I'm very particular about lighting - at least any lighting that's hard-wired to the wall and will likely be in place for the next twenty plus years. You see, I have to absolutely love any permanent fixture or large piece of furniture I bring into our home because I know it's going to be in place for a very long time. Replacing items just to redecorate just isn't in my budget.
After ten years of being in our home I could still count eight rooms that still had just the lightbulbs in the ...
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Transforming a TV Cabinet
Everywhere I turn I seem to find TV cabinets. You know the type… the large armoires that would hide those deep, boxy televisions behind a set of doors. Ten years ago, these cabinets served their purpose, but with the introduction of the streamlined, flat screen TVs, we DIY-ers need to come up with some creative solutions to transform these solid pieces of furniture for a new use. First, let me show you the TV cabinet I found and easily transformed. Then see several more ways these cabinets ...
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2-Minute DIY Card Holders
Good Morning. It's Sunday morning. The house is quiet - everyone is still sleeping - and I'm watching one of my favorite TV shows… Fixer Upper. Joanna & Chip are adorable and talented designers. What I like most about their style is that they use old, found items and work them into their newly-refinished home designs. They use a lot of rustic and old-world yard sale finds. Very inspiring.
On to today's DIY project… a Christmas card holder you can make in just two ...
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My Favorite Trees
As you may have noticed from yesterday's post, my decorating style is pretty sparse. There are more items on my tabletops at Christmas time than any other time of year - and you could see from those photos that there was still very little displayed. Too many small items and the thought of having to dust around them just stresses me out. Instead, I prefer large pieces that make a bold statement. Like my trees...
This first tree is an image on fabric stretched over a wooden frame. It's a ...
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Christmas Decorating
I was a Christmas decorating maniac today! I woke up with a list, a mission, and the determination to get it done. The garland went up on the staircase, the centerpiece of the table was set, and the wreaths were hung on the windows.
Welcome to my Christmas home tour...
My motivation actually came from a TV show I was watching last night - The Middle. Yes, I admit that I laugh out loud at the TV when The Middle is on because some of the things they say have actually been said verbatim in ...
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The Queen Bee of Coffee Tables
This oak coffee table was screaming for a coat of paint. Of course, I believe that all oak should be painted. I'm just not a fan of the color or wood grain of oak. It was way too over-done in the 80's and 90's. I played off the Queen Anne style obviously present in the curved legs and went with a distressed white leg; but kept with my own modern style and painted the top a sleek dark gray. The contrast is stunning… ...
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Red Twin Pineapple Bed
A few weeks ago I came across another queen sleigh bed. This was the second one I was blessed with in the past six weeks! The headboard and two side boards were in great shape, but the footboard was beyond repair right where the brackets attached. I'm so glad I scooped up the three remaining good parts because I realized the side rails fit perfectly on the twin headboard & footboard that I had already painted red. <!--more-->
I'm so happy I'm able to offer this for sale ...
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Homemade Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate
Winter is here in New England and there's nothing like a steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm your insides. You may be surprised at how easy it is to make your own sugar-free hot chocolate. Then rejoice because you're not feeding your children processed sugar! Here's an easy homemade recipe you can whip up in just a minute… ...
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1950’s Gray Ombre Dresser
This past weekend was spent painting a 1950's dresser. When I picked it up, my husband saw a dresser he's sure came from his grandmothers house. I, on the other hand, looked past the dust, cobwebs, chipped veneer, and the drawers that were swollen shut to see a solid wood dresser with modern lines that, once refinished, would resemble those seen in today's modern furniture stores. Here's the before…
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This Weeks Finds: Red Pineapple Bed
Living in New England means we have some of the most amazing changes of seasons. The crisp green of Spring, the refreshing blues of Summer, the deep reds of Fall, and my favorite… the cool whites of Winter. I love the feeling when I walk into my living room on a snowy day and see the bright white snow mixed with cool grays outside my windows and they're washing into the room like a bright light.
White rooms and white painted furniture are by far my favorite. Little does my husband know that ...
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TV Table Update – Tired Brown to Cheery Blue
What a busy week. Everywhere I turned, I was finding great pieces of furniture. Stay tuned - I'll post those later this weekend. Today, I'd like to share one of the pieces I completed this week. This small TV table had seen better days when I found it. The brown paint was chipped and it was covered in stickers. On the up side, it was solid, very sturdy, had good lines, the drawer boxes were together, and the drawer hardware was still attached - all signs of a good find for a ...
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This Week’s Finds: Queen Sleigh Bed & Twin Beds
Lots of people must be buying new beds lately because I came across four of them in the past week. Actually, I came across a few more, but really… how many beds can you listen to me write about in a week! On the bright side, with so many now in stock I can go a little wild with the colors. I love to experiment!
First up is this queen sleigh bed. Can you believe a neighbor was actually putting this one out with the trash! I was so excited to see it, I pulled over while she was still ...
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