Family Room

Sweet Rene over at Cottage and Vine is having her monthly Room to Room Party.  I’m a little later for the party, but I thought this it would be fun to link up and a good time to share the progress in my family room.

 

I am trying to lighten it up a little and bring in some more color…it’s feeling a little too brown.  I have removed all of the red that was there and am slowly adding in pops of color and some different textures.

Here is my design board I shared with you a few months back.  So far I have put up the curtains, painted the end table, taken away & added accessories here and there, and have put out some temporary pillows to play around with. It is still a work in process, but coming along!

 

I am really happy with how it is coming together so far. It’s feeling very cozy, very comfortable, very warm and very me…that is what I want for my home. :)

     If I can ever get a good picture of my curtains  I will show you them in more detail….I love the fabric and what they add to the room. The light behind it is making it difficult.  I need to read a tutorial on taking my camera off of auto;)

You can see a couple before shots  HERE.

Thanks for taking a look! 

Linking up….

If Your Belt Breaks, Make Something Out of It

My very favorite thrift store belt broke.  I was sad.  I love the warm worn leather…the metal details…the rustic quality…the story it may tell.   I thought of ways to fix it and then it hit me…use it in a different way.

I’ve had these little mirrors from Hobby Lobby that were $2 each.  I thought the elegant detail of the mirrors was a great contrast to the rustic belt.  I used Gorilla Glue epoxy to attach them securely to belt.  I add a piece on the bottom as well to finish off the look.  I let it dry for a few hours just to make sure.  Using my hand weights…I knew they were good for something;)

To make the hanger I simply looped some ribbon through the belt where the buckle would go.  Again another contrast to the worn leather for a unique look.

What do you think?  It is now one of my favorite pieces in my home and a reminder to think outside the box!

Here is a sneak peak of another idea that spurred from my broken belt…Stay tuned for an exciting announcement!

Linking UP!

Easy Chalkboard

This is my very inexpensive chalkboard.

I found this little rooster plaque at Hobby Lobby for a few bucks.  I loved the frame, but the metal insert doesn’t really fit my decor.  I simply popped out the rooster and put in a dollar store canvas.  I had to trim it down a little, but it was easy to do.  I just measured and cut.  Once I new my canvas fit I took it out and gave it a few coats of chalkboard paint.  Note: This was the first time ever I had used chalkboard paint…I know, where have I been? ;)

And, here she is!  So inexpensive… Easy to put together & I love it.  Remember if there is part of something you love and part you’re not so crazy about see if you can change it up.  I love the lines and color of the frame and wanted to use it somehow and I found a simple way to do so.  Sometimes if it is too much work  or costly to do it’s not worth it, but if it is an easy fix like this then go for it! 

DIY Bittersweet Pottery Barn Wreath

 I am getting very excited about my favorite upcoming season…ahhh, Fall.  I was looking through my stash of fall and found a bunch of bittersweet stems that my grandma had given me.  I decided to put them to use.  I usually use more muted colors, but I must be craving some excitement in my life because I was loving the pop of bright orange. 

       

I rounded up a small grapevine wreath, along with some floral wire, wire snips, ribbon and moss.  The wreath base I used is a more open one so I simply wove my stems throughout. If you have more of tight weaved wreath you would simply bend the stem how you want it and secure with your floral wire. Using wired stems helps in shaping them and securing them to the wreath.  I bent the stems around in the same direction, positioning them all slightly different to add dimension. There is no right or wrong. I also decided to stick some moss in mine and hang it from some velvet ribbon…Just cuz. 

5 minutes later… It was finished. 

 

So, as I was writing this blog post I Googled ‘bittersweet’ to see if A. these were in fact bittersweet vines like I thought, and  B. it was one word or two. (yes I do that often;)  And what do ya know, this little PB wreath popped up.  I am sure I have seen it before & it was probably cataloged in my brain somewhere, so I decided to show you the comparison and give PB a little credit. ;)

I wanted the vines to look as if they grew right on this wreath so I went for a more asymmetrical look.  I do love Pottery Barn’s.  It is lovely, but sorry,  not $59 lovely.  I’m sure you could even find bittersweet vines that are more similar to these and make your own for under $10. 

Here I added some more vines to show you how you can give it a little fuller look if your prefer.  That is the awesome thing about making it yourself friends…not only cheaper, but you can customize it to your liking!! Double bonus. 

Check out yesterday’s post to see where I put mine.

Ok now, go create:)

P.S. Have you ever seen dried bittersweet vines?  I love them and I want some for my mantel.

Linking up!

 

A Touch of Fall

Hey, do you remember when someone used to actually post on this blog? haha;)  Well school is back in session, our lives around here are somewhat back to normal(I of course use ‘normal’ very loosely;), and I am starting to get a routine back in place…  I have even been putting in a little bit of Fall Decor out! 

Check back tomorrow for a mini tutorial on the bittersweet wreath I made!

Have you started decorating for fall yet?

French Bucket Arrangement

Painted End Table

  

Like I have mentioned, I am working on updating our family room.  Lightening it up…adding some different colors and making it feel less… brown.  Here is another example of how paint can totally transform a piece of furniture.

I’ve had this little Pottery Barn end table for 12 years!  I bought it when we were first married & I was working as an apprentice at my mom’s hair salon.  We were really tight on money so using my hard earned $49 at the PB outlet seemed like a huge, frivolous purchase. I think I have got my money’s worth by now. ;)

It is sturdy and functional, but just not cohesive with the direction I am headed style wise in this space.  By simply painting it and changing the hardware, it has taken on a whole new look…and I like it mucho better now!

    

        To achieve my desired look, I first used Martha Stewart’s Cobblestone paint and then a layer of Martha’s Flagstone, painting in a very casual manner.  I sanded the edges a little and I may even add some glaze to give even more contrast and distressing.  I bought my knobs on Ebay for $2 each & I lightly dry brushed them as well as the existing hardware with the same paint.

It’s coming together people!!  I am feeling excited about the direction I’m headed with the updates.  It already feels some much better in there!

Happy Weekend!