Summer Mantel + Garage Sale Find

Hey peeps.

Seeing as how it's summer and all,

I thought our house needed to reflect 

this glorious fact a little bit.

And so, without further ado,

this is how our "mantel" currently looks:

I left the main structures the same as they had been-

the spray painted frames and the wreath in the middle.

I got the plant at a garage sale (thanks mom!). 

The plate was a plain white plate 

that I added the bicycle vinyl

to using my handy dandy Silhouette machine.

I had everything else on hand.

I added the little pennant banners to the frames,

and you can't see it well in these pictures,

but each pennant has a letter on it,

spelling the words 

"summer breeze."

I'm still deciding if I think this arrangement

is too busy because I'm

really liking some of the more

simple mantel arrangements

I'm seeing.

But for now, I think I'll keep it around.

I also wanted to show you this little beauty:

{The dresser is the "little beauty" in case you 

weren't sure which item I was referring too :) }

I got her at a garage sale for 

the small price of $15!

Sadly, she was only marked for $10,

but I was deciding if I for sure

wanted her and when I went back

to buy her someone else was just

loading her into their truck.

Luckily, I knew the new owner,

and she said she would sell

this green beauty to me for $15,

so I jumped on it.

The knobs were plain white,

and I added vinyl numbers to them,

again using my wonderful Silhouette.

She has some marks and scuffs on her,

but I just think they add character.

Best of all, she provides some great,

much needed storage space for blankets,

games, coloring books, and 

who knows what else.

For now she's in our living room,

but I could see her migrating to

a child's bedroom someday.

What great garage sale finds have you gotten

this summer?

Besides garage sale-ing and manteling

(pretty sure I just invented a new word!)

here's a few pics of what we've been

up to this past week:

Out to dinner to celebrate summer birthdays with my side of the fam

Our little firecracker showing off her "seafood" :)

Wes and his dad working on Claire's new swing set

Claire snuggling with Ellie (aka squeezing the crap out of her neck)

Splash Pad fun

More splash pad fun, with Miss Haley

Blessing to you,
and happy nesting!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Well helloooo!
Did you miss me?
I thought so.
Life has been busy!
And... the weather is FINALLY warming up,
so the sunshine has been calling me
away from computer time.

Plus, my creating has been on hold because...
I ordered a Silhouette SD and it hasn't come in the mail yet and now why
would I want to make anything without it???
Yay! I'm so excited!
Those hard earned mileage checks I get from my school
for transporting from one school to the other
are finally paying off :)

But in the meantime,
I thought maybe I'd pass along of a few things that
I currently love:

{1}
Gallery walls.
So fun, so personalizeable, such a great way to fill a blank wall space.
I happen to love all things birds in my decorating
(hence, "Nesting Time,")
so here's a lovely example:

Bird themed Gallery Wall

Our Humble A{Bowe}ed

{2}
Cute summery bags/totes.
Who doesn't need more of these?
This little bag I found is sweet enough
to make me want to dust off my sewing machine,
untangle the thread that is lodged inside of it,
and hone my sewing skills!

Ruffle Tote @ Loves All Things Vintage

{3}
Silhouette Art
I love the vintage-y feel of silhouettes,
and the fact that they can really
personalize your space too.
(Apparently I'm into personalizing)
Check out this example and many other's at
Paper Clips and Playpens

love. love. love.

{4}
Claire's new skills.
I know, this one isn't a craft,
but I want a record of some of the amazing talents
of Claire at her ripe old age of 13 months.
Recently, she has started saying "octopus,"
"meow," and "messy."
She also now laughs LOUDLY
as if she heard the most hysterical thing ever,
whenever people around her start laughing.
She loves to hug and kiss,
and she likes to pretend to feed her babies.
She loves being sung to, and she sometimes sings along.
She especially loves "This Little Light of Mine"
and she likes to "shine her light."
She is at such a fun stage and if I let myself,
I can get pretty emotional thinking about the fact that she won't
be this age for long.
So I guess I can't take this time for granted, and soak in
all the special moments each day that I have with her.

That's all I got for tonight, so happy nesting!

Spray paint + Entryway + Easter

Hello friends!

Do you remember when I showed you 

our drab entryway?

Well it looking a little something like this:

{Boring}

Well, I'm glad to say our entryway looks a LITTLE

bit better now than it did back then.

But first, I have to show you a treasure that

I found at a local antique mall.

I forgot to take a true "before" shot,

so you will see it mid-transformation.

Check this out:

Do you think this is as great as I do?

Well just wait... it's about to get much better!

Wah-lah! Our not perfect, but much better than before entryway!

I still need to find some branches or something of some kind

for the tall red vase under the mirror,

but I would LOVE to eventually do a board and batten

treatment to the wall in this area.

But, for now, this will have to do!

I added a basket under the bench, handy for storing Claire's shoes.

I added a framed photo under the hook thingy (forget what those are called),

and I put a bonsai plant, or whatever that is, next to the bench.

I got the plant from my parents' house a long time ago.

The pillow has our last initial on it made from buttons hot-glued onto it.

Here's a closer look:

And, one more look at my fun new mirror!

What are some fun thrifty things you have found lately?

I thought I'd end this post with a few shots from 

Easter Sunday.

This year, the true meaning behind Easter seemed especially

significant to me.

As a new parent, I've found myself wrestling lately

with the idea of death- thinking about what would happen if I or Wes 

were to die and what that would mean for Claire.

Morbid, I know.

But, death is part of life and something we all have to deal

with at some time or another.

Wes, as a nurse, is faced with death regularly and so

hearing stories from him also reminds me of how

fragile our life on earth truly is.

Anyway, all this is to say that this Easter,

it really hit home to me knowing that I can rest

assured that Jesus conquered the grave, and death is not the end,

but really only the beginning for those who are in Christ!

And for those of us left behind when a loved one dies,

we have the great Comforter here who knows our pain

and can offer us peace that passes understanding.

This is truly something to celebrate, and to live our lives for!

Check out this song by Matt Maher...

I hope the lyrics touch your spirit as they have mine.

Here are some pics of our Easter Sunday!

{I think this one is my fav!}

Have a great week, and happy nesting!

I have a craft room!

Well folks, it's time.

It's time to show you a little sumthin sumthin 

I've been cooking up

here at the homefront.

There is still some tweaking that needs to happen for sure,

but I am happy with the progress that 

has occurred in creating this new...

craft/office space!

But first, let's back up a few months and see what I was working with...

This.

And this.

I know it's dark, but that's probably for the best.

Basically, this space was an unorganized disaster that 

practically gives me an anxiety attack just looking at it.

Oh, and it had the most putrid rug I've ever seen accessorizing it.

Although, why not use a putrid rug in an unorganized disaster like this?

I mean, how was I expected to CREATE in a place

like this???

BUT, change has come, and I'm pretty happy with it.

Behold, the new craft space:

The cubed shelving unit is from IKEA... it's the same one shown above

in the before shots.

However, now it has baskets, file boxes, and magazine boxes

filling {most of} its spaces, and it makes me smile.

{Closer image of the IKEA shelf}

Above the shelf I framed some scrapbook paper and called it art.

Cheap, simple, and effective!

On the wall to the left of the shelving, I hung an organizer thingy

and a magazine holder (from IKEA).

This is now where I store Martha Stewart and BHG mags,

along with my "idea file" (where I put magazine clippings

of ideas that I hope to actually do some day).

On the wall to the right of the shelving I hung a few shelves (from IKEA of course!)

I need to somewhat revamp what I have on these shelves

in time (I sort of just threw some random things on there for now),

but I plan to use the shelves for both decorative and functional purposes.

This is a diaper box that I covered in burlap and slapped a flower on.

Right now it has fabric in it, but in time I plan to get a few wire

baskets for two of the squares on my IKEA shelving unit

to hold the fabric so that I can see my selection more easily.

I thought it would be smart to store my spice rack on this shelf.

That way I have to run to the basement every time I cook.

Juuuust kidding :)

Still on the to-do list is to dump these spices

(we got them as a wedding gift, I figure they are probably expired by now),

wash the containers, 

and use them to store small crafty materials like beads and what-have-you.

Now, let's look at the craft space in the context of our basement:

In time, this will also serve as our "office" space

because the room we currently use as an office will 

hopefully be used for our next child.

We don't have a ton of "office" stuff so I don't think this will be a problem.

Eventually I may want to change out the table

for a more functional "work" table.

This table was purchased at a garage sale and we used as our kitchen table

for awhile.

But for now, I can make it work.

Also, I have a fun chalkboard I am in the process of sprucing up a bit

that I plan to hang to the right of the shelves.

{If you're lucky, I'll show it to you.}

Oh, and I would also like to find/make

a fun rug to put down in this space because currently

the carpeting in this area is a bunch of small pieces

fit together that aren't really attached to the floor.

Thanks for checking out my new space!

Be sure to check back later this week for some new adventures

with my friends, the spray paint cans!

Have a blessed week, and happy nesting!

Linking this post to:

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Tatertots and Jello

Spring "Mantel" Redo

Welcome to Friday!

Normally, this would be a VERY happy thought for me,

but today, it means that my spring break is almost over. 

{Pout}

Moving on, I'm excited to introduce you

to two of my new best friends:

Meet New Avocado and Churchill Hotel Vanilla.

Both are Valspar spray paints, and they are like MAGIC!

How do I know this, you ask?

Well, you see these dirty old frames?

{They were dirtier than this... this was after a good ol' soap and water treatment}

These frames went from looking like this,

to looking like this:

Yay! I love my new "mantel"!

Ok, it's really just a plain old shelf, but when you have no fireplace,

you have to compromise sometimes.

Here are some more views:

{My sis-in-law Emily made me those fun button candles. Thanks Em!}

{I love love love this little bunny I snagged at Target}

{Frontal view, with an antique tint. I can't help myself with the IPhoto

editing options sometimes}

{In the context of our living room. I have to say that the "mantel"

looks better in real life, but I have no way of proving that to you,

so I guess you'll have to take my word for it!}

Thank you New Avocado and Churchill Hotel Vanilla for enhancing my living room!

I am literally looking around my home for more things I can use you

to spray onto.  I have already sprayed one additional item

with New Avocado, so readers (all 8 of you), stay tuned

later this week for one more fun addition

to our living room/entry area :).

P.S. You may recognize the wreath on the mantel as the wreath

I did have hanging on our front door. There is now a new front door

wreath in town. I'll show him to you later this week as well!

P.P.S.  (Or is it P.S.S.???) I'm thinking more than 8 of you read this blog...

reveal yourself please! I'd love to know who you are!

Linking to:
tatertots and jello

Happy nesting!

Damask Wreath {Quick Master Bedroom Update}

Happy April everyone!

Aaah... how nice it is to say that.

Spring break is here, and that means we are on the home stretch

of finishing another school year!

It also means I have a whole week to try and knock

some projects off of my to-do list!

Last night my lovely sister-in-law Emily

came over for some craft time.

We each made a wreath.

Emily will actually be selling her handmade wreaths 

and necklaces at the fabulous 

miss chic boutique this summer!

As for me... I'll just be displaying what I make in my own home :).

When we first purchased our home,

I bought a Waverly damask bedspread for our master bedroom.

Originally the walls were painted red and tan,

but last summer I painted them a tiffany blue color.

However, the bedroom still has some work to be done

as far as accessorizing goes. 

Currently there is somewhat of a hodge podge going on,

and I am definitely NOT loving it.

But, I am pretty excited about this little addition,

which I made last night:

I'm not really providing a tutorial,

partly because it's pretty self-explanatory 

(wrap a wreath form in strips of fabric, decorate w/ fabric rosettes),

but also partly because I forgot to take pictures as I was making it.

Here is what it looks like in the context of the whole bedroom:

I added lace bows on the IKEA lamps on each side of the bed.

LOVE these lamps...

they have dimmers so you can have as little or as much light

as you want form them.

But- they didn't tie in with the feel of the room all that well.

I think the lace bows help with that.

Fortunately for me, husband is not against having

a lace bow on his lamp either :)

What a man!

Emily gave me a great idea for some additional wall art to add to this room...

if/when I get around to making it, I'll be sure to show you!

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday,

and that you have an awesome week this week!

Happy nesting!

Make a Great First Impression: Entryway Inspiration

Is it sad that I found myself

thinking in hypothetical blog posts most of the day today?

I shouldn't be surprised.

I tend to be pretty extreme.

Take for instance the time I signed up to be a Mary Kay consultant.

I went so all out that I practically stopped eating and sleeping.

{I know. I have issues.}

Today I would like to talk entryways.

Mine needs some help I've decided.

This is not my entry. I wish it was.
I love how bright and fresh this entryway looks. 

Pretty sure I need a pretty rug to freshen our entry up!

I always like these coat rack/bench combos (whatever they are called... it's after 8pm people, my brain is shutting down by now if you recall from an earlier post).

I also like the idea of having a mirror in our entry.

I'll need to add that to my idea list.

I'm always a fan of a fun wall collage...

Be still my beating heart.
I ADORE this wall!
Hmmm... is wallpaper, or perhaps wall stenciling in my future?

There are so many things to love about this entry...
a clever spot to hang coats and bags,
hanging plates (I'm kinda obsessed with these right now),
personal matted picture arrangement,
super fun pillows,
the list goes on and on...

Light, airy, refreshing, organized.
Love it.

Well, plenty of inspiration abounds.
Now, something MUST be done about this drab entry:

I'll keep you posted as I makeover our entryway!

There you have it. I'd love to hear from you
if you've been inspired to do a little sprucing up
of your own entryway.

Speaking of inspired, my little sister Erin
over at Living in Yellow
has inspired me to run another half-marathon.
We were supposed to run today,
but she bailed on me.
She had a massage to go to instead.
This, I suppose, is why she's "living in yellow."
She has massages to go to.
Just thought I'd point that out... love you sis!

Happy nesting!