Candlesticks get a Christmas Makeover

I am so excited to share this simple Christmas décor makeover today! 

It is amazing how the power of paint can drastically change your décor. 

In fact, I always tell people when shopping clearance sales and thrift stores to keep an open mind and look for pieces that are the right shape and size because you can always change the color with new paint. 

So this past Summer when I attended the Nell Hill's annual tent sale, I followed my own advice and picked  up these awesome candlesticks for $8 bucks each. They even came WITH the glass hurricanes BUT my dog knocked them over and broke the glass. Sigh.....so I no longer have the glass pieces but that's ok. I actually prefer to use the candlesticks without them anyway. 

As you can see, the candlestick had an overly aged finish, which is probably why they were in the tent sale, but they were a fantastic deal that I could not pass up! 

The shape and height were perfect for sitting next to my fireplace so I had to get them. 

I debated on whether or not to stain or paint them, and in the end I decided that I wanted them to be green so I chose this green color by Behr called Chard and just bought a small sample of it in the flat finish. 

This green is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Its perfect for not only Christmas but for the Spring too when I decorate with green, yellow, and pink colors. 

 

 So after I gave the candlesticks a coat of paint they instantly set the tone for Christmas. 

  

I simply added flames three wick candles for Kirklands. I bought two of these on Black Friday when they were 20% off. 

I really don't like my Christmas tree and keep saying I will be getting a new one, but I just can't dish out anymore money on another tree! I have had four in the last ten years. But I still love to decorate around my fireplace and these candle sticks now set the tone. 

After Christmas I will simply change out the floral to something Spring-y and I will continue to use these throughout the rest of the year. 

I love how these turned out and it just goes to prove how much the power of paint can update décor you already have. I'm all about budget friendly ways to update your home and this is definitely a budget friendly project. 

Decorating Above the Sofa

 When I changed the paint color in the front room I got a new Ektorp sofa from Ikea and purchased two slip covers. I picked out the charcoal gray slip cover and this one below. 
It is an oatmeal color similar to drop cloth material, with gray stitching and gray buttons. It was on clearance so I decided instead of getting white I would get this color, and I love it! 

It has set the stage for the rest of the décor in the room, but one wall remained a challenge. The wall above the sofa. 
For some reason this wall has been a huge challenge for me!  

For the longest time I could not decide which direction to take this space. I had several difference ideas but none of them came to fruition. In fact, I had purchased a canvas picture of my family, several different pictures, candle holders, etc. and nothing seemed to work so I just gave up. 

Behind the scenes, I found this white basket at a thrift store. It was worn but it had good bones so I bought it thinking I would use it on my coffee table , but I never did so I got frustrated with it and put it in my garage sale pile. 

Then on a trip to a home décor store I found this little stitching that had all the right elements for my space. 

The colors were spot on for my living room, but where would I put it? 

When I got home I walked passed my garage sale bin and the light bulb went off. 

Why don't I use this old basket as a shelf?!?! 

So I hug it up with some command strips and started accessorizing it, and immediately knew it was meant to be!

Then I remembered that I had chalk painted some thrift store baskets and thought I could use them to create a grouping further down the wall. 

I had everything I needed to decorate this space, it just needed to be pulled together!

I love the combination of beige an gray together with pops of black or white. Its classic farmhouse and fits me and my home.

Now this space is warm and inviting and no longer a blank wall! 

All it takes is imagination and resourcefulness sometimes to bring everything together. So before you spend money on new, shop your stash, look around the room and don't be afraid to move things around or repurpose things you already have.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

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Tips for Buying Baskets at the Thrift Store

Because I have a designer style but a dollar store budget, I have learned that some things are great for buying second hand. 

Basket are those things that I almost NEVER buy retail.

 They are just way too expensive most times and I know from experience that I can find nice baskets elsewhere, like thrift stores. 

This is a HUGE basket that I found at one of my favorite thrift stores. I am enrolled in this store's discount program so I was able to get this bad boy for about $9 bucks, which his awesome for a basket like this! 

I bought these baskets back in 2015  and what I love most about them is that they are a pair, AND they are reinforced with a metal frame so they can hold a lot!

See the metal frame?

I ended up putting these on top of my grandma's corner curio cabinet to store miscellaneous home décor. 

And this basket! I absolutely LOVE it! It is my all time favorite basket from a thrift store. 

I love the size, the shape and the fact it has handles. 

What to look for in a thrifted basket:

• Color
• Size
• Shape
• Cleanliness
• Quality material (cheap flimsy woven materials don't hold up and are not worth buying)
• Price (I RARELY ever spend more than $10 dollars)

I bought this large basket a while back. It is very similar to the one I recently bought BUT this one is not as clean. It has all the other elements I look for, but it was a tad more worn so I will probably either paint it and keep it in the living room, or use it outside next summer to hold a large potted plant on my patio. 

It would also make a great base for a Christmas Tree! 

And lets not forget smaller baskets like this. These are SO versatile and can be used on a table as a tray or hung on the wall as wall art. 

How to style your baskets? 
I personally love seeing them displayed in almost all rooms in the house. In a room like the kitchen or bathroom, I will actually put them to use for storage, but in the living room, I am more apt to do something like this where I display the basket empty. 

So don't be afraid to search thrift stores or garage sales for baskets. You'll be amazed at what is out there! 

Jennifer

Linking up to:
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2018/10/style-showcase-49-your-destination-for.html

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Easy Fall Candle Centerpiece

Recently on one of my thrift store adventures, I found this glass canister that was missing a lid. 

It is one of those large glass canisters a lot of people use in their kitchen for flour and sugar, and because it was missing a lid, it was marked down to $1.99. 

I knew I could use a large glass piece like anywhere in the house and I had several ideas for it so it came home with me. 

I decided I wanted to use it in the front room. 

So I added some scented rose hips and cinnamon sticks,

and this three week from B&BW (Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow....one of my favorites!) 

I love that these three wicks come in a jar and the label peels off very easily, so I nestled this candle on top of the rose hips. 

Then voila! Instant candle centerpiece. 

I love that this was something I could do with items I already had, so it was virtually not cost decorating!

The trick to using large vessels like this is to layer the contents. I used a mixture of scented rose hips and cinnamon sticks as a filler, then simply added one of my favorite candles. 

Separately, these things don't really stand out, but when combined, they create a farmhouse style piece of Fall décor!

This could be done with pinecones, or even acorns from your yard! I love using these glass jar three wick candles too so the wax does not run everywhere when it burns. 

If you add a free standing candle, be sure your filler is something that's not flammable, or that can be ruined by the wax. 

More ideas for a filler are:

• River rock
• Acorns
• Pinecones
• Dried beans/peas
• Corn kernels look great in the fall
• Sea glass
• Glass beads

Jennifer

  

Sharing Some House Updates

Hi everyone! I know it has been forever since I posted a blog post.

I am a little disappointed that I left my blog fall to the side as life unfolded, but what can I do? It is what it is and as I am typing this I realize just how much I miss it! Sharing my life, my creative ideas, and my journey making my house into a home with YOU! I have been sharing with you since I published the first post in late 2011, and that's a LONG TIME!

So to bring you up to date on some of the changes I have made to the house, here are a few pics to refresh your memory!

I basically created a gray and beige color pallet with pops of green tones and white.

I added this bead board wall with hooks by the front door and LOVE it! It is one of my all time favorite projects to date. (Sorry this night time picture was all I could find at the moment).

If you are considering planking a wall or adding bead board I say just go for it! 

It will really change the feel of your room. 

I painted the front room Benjamin Moore Gray Owl and started changing out the furniture.

I replaced my sofa with a new Ektorp sofa and two sets of slip covers. 

I'm working on a post dedicated to my sofa so you'll see more of it in the near future. 

I also bought two Byholma wicker chairs from Ikea for the front room and I moved this sofa table from the kitchen to the corner in the front room. 

I LOVE this table! It can go anywhere in the house! 

And the rich brown color looks so good against the Gray Owl walls and contrasts nicely with the white trim. 

The sofa table used to be in this spot below for the longest time, then I decided to move it to the front room and add this piece here that I found at the thrift store. 

I was going to paint it but quite honestly it looks nice the way that it is with the wood tones. 

My cabinets are painted a cream color and the floors are a light linoleum so the wood tones in this piece warms up the kitchen and contrasts nicely with my cabinets. 

Do you remember my farmhouse plate rack makeover? 

Check out the before and after HERE. 

Then a few months ago I FIALLY was able to get the fence up. 

This is a project I had wanted to do for years and it is finally done. I can't wait to show you the big reveal soon!

For those of you who follow me on Instagram  you may have seen some of these projects. If you want to follow me over there go HERE and click follow. 

Beyond the continued home updates, I finally broke down back in February and got a new iPhone and then last month I bought a new computer. I am still in the process of copying my pictures over to my computer so I can start enjoying blogging again! 

It feels great to be back in the swing of things!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Jennifer