A Few Bathroom Additions

I am still working on my red,black, and white guest bathroom. I already showed you the Paris calendar prints I framed and hung in there. I hotglued some fabric to a placemat and put in on the countertop to sit things on. I have had the Paris hot balloon for awhile. I bought the wooden bunny at a yard sale and the spindle base at Goodwill. The spindle was the body of a patriotic angel painted red, white, and blue with stars on it. I painted it black and screwed the bunny to the top. I love how it turned out!!! Kind of looks like a bunny weathervane. I ordered the mongrammed shower curtain from Ballards Designs. I absolutely love their stuff! I have only ordered two things from them. I like to look at their catalog and get ideas and try to think of ways to copy their stuff in a cheap way.

We had a pretty busy weekend. My husband is still putting in new windows in our house. He did the living room, dining room, and office this weekend. He only has two rooms to go. It is so nice to have new windows - no mildew and no paint flaking off! I am so glad we finally decided to do it. Hope y'all have a great Monday!

Favorite Thing Friday

I thought I might start doing a post called Favorite Thing Friday where I'll show something around my house or maybe someone else's house or even in a store. Basically anything I see anywhere that I really like and that just makes me smile. I am always seeing things that just speak to me and make me say, "Oooooh, I love that!" So, today my favorite thing I am going to share is my collection of crosses in my living room. I have been collecting crosses for years and have quite a few. I decided to hang them all together because it I think it is interesting and makes a statement. I actually have a few more I haven't hung yet. I'm about to run out of room on this wall! I like crosses because of their meaning - that Jesus died for our sins to save us so we may have eternal life. I also just like the way they look and there are so many beautiful ones out there. My favorite store, Hobby Lobby, has the best selection and you can get them 50% off - watch the paper to see when. It's usually every couple of weeks or so. I did go buy some mums yesterday that I need to plant so I'll work on that this weekend. Hopefully I'll finish the front of my house and show it on Monday. Have an awesome weekend!!!

Fall Front Doors

I decided to put scarecrows on my front doors this year instead of some kind of wreath or flower arrangement. It is a pain having double doors because I have to get 2 of whatever I'm going to use on them. I already had the boy scarecrow and I bought the girl one yesterday at Joanns. She was only $4.98 so I thought that was pretty cheap. I sure couldn't make a wreath for that! I have a fake pumpkin and a gourd I will probably add and I might but some mums to plant in a pot or two. So, I probably shouldn't have showed you this until I was finished, but I did anyway! Please excuse the dirty wood around my doors and on the sides. It's amazing all the dirty stuff you need to clean that you notice in pictures!

My Fall Mantel, A Thank You, & A Birthday Wish

I guess I am finished with my fall mantel. I have changed it several times and am tired of messing with it. The gold metal piece looked like it needed something on either side, so I took 2 canvases and covered them with some fall toile fabric. I was trying to use stuff I had. I already had the canvases and fabric. I also added some fall leaves to my planter lamp and decoupaged scrapbook paper onto a clear plate. I used 3 of those Dollar Tree pumpkins in a tray I got from a yard sale and added moss and leaves. Am I totally satisfied with what I've done? No, but I never am so I just have to quit at some point. Knowing me I'll probably change it!





I want to say a big THANK YOU for the sweet and encouraging comments you left in response to my circus post. They made me cry, which is not that hard to do especially if it's anything about animals! I told my husband there are some really wonderful people out there, meaning YOU!

I want to say Happy 7th Birthday to my sweet first born baby, Bailey. Bailey is our Chocolate Lab who we adore. WE LOVE YOU BAILEY!!! (Like she is going to be reading this!)

My Feelings on Circuses

I am going to do a post today about something other than decorating. I hope you don't mind and I hope you'll take the time to read what I have to say. The circus is here in my town for 2 days - Monday and Tuesday. I hate when it comes because I get depressed and also very angry. I believe circuses exploit and abuse animals all in the name of "entertainment". I have read lots of information on this subject and learned things that I almost wish I didn't know. These animals are trained by abusive methods in order for them to do stupid tricks totally unnatural to them. They are confined most of the time and shipped on trucks (I doubt the trucks have heat or AC) from town to town. What kind of life is that for any animal, much less a huge wild animal like an elephant? There have been all kinds of documentation recorded showing abuse taking place and nothing seems to happen and circuses continue to operate. There have also been many instances where animals have gotten loose and hurt or killed people. I think they had had enough and were just trying to escape. Who speaks for these animals? Why don't the laws protect them? Why don't people realize this abuse happens and not support it? I get all upset and worked up because I just want people to have some compassion and take a stand. I did something today I have never done. I made a sign that said "Circuses are no fun for the animals! Please don't support animal abuse!" and stood on a busy street next to the Mall where this circus is and held it up for the passersby to see. I was really nervous at first, but got more calm the longer I was there. It made me feel good, like I actually did a little something. Maybe I made just one or two people go home and get on the Internet and research circuses and decide they are never going to go to one. I am going to tell my son about circuses and why we will not go to them. My sweet husband feels the same way I do. I hope I didn't bore you or have you rolling your eyes and thinking I'm a crazy chick. I have always had a love and compassion for animals for as long as I can remember. My mom says I care about animals more than I do people. I can't help it. It's just the way I am and I won't apologize for it. Thanks for letting me vent!

* Google circuses for more information. The Humane Society has a great website to check out.

A Crafty Weekend

I was a little crafty this weekend. I put some fall stuff on my dresser in my living room. I added some leaves to my birdcage lamp and made a fleur de lis pumpkin topiary. I saw on someone's blog (sorry, can't remember who) how they painted on a pumpkin , but had trouble because the stencil wouldn't lay good on the curved surface. So, that gave me an idea. Did I use paint to do the black fleur de lis? Heck no! I used a Sharpie marker! I laid the stencil on the pumpkin, traced it with a pencil, removed the stencil, and then filled it in with the marker. So easy!!! I was so excited about how good it turned out that I also put one on a planter. Now I am looking for other things around the house to add a fleur de lis to! I have lot of stencils and using the Sharpie is so much easier and less messy than paint. I also added some clear saying stickers to two more plates. I am still working on my mantel, just can't seem to get it the way I want. I will show it to you when I'm somewhat satisfied with how it looks. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

A Favorite Thing and a Foyer Addition

This is one of my favorite things in my house. It's this bench in my dining room. I bought it several years ago at an awesome store, Grand Harbour Imports, in a town I used to live in. I was teaching at the time and making money so I splurged and bought it for myself. I loved it then and I love it now. It's very French country looking with the dark wood, rush seat, curves, and details. I wish I had a big enough wall in my foyer to put it on, but I don't. I have it in this corner where I can see it from my kitchen. I actually do sit on it sometimes when I am talking on the phone. I like the pillows I have on it - lots of patterns and all have red which I love. My addition to my foyer is this big topiary. I love it! I will probably move it at Christmas and put a tree here. I have double doors on the front of my house which are nice, but I'd rather have just one door. I decided to put a rug in front of the door we use and put the topiary in front of the other door that we never use. Now I have that area as part of my foyer that I can decorate. Having more space to decorate is always a good thing in my book!!!

Fall Flags

Not much decorating going on, but I did put my 2 fall flags out back. I want to get one for the front too. I'm going to work on my mantel today to try to make it look more fallish. Have a wonderful day!

New Bathroom Pictures and a Game of Tag

I have been trying to add some black and white things in my guest bathroom. I thought I needed some new artwork so I used some pictures from a Paris calendar I had. I already had some $5 Walmart frames so I painted them black. I had to use some scrapbook paper behind the pictures because they didn't exactly fit the frame. I did a post back on August 14th about using calendar prints for artwork if you want to take a look at it. I think they turned out pretty good. I'll have to show you the rest of the bathroom when I'm done if I can get some decent pictures. It's not easy taking pictures in a small bathroom!

I was tagged yesterday by Jackie at Empty Nest Full of Life to list 6 random things about myself and tag 6 others to do the same. Here are my 6 things:
1. I am a former elementary school teacher.
2. I went to a Christian school from 10th - 12th grade and we had 12 people in our graduating class.
3. My husband and I started dating in high school when I was a senior and he was a junior.
4. I have loved decorating for as long as I can remember. My mom used to find my room totally rearranged and couldn't believe I had moved the furniture by myself.
5. I didn't think I wanted children and now I have a 14 month old who I love more than anything and can't imagine life without him.
6. I am a passionate animal lover and wish people were more educated and cared more about animal welfare issues.

The 6 people I am tagging are: Tricia Anne at Notes of Sincerity, Sue at The Cotton Patch, Julie at Orchard Street Cottage, Kim at Seasons of My Heart, Michelle at Just Simple Joys, and M.L. at The House of Whimsy.

Hallway Shutter and Stickers on Plates

I added some things to my shutter that hangs in my hallway. Before I had a white ceramic medallion in the middle and never thought it looked quite right. I found the FAMILY sign in red, my favorite color, in Ross for only $7.99 so I grabbed it up. I already had the plates and put some scrapbook stickers I had on them. I have seen other people put transfers on plates and had been wanting to try it. I hadn't bought any transfers yet so I used the stickers and they work great! Now I want to add stickers to all my plates. Get the kind with the words or pictures on the clear background and you can't even tell they are stickers. You know I love me some cheap and easy projects!!!

Recovering a Lampshade

A few people have asked me about the lampshades I have in my house and whether or not I bought them like that or recovered them. Most all my shades are ones I have recovered. As you probably know from looking at my blog, I love fabric and different patterns. If I have a lamp with a solid colored shade I feel compelled to change it. Maybe I just love to have an excuse to buy some cute fabric to put on something. The good thing about recovering shades is that it doesn't take much fabric and doesn't cost much money. The money part is always forefront in my mind because I like to do things as cheaply as I can. O.K., now here's my attempt at trying to explain how to recover a lampshade. Be patient with me and feel free to ask me about anything you don't understand!

1. Materials needed: shade, 1/2 yard of fabric, scissors, hot gluegun
For this project, I am using an old, cracked shade I got at a yard sale, but most of the time I use the self-adhesive shades. I buy them from Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Joanns. I am using the pattern off of one of the sticky shades I've done because the two are about the same size. I use this pattern for most of the shades I recover because most of them are about this size.


2. Lay the pattern on the fabric and cut it out. You may want to trace around the pattern with a pen and then cut it out.


3. Line up the fabric on the seam on the back of the shade and glue down along the edge.


4. Wrap the fabric around until it meets and glue down the edge, overlapping a little bit.


5. Leave about 1/2 an inch of fabric all the way around the top and the bottom. Trim it if you have too much excess fabric. Then make tiny cuts around the top and bottom flap of fabric and glue down. The cuts allow the fabric to lay down better and not get wrinkled and bunched up. The only places that have been glued are along the back seam where the fabric meets and around the top and bottom edge.


6. You can use trims around the top and bottom if you choose. I didn't on this one. Trims are good for hiding any imperfections.


I think it looks even better on this lamp I bought at a garage sale today for $1.


Here are a few other recovered lampshades around my house. If I get tired of one, I'll just rip the fabric off and redo it!




Be on the lookout at garage sales for lampshades. The ones I see are usually under $1. Get a self-adhesive one to start off with and keep the pattern to use for future projects. Obviously, you will have to use more or less fabric depending on how big your shade is. For the bigger shades I've done I'll just wrap fabric around it and cut it until I have the basic shape and then glue it down. I hope this all made sense to you. I wish I could just have y'all over for a lampshade redo partay! Wouldn't that be fun? You better let me know if you try this and I will want to see pictures so I can check your work! Hope y'all have a great rest of the weekend!

An Award and A Computer Problem

Thank you to my friend, Tricia Anne, at Notes of Sincerity for the award. She and I have similar tastes and we talk often about all our decorating ideas!


I was going to do a tutorial today on how to recover a lampshade, but I am having problems loading my pictures. My husband ( a computer whiz) will not be home until late tonight so I am stuck unless I can figure out what the problem is. So, I'll either post it later today or tomorrow. Talk to ya later!

And More Fall Decorating

I put out a few more things today. It's fun putting out fall stuff because I don't get overwhelmed like I do at Christmas. I may not have a whole lot of fall decorations, but I have a ton of Christmas. You just wait - I'll be posting like crazy in December. I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Christmas!!! But, I am definitely not ready for it yet!