OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY PARTY & FAMILY OLYMPICS

Did you get caught up in the excitement of the Olympics over the weekend?  We did!  Our friends (I showed you their lovely home tour here ) invited several families over for a watch party for the opening ceremony, and threw in a little Olympic competition family style! We kicked off the evening with a shrimp boil, enjoyed by young and old alike... and then the games began! First, there was the "Which Dad Can Fling His Shoe The Furthest" event... And then, the "Blindfolded Moms Find Your Children" event... Followed by the hard fought "Family Tug-of-War"... The ever popular "Three Legged Race"... And our events concluded with a spirited game of "Family Kickball"... After the games were over, we gathered to light the Family Olympic Torch.  The igniting of the torch was similar to the Opening Ceremonies of the 1992 Olympics...fun for all!  The torch flame burned long into...

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THE REDO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN {NEW COFFEE TABLE}

While thrifting recently, I came across this little coffee table.  I've been looking for a new one for a while, and something about this one drew me to it.  I left it there that day, knowing that it would most likely be 1/2 off in two more days when the sale cycle at that store changed, so I took a chance.  It worked!  I left with the table for $20.   Originally when thinking about if I would purchase it or not, I had grand ideas in my head about how to redo the table.  But after I actually bought it, it grew on me as is.  Of course I loved the green top and the bamboo-style legs.  I didn't even notice the brass trim around the top until I was buying it (it was really discolored and gunky!). All I decided to do was clean it up good.  I started out with some Brasso on the rim, and after 20 minutes of vigorous scrubbing had about 3 inches clean.  At this point, I could almost hear the Keno brothers screaming in horror as I scrubbed off the "patina"...

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RIGHT NOW

I had the house all to myself last night for about 6 hours, and guess what happened?  Loads of lurking laundry? Nope.  Work on  the chairs that will never be finished?  Nope.  Finishing a friend's sewing project that I've had for 4 months?  Nope. (I'm a bad friend!) Here's what's going on- Don't expect a big reveal tomorrow...this project's going to take a while!  I painted two interior doors black about a year ago to see how I liked them (LOVE them!) and am finally getting around to closing the loop.  All *10* of my doors that line our hallway throughout the house.  Not counting some doors I want to do inside my bedroom/bathroom.   Whew!  See you with that reveal in about three years. ...

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SUMMER, SHELLS, & SUCCULENTS

Well, about a month later than I wanted, I finally got around to "summerizing" some of my accessories.  Sometimes there are benefits to procrastinating... I came across some succulents at a local hardware store that were 75% off for the end of season plant clearance.  I've been wanting to try some out since they're all the rage in the blogworld.  So far so good!  I do think it's funny how they are so obviously growing toward the light.  I'm having to turn my containers around occasionally so they'll even out. Tiny little baby one-   This tray sits on the end of my kitchen counter.  See the darling new little owl vase that  Bonnie at Uncommon tipped us off to?  $2.50 in the Target Dollar Spot, and it also comes in brown, black, and lime green!  My Target was just putting them out a few days ago, so they should still have some. (To my owl-loving sister Sarah...there may or may not be one in your stocking at Christmas!)   S...

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CLASSIC ACCESSORIES {READER'S DIGEST BOOKS}

Last weekend I spent an entire day with my sister shopping at thrift stores.  I've had my eye out for some vintage Reader's Digest books for a while, and I hit the jackpot!   All of these plus a few more books were purchased for less than $7.   You may even have this hot decor item hiding in a closet or your garage.   Everything old is new again! The covers of the older books are beautifully designed. Wouldn't these be great inspiration for a line of fabrics? A few more images of Reader's Digest books making a fashionable statement in decor... via Natty by Design Linking up with The Shabby Nest Southern Hospitality Uncommon Savvy Southern Style My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ...

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