sale! The sandals were $2.99 a pair. Then I scored some $5.00 coupon card at the register, so who knows what they ended up costing.....dirt cheap!!!

And then, just because I could....I bought this huge, flower clip. WHOA (Blossom reference).

But now I'm home. Alone. The weather is perfect for eating and movies. There are a million things I need to be doing and 2 million things I could be doing. The house is quiet. I was home before 7. And this is what I did....

My favorite oversized hoodie and Rusty's Navy boot camp sweats....

A chic-flick....

and....dinner......

I wish I were lying, but I'm not! It's a dream come true! Cheese, crackers, chips and cookies. Confession: while I took this picture, I was cooking a stovetop Knorr's Pasta Side (college days!). Good news: I drank a Coke Zero with this feast. Bad news: I haven't been to the gym in 2 months, and I will probably eat a biscuit for breakfast. Confession #2: I put chocolate icing on the cookies I made to make them like the ones you buy in the mall.

I love it!

Did you know that this was an awesome Friday to send an awesome week? It was awesome because I turned 28. I went to the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain. My guest bedding I ordered came. I ordered a new necklace from Etsy. My team won their 1st competition. My kids were awesome at school. The new County Living magazine came. I cleaned my house during the week, so I can enjoy the weekend. I am going to dinner tomorrow night at a restaurant that the hubs had to make reservations for. It hit 67 degrees today. AND....I discovered gel nail polish! I lasts for 2 weeks without chipping!

Rusty, I know you will get this post on your EVO during the game. Please hurry home; I am tired of feeling single.

Why was your week awesome?!

Sneak Peak

noreply@blogger.com ({twenty}something) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Here's a little sneak peak of the duvet cover I ordered for the guest bedroom!

I can't wait to see it on the bed with the faux board and batten and SW Svelte Sage walls!!!

Source: http://www.designerliving.com/Madison-Park-Sasha-6-Piece-Duvet-Set-P11188.aspx