A NEW LOOK AND GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Surprise!  Notice anything different?  The blog got a little makeover,  I figured after 2 years it was time!   In the past I've done all of the work on my page myself.  I got it done, but it took FOREVER to figure out, and it just wasn't that fun.  So, I went in search of an affordable blog designer and found Rebekah Louise Designs.   She was able to work me in quickly, and responded to everything in a very timely manner.  She was fantastic to work with and did a great job making my sketchy design ideas into a reality.  And, she was extremely patient and professional as I picked at every little detail.  If you're interested in a Blogger custom design, go visit Rebekah Louise Designs  today! I hope you like it... I really do!  I'm still working out some glitches, adding some pages and links and making minor adjustments, but hopefully everything will be running smoothly soon! In other news, unbelievably lightning struck......

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FRIDAY FAVORITES (8)

Today, my picks for Friday Favorites are going to be all things FALL!  I have not done one bit of decorating for Fall yet, but hope to knock it out this weekend.  This year I can't think of one thing that I have stored that I'm dying to get out and use.  I want everything to have a very natural (meaning full of nature!) look and feel.  These are some images that have my wheels spinning: Makely   via Pinterest Plumberry Pie   Dwellings by Devore via Pinterest And I'm pretty sure my kids would go crazy for these... Craftberry Bush If you want to see some ideas from previous years of my Fall decorating,  you can click on the links below.  Disclaimer, some of those photos I look back on now and think "Yeesh!, what was I thinking?". Porch and outdoor decorating  Fall 2012 Decorations   Fall 2011 Decorations Fall Mantel 2012  Fall Mantel 2011 ......

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DIY GOLD LETTER PRINT

Happy Wednesday everybody!  I'm locking myself in the house today and getting some chores done that have been SO neglected...piles of laundry (all clean, just need to be folded and put away), shuffling tables, putting away stains and poly and supplies, and getting my kitchen under control.  Does everything around your house go crazy when you're in project mode too?  Thank goodness my sweet family doesn't bat an eye. But first, I have a quick, fun craft project to share with you.  If you've spent any time in blogland at all, you know that gold foil prints are all the rage.  Stephanie Creekmur makes some especially fun ones.  I think we all fell for her "Hey Y'all!" print when Kristin showcased it so beautifully in her Room Service Atlanta project.  I wanted to order one, but had a specific frame that I wanted it for, and it was an odd size.  I also didn't want to use glass, so I needed something heavier for the frame. I already had......

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WHY I LOVE CRAIGSLIST...

Reason 1,453,294.   I picked these huge mounted antlers up last week.  For FREE!!! I mentioned I've been stalking CL lately for some new chairs for my kitchen table, and one morning I was doing my usual search for "chairs", "rug", and "chandelier".  On a whim I searched for "antlers", thinking that it's time to decorate for Fall and wishing I had some more loose antlers to scatter around. This was the first listing that popped up.  As I read the details, I noticed the words "free to a good home."  Well, I couldn't send that text fast enough!  I didn't even know how big they were, in the blurry photo they were just resting in the chair. I was delighted when I made a special trip across town and picked them up to see that they were HUGE!  Mr. K. told me that the family story was that his Grandfather got these (on a hunt, I assume) in Alaska in 1910.  Mr. K.'s wife refused to let him hang......

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FRIDAY FAVORITES (7)

Did you see Danielle's fabulous furry chair makeover ?  Now I'm considering some chairs like this for my kitchen table, too (with a kitchen table friendly fabric).  They are all over Craigslist! What about Jennifer's new gallery wall for her daughter's room?  Proof that in decorating you might not always get it right the first time, but keep tweaking until it's perfect!   Emily's new paint job on her armoire gave me some serious inspiration for my armoire.  I actually had some long pulls like she used in my cart at Ikea last weekend for my armoire, and put them back.  Now they're definitely on my list for the next trip! My plan for the weekend is to get more work done in my son's room, which is coming along as slow as molasses.  I keep getting distracted with other things.  We replaced a fence and I kept a bunch of the panels so we could do something like this from Just a Girl .  I can't wait to get it done!......

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DIY OVERSIZED CHALKBOARD CALENDAR

Because one entire chalk wall nook wasn't enough, I went and made another gigantic chalkboard for my kitchen!   We haven't had a family calendar on the wall in a while, and I thought it was time for everyone to be able to see what we had going on.  I had a large picture hanging in my bathroom that was about to go when I overhaul it, and discovered it would be the perfect size for kitchen. I popped out the picture and the mat and went to work updating the frame.  I wanted to keep some of the gold, but it needed to be brightened up.  I pulled out my trusty Rub N Buff and used a toothbrush to apply it...it works great on rougher surfaces like this getting down into all of the nooks and crannies.  When that dried, I taped off the gold leaves section and sprayed the outside of the frame black. For the center, I had a piece of hardboard cut at Home Depot to fit.  Then, after priming the board, I followed the directions on the can and p......

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BREAKFAST NOOK NEW FURNITURE PLANS

So would you believe I'm STILL not finished with my dining room table?  I think this is the beginning of week 3 for that project.  I lost count.  When you have to wait 24 hours between each coat of stain and poly, (twice!), and work around real life, it takes forever!  I thought I had the last coat of poly on yesterday, but a few spots dried funny and I'm going to do a light sand and one more coat today.  I guess I needed to work on my patience or something.  Anyway, with the new table coming in, the table that was in the DR will be moving back to the kitchen.  There's a good story with that one that I'll share later, but for today I wanted to fill you in on what I'm thinking.  Of course, I can't make up my mind! Here's what I do know: 1) I bought a new (craigslisted) loveseat that will get an overhaul and new upholstery that will go at the head of the table, under the botanicals.  If you've been around a while, you might rem......

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NEED A GREAT DRESS? TRY SHABBY APPLE!

For some time I've been aware of the Shabby Apple company and their beautiful dresses and clothes.  All of their designs have such a timeless feel to them, like all classic styles that have managed to stay around through the years. They are all modest and lady-like, which can be especially hard to find in a dress sometimes!   I was recently given the opportunity to review a dress for Shabby Apple from their vintage clothing line, and for this Sunday Dress wearing girl, I jumped at the chance!  I was given many choices, but chose the Moon River style.  It's a beautiful charcoal grey color and I anticipate being able to wear it for a wide variety of events and activities.  I wore it with a big statement necklace to church yesterday, but when it gets cooler I can't wait to try layering it with a cardigan and skinny belt or a scarf.  The color is so versatile and I'll be able to mix and match tons of different accessories with this dress. ......

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