Have you ever shopped at Buc-ee’s? I know... there are some of you that think that Buc-ee’s is a gas station that has great food and the cleanest public bathrooms in Texas. And you would be correct. BUT… shopping at Buc-ee’s is  also a great place to shop for just about everything you could imagine from fire pits to t-shirts to home decor.

We recently met on of our sons at a Buc-ee’s  about an hour from our home.

Of course, I made sure we had a little extra time to browse through all the shopping goodness.

The main reason that I started “shopping” at Buc-ee’s was their huge supply of Mud Pie.

Mud Pie is truly one of my favorite lines.

This time around I found the cutest measuring spoons.

I’m obsessed with these sweet little glass jars.

Those glass knobs on top are just the cutest!

I had no idea what I would do with them, so I left them at the store, but I keep coming back to their cuteness.

My brain is on overload thinking how I could use them.

I also saw this line of pottery that was super pretty!

That butter dish is just the sweetest.

They also have a good collection of Round Top items.

Also a favorite of mine.

As I was taking this photo, The Hubs walked up and asked what I was going to do with them.

My reply: ” I have no idea, but they sure are pretty!”

That earned me a huge eye roll.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I will find a crown if there’s one to be found.

These wine glasses were calling to me from the moment I walked in!

Mama loves her some shiny.

Truth.

You can’t get much more southern than this, or more accurate.

Too stinking cute.

Honestly, I have no idea what the inside of this book looks like, but if it’s as pretty as the outside I feel as if we all need a copy. They had me at the hydrangeas.

And that blue…

I have to say that if there were any negatives to shopping at Buc-ee’s – other than the huge amount of people who are always there – it would be that these beautifully colored bins were a display and not for sale!

They were in several places around the store.

Which had me running around to all of them looking for a price tag.

I was like a spider monkey jacked up on Mt. Dew.

Sadly, a worker asked if he could help me and I was emphatically told that they were not for sale.

At this point The Hubs escorted me from the store ending my shopping adventure.

If you get a chance to shop at Buc-ee’s, GO!

Until next time…

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One of the questions that I get asked a lot is how to store throw pillows and pillow covers. So this Week in our Decorate With Me video series, Terri from Decorate and More With Tip and I are answering that question!

If there is one thing that I decorate with in almost every room of my house, it’s throw pillows.

Of course I’m excluding the bathrooms and the kitchen!

Here are just a few places you will find them in my home.

The Library.

Guest bedrooms.

Master bedroom.

They are even outside.

I love them!

However, after a while of buying pillows for every season, every color etc. you start accumulating a huge selection of pillows in every color, shape and size.

Often you have no place to store them.

I’ll be honest, the storage issue had me looking at whether or not to buy actual pillows.

So much so that for the most part, I’ve chosen to invest in good pillow forms and pillow covers instead of an actual pillow.

When I do buy pillows I store them in labeled bins.

The bins are then stored in the top of one of my guest room closets.

As you can see this isn’t perfect as it takes up a huge amount of space.

One of the reasons that I love to use pillow coves is that they fold up nicely and are easy to store in a small space.

I’m lucky enough to have 2 empty drawers in my guest bedroom to store them in.

Drawer number 1 has pillow covers that fit pillows that are 16″ and 18″.

If you look closely you can see that I’ve labeled the inside of the drawer where they should be placed.

Drawer number 2 has all of my 20 – 22 inch pillow covers.

Not only are they sorted by size, but by color and pattern.

This makes it super easy to find the cover I need at a glance.

3 Quick Tips to help keep your Pillows and Covers tidy and in great shape!

1. Organize your pillows and covers by shape and color.
2. Once a year check your pillows and covers to see if you have used them, if not donate them or give them to a friend. This opens up space for ones you will use and keeps them from getting overcrowded. Over crowding causes wrinkles and disorganization.
3. Before placing your covers or pillows back into their drawer or bin check to see if they need to be cleaned or mended. Nothing is worse than pulling out a pillow and finding that it is stained or has a tear.

What if you don’t have an empty drawer or space in the top of an unused closet?

Since pillow covers are small and fold up nice and tidy there are tons of storage options.

Under bed storage, small containers like the ones I use for pillow storage, or pop up cloth cubes are great options to consider.

I hope that I helped answer how to store  throw pillows and pillow covers for you!

Be sure to check out how Terrie is storing her pillows here!

Until next time…

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Easter is just around the corner and it won’t be long before we will be taking down the bunnies and the sweet Spring decor. I think of this time of year as the in between time.  Too early for full on Summer, but I don’t want to decorate totally in Spring decor either. So how do we decorate right now? I like to transition slowly from Spring into Summer. In all honestly, I’m really ready to get outside and plant! With that in mind, today I’m sharing my Spring to Summer kitchen.

The first thing that I do is CLEAN!

Clean from the ceiling to the floor.

Scrub the oven and sink, mop and wax the floor and shine up your appliances.

Take everything off of the countertops and clean those as well.

It’s also a great time to clean out the cabinets and drawers.

Donate what you haven’t used in a year, throw away anything that doesn’t work, is chipped or broken.

Add Fresh Flowers.

This is the perfect time to bring the outside in.

If you do nothing else, clean and treat yourself to fresh flowers or greenery.

Throw open a few windows and let in a breeze.

Add a few plants or greenery.

Again, bring the outside in!

Chances are you don’t have access to cut flowers yet and if you don’t want the weekly expense of buying fresh flowers, plants are the way to go.

Don’t have a green thumb?

No shame in that game, go faux!

This time  of year green plants mentally put you in a good mood and get you looking forward to summer.
So bring on the green!

Don’t forget to give your nose a treat!

Let’s face it, if it looks clean and smells inviting then odds are you want to spend more time in that room.

Add in a new floral or fruit scented hand soap and candle.

Right now I’m really enjoying this Bath and Body Rose Water and Hibiscus hand soap.

It makes me feel like I’m in the garden even when I’m not.

If you are like my BFF and are on candle restriction ( You must remember to blow them out!) then try a scented wax burner or oil diffuser system.

Your nose will thank you!

Add a fresh, new hand towel.

There is nothing like a fresh new hand towel to dress up your kitchen!

Am I right or is it just me?

It doesn’t have to be expensive, just wrinkle free and fresh looking.

This crisp new blue and white towel can be found here at a great price.

Change out your artwork and decor items.

This is the perfect time to bring in lighter, brighter decor items and art.

I chose to add this cute little print of a plant under a cloche that says “Please Grow”.

How appropriate is that?

This is also a great time to look at freshening up your rugs, runners, placemats and napkins.

You will be surprised that by doing these simple things just how much you will love your Spring to Summer kitchen!

Plus, this concept works in all rooms of your house, so give it a try in other rooms as well.

It really is perfect for this “in between time”.

Until next time….

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It only took us about 6 weeks, but our kitchen remodel is done! I am so happy to say that we are no longer living in never ending dust. More importantly, the dark hole that used to be our kitchen is now a light, bright space that we love.

Before I share the finished kitchen, let’s take a look at what the kitchen used to look like and a recap of all the work we’ve done.

The Old Kitchen

The original cabinets were a white oak that had been lime washed.

I’m not sure of the original stain color, but over time they had taken on an orangy, peach color.

The top coat had worn off in spots and they had seen better days.

The granite countertops had been installed 18 years ago and had chips and dings in them.

You can’t see it, it had  a bright burgundy color in it to match the backsplash trim.

I was not a fan of either.

What I hated about the counter tops the most was that you couldn’t see when they needed cleaning.

Drove. Me. Crazy!

Don’t even get me started on the backsplash and the yellow under counter lighting.

Work in Progress

Step one was to have the counter tops replaced.

I agonized over this one decision more than any of the rest.

The trend is to go with a white quartz, but having everything in the kitchen white would be a little too much in this small space.

I loved the look of Soapstone, but didn’t want the up keep that came with it.

And after having busy granite in the last two homes we had, I was ready for something a little less “extra”.

So we went with a timeless look.

A black Quartz called Pittsburg.

It isn’t very shiny and has little bits of shiny pieces here and there.

Farmhouse Sink

For our sink we chose a farmhouse white porcelain sink.

LOVE it!

A brushed gold faucet was another big decision for me, as I was trying to choose timeless pieces, rather than trendy ones.
However, every time I would go looking at faucets I found myself drawn to the gold.

After the gold faucet was installed I was so glad that I went that route.

Bye Bye Raised Bar

The raised bar was removed to give us more countertop space.

Plus, the new countertop was extended about 6 inches to give us a place to actually be able to sit at the bar and eat.

What a game changer!

Painted Cabinets

The cabinets were painted next.

An airless sprayer was used and I have to say that it was one of the best decisions we made.

Previously, when painting cabinets, we sprayed the doors and drawers and hand painted the cabinets due to my fear of overspray.

Never again.

The spaying was easier and looks fantastic with little to no overspray.

In the middle of painting the cabinets and installing the backsplash, Snowmagedon took place and North Texas became  a frozen Tundra.

Since a spray tent was to be set up outside for the drawers and doors to be painted, we had to wait for the thaw before we could finish the painting.

Same with the backsplash.

No cutting tile with a wet saw outside in sub-zero temps.

Cabinet Hardware

After the thaw, the cabinets were finally painted and gold hardware was added to the drawers.

Glass door knobs were the finishing touch for the cabinet doors.

Tile

Then came the backsplash.

Other than the countertops, this was my one big splurge.

Originally, the plan was to do a white Subway or Moroccan tile backsplash, until I saw this Byzantine Arabesque Bianco by Ivy Hill.

It was love at first sight!

Once all of the major items were installed, it was time to do touch up paint, install molding, caulk, paint the crown moulding, paint doors, and put in under counter lighting.

All of which took a few days.

The last thing on my list of things to finish was to install the pendant lights above the island.

There is nothing like adding a little bling to make a space pretty.

Finished Kitchen Remodel

Here’s the north side of the kitchen remodel.

BIG difference, right?

The Hubs and I eat here all the time and we love it.

I left my island blue, but painted the pantry door back to SW Pure White to match the cabinets.

The original plan was to put a wooden top on the island, however there was a little mix up with the installers.

I walked in when they were done and the quarts was there.

Oh, well – plan B.

Plus, it’s not like I hate it or anything!

This is the south side of the kitchen.

I still haven’t decided whether or not I’m keeping the valance or changing it up.

For now it stays.

Other than a few different decorating choices still to be made, I’m officially calling our kitchen remodel done!

I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.

Until next time….

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Good Friday morning y’all! I don’t know about where you all are, but here in North Texas we’ve been experiencing Spring like weather. After the frozen Tundra of a few weeks ago, the weather is so welcome. Since I’ve been dreaming of Spring, I’ve been thinking about my Easter table. While it won’t be like it has been in years past, I’m still trying to make it special. I was planing how I wanted my table to look when I came across these beautiful pink and white charger plates.

They had me at Buffalo check.

And then I saw the price and kept on scrolling.

However, I kept thinking about them.

How pretty they were and how cute they would look with my spring centerpiece.( you can see the video here)

Which got me to thinking, could I make them?

I had 4 chargers that I had painted white some time ago.

Which was perfect for my base paint color.

Step 1:

Make a grid for your plaid pattern.

Find the center of the charger plate.

Once you’ve done that, lightly draw a line down the center.

From there you will mark lines 2″ apart.

Then turn your plate 180 degrees and mark your charger the same way.

This will make your grid for the check pattern.

Step: 2

Tape the charger plate.

Following your grid pattern, tape off every two inches.

Do this vertically, but not horizontally.

Step 3:

Paint your first set of stripes.

Before painting, be sure to burnish the edges of your tape to prevent any paint leaking underneath it!

Then give the non-taped off area a light coat of paint.

Let the paint dry.

After the paint has dried, give the same painted area another coat of paint.

Now, at this point remove the tape and give the plate another 180.

You can tape the lines off again – but be very sure that the paint has thoroughly dried OR the area you just painted will peel off.

Or, I found that it was just as easy to paint the next set of stripes without using tape.

Step 4:

Add gold to the rim of the charger plate.

Once the next set of stripes has dried it’s time to add the gold on the rim.

This was the part that I wasn’t too sure about.

Honestly, it turned out to be so much easier than I thought.

I chose a flat brush the width that I wanted my gold edging to be, loaded the brush with gold paint, then started painting.

TIP: I found that if the outside of the brush lined up with the outside of the plate and I didn’t put too much pressure on the brush it was super easy to paint this edging.

This is what my pink and white charger plate looked like when I was done painting.

Not too shabby!

I chose to go with a darker pink paint that matched my napkins that I planned to use, but other than the color I think they are a good dupe for my inspiration chargers!

Step 5:

I gave my pink and white charger plates a good spray of this Triple Thick Clear Glaze.

I love how shiny it makes them as well as protects the paint.

Which I definitely wanted to do after spending the time to paint them!

The best part?

They turned out looking exactly like I wanted them to with the rest of my Easter table.

Here’s a sneak peek!

So, would I spend the time to make them again or splurge and buy them?

I definitely would make the pink and white charger plates again!

Until next time….

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Today I want to talk about free artwork. Lately I’ve been all about art. Real art – either I’m motivated to paint or I’m purchasing  prints made by artists. However, art can be expensive.

When we had new countertops put in our kitchen recently, we also decided to go ahead and have both the powder room and the guest bath countertops replaced. Which led to new mirrors, faucets, towels… well you get the picture.

In the powder room I had this paint by number painting that I did awhile back.

It was fine, but I never LOVED it.

Janet Hill is one of my very favorite artists.

Her art has the best sense of humor that just reaches out and grabs me!

A few years ago I purchased “The Disappearance of Lonnie Lightfoot” print from her.

My Granny had a closet filled with her formals, jewelry and scarves when I was small.

If I was very good I was allowed to play in that closet, so this print reminds me of pulling up a chair and getting lost in all of my Granny’s finery.

I had it framed with “gaudy joo-ry” all around it and hung it in the powder room.

This print was my inspiration for making a small gallery wall where my paint by number used to hang.

I recently ordered this print “Selfie at the Mermaid Public Fountain” to go with it.

Someday, if I’m lucky, I will have all of the photos from her collection on my powder room wall.

But not today.

So I set out to find free artwork to go with my prints.

Frames:

The first thing I did was dig around in my decor closet for unused frames.

My JH print was in a white frame, so that’s the color scheme I was looking to go with.

I found several different shapes and sizes that I knew would give my gallery wall visual interest.

After a good cleaning and even a couple of coats of paint on a few, I was ready to look for artwork.

Artwork:

I googled free art work and came up with a ton of sites that you can download just about any style of art you can imagine.

I found several that I felt like would be perfect.

Some of my favorite sites are:

The Graphics Fairy

Pixaby.com

Unsplash.com

Using card stock, I simply printed out the artwork that I found in the sizes I needed.

Framing:

Now it was simply a matter of framing my prints.

And deciding what order I want to hang them in on my gallery wall.

Create  Your Own Prints:

One other thing that I used  for one of the smaller prints was the app Waterlogue.

I’ve used it several times before and love it.

Using your own photos, you can create watercolor prints in your phone.

Again, it’s simply a matter of printing them off and framing.

It really couldn’t be simpler!

The hardest part of this whole process was deciding what artwork to use.

The best part?

It’s free!

Until next time….

I know…. it’s really a little early for Easter decor. BUT, apparently the stores are full of cute stuff.  I limit my trips to the store and do a lot of it on-line, however that doesn’t keep me from sharing where to find cute Easter decor. And if I’ve learned anything during this pandemic, it’s that if you find and love it you’d better grab it before someone else does!

So here’s what I’ve found so far.

Our first shopping adventure begins at Kirkland’s.

I have thing for door mats.

And this is the cutest little door mat!

If you’ve been around here awhile, you know I love anything for the table and chalkboards.

This bunny place card is so sweet.

I’m in love with this carrot wreath.

Our next shopping stop is at Michael’s.

Have you seen these beautiful faux chocolate molds?

At least I think they are chocolate molds…

Whatever they are they are definitely finding a spot in my decor this year.

I’m obsessed with them!

They come in several sizes and the subject matter is so sweet.

Lambs, chicks and rabbits, Oh MY!

This large wooden bunny would be perfect on the front porch or hanging out around the fireplace.

I’m not sure who needs this ,but this is truly the largest carrot I’ve ever seen!

How could I NOT share it with you?

These beautiful felt carrots are too cute and definitely more my size.

Okay. Let’ just put it out there.

I have an addiction to banners.

And this poofy pom, for want of a better description, is super cute.

The check pastels are right up my alley.

Our Last shopping stop is Hobby Lobby.

They had me at carrot yard stake.

Two different sizes and I can just see them in the garden.

SO stinkin’ cute.

Speaking of cute.

This pink and white check bunny is adorable.

They have a green one, but my heart is set on the pink.

And last on the list today is this cute bunny trail sign.

It wold be perfect for my Easter two tiered tray.

Looking back at all of my favorites, I must say that I feel like I have a theme for this years Easter decor.

Carrots anyone?

Cause I will need them on the bunny trail….

Ha!

I’m sure that I will be sharing where to find cute Easter decor with you again before the big day arrives.

Until next time…..

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Y’all! I can’t believe that next week we start my kitchen remodel. It’s been the way it is now for 18 years. And while I’ve only been in it for about 18 months, It’s time. To say that I’m excited would be an understatement! It’s really a dark room that has a lot of yellow lighting.

I spent the weekend firming up all of the things. Ordered sinks, hardware, faucets, tile…. all the little things that have to happen. I thought that I’d show my plans with you so that you can follow along as I share my kitchen’s journey with you.

There is nothing prettier to me than a nice crisp white kitchen!

I mean, just look at this kitchen!

It was a Pinterest find that Ebay had posted.

It had me at the gold accents.

So my inspiration is to lighten almost everything up.

Countertops:

When we started planing the remodel, I knew that I wanted to put together a kitchen that would stand the test of time as much as possible.

For me that meant white cabinets, white backsplash, white countertops… you get the picture.

But as I started putting it all together I realized how much white was in this room.

The cabinets will be Sherwin Williams Pure White.

The walls we just painted before Christmas a soft  light griege color.

It had zero character.

So I had a consultation with Mario, my countertop guy and he gave me several black samples of quartz to look at.

I landed on this piece of Pittsburg Quarts!

It has very little veining, which I love.

It’s has a little bit of sparkle, which I love even more!

And the best thing for me  is that it’s a not a pattern or color that I will get tired of.

As you can see here,  this kitchen from a Decorated Life is super clean, timeless and beautiful!

Tile

Once I had the countertops picked out, it was time to look at the backsplash options.

I thought that I wanted a simple white ceramic subway tile.

Until I saw this tile.

Let the heavenly choir sing!

It’s Byzantine Arabesque Bianco from the Tile Bar.

I LOVE it!

In the entire kitchen it was my one splurge, however I knew that the texture and sophistication that it would give my kitchen was perfect.

Sink

My current sink is a divided, multi-level stainless beasts that for the life of me always looks dull and dirty.

No matter what I do or clean it with.

So a new sink was definitely happening.

I chose a white apron sink that is one great big tub.

We had a granite composite sink similar to this in our old home and I can’t tell you how much I loved it.

In fact, had I not been doing a black countertop, I would have put a granite one in this kitchen.

I’m okay with no granite this time as this kitchen is a beauty.

Faucet

I fell in love with this brushed gold faucet.

It’s probably not for everyone, but it definitely makes me happy when I look at it.

If anyone would have thought I would ever have a gold faucet, I would have told them they had lost their mind!

But, remember that gorgeous white and gold kitchen earlier?

Nuff said.

The gold faucet is why I chose these drawer pulls.

Well, that and the fact that they come in a ton of sizes.

I want ginormous pulls for the large drawers under the stove and  these will be perfect.

These pulls range from 2.5″ all the way up to 18″.

A size for everything!

That’s pretty much all that I’ve ordered.

I still need to find countertop height bar stools and a few other things, but I think I’m well on my way to being finished with all of the decisions for now.

I can’t wait for my kitchen remodel to start!

Until next time….

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Decorating for winter can be tricky. Especially if you are like me and after the holidays are ready to pack all of the Christmas decor away, including the greenery. However, just because I’m ready for a clean decor slate doesn’t mean that decorating for winter has to be hard. In fact, you can achieve a wonderful warm design in just 3 steps!

Step 1:

Light a fire.

The past few days have been cold, wet and dreary.

You can tell by the photos that there was very little light.

On days like these I love to light a fire, curl up on the sofa and read a good book.

Lighting the fireplace both mentally and physically warms you up!

I added a ton of candles to the mantle of the fireplace.

There is nothing like lighting them all in the evening.

It not only looks inviting, but smells great too.

I love them so much that I’ve sprinkled candles all through the castle!

Step 2:

Add texture.

Heavier fabrics like fur, velvet, corduroy and wool all just scream winter to me.

Add a warm fuzzy throw blanket to your decor doe instant warmth.

Can’t you just imagine curling up with this furry throw?

It is just the softest!

These velvet pillows on the sofa really cozy up the living room.

Don’t forget to add texture through out your home.

My bedroom has a very cool color scheme with a lot of neutrals paired with steal blues and mid-tone greens.

The addition of a warm furry throw as well as velvet pillows really helps to warm this space up.

In the guest room I took away the bright hot pink throw pillows and added these off white corduroy pillows complete with fuzzy poms!

I love them so much that the old pillows may never come back!

Step 3:

Add  a little nature.

Think greenery, pinecones, and sticks from trees.

All too often we shut ourselves up inside when it’s cold.

Bringing nature inside is a must for me!

Not a lot, just a few elements here and there.

As you can see here, I added scented pinecones to a large lantern.

On the coffee table I’ve added a woven basket to hold all of my decor.

The basket adds warm texture as well as shows off the pinecones, greenery and a candle.

Even the burlap bow adds warmth with it’s nubby texture!

This tablescape is the trifecta of decorating for winter.

It has a little nature, tons of texture and a candle to give it that warm soft glow.

As you can see, decorating for winter is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Until next time….

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Welcome! Can you believe that it’s already September 1? I would complain, but for the first time that I can remember I’m ready for fall. With the first of every month comes the DIY Challenge and I’m loving this months theme – Fall inspiration! Nothing makes me feel like it’s fall until I get my kitchen decorated. One of the things that I love best is pulling out fall themed kitchen towels.  Which is why I’m sharing how to make fall kitchen towels with you today!

A great big shout out to Terrie from Decorate and More With Tip. She’s our fearless leader and  I can’t tell you how much work she puts into hosting each month. Thank You Terrie!

Also, if you are visiting here from Blessings by me, I’m so glad that you are here!

Now, let’s get started!

I love cute flour sack towels.

Especially the ones that have fun quotes.

One teeny tiny issue though, sometimes they can get pricey.

So, I decided that I could make a few of my own.

In some ways this craft is so simple that I’m almost embarrassed to share it with you.

Simple, yet time  consuming!

Supplies:

1. Cutting Matt
2. Vinyl
3. Scissors
4. Iron or Heat Press Machine
5. Computer
6. Flour Sack towels. I found mine here.
   

   
   Step 1:

Before I go much further, I realize that not everyone has a cutting machine, however I plan to offer you what I think is a cute alternative at the end of this post!

I used my cutting machine’s software to upload a design for my kitchen towels.

Step 2:

Once my design was finished, I loaded my cutting machine with vinyl and let it do it’s magic!

This particular design has several colors.

Each color was cut out separately.

Step 3:

Iron on your design.

In my case I had 4 different colors, so each color would have to be ironed on separately.

Honestly, I know that there is a way to put all of the layers together before ironing them on, I  just haven’t had the time to watch a tutorial to figure it out!

I ironed mine on with my new heat press machine, however an iron works just fine.

Here’s how my Fall kitchen towel turned out.

I love it!!!

So much so that I think that I will be making some Fall and Christmas ones for gifts!

Now what if you don’t have a vinyl cutting machine?

I have two ideas for you.

Did you know that you can buy precut vinyl decals?

Well, you can!

You order, then simply iron on.

And what about stencils?

How simple would this be?

All you would need would be kitchen towels, paint and a brush!

I love making kitchen towels, but I also like that I can choose my design, color and theme to perfectly match my kitchen.

Making Fall kitchen towels have never been so much fun!

Now it’s time to head on over to visit Liberty at B4 and Afters, I can’t wait to see what she has made!

Also, be sure to visit all of the other DIY Challenge participants and their wonderful Fall projects!

Decorate and More with Tip

Jessica Simmons

Cloches and Lavender

Bluesky at Home

Bushra’s Lifestyle

Pretty DIY Home

A Vintage Flare Farmhouse

Blessings by Me

B4 and Afters

As always, if you loved it, be sure to Pin it!!

On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, I was lucky enough to come upon their 90% off isle. It was suppose to be a quick run in, run out  trip, but I made the time for a quick stroll. I found several things that just had to come home with me, including the cutest bamboo candleholders ever!

Each candle One of the candleholders was missing a slat on the bottom for the glass cup to sit on.

However, I knew that would be an easy fix.

Each candleholder was$4.49 each.

I grabbed all four that they had left.

I love the look of bamboo, but I’ve never really known where to put it in my home.

While I think of myself as an eclectic decorator, bamboo always seemed a little too Gilligans Island in my home.

With the recent trend of gold bamboo picture frames, trays, and all things chinoiserie I knew that I could finally find the perfect place for a little bamboo.

Once the broken slat was repaired, I gave each of the candleholders a couple of coats of gold spray paint.

I was so excited.

Until I set the candleholder next to the picture frames that I already had.

The gold on the candleholder didn’t seem gold enough and looked really flat.

And even though the candleholders might never be next to the picture frames, the gold color just didn’t work for me.

My solution was to give the candleholder a quick coat of Rub N Buff.

The new gold color  had  the luster, warmth and shine that I had envisioned.

The gold candleholders pair well with my white pumpkin, fall leaves and berries.

I love this fall vignette.

My sofa table sits in a walkway, so I put potpourri in the glass cups instead of candles.

Less chance of a lit candle getting knocked off.

Plus, it smells heavenly!

I love this how well the gold looks in my blue and orange fall living room.

But I can’t help but wonder how they might look in a different color.

How about a bright hot pink?

Maybe a bold navy blue?

A deep emerald green might be nice!

No matter what color my bamboo candleholders eventually end up, right now they are perfect just the way they are!

Until next time…

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Can you believe that September is just around the corner? With September comes all things fall. Pumpkins, sweatshirts,  leaves, Candy Corn and pumpkin spice everything! On a recent trip to Hob Lob I came across a few things in the Spring section that I thought would make great inexpensive fall decor. That’s right, I said things from the Spring section would make great inexpensive fall decor!

I found these cute little signs.

They had me at wooden beads.

However, as much as I love the beads, the artwork just wasn’t my style!

We all know that I love a good sale.

The Spring shop is now 90% off.

That’s not a good sale, it’s a great one!

It made these cute little signs .69 cents!

So, yes, I loaded them up and they went home with me.

Steps 1 – 4:

I knew that if I fixed them up a little bit, they would be perfect little signs to go on my two tiered tray in my kitchen.

Step 1:

Paint the entire surface with Mod Podge.

Step 2:

Lay pre-cut scrapbook paper on top of the  Mod Podge.

Be sure to gently rub out any air bubbles that you might have.

I use an old credit card to smooth mine out.

Step 3:

Put a coat of Mod Podge on top of your scrapbook paper.

Step 4:

After the paper had dried thoroughly, choose a wooden cut out to put on top of your sign.

What to do with your wooden beads

Step 1:

Flip your sign over and cut the knot holding the wooden beads to the sign.

I wanted to paint my wooden beads to match each sign that I was making.

To paint the beads, I load them onto a wooden stick and then paint them.

This makes it super easy to paint with little to no mess!

Step 2:

Once the beads are painted and dried, re-string them onto a piece of twine.

Step 3:

Take both ends of the twine and re-thread them into the hole at the top of the sign.

Step 4:

Tie the ends of the twine securely into a knot.

Your beads are finished!

Now for the fun part, decorating your wooden cut outs.

This is the time for you to get creative!

Add burlap, lettering, rhinestones, metal, paint, bows, raffia, paper or metallic paint.

Really, the only limitations are your imagination.

I made 4 signs in all.

This cute little fall sign cost less than $2.00 to create.

The leaf came from the Dollar Tree, 5 for a $1.00.

Everything else was leftover from another project.

Once again, my sweet little ghost was a 5 for a $1.00 Dollar Tree find.

Everything else I had on hand.

I bought this turkey cutout last year.

I’ve just been patiently waiting for the right time to use it.

Again, I think he cost less than $1.00.

The Christmas sign definitely cost me more than the other three signs.

I’ve had this Christmas tree in my stash and the sticker said that the tree was $2.00.

Right about now, I’m feeling like a big spender!

You know that you are making super cute, inexpensive fall decor when you can make all 4 signs for under $10.00!

That’s a bargain!

But how do they look on my two tiered stand?

I think they look pretty darn cute!

My head is spinning with all the possible decor that I can add to them.

Did I tell you that I love a good sale?

Until next time….

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Let’s be honest. While I love the 4th of July, I’m not one to do a lot of decorating for the holiday. I’m not really sure why. I justify my non-decorating with the thought that it’s a lot of decorating for one day. But Christmas is only 1 day! And let’s get real here, I spend WAY more than a few days decorating for Christmas. This year we are have a few guests over for the 4th, so I was determined to get into the decorating spirit. At least a little. Today I’m sharing how to put together a 15 minute 4th of July Mantle.

I started with a freshly dusted, mirror cleaned mantle.

After pulling out my meager 4th of July decor, I found this fabric banner that I had made a few years ago using fabric scraps, ribbon and jute.

On top of the banner, I hung a string of red pom poms that I picked up at an after Christmas sale.

Tip: I use small clear Command strip hooks to hang my banners.

On a quick trip to Michael’s a few days ago, I found this red, white and blue decor kit.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it, but I picked it – and a couple of others – up just in case.

FYI – Michael’s is having a huge sale right now on their Spring, Summer and Red, White and Blue items.

This kit is normally $9.99, but with a 60% discount the kit came in right at $4.00!

The kit came with 5 hanging fans.

Putting the fans together was super easy and took a whopping 3 minutes.

The fans came with double sided padded sticky tape to attach the paper medallions to the middle of the fans.

I cut the tape in half to adhere the medallions, leaving me with 5 more pieces of tape which I used to stick the fans to the mirror above my fireplace.

Once the top half of the mantle was complete, it was time to bring a little color down to the lanterns on the hearth.

I added simple red and white pom ribbon to each lantern for a tiny splash of color!

And my 15 minute 4th of July Mantle is complete.

I couldn’t be happier with it.

I love that it’s super cute and bonus – it was super fast and easy.

My kind of 4th of July decorating.

Until next time….

Today I’m sharing how to give an old tray a makeover. Nothing earth shattering, just a reminder that a little spray paint can go a long way!

This is what my coffee table looked like this morning.

Kind of summer casual in style.

But, just like the dog days of summer, it was looking a little tired.

Definitely time for a refresh!

After digging through my stash of decor, I found this pretty mirrored tray.

I love it, however I was looking for something gold to go with the rest of the gold in the living room.

My solution?

Spray paint it, of course!

Before I spray painted it, I needed to tape off the mirrored section.

For years I would tear off an inch or two of tape, slide it up as close as I could to the edge and repeat this process until I had the entire mirror covered.

It took forever!

Then one day a few years ago I had a “Duh” moment.

If I just taped the area off in larger sections, then burnish the edges I could do this:

I could use a very sharp craft knife and cut away the excess tape.

This method takes less than 5 minutes!

So much easier.

Moments like these make me wonder why I am left alone unchaperoned!

Once I have the edge taped off, I usually use newspaper or scrap paper to cover the center of the mirror.

Literally, the entire process took about 5 minutes peeps!

Now, I’m ready to paint!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times Rust-Oleum metallic gold is my favorite all time spray paint!

For this project it was a “one and done” coat of gold spray paint.

That’s just how great the coverage is!

After letting it dry for awhile, I pulled the tape off and it was time for the fun part.

The decorating!

I love my new tablescape!

You can’t see it here, but the gold ties in with the rest of the gold I have sprinkled around the room.

See? A little spray paint really does go a long way and I think my old tray makeover was a success!

Until next time…

I’m baaacccckkkk…. I took a fun filled week off to have fun with family and recharge. Of course, one of the first things I did when the dust cleared was head to Hob Lob to pick up supplies for a few projects. If you haven’t heard, Hobby Lobby is having a sale. Holla!

A BIG sale.

75% and 66% off sale.

So, today, I thought I’d share a few of my finds with you.

First up, silver napkin rings. Regularly $3.99, for a $1.34!

I like to take these and glue retro jewelry on them.

I bought two big items that I am in love with.

This painting of colorful flamingos was one of those.

It makes me smile every time I look at it.

Where am I going to put it? No idea, but I’ll find the perfect spot.

Grand total? $13.60!

I’m always on the look out to add fun things to my blue and white collection.

This cute jar was 75% off and came in at $8.50.

I just noticed the tiny fingerprint smear next to it.

The littles were here last weekend, don’t judge me!

If you are a Cricut/Silhouette junky like me you will hear the heavenly choir sing when you see this sale.

While not part of the BIG sale, their patterned vinyl is 50% off.

Normally $8.99, this cute vinyl is $4.50!

And now, for my favorite, this metal cabinet!

Normally $100.00, on sale for $24.99!

I actually bought this for a PoKeeno gift, however I’m loving it so much it may become my new paint bin.

Truth be told I had to restrain myself.

So many good things….

Honestly, it was so hard to leave things at the store.

Did I mention, Hobby Lobby is having a sale y’all!

Until next time…

May waved good-bye in the blink of an eye and June has waltzed her way in! Which means it’s time to bring out the summer decor. Sometimes that means a big change, sometimes a subtle one. Putting seed packets in the kitchen is definitely a subtle one!

This is what my spring white kitchen hutch looked like.

Honestly, I still loved everything on it, I just felt like it needed a little color added.

I found these seed packets on Etsy and knew that they would be a perfect addition to the hutch.

My plan was to hang the seed packets from some twine and make a banner.

Right off the bat that plan changed as the unsealed flap was on the bottom.

Then, I thought that I would cut a slit on both sides of the packet and run the twine through the packet.

However, as you can see, all I did was tear the seed packet! Not good. Ugh.

Then, I remembered these cute black and white paper clips that I use to hang pictures in my office.

Genius, right?

Except when I tried to hang the seed packets with the clips, they hung funny.

The clips were too heavy!

So, I grabbed a few small clothes pins that I had in my office to try and hang them.

Ding! Ding! Winner, winner chicken dinner!

The paper clips were the perfect solution.

My only reservation with them is that I didn’t have 4 that were all the same size.

However, I’m not sweating it. I’ll keep my eye out for a pack of small clothes pins on my shopping adventures.

I love that the seed packets in the kitchen add just the perfect amount of color AND they really are the perfect representation of summer!

Until next time….

I feel like I blinked and Spring snuck out the backdoor, while Summer is racing in the front! The past month has been crazy. We’ve had a ton of rain, which has made getting the outside ready for Summer a challenge.

The Hubs and I replaced our fence. The good Lord is my witness that I will never put up another fence. Yes, I’m projecting Scarlet, but I feel it is fitting for this situation. This girl is way too old for those kind of shenanigans!

Once the fence was up, I knew that we needed to add a few trellises for our passion vine.

We found this one on Amazon and I am in love with it.

I was just telling The Hubs that the good news was that it has been raining and everything is lush, green and growing like weeds.

The bad news is that it has been raining and everything is lush, green and growing like weeds.

However, if it ever dries out enough to get out and cut things back, do a little dead heading, mulch some beds and catch some rays I will be one happy camper!

Okay, this is the plant that I am most proud of!

These glorious, brightly colored Zinnias! Girl squeal!

Why you might ask, because up until this moment in my long gardening history I have been unable to grow them.

I know that everyone else in the great state of Texas and all of its surrounding states can grow them. I can not. Don’t judge, I can grow just about anything else!

Except hydrangeas… sigh.

Not only are the flowers going crazy, but so are the Anoles.

This baby lizard was hanging out by my back door. Scared. Me. To. Death.

I think they are cute, however, I prefer to enjoy them at a distance.

In all fairness, the Anoles are everywhere, so I should be more aware of them.

Since it was raining, we decided to put in new carpet in the upstairs bedrooms and media room. Yikes!

We were to remove everything from all rooms, except the large furniture.

There is a silver lining to this huge rain cloud.

This mess of nick, nack paddy crap led to the biggest purge the castle has seen to date.

Not only are we decluttering, but we are doing a little refresh in a few of the rooms.

I promise to share that with you soon!

Cindy from County Road 407 calls her front porch a porchette.

If hers is a porchette, mine is so small that it may qualify as a porchlette!

Not only have I been planting here, but I’ve also been working on giving it a much needed refresh.

Slowly, but surely, we are getting ready for Summer here at the Castle!

Are you getting a lot done? Or, are you like the rest of us in North Texas and waiting for a dry spell? Here’s hoping we all get more done!

Until next time…

This is the story of how to make your kitchen table into a coffee table. I know, it sounds crazy, but it worked! Here’s how it all came to pass.

A few months ago I bought this chair. Which led to multiple changes in the living room. New rug, new ottoman, new curtains, and new accessories.

This was my old coffee table. Which was fabulous back when the castle was rocking the old world style. Today? Not so much.

Plus, the shape was all wrong. The new chair and ottoman took up a different foot print than our old chair did. Which meant no room to walk between the coffee table and the ottoman.

I looked high and low for a round coffee table in just the right size and of course, the right price. No luck.

Once day I was feeling all out of sorts about it and all I could think was that I needed a table the exact size as the table in our kitchen.

Lightbulb moment!

So, The Hubs and I moved our kitchen table into the living room to see if it would work there.

We lived with it in the living room for a few days and fell in love with it!

The Hubs removed the table from the base to make sure that he would be able to cut the table base to a shorter height.

Yes, it was a go!

We removed 10 inches from the top of the base, then reattached the table top. This made the coffee table 20 inches high.

Which is perfect for my oversized, taller furniture!

And I love it. I mean I really, really love it.

It’s perfect. It’s not too new and shiny, as I like a little bit of wear and tear.

I love that there is plenty of room to walk all the way around the furniture.

And best of all I love that, other than cutting it down to size, I didn’t have to do anything to the finish to make it perfect for the living room.

I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think to do it sooner! I mean not many people would be willing to make your kitchen table into a coffee table, so I’m giving myself a small pass.

Now, I know what you are thinking. What did I do to replace the table in the kitchen?

Well, that my friend is a story for another day!

Until next time….

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