Halloween Mantel

Here is my mantel dressed for Halloween.  I just love the Trick or Treat blocks that I bought last year after Halloween on clearance.  I had forgotten I had them so it was a nice surprise when I started unpacking my Halloween decor.

Isn't this owl cute!?!  He was also a purchase made last year after Halloween.

This pumpkin spider is just a cupcake holder I bought and put a small pumpkin into that I already had.

These black cats I got at the antique mall.  I love the way they are both looking at the bird cage.  Do you see what they are looking at?

As always thanks for stopping by for a visit.


I am linking this post to French Country Cottage Feathered-Nest-Friday
At The Picket Fence Inspiration-Friday
2805 Potpourri Party
Stuff-and-Nonsense Fridays Unfolded
Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday
No Minimalist Here open-house-party
The Charm of Home Home-Sweet-Home
Laurie Annas Farmhouse Friday
Romantic Home Show-and-tell-Friday
The Lettered Cottage Ideas-for-Fall
Funky Junk Interiors sns-101
I Heart Naptime Sundae Scoop
Dittle Dattle Amaze Me Monday 

Brightening Up A Corner

This is a corner in the family room down in our basement.  I did have a picture hanging on the wall with a wide dark frame but took it down about 3 months ago because it just seemed to dark.  This morning I thought about hanging platters on the wall so I went searching through my house and found three white platters.  The before picture is not very good but it is the only one I have and I wanted you to see the difference. 

Isn't that amazing what a difference three little platters make.  The whole room feels brighter now.

Here is the same corner with a few Fall accents.

Thanks for Stopping by!


I am linking this post to Faded Charm Cottage White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style Wow-us-Wednesdays
A Beach Cottage Good-Life-Wednesdays
Michele Raven Designs primp-your-stuff-Wednesday
Very Merry Vintage Style

Just Playing Around

My friend Jen found  a scrabble game for me  at a garage sale for only 50 cents.  Being in a Fall mood, I decided to see how many seasonal words I could spell.

And I didn't stop there ...

11 words in all and I still had some letters leftover. 

(Oops,  switch that o and u around in gourd.)

Then I needed to display some of my masterpieces.

What does it say about me if I have more fun decorating with the game than actually playing it? 

I am linking this post to Coastal Charm Nifty-Thrifty-Tuesday

Fall Mantel

It all started with this picture I found at Goodwill for a whopping $1.49.  It was hidden behind some other pictures and the frame is what caught my eye.  I just love the Autumn colors in this watercolor, not to mention it is just a gorgeous drawing. 

Here is a photo of it close up so you can see more of the details.

 

The grapevine pumpkin in the photo below I also found a Goodwill and the small pumpkins in the apothecary jar and the larger one on the candlestick came from Hobby Lobby.  The candle stick is a thrifty find that I blogged about here.

 

The wood box in the picture below I ordered from Farmhouse Wares.  It is the largest in a set of four.

This glass cylinder I got at a garage sale for 50 cents and I just filled it up with some pumpkins I already had.

Here is that cute picture again stacked on some orange books.

This pumpkin I have sitting at the base of my fireplace.  I unfortunately can not remember where I got this one but I just love it.

Thanks as always for stopping by for a visit.  I love having you over.

Linking this post to No Minimalist Here Open House Party

Savvy Southern Style Wow-us-Wednesdays 

Coastal charm.blogspot.com/2011/09/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no80.html

Michele Raven Designs primp-your-stuff-Wednesday

Tales from Bloggeritaville Thrifty Thursday 

Att The Picket Fence Inspiration-Friday 

Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday 

The Charm of Home home-sweet-home 

2805 Potpourri Friday 

Delightful Order delightfully-inspiring-thursday-party 

Stuff-and-Nonsense Fridays Unfolded 

French Country Cottage Feathered-Nest-Friday 

36th Avenue Flaunt Your Stuff 

Romantic Home Show-and-tell-Friday 

LaurieAnnas Farmhouse Friday 

The Lettered Cottage-Ideas for Fall

White Pumpkins

Last Fall was the first time I ever used white pumpkins in my decorating.  I think they are just gorgeous and a bit unexpected.  Here are some pictures of my Fall decor using white pumpkins this year.

Recognize the little box from my garage sale finds earlier in the month?

The three small pumpkins I set on a candle holder that I picked up at a garage sale last summer.

Here I just set a medium size pumpkin in  a wreath.  Doesn't it look cute!?!

Thanks as always for stopping by for a visit and I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

I am linking this post to Romantic Home Show-and-tell-Friday
Common Ground Vvintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage Feathered-Nest-Friday
Laurie Annas Farmhouse Friday
At The Picket Fence Inspiration Friday
2805 Potpourri Party
Dittle Dattle Amaze-Me-Monday

Buffet Decorated For Fall

Decorating my buffet for Fall this year was very difficult.  It may be because it still feels like summer outside, or it may be because I thought I would just do something quick and simple and change it for Halloween in a couple of weeks.  Whatever the reason the decorative juices were not flowing today.  So after spending all afternoon getting out my Fall decorations this is the only area of my house that is dressed for Fall.  Not very good time management.  Hopefully by the end of the week I can show you the rest of my Fall decor.

I know what your saying...."It took her all afternoon to do this?"  Yep, sadly it did.   I know it doesn't scream Fall and there is an absence of Fall colors but there will be some orange scattered around the rest of the room.

I found this chalkboard at a consignment shop and had wanted to use it on the buffet.  It looks great here but I had the hardest time deciding what to write on it. Then, I didn't like my handwriting. I think I like the "Autumn Blessings" the best that is shown in the first picture.

Well, there you have it.  Thanks for stopping by and may your Fall decor go up with ease.


Autumn Blessing!

 I am linking this post to Savvy Southern Style Wow-Us-Wednesdays
A Beach Cottage-Good Life Wednesday 
Michele Raven Designs-Primp Your Stuff Wednesday 
Decor To Adore-Fall In Love Linky Party 

Between Naps on the Porch-Tablescape Thursday
The Brambleberry Cottage-Time Travel Thursday
No Minimalist Here open-house-party
Common Ground Vintage Inspiration Friday
Domestically Speaking countdown-to-autumn-party 

Fantastic Finds

This morning my friend and I hit the garage sales in the area and I could not wait to show you what I got.  It was the perfect morning for garage sales, the temperature was in the 70's and no wind, which is almost unheard of in the state of Kansas.

 Don't you just love this wood box?  I love the wording on the end, apart from being a little dirty, it is in great condition.  I got it for only $5.00 and it was full of tools which will make my husband happy.

This compass was one of the things in the box.  Can't you just see it displayed in an office?

 These items were a steal.  The tray $1.00.  The large pine cones were all in  a bag for $1.00 and the corks were 50 cents.  Not a bad display for a whopping total of $2.50. 

I just love books, especially old books, so there is no way I could pass these babies up.  The middle one is a Bible that has had lots of love over the years, it was only a quarter.  The first book is an old Kansas school book for the sixth grade and it was only 50 cents.  The third book is really falling apart but it was only a quarter and is an old math text book.  Those are the treasures I found this week.  It will be fun displaying them around the house.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

I am linking this post to Common Ground-Vintage Inspiration Friday
Stuff-and-Nonsense Fridays Unfolded
Southern Hospitality-Thrifty Treasures

Feels Like Fall

The last few days have been cool in the morning with highs only getting up into the 80's.  It has been so nice after such a hot summer.  It has also gotten me in the mood to get out my Fall decorations.  I was going through pictures I had taken of my Fall decor in previous years and I have to say most of the photos are not that good.  Blogging has really improved my photo taking abilities, even though I still have lots of room for improvement.  Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of the photos with you.  As soon as I get my decorations up I will post them but until then here is just a little inspiration.

Sorry about the glare on this photo but I loved this arrangement so much I wanted to share.  The big pumpkin platter is one of my favorite things to set out at Fall. This picture was taken before my living room redo when I still had green walls.

This picture is from last year (sorry it's a bit grainy).  There is that orange pumpkin platter again.  Not sure where I will put it this year.

I received quit a few questions on my last post about my living room redo so I wanted to answer them.

No, I did not make the slip covers on my two wing back chairs.  I do sew but that project just seemed to daunting to take on so I took one of my chairs into an reupholster and she made the slip covers for me.

I was also asked how long it took to redo.  Well, that question is a little hard to answer.  I knew I wanted to go lighter for a couple of years and added white accents around the room as I found them at garage sales or antique malls.  Once I picked out the paint color and ordered a new sofa (from JcPenney) it only took a weekend to paint.

The wall paint color is Ralph Lauren Canvas Natural and the White on the built ins and the fireplace is Valspar Dove White. 

I want to thank all of you for the wonderful comments you left and thank you for stopping by for a visit.  I have such great bloggy friends.


I am linking this post to 2805-Potpourri Friday
The Charm of Home home-sweet-home
Domestically Speaking-Autumn Party

Living Room Before and After

I didn't want to scare you off by showing you a before picture right off the bat so here is a picture of what my living room looks like now.

 

Here is the Living Room

Before

 

After

Before

After

The fireplace before

 

and after

 The buffet before

after

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Labor Day.

I am linking this post to Between Naps On The Porch-Metamorphosis Monday
Debbie-debbiedoos Newbie Party
Thrifty Decor Chick-Before and After Party
A Bowl Full of Lemons one-project-at-time-Tuesday
Faded Charm Cottage-White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style-Wow Us Wednesday
Michele Raven Designs-Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
Decor to Adore fall-in-love-linky-party
A Creative Princess-It's a Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage-Transformation Thursday
On Sutton Place-open-house-party
Miss Mustard Seed furniture-feature-friday
Romantic Homeshow-and-tell-friday
Cottage and Vine room-to-room-livingfamily-rooms