Keeping It Green DIY

Although fall is my favorite season it does make me sad to see my garden fade. Most of the front garden is evergreen, but the porch which normally houses a few pots of flowers was looking bare. This time around I wanted something that would last and that was easy to manage. I really just did not want to have to think about it too much, so instead of flowers I used reindeer moss that had been dyed a bright green. I bought it from a local garden shop and could not be more pleased with the outcome.


Creating this look was super easy. I simply hot glued the moss to a half round circle that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics. The circle fit perfectly into the mouth of my pot and stays there quite nicely. Ugly on the bottom...


Fabulous on the top...



A little color in the garden could not make me any happier.

Tracery Interiors


While staying at Rosemary Beach for our vacation last week I was able to pop into Tracery Interiors shop. I made it a point to stop in especially after falling head over heels for their work and blog. I got to meet a couple of the lovely ladies and they were as sweet as can be. While chit chatting Bess, the blogger for Tracery, happened to mention my shopping hiatus. Oh, did I happen to mention I was mid purchase? Well, needless to say I have not done very well the past couple of months. I have a few home projects in the works and that's never cheap. Okay, I may have done a bit of shopping at the J. Crew outlet while at the beach too, you guys sure know how to drag it out of me. Anyway, for now I am not going to pretend that all my purchases are justifiable. I have thought them through and, lucky you, for the next couple of months you will be able to see my home come together even more. Being a stay at home mom plus a home body makes it hard for me to let projects sit. I am just ready to get it done, well as if it can ever really be done, ha!

I bought 2 of the above sconces to flank the large window in my bedroom and boy are they heavy. I would have given you all a full picture, but that will have to come later. I am still in need of that perfect curtain.

DIY Headboard

So I am redoing my bedroom, again. I am only going to show a snippet today because it still has quite a ways to go, but the bed is quite a large snippet I believe. I finally convinced my husband to let me make my own headboard. He was afraid it would look cheap, but he still gave me the go ahead.


The Supplies:
2 bags of extra loft batting
staple gun
just over 2 yards of fabric
plywood (thick enough so it would not bend)
2x4 cut into 2 ft legs
drill
screws

(I could have also used thick foam, but that would have added to the cost and I wasn't wanting anything to thick anyway.)

The plywood I had cut at our local supply store into a 76x46 piece. We have a king size bed and with this size it makes the headboard tall and have the ability to go down to our box springs. That way from a side view you wouldn't be able to see the legs.


I then took the batting and laid it out on the board and wrapped it around the back and stapled well. I used two bags of queen size batting to give the headboard some softness.


I repeated the above process with the fabric which was a remnant I found at a local fabric shop. It was only $8 a yard, yeah! The key to this step is to make sure you keep the fabric smooth. Pull taunt and then pull again, but be aware of creating ripples.


The final piece before adding legs. As you can see there are some wrinkles in my fabric. I tried ironing the opposite side, but being velvet it started to change the color so I am now just hoping they will work themselves out over time.


Next I attached the 2 foot legs to the back of the board with screws. These legs are 16" from the ground to the headboard. This gave clearance for outlets that are behind the bed.


My husband then helped me put the headboard behind the bed. We pushed our bed firmly up against the headboard and for us it seems firm enough. We could attach it to the wall at a later date if we feel a wobble, but so far so good.


Simple, quick, and budget friendly. I could not be more happy with the outcome.

Leaf & Petal

It's that time of year again when my garden begins to fade and only the evergreens remain, so this past week my kiddos and I headed out to Leaf & Petal here in Birmingham to pick up a few things for some fall color. Leaf & Petal always display the most gorgeous assortments for pots. Our normal drill is to pull in, find our favorite pot, and simply say I want to recreate that. Then they bring us around and tell us about our selections and load it all up. Really it is the perfect way for us to spend the morning and even more lovely when they begin to remember your face.


This is the assortment we picked for the main pot as you walk up to our porch. The main beauty is flowering kale, I love everything about her. Her color and shape have me swooning. A petite evergreen tree was added for year round color. The orange mums and purple snapdragons are short lived and will be changed out to pansy's in a couple of months, but for now they make me happy. Finally we added parsley, because every pot needs something good to eat according to my Ellie.


This is our front porch. We spend hours here in the fall as the weather begins to cool. Normally I do not put a pumpkin out till October, but Ellie made a good point on how beautiful this one was and we should keep it, so we did. The stump is a recent addition and I could not be more pleased. We have some friends who had a some trees cut down in thier yard and I asked for a stump and they so delivered. I love the rustic element it adds.


These are a few pots I bought on my recent trip to Ikea. I finally added a few ferns and am quite happy on the way it further divides the kitchen from the living room. Although the bar is meant to be used for eating it is at a ridiculous height so even the tallest stools we could find are still not tall enough, oh well. Also the backsplash still needs to be tiled. Such a big decision and a pricey one especially when we need about 30 sq ft. One day I suppose.

{Thank you to Gracie Belle Butterfly for my blog award. You made my day.}

Being Design Happy

Dear design savvy friends,

Please help me...

xx, me (the one who can decorate other people's homes, but struggles with my own)

This is my dilemma...




We switched the dining area with the sunroom. The "former" dining room opens directly onto the kitchen and the sunroom is a room of it's own, but has an arched opening. Why did we do such a thing, well we were gifted a fabulous 1940's piano. We have a smaller home and had no where to put it. Soon it will sit under the mirror in the first image. Although I like the switch I can't seem to get a grasp on how to make it look lovely. I do feel as if the new family area will come together once I figure out the dining area. Oh, and I do realize it needs a larger rug and I am in search mode. All the (big) pieces you see must stay although I am thinking about changing out the chairs. The fabric over the piece in the second photo is not how it's going to stay I was just testing the idea of a skirted table with the largest piece of fabric I had.

I really can't believe I have showed you all these photos. They look awful, I know, but I can't live in an unfinished space without feeling out of sorts.

These are some dining areas I like...

{sorry?}


Please send your ideas this way. I am sure you all have tons of them. Oh, and keep in mind I do have a 2 and 4 year old which makes grubby hands a given, so everything must be easy to clean. We do plan on replacing this table one day, but for now it works for us and all the art projects my kiddos do.

Last thing... I can't do lots of color. Although I like it I can't seem to live with it very long, I have tried. Boring, I know.

My Garden


I wanted to paint my door a fun new color, but due to strict HOA's I had to get creative in order to make my home stand out from the crowd. I bought the dragonfly door knocker years ago from Target and painted it white. The two lanterns are from Homegoods and added the simple pop I wanted. I did love my doormat, but with the new set up I am thinking I need something more simple and clean. Now on to the backyard...


We love to grill out, sit around the fire pit and roast marshmallows, and of course simply play. Oh, and there is a big ole playset at the far end of the yard, but I figured I didn't really need to show it. I would just love to paint stripes on the patio, but that will just have to wait till it gets cooler. Also I am planting creeping fig all along the back of the house in hopes of covering all the vinyl. Thinking back we do wish we paid the extra to have our home four sided brick instead of three. Then again we also thought we would have moved by now, but this lovely market is keeping us settled here.


This is where we dine alfresco. The hydrangeas in the back are limelights. They do great in the Alabama clay and full sun. Although the one on the far left is having quite a hard time.


Close up of a piece of my garden. Foxtail fern resides in the foreground, lamb's ears are the big green plants in the middle. I just love the texture and silvery hue they bring to the mix. They too are great for the clay soil and full sun. They start out small, but they have more than doubled in size since planting them last spring.


This area takes up a good portion of the yard. It first began because the sod all died and we thought it would be cheaper and easier to just plant a flower garden. We were wrong on both accounts, but are very happy with the results. Well, except for the butterfly bush that has all of a sudden decided to wither and die. I am hoping after cutting it back it will come back next spring. I can't wait to share new photos next year when everything becomes more established and full.

Ellie's Bedroom Makeover

For the last 6 months my 3 year old little lady has been asking for a green room. It's her 4th birthday this July so we decided to make her "dreams" come true. Of course if we were going to paint then I mine as well re.do the whole room, right? Before and after...







Now if only we didn't have carpet in the bedrooms. I do suppose it's more comfy though.

Just in case you were wondering:

paint: Sherwin Williams Parakeet Green
lamp, bedding, and rug: Home Goods
side table: estate sale, then painted a basic white enamel from Benjamin Moore
curtains: wal-mart (not a fan of the super store, but the price was right), green trim added by me
starburst clock: original 70's from my parent's home
bean bag insert: pottery barn teen on clearance
bean bag cover: ebay (I believe in budgets, especially when brother has a matching one)

Lovely Gifts


The amazingly talented Miss Aimee from Mostly Mod was so very kind to send me a photo from her etsy shop for Mother's Day. This meant the world to me. First off it is of a bike no less and, as I have posted before, I have a little dream to live somewhere a bike could be my first mode of transportation. Second my dear and incredibly sweet husband is not the very best at celebrating holidays such as this and my kiddos are much too young to know the difference so this definitely helped me feel quite special. This lovely photo now has found a home in my favorite room, the sunroom, where I do all my reading.


This beautiful gift came a from a friend who I helped with her blog header. I was doing it for free, but since she did get me something I am so happy it was this bag. It is by Lacefield Designs and a portion goes to Ithemba Orphanage in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa through the LUO organization. Their mission is to set children free from poverty. Please read more about it here. Seems like a cause to stand behind. It makes this gift even extra special.


Well, not sure if I would call this a gift, but my daughter does keep on walking around calling it "my dog". We are somewhat foster parents to this sweet little thing. Our goal was to find it a good home, but it seems my children have become smitten with it. I am still trying to figure out if we are dog owner people and the dog is trying to figure out if he wants to be owned by someone with small children. It's really just the shedding (which so far seems like none) and the dog smell I am worried about. Any thoughts lovely readers?

Shopping Hiatus: 12 weeks down

This officially marks the end of my shopping hiatus. I hope to continue with the mind set of "do I really need it?". As for this past week, I did well. Over the weekend hubby and I took the kiddos to an air show. We walked for miles, ate horrible food, and had the very best time. On the creative end of things I decided to re-cover our benches in the dining area. They were starting to look worn and I wanted something fresh...



Yes, I did have to buy the fabric, but it is from a local business that is going out of business so I got it less than $10 a yard and I only needed a couple. At first I thought it may turn out too traditional, but with the green trim I added I think it turned out more youthful.


The best part of my week was that I won this letterpress print from Angela of SeeSaw Designs. I absolutely adore it! I did buy the frame, but I used a gift card I had. To get your own print be sure to visit here. I also love their blog. Really she and her team just rock.


Okay, so I also bought the two crewel pillows on sale from Pottery Barn and used up the rest of the gift card plus $10. Whew!


Oh, okay maybe I should change my week from well to decent. I fell head over heels for this lamp that I found at Home Goods. I found a slight crack in it so they brought the price down to $29.99. This came out of my own pocket, oops. The funny thing is all the above has been up since Thursday and the hubby still has not noticed.

The Entry Hall




{images via here}

A front entry is the first place where guests get a taste for who you are. I believe this space should be special whether you have a specified area or you have to create one. In the Domino book they have a lovely write up with wonderful ideas on making it special. I love what Rita Konig said, "When I added the table and lamp, suddenly my sliver of a hall became a room". I already had the table and now I have the lamp. I must admit it gave the space a whole new feel. Here is the before shot in case you were intrigued. This is the new "room"...


With spring approaching the winter hats will be changed out with summer ones. I am hoping to find a fabulous new one for this summer. As for the tricylcle, it has somehow made its into the house and the my little lady loves riding it around while little brother holds on for dear life while riding on the back. It is quite a sight to see.

Apartment Therapy

I was very excited to see my room up on Apartment Therapy, but not so excited with all the comments. Some people can be kind of nasty, oh well. What I do appreciate is all the sweet comments you all left for me here! I know it's not perfect, but it's mine and the wonky wallpaper fits my wonky personality. Although I did get some good advice on hanging something above the bed.

I saw this image over on Element's of Style and I fell in love with it. I am now on the lookout for something similar. Hopefully next time I hang wallpaper it won't be so cringe worthy and I will be sure to match up the pattern. Luckily it's easy-change and if the need comes then I can well, simply change it. First time for everything right, ha! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

FYI: I received this lovely advise that will next time come in handy or be of use to some of you who might want to attempt this- Anyway, Paula, just so you know for next time, the pattern should continue from sheet to sheet. It easy to calculate where to cut once you know the measurement of the repeat. (brilliant, really wish I figured that out before)- doorsixteen

In the Bedroom

Did you really think I would go rated 'R' on my little blog for Valentine's Day week? No, my master bedroom re.do is about finished though. Also you can go here for before pics. Of course there are a few things I would like to add, but not until after the shopping hiatus. I would like a rug to cover the not so pretty carpet and a fabulous chair that carries more weight for in front of the desk. I am sure I will continue to change a few things around, but for now I am happy with the result.

Say hello to my new room.

I recovered this settee that I had since college and painted the legs white.

I painted the dressers gray. The crowd in the background is a video team setting up a shoot for the dinner theater I mentioned Tuesday.

This tray was once red, but now is teal. The iron piece I painted black. I already owned much of what I used for the room since it was during the shopping hiatus. This made me get extra creative.

All the toys are now out of the room, but we did keep the beanbags in so the kiddos can have movie time.

This picture is horribly dark, sorry. That ridiculously huge mirror used to be opposite the bed. Don't get any funny ideas though. I must say I do like it over here much more. The desk a friend gave me. It makes a perfect spot to sew.

This is my end table.
This is his end table.

In the details: paint- snowbound white by Sherwin Williams, wallpaper- easy change also by Sherwin Williams, lamps- Home Goods, end tables- antique shops, duvet- Pottery Barn, toss pillows- Pottery Barn, curtains- Pottery Barn with added fringe from Hancock Fabric, bean bags- Pottery Barn Kids. (so it seems Pottery Barn was having some great sales, my home as a whole is not all Pottery Barn, ha!)

If you want to know more just send me an e.mail or leave me a question in the comment box.

Shopping Hiatus: 1 week down

I am highly productive with this shopping hiatus it seems. I have gotten more done around the house in one week than I have in months. It started with my need to organize all the toys scattered around to organizing the whole house. I mean every drawer, cupboard, closet, basket, you name it I did it. I also cleared out tons of toys that they have out grow or never use. I ended up with empty baskets even. I am actually feeling quite good about the whole thing. Maybe it is the new simpler person emerging, at least that's what I like to think.


The run down:

1. My daughters closet. It seems when her closet is devoid of all the clutter her new stroller and shopping cart fit nicely.

2. & 3. My son's walk in closet. Taking out the wedding dress made plenty of room for his tool bench and the old changing table makes great shelves for diapers and his many, many new trucks. I did the letters and wall stickers almost a year ago now to make the closet feel more like a play area.

4. Remember my dilemma on finding new storage solutions. Well, I put my creative juices to work and crafted that lovely box. It's a Whole Foods box that I mindlessly purchased forever ago covered with some left over fabric from Purl Soho. In the end, after all my purging, I no longer needed the extra storage so the box sits empty. (It only has a couple toys in it because my little girl thought it looked better with something in it. I future stylist maybe?)

5. I had this brilliant idea once upon a time that I would scrapbook my little one's first years of life and then every birthday after that. Well, my boys about to turn two and I still hadn't done his first year so I had a dear friend come over to scrapbook with me. I finished it all in one sitting and feel much better about it all. I soon realized though that scrap booking is not the hobby for me though.

6. The laundry room. This is where all my sewing gear ended up. Not the best location, but it will have to do.

I did so, so much more, but this post is long enough already. I tremble at the idea of how much more will be done at the end of my 3 month hiatus. Oh, by the way, I am starting my room re.do this week! I can't wait to share.

The bedroom

photo via ?

Photo via ?

Photo via domino

I do not believe my home will ever be "done", but the room that is not even close to what the rest of my home represents is the master bedroom. I believe it should be serene, comfortable, and a place that I, dare I say, feel a little sexy. With an array of mis-matched furniture, toys all around, and a color that I am now officially sick of, I can say it gives off none of the latter vibe I desire. In an earlier post I designed my dream room, but now I am tired of that too. I may have a problem. The photos above are what I am feeling now. I just need to put it all into practice. If you, all my lovely readers, have any more images or ideas to jog my brain for more inspiration than I would gladly except. My room re.do has me stumped, which is not normal for my over active brain. Please help!


I know it's a mess and it's taken with my phone, but this is my room now. It's large for one and that kind of throws me off. The bed will have to stay for now at least until I find a killer deal on a really nice one. I really like the one in last last photo above, but in a different color maybe? The lamp in the first photo is new, but can easily be returned along with the other. The side table its on is the cheaper replica of the set we currently own. This should be painted and I hope to find something similar in scale for the other side. The long dresser actually goes with the set that is in my daughters room. It is the original so I am hesitant to paint it, would you? As for the chair, it's going and the settee can easily be recovered. Honestly I would buy all new, but that's just not in the budget right now. Oh, and I am all for new bedding. I would really love this room to represent my style. Right now it is so blah. What would you do if this was your room? I am up for anything.

7 days and counting...

I am so excited that Christmas is only one week away. We head off to my parents every year after we open our own presents under our tree. We eat good food and watch our children get more spoiled by the second. One day in the far off future I hope to have Christmas at our house. Maybe it will look something like this...


Wouldn't a few of these mixed in with all my white dishes make the table look extra festive. I especially love the one's with the pinecones, but I do love the idea of mix and matching.

photo via once wed

A lovely simple centerpiece like this would be so pretty.


Every Year we make a birthday cake for Jesus so our kiddos remember the reason for the season. I think Jesus may love these cupcakes one year.


This garland would add a touch of the organic look I like so much.
While I am fretting all around I would love to wear a dress like this. A friend of mine purchased it and I must say I am quite jealous. It looks so lovely on her.

It's starting to look a little more like Christmas




Yesterday we decorated for Christmas. We left the tree decision up to my little Ellie and I think she did a splendid job. Yes, the tree is real. Not so green I know, but I did buy totes at Publix to contribute a little more to our world. I do the little things, low voc paint, organic milk and eggs, mrs. meyers and method cleaners, etc. It seems I do what is good for my kiddos after reading my short list, hmm. Anyway, we baked cookies and had hot chocolate with marshmallows. Ellie now is a huge fan and KJ not so much. I ended up doing most of the decorating myself, the kiddos got bored with the work part of it pretty quickly. What can I expect from a sick 3 year old and 20 month old? They ended up sitting on the couch with daddy and watching Elf. They were quite delighted with the final product though.

my new finds


This lovely chair I found at Home Goods. I have been searching for a new desk chair considering how uncomfortable the first chair was and how long my hubby sits and edits all the photo shoots. I love her lines, the linen fabric, and the comfort factor. The best part of it all is that after I made my grand purchase, I went home and goggled her and found she is only suppose to be to the trade. Yeah for me!


I then ventured off and went to my local flea mall. I found a booth that had reduced all there prices drastically and came across this end table. I have been on the search for a new one in the sunroom which I have rearranged to match the room I found earlier. I love the new layout and it also provided me a new place to sew without having to remove everything after I am done. This soon to be beauty only cost me $8. With a little gray/ beige paint she will be perfect.


This dresser was also found at that same flea mall. Right now I do not love her, my husband especially does not love her, but with a creamy almond paint I think she will become stunning. This will be used a night table in our bedroom that I am slowly trying to redo.

ready for a change

I have decided to start a little fund to re-do the master bedroom. The master is the one room in the house that was never actually done. It holds all hand me down furniture that I have tried to make as nice as possible, but I am so ready for a change. It may take awhile to save up, but I am going to try to do it on a very tight budget. These are my ideas thus far. Let me know if you have any better ideas or good cheap resources. I also want to paint the room white, hubby may not go for this one since we just painted only a year ago.

This is the bedroom I somewhat want to mimic. I find it to be very soothing and simple which fits me perfectly. I can not remember where I found this image, so sorry.

This is a similar dresser that is in the room now. Mine is still the original cream with gold edging. I do like the idea of painting it, but it does go with the rest of the set in my daughters room. I can't decide if it is a good idea to split up the set for good or not. Would you?
This Is the headboard I am quite fond of. It has a very low price point and the look I want. I like the clean lines and the simple tufting.

I then would like a white quilt just like this. This one I found at pottery barn, but I think I may be able to find something similar at home goods for much less. I also like the idea of adding a little extra warmth.
I would then put my current comforter in this linen duvet and have it folded down at the end of the bed.


I already own very similar lamps that I found at a local estate sale. These I found on the blog of Elements of Style. They are by the wonderful Martha Stewart.


I thought these end tables would go with the current dresser that is in the room. I would paint these french little lovelies a creamy taupe or possibly a light gray. I like the idea of the drawers to hide my ever growing pile of bedside magazines and kid books. I am still going to hit up local thrift and antique shops to see if I can find some local. These I fond via ebay for $125 plus $50 for shipping. Is this a good deal or should I continue my search?


I love these canvas buckets. They would be perfect to put all the extra toys that have made their way into our room. The bedroom is large so the sitting area has become where the kiddos watch movies and play. Currently there is a chair and a half in the room that will be removed and for the kiddos Christmas two bean bags will make there way in. I know beanbags are not the most stunning, but the kids do love them.

I would love your input! Let me know what you think.

making lists

Yesterday I feel as if my eyes were opened to my home's disarray. I am an organized person, I need things to be just so or I feel overwhelmed. I need order in my life, but something happened over the last month that I can not put into words. Yes, my house is still clean, but it's the hidden that became out of control. Wow, I sound pretty nutty right about now. What can I say, it is a odd part of me. I was completely inspired by a blog I just came across recently, Chez Larsson. She encompasses the idea of a clean and organized living. I am even going to borrow her cleaning list, maybe I will enjoy her flow more. I have devised a plan and made a list of what needs to get done before New Year's. I am also realistic and know it will not happen overnight with two children taking apart what I just completed. So this little blog has somewhat become my accountability. I would really love any ideas you may have too!

My To Do List

1. organize the garage (a project that I started months ago and never finished)


2. organize the pantry

3. organize the laundry room

photo via chez larsson

4. complete the process I started for the master closet

5. organize the kiddos clothes (this I do at the start of every season)

6. finish the garden project that was started for mother's day

7. stain the back patio

8. find something to do with all my sewing supplies and fabrics (the dining room is not going to work for long)


I am sure there will be more to add, but this is my preliminary list.

Number two has been marked off my list! My wonderful husband sent me out to pick up some things at the store and when I returned the house was clean and the pantry organized. I am one lucky lady. I am also the proud owner of 6 boxes of jambalaya, 8 corn bread mixes, and so much pasta I could possibly feed an army. Who knew?