Simple.Savvy.Home

Reagan got to meet her very first Celebrity!

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001-06:00

Look at that face. She was so excited to FINALLY meet Sara.

See, Sara is married to a former Alabama quarterback and lives in Birmingham. Her husband coaches their son's football team and that team is in the same league as Zach's.

We had ran into them a few times, but I would never let her bombard Sara for a picture. After the Championship game, we finally decided to let her. Y'all, she is still talking about it. She has a new found love for all things Sara Evans and wears her CD out. She is also very upset with her dad and I because we are going to see Sara in concert in February and she can't go with.

Still, she will continue to treasure this picture and hopes to see her again next football season.

My Football Player

2011-12-09T10:39:00.001-06:00

It's been 3 1/2 months? Really?

2011-12-09T10:36:00.001-06:00

Wow!! Can't believe it's been that long. Lots of things have happened since I last blogged.

My kids are now settled into school (how did I become the mom to a 2nd grader and kindergartner?), football season started with a vengeance and is partly to blame for my absence, I became team mom for Z's football team (that was no easy task), our team went UNDEFEATED and won the league Championship game, I started a new job, basketball season started, my grandfather passed away, my brothers football team won the State Championship, and the holidays came.

Yes, I've been a tad busy.

I would like to say that I plan to blog on a more regular basis, but who knows what will happen. I would really like to because my children are growing up and I need to document their lives better, so we shall see.

How have you been?

Are you ready for the holidays?

Remember Me?

2011-08-24T07:32:00.002-05:00

Other than a few review posts, I've been somewhat of a memory here on the old blog.

At first my excuse was the summer rush, vacations, and what not. Then it became school. Oh and the fact that I had a MAJOR allergic reaction to an antibiotic and I was quite sure that I was going to die.

But don't worry, it only cost me $800 in co-pays, 15lbs., and a LOT of emotional stress.

Thankfully, I am okay and after a month of being really sick, I'm finally back to my normal self.

My life however, is anything but normal. Not only did my baby start Kindergarten!!!!!......my now second grader started football so we practically live at the football field. And if all of that wasn't enough, I've taken on the roll as team mom while trying to search for a job.

Needless to say, we are busy.

I hope to be back with more of an update soon, but for now, here are some pics of the littles.

Living Room Dilemma

2011-06-27T06:15:00.000-05:00

I REALLY want the Ikea Ektorp Sofa.

I've been obsessing over it for MONTHS and now that I can't stop thinking about it's awesomeness, I can't stop hating my old, UGLY green living room suite. And my beige walls. The only thing I don't hate is my newly painted coffee and end tables. Oh, and the new mantle.

In a perfect world, I will soon have white sofas, awesome decorative pillows, gray walls, and a beautiful new rug.

And eventually, new lighting because while a lot of people are loving brass these days, I hate it. With a passion.

Do any of you have an Ektorp sofa? How often do you have to launder the slipcovers?

New DIY Goal

2011-06-14T07:09:00.000-05:00

After perusing Pinterest all day, I've decided that ONE of my DIY goals is to have a wreath for every month AND spend less than $5-10 on each one.

I'm not quite sure if I can do them all for under that price, but I'm gonna try.

My plan is to purchase pool noodles at the dollar store, cut them to size, then duct tape them.

Up first, a wreath for July.

Here are a few ideas I have-

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Zoe on Pinterest

Source: july.tipjunkie.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Do you only hang wreaths at Christmas, or do you always have one on your door?

Pinterest- My Newest Obsession

2011-06-13T18:53:00.020-05:00

So after hearing about Pinterest for some time now, I decided to request and invite and within a few hours, I was able to join.

If I said that I have only spent a few minutes on there, I'd be lying. The truth is, I've spent about 2 hours on there today.

I've found TONS and TONS of things to pin. Here is an idea that I immediately fell in love with.

It's a basket full of pre-planned, pre-paid date nights. This would be a great gift to give your husband for Father's Day, especially if your husband struggles with coming up with things to do on date night like my husband does. You can read more about it here.

If you have a Pinterest account, leave me a link to it in the comments. You can follow me here.

Busy Summer

2011-06-13T09:00:00.017-05:00

I'm keeping a friends two kids this summer and let me just say that having 4 kids running around the house leaves very little time for home projects.

When I'm not dealing with arguing, I'm hungry pleas, or incessant talking......I'm picking up after them, doing my daily chores, and if I'm lucky, I get a few minutes to watch tv/play online.

The one thing I have been able to do is make crayons with the kids. We are HUGE Alabama fans (ROLL TIDE!) and so we took all their old crayons and made some cute A logo crayons.

Oh, and I found this in my flower bed. (PS- I HATE HATE HATE HATE Snakes!)

But when I do find the time to do something, I plan to first of all get rid of the HIDEOUS green wall color and paint it a beautiful shade of gray. Then I want to paint the kitchen table, get rid of the wine theme that's in there, and eventually get new light fixtures.

What have you been up to?

I WANT, I WANT, I WANT!!!

2011-06-04T10:54:00.005-05:00

Now, who's gonna buy it for me?

From girlnair's Etsy

My Dream Kitchen

2011-05-25T23:48:00.010-05:00

My love for this kitchen ranks right up there with my love for Tim McGraw (who was looking MIGHTY fine on American Idol tonight).

Please excuse me while I go take a COLD shower!

Photo Credit

I'm No Longer A Wood Painting Virgin

2011-05-23T16:06:00.021-05:00

For some reason, I can't find any of the pictures of my entire living room when I KNOW they are on this computer somewhere.

So, for now, this is all I have.

The tables in my living room are 6 years old and have went through two children and a teething puppy. I've been wanting to paint them FOREVER because even though I used to love them, I hate the red tint of the wood.

After reading MANY blogs about painting wood furniture, I finally decided to just go for it.

Here is the final product-
(Please ignore the ugly green furniture, I CAN NOT wait to get rid of them and get this. Also, I'm sorry for the crappy cell phone picture, my camera is dead and I am too lazy to go charge it.)

Much better, right?

I was terrified that I was going to ruin them, but now that it's finished, I'm already planning to paint the furniture in both of the kids rooms.

Coffee Filter Lampshade

2011-05-17T22:44:00.013-05:00

This morning I decided that since I had some time to myself, I'd hit the Thrift Store. While there I found this lamp for just $4.88 and decided it was time for me to finally bust out the coffee filters.

Once I had stopped by Walmart for some purple spray paint (to match my daughters room), I headed home and got to work.

I was fortunate to only burn myself 4 times and it was actually a lot less time consuming than I thought, taking me only an hour and a half from start to finish.

My daughter is in LOVE with it and I have to say, I'm quite partial to it as well.

PS- Got lots of other great goodies while I was there, will share more of them tomorrow!

DIY Fireplace Mantle

2011-05-17T09:42:00.054-05:00

We have lived in our home for 9 years now and every single year around Christmas time, I start talking about how I would LOVE to have a mantle.

Quite frankly, I had almost given up on ever getting one unless I went out and just bought one myself. Then about two weeks ago when my husband asked me what I wanted for our anniversary, I told him I didn't want anything extravagant, I just wanted him to build me a mantle.

I honestly didn't think it would happen, but this is the view from my front door last Tuesday night.

Not only did I get a mantle, I got a mantle made with his own two hands.

Here is what our fireplace wall used to look like. (Sorry for the crappy pictures, I forgot to take pictures beforehand so I took these with my cell phone.)

When I found out he was going as far as ripping the tile off the wall, I was a little bit uneasy (and not happy about the mess I would have to clean up). Of course, he assured me it was the only way I was going to get a full fireplace mantle and not just the shelf.

If there's one thing we've learned over the years when doing home improvements, it's that we can't be 100% sure that our builders weren't hammered the entire time they built this house. Not one floor in our home has been level and when measuring the fireplace mantle, Mark discovered that the fireplace isn't even close to being centered on the wall.

Since he was working so hard, I offered to prime the pieces for him while he did other stuff, but he insisted I not help one little bit on this project since it was my gift.

Throughout the week I kept joking with him that it didn't count as a gift if it wasn't finished by 12 am Friday morning, so this was what he was doing about 11:45 Thursday night. (Since it's so late, I'm going to excuse him from the saggy pants and no belt. )

The finished product is more than I could have imagined and it's still not finished. We've yet to decide on the decorative wood pieces to finish it off with, the nail holes have to be painted, my picture taken down and mirror/sconces hung.

Of course I am no where near finished with the decorating aspect and I'm sure I will be one of those who change it up with every new season.

With all of that said, I think he did a FANTASTIC job. He came up with the design all on his own and I think the arch added a whole new level of awesomeness to it. Don't ya think?

(Final Cost- Under $100)

Linked up at-

A Letter to My Husband

2011-05-13T12:04:00.001-05:00

Today you and I celebrate 9 years of marriage.

When I think back to the day we got engaged and then the day we got married, I remember all the people who said we’d never make it. I remember all the people who swore we were too young.

But even more than that, I remember how much I loved you and how much I wanted us to be different. I hoped and I prayed that the love I had for you and the love you had for me would be enough to keep us together. I wanted nothing more than to prove them wrong and 9 years later, I can honestly say that I think we have.

The past 9 years wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. There’s not been a single second of our lives together that I’ve thought it was a mistake. Not one time where I wanted out.

I consider myself beyond blessed to say that at the age of 16, I found my soul mate. I found the one person that would forever change my life for the better. You have been such an amazing husband and an even better father to our children. Your dedication to our family constantly amazes me.

I cannot wait to spend the next 50+ years of our lives together, proving all of those people wrong.

I love you!

I Will Stand By You

2011-05-11T15:49:00.002-05:00

Rascal Flatts is one of my all time favorite groups. There's not a song of theirs I don't like and if they come to Birmingham, I go see them. In fact, I've seen them 4 times already and I don't think I'll ever tire of it.

The day after the tornadoes here in Alabama, Mark and I were driving when this song came on. We both looked at each other and agreed that this song now has a new meaning for us and most of the people here in Alabama. And now every time I listen to it, I cry.

I'm still here, I promise.

2011-05-11T11:50:00.010-05:00

I'm here, just a little busy.

I've been working with my readers to collect children's care packages for the children affected by the Alabama tornadoes and I am now trying to get them distributed, etc.

When I'm not doing that, I'm at soccer practice, soccer games, busy with the kids end of the year school activities, and with the spare second I get here and there, I'm trying to do some things at the house.

There are tiny projects going on all around the house and I hope to blog about some of them soon, but for now all you get is this picture of my husband outside last night working on my anniversary present. (We celebrate 9 wonderful years of marriage this Friday)

Any ideas on what it may be?

Aftermath Update

2011-05-02T12:16:00.002-05:00

Given the amount of devastation in my state, I feel the need to shift my focus from my own home (Thank the Lord I have one) to helping others rebuild theres.

You can find me and many different ways to help the state of Alabama recover from the devastating tornadoes by going to www.magiccitymom.com.

See you there!

PS-I'll be back soon!

The Aftermath-2 days later

2011-04-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

If you own a tv, computer, etc......chances are you've seen and heard about the devastating storms that ripped through the South.

I am from Alabama and have lived in Alabama my entire life. I grew up in Marion County and now live south of Birmingham. I have family or friends in almost every place that was hit Wednesday. The devastation is unreal. It's heartbreaking. I feel so blessed to still have my home and my loved ones because as of this morning, 210 people have lost their lives and that number is still climbing.

I'm sure you've seen the videos, but if not, you should. Here are a few of the towns hit-

Tuscaloosa {Beloved home of my Crimson Tide}
Cordova {Where my husband went to school}
Pleasant Grove/Concord
Pratt City
Hackleburg

There are of course, many more and I could sit here writing up stories for days. Instead, I ask that you say a prayer for all of those who were affected by the storms. And if you feel moved to help, you can do so by clicking here.

Coat of Paint=World of Difference

2011-04-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

I hate my front door. HATE IT!!!

But until I can get a new one {that is on the list, but just not at the top} I decided that I could at least make it a little more tolerable by throwing on a few coats of paint.

I've always wanted a red door and since I had some left from when I painted my DR, I grabbed a roller and went at it. I'm not sure if it's the exact red I'm going for, but for now, it works.

Before--

After--

Not too bad for an hours work, dontcha' think?

Pondering The Limits of Bold Colors

2011-04-20T13:53:00.001-05:00

When I started imagining how I wanted my dining room, my first thoughts were that I wanted it to be warm, inviting, and casual.

I was in love with the crimson paint chip I had found while at Lowe's one day and demanded the DR be painted that color.

But now, 2+ years later, I'm starting to regret that decision.

I'd be lying if I said the decision wasn't influenced by my need to find a home for our very first REAL piece of art as a married couple, The Goal Line Stand. It was given to us by my Aunt who knew our love for the Crimson Tide. For the first 6+ years, it hung in our LR above our fireplace. But when my love for blue/green/brown kicked in, it had to go.

Painting the DR a crimson color was perfect and before too long, it became known as the Alabama room because that's where all of our memorabilia is.

Now that I've started to really explore what I want in my home design wise, I have realized I have a need for things to be cohesive. I want all of my rooms to be centered around the accessories while the walls and furniture remains more neutral. Not only will this allow my home to look brighter (we seriously lack windows in the front of the house) but it will allow me to change up the color schemes whenever I choose without having to paint the walls every time.

Here is what my DR looks like right now--

(I have yet to find a table runner and centerpiece I like. Of course, now that I want to change things up, that could be a blessing in disguise. I'm thinking about painting the bottom of the table and the chairs white then re-staining to top. Thoughts?)

(Love how warm and inviting it is, but I think I will love it being more open and airy even more.)

(This is the part I never show because well, it shouldn't be in there, but I haven't found a better place for it yet.)

I'm thinking of painting the walls this color. In fact, I'm thinking of painting all of the living areas that color.

I'm not quite set on a color scheme, although right now I love blues, greens, oranges, and purples. I'm thinking that I should probably find a fabric I like first, then center the room around that. Again, not sure.

If your wondering where all of our Alabama stuff will go, don't worry, it already has a new home. My son is wanting to do redo his room with somewhat of a sports theme, so it will be perfect in there.

As of right now, the fate of my dining room is still undecided. I do know that I won't be painting it a dark, bold color again because hello....... Dark, Bold Color = Limiting. Lesson Learned!

Oil Rubbed Bronze.....My New Best Friend

2011-04-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

After tons of searching, I was FINALLY able to locate a can of Oil Rubbed Bronze. (Can I get a hallelujah?)

Once I got home with it, I immediately started working on the BUTT UGLY light fixtures in my Foyer and Dining Room. They are builders grade and hideous, but until I can afford to replace them, I decided to give the ORB Spray Paint a try.

Boy, am I glad I did!!!

But because the lighting sucks in both rooms, it's hard for me to get a good picture with the lights actually on (my husband put them up before I could get good ones of them outside) and it's not really been bright enough for me to get one with them off..... so here is the only picture I have of the before and after.

Obviously, the one on the right is the "before" and the one on the left is the after. Even in the picture, it's a dramatic change but I hope to be able to get some good ones of them soon so that you can see just how much of a difference it actually made.

I even had someone ask me if I had purchased new ones. It's amazing what a can of spray paint can do. I mean, look at this.

What have you done with a can of spray paint lately?

Why the switch to Simple.Savvy.Home?

2011-04-19T11:31:00.001-05:00

If you read this blog, you know that until last night the name was Motherhood Unabridged.

I decided to switch to a more appropriate title since a lot of my posts focus on my new love, DIY Projects and Home Decorating. But after I got to thinking about it more, I decided to keep the Motherhood Unabridged blog for my personal posts, so I moved it to another location but with the same address, www.motherhoodunabridged.com. So if you would like to follow that blog as well, just click here to do so.

I'm hoping that this helps me keep things more streamlined and separate.

As for the name, I chose Simple.Savvy.Home because that is just what my home is. It's simply designed, simply decorated, and is always budget friendly. Hope to start featuring more DIY projects, and maybe even a few guest posts from time to time. (If you would like to be a guest blogger, email me at simplesavvyhome@yahoo.com for more details.)

You can also follow me on twitter at @simplesavvyhome and @momunabridged.

Obsession

2011-04-18T18:27:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm knee deep in trying to decorate my home, I've become obsessed with design blogs. That obsession has fueled tons of other obsessions that have taken over my every thought.

For example-

I currently want to paint every room in my home grey.
I am obsessed with finding the perfect wall for this.
Even though my husband thinks I'm crazy, I want one of these. (I get tired of color schemes really quickly, so I'm trying to rid all of my rooms of "themes" in hopes that I can change the color schemes in all my rooms without having to repaint them all the time.) With this sofa and loveseat, I can add different pillows and make it completely different!
I now want to paint every single piece of furniture in my house. Before reading the design blogs, I would have never attempted it. And personally, I think my first attempt came out pretty awesome!
Spray Paint=My new BFF!
Even though I still don't have a fireplace mantel (I've been asking my husband to build me one FOREVER), I can't stop thinking about how I'm going to decorate mine.
Apothecary Jars
Funky New Lighting

As you can see, the list is already quite long, and I promise you that's only half of it.

With limited funds, I'm going to be obsessing for quite a while, but at least it gives me enough time to be sure about something before I actually do it. (I tend to have no patience when it comes to things like this. If I come up with an idea, I want it done ASAP!!)

The first thing that I really want to do, is get new living room furniture. Ours is an awful green color that is really getting on my last nerve. After that, I want to start painting the rooms in my house more neutral colors.

One step at a time Trista......one step at a time!

PS- A girl can never have too many design blogs to read, so if you know of one, leave me a link in the comments!

DIY Message Board

2011-04-14T06:28:00.004-05:00

While visiting the many DIY Design blogs I follow, I ran up on this ADORABLE idea to take a regular old cork board and transform it into something more fashionable with fabric.

*If this was your idea, please let me know so I can give you proper credit!*

So, as soon as I had free time, I hauled butt to Hobby Lobby in hopes of finding something that would match my Dining Room. Of course, the fabric I found was over $8.50/yard, but with my 40% off coupon, it wasn't that bad at all.

I've had this massive cork board for so long and have thought about throwing it away a few times. Boy am I glad I didn't.

Here is what the board used to look like in it's old home in my kitchen-

After I cut the fabric to fit, hot glued it to the board, and tucked in the edges with a butter knife (classy, I know).

I decided to add this cute ribbon to the edges to hide the imperfections (Hobby Lobby for $1.50). Once that was finished, I decided to add a little more ribbon and divide it up a little bit. PS- Don't stare at the board to long, otherwise you may get a wee bit dizzy. I sure did.

*Why do my walls look orange? Their crimson!!!*

The finished product--
Hello Gorgeous!! You look so much better than you used to. No more talks of getting rid of you, your here to stay!!!

The best part about this DIY project is that it cost me a total of about $6.00. SIX DOLLARS Y'ALL!!!

And do you notice that the fabric matches my blog background? I may be a wee bit obsessed with the pattern.

*Post is part of the Hookin' Up with HOH Party. Come check it out!*

Table Transformation

2011-04-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to paint our side tables and coffee table, but I'm not quite sure I they thought it through because y'all, it's a lot harder than I they anticipated.

However, they are looking a million times better and I can't wait to share the finished product with y'all.

But until then, here's a sneak peak.

The old table is on the right, the newly painted table on the left.

You like?

Guess What I Found.....

2011-04-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

Of course, it's not Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze, but after scouring the internet, I read a few blogs that though the Rustoleum version is the best.

So, giving the fact that I could find the Rustoleum and couldn't find the Krylon, I went with the Rustoleum.

I've already sprayed the first coat on and I can't wait to show you the final product. YAY for no more ugly brass light fixtures!!!

On another note.....Anyone got any tips for getting spray paint off your hands? LOL

Hunting the Elusive Spray Paint

2011-04-11T12:52:00.001-05:00

My plans to paint our HIDEOUS light fixtures have been put on hold thanks to all the local stores who have apparently ganged up on me and made it impossible to find a can of Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze.

I had read that it was hard to find, but I figured that since I lived in a big city, it wouldn't be that hard for me. Boy, was I wrong.

I have been to 3 stores now and called 2. I'm hoping to try Hobby Lobby tomorrow because the Krylon site says they carry it, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Have you used it before? If so, where did you find it?

DIY Console Table

2011-04-09T12:05:00.001-05:00

The Hubster finally finished my new console table (using plans from Ana-White.com) and I LOVE it.

I had been wanting something to go on this wall and once I finally figured it out, I showed him the plans for it and asked him to build it. The table took about 2 hours in all to build and about another 2 to paint.

The funny part? The baskets cost more than the table. LOL

My next project is painting the HIDEOUS light fixtures (sitting on the table in the background of the picture waiting to be cleaned) that are builders grade and came with the house. But first, I have to find somewhere that sells Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint.

And these are the people that treat my children.......

2011-04-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

While picking up Miss Priss' blue form (She's officially registered for Kindergarten!!!!!) at her Pediatrician's office yesterday, I noticed this sign.

Really? Shortley? How long did you go to school?

In other news, The Hubster finally got around to building me the console for my living room (plan from AnaWhite.com) and started priming it last night. I forgot to take a before picture before he started painting, but here is what it looks like so far.

More pics to come after I finish it. CAN'T WAIT!!!

Anyone know where I can get some super cute baskets to go on the bottom shelf? Kinda like these?

Purple or No Purple?

2011-04-04T14:12:00.000-05:00

Since I have nothing better to do than sit here and keep an eye on the bad weather coming (oh the joys of living in the South), I decided to peruse the internets for some more ideas for my living room.

As mentioned before, I love this living room.

*Photo from HGTV.com*

My favorite color is purple, I want to paint the room grey, and I adore black furniture. How perfect is this room for me?

One of the first things I want to buy (other than new sofas) is new lighting. And as fate would have it, the lamp below was one of the first lamps I saw on Pier 1's website.

Isn't it awesome?

The issue at hand is convincing my husband that I can do purple in our living room without going overboard and making it too girly.

Do any of you have rooms that are centered around purple decor?

Photo Collage Stand- Before & After

2011-03-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

Today I tackled my first painting project.

I got this photo stand from my Mother-In-Laws basement and have always hated the color of the wood so I figured it was the perfect candidate for my first project.

Here's the before--

And the after--

Personally, I think it looks TONS better and it only cost me $10 in spray paint. (I used Krylon Flat Black and Clear Gloss)

Design Dreams

2011-03-31T10:56:00.000-05:00

While watching American Idol last night (does anyone else wish Jacob would get booted off already?) I decided to peruse the 950+ Living Room images to try and find some inspiration.

Eventually we want to purchase new living room furniture and I'm sort of lost on what color furniture, tables, etc. I know that I want the walls neutral, the wood (coffee tables, etc) to be black. The issue is I'm not sure what color furniture. We want leather, but I'm not sure that black leather would look good with black tables.

So.....in hopes that I could find some rooms I liked with the elements I wanted in my room, I went "window" shopping. Here are a few I found.

This one features furniture like we almost purchased in January. I like it, but I just can't sell my husband on anything but leather.

And my favorite.......

**All photos are from HGTV.com.**

I just love the wall color, the window treatments, and especially the purple. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

I know that white furniture is in, but there is NO WAY I will buy white furniture with two children, especially since I also have most of the neighborhood kids here with me during the summer. Kids+White Furniture=Disaster.

Any of you have black leather furniture with black wood?

Any ideas on what would look good?

What's My Style?

2011-03-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

I saw this Ethan Allen Style Quiz over at Mustard Ceiling and decided to play along.

(Also, for those who live in this area and are Bama fans....Do you not LOVE that Houndstooth Rug in her post here? )

Here is what it says about me----The verdict is in—your style is Glamour. Glamour is the penthouse with a view, the Old Hollywood mansion, the home of the connoisseur. A knowing marriage of fashion with sumptuous comfort. A fearless blending of Art Déco, Chippendale, and Modern. Glamour is shamelessly smart, elegant, and timeless.

Here are some examples-

Umm...yes please! I love them all because hello, I love dark woods.

Go take it and let me know what it says about you!

Painting Woes.....HELP!

2011-03-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm in the process of decorating (or re-decorating) my home.

Right now I am completely inspired by some of the design blogs I've been reading and want to paint some of the furniture I'm less than thrilled with. The only problem is I'm terrified of making a mistake by painting the furniture the wrong color.

I love black (or dark) furniture. I love the versatility it provides and the look it gives a room. I want to paint all of the pieces below black, but want some opinions before I do it.

Painted black? Re-Stained another color? Or painted white?

Eventually, the green furniture is going. We are hoping to get leather furniture in either black or brown. Maybe cream.

The chandelier came with the house and I HATE it. Should I paint it black or a bronze color like this?

Table is in AWFUL shape and I hate the red tone in the wood.

I'm looking to paint the dining room table, as well as the picture frame stand.

What do you think?

Thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.

Look What I Found Friday

2011-03-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the Thrift Store for the first time in months after being inspired by Mandi and Vanessa to start sprucing up my house like I've said I was going to do a long time ago.

Off I went in search of a possible console table, a desk chair, and other random things to decorate the house with.

First of all, holy cow........When did Thrift Stores get so expensive. They had this gorgeous candelabra but it was $50!!! And one of the holders was missing!!!!!

After searching around, I ended up with some pretty cool things.

I got all of these items, plus 2 new shirts from Old Navy and 4 Junie B. books for the little one and paid $23. Of course, the candle, wine glasses, and olive oil didn't come with them, but I had already cleaned everything and placed it where I wanted it before I remembered to take a picture.

Since I've been looking for a console table forever, I've finally talked The Hubster into just making one for me using Ana's plans. Have any of you used her plans? Are they pretty easy to do?

My Kitchen Now and What I Want It To Be

2011-03-22T14:59:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned before, I'm starting to research decorating options for my home and am breaking it down room my room.

The one room I would love to do first, is my kitchen. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. In dream world, we'd knock out the main wall and move the kitchen out 5 or 6 ft, leaving the plumbing where it is for an island. The odds of that happening are 1 in 100, but a girl can dream, right?

For now, I'm focusing on the Living Room first since it's where we spend the most time, but here are the ideas for the kitchen I have so far.

If you have been to my house, you know that I'm not one to focus on a certain color for all rooms. I like for each room to be unique. The two main color schemes in my house are red/grey/cream/black and blue/teal/green/brown/cream. Then you have my purple bathroom (first room painted and I'm so over it!!), Little Man's blue bedroom, and Miss Priss' purple bedroom. The other rooms are beige.

As it sits right now, my kitchen is a neutral green color with white cabinets and white appliances.

The decor is wine/grape based. Even though the kitchen was just painted, I want to redo it. I thought the green is what I wanted, but it's not. I want this color.

I want to keep the cabinets white and the appliances white. I want to accent it with red/black. Here are a few things I've found.

I already have these plates thanks to my sweet hubby, but I'd love to find something to beef them up a little.

And of course, it goes without saying that I want these countertops.

Not quite sure about artwork, etc...but I'm sure I'll find something. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears!

PS--If you are looking to buy me something, each of these items are linked to where you can purchase them...just click on the image. :-)

Have Inspiration, Will Decorate

2011-03-22T12:07:00.004-05:00

Now that the base of my home is finished (flooring), I'm starting to think about the decorating aspect. I've been browsing things online for a while now and have tons of ideas and wants.

Unfortunately, I don't have the cash to fulfill those wants, but once I am able to get a job (Miss Priss starts Kindergarten in August) I'm hoping to start saving to purchase these items. My first purchases will be new living room furniture, then new tables for my dining room and kitchen.

Since I don't have the funds to purchase anything yet, I'm taking the time to figure out what type of decor I'm going for. At first, I wanted modern. Then I wanted to go more antique-ish. But now I think I want a little bit of both.

I love dark woods. Especially black. However, I hate the boxy style that most of the black furniture comes in. Ideally, I would have black tables/furniture and would decorate with antique style accents. Right now, I'm looking for an accent table or console for the wall below and would love this, or this.

Yesterday, while perusing Facebook (aka being nosy), I found my old 5th grade Math teacher and from there, her daughter-in-laws blog. Y'all, I spent over 3 hours total reading the posts on this blog and have decided that I want everything in her home. I'd even take her house if it wasn't in Auburn. I would NEVER live in Auburn. (ROLL TIDE!) I absolutely LOVE her taste in decorating and am quite sure that if I wasn't already married, I'd marry her countertops. Are they not FABULOUS?!?!?!

After I finished reading her posts, I made a list of things I want to do in my home. I won't bore you with the entire list because as I said before, I'm just starting to think about the decorating aspect and there's a lot I want to do...but here are a few things.

New Living Room Furniture
Butcher Block Countertops for the Kitchen
Re-Paint the Kitchen this lovely shade I found on Vanessa's blog
Also paint my bathroom this color
Remodel our bathroom
Get new lighting for the entire house...What we have is builders grade from the 90's and I HATE it.
Landscape the backyard
Get a new front door
Have the Hubster build this bed for the kids.

As you can see, I got most of my inspiration from Vanessa's blog. Her ideas are so great and a lot of the things her and her husband have done to their home is exactly what I've always wanted but could never really explain.

Now that I finally have some decorating inspiration, be on the lookout for a lot more posts about all the things I want to accomplish in my home.

PS---Any tips on great decorating websites are greatly appreciated.

Frugal Holiday Entertaining Tips

2010-12-21T10:41:00.003-06:00

During these tough economic times, hosting a party or family gathering can get a little overwhelming because let's face it, it can get extremely expensive.

Thankfully, I have a great family that loves to cook and chip in. If that's not the case, here are some tips and tricks on how to host a great holiday party (or any party for that matter), without breaking the bank.

Decorations-

Have a lot of vases laying around? Throw in a strand of lights and voila, instant festive lighting.
If you have a lot of decorative glass bowls, buy some inexpensive marbles and fill them. Festive but frugal!
Go Natural!- Natural decorations such as evergreen sprigs, pine cones, cinnamon, gourds, and pomegranates are a great way to spruce it up without paying a lot.

Food--

SET A BUDGET! And don't go over it.
COUPONS! COUPONS! COUPONS! Grab your local paper, pay a visit to coupons.com, and you'll be surprised at how much you can save just by putting forth a little effort.
Sale papers- Once you've compiled a grocery list, check your local grocery stores and see who has the best prices. If your lucky, you can get them to price match. If not, don't be afraid to make a few different stops. It can really add up!
Side Dishes- You can really get the most out of the main course (The meat or turkey/ham) by offering lots of different veggies and side dishes.
Buy in bulk- What you don't use, FREEZE!
Never be afraid to make it a potluck affair.
Pasta is your friend! Pasta is pretty inexpensive and very filling.
If your going to have adult beverages, go with sparkling wines instead of champagne. Offer a great holiday punch that you can make in big quantities and doesn't require a lot of alcohol. (Sangria is a great option!)

Once the holiday is over, hit the stores! Stock up on festive decorations, plates, cups, etc., at a great discount. Most stores offer 75-90% after a few days, so it's a great time to plan for the next years shindig.

Holiday entertaining is about togetherness. At the end of the day, don't stress over the little things. Enjoy yourself and your family!

*Even though I will be compensated by ConAgra Foods for this post, the opinions and views expressed are of my own*

I'm no Nester, but I try!

2010-12-07T21:00:00.001-06:00

In an effort to pull myself out of my rut, I’ve started looking for some Holiday Crafts.

The idea started when I saw this wreath that The Nester made. Y’all, it’s made out of COFFEE FILTERS. I kid you not.

And just now, as I went to try and find the link to the Coffee Filter Wreath, I found a post on her blog featuring some great ways to decorate for the holidays. In fact, I dare you not to fall in love with her Fur Wreath or laugh at her post. Her post about putting the Christmas Lights in a vase……GENIUS!

My first craft was making a wreath out of things I found at Walmart.

While it is no where near as cute and crafty as The Nester’s Coffee Filter and Fur Wreaths, it wasn’t bad for a first try. And as soon as I’m done with all of my decorating, I plan to try and make one of them to put over my fireplace.

Here is the wreath-

What cute Holiday Crafts/Decorating Tips have you come across?