Miss M and I have been happily working on our 2011 Halloween mantle. We started with my very first auction purchase, circa 1979 -- the 400 pound desk drawer. Back then I cleaned it up, stained it walnut, and it hung in a couple of kitchens and craft rooms over the years. We just painted it Meeting House white, gave it a scuff, and it is now home to our Halloween apothecary jars and bits. **Please try to ignore the Canadian Tire sconces. They came with the house (as did the green tile fireplace) and they are on our long list of items to replace. So, just squint and pretend they aren't there. That's what I do. I love The Grapics Fairy's goodies. The skull and bat are from her site. The 'Pure Canadian Garden Gnome Heads' label was my creation last year. I was so happy to find fake earthworms at Walmart this year! The label can be found here. Our jar is now complete and topped with vintage crocheted lace made by my great grandmother. I wonder what she would think about me using it on a jar of Halloween worms... The Fairy Pumpkins are sporting a fresh new label we made today. You can download it free HERE. Our schnauzer was only too happy to contribute last year to the Werewolf Fur jar (label can be found here). The binoculars were my great grandfather's -- husband of Eliza, the worm jar lace maker. The keys were to their home. One of our favourite new bits this year is our eyeball gumball machine! I picked this up at one of my favourite thrift stores last year for $3.99 and was going to paint it. Thank goodness I didn't get around to it. When I was sifting through my craft room for display victims it jumped out at me -- perfect for Halloween as is. All it needed was a good wash and one bag of gory gumballs. Minus the few that the assistant needed for quality control testing. I almost did a happy dance in the Bibles for Missions thrift store when I found this fancy little decanter for 50 cents. The skull stopper was a HomeSense clearance buy for $1.50 last fall. Plastic fangs fill the thrift store jar that came with a red lid (label can be found on the link for the Werewolf fur above). I found three drippy battery operated candles that I paid regular price for (a rare occaision). They came with a remote control and Macy has had so much fun magically lighting and blowing out those candles that it was worth paying the full price for them. After taking pictures today I realized we hadn't added any cobwebs. We'll finish tinkering and take some night time photos soon. Thanks for stopping by! Linking up to Funky Junk Donna's Saturday Night Special.
I've had no time to do any tablescapes in my own home but when I cam across these beautiful samples in my email I knew I had to share them w...
Fall is the perfect season to head outdoors to find items to decorate with. Decorating with natural elements is inexpensive, easy, and beautiful.
This little space is a struggle for me to decorate. I really love the white stone on our fireplace, but I still don't know if I'm completely happy with the decor and the arrangement. I like to add a little something up there for different holidays, birthdays and any special occasion. Things move around a lot up there, but thought I would share how my mantle looks today :) Thanks for taking a peek :) Hope your weekend is filled with happiness!
Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great Monday. I finally was able to upload more pictures to my blogger. I have a number of fall...
Blessed is the man, indeed, Who in this life can find; A purpose that can fill his days, And goals to fill his mind! The world is filled with little men Content with where they are; Not knowing joys success can bring, No will to go that far! Yet, in this world there is a need, For men to lead the rest To rise above the "average" life, By giving of their best! Would you be one, who dares to try, When challenged by the task; To rise to heights you've never seen, Or is that too much to ask? This is your day--a world to win Great purpose to achieve; Accept the challenge of your goals And in yourself, believe! You will be proud of what you've done, When at the close of day; You look back on your battles won, Content, you came this way! poem by Dr. Hartsill Wilson I just wanted to share this wonderful poem with you. When I read it, it really brought things in my life right now into perspective. No matter the daily challenges, obstacles and hurdles can be tackled by just focusing and taking them on. We own our life. We just have to believe in ourselves, even when things get uncomfortable. Give yourself a hug and take on the challenges of your day. *muah!* Remember, we can do anything we put our minds to. Own it! Love it! Embrace it!
A blog about thrifting and home decor.
click HERE to read the "details" post on this room
Welcome to the Pretty Preppy Party October Edition! These are the features we've come up with. Some of them are Halloween focused for the season!
It's finally fall ya'll! That means it's time to decorate and that is what I love to do! I could not decide what I wanted to do this year...
Looking for some hauntingly creepy dor ideas? Then the Creepiest Halloween Vignette Decor is just the thing. See this years best Halloween home displays.
Here’s my mantel as of yesterday. I’m still deep in the midst of tweaking it but who am I kidding, if I wait till it’s “done” I’ll never have this Linky party. And anyway, you aren’t here to see my mantel, you are here to see other people’s mantels or shelves or surfaces. So mantel it up and add your link to the list. Make sure you add the permalink {google it if that confuses you} you can get the permalink to a particular post usually by clicking on the title of that post, then the permalink shows up the in address bar–it starts with https://…now you don’t need to google. PS: Want to win this darling two tiered garden stand that you can use on your fireplace hearth? Head on over to Holiday with Matthew Mead and find out how.
Fall Comes Inside: I am SO pleased to be participating in Metamorphosis Monday for the very first time… I have enjoyed seeing all the creat...
for today's post I dug into my files.... these are my most favorite white pieces in my whole house... my piano and my fireplace mantle and a few pretties on top I really can't put into words all that has been going on here and you really don't want to hear it. let's just say that it h as been is a time of growth. when it rains ...it pours. my heart just isn't into blogging or much of anything for that matter. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 2 Corinthians 4:8 I can say though how very much I am and have blessed by your continued words of encouragement. Who woulda ever thought? Not me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart...
How to make this fireplace mantel garland for some chic Fall decor. This sophisticated, autumnal decorative idea for autumn uses a mix of foilage, fresh and dried flowers, along with painted foam pumpkins. Decorate your home for Halloween parties and embrace the season with florals!
The past few days have been gorgeous here in Colorado and it's finally starting to feel like Spring is not too far off. So of course I've been on a rampage taking down all of my winter decor and freshening things up little by little. Today I am sharing this simple farmhouse style mantel that is perfect for the transition to Spring. For
I decided that even though I’m not going all out decorating for fall this year, I can still look for ideas and drool over the results. It’s kind of like being on a diet but searching fo…
Come on over and I will show you just three easy steps to get you started on how to style a beautiful mantle. It's just that simple!
I wanted to add some warmth and color to the living room mantel for the cold winter months... Antique French confit pots share the mantel with a trio of antique brass church candlesticks, a large tree fungus "conk", a sculptural piece of a tree root from our property, a bee hive, my 20-year-old topiary, and an antique French horn letter opener. Antique earthenware confit pots were utilitarian pieces used primarily in the South of France (Provence) for the preservation of meats such as duck or goose. The bottom halves of the pots were unglazed, as the pots would be half buried in the ground to keep the contents cool and fresh. Since these pots were utilitarian pieces chips and imperfections help authenticate the true antiques from the many reproductions on the market. I love old repairs on pottery... the wire on the neck of the small pot was an attempt by someone many years ago to contain a crack in the pot. A copper tray from India commands the coffee table.
For many people, decorating their fireplace mantel can be quite confusing. You might be struggling with the fine line between layered decor and a cluttered look, the right way to balance certain items, or even just where to
Am I too early? :) Well, it is officially September and I just figured I start early since every year it takes me quite a while to make up my mind on how to decorate the house for Fall. I have to tell you that decorating this huge mantle has always been a challenge for me. I seem to struggle with it every season and It has not been a bit easier this time around. I don't have too much Fall decor since I have only been decorating the house for Autumn for a couple of years, so I decided to use some of the things I already had. My family room is mostly decorated in green and cream colors, so I kept some of the decor I already had up on the mantle and worked around it. This is what I have so far and, I say so far, because I am sure some changes will be made before it is all over. LOL I did start with the green urns I always have up there. I took the lids off, added some orange and yellow flowers and also these really pretty wooden "thingies" I found at HL. I also added my old green Fall plate and a small candle. In the center I added a white stand with some Fall leaves, a little orange raffia and a pumpkin I already had. The candles and candlesticks I also had up there, so I decided to keep them and just dress them up with some burlap and Fall picks. And also added a small leaf plate next to them for a little more color. To fill up some of that huge space, I made some blocks, which I painted in Fall colors and added some burlap to them using mod podge. I stenciled them with some letters, a few leaves and added a couple of small embellishments. And put them next to some small ceramic pumpkins from Dollar Tree. And, on the hearth, I just added some pillows and a ceramic pumpkin I purchased last year. Since I used most of the items I already had and all I bought was the flowers (50% off) and the two small pumpkins from Dollar Tree, when all was said and done, I only spent under $20.00 to get the mantle decorated. I know is not glamorous and extremely elegant, but it sure has made the Family room feel very warm and cozy. Now I am trying to finish the front porch and kitchen. I hope everyone has a good week and, like always, I thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! Linked to:
You may have thought I have been sleeping the days away like Sleeping Beauty from reading my last post. Yes I have been resting more ....and...
hey friends! since i am a little short on it. and it flies by. i am going to buy some time with a post of tried and true photos of show & tell past. for those of you that haven't...
Today you all are in for a REAL treat. We are just thrilled to share this beautiful home as part of our Spring Open House Series. Jennifer from Dimples & Tangles has
I made this faux mantel #InspiredBy a mantel in House Beautiful. I know it's a bit outrageous for most, but I love it. It has many personal items glued in he…
After two weeks of indecisiveness I have finally completed my Fall Mantle, Yay! I don't know why I had such a difficult time getting it right, I must have arranged and re-arranged my mantle about 8 or 9 times before I finally felt good about it. I think the hardest part for me was coming up with a decor scheme that represents the cozy warmth and feel of Fall without using the typical Fall colors (aka shades of orange & red); instead I wanted to go with a more neutral, nature inspired color scheme that used natural elements and textures
