decorating
Antique Nail Caddy Fall Centerpiece
My husband thinks an antique nail caddy should be used for…wait for it…holding nails and screws. I think an antique nail caddy should be used as a fall centerpiece. It’s not as if there’s a right or wrong choice here, but my choice is more right. Right? Glad we agree. The first step in creating an antique nail caddy fall centerpiece is to find yourself an antique nail caddy. I found ours in our garage full of, you guessed it, nails and screws. The antique nail caddy was left here by the previous owner. In a roundabout way, he left us all the nails and screws that were in the…
Add New Ribbon on an Old Picture Frame
I recently saved an old picture frame by adding new ribbon to it. It was one of those highly satisfying, but unexpectedly annoying projects. By that I mean my expectation was this craft project would take five minutes. In reality, the train veered off the track on this project, went down an embankment, and an hour later the train was dented and crushed, but I saved the cargo and called the project good. Gee. Dramatic much? I realize sharing my experience in this way might dissuade instead of motivate you to try to add new ribbon on an old picture frame. That’s not my intent. My intent is to encourage…
Found Decor in Previous Homes
I’ve found decor for my home in many different places including dumpsters, barns, sides of roads, and in a variety of the homes we’ve lived in. In my experience, people often leave items they no longer want in a house when they move out. It’s not like anyone ever calls these junk leavers to come back and get their broken ladder. Or whatever it is they left behind. No, we just grumble about it and continue moving into our new home. In my case, I grumble about it. Then I get excited about it when I realize I might be able to do something with that junk. Then I write…
My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 2
I’ve already written one “My Latest Thrift Store Finds” post, so now I’m writing the much anticipated sequel. Maybe this will turn into a series. Who knows? I certainly don’t. Ha! But in case anyone asks, I do have a grand plan and definitely have my act together. Oh, and we never had this conversation. Now let’s get back to the important business of the day, my latest thrift store finds. They are pinch myself good. My Latest Thrift Store Finds #1: Scalloped Brass Bowl Scalloped designs seems to be having a moment. I’ve seen scalloped designs all over the internet lately, so this scalloped brass bowl that I found…
The Reason Why I Like Old Houses
I had an epiphany while painting the wall of our main stairs about the reason why I like old houses. I’m qualified to speak on this issue because it’s is my blog and these are my feelings, duh I have lived in new construction, 100+ year old homes, homes built between the 1960s and 1990s, an apartment, a condo, and even a duplex in Europe. I know how lovely it is to live in new construction with that fresh-everything smell and a fabulous home warranty where the builder comes out to fix every single nail pop. I know how satisfying it is to take a home that is a money…
Wood Chandelier in the Music Room
We have a new-to-us wood chandelier in the music room and I couldn’t be happier about this turn of events. Our music room was once used as a formal dining room. In fact, it got the 1990s/early 2000s royal treatment with a gigantic silver chandelier that was way too modern for the space. It was also a head knocker. No, it did not knock some sense into me. I know one of you just thought that. I usually have plenty, thank you very much. Here’s the music room on the day we moved into our Colonial Farmhouse in 2019. Here’s the music room after I took down the wallpaper and…
Farmhouse Style Boy’s Room
I have a farmhouse style boy’s room to show you today! Woo to the hoo! I sure hope you enjoy seeing rooms in my house evolve over time because I don’t think I’m a “grand reveal, this room is finished” kind of gal. I mean, I still haven’t purchased any curtains for our Colonial Farmhouse. You can’t possibly finish a room without window treatments, right? Do you know what else would really finish a room off? Electrical outlets on each wall. Maybe a light switch? But, hey. Let’s not get bogged down in the practicalities. I’d much rather discuss decorating progress in my son’s room. As someone pointed out to…
Painted Black Doors in our Colonial Farmhouse
Today I’m going to take you on a journey to the places in my home that now have painted black doors. Buckle up, buttercup because there’s a twist at the end of this story that you probably won’t guess! Our Colonial Farmhouse has 19 doors. 26 doors if you count the closets. 29 doors if you count the unnecessary doors we removed. Every single door is different. Even if the doors look similar, they aren’t the same exact size or finish. Some of the doors are painted. Some are stained. I won’t paint a stained door in this particular house. I can’t. It would physically cause me pain. If I…
5 Practical Uses for Soda Crates
I’m a big fan of using what you have on hand to decorate and organize your home. I happen to own some vintage soda crates, so today I’m sharing 5 practical uses for soda crates. None of these practical uses involve soda. Or pop. Or soda pop. Or Coke. Or whatever that bubbly goodness is called where you live. Such a shame. Practical Uses for Soda Crates #1: Sunscreen Caddy With a pool in our backyard, we need a sunscreen caddy to control the various bottles of sunscreen and bug spray that summer requires. I keep the sunscreen right by the pool towels, so everything we need for an afternoon…
Well Bucket Book Holder
I never imagined I’d string these four words together: well bucket book holder. But that’s how my life works, so I just roll with it now. I pinkie swear I’m running out of “I found this left in my house/garage” stories, but that is where this well bucket book holder originated. I found a faux (and definitely not old) well bucket in our garage when we bought the Colonial Farmhouse. I actually liked it as is, but had no use for it at the time. Also, I couldn’t work that green paint into my decor scheme, so the well bucket sat in the garage for a year mocking me. A…
