Move Over Chocolate Chip Cookies ... Pinterest Is My New Best Friend

I’m sure many are already aware of the latest craze called Pinterest.  If not, you’ve got to check this thing out.  Have you ever looked through a magazine and thought to yourself, “I really like the way that room is laid out?”  I’m not the only one that does that, am I?  Pinterest is a place where you can “pin” all the things you love whether it’s fashion, actors, quotes, or my favorite, home décor.  You create these different boards and then you can follow other people around the world.  I’m warning you, this thing is ADDICTIVE!! I don’t want anyone to come back and say I didn’t warn them.  It is not my fault you are still in your clothes from 2 days ago starring at your computer playing on Pinterest.  Not.  My.  Fault. 

What Would You Do?

The boxes are unpacked and everything is finally put in its place in our new house.  Phew!  We definitely have more things than what I thought.  According to the hubs, I’m a hoarder.  However, I can’t help but think, “I’ll use it one day, right?”  Wait a second … isn’t that a hoarder’s motto? 

As of right now, our breakfast nook in our kitchen looks a little bare.  I absolutely LOVE our new kitchen.  The big bay window lets in so much light and it just makes it feel so open.  I normally don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen – I’m not allowed to go in there.  I apparently can’t cook worth a hoot but it’s not my fault the hubs compares my cooking to his momma’s southern cookin’.  He knew I was a “meal from the box” type of girl!  Anyways, enough with my venting on that subject!  J  As I was saying, I don’t normally spend that much time in the kitchen but the windows make me want to be in there all day long! 

Now here’s where I need your help.  I can’t decide what I want to do with the windows.  Should I do long curtains, valances, leave it as is?  What would you do? 

Nate Berkus ... Will You Accept This Rose?

Is anyone else obsessed with the Nate Berkus Show?  I have my DVR set to record him every day.  I like to consider it my guilty pleasure every afternoon.  The Design Star contestants were on his show yesterday and they had to do a challenge in front of the live audience.  Their challenge was to make something for the house that everyone can make so it had to be (1) easy (2) cheap.  Easy and cheap … I normally don’t put those two words together but when it comes time to decorating, those are my two favorite words! 

By far my favorite, and the design that won the contest, was the decorator that had those standard Ikea shelves and he used vintage books to sit on the brackets instead of the boring shelves they come with.  Can we say GENIUS?!? 

The Nate Berkus Show

Seriously people, this has to be in my house!  I’m going to have to check out the prices at Ikea but if all else fails, I could always make my own, right?  I would love to have one in my daughter’s room or in our upstairs office.  Maybe I could put one in EVERY ROOM!!!!  Okay, that might be an overkill but this definitely has to be made! 

My Mirror Needed Some Company

Now that I made the wooden trough for our kitchen table, there seemed to be something missing in our “dining area”.  We have a framed mirror on the opposite wall but the mirror looked so lonely hanging up there all by itself, and that’s when I had my idea!  I will make my mirror some friends!  Mason jar sconces anyone?

After making random projects throughout the house, my garage is filled with extra wood.  Even if I didn’t have the wood to make this, it would cost under $10 to make.  What I did was measure how long I wanted the sconces to be and how big I wanted my shelf to be for my mason jars to sit on.  Then, I had the hubs cut me my pieces.  Thanks Nater!  J 

I used gorilla glue (this stuff is awesome) to attach my pieces together.  I wanted to make sure the wood would hold together so I put some nails in the pieces to tighten the wood together.  Once that was done and dried, I was ready to paint.  I gave it a quick coat of heirloom white spray paint and then then went to town on the distressing.  I found it to stain the distressed edges with a small paint brush.  It made the process less messy. 

The sconces looked great but I felt like there needed to be some kind of decorate piece at the top of it so I just used what I had on hand and grabbed some black cardstock and used my Silhouette machine to cut out a fleur de lis (I lurrve me some fleur de lis)!  I had to think about how I would stick it to the wood … Mod Podge it?  I really didn’t want to Mod Podge it.  I was having a lazy day so I grabbed my 3M spray adhesive and sprayed it to the sconce.  It worked purrfect!!!  I love easy projects! 

So here’s the final project … what do you think? 


I found my inspiration at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/

New Table = New Decor

We FINALLY got a table that can sit everyone around it when we have people over.  Say goodbye to four people sitting at the table, while two people sit at the bar, and the rest on the couch in the living room.  We put it to use this past weekend when my husband's family came over for lupper.  Yes, there is such a thing called "lupper".  It's that meal you eat between lunch hour and supper time ... lupper! 

Now that I have my beautiful kitchen table, it needs a little something, something.  I tried putting decorative plates out for show but it didn't look right.  That's when I decided I was going to build something.  Say hello to my little friend ... my wooden trough!

My husband and I measured how big we wanted it.  I wanted it to be long enough to run across the table (almost like a table runner).  We cut out pieces of scrap wood to size and then glued and nailed the pieces together.  Once that was finished, we sanded it so it was nice and smooth - no one likes splinters!  I wiped it down with a piece of cloth and debated whether or not I wanted to stain it in my oh so favorite dark walnut or paint and distress the edges.  Our table has white legs so I decided it would stand out more if I painted it heirloom white and then distressed the edges. I topped it off with some red flowers in the center. 

Didn't it turn out great?  I love it!