Map Tray

Map Tray...home is where the HEART is!

About 4 years ago I found this red tray on sale, it was only $3 dollars. Loved it, but after a year it had a bunch of nicks and was looking a little busted. Recently I found it in my garage. I've seen a bunch of tray re purposing on pinterest, and knew my tray had to be redone. Bought a map of Northern California for $.10 cents at the used bookstore.

 

I gave the tray 3 coats of white spray paint.  I cut the map out to the dimension of the inside of the tray. I used a read sharpie to draw a heart around Sonoma (where hubby and I first lived together), and then a heart around Stockton (where we live now and where we grew up). I used spray adhesive to adhere the map to the tray, which is a little tricky/sticky to work with. Then I used modge podge to seal the top.  Ta-Dah!

 

 

 

 

I love the way it turned out. I especially love the hearts and the tray looks much better in white. What do you think? Do you have a tray you can re-do? Have you redone a tray, I would love to see it!

DIY Burlap Window Coverings

Time to change it up...I have been wanting a new look for our nook area. I love my coverings now but I'm ready for something new. 

 

Before: (Spring/Summer Coverings)

 

 

I am really loving Burlap (although it is very itchy to work with). While paroozing the internet I saw this blog post from Red Barn Candle Company . It looked simple enough. Learning how to sew takes awhile when you don't practice, but she made hers with hot glue. I purchased the burlap it was about $7 dollars, ribbon was about $2.50 for 7 yards, I already had hot glue and my trusty mini glue gun. I used my iron to fold a "seam". It took me about 2 to 3 minutes for each panel.

 

After: (Fall/Winter Coverings)

 

 

Have any of you worked with Burlap? Do you have Burlap incorporated in to your home decor?

 

 

Thanks again to Red Barn Candle Company for the inspiration!

Planter (front yard)

Came home tonight made a early dinner and then we filled in the planter box in the front yard. When we first bought the house I didn't like the rock but now they are growing on me and the best part is they don't need to be watered, love low maintenance.

{&} Pilow

Yesterday I purchased this throw pillow. I pinned one awhile ago that I wanted to make. This pillow had such a great price I decided to just buy it for our living room. This blue leather chair is very special to me, it was my dads and actually belongs to my brother. I'm just keeping it for now until he settles down.

What do you think? I just love it!

I'm thinking I may get two pillows a "J" and a "R" and putting them on our couch. I also have our red chair in this room, I would like to incorporate both colors. How would you enhance the look of this room? I want to stay away from the "americana" look. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Dining Room Chair RE-DO

My mother in law received her grandmother's dining room set. It is in fabulous condition but she wanted to update the seat cushions. JoAnn's was having a sale, she paid a total of $65 dollars it took us about 4 hours, we re-did 10 chairs in two different fabrics. We used a staple gun, it was funny to see all the layers of different fabrics.  I think they turned out great, especially for our first upholstery job.

My photos don't look that great I may need to retake the after photos.

Before:
Off-White

After:

Stripes

Paisley

New Chair...lady in red.

Our "living"room that we haven't lived in much has got a new piece of furniture, I call the chair "lady in red". Joe's mom got us this beautiful chair that I we wanted for Christmas. The chair arrived over the weekend and fits perfect in the room. After Christmas our tree will be gone and we'll be moving in a bar we have in our garage. The "living"room has a insert so we've been using the room a lot more, since our home has been very cold. I love the chair, kind of excited to put away christmas now.

Curtain Fabric

After 1 year of being in our home (Happy 1 year of home ownership to us!), I have finally selected a fabric for our nook and kitchen windows, it's a little bold and loud (kinda like me) but I love it! Last night my mom and I went to the fabric store and made 3 of the 5 panels our nook is done. Now on to the kitchen. Hoping to be finished by next Tuesday.

 

Fabric: Waverly "Solar Flair Lime Indigo"

Wreath making

I have been wanting to make a wreath for our front door since we bought our home, which is almost a year ago on the 13th (we moved in on the 10th but technically we closed on the 13th). Andrea and I got all the stuff we needed over the weekend to make one for her home and mine. We bought wood letters and spray painted them, armed with our glue guns here is the finished product. If you are interested in purchasing a wreath please contact me.

*Our initial is a little hard to see, I am painting our door a lighter color in January.

Bathroom decor upgrade...

We bought our house almost a year ago and I am starting to finally decorate, rooms still need to be painted and some upgrades are needed but it's a pretty fabulous house.

Now the linoleum in our downstairs guest bathroom and laundry room not so fabulous...my father in law is going to install new tile but for now I decided to mask the 70's tile by drowning it in brown. I still need to add an accent color but here it is as of now.

Mary Ellen (boss/friend/aunt in law) gave me a gardening pot I'm going to spray paint and use as a trash can. I need new hand towels, a small curtain that I am going to sew myself, picture frame for counter and one knob for the vanity.

ps I'm loving the stars, found them at Ross for super cheap,