November 22, 2011

{ Not on the List }

Does this ever happen to you?
You have so much to do...lists a mile long...and you end up getting totally sidetracked by something so unnecessary, but fun?
Yeah, that probably doesn't happen to you...but it happens to me a lot!
Here's what I did...
My friend sent me a link to Box o' Princesses from Lilli Boo.
When I saw this cuteness...
I couldn't wait to give a try.

I didn't make the princess from The Princess & the Frog because we haven't seen that one yet.
But, I added Pocahantos... 
and Mulan {she's my favorite}... 
They fit perfectly in the little paper mache box... 
I downloaded the artwork for the top of the box & little town scenery from the amazing artist Stephanie Corfee here.
It is so much fun & Boo is loving it.
The hardest part was trying to glue the teeny tiny jewels on.
Now, back to the lists. :)

November 16, 2011

{ Autumn Decor }

Well, Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Are you ready?

I am so excited to be hosting my family this year!
I made the menu & shopping list yesterday.
Nothing fancy, just good ole' traditional Thanksgiving dinner food.

My Thanksgiving decor is very simple.
I used the leftover Halloween pumpkins & grouped them together on top of the piano.
Have I mentioned how big the surface is on the piano?
It makes it a bit difficult to decorate sometimes.

After grouping the pumpkins I needed to balance out the other side so I used an empty frame for height.
The frame seemed a bit too empty, but I didn't want to get my sewing machine out, so I gathered fabric scraps from my stash, used some fabric bonding, cut out triangles & just used my mini clothspins to hang them on the wire that was already attached to the back of the frame.
Easy & quick!

Here's a broader view.
 { By the way, I've been wanting to change the finish on my piano...paint, restain...what do you think? }

Here's a few pictures of some of my other Autumn decor... 
I've had these Pilgrims & Indians for quite a while.
I love them.
Quick & easy arrangement on the dining room table.
Can you see the empty frame peeking out in the background?
I found it at an antique store.
I think there's a few people who come over & wonder why I have empty frames hanging in my home.
That's okay, they make me happy.
The little shelf with my two oldest kids' silhouettes when they were 4 years old.
They are 16 & 13 now.
Where does the time go?
Next week will be crazy.
My kids are out of school all week & our company is coming.
I can't wait!

November 3, 2011

{ Home Again! }

I'm happy to say we're officially home owners again!!!

Hurray!!!

Here's one quick photo of the living room to give you an idea of what we're working with. 
Imagine light painted walls with 3/4 batten board, a new light, window treatments, my leather couches and bookcases full of books.

Can you see it? 

I can, and I can't wait!

I'll post some more before pictures soon...

November 1, 2011

{ Open Pantry }

Apartment living, after many years of home ownership, has been a great experience in a lot of ways. In other ways, it's been a little tough. We've certainly had to think outside the box. Our kitchen is TINY! and our pantry is only two and a half feet wide. We're talkin' the door is half the width of a standard door. Ouch! Remember my old kitchen?
{Sigh} at times like this I really miss her. 

We needed to improvise big time. The postage stamp size pantry was called into service to hold our dishes, so we used my office bookcases as our pantry in our little dining nook. this isn't really a "decorator worthy" picture, but this is more about practicality over style.

That being said, I tried to keep it as attractive as possible since it takes up a big amount of visual space in our little home. Organization was key.

These containers are my favorite. Granted their plastic, but I'm good with that. There are tons of pantries out there with glass containers holding all sorts of goods, but I have four kids for crying out loud. Glass would be chipped and broken in no time. And at $3 for the big containers, and $2 for the little ones, they were also very budget friendly. I spruced them up a bit by adding vinyl labels and lettering. It has been a huge space saver, and it got rid of most of the random bags and boxes on our shelves. I've been loving them!

A few other organizing containers: 
Baskets (on sale for $4 at Hobby Lobby) to hold microwave popcorn and oatmeal packets. 
More container to dump bags of cereal in, yes they are almost all empty right now, I guess I better go shopping!
Wire baskets to manage bottles of oils and vinegar, sandwich makings etc.
My Sweet Hubby likes it so much he wants to keep them in our next house. Not gonna happen, but my new pantry should be really organized!