Four For Decor...

U.n.o

My Christmas wreath was seeming a bit drab. Pretty, but not enough W.O.W.But luckily the Goodwill fairies were looking out for me. For just 49 pennies more I added a nice Christmas-y touch. I also added in a few more of the ornaments, and after 15 minutes, and hands sparkling worse than a pageant queen's dress, I had this beauty to show off.


D.O.S.

Since I happened upon such a large lot of ornaments I didn't want to see them go to waste. One evening, some white & gold paint, and 2 more glitter covered hands later, I now have these babies to "deck our hall"(less) apartment with.
T.R.E.S.

So you all know that I LOVE to thrift. There's something about it that gets my heart singing the happy tunes. You never know what you will find and you can't beat the price tags. Of course, there's always that popular phrase to fall back on too - "your junk is my treasure."

One other thing you should know is that Goodwill is in a program with Target- see.spot.save. Other than resembling my alma mater's volleyball slogan, it means Target donates their slightly damaged, returned and overstock seasonal items to Goodwill who distributes them to all of their locations. And for me, it means my thrifting is a whole lot more rewarding. Welcome home, stockings! :-)
These 2 were Target's last season's rejects and my season's projects. Since we don't have a mantel for them to crown, our bookshelf might be their place to "hang" out. :-)

Q.U.A.T.R.O.

Lastly, but certainly not least, these were 3 happy purchases today. I love the colors, shape, and how they reflect the light on the windowsill. For only 47 pennies each, Pretty, Pretty!

Happy weekend.

P.E.A.C.E.

I hear those Christmas bells ringing...

Okay, maybe they're just in MY head. Is anyone else getting bit by the jingle bells bug yet?

Over the weekend I took a trip to the grandparents-in-law house. We arrived to a cozy house warmed by an open fire and a yummy dinner... and surrounded by family at the dinner table it just felt like Christmas! We stayed up late playing games and reminiscing over old photo albums... it doesn't get much better than that. Here are a few pictures from the trip.





My Christmas spirit, aided by some good ol' silent night melodies, continued on into my evening as I completed one of my challenges! Goodwill and 2nd Ave thrift stores were like giant sized presents! And the store displays were proof as Holiday memorabilia littered their shelves. I returned home with:

2- green Christmas wreaths.... a steal at 97cents each
1- big box of shatterproof Christmas ball ornaments in varying sizes and colors... 5 buckaroos
1- roll of leftover tulle from our wedding in March... free! (well, kinda)

After wiring each of the ornaments onto the wreath I wove the tulle throughout the wreath. I ended the night with this... I think I'm going to add more of the ornaments since I have 1/2 the box left.

L.A. P.a.z. P.E.A.C.E.

I DIY"ed" ... It's my little slice of Heaven here on Earth

Since moving into our apartment in March, I have been slowly transforming the space into "home." It's the perfect project for me since it never gets old (there is always a new season to decorate for) and I can mold some of my former pre-marriage hobbies into some sort of decorating diva persona. And here is where I insert plugs for my favorite spots of inspiration. If you haven't already heard of them, get over to Young House Love's (YHL) amazing blog. They do the coolest things, not to mention the million and one fantastic ideas they blog about. It's the mecca of aspiring DIYers and my daily cup o' Joe. Lately I've been mixing it up a bit with PB. Peanut butter you ask? No, not for this self proclaimed interior designer. It's Pottery Barn... the other mecca :). I am in love with their stuff, but not even to fork over the $$$ for their price tags. This is where I introduce my new favorite hobby! I think I found one that will stick!!

THRIFTING: refers to the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or a shop of a charitable organization, usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price.

I die, I DIY. Those defining words speak to my very soul! Shopping, Charitable Organization, Finding, Interesting items, and the best for last: Cheap price! My Mennonite heart beats hard for those bargains!

So, in a effort to combine all of those sweet sounding melodies into one amazing musical composition, I'm challenging myself to accomplish these 4 designs below... all before Christmas! The rules are plain.... I have to use my creative, God given gifts, shop at local charities/ thrift stores, and accomplish each by December 22 (gotta make sure they're completed by the time we have Christmas visitors!)

The Challenges:

#1 Create this Pottery Barn centerpiece....


#2 Recover this lamp shade (the lamp is a $5 thrift find!) ... inspired by a YHL project



#3 Update this door with a seasonal wreath...



#4 Make or thrift find Christmas Stockings and come up with a way to hang them


Wish me luck! And I'll keep you posted!

P.E.A.C.E.