Christmas Home Tour 2012

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just a few more shots of our home for the holidays.

The mantle.

I changed out the blue for Christmas with deer and fur pillows.

I picked up the deer pillows at Marshall's. 

I draped fur throws I already had over my ottomans for a quick winter feel.

I hung faux wreaths with burlap ribbon above my family room windows.

Piper likes the fur.

 

I added crystals and my glass bubbles to some branches.

I used bottle brush trees, Epsom salts, and pearls.

I already showed you how I staged my industrial shelves.

Here is the living room/man cave.

 My painted windows.

Our entry gate. 

The front door.

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a safe and Happy Christmas and Hanukkah.

                                  Thanks for checking it out.

Winter Mantle - Deer Booty Decor

Christmas has been fully decked out in our house for the past few weeks.  

I just haven't made time to post about it.  

It's an Ugg boot day around here so I'm staying home catching up on stuff around the house.

My DIY Sharpie and ballpoint pen deer on painter's drop cloth is making it's second Christmas appearance.  

We call him...

Deer Booty 

To see how I made him last year click here.

I styled my Deer Booty mantle with a small forest and some pine cones.  

The only new piece I added is this deer head wreath on a stick from Home Goods.

Deer Shish Kabob to go with Deer Booty.

I made the stockings last year out of some old sweaters taking up space in my closet.

Now if I could just get them to all face the same direction for a picture.  

I swear Christmas stockings are harder to take pictures of then pets and babies. 

I winterized my firewood basket.

To the right of the fireplace is my Great, Grandfather's chair.  

He was a doctor and it sat in his office waiting room.  

I draped the chair with a Flokati coat and a little tree.  

I've had this coat for over 20 years and never wear it.  Believe me I've tried.

My parents got it for me on a trip to Greece when they lived in Italy.

It's way too big and I look like the Abominable Snow Man when I wear it, really I do.  

Instead of me wearing it, the chair gets too.

I like trying to use things I already have in new and different ways.

To see how I decorated for Christmas last year go here.

Stay warm and cozy and happy Christmas decorating.

Thanks for checking it out.

Fall Mantle 2012

I decorated for Halloween and Fall a couple of weeks ago,

but I just haven't had a chance to post the pictures.

The flock is back with a new favorite nesting place.

They're keeping my DIY owl art company.

The skeletons are blinged out.

 

I changed out the finials on the curtain rod holding my owl art.  I added some faux branches by drilling a hole in the branch and screwing it in to a double sided screw.

 

 

 

After removing the existing finial I attached the branch for the flock to perch on.

 

 

A little costume jewelry stuck to my foam pumpkin's eye sockets adds some sparkle to inexpensive  skulls.

Dripped red candle wax adds a little gore.

Every skeleton needs a pet crow

and a sparkly head band.

Or a vintage cameo for an eye?

Big lots skulls in a cloche with added pearl necklaces help complete the look.

I also used faux books and pedestals I already had.

I've got my eye on you.

How's your Halloween decorating going?

Thanks for checking it out.

 

DIY Show Off

Diving Into Blue

After I added my blue octopus over our family room fireplace and summerized the mantle I thought I was "done" with this room until fall.  

 While my family thinks the octopus is pretty cool, their one critique is that I needed to add more blue around the rest of the room. 
Even my husband, who doesn't like change and always thinks our house is "fine" they way it is, (he doesn't get my need for constant change) commented the room needed more blue. 
Off to the fabric store and Home Goods for a blue makeover.
I'm diving in head first.

Here's what I did.

 



 

I made some pillows. 
The fabric feels almost like a beach blanket.  It's thick, textured, and sturdy.
Don't notice the brown couch the pillows are sitting on. 
I don't like it, but it's comfy, in great shape, and paid for, so it's staying for now. 
I have steered away from the Tuscan look, but some furniture pieces like this one still haunt my house.

 

 

I slip covered my ottomans with coordinating fabric. 

I sewed the seams inside out for a more casual, beachy look. 

I picked fabric that is very durable because my kids like to throw the pillows on the floor to watch TV and my husband likes to ball them up to stick under his legs when he stretches out on the couch. 

 I took the gray velvet slip cover off my other couch for now.

I don't think I showed you this Ralph Lauren jute rug I picked up at Home Goods for a steal a few months back. 

It's very soft and comfortable for bare feet and floor lounging kids.

I like the texture it adds to the room. 

Since the room has a very neutral color scheme,

I can change out the accessories whenever I get bored.
Pretty much any color works in this room.

 

 

My mom gave me a blue and white dog bed for Piper.  

I think she likes it.

 

I picked up the blue glass float from Home Goods.

I found the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities book on clearance years ago at Anthropologie for $25.

I added my new pillows to my $10 Craig's List wicker chairs.

 

 

To see how I made my vertical succulent wall go here.

 

I changed out my glass bubbles with sand, coral, and shells.

No blue, more beach.

 

 

Piper follows me around where ever the photo shoot is happening. 

Her brother and sister are grand champions.

 Maybe she wants to be a supermodel  too.

 

 

 

 More seashells and blue watering orbs were added to my candelier.

 



 

I used the left over pillow fabric and jute webbing to make a runner for the dresser behind my couch. 

This dresser stores all my craft supplies.

I took the leftover glass from my DIY Restoration Hardware Rope Planetarium Chandelier and re purposed it as a mini green house.

I added blue ribbon to my DIY glass lamp shades.

 

 I added some blue accessories to my DIY industrial shelves on the other side of the room.  

 

The candles are from Home Goods. I already had the Fleur Di Ly's plaque and I just gave it a quick spray with blue paint. 

The boxes were found in the clearance bins at Michael's.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you been diving into any new decor for your home?

 

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Thanks for checking it out.