Home for the Holidays

Last week, we had my father, brother, sister-in-law, and niece over for a mid-week, pre-holiday dinner.  It was great to sit back and relax and spend time with our family during this crazy time of year.  And it was fun for them to see how we've decorated our home for the holidays.  I do put a lot of time and effort into it, and while I know my husband appreciates it, it's nice for others to see it too.

After dinner, while relaxing in the living room, Dad pointed out how my decorating style had changed.  When we lived in our apartment, it was more modern and everything had to have straight lines.  Now it's very "Little House on the Prairie" as he calls it.  It's true.  Our home now lends itself to cottage style decor (hence this blog title), so I'm always on the hunt for that rustic, old world charm. I love decorating with thrift store and vintage finds and try to mix the old with the new as often as I can.

My favorite part of my decor this year was a last minute addition.  And by last minute, I mean the weekend before Christmas.  On my latest trip to the consignment shop, I found an adorable "farmhouse" sign for only $5.  I had been toying with the idea of decorating the top of our corner kitchen hutch and thought I could put this sign there.  It was too low to just sit on the hutch, so I put it on top of an old ribbon organizer I had in the basement.  It was the right height now, but the ribbon organizer stood out like a sore thumb.  I knew the answer was to put some garland in front of it.  Not only would it add some holiday spirit to the hutch, but it would also hide the box. The only problem?  I didn't have any garland, and I wasn't going out the weekend before Christmas to get some.  

So I racked my brain as to what I could use from around the house.  And then it hit me.  The old Christmas tree!  We still have our Christmas tree from our apartment.  It was too big for this house.  The branches, though, hook onto the tree individually, so I could pretty much use as few or as many as I needed.  I took out three of them, flattened them out, and put them on top of the hutch.  It worked perfectly.  I was literally smiling from ear to ear.  The word genius may have come out of my mouth once or twice.  And I loved that I could find a way to still use our old tree.  

So obviously now that I discovered this little trick, I had to find more ways to use it.  I took some out to the front porch and put it on my vintage sled and just added a bow.  Have I mentioned the vintage sled yet?  I scored that at an antique store near my parent's house just before Thanksgiving.  It was 20% off too!  I had been looking for one for awhile and was happy to have found it.  I also love that I can leave it out all winter.


 
And now for the mantel.  I had a tough time with it this year.  I had gone back and forth multiple times on whether or not to add garland, but every time I went out looking for it, it just seemed too expensive.  So I opted to leave it out.  That was until I discovered my greenery trick.  It totally completed the mantel.  I don't think this picture does it justice.  It looks a lot nicer in person. 

Anywho, there was now the debate over whether the new blanket ladder would stay in the corner of the living room.  I ultimately decided to just leave it where it was.  I love it there and really, there's nowhere else to put it.  I did switch up the blankets though.  The top one is actually a tablecloth I got at Home Goods last month for $7.99.  I love the way the plaid brightens up the space, although I'm a little sad I can't use it on the table.  Maybe I should have gotten two?!?  

I left the captain's chair there as well for extra seating just in case.  I also put the vintage crate in front.  I love that crate.  It was a steal at $12, and I had it on our fall porch a few months ago.  My best friend even used it in her newborn daughter's photo shoot.  It's a very versatile crate!  I picked up some birch logs at a farm stand and added some greenery.

Our tree is the same as last year, but we do have both our Ikea wicker chairs out in front of it.  It does crowd the space a little bit, but we need the seating.  Plus most of the time it's just Dan and I at home, so it works for us.  My goal for next year is to make the tree look fuller.  I've always had a fake tree and have no plans to get a real one, but I think I can find ways to make this one look more full.
 

 
In the kitchen, I added the majority of the decorations to the dish rack between the back door and windows.  I have been loving the cozy feel the mugs add to that area, so I knew I wanted to leave them.  Then I just played around with different arrangements until I had something I was happy with.  My favorite part of this is the red berries on top of the mugs.  I wasn't sure what to do with these, but definitely wanted to include them.  They came in a wine basket my dad got, so he gave them to me.  I had tried to place the mugs on top of them, but it wasn't stable, so I just placed them on top. 

Like last year, I am displaying our holiday cards on the french door between the mudroom and laundry room, but this time, thanks to Pinterest, I tied the burlap strips so the door looked like a bow.  Then I used some scrapbooking brads to attach them.  It's held up pretty well. 

So that's how our house has looked this holiday season.  I do really wish my mom could see it.  She always loved decorating for Christmas and put so much time and effort into making our home a warm and inviting space.  I like to think that's where I got my love of decorating (and redecorating!) from.  That night, Dad also told me how Mom would be proud.  I like to think that she would be too.

Happy Holidays and be well!

What I Bought With My Etsy Gift Card

The day I discovered Etsy was magical.  It was back in 2010 when I started planning our wedding.  I had read about it somewhere and decided to check it out.  And I was hooked.  I could spend hours looking at all of the different listings.  Over the years, I have made several purchases from ornaments to wreaths to personalized signs.  We even purchased the monogram we used on all of our wedding stationary as well as our Save the Dates on Etsy.

So when my in-laws gave me an Etsy gift card for my birthday, I couldn't wait to use it.  I hopped online and started going through my favorites.  Nothing jumped out as something I needed to have right that moment, so I waited.  And waited.  Then a few months ago, I become obsessed with birch bark.  I wanted to get either some candle holders or coasters or something made out of it, but I couldn't decide.  So I waited some more.  

Then I saw something on Pinterest (my other favorite site) that peaked my interest.  It was a handmade ladder used to display blankets.  I knew it was perfect for our cottage style home, but I thought my husband might be able to make it for me.  I mentioned it to him one day and a few months passed (not his fault, we've been really busy).  But I still reaaallyyy wanted the ladder.  

I hadn't thought before to check the price on Etsy, but when I did, they were around $50.  I decided to reach out to the seller to see what the exact cost of shipping would be.  It was around $30.  I hemmed and hawed over the price for awhile.  Since I had the gift card, though, I would only have to pay for shipping.  I realized that if my husband were to make it, he probably couldn't do it for less than $30 after all of the supplies.  That was justification alone for me!  So I went ahead and bought it.

I couldn't wait for it to come in.  It did take some time, since the sellers had to actually build and stain it.  Finally, a few weeks after the original purchase, it arrived.  It came in one piece and was securely bubble-wrapped.  Unwrapping it was like Christmas morning.  It was beautiful.  And sturdy.  And big.  

The first thing Dan said when he saw it was, "Yeah, I don't think I could have made it as nice as that."  So yes, he ultimately approved the purchase.

Now came the tough part...finding a place to display it.  The only place it really worked was in the living room corner, between the fireplace and makeshift entertainment center.  I debated on kitty-cornering it or putting it flush against the fireplace wall.  Then I questioned whether to leave the captain's chair in that corner, or remove it.  Ultimately, I decided to leave the chair and angle the ladder.  We need all the seating we can get in that room.  Then I just used the red and white striped pillows we use on the back deck and threw some blankets we had on hand on the rungs.   

I do think the corner looks a bit cluttered, but I think over time, I'll figure out how best to accessorize the area.  I would love to get a few more pattered blankets to bring a bit of color and texture to the area, but I'm not in any rush to get those.  
 
Of course, now I'm a little nervous on what we're going to do when we put up the Christmas tree.  Last year, we put one of our wicker chairs in that corner to make room for the tree, and I just loved how it looked there. Unfortunately, I don't really have any other place to put the ladder.  This is the problem with having a small house.  I see so many things I want to use, but i just don't have room for it all.  That's why I switch things out so frequently - to use it all.  Ultimately, I want the ladder to be displayed where people can see it, but I may end up moving it around with each season.

Be well,

Paint Projects

The upstairs of our house has been neglected since we moved in.  We have two bedrooms up there and a bathroom.  I've had so many different ideas as to what to do with the spaces, but nothing has really stuck.  And since Dan and I are the only ones who go up there, there really hasn't been a sense of urgency to update it.

Since we had the runner installed up the stairs, though, we knew we wanted to at least finish off the upstairs hallway. Before the runner came, Dan painted the entire stairwell, so we knew we'd eventually continue that upstairs.  The original wall color was pretty similar to the "Shaker Beige" we used everywhere else, it just needed to be refreshed.

My hubby is so good.  He took a day off from work and used his time off to paint and do house projects.  We already had the paint on hand, and the hallway isn't very big, so he had that done in a few hours.  As you can see from the pictures below, the change was subtle. 

Before

After

I knew this was on the hubby's to do list this day, but what he didn't tell me was his plan for updating our two sconces.  One is at the top of the stairs and the other is on the wall outside our bedroom.  I always liked the shape of them, but hated their gold finish.  

When we first moved into our house, we had most of the light fixtures replaced with oil-rubbed bronze ones.  We even changed out all of the doorknobs to match.  We wanted to keep these sconces, though, and had plans to spray-paint them with oil-rubbed bronze.  I didn't realize Dan was going to tackle these this day, so I was surprised to come home from work and see them done. 

Dan is very careful when working with electrical.  It's not something he does often and he had a tutorial from a good friend who's well-versed in most home projects, so he felt comfortable doing this.  He shut everything off and unhooked the wires.  He took the sconces down to the basement where he sprayed them with a few coats, letting them dry in between.  Then he just hooked them back up and turned the electricity back on.

I like this so much better than the gold, and it didn't cost us anything since we had the spray-paint on hand from another project.  The only thing that bothers me now are the gold brackets on the bannister.  I really want to take them off and spray them, but the hubby is adamant about leaving them alone.  When we had the bannister installed, I wasn't even thinking about the color of brackets they would use.  I think I was just so excited to have a hand rail installed that I didn't think it all the way through.  I should have specified that I wanted them to be oil-rubbed bronze.  

In any case, here's the entire hallway as it stands.  We didn't end up painting the white trim since it looked to be done just prior to when we moved in.  The hubby was happy about that.

 

The hope chest is my mom's.  It was one of the first pieces of furniture we moved into the house and it just fit perfectly at the top of the stairs, under the slanted ceiling.  It provides a lot of extra storage and it mainly houses extra blankets and sheets right now.  The rug is from Home Goods (of course) and ties in with the green and blues of the pillows we have on the hope chest. 

Continuing with the painting projects, a few weeks ago, we had the outside trim and all of the windows painted on our house.  It was one of those things that came up in our inspection.  The window paint was peeling and the inspector was worried about the wood eventually rotting.  Dan wanted to paint them himself, but life got in the way, so we decided it was worth the investment.  The company we used had most of it done in one day and just needed a few hours on day two to complete it.  It would have taken Dan a lot longer.  It's amazing how some fresh white paint can make such a difference.  

We also had the front door painted.  We figured since they were doing everything else, why not add this.  We had them match the original color since it ties in with our shutters.  I didn't realize how badly this needed to be done until I compared the before and after shots.
   

What a difference!  Luckily we don't need to have the entire house painted just yet.  Up next I think we're going to focus on the upstairs bathroom.  We have to paint the ceiling due to some water damage when we first moved in.  The problem has been fixed, but we haven't gotten around to painting.  I am also toying with the idea of either painting or replacing the vanity.  We shall see.

Be well,

DIY Fall Centerpiece

Making the change from "Halloween" to "Fall" is pretty simple for me.  I don't have a ton of Halloween decor, just a few odds and ends.  Once Halloween was over, I collected some of those decorations and switched them out for non-Halloween specific decorations.  For example, the dish rack in the kitchen got a quick makeover.  I just switched out the pumpkin and witch for a decorative wooden ball and a framed pin a friend brought us back from Thailand.

Now that this was off my plate, I could shift my focus to Thanksgiving. Dan and I will be hosting this year, so of course, my first thought wasn't about the food, it was about what my table centerpiece would look like.  I knew it needed to be small since our table isn't very big.  I also wanted it to be in one piece so I could easily remove it when it came time to eat.  I had seen a wooden box centerpiece on Pinterest I was pretty sure I could replicate.  After all, I already had all of the supplies I would need.  So, I ran around the house and collected everything.

I bought the wooden box for $2 at a flea market a few years ago.  I had only used it with some flowers for a spring decoration, so I just took out that arrangement and started with a blank slate.  I got the garland from Dan's aunt who was getting rid of a bunch of fall decorations and let us pick out whatever we wanted.  That was a fun day!  I had the mason jars left over from a Christmas project last year and I had the Epsom salt on hand because who doesn't have Epsom salt in their basement?

The first step was just to place the mason jars in the box to see how many would fit.  That was easy.  Then I played around with the garland and figured out how best to fit it in there.  I ended up trimming it a little bit and removing some of the brown twigs on it.  I looped it around each jar and stuffed it in and around, wherever it would fit.


Once I had this how I liked it, the Epsom salt came into play.  I was unsure about this part at first.  I didn't have taller pillar candles for the jars, so I knew if I wanted to use votives or tea lights, I'd have to find a way to raise them up.  The salt worked perfectly.  I just poured roughly the same amount in each jar until I ran out.  Each jar was a little less than halfway full. 

Now came the exciting part.  Turns out I didn't have enough votives, and the larger tea lights I had in mind were too big to fit through the tops of the jars.  I decided to use plain votive holders with regular tea lights, but then realized I only had two holders.  Then, upon digging through my bin of candles and accessories, I found some fake red candles.  And I had three!  These were the perfect solution.  I didn't have to worry about lighting the candles, things getting too hot, etc.  And the red looked great against the orange and yellow leaves.  I couldn't have been happier.  Pretty sure I gloated to Dan for a good 10 minutes on how perfect this find was.

So now that it was done, I had to find a place to display it in the meantime.  Mantel?  No.  Living room table?  No.  Kitchen?  Maybe.  I ventured into the kitchen and realized that its original destination of the kitchen table was perfect. 

Of course, that meant I had to relocate my pears on a serving board.  Darn, I really loved the simplicity of that.  Oh well, time to move on.  I put the pears on top of the stove and they looked pretty cute, so I left them.  Don't worry, we take them down when we cook, just in case.

I can't wait to host Thanksgiving!  One of the best parts of hosting (aside from being with family and the food, of course) is bringing out all of our serving pieces and china.  It reminds me that there's a reason I collect all this stuff!

Be well,

Fall Decor - Then and Now

Whenever a new season rolls around, I think back as to how I've decorated the year before.  Mostly I think about what I loved and what didn't work.  I've learned over the years that it's ok to put things in the same place, but it's even more fun to try to think of new ways to use what I already have.  Adding new life to old things becomes one of my main goals every year.

This year, if you can believe it, I actually didn't buy any new fall decorations.  Other than a few pumpkins and mums, I used everything I already had.  Obviously, I started with the mantel.  In case you've forgotten, here is last year's display:

And here is this year's:

 

I'm all about the layered look these days and last year's looks so empty to me now.  I've used the same mirror and shutters in all of my recent mantel updates.  I moved the red lantern from the hearth to the mantel and added some pumpkins (both real and fake).  I used the witch, wooden candy corn, and candles from last year, but decided to use the pears elsewhere.   When this was done, I lived with it for a few days, but thought it still looked a little bare.  

Pinterest is teaching me about more elaborate mantel displays, but I really didn't want to go out and buy anything, so I pulled some pine cones I had along with a bow from a Christmas basket and completed the mantel.  I will admit that I may go to the craft store at the end of the season, though, and see what's on clearance for next year.  To finish off the living room, I took more of the pine cones, tied some twine around them, and hung them from the door in between the living and mud rooms.  It was super easy and added a nice touch.


I decorated the small table in the foyer exactly the same way as last year.  The decorations there work and are simple.  One thing I did switch up this time, though, was adding our welcome sign to the top of the chimney.  Until last Christmas when I added our "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" sign, I had never thought to put something in this space. Unfortunately, It has sat empty since we took down the Christmas decorations, but when I removed the welcome sign from outside, I wanted to see how it looked up there.  I know the sign is more summery, but I think by adding a wooden pear I've had forever, it "falls" it up.  Oddly enough, I couldn't find anywhere else to use that pear and even thought about getting rid of it. Luckily, it found it's home.   

In the kitchen, I tried to mix things up a little bit.  Here is the dish rack last year and this year:

I actually added the coffee mugs after living with the martini glasses for a few days.  The mugs are from Pier 1 and we bought them when we first moved into our apartment years ago.  I actually like them more than the mugs we registered for for our wedding.  Unfortunately, we don't have much room in our cabinets for them both, so I liked the idea of displaying them.  I love the serving board I bought at a a yard sale last year, but wanted to find a new place for it.  It ended up on the kitchen table with the pears from last year's mantel.

I've had that leaf runner since we lived in our apartment.  It has certainly been put to good use.

Now for the outside.  Last fall, our small front porch looked like this:

This summer, I picked up a vintage wooden crate at the thrift store.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to use it on the porch or in front of the fireplace, but ultimately, I decided to use it on the porch.  I flipped it on its side, added the wooden apple that goes with the pear, some mums, pumpkins, and a lantern.  I pulled apart some of the hay we used last year and switched out the table with one of the red ones we bought for our back deck.  The table is part of a set, so I put the smaller one on the other side with a mum.  And of course, no front porch is complete without a giant pumpkin.  My dad buys me one every year, so we display it proudly.

So I think that about sums it up.  I don't really go crazy with fall.  After all, I only have one box of decorations as opposed to the four or five I have for Christmas!


Be well,

Parasailing!

I crossed something off my list!  On our recent family cruise to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau, Dan and I went parasailing.  This was one of the excursions offered at Nassau, so when Dan's aunt reminded me that this was on "the list," I knew I had to do it.  I'll admit, my fears are generally irrational (i.e. Little Richard scares the crap out of me), but heights aren't usually something that get me worked up.  After all, we zip-lined in Alaska and ventured out onto the glass Skydeck 1300 feet in the air in Chicago.  But as a coworker pointed out, "You won't drive in the snow, but you'll parasail?"  Well, I suppose so.   

We booked the excursion before we left and kind of forgot about it until a few days before.  As it inched closer, however, I started to get a little nervous.  But once we got there, I started to calm down and became excited for it. 

When we arrived at the small boat, we saw that there were two attendants - a driver and one working the parachute and ropes.  There were 6 people in our group, including ourselves.  We were the last to go, so we put on our harnesses and life jackets and waited our turn.  We watched an older couple go first and they loved it.  The next couple to go also said it was great, so once it was our turn, we were ready.  There was no turning back now, although I did ask the attendant if anyone ever fell out of the sky.  He assured me no one had.

They clipped us into the parachute and secured the seat.  As the parachute pulled away, we were told to just sit back and bend our knees.  We were lifted into the air like we were flying.  It was all very smooth.  Once we reached our max height, it was so serene and peaceful.  The only thing you could hear was the parachute flapping in the breeze.  We couldn't even hear the boat below.  It was like we were floating.  We stayed up in the air for several minutes before we were lowered towards the water for a dip.  

A few times while we were up there, I thought about what would happen if the harness came undone, but other than that, it was really cool and calming.  Zip-lining was more of a rush, while this was more about floating and enjoying the view.  It was the icing on top of a great family vacation!

Be well,