After spending a few hours on Pinterest the other night, I noticed:
My HOW TO ADD CHARACTER TO YOUR HOME [on a budget] post
has been one of my most popular and most pinned.
has been one of my most popular and most pinned.
Being new to the blogging world, I wasn't often visiting my own blog much after proofreading and publishing my posts, but after seeing it all over Pinterest I decided to click on the link and take a look back and oh boy, was I cringing at the choice & placement of some of my decor!
Being that this post was one of my very first after getting into 'DIY blogging' it was kind of rough around the edges and was put together very fast. At the time, I really didn't know much about Pinterest yet and had no idea that one little blog post would grow so fast in popularity! Fast forward to now, there have been a few little changes that have taken place in our living room that I haven't shared with you all.
In the past year since I began blogging, I have been able to settle more into my 'style'.
It still isn't perfect. & it might not EVER be. But it is a continued process and learning expirence.
My Husband and I are young, 25 years old and married for just 2 years.
The style that we started out with isn't necessicarally the one we fell in love with, it is what we could afford.
Sure, I have a vision of what I wish my home would look like. I have countless folders on my Pinterest of rooms and projects that I wish would instantly come to life, but it all takes time & more importantly money.
The biggest thing I have to keep reminding myself is
"ONE STEP AT A TIME"
I tend to be a perfectionist and want things done NOW.
In the real world, well that's just not doable.
I have made many mistakes in the past with decor. I noticed that shortly after getting married and moving into our home, we started with nothing. Therefore when I went shopping I bought items that we needed, that were cheap and that just filled up the walls and rooms in our home. Looking back that was a HUGE regret!
I am now stuck with a hoarding closet full of un-wanted accessories, pillows, curtains, bedding and various other items that I can't stand to look at. The price tag may have looked good at the time, but now it is an overwhelming pile of junk.
My biggest lesson: ONLY BUY ITEMS THAT YOU LOVE!
You can still decorate your home within budget & find some great deals, but if you don't really LOVE it, put it back. If you buy only items that you truly love you will end up with a home that is 100% you. Don't be afraid to live with bare walls for awhile, or to sit on the floor for a few weeks. Wait to find that perfect piece that you truly LOVE. Invest in pieces that you will keep for years! It will save you more money in the long run!
This is just a sneak peek, as there are still more changes happening in our living room
(that I will be sharing soon!)
Here are just a few changes that have taken place since my last post:
- new pillows
- new coffee table
- new accent table
- new accessories
& Do you remember the BEFORE?...
DIY Chevron Clothespins
& yes.. my DIY Valentine's Day book page garland is still up
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
And keep posted for my full Living Room reveal with even more changes!
SOURCES:
And keep posted for my full Living Room reveal with even more changes!
SOURCES:
PILLOWS - Home Goods
RUG - TJ Maxx
VINTAGE WINDOW - Craigslist (Free)
ACCENT TABLE - Craigslist ($15)
TRUNK - Craigslist ($20)
ENTERTAINMENT CENTER - Target
SOFA TABLE - Target
COUCH - Living Spaces
CHAIR - Living Spaces
PICTURE FRAMES - TJ Maxx & Home Goods
BOOKS - Antique Stores
NAUTICAL STORAGE BASKETS - TJ Maxx
LAMPS - Lowes
MIRROR - Craigslist ($30)
Happy Monday Everyone!
Over the weekend I embarked on yet another painting project! This beautiful chair has been sitting in my garage being neglected for the past 4 months just waiting to be painted. Thankfully I finally found some extra time to get it done so I thought I would share with you the finished product & maybe inspire some of you to go and paint something in your own home seafoam... & did I mention, I am absolutely in love with this color!
Paint Color: Olympic Morning Breeze
When we got the chair (for free I might add!) the seat was covered in this ugly terry cloth maroon towel,
which needed to be changed, immediately. Burlap to the rescue!
which needed to be changed, immediately. Burlap to the rescue!
So, what do y'all think?! :)
Have you ever noticed how many uses there are for chicken wire?
I have started on a few of my own DIY chicken wire projects to add to our own home recently,
and thought I would share with you all a few of my favorite inspirations from fellow bloggers!
1. This beautiful little cloche from THISTLEWOOD FARMS is one of my absolute favorites.
Who knew making a cloche would be so easy? I might just have to make one (or three) of them for myself!
2. This chicken wire plant stand from THE NORTH END LOFT is such a great little project!
I love how it can sit on your kitchen table year round. Not only great for holing fruit, but imagine how many other uses it can have as decor during holidays, it would be great in a baby's room to organize baby items or to hold favors for birthday parties! Endless possibilities!
3. We all have seen the many uses of old vintage windows,
but this window chicken wire picture frame from LIZ MARIE BLOG is a great one!
4. Another favorite of mine is this window picture frame from THE HOUSE OF SMITHS
I love that it is enclosed in glass & if you have little kiddos, this is genius for keeping little fingers
off of cherished pictures & keepsakes!
5. If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with mason jars. You can see them all over my house used for many different things, and after coming across this idea from ALWAYS NESTING I couldn't believe I didn't think of it myself first, duh.
6. I have seen countless chicken wire baskets in magazines and have always loved them,
but as Calli from MAKE IT DO shows us in her tutorial, it is super simple to make your own.
7. This last project idea was one I found on an image search, and unfortunately was unable to find the source, but I love the idea of using an old picture frame and some chicken wire as a jewelry organizer. So easy & your jewelry becomes art!
So get to your local hardware store asap and pick yourself up a roll of chicken wire and get to crafting! These projects are easy enough for anyone to do :)
[[ & keep a look out for a new blog post coming soon featuring my own DIY chicken wire projects ]]
Do you all remember [THIS] beautiful little shabby chic rosette lamp shade from my daughter's nursery?
Well, for the past year I have been dying to make one for our living room & finally got around to doing it! After going back to look at my last DIY tutorial on this lamp shade (that was tremendously popular), I realized that a few little details were missing... so here is a NEW full tutorial with step by step instructions
- 3 to 5 yards of: GAUZE FABRIC BY THE YARD
(depending on the size of your shade)
- LARGE LAMPSHADE
(make sure to click on the LARGE drum shade option when ordering)
- LAMP BASE
- Hot Glue Sticks & Glue Gun
- Scissors
STEP #1:
Roll out your fabric measuring 3.5 to 4 yards in length (for a large size shade)
STEP #2:
Make small cuts in your fabric (lengthwise) approx. 1 inch apart
STEP #3 & #4:
Seperate and start to tear your fabric by holding the larger portion of the fabric with your left hand and ripping the strip with your right hand. When you cut fabric lengthwise, it naturally tears into a straight line since it is going with the seams/ thread.
STEP #5:
Tear all of the fabric into strips until you end up with a large pile like this
STEP #6:
Take an individual strip of fabric and ball up one end of the fabric by pinching the fabric in between your thumb and index finger, then wrap the strip of fabric around it. You will start to get a small rosette look as you keep pinching the fabric and twisting it around itself (like a cinnamon bun). Once you have the start to your rosette, make a small dab of hot glue and place the fabric over it.
STEP #7:
After you have twisted the beginning of your strip of fabric, place it on a table, with your hands on either end of the strip. With your left finger, hold the end of the left side of the strip down. With your right hand, wrap the remainder of the strip of fabric around the center starting point (while keeping it twisted). This should create a cinnamon bun effect. To hold the flower securely together, place dots of glue using a hot glue gun every so often while assembling it together.
TIP: To create various sizes of roses, take your torn strips and cut them to different lengths.
STEP #8:
Keep twisting the fabric, you will use the whole length of the fabric strip.
Your rosette will end up looking like this. Once you come to the end of the fabric, glue the excess amount onto the back of the rose, holding it all together & giving it a more finished look
STEP #9:
Make A LOT of rosettes! You will end up needing approx 50 to cover a medium size shade, and over 70 to cover a large size shade.
Then, start hot gluing them into your shade. Tip: use a lot of hot glue!
I am not going to lie, this project is VERY TIME CONSUMING!
One lampshade of this size takes approx. 5 straight hours to finish & if you happen to have little ones running all over the house... well, I would prepare yourself to spend a few days on this project!
But once it is finished, it is SO worth all of the work that went into it!
Happy crafting!
Don't forget to check out the smaller Shabby Chic Rosette Lampshade that I created!
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