Northern Yank becomes Southern Belle...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2013-11-28T14:54:00.000-05:00

My belly is beginning to rumble with all the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen that my wonderful husband is preparing. All on his own, I might add. Yep, that's right, he cooks! I think he might expect me to clean the kitchen after he's done. He can expect all he wants...but as my son keeps saying "he's wrong". My family knows me all too well. After a large Thanksgiving meal like that, my only plans will be to undo the top button of my pants and waddle my way over to the couch for a little afternoon snooze. Well, that's my plan but highly unlikely with 3 kids. A girl can dream about how she wants to spend her food coma.

I hope you all are having a very wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with your family and friends, and may we all be as blessed as we are right now in this moment. I'm enjoying the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, and watching my children, down on the floor setting up train tracks. I love just listening to them both argue and giggle. I wouldn't trade this for anything, not even a food induced coma.

Here are a few funny youtube videos I found earlier. I hope you get a little enjoyment from them.

Turkey video

Happy Thanksgiving!

2013-11-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

Are you spending the day running around for all those last minute items? Or have you crossed everything off your list? This is certainly the busiest time of the year, but make sure to carve out just a few minutes each day to take a deep breath. Look around and notice what you have accomplished and not what still needs to be done. You will get there! Thanksgiving isn't about the meal, (although I do love me some stuffing), it's about the people that we surround ourselves with.

This long weekend, I will be avoiding the crowds at the mall and working on getting closer to getting my girl's room put together. I've come a long way from where it was. I wish I had a before shot, but sadly I don't. The majority of the painting is finished. I've painted the walls a turquoise like blue. (Exact name of color will be on another post). The ceiling is in a flat white, and the trim is the same throughout my entire house which is a semi gloss white. I still have the doors and the interior of the closet to do. Hopefully this weekend I can get those done.

Here are my inspiration pictures via Pinterest.

I love how sweet and sophisticated this room is. I've had to modify things to fit the space and shape of the room. As much as I love the bookcases flanking each side of the bed, there just isn't enough room along the wall I will be placing 2 twin size beds against. I'm still purchasing fabric for pillows and the headboard, but I've already bought the duvet cover for both beds.

Pottery barn kids has this set on sale. I purchased just the duvet cover and I'm leaning towards white for pillowcases and sheets. I'll have plenty of pillows and an upholstered head board to bring in additional colors and pattern. One of the reasons why I chose the striped duvet, is because the plan was to paint stripes on their ceiling like the picture below. Unfortunately, it's just not possible. The room is an awkward L-shape, and the ceilings and walls are less than flat and straight. It was just impossible to use the laser beam level in order to tape the stripes. I'm still looking for more inspiration for their ceiling. It's the fifth wall that is often neglected.

Oh well, back to the drawing board with this one.

Click here for more information.

Both the door to their room as well as the closet door will be painted pink. In a later post I will have all the names of the colors, I am using. I am not using a chalk board paint as we have enough chalk boards around the house.

I'm thinking I might make the closet kind of fun and paint stripes in there. At the moment they have a bi-fold door, which rarely closes right, so I found a great tutorial on how to make your bi-fold door into a french door. More to come on that if I'm successful.

Here's my moment to take a deep breath and think about all the things I have already crossed off my list, and NOT reflect on what still needs to be done.

Besides eating leftovers this weekend, what are you up to?

DIY Holiday Decor Inspiration..

2013-11-26T12:20:00.000-05:00

Here come the holidays, ready or not.....

I've spent the morning with my 2 yr. old cuddling under the blanket and watching "Barney's Christmas" movie. It's cold today and yes I know it is November after all, but I am being a cold weather wimp. It's the kind of day where you curl up on the sofa, coffee in hand, and look for inspiration on Pinterest. You know what I mean? Oh and play a game of peek-a-boo.

For years I use to buy holiday decorations right after Christmas. My house looked and felt like a department store. Every square inch of my home had something to remind you of what time of year it was, just in case you forgot. What I cherished most then, and still do, are the hand-made ornaments my children have made throughout the years. They are always prominently displayed on our Christmas tree. Each of them delights in placing their own ornament and sometimes will secretly move the other's ornament out of the way to spot light their own. Kids, what are you going to do?

I've started to move away from the commercial aspects of the Holidays, and really reflect on what I want to give my children as warm, happy memories. I find myself gravitating towards a more hand-made, relaxing and use of natural elements in my home decor to bring out the true meaning of Christmas. An oasis of calm and peacefulness inside, where we can shut out briefly the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

This year I'm going to focus more on affordable, simple, DIY, holiday decorating that I can make. I've turned to Pinterest to find many inspiring projects, and I hope you as well find something to be inspired by.

Click here for the full tutorial.

What a cute and simple ornament to have my children make. They can even personalize it. Click here for the full tutorial.

Here's the how-to on this one.

1.You should be able to find these large styrofoam balls at any craft store.

2. I suggest spray painting these first in your desired color.

3. Use a spray adhesive, (Something you can find at your local craft store).

4. Sprinkle some glitter and then spray a sealant to keep the glitter on your DIY ornament.

Click here for more information.

Click here for the full tutorial.

I think I'm going to have a fun and festive weekend of DIY projects. Share with me any creative ideas you might have for the upcoming holiday season.

When downright ugly becomes inspirational...

2013-11-25T19:08:00.001-05:00

Not to long ago as you might recall, I went to the thrift and loaded up on some, not so pretty, okay downright ugly items. If you haven't read it then you can find it here. I don't always have a plan for an item but I know inspiration will strike sooner rather than later. This is the eye sore I am talking about.

I initially thought this was someone's craft project gone wrong, but it was constructed well and it was cheap, so in my cart it went. It wasn't until I went to give it a makeover that I realized this tray in this design retailed for $29. I'm thinking this should be my new business venture (just kidding).

My daughter's will be sharing a room, as soon as I finish it. When that is, I HAVE NO IDEA. It's a process and I try to remind myself of that, over and over. Things are mostly coming along with a few minor set backs but that's a part of design and making a home your own. I wanted to bring some sort of inspiration into my girl's room, something they could take to heart and believe in.

Pinterest as well as Google are great places to find inspirational quotes for your daughter. Here's the one I found.

It's important to me that my children grow up knowing that not only do their parents believe in them but they too should believe.

I gave it 3 coats of Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze in gloss. I had the quote made by Craft Cuts in vinyl, you can find a link to them here. The quote cost me a little less than $20.

I just placed it on the tray, where I wanted it to go and then peeled the backing off. It took a few minutes to rub it completely on. A quick tip is to peel slowly as to not rip the vinyl. Sometimes you have to go over a particular spot that hasn't yet adhered.

Here's what it looks like now that it's completed.

And a before and after shot.

What are some quotes that have inspired you? Where do you go when you are looking for a little inspiration...Just leave a comment below!

What's cooking, good looking?

2013-11-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ugh....I know I'm behind on blogging...*hangs head in shame*. I did manage to make a delicious meal Friday night, took lots of pictures, but had ZERO ambition to blog about it. On Saturday, I finished up some smaller projects, came to a realization that a larger project wasn't going to be actualized, and then took the rest of the day off to hang with the kiddos.

Alright back to Friday night's dinner. Don't judge me by my poor photography skills. I'm still getting the hang of all of this. Oh and don't judge me by the name of this recipe, I didn't name it, but trust me if you like buffalo chicken, you will enjoy this dish. I found this recipe via Pinterest and you can find it here.

I always make double, because I'm learning that 10 year old boys can really EAT, and I do like to have some for leftovers for the middle of the week. So if you are like me you will want to double the ingredients.

Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread

Here's a list of the ingredients you will need:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp. olive oil
1 pizza dough (I bought Pillsbury canned pizza dough in the dairy section)
8 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
3 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of Franks Wing Sauce (I used the store brand)
1/3 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing (I already had ranch, so that's what I went with)

For the exact directions and measurements, click on the link above.

I rolled the pizza dough out and then spread a combination of the ranch dressing and a little bit of hot sauce.

I cut up into chunks the chicken breasts, cooked them until they were no longer pink and then added hot sauce to the frying pan.

I gave the chicken a few minutes to cool before spreading it out on top of the pizza dough. Once, I did that I placed both the mozzarella as well as the cheddar on top.

I know it's not looking too pretty here, but trust me it's delicious. All you do is just roll it up as best you can.

Place it in the oven for the amount of time the pizza dough package recommends and....

I made 2 of these to feed 5 of us, and I can tell you we have very little left over. It's not as spicy as you would think, so you might want to crank up the amount of hot sauce if you are looking for nuclear buffalo chicken.

What's cooking in your kitchen tonight? Leave a comment below!!

A little bit of gold is all I need....

2013-11-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here's to a little "Midas" touch

The next tray project I am about to show you took me all of 30 minutes to put together, and less than $20 bucks. If you don't already own some of the items I used below expect to pay around $25. I really think I got a lot of glam factor from this project. As I have admitted in my last post, I LOVE TRAYS...and once I figure out how to install my little Pinterest button on my blog, you will see an entire board dedicated to just them.

Okay, onto the details. I purchased an unfinished wood tray from Michael's craft store for $5.99. Actually I purchased two, but that's going to have to wait for another post. I spray painted it white, but really you can do any color that fits your home decor. It's what I had on hand, and since it will be going in my bedroom, the white really worked best. It takes about 10 minutes in between each coat to dry, and I gave it 2 coats. This is definitely something you want to do outside or in a very well ventilated room.

Next, I decided I wanted some sort of design in the middle of the tray but I have ZERO artistic abilities, unless stick figures are considered "artistic"? Enter one of my favorite companies (I am not sponsored by any companies, these are my opinions and preferences), called Craft Cuts. You can find the link here. They offer a wide range of both vinyl and wood lettering, not to mention various shapes. I decided on a yellow oval in the middle and then a wall art/decorative end #223 in white to go on top of that. I measured out the dimensions of the inside of the tray and then kind of guessed as to what size I wanted the vinyl cut-outs to be. It took about a week to arrive and was around $10 dollars.

All you need to do is peel off the backing and place it on the desired location. The majority of the time, I just use my finger to rub it on, but at times I have used a credit card.

As you can see here, I simple placed the second design on top and gently rubbed it on and then peeled the paper away. I did decide my tray needed a little more glamour, so I grabbed my Krylon gold leaf marker and colored the insides of the handles and the top. I purchased this marker at Michael's a while back. Again not terribly expensive at around $5.

I use this tray to showcase some of my milk glass pieces that I have found of course at the thrift store.

If I am feeling a little ambitious later on. then you should check my next post later today titled "What's for dinner"? I have a really hot dinner recipe to share with you all.

Trays, trays everywhere....

2013-11-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

Adding a nice touch with trays....

O.K. so yesterday I admitted to being a "chairaholic", well that isn't the only thing I find myself hoarding, err collecting. I also love trays. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to just that, TRAYS. I love organization even though my house at the moment doesn't look it, and trays offer a great way of displaying my found treasures or organizing them in one place. My next couple of blogs will probably be on this same topic as I still haven't gone out and gotten more staples to finish my first ever upholstery project. Let me show you project # 1 as I'm calling it. It doesn't even involve spray paint, which come to think of it is probably something else I hoard.

When I saw this I said "oh yes, please".

I actually wanted something slightly larger for my night stand. A place to put the remote (and yes in this family I get the remote), and somewhere to put any jewelry I might have forgotten to take off. As luck would have it, that same day I discovered this great how-to blog on how to make a tray just like this one, but the monogram, was FREE.

Now, I have my own to ooh la la over. Here's how I did it. I found this fabulous site which offers lots of different styles. You can find it here: http://printablemonogram.com/product-category/acrylic-tray-insert/

The first thing I did was to laminate it. I don't have a fancy machine just individual sheets I picked up at Target. The exact tray I used can be found here at the Container Store. http://www.containerstore.com/shop/jewelryStorage/traysOrganizers?utm_medium=Affiliate&productId=10028194&utm_source=Linkshare&utm_campaign=Linkshare_Affiliate&sku=10050369

I know I spent a whole $5.99 plus shipping for this!

Here's my handy, dandy tools.

I placed the tray on top of my laminated paper and made small snips as to where it needed to be cut. Once that was done all I needed to do was place the sheet inside and voila....

See I told you I get the remote! Tell me about some of your favorite Pinterest projects below.

She's getting all BLINGED out...

2013-11-20T18:09:00.000-05:00

Reupholstering for the first time.

I think I've mentioned before that I am a seat of my pants kind of decorator inside my home. Sometimes I manage to come up with some pretty amazing ideas, executed well, and other times, well I hide the evidence. I've read a few blogs from some very talented DIY ladies out there, on the topic of reupholstering. They make it seem fun and fairly easy to do. I want to join in on the fun and easy to do.

Okay, I'm about to admit something to you all, that I have NEVER said out loud. I am a "chairaholic". Yup, I see a chair and I can't say no, although I've gotten a lot better. In fact so good, I have managed throughout the years to clear out most of my chairs. I said most, but NOT all. Back when I worked full time and had a disposable income (has it been 10 years already?), I paid a whole lotta money for a pair of chairs that I had shipped from France. I was instantly in love with having authentic French furniture. The lines of the chairs are AMAZING, the orange and black tint to the wood, not so much, and the fabric...um don't even get me started on how ugly it is. But love is blind in many cases, and this has certainly been no exception. Let me introduce to you one of the pair. (The other one is camera shy, or is it she's hiding in the basement under a ton of stuff?) Now is the time to put on your rose colored glasses if you have any.

I wasn't lying when I said she was a little on the "orange" side and her frock, well again, don't even get me started. But I have a vision, or I've never taken off my own rose colored glasses. I needed to seriously do something to tone her down and make her more in line with my style and taste. (I'm still figuring out my style and taste). I grabbed a while back this thing called "Rub n' Buff", it was at Michael's and I was armed with a 40% off coupon. This tiny tube actually covers up to 20 square feet....impressive to say the least. You only have to use a minimal amount and by that I mean pea size for each section of the chair.

Here's what I used...a pair of disposable gloves, a somewhat stiff paint brush, and the Rub n' Buff. It's best to do this outside, although it doesn't have that, obnoxious of an odor. I simply squeezed a tiny amount on the tip of the brush and lightly painted it on, I then went over it with my finger. That really helps to smooth it out and distribute it a great deal more than the brush does. The brush was great for the smaller crevices and trust me there were plenty.

Here she is looking a little "fancy". Look at those legs...now can you see what I first fell for? I left the chair outside all afternoon. I have decided to do a section at a time, just in case at some point I feel that I am not able to reupholster the chair. The back of the chair being my starting point, since I have never done this before. It took a couple of hours of just pulling each individual upholstery tack out, using needle nose pliers. Ouch, is all I can say every time I pinched myself.

Being cheap and not wanting to invest in expensive fabric, I purchased a painter's drop cloth from Lowe's. It cost a whopping $20 bucks and should be enough to do the whole chair. I actually went with it because I love the look of the canvas. I did bleach it and washed it a few times to "soften" it up.

Once I had the back fabric off, I placed it on top of the drop cloth and gave myself an inch all around.

As you can see, I never work alone. Now onto the moment of truth. I already owned a staple gun. I just simply tucked the fabric slightly under and stapled. A few times I had to remove the staples because they weren't sitting flush, but all in all, it's pretty easy and (fun). I made sure to tighten and tug the fabric and almost managed to finish it all, when this happened.

I ran out of staples....ugh. I can still remove the tacks and cut the fabric but the actual reupholstering part will have to wait. I am toying with the idea of using some trim to cover up the staples but using a roll of upholstery tacks should hide my stapling, and by roll not individual ones to be hammered in.

Here's a close up....hey not too shabby for my first time! More to come I promise. But in the meantime, I did see a chair in the window of a consignment shop....

I've got the fever for decorating this Holiday Season...

2013-11-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not running a real temperature. I do have my heat turned on today, and my favorite blanket over me.

I tend to wait until Thanksgiving is over before I decorate for Christmas. I'm in no rush to get through one holiday to get to the next. It has become a tradition for us to put up our Christmas tree on the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's also a tradition for my children to make something special for each family member. I try and find a cute but doable kids craft to celebrate the season, and to teach them that "giving" is more important than "getting". I'm still searching for the perfect project that the 3 of them can work on together.

Since the sun is shining today, I decided I needed to take advantage of this outdoor weather and get in some spray painting. I am very excited to show you all what I made. I purchased this punch bowl at an auction for a quarter....that's right 25 cents. It's a thick, heavy glass, loved the shape, and the embossed fruit on it. Now I knew I was never going to use it for it's intended purpose, it just didn't have a purpose when I first bought it, but leave it to me to figure something out. I have been dying to use a product by Krylon called "looking glass". It makes any glass look like it could be old mercury glass. I'm still looking for actual mercury glass but I know it will be more than a quarter.

Here's what it looks like after 3 coats. I could have been done in 2 but felt that maybe giving it another quick coat would get all the spots I might have missed. If you are looking for that "mottled" look then you will want to take a little water and spray that first, and then apply your Krylon spray.

Once you use this, it is NOT recommended that you place food, beverages or plants in it. However, I decided to wing it with a small pine tree that I left in it's original container. I placed some small glass rocks on the bottom. I had these left over from my daughter's "fairytopia".

I planted a small pine tree that I picked up at Lowe's for $8.99. After Christmas, I'm going to look for a small fake one to use every year.

This tree is receiving the feline sign of approval. That's our "Dolce", one of the sweetest cats in the world.

I should mention that I added some mulch to keep the tree in place and to make it look nice. I have a huge pile of it sitting in my drive way.

And this is the first of many Holiday decorations to be put up. Let me know what projects you plan on doing this Holiday Season?

For the love of milk..

2013-11-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

Collections can be big or small

Oh how I love milk glass, really I love anything that is cherished and collected over time. Other than having a small collection of milk glass, ironstone and a few pressboard paintings, I can't say that I really "collect". I try and be mindful of the space that I have, which in this old house is limited. Now if I should ever win the lottery and have a huge house, well look out, here I come! I would most likely be featured on hoarders, but I'd like to think tastefully decorated. In the meantime, I will just live vicariously through these beautifully arranged collections. Leave a comment below and let me know what you would collect, if you won the lottery?

I am completely smitten with this DIY project and now I am justified in buying more of these, just for this same project. You can find more here: http://ruffledblog.com/diy-moss-and-milkglass-centerpieces/

I'm jealous of this plate collection. I often look in the thrift store for plates just like these but sadly I've only managed to come across 1. It is the star of my dining room. You can find more here: http://twosugarbabies.blogspot.com/2012/03/inspiration-milk-glass.html

I love the different shapes and sizes of this small collection. Milk glass really lends itself in so many ways, from vintage looks to contemporary. It's all in how you display them. You can find more here: http://rachaelherbert.blogspot.com/2008/06/milk-glass-vases.html

These are a few of my press board oil paintings that I have collected. They are reasonably inexpensive (goes along with my cheap tendencies), but what I really love about them is that someone, somewhere was inspired to paint these. I love to make up my own stories about each of them.

You can find them on etsy, for less than $20, which I believe all of mine were. They really give a home a unique and handcrafted look. You won't walk into another person's house with the same artwork hanging up or in my case leaning on my bookshelves.

This one by far is my favorite. It makes me smile every time I look at it. I bought it when I decorated my middle daughter's bedroom in a shabby chic style. My little girls are brunettes, but there is something that just reminds me of when my girls were this little. She was so excited to become a big sister, but more so because she was getting a little sister of her own. My son on the other hand really wanted, and still wants a brother. He hasn't accepted the fact that this "Mama" is done.

Creating a home takes time. Sometimes you will love the results and other times your vision will be hard to re-create. Don't give up. Make it an extension of you and your family, and you will always love it. The one thing I both love and hate is that I will never really be "done". The needs of my family changes as well as falling in and out of love with furniture and home decor. Don't take any of it to seriously and just have fun, live comfortably is what I always say. Nothing in my home is too precious, trust me. I once took several pictures of furniture and walls in my home that were "crayon and in one case sharpie enhanced" by my creative 2 year old. But it's our home to be creative, make mistakes in, and just enjoy being together as a family.

Time to put your party hats on....

2013-11-17T20:34:00.001-05:00

I just linked up to my first ever DIY Link Party over at DIY Showoff. If you haven't checked out her blog post yet, you should!! I spent an hour over there today and plan to do more. There are so many beautiful and interesting entries. Seriously, these gals are talented.

Here's the link: http://diyshowoff.com/category/other/that-diy-party/

Did you really just buy that?

2013-11-16T17:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a week already, what? Time flies when you are having fun shopping, transforming, decorating and blogging. This is something I've wanted to do for some time now, but kept putting it off because of well, fear. Yep, that's right! Things like, "Will I be any good at this?" or "What will people think?", kept popping into my head. The biggest message that I have taken away from almost every blogger out there is "just be yourself" and "you can do this". So here I am, and I'm glad that you have found yourself here as well. Do you have any dreams of your own? Tell me about them.

And off to Goodwill I went......

I managed to sneak away for a few hours this afternoon and shop to my heart's delight. Of course I didn't walk away empty handed. Now before I show you the pictures, I have to give you some fair warning. Some of the things you will see are best described as "ugly" or even "really ugly". Still want to have a peek? I always try and look past finishes and surface dirt and think of new ways I can transform something. Sometimes it works, and other times, not so much, but I'm always glad I've tried something different. Without further ado.......

I'll give you a break down here. These lamps will go in my son's room on top of his dresser. I just need to find a couple of lampshades and maybe some ribbon to spruce up the shades. His room is on a very long list of "to do". I should mention they were a whopping $6 each.

I really love this painting. The frame not so much in it's current state. There are some minor dings on the painting, but it adds to that shabby chicness that I love. I already have in mind what the color of the frame is going to be. I think it will help highlight the colors in the painting. I snagged this for $12. You will just have to keep coming back to see the transformation.

Now onto the "ugly" or "really ugly".

She's a beauty isn't she? I don't know why I've decided this tray is a she, but it works for me at the moment. Bright red with lots of gold polka dots. Clearly she was a craft that went wrong. This is a really solid tray and I loved the square cutouts all along the sides. A little bit of paint and she should be as good as new. My investment in this was just $4 and I'm kind of embarrassed to show you all exactly how many cans of spray paint I own. And as if her bling wasn't enough, you should see the next picture down below.

Are you wishing you didn't look? I know it's all a little "gold", but I have some ideas floating around in my head. The wall shelves came as a pair for only $4 and the frame was $3. I'm such a big spender, I know.

I had a little fun with instagram on the next few pictures. I love silver, I just don't love to polish it. Again I have some ideas floating around.

I have one more photo but I'm saving that for another day, another post. It involves my love of milk glass. Let me know all about some of your "ugly" or "really ugly" finds that you managed to transform.

What's for dinner?

2013-11-15T16:54:00.002-05:00

I tend to choose recipes that are realistic for my family. I look at things like cost, and how long something takes to prep. I know there are lots of shortcuts in terms of finding already chopped vegetables, and I try and take advantage of what's on sale at the grocery store. I guess you can sum up my cooking style as cheap and easy. Some other factors I take into consideration are the likes and dislikes of those that will be dining. (Read this as my kids, ha).

So what's for dinner tonight? Let's just say this meal had me at it's delicious picture I pinned off Pinterest.

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Here's a list of ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
5 cups of water
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro

Please follow the link here for this amazingly delicious soup!! http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/brazilian-shrimp-soup

I usually double up and make a larger batch on all my dinners. During the week sometime, we have a hodge podge of leftovers and that works for me on nights we are busy.

I love the smell of garlic, onion and pepper.

Now doesn't this look yummy?

Leave me a comment below and let me know what's for dinner at your house tonight? Bon Appetit!

Table scapes for Thanksgiving...

2013-11-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is in just a couple more weeks, and my mind is on tablescapes. With 3 kids, I find it difficult to set a beautiful table and expect it to remain that way, but this year I am going to make the effort. I said effort, but with all the cooking it just might be paper plates and plastic utensils. I spent an hour today on Pinterest, just pining away at all the beautifully dressed tables. I want to share a few with you.

You can follow the link here: http://confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com/2011/11/pumpkins-bittersweet-and-mercury.html

I love all the interesting things found on this table, especially the gold flatware.

http://interiorenhancementgroup.blogspot.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-tablescapes.html

I love the modern twist on a very traditional way of setting a table. You can read more below by following the link.

http://makinglemonadeblog.com/modern-mixed-metallic-thanksgiving-tablescape/

I spent a little bit of time this afternoon bringing nature indoors, as well as working on a diy mercury glass punch bowl. (More to come on that later). I know the suspense is killing you, right?

Here's a cozy little corner inside my home. My dining room is a dual purpose room as I have no foyer. This is my small entry area, that I decided to give a slight mini makeover. Note the small wooden tray I purchased from the Goodwill.

I added a pumpkin left over from my Halloween decorations and found some pine cones to add to the tray. The red throw blanket was from Ikea, which I got in the "as-is" section for $4.00. It's such a warm blanket on a chilly day.

I had some fun with instagram, can you tell?

Please share with me how you dress up your holiday table by posting a comment below!

Bringing a little fragrant rosemary into my home..

2013-11-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I am squeezing this post in between my littlest one's nap, and before picking the rest of my brood up from school in a little while. I've come to a realization that with little ones, my only true time to indulge and create comes in that magic, little 2 hour window. Here's how I decided to use the vase I found at Goodwill.

It started here on my dining room table. Normally, I have a couple of topiaries but since I host Daisy's at my house, I decided to clear it off early and play around with it.

I clipped some rosemary I have growing in my yard, compliments of the previous owners. I love the fragrant smell of it every time I pass through the dining room. Unfortunately, it just seemed small and out of place. I briefly considered the top of my coffee table, but with kids and pets, it just wouldn't stand a chance. Which led to my next and final spot.

I placed it on my bookcase in the living room. (I pass by this more often, anyway).

I painted this bookcase white a long time ago. Actually I spray painted it. The paper backing is, you guessed it, gift wrap from Elum. You can find further information and the link below. Both chip board paintings came from Etsy, as well as the small gold tray, the frame is simply shabby chic that I actually purchased off ebay. The Eiffel Tower was brass, but yup, I spray painted that too. I bought that years ago from Ballard Designs. Last but not least the artichoke is one of my most favorite finds from Home Goods.

The photo albums I purchased from Exposures online catalog, I believe they still have them. The magazine holders were all from Ikea. Some of the labels are missing thanks to the very cute 2 year old that resides here!

Here's the link to the gift wrap paper called bamboo lattice-seedling green. http://www.elumdesigns.com/shop/paper-gifts/eco-friendly-gift-wrap/bamboo-lattice-seedling-green-gift-wrap/ (Elum is not a sponsor).

Ah just in time, I hear her waking up!

Displaying jewelry

2013-11-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

I knew I would end up using those 2 sweet milk glass compotes for holding jewelry. I already have a small collection that I found on Etsy, which I use to hold rings, and bracelets. I've needed something for a while to both organize and display my love of colorful beaded necklaces. I love seeing a little bit of pop against the white shelves, which just seems to energize the room. (And as I am no morning person, this helps).

I already owned these 3 above, which I purchased off of Etsy. I'll have a future post all about my DIY shelves and some of the projects I created on each of the shelves. And last but not least here is one more picture displaying how I used my $2 thrift store find to display my beaded necklaces.

What are some of the interesting ways that you display your jewelry?

What happens when horses meet deer?

2013-11-11T19:37:00.001-05:00

No, the above title isn't a start to a really bad joke. Remember yesterday when I said I just might spray paint that gold frame? Well, I did but not in the white I had originally thought, in fact I went all out with Krylon's spray paint color "watermelon". Now, I am far from an expert on spray painting techniques, but I do love the quickness and convenience it has to offer. I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants decorator.

Here's a re-cap of yesterday's gold frame and horse painting.

I really needed a large frame for, well wrapping paper. I found through Pinterest this great site called Elum, you can find the link here http://www.elumdesigns.com/shop/paper-gifts/eco-friendly-gift-wrap/

The paper I fell in love with is this one down below.

This one is called "Winter Wind" and retails for $3.75, with shipping it becomes a little bit pricey but for a unique idea on art work it's really not bad.

I started by covering the actual painting with newspaper.

Grabbed one of these, I ended up using almost an entire can of spray paint. This frame required about 4 coats, and I gave about an hour in between each coat.

The gift wrap comes as a large sheet size 22x34, so I needed to cut it down to fit inside the frame. Here is a picture of my sophisticated tools.

My tools consisted of a ruler missing a corner, a tape measure, a very shiny pencil, I couldn't find my exacto knife so a paring knife stepped in, and then of course a pizza box to do the actual cutting on. I simply measured the inside of the frame and then turned over the gift wrap to make my measuring marks.

Next up I used a spray adhesive as well as a matte finishing spray to tone down the pink and add an extra layer of protection on the gift wrap.

And this is what I ended up with.

The adhesive came through a bit on the bottom, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will dry clear, but either way I still love it!!

More to come down the road, as I fully transform my girl's room from top to bottom.

The thrill of the hunt...

2013-11-10T17:40:00.001-05:00

Welcome Everyone!! This is my very first blog and post. I've been an avid blog reader for years, sometimes staying up until the wee hours of the night. I am constantly in awe of all the bloggers out there, bringing us readers some creative and inspiring ideas to do in our homes and lives. I have a wide range of interests and I love meeting people, just like YOU. So sit back and enjoy, while I begin this journey to document my style, finds, and every day musings. I hope that I will be able to inspire some of you, like I have been inspired by many creative and successful women.

Here are some of the incredible things, I managed to find at my local Goodwill today.

I love ironstone, milk glass, hobnail, and trays!! I do a lot of decorating with plates. See the pictures below for the break down of what I paid and keep coming back to see how I use each of these items in future posts.

My heart began to thump as I neared this painting. It still had the original price tag of $95 on it. I of course got it for $15. The gold frame is a little too gold for my taste, so I'm thinking I need to tone it down some. I also have another idea which involves spray paint and deer wrapping paper. I would take this painting out and have it re-framed in maybe a walnut or chestnut colored frame. Every time I look at this painting it makes me want to climb into a comfy chair, drink some coffee and of course read blogs.

Have I mentioned my love of plates, trays and ironstone? The plates originally came from Horchow, a very upscale catalog. I can only imagine what they originally retailed for. There were 8 of these on the shelf, and I'm wishing now, I had grabbed them all but I went with just 2 at the price of $1.50 each. The tray is a cute little wooden tray, which at the moment I haven't decided if I'm going to paint it or just leave it as is. I'm sure I will find many uses for this cute little tray. The lidded ironstone compote was a real steal at $5 but contained remnants of it's last held dish. YUCK!! Nothing that a little dish soap and sponge couldn't clean right up.

Last but not least are these 2 sweet little compotes and small vase? I have a few of these compotes already, which I use to sort my jewelry. I see a lot of sellers on Etsy, with milk glass in their shops. I spend a lot of time there as well into the wee hours of the night ;-) Each compote was $2 and the vase was $3. I think I did pretty well for a Sunday afternoon.

I hope you enjoyed my first ever blog post and come back to join me again....happy hunting!