happy memorial day weekend!

It seems like every time my parents come to town we get things done in the yard. My dad is always up for a project, and my mom just wants to play with Calder, so we finally have time to work outside. Last time Dad was in town, he and my husband planted new sod. Wow. What a difference it made.

This past weekend we planted flowers along in the front. It really needed some lovin' and was looking pretty sad. We just planted simple white annuals and it's nothing fancy, but it's amazing how much happier coming home makes me.

I also planted some colorful flowers in the back yard. I love looking through the kitchen window and seeing bright colors. Cleaning the dishes isn't as bad with a pretty view.

Happy Memorial weekend everyone! We plan on doing a whole lot of nothing and sitting by the pool and relaxing. I can't wait to play with Calder in the water. I just bought some fun floaties so we'll see how she likes it!

a decorating kick

I've been on a major home decorating kick lately. I think after 9 months of being too tired to think about redecorating anything (except the nursery of course), and then 4 months of taking care of a newborn, I am ready for change. Especially since I work from home, I need some new surroundings!

So, over the past month I've been painting. I was so tired of the dark wood and wanted something fresh and bright, so I painted our dining room table, dining room chairs and our armoire. I'll post details soon showing the before and after pics. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is awesome BTW...

But today, I got woven wood shades installed in our living room, so needless to say, they are on my mind. I've been thinking (and talking) about doing this ever since we moved into this house (3+ years), but I have never pulled the trigger. So, I was in Lowes this morning (with Calder riding in the buggy), and and of course I knew I had limited time until she was hungry and/or tired...

I had my window measurements and the Levolor samples I ordered online forever ago in hand. I rummaged through the different shades for about 15 minutes, then Calder started crying, and I looked down at the sample date order and read it 2010 and thought to myself. Screw Forget it. It is time to DO this! So, I grabbed the blinds and hurried to the checkout line. 

I normally don't make such an impulsive purchase, but with a 4 month old, you don't get out much, so when you do, you need to make decisions.

And here are some rooms I've been drooling over for years. Don't the wooden shades add so much to these spaces? Of course, I love the idea of no shades at all, but if you're like me and need the option of privacy (AKA: don't have the luxury of being on top of some hill with no homes in site), this is such a good-looking, affordable option.

images via House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Phoebe Howard, Jim Howard

I feel re-energized in our new space. More to come soon...

DIY Tutorial: Rubber Stamp Edge Painted Save the Date Tags

I found this post on one of my favorite blogs, Oh So Beautiful Paper, and had to share this with you...

 It’s the ladies of Anti­quaria, back with another fab­u­lous and cre­ative DIY project for you!  This week they’re here with instruc­tions on how to cre­ate a rub­ber stamp save the date tag!
At Anti­quaria, we love every­thing vin­tage!!  In this save the date DIY, we were inspired by the look of old lug­gage and par­cel tags.  There is some­thing very lovely and famil­iar about this tag shape but to have it pro­fes­sion­ally die cut can be quite costly.  We empha­sized the shape with “edge paint­ing” using a very nifty and easy trick!!

Step One: Cut your kraft paper into a 4.5“x6” rec­tan­gle.  Ink your save the date stamp (we used our “Rib­bons and Ban­ners” stamp) with your desired ink and make a print on your paper.  Be sure to press evenly on a hard work sur­face.  Let the ink dry overnight.

Step Two: Next, draw 1.5″ diag­o­nal lines on the top cor­ners of the save the date.  Also draw a small dot in the cen­ter, about 3/4″ from the top.  Once you have your mark­ings in place, cut off the cor­ners with a pair of scis­sors or an X-Acto knife & ruler.  Punch a 1/8″ hole where you have placed the dot. Insert a small craft grom­met and install using a grom­met tool.

 
Step Three:  Using the same or a coor­di­nat­ing ink color, drag edges smoothly through the pad to cre­ate the “edge painted” effect.  Let dry overnight.

Step Four:  Assem­ble the save the date. Tie twine or rib­bon through the brad and add fun postage and cal­lig­ra­phy to bring it all together!!
Mate­ri­als:
“Rib­bons & Ban­ners” Save the Date Stamp
Kraft Card Stock, cut into 4.5“x6” rectangles
Stamp Pad (we used navy)
Pen­cil
Scis­sors or X-acto & Self Heal­ing Craft Mat
1/8″ Hole Punch
A6 Envelopes
Gray Striped Twine
Photo Cred­its: Antiquaria

To DIY or not to DIY

I just love painted wallpaper and I am so inspired by these stenciled walls! After reading this post, and the fact that there is a template to download, I'm thinking about doing this to our small foyer. It intimidates me but I think we can do it!

Check it out here and here and let me know what you think. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Our screened porch: Before & After

Over time, we have gradually made a few improvements to our screened porch. Here's what we did on a small budget:

- Repainted wicker furniture (yes, the owner agreed to leave her porch furniture. My husband swore we could make them look like new. I honestly doubted it, but in the end, he was right! (sigh)

- Installed and painted new french doors

- Installed and painted new screen doors

- New cushions and pillows

- Repainted the floor

Wow. What a difference a few updates made. And the best part of it all (and the biggest money saver) was that we did it all ourselves, including painting and hanging the doors! It was a lot of work, but totally worth it in the end.

We love entertaining on our porch. Here are some pics from a baby shower I hosted last fall...

and finally, my most recent project was repainting and hanging these antique shutters. I think they turned out well and add some architectural detail to the space...

I love Before & After pics, so I hope you enjoyed these today. Although our porch will may never look like the "dream" pictures I posted yesterday, we love it and I think we've made some definite improvements! Now on to the next project :)

sunBURST

I know, I know, they are everywhere. But, I can't help myself. I LOVE sunburst mirrors. Whenever I come across a good, wooden gilded sunburst mirror i melt. ahhhh.....I don't own one, but maybe that would help me get it out of my system. For now, I'll just ouuu and awww....

 

 There are all kinds of ways to do it...and I can't believe this chick made her sunburst mirror below. You can see how she did it here.

whether it is BIG or....

or small...

...I love them all!!

{image credits} decorpad, Max and Company, Mrs. Howard, Suzanne Kasler, House Beautiful, Craft Crave,

chevron stripes

I am a long time fan of chevron stripes, and recently I've been seeing them everywhere. Check out these fun ideas to add a zig-zag to your life...

zig-zag fabric collection from premier prints fabric

chevron stripe calling cards by sweetbreaker

I found this chevron stripe collage on stiched simplicity's blog. very creative and inspiring!

And speaking of Chevron, how about putting it on your wall? Take a look at this how to from Apartment Therapy. And thanks to Design Sponge, here is everything you need to know to paint this great zig zag pattern on your wall.



Now this is darling! Read more about she created this statement peice for only $8.00!

other image credits: my home ideas, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles