Happy Halloween!

Happy {belated} Halloween!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the changing colors of leaves, the cooler weather and all the pumpkins! In the past I have decorated for the autumn season, but never individually for Halloween and Thanksgiving, but this year I felt inspired to change it up.

It started with this wreath.

I made a white coffee filter wreath back in August and originally thought I would do something summery with it, but I couldn't think of anything I liked well enough to do... until I found this idea on pinterest. It was a Halloween wreath from shellyhickox.blogspot.com:

I used this photo as my inspiration and made it my own by adding more spiders, omitting the glitter (I hate glitter), and adding a welcome sign instead of the "boo" sign. I tinted the edges of it with black permanent marker and wrapped it with fake cobwebs. It was very easy to make as well as inexpensive!

I decided to keep with the black and white theme for my decorations too. My house is very neutral, with lots of grays, whites and creams, so the black and white decor fits right in! (Plus I thought it'd be fun to do something different since I plan to keep the typical oranges and browns for Thanksgiving.) I was on a budget with a baby on the way, so I used some items I already had and made some new things with the help of the dollar store.

I pretty much keep to the piano and my kitchen table when doing holiday decorating... I can't stand too much clutter! 

I was most excited about using my bell jar to hold skeleton bones! The bones that Pottery Barn had in their catalog this year inspired me for that, but those were too big & much too expensive. Instead I bought a hanging skeleton using a coupon at Jo-Ann Fabric and disassembled it to fit all the pieces into the jar. That, along with the black and white pumpkins that I got from Michaels for 30% off, were the most expensive items. Everything else was from the dollar store!

I saw this cute idea from Midwest Living to make a haunted house backdrop with candles lighting it up from behind so I made my own using black poster board and cardboard. They had spiderweb votives illuminating the front, so I made my own using votives from the dollar store that came 3 in a pack and drawing my own web using a permanent marker! The creepy rats are also from the dollar store and they did their job - my 4 year old was terrified of them!

I wrapped the mirror with cobwebs and spiders, so easy and so spooky!

The flying bats are made out of black foam and I used the Martha Stewart template for those. I also made some extras to hang from the chandelier in the kitchen nook. 

I loved the above idea from Martha Stewart, but thought it would be too much work to find and paint a branch... so instead I hung them in clusters.

Despite my late posting, I had everything decorated in September since I had a baby on the way and my nesting mode was in full swing! My 4 year old son wanted to be Thor for Halloween so in July I started making the costumes for the rest of us... (disclaimer: I am not a seamstress, but I try, and for Halloween especially I don't stress over the costumes being perfect.) 

On September 28th we welcomed our baby girl into our family! 

So from the FOUR of us, 

Happy Halloween!

Thor, Lady Sif, Jane Foster & Loki

DIY Storage Baskets

I have been in the nesting mode for the past few months and have been organizing my house like crazy! Baby no. 2 will be here soon and I desperately feel the need to get everything in order. So, one of the rooms on my list of "to do's" was my sons room. He has a ton of toys and now that I am using his closet as storage for the new baby clothes I needed to a way to store some of those toys; preferably out of sight. I thought the best way to do that would be to utilize the area under his bed. I was particular though, I wanted baskets that could roll and that weren't too expensive... it was nearly impossible to find.

 I happened to be at The Container Store and found some metal baskets on clearance and decided I would make my own rolling storage carts with them. They turned out pretty good I must say, so here's a simple tutorial in case you'd like to make your own!

I made three of them, but I probably could have fit four under his twin bed. 

These are the elfa drawers from the Container Store, on clearance for $8.00 a basket (normally $16.00)!

Next step was to get the wood and cut it to size to fit inside the basket (this will be used to easily mount the wheels). I bought a walnut veneer board at a local wood store for $23.00. I needed three rectangular pieces and the size of the board was just enough - as you see I had two scrap pieces left over after cutting.

After I cut the first piece I made sure that it fit well in the basket.

I liked the color of the wood as it was, but wanted it to be durable, so I put a couple coatings of clear polyurethane on them.

Once that was dry I could mount the wheels!

These wheels are from Home Depot and they are the 1-1/2" rubber wheel swivel plate casters. Since I was installing over the metal basket, I used two washers under each screw to help lift the plate. Note that once screwed in, the plate should be very tight to the board. My wood board was about 3/4" thick and I used 5/8" long screws.

To mount them, I put the basket with wood upside down over a bucket (covered with a rag so I didn't scratch it) - then just screw them in! 

With one in each corner you will need lots of washers and screws!

All finished! I think it would be cute to add leather handles or maybe a chalkboard tag to it, but for now these do the job and I'm happy with how they turned out, they're durable and so cute.

One Kings Lane: Vendor Spotlight

Last post I spotlighted Joss & Main and did a mock living room design based off some of their pieces so I thought this time I would showcase some of the fun finds that One Kings Lane has to offer. They have some really neat vintage pieces and it's so fun to browse through their selection! One Kings Lane can be a bit pricier than Joss & Main, but both of these websites offer new items daily, and once it's gone - it's gone! So if you love it, get it!

I started my research looking through the "Cottage Charm" collection, where I was first drawn in (& where I found that adorable sofa!) But after finding that unique garden stool and fun, colorful rug I ended up going in a different direction than my typical neutral palette. I love the mix of vintage items and colorful accents.

Sari Silk Corfu Rug, $4,009.00

Louis 70" Sofa, Oatmeal, $2,149.00

Sloane Chair, $1,399.00

Samui Coffee Table, $1,949.00

1950's Ebonized Cabinet, $499.00

1920s Giltwood Mirror with Floral Motif, $325.00

Brandy Garden Stool in White/Blue, $125.00

Light Smoke Gray Lamp, $399.00

Striped Cotton Pillow in Navy, 20", $75.00

Two Toned Linen Pillow in Orange, 20", $89.00

Vibe Cotton Pillow in Coral, 20", $35.00

Neutral Inspiration

As I was perusing Joss & Main this morning I came across "The Urban Homestead" collection, which was (unfortunately) expiring today. I instantly fell in love with the light neutrals and different textures of wood, metal, suede and fabrics! I thought I would do a design board showcasing some of these beautiful pieces along with a few others from Pottery Barn and Birch Lane for a mock living room.

The Landon Upholstered Sofa in Metal Gray is from Pottery Barn, along with the Tanner Nesting Side Tables, Mercury Vases, and Wicker Basket for accessorizing the shelving unit. The Joss & Main collection showed mostly leather sofas, but I really like the softness of the gray fabric. The Ampersand Sculpture is from Birch Lane and the Resin Deer Head is from Bed Bath and Beyond... I love how the deer head adds a unique flair of rustic while being so modern at the same time.

All of the other items are from Joss & Main. If you haven't signed up for their daily emails, I would definitely recommend it! They have some really great pieces in all sorts of styles that are updated daily, and the prices are great, too.

Happy Shopping!

Happy Easter {Decorating}!

I love spring time, it's so beautiful outside with all the flowers and trees in bloom. Easter, in particular, is a holiday that is full of happy memories for me - egg hunts, new Sunday dresses, and family dinners.

This year is the first year I actually decorated for Easter. I like to keep things simple and clean, so I only did a few accessories on my "new" piano and, of course, I will be adding beautiful blooms to our kitchen table!

I found most of the decor from Target, like these ceramic bunnies and the burlap banner below. The small nest is from World Market and the larger nest is from Michaels. The pink bunny eggs are from TJ Maxx Homegoods.

Pinterest has so many cute ideas for egg and bunny garland, but when I saw these burlap bunnies - for $6 - I had to get them!

I found this blue egg bird nest from World Market and had the perfect home for it in this bell jar.

Happy Easter!

The Power of Accessorizing

I recently shopped for and installed accessories for a client who wanted their new 2 bedroom rental to feel more like a home. 

It's amazing what art, pillows and a few accessories will do for a space! Without painting or changing any furniture, and sticking to a budget under $2000, we achieved a Pottery Barn look for a fraction of the price! Here are some pictures of the finished product.

Enjoy!

Living Room

This sweet little succulent along with the porcelain vase is from Ikea and all together totaled under $5! The wood stemmed candle is from Target and the tray is from TJMaxx Homegoods.

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Dining Room

I love this mirror, especially with the combo of the sconces on each side! Mirror is from Hobby Lobby and sconces are from Kirkland's.

{Before}

Master Bedroom & Bathroom

*This print is available on my website Designs from Home.

  

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Guest Bathroom

This chrome shelving unit and glass jars are a beautiful way to display the necessities of the bathroom. 

{Before}

Happy New Year!

Hoping you had a Happy Holiday & wishing you a very Happy New Year!