Decorating for Halloween!

We love Halloween!  A good scare and a dark and gloomy home make a great time for kids of all ages.  In my eyes the queen of Halloween is none other than Martha Stewart.  This woman and her team have all the tricks up there sleeves to turn your home into a scary, dark, and creepy haunted house!  Below are some of the great DIY projects that you and your family can create to turn your bright and cheery home into the house of fright!

Shocking Silouettes

I actually made these and they turned out

Creepy Candles

String Spiderweb

Desk Drama

So I had purchased a desk and was so excited for it, but of course it was put on back order!  Well since I have not patience I decided to cancel the order and find a new desk.  And I could not be happier with my decision.  I went from a L desk shape to this amazing full wall and half desk!  I am not going to post pics of my office yet because there is still some work to be done, but I did post a pic of the desk I purchased.  I bought the Bedford Desk from Pottery Barn and I absolutely love it!!!!  What a great anniversary gift from my husband!

Decluttering the Happy Home

We all have this problem...too much stuff and too little space.  I don't care how big the home is, you find the stuff to fill it up and next thing you know its taking over your life!  If you are like me and get anxiety when you see any type of mass disorganization, then this blog is dedicated to you!  I work as a travel agent out of my home and I can say that when things become disorganized, my attention to my work drifts over to the pile of papers or the stack of home decor magazines. It's scarry how simple things can distract me so much.  

Right now I am in the middle of an office makeover (pictures and stories to come later..promise!).  I just purchased a new desk, which I will give you a sneak peak on.  My office serves as a haven for many things.  I do all of my travel work out of here, all of my home decor searching and stashing, and all of my art and crafting.  So, as you may already know, this can cause quite the issue in terms of organization.  

My goal in this blog is to find unique, creative, and stylish ways to turn my (and maybe your) messy disorganized office into a space that is workable, inspirational, and enjoyable.  This will be a two part series as I want to show you the finished end once I have all of my pieces in place!  

First, let me show this amazing desk that I am so excited about.  I bought an L-shaped desk from the Kathy Ireland Collection.  I think it will go nice with my french country style!

Next I want to show you some great ways to store your things from stuff that is lying around the house.

Sauce Jars:  use jars from spaghetti sauce, take off the label and give them a good cleaning.  Store widgets and things in them.  Use stuff with vibrant colors for not only a organized effect, but a visually pleasing design as well.

Baskets:  we are all guilty of it, buying baskets or getting baskets as gifts and then putting them away in the basement or closet never to see the light of day.  Take those treasures and fill them with magazines, fabric scraps, supplies, etc.  

Old Dressers:  refinish this baby!  Give a decent sanding and repaint it.  You would be amazed at the difference that a little paint will do.  Store linens, towels, craft supplies, and more in them for easy access.

Here are some storage items that I found online:

www.ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com

Magazine Files from The Container Store

Unique way to store ribbons! 

How about taking a cupcake stand and putting little dishes in it and filling the dishes with beads, brads, paper clips, etc.  

Crate & Barrell  

 

Found this at All Sorts Blog

DIY Projects

We all love a good project!  There are so many out there that it is hard to chose which one to take on next.  I have scrolled through the net in search of some interesting, relatively easy and cost effective DIY home decorating projects.  I am all about making my home as personal as possible and nothing says personal like creating things on your own!

I ran across this simple yet stunning coat hook rack on Flax and Spindle's blog.  The steps are simple and depending on how pricey the knobs are, it can be very cost effective.  

Coat Hook Rack

 Here are the steps below

1. Find yourself a piece of wood that is the size, shape, and finish that you want.  If you choose an unfinished piece, give your custom touch of color or stain and let it completely dry
2. Find your self some decorative knobs (picture below is some that I found online). Go to our Sources Page to see the stores that I found these knobs at)
3. Drill wholes into the wood where you would like your knobs placed
4. Attach two saw tooth picture frame hangers onto the back
5. Screw in your knobs, hang your creation, and poof you have a DIY rack!

French Wire Baskets

So to begin my home makeover, I am looking constantly for some french wire baskets online, at antique stores, and any where else I can think of.  My search begins online!  I have found some that I think are worth noting.  Basically I am looking for my bathrooms, office, kitchen, and family room.  Just something to hold magazines, toys, papers, and any other loose items lying around.  

I found the one below on Amazon.  It is a French Traditional Style Salad Wire Basket (reproduction of an antique design).  Price Tag:  $22.49 plus shipping.

 Then I found these very sleek ones which truly do remind me of the french countryside..however they come with a somewhat hefty price tag.  Sold in packs of two $59.95 from Sturbridge Yankee.  .

Here are some more finds from online, I have put in the caption where I found them and the link plus the price.  Such decisions that have to be made. 

TimelessNChic $62.95

 

 

 

 

Gray French Wire Pedestal Baskets $261.00 plus shipping

French Tripod Wire Stand $39.99

French Wire Wall Mount $29.99

Wire Gathering Baskets $39.95

Cute Nursery or Kids Room Lamps

Mig & Tig Boutique is a Chicago based store with an online presence.  I found these cute lamps that could be used in a playroom, nursery, or children's room.  They have a whole slew of different animals to choose form.  Lamps are priced at $30, which is not too bad for a cute lamp.

I think elephants may be my most favorite animal, I always choose them for pictures.

Great Online Store!

So I am in the hunt for some great French chic decor items, and guess what?  I found an amazing store online, The Inglenook Decor.  Below is a sampling of items I found that were just perfect, and they are quite affordable!  Also, I am totally obsessing over the mercury colored pop bottle tea light holders.  I may have to order them!

Interesting or Not?

Okay, so this will be my last blog of the day...however I need a vote so leave a comment on this. Do you find this picture interesting or not? Inquiring minds want to know!

Support Handmade!

Nothing is better than a great piece of handmade products. People like you and I sell handcrafted items. You can see how many views each item has received, how many hearts (a nifty little way to see how many people love the individuals store!), what the product is made from, plus more. Each crafter sets up their own store and displays their works of art. Not only are their handmade products, there is also vintage items and supplies! Its a one stop shop.

I was perusing around as usual and found some great crafters that I wanted to give a little PR for! All of these crafters put their blood, sweat, and tears into their art.

KainKain

AbelMabel



Miss Chief

Great Find of the Day

I am searching the net for any artsy and cool way to put a calender up in my office. My memory challenges me everyday with my career, so having something handy and right in front of my face I fell will be a great way to keep the neurons running! I ran across this amazing designer by the name of Miriam Bereson. Her pieces are affordable and AMAZING! Below are some pics of her work.

I am waiting anxiously to see if she releases a 2011 Calendar. I will keep you posted if this becomes available.

Hello World!

This is my first post on my new blog in which I tell you all about the great finds on the internet, in the stores, and just lolly gagging around in search for new home finds! Decorating and designing are a hobby for me, but now seem to be consuming all of my time! My husband and I just bought our home that we intend on growing old with....however, there are things I want and need to change to make the home of a life time. To begin, my husband loves new homes while I on the other hand love the character and charm that an old home has to offer...so what did we end up with? A NEW HOME :( Although I am sad, this gives me the opportunity to start designing the rooms the way I want them...a new home with old home charm. Bonus..home came with beautiful molding and wainscoting! Bonus...hard wood floors throughout! Bonus....airy and open (not typical in an older home). Downfall...everything feels so new with no character..so the journey begins. On this blog I will post items I have found that I think are simply amazing, the changes we have made to our home, and anything I think you might actually care about! So sit back and enjoy our adventures in the epic home makeover journey.