CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIE DOUBLE DOOZIES - BLOGGER COOKIE EXCHANGE

Can you believe we're less than a week away from Christmas?  I honestly can't!  My shopping is *this close* to being finished, I have menus made and *almost* all of my grocery shopping completed, and I'm starting to bake!   (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) ...

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20 GIFT IDEAS UNDER $20

You guys, Christmas is only 2 weeks away from TODAY!!!  Are you finished shopping with everything wrapped under the tree?  Or are you like me and have barely even started???  Today I'm sharing 20 last minute gift ideas each under $20, all that still have time to arrive before Christmas!  You're sure to find some ideas for that teacher, neighbor, hostess, friend or family gift you're still searching for. ...

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2018 CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR- FRONT PORCH, ENTRY, BREAKFAST NOOK, AND PATIO

Happy Friday!  Whew, has this week been Christmas Tour overload or what?  I hope that you've enjoyed the festivities and have gleaned a few great ideas for your holiday home!  Today I'm sharing the final portion of my Christmas Home Tour, let me show you around the Front Porch, Entry, Breakfast Nook, and our Patio!  I'm happy to be a part of the Christmas Home Tours organized by Marty of  A Stroll Thru Life .  She always does such a good job of gathering a stellar group of bloggers to share with you and I'm honored to be a part! If you're coming from  Decorating Delirium , welcome!  Jennifer is a kindred spirit with her love of color, blue and white, chinoiserie pieces, a thrifted find and a good DIY project.  I'm excited to see her tour today, be sure to check it out with me.  But first, stay for a minute and come on in! (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) Red and Pink Striped Tunic Sweater   ||  Perfect Den...

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IT'S A COLORFUL LIFE CHRISTMAS TOUR WRAP-UP

Today is the last day of the "It's A Colorful Life" Christmas Tour, and I'm blown away by the spaces that were shared this week! ...

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2018 CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR- DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN

*This post is sponsored by Hobby Lobby. Hello friends, welcome to part 2 of my 2018 Christmas Tour!  Today I'm delighted to be sharing my Dining Room and a few Christmas touches in the Kitchen.  Since I'm sure I single-handedly help keep them in business, especially at Christmas, I'm so happy to partner with Hobby Lobby for this post. ...

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IT'S A COLORFUL LIFE 2018 CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR- LIVING ROOM

Hello, and welcome to Part 1 of my Christmas Home Tour for 2018!  I'm thrilled to be kicking off a brand new blog hop party today that I'm co-hosting with Rachel from Pencil Shavings Studio ...  "It's a Colorful Life!" You might remember that we hosted a local Colorful Christmas workshop recently where we shared our best ideas for decorating with color at Christmas time, and that morphed into hosting this fun tour celebrating colorful Christmas decorations! ...

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MY FIFTEEN FAVORITES- GIFT GUIDE FOR HER, HIM, AND HOME

Welcome to My Five Favorites today! Pam from  Simple Details , Lisa from  Shine Your Light,  Kris from  Driven by Decor  and I are all so excited to share our holiday gift guides with you today. We had so many good things we couldn't stop at just 5!  I've worked hard to narrow the options to my very favorite suggestions to share with you today: 5 for her, 5 for him, and 5 for your home. ...

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BLUE AND WHITE, GINGHAM, AND PLAID CHRISTMAS TABLESCAPE

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving celebrating with those you love, and that you can still fit into your pants!  ;)  #bringontheleggings  Today we get to officially move into sharing Christmas decor without feeling guilty about rushing through Thanksgiving.  Yippee!  Today I'm sharing my (first) Christmas Tablescape with you, and true to my style there's no shortage of mixed and matched patterns and colors. ...

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"IT'S A COLORFUL LIFE" WORKSHOP- COLORFUL CHRISTMAS IDEAS!

If you follow me on Instagram , you know that last weekend I was busy spreading plenty of holiday cheer!  Rachel from Pencil Shavings Studio invited me to partner with her to lead a workshop that she was doing as part of her church's Christmas Women's Event.  Our workshop was called "It's a Colorful Life" and was packed full of- you guessed it- colorful Christmas decorating ideas. ...

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HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE PIE

Last week on Instagram I mentioned discussing our Thanksgiving menu with my Mother in Law.  She's hosting this year, but I'll be bringing homemade Chocolate Pie, Pecan Pie, and Mac & Cheese.  I had several people ask about my chocolate pie, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you here if you want to add it to your menu this week.  This is my Grandmother's recipe that my Mom made often as we grew up, it's definitely one of my favorite desserts that I often request for my birthday.  It's straightforward and made with simple ingredients, nothing fancy... just delicious! ...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

Boy, Fridays roll around quickly!  It's so fun to share some of my favorite picks from the week.  We have a busy weekend of events and fun ahead, I'll be sharing in my Instagram stories if you'd like to follow along!  And thank you for all of the kind words on my post yesterday , I was overwhelmed by your response to the posts on the blog and on Instagram.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year, and I love sharing in the excitement of it with you!  (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) #1:  Alright, on to the good stuff for today...  Oh, the tables I could mix and match with these plate sets (currently 20% off)!  Both are so fun for the holidays but great for year round as well. Leopard Plates ...

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DECKING THE HALLS- OR PORCH!- WITH AT HOME STORES

The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching!  I don't rush past Thanksgiving and usually wait until after to decorate, but I know I need a decorating game plan well before Thanksgiving, because all of the best stuff goes fast!  Today I've partnered with At Home stores to create some Christmas looks from their floral department to give you some inspiration as you prepare to deck the halls and decorate your porch for the holidays too.   (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) Last year I jumped on board the flocked Christmas tree craze, and while browsing the greenery aisles of At Home I noticed they had several items of flocked greenery available.  I purchased 2 pieces of the  9 foot flocked garland  and hooked the ends together to make one long piece to drape around my front door. ...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

Happy Friday, friends! I'm happy to be wrapping up the week and that we have a fairly calm weekend on the horizon.  Here are a few of my recent favorite finds that I think you'll enjoy too.   (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) I was given this candle  as a gift last year and burned about half of it then, but recently pulled it back out for the season.  I had forgotten how scrumptious it smells!  This one is "Pumpkin Souffle" but I'd love to try out several of the other scents like Sweet Vanilla and Cinnamon or Whipped Cream and Pear as well.  It's small but mighty...fills the entire area with scent! ...

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IF YOU MISSED IT: JULY-OCTOBER

I realized it's been several months since I've done a content review, and figured before all of my holiday posts get started I should catch you up today in case you've missed anything recently.   Once I looked back, I guess things have been pretty busy around here! I shared several tutorials for DIY projects in my home- Painted Exterior Brick Fireplace ...

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MY FIVE FAVORITES- LIGHTING

Welcome to My Five Favorites today! Pam from  Simple Details , Lisa from  Shine Your Light,  Kris from  Driven by Decor  and I are all so excited to share our five favorites in lighting with you today.  Even though it's basic purpose is functional, lighting is such a great opportunity to add style and personality to your home.  I'm looking around right now counting 6 light sources in my living room, not counting the built in lights.  Nothing else adds layers and atmosphere to a space like good lighting! We're so happy to have Sue from  The Zhush  guest hosting with us this month.  Sue has a discerning eye to curate beautiful rooms, and she doesn't shy away from using beautiful colors and mixing and matching patterns in her designs.   (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) ...

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VINTAGE INSPIRED THANKSGIVING TABLE

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Ours flew by watching our talented niece play Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, attending my husband's 25th college reunion and visiting there with life-long friends, and church.  Oh, and I put together and photographed this year's Thanksgiving table somewhere in there too.  Whew! I'm so happy to be a part of this week's Thanksgiving Table Tour hosted by Tammy from Pink Peppermint Design.   For a few months now I've known I wanted to do a somewhat muted, vintage inspired table this year.  But, it wouldn't be my style if there weren't some pops of color in there!    (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) If you're coming from Monica's tour at Monica Wants It , welcome!  Monica is a sweet friend and I find her work so inspiring.  I saw a sneak peek of her table yesterday, and couldn't wait until today to see more!  We're Toba...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

Happy Friday, friends!  Whew, it was a busy week on the blog... I hope you enjoyed all of the Fall posts!   Here are a few of my recent favorite finds that I think you'll enjoy too, two of my five picks today are sweaters... what can I say?  It's the time of year to get cozy!  (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) Recently I commented on a friend's cute cardigan, and she shocked me when she told me where it was from!  When I went to see for myself, I came across this darling cardigan too.  It's a winner!  It's a fine cotton weave (so it won't pill), a nice weight, and the lining is a contrasting color that shows if you cuff the sleeve too.  I knew my daughter would love the olive green color so I got it for her (actually we can share it, bonus!). ...

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FALL HOME TOUR 2018- DINING ROOM, LIVING ROOM, AND BREAKFAST NOOK

Hello, welcome to part 2 of my Fall Home Tour!  Today I'll be showing you around the Dining Room, Living Room, and Breakfast Nook.  If you missed part 1 of the tour, stop by here to check out my Fall Porch and Entry.  This year's Fall decorations can be summed up in a few words... simple, colorful, and playful!  (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) We'll start in the Dining Room today.  One staple of this year's decorations is simple painted pumpkins in unexpected Fall colors, I scattered and grouped them everywhere! ...

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FALL HOME TOUR 2018- FRONT PORCH AND ENTRY

Welcome to this year's Fall Home Tour!  I'm probably the very last blogger to post a Fall tour (we've been busy and it took me a while to get inspired!), but I hope you enjoy it and get some ideas for future reference anyway.  Today I'm sharing the Front Porch and Entry- no traditional yellows and browns here! (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) ...

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A FEW THINGS: PILLOWS, FALL BREAK, FAMILY & PUMPKINS

Occasionally I have a some things to tell you that don't warrant their own blog post, so "A Few Things" is my opportunity to share all of those random bits and pieces with you and catch you up on what's happening around our house. (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure policy here .) LET'S TALK PILLOWS! It's no secret that I love experimenting with new colors and pattern combos, and the changing of seasons is the perfect excuse to add in some new pillow covers.  I've been sewing for Fall, and thought you might enjoy this video tutorial that I shared on my Instagram Stories.  Click here and then click on the circle photo below my picture that says "pillow tutorial" underneath to view.  I made them with custom piping and zippers, which just takes a bit of practice and isn't too hard at all. ...

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THE PLAID PINEAPPLE- PRODUCTS WITH A PURPOSE

As we near the holidays and you begin to gather gifts and accessories for the season,  I'm encouraging you to shop with a purpose!  Today I'm sharing a few favorites from  The Plaid Pineapple , a shop and online store that I partner with periodically to share some of their current products and what they're up to.  I've shared more details about the purpose of the shop and how they do business in a previous post, but basically it's a ministry where all of the profits go to further the Good News of Jesus around the world by meeting people's every  day needs in practical way.  That might be purchasing a water buffalo (their livelihood) for a family who lost everything in the earthquake in Nepal, it might be buying mosquito netting for families to help prevent diseases, or it might be training women in poverty stricken villages in a specific skill so that they can work and help provide for their family.  So, I'm happy to do my part to support this ministry by s...

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CLASSIC PLAID FALL OR THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPE

Today I'm helping to wrap up the last day of the Set + Styled Thanksgiving Blog Hop hosted by Designthusiasm that's been going on all week. If you've arrived from Styled With Lace , thank you so much for coming! There have been so many impressive Fall entertaining and tablescape ideas already shared, this tour's a one stop shop for all of the holiday hosting inspiration you need!  Last year I used untraditional colors for Fall , but this year a classic plaid combo for my Fall/Thanksgiving tablescape was speaking to me. (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure policy here .) ...

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DIY REVERSIBLE TABLE RUNNER TUTORIAL

Since most are neutral colors and or not my style, I have a hard time finding ready-made table runners.  So, I recently used some of my fabric scraps to make my own!  And, I used a different fabric on each side so I can have two totally different looks with only one piece.  Here's my tutorial if you want to try making your own DIY reversible table runner. ...

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A FEW THINGS... EVENT DECOR, FAMILY, TIPS, AND A DOUBLE FEATURE WITH BHG!

Occasionally I have a some things to tell you that don't warrant their own blog post, so "A Few Things" is my opportunity to share all of those random bits and pieces with you.  Today I have a little bit of everything to talk about, including some exciting news!  ( *This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .) I know that many of you who follow along here like to get simple new ideas for banquet or party decor, possibly even for church gatherings.  Last weekend I attended our retreat for ministry wives across our state, and snapped a few photos of the tables to share with you.  Each table either had a wood charger or a piece of burlap fabric as the foundation for the centerpiece.  Then, there was a lantern filled with battery operated twinkle lights or candles, a few hydrangea stems in a mason jar (we cleaned out Trader Joes!), and a piece of artwork scattered around on some of the tables.  Simple but pretty! ...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

Happy Friday everyone!  We have a weekend full of rain, football, and band contests ahead... do you have any fun plans? Here's a look at my recent favorite finds... ...

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MY FIVE FAVORITE FALL ESSENTIALS

Welcome to My Five Favorites today! A chill is in the air, pumpkins are out in full force, and Pam from  Simple Details , Kris from  Driven by Decor  and I are all so excited to share our favorite Fall essentials with you today (our friend Lisa from  Shine Your Light  is unable to join us this month)! ...

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BATHROOM UNDER SINK CABINET, DRAWER, AND LINEN CLOSET ORGANIZATION

Maybe even more than New Year's, I think the start of a new school year is a great opportunity to get things back in shape and organized around the house.  I've been working space by space to do just that!  For friends local to Oklahoma, did you know that our very first The Container Store  in our great state just opened last week?  Woo hoo!  They were kind enough to partner with me on a project to celebrate the opening of our new store, and we decided that the kids' bathroom cabinets were long overdue some organization help ( *This post may contain affiliate links, read my  full disclosure policy here .). ...

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DIY ABSTRACT ARTWORK- COLOR SPLASH DECOR BLOG HOP

I have some super fun colorful eye candy for you today!  Jewel from Jeweled Interiors  put together this "Color Splash Decor Blog Hop" that 11 color-loving bloggers are participating in.  We've all come up with a colorful home project to share with you.  I tackled a project for my Powder Bath.   I've really not changed one thing in there since finishing it 2 1/2 years ago, which is probably a record for me! ...

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NATIONAL MAKE YOUR BED DAY

Did you know it's National Make Your Bed Day?  In looking into the background, here's a little description I found...  "This unofficial holiday with unknown origins encourages people to make and tidy up their beds in the mornings. Studies show that inculcating the habit of making beds every morning can increase productivity during the day and can make people happier. The idea is that the organization that goes into making beds can spill over to the tasks a person does during the rest of the day. The act also gives people some time before they start their day to meditate over about what they want to achieve during the day.  A clean and made up bed also helps people sleep faster and better." (source) Hmm... It's a pretty convincing argument to be sure to make your bed every day, right? ...

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SWEET SATURDAY #26

This  kitchen reveal  is such a dramatic before and after.  Sarah basically gutted the space, added a window and created a fantastic butler's pantry space off to the side.  The result is simply stunning! ...

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WALL TO WALL FALL STYLE

Although I typically don't decorate for Fall until later in the month, I've been thinking about what kind of decorations that I wanted to do this year.  Last year I made a drastic shift from traditional Fall colors to using a mainly orange and pink combo , and I decided to continue that untraditional color palette again this year.  I'm excited to be a part of At Home Stores ' "Wall to Wall Fall" campaign and show you some of the fun Fall accessories I found there this year.  After an hour or two of roaming the store and aisles and aisles of Fall decor (you can't make a quick trip to At Home, it's huge and there's SO many good things to see!), I had a cart full of versatile seasonal pieces to freshen up my Fall style. They challenged me to use what I chose in a variety of different rooms, so here's a look at what I came up with! My "anchor" piece that I started with was this  wheat wreath .  I knew I could use it lots of different ...

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MY FIVE FAVORITE TIPS FOR STYLING BOOKSHELVES

Welcome to My Five Favorites today! Pam from  Simple Details , Lisa from  Shine Your Light  and I are all so excited to share with you today. Our friend Kris from  Driven by Decor  is taking the month off, she'll be back with us next time.  Today we're spilling our five favorite tips for styling bookshelves.  Shelves are an area that can be tricky to find the right balance when decorating, so we hope that some of this advice is helpful for you today! ...

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MEXICAN DINNER TABLESCAPE WITH BALLOON CACTUS CENTERPIECE

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend!  My kids actually have an extra day off of school today so we're enjoying a slow morning before getting back to it. My birthday was last week, and per usual we had a big family dinner at my parents' house to celebrate.  My youngest sister went over the night before to decorate and set the cutest table that I wanted to share with you today.  My mom made Indian Tacos for dinner so Sarah created a Mexican themed tablescape with the most festive balloon cactus centerpiece! ...

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A FEW THINGS...

Occasionally I have several things to tell you that aren't necessarily post worthy by themselves, so I throw them all together to keep you updated on what's happening around here.  Here are a few things that we've done over the Summer at our house! ...

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HOMEMADE BUTTERFINGER ICE CREAM RECIPE

Earlier this year I posted  My Five Favorite Summer Essentials , and one of the things on my list was a homemade ice cream maker.  After sharing that our family's favorite is homemade Butterfinger ice cream, I had several requests for the recipe.  With a holiday weekend and family gatherings right around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to share that with you today.   ( *This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here .) ...

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FOUR FRIDAY FAVORITES

I only have four favorite things to share with you today rather than my regular Five Friday Favorites, but they're good ones!  ( *This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here .) Mules are definitly the "it" shoe this year for transitioning from Summer into Fall.  I bought this leopard pair several weeks ago and have already worn them multiple times.  You know that leopard is a neutral in my book so they go with almost anything! ( rug here ) ...

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OUR TOP TEN FAVORITE FAMILY BOARD GAMES

Now that we're back to school, obviously the kids aren't home as much... our schedules are busier and we're all going different directions more often.  So, on the occasions we are all home in the evenings at the same time, we find ourselves playing one of our favorite family board games.  Whether we have 20 minutes or several hours, it's always a good way to reconnect (without screens!). And knowing that dark, cold winter evenings will be here before we know it, we always welcome fun new game suggestions so I thought you might enjoy seeing some of our favorites if you want to add to your collection too! ...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here . ...

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HOW TO MAKE AN UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD- DIY TUTORIAL

After having it on my to-do list since my master bedroom makeover over 3 years ago, I've finally written a tutorial for how to make your own upholstered headboard!  I'd hoped to share before now, but somehow can't find my images that I took while making my headboard (what's that tell you about my digital photo organization?).  So when I made another for my daughter's room , I made sure I did everything necessary to be able to share the process with you! ...

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BACK TO SCHOOL IN STYLE WITH MADELINE AND COMPANY

I know back to school has already happened for some of you while some have several more weeks of Summer, but for us school starts this week!  I honestly think we blinked a few times and our Summer break was over.  Mamas with young ones, I know you hear it often, but believe it when you hear that the older they get the busier your kids are and the less you see of them!  We are thrilled that they are happy and thriving and wanting to spend time at so many activities and nurturing relationships with friends, yet we're wanting their time as well and have to take advantage of every spare moment we can spend with them. My son will begin his Senior year this week (we won't even talk about that right now...waaaahhh!) and my daughter is settling into High School for her sophomore year.  She is a fun-loving girl around her friends but also a very conscientious student at school, and we always want her to feel well prepared, confident in her abilities, and ready to tackle anything that...

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here . I ordered this bamboo flatware a while back and it has since arrived, I love it!  It comes in a set of four (5) piece place settings and the best thing about it... it's dishwasher safe!  Although it's a great price right now on the site I bought from, a sweet follower tipped me off that the very same set might be found  here for a slightly better price  depending on coupons and discounts available. ...

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DIY PAINTED BRICK EXTERIOR FIREPLACE TUTORIAL

When we remodeled our patio three years ago, a brick outdoor fireplace was one addition we knew we wanted to incorporate.  Unfortunately, the brick used on our over 20 year old home exterior was no longer being made, so I chose new brick that was as close of a match to the original as I could get.  The color was similar, but the new didn't have the patina that our original brick has and the slight difference in material always just bothered me a bit.  Early this year I finally made up my mind to just paint it, and now I only wish I had done it sooner!  Here's a quick recap of how we painted our exterior brick fireplace.  It's such a straightforward project, and  I would use this same process for interior or exterior brick. *This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here . ...

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MY FIVE FAVORITE WAYS TO MIX OLD AND NEW

Welcome to My Five Favorites today! Pam from  Simple Details , Lisa from  Shine Your Light,  Kris from  Driven by Decor  and I are all thrilled to share with you today.  I'm so excited about our theme this month because my decorating style and the pieces in my home are all about the mix of old and new furniture and accessories.  When used appropriately, I think older pieces have a certain way of bringing personality, interest, and character to a space with a collected feel that truly can't be achieved with all new items. We're happy to have Melanie from My Sweet Savannah  as our guest host today.  Her home exterior is one of my long time favorites, I mean how good can it get when you have a lake and wooded area adjoining your property?  Fantastic!  Melanie has a casual, collected style and a definite knack for incorporating old finds into her decor while maintaining a fresh, inviting design. FURNITURE If you've been a reader any time at all you might ...

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