Home Improvement

A storms been a brewing for quite a while now around my increasing dislike, disinterest, and completely disregard of my home decor.  You see, when life gets busy something has to take a back seat, and so for me that has unfortunately been manifest through very few updates or changes over the past several years to the place I go home every night after a long days work.

It's funny....you don't realize how important "home" is until you've let it go for far too long, and by that time it almost seems overwhelming to make even the simplest change.  For a looooong time now....and by that I mean FAR TOO loooooong, I've just let it go.  I've convinced myself that rearranging furniture will do the trick, or just a little regular housecleaning will bring everything back to life and make it look brand new, just like it did when I moved in 8 years ago.  But you know what???  That didn't work!!  It had gotten to the point where I didn't even like the look of anything and so I simply turned all the lights off so I couldn't see what was bothering me so much and I could live in complete denial!  I think I have a talent for that!!

But about a month ago I think I reached my breaking point.  I couldn't take it anymore!!  I knew it meant that many other things would have to be put on hold.....I'd had to cut back on furniture projects, I'd have to live in the chaos of working on one room at a time which meant that the other rooms would be filled with overflowing furniture and decor.  But you know what??...it was now or never.  I was finally motivated enough to turn the lights on and do something!!

I decided that paint would be the best way to start and would make the biggest impact with my limited budget.  And don't ask me how I came to this conclusion, but I knew I wanted the color to be gray.  I don't have any before pictures --- I've found I'm pretty bad at remembering to do that.  The color on my walls has been there since I moved in.  It was definitely neutral, but over the years it has changed somewhat.  What started out as a nice creamy tan has morphed over the years into a dingy yellow.  And I HATED it!!!  I'm usually a tan girl, love the crisp, clean, light feel of neutrals and the ability to decorate around them.  But this color was starting to make me CRAZY!!!  Literally!!!  I hated the way it looked when I would stage photos of furniture.  I hated the way it looked when I took pictures of home decor projects.  So it was time!!  And gray was it!!

You'd think gray would be easy....right??  Well I've got news for you!  It's NOT!!  There are so many shades...some with blues, some with lavenders, some with beige, and some with black.  I knew that I didn't want to go anywhere near tans or browns so the "greige" option was out!  I wanted something crisp and clean but not too dark.  What started out as thinking I could quickly narrow down my selection and make a choice with one trip to Home Depot literally turned into multiples samples and the literal version of 50 shades of gray on my walls!!  I would paint a sample and think that was the one, but then it would change based on the lighting and so it was back to the drawing board.  But I finally found it!!  It took 2 weeks and likely a weeks pay worth of paint samples, but I found it!!!  

Natural Gray

And I love it!!  Like really, really, really love it!!

Here are just a few pictures of the finished project.  It took a 3 days to paint 3 rooms so I was too exhausted to put any of the rooms completely back together.  But even in it's current state of chaos, it's sooooo much nicer to be in than before!

 This is as close to a before picture as I have with the painting in process.

 More pictures of painting in progress.

 And just a couple of snaps of the finished project!!  I can't wait to stage some furniture pieces and see how they turn out!  

And this was just the jump start I needed!!

Up next.....planked plywood floors!!!

Black & Cream Foot Stool

Check out this darling black and cream foot stool....so much pretty wrapped up into one little piece!  Gorgeous damask patterned fabric covered seat, great black and white stripes on the side, and light distressing.  Even if this isn't used as a foot stool it makes a great decorating accent that is sure to pop in any room!

Dimensions are 21.5" wide, 12.5" deep and 16" tall.

Available for only $45.00.

Thanks for looking!

Sofa Table

This pretty sofa table sold before I could even get it posted,

but it's just too pretty not to share!

You can see why this beauty quickly found a new home!

Just got a gorgeous dining set this weekend, a coffee table and much more to come!

Cute Coffee Table/Bench - SOLD

Cute and colorful coffee table that would also make a great bench for extra seating needed when you have additional guests you didn't expect.  Dimensions are 42" wide, 22" deep and 17" tall.

Available for only $50.00  SOLD

Thanks for looking!

Cool Yellow Industrial Cart

Love this super cool and equally cute industrial style yellow cart on wheels.  Such a fun way to add some color to an office, kitchen, or kids room.

Dimensions are 30" tall, 30.5" wide and 13" deep.

Available for only $75.00

Thanks for looking!

Christmas Comes to Town

I'm a jingle bell baby....born just before Christmas and brought home to spend my very first Christmas Eve with my proud parents at just 4 days old!!  So maybe that's why I love this time of year so much!  Everything about it is fun and festive and fabulous!!!

This year I think I took it to a WHOLE 'nother level...putting up my Christmas tree the DAY after Halloween.  But I gotta say -- to all of you who think I'm missing a few of my marbles -- it was TOTALLY worth it!!  I got to sit back and enjoy putting up the decorations, not feeling rushed to get things done in just a few short days.  It was almost as if my holiday spirit grew and grew with each new decoration that I put out!!  

I finally finished getting everything done earlier this week, and now I can sit back and relax.

HA!!  Not really....shopping to do, parties to go to, gifts to buy and holiday goodies to make!  But at least I can now do it in a home where I'm surrounded by the Christmas Spirit.  Here's just a sneak peek and some of my world these days!

 Part of my reason for getting the tree up so early was because I wasn't very happy with it last year....so I needed to put on my creative cap and come up with some new decorations.  

I already had plenty of white and some green....what I really wanted to bring in was some blues.  And I wanted something that was BIG...that would totally make a statement when I looked at the tree.  So here is what I came up with....

 I took these reindeer silhouettes and painted them in white and gray, then added a little extra sparkle for fun.  You can't really see it in the picture, but they definitely shine on the tree!  I mounted them on painted cardboard cake plates and then just added a few pom poms and jingle bells for a added touch of whimsy.

 I found these PERFECT cupcake liners....how could I possibly say no to lime green AND polka dots all in one cute little package?!?!  So I decided to turn them into garland using white yarn and some white poms left over from the reindeer.

 I still probably need a little bit more, but I LOVE how it all came together!!

 This sweet Santa was given to me by a dear friend a few years ago.  I absolutely love his squinty eyes and his rosy cheeks.  He is the perfect image of what Santa should be.  And surprisingly, this is the ONLY Santa decoration and ONLY red decoration I have in my house.  But it's so perfect that it is just enough!

 Love my mantle with my Christmas tree collection...feathers, sparkles and glitter.  How much better can you get?

 I've always wanted to do this and this year I FINALLY did!  I've had this little Christmas Village for years...and I probably haven't put it out for at least 4.  It was cute, but dated and just didn't really "match" anything else I had.  So this year I was bound and determined to bring it back to life.  And I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!!  Just a can of spray paint and and some white paint brushed on the top and I've got myself a whole new village that matches perfectly with the rest of my decor!

And FINALLY...this marquee sign has been my really BIG project this year, something I wanted to do from the moment I saw my inspiration on Pinterest!  Soooo much work, but soooo very worth it!!  I love it and it totally tops of my holiday home!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and making it your own!!

Pretty Floral Hamper

OK folks....who's ready for Christmas???

What???....you haven't started checking off your list yet?

Well guess what??

We're here to help just when you need it the MOST!!

Over the next few weeks we will be posting several of our pieces at some AMAZING prices just in time for your holiday hustle and bustle to find that one perfect gift for EVERYONE on your list!

First up.....

This absolutely DARLING clothes hamper!

So pretty, huh?  

And the perfect way to hide your dirty clothes with it's breathable wicker woven back.  

Or better yet, use it to store extra towels or toilet paper so it's ready and within your reach at any time.

Dimensions are 22 3/4" tall, 19" wide and 10" deep.

Available for just $42.00!

Email us with inquiries.

Thanks for looking!

Cheerful Chair Set

OK.....confession time!!

I'm a procrastinator!!  

A tried and true, 

waiting until the night before, 

saving it for the very last possible minute, 

making everyone around me crazy with anxiety, 

kind of procrastinator.  

(Whew....it feels better to get that off my chest!)

BUT.....in my defense, the last minute is when my best work is done!  I know right now you're saying, "Sure it is!" ....but I'm telling you that's the real truth!

I'm what I would call a T-H-I-N-K-E-R

and sometimes that can cause me more time, pain, & frustration than you might imagine.

For example....

Let's just say I'm out on my normal junkin' & pickin' routine and 

just when I'm about to give up....

THERE IT IS!!!!

That ONE perfect piece!!!  It is practically illuminated in lights with angels singing all around it!

(or at least that is what I'm seeing, which probably tends to alarm all the other customers around me when I'm giddy doing my jumping for joy dance!)

Anywhooo....back to my point.

(as you can see I'm not only a procrastinator, but I'm also VERY easily distracted!)

So I take my "perfect" piece home and I want to have an equally perfect refinish, because that's what it deserves, right?!?!

So I think, and I think, and I think.....

and I thunk, and I thunk, and I thunk.....

And the more thinking I do the more confused I become about what I should do!!

(hopefully I'm not the only one this happens to!)

And eventually what happens is that I've "overthunked" (is that even a word??)  it soooo much, there is no way on earth I can ever be happy with the piece...because there is no WAY it will EVER live up to my 'THUNKING" process!!

As a coping mechanism for this personality defect of mine, I've resorted to the

COMPLETE OPPOSITE 

strategy....which is to buy pieces, take them home, let them sit around (some for a few years or more) and then wait for the day when I'm ready to start on them!

That little story was probably MUCH longer than I intended and if you're still reading, then 

THANK YOU

because you are probably my Procrastinating Bestie!

But that is exactly what happened with these chairs.

I saw them,

I wanted them,

I bought them.

I thought they were so cool and would need a makeover equivalent of their greatness!!

But I got overwhelmed....

and distracted.....

and found other projects that were calling my name.

That is until about two weeks ago, when I was looking in my shed and happened to see the arm of one of these chairs peeking out.

It was like it was calling my name!

So out they came and off I went....immediately with a plan in my head for what they needed to become ---

A plan that was only THREE years in the making!

(I would like to say that's my personal best....but sadly, it isn't! )

So here is YOUR reward for sitting through that little story with me and letting me share just a little bit about myself!!

Check out these beauties BEFORE:

Cool, right?  Worthy of a fabulous makeover, true?

And here is the 

AFTER:

Hopefully you agree with me that these were sooooo worth the procrastination and the wait....because I don't think they could get much more perfect than this!

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover Reveal

We're so excited to share this kitchen cabinet makeover with everyone! 

The owner of this kitchen is a girl after my own heart!!....fearless, loves color, has a great eclectic style and is willing to try ANYTHING!!  We LOVE that about her!!  And that's what makes it so fun to work on projects for her.

Here is her kitchen BEFORE:

Very nice...but just your average oak cabinets.  And definitely not special enough for this gal. 

As you can see, she had already started some framing on the kitchen island for a very unique and super cool part of this project. 

And get ready for this....because here is the transformed kitchen AFTER:

And check out these fun and unexpected "extras" she included in her refinish.  This girl LOVES her chevron....& who wouldn't when it looks this cute!  I'd be opening the cabinets ALL DAY LONG just to see this unexpected surprise!!

 She also added some chalk paint on the inside of another cabinet to keep "To Do" and grocery lists.  Super fun and functional idea.

 And if you're anything like me, I can NEVER remember measurements!  So it's this conversion chart handy to have!

Some really fun ideas and a gorgeous cabinet makeover might we add!  We love the color combo, the barn wood, and this creative gal's passion for mixing it up and doing what makes her happy and gives her the kitchen of her dreams!!