Spring Has Sprung || Tablescape

Despite snow in late April, in Ohio, I was feeling wildly optimistic that Mother Nature would do us a solid and finally give us the spring weather we deserve, so I decided to update my dining room tablescape.

I’m embarrassed to admit that it was still decked out in Christmas.

If you’ve followed me for a while you know that my love of fresh flowers runs deep. However, it’s not always possible to keep my table dressed in fresh-cut flowers. So, I ventured to the Dollar Store to see what I could find. I was mildly surprised by the quality of their silk flowers.

I bought a new gingham tablecloth and dishes but everything else is stuff I’ve collected over the years. I’m so happy with the way everything turned out!

Take a look to see I managed to pull the entire look together for less than $50.

Dark and Stormy

I’m not a Halloween person. But there’s something about having a small child that gets you excited for the holidays, any holiday! So this year I put on my festive Halloween hat and created my version of a spooky tablescape for the season.

I didn’t want to spend a lot and I’m happy to say that the entire thing came together for about $20! The only new items were the buffalo plaid tablecloth that served as inspiration and the blue and white thrifted china. I used to love putting together a pretty table but it’s not something I’ve done in the past few years because small humans are attracted to shiny, pretty and breakable things! As I was doing this I remembered how much fun it is and I got to challenge myself. Now that Rowan is older and learning that not everything in the house is a toy I’ll have to do this more!

The color palette was simple black and white with just a touch of blue. Then Halloween it up!

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I’m so happy with the way the way it turned out! It’s a little bit farmhouse, with a dose of classic and just a little spooky!

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Be sure to check out the video to see it all come together.

Spring Table

I know among bloggers and avid Instagram users there seems to be a consensus that Fall is the best season of the year. Boots, and sweaters, and pumpkin spice, oh my!  What's not to love?! But for me, Spring is where it's at! Warmer temps are finally making their debut. Things are starting to turn green and all of my favorite flowers are starting to bloom! Allergies aside, I adore spring! 

While I'm sure it's connected to the "rebirth" messages that are intrinsically linked to the season, I always start to think a great deal about memories, occasions and celebrations and the way we seem to want to box them off. Reserve them for something we deem deserving of the festivities. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that our everyday lives are worthy of celebrating too! So even if you're just grabbing a pizza on your way home from work, why not break out your fancy dishes and treat yourself?! 

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all hallows eve{diy wreath}

I'm slowly trying to add a little Halloween to the house. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of Halloween, especially the scary and gory aspects! But, there's got to be a way to add a spooky twist with the things I like!

We all know that it all starts with the front door! Why should wreaths be saved for the holiday season?  With that in mind, I headed to Michael's to trick(pun intended!) out my front door.

It goes without saying that fake flowers are my least favorite thing to use in design and decor. But, it's Ohio in October so using anything living is not possible or cost effective. I was really surprised at the options available! My favorite thing to use in any arrangement I design is texture. It's difficult to find things that aren't real that have the texture of the real deal! Not only was able to get my beloved textural elements, I also found some pretty close to the real deal greenery and flowers.

This is the first time I've attempted to make a wreath with faux flowers and I'm thrilled with the results! 

I found moss, thistle and dusty miller to give the wreath texture.

I was surprised to find pretty real looking kale and hydrangea! 

Start by removing everything form the stems.  I used floral clippers but you can use wire cutters or scissors. I wired the larger blooms to wreath with a thin gauge wire. After wiring I went back in with the hot glue gun to make sure all of the blooms and greens were firmly attached.

And now, the fun stuff! I attached the thistle with wire and glue as well. The skull is styrofoam so I was able to stick on top of a wooden skewer(otherwise known as leftover chopstick!) and secure it with glue. Then I simply slip it into place.  At the last minute I decided the bow I was going to use seem to polished so I opted to use some yarn. I LOVE the result!

Et Voila!!

It's pretty but  dark and a little spooky! It's the perfect mate for our new "welcome" mat!! 

 

Do greet visitors at the front door with a little bit creepy holiday spirit? 

an ugly duckling transformation{oh my heart and home}

i've been wanting to give our first floor a little makeover for a long time. but, anyone with a young child will tell you that household projects tend fall lower and lower on the list of priorities as you devote your time, attention, energy and money to your little one. it wasn't as if the house was falling down around us! it just looked a little tired. 

my husband and i talked about it. well, i mostly talked and he sort of nodded in tepid agreement. i headed to pinterest to get inspiration. i came up with an idea of what i wanted and promptly shelved it. a few weeks ago, i decided enough was enough! 

i tackled the most complicated project first. i've had this vintage loveseat for probably ten years. i was okay with color but my husband hated it! and, if i'm being totally honest the upholstery had seen better days.

the peachy orange color and the dark wood were very old fashioned, and not in a good way. 

i knew i wanted to add color and personality to the living room. the best way to that is with pattern. and floral patterns are my jam. however, in order to sell my husband on the idea it couldn't be too over the top.. 

this fabric served as my inspiration!

after reading two dozen or so blog posts i felt confident enough to start. because the fabric was a little pricey, i decided to paint most of the upholstery and simply recover the seat. i wanted the color to be a a rich blue somewhere between navy and federal blue.

i used regular latex wall paint, water, and fabric medium(1:1:1). and then i got very nervous!

but, i kept going because i had no choice. i was also 99% sure i'd made a huge mistake!

there was also lots of swearing! i continued. and, because i'm a terrible blogger and i was sure this was going to be a pinterest fail, i didn't take more pictures. womp. womp. somehow, with lots of worry, elbow grease, several coats of paint and a battle with a heavy duty staple gun, it went from that ugly duckling.

to this...

 

and, i'm in love! i want to stare at her all day and tell her how beautiful i think she is! 

slowly things are coming together! i can't wait to show you the entire room:)