Home Decor

When “Your Style” Seems to be Changing

Have you heard from design magazines or HGTV shows about finding “your style” and sticking with it? For the last four years as I’ve been making our two different rental houses home, I’ve been drawn to a farmhouse-y, cottage-like style characterized by lots of chippy, white, antique-y looking things. I’ve sourced all kinds of materials from flea markets, and made things we owned to look older by distressing them.

I started a business refinishing furniture and sourcing antiques and I have done well for my home and others’ homes using all things “farmhouse style.” But guess what? Can I tell you these possibly forbidden words? I’m starting to get sick of it. Whaaaaaaaat? Am I even allowed to say that? Let’s backtrack a little bit.

In my personal style (the clothes I wear and how I present myself), I generally use words like classic, erring on the side of “preppy” using lots of neutrals and blues. I try to stick with only buying pieces that won’t be out of style in five years. But guess what? Would you believe that in high school, for a short time, I was really into duct tape. As in, I made myself all kinds of accessories out of colored duct tape. Belts, purses, wallets, bracelets, you name it. Now, does this fit in with the classic, natural, timeless way I try to present myself? Absolutely not! Because it was a phase and I moved on past that phase.

I think you may be able to see where this is going. I am going to step out on a limb here and say that in our homes, we’re allowed to have phases too. We don’t have to stick to something that we picked five or ten years ago just because that’s what we chose and now we’re stuck with it. So that brings me back to my own home. I have been a lover of the modern farmhouse vibe in all it’s white and gray and chippy paint glory for several years. But I sense myself moving beyond that.

Don’t get me wrong. I love antiques. I love shopping flea markets. I don’t see myself stopping that trend and solely shopping Target from now on. But I feel that I may be moving (or trying to) toward a more timeless, classic and traditional look in my home. Not so shabby chic, but polished. This is going to be a process. I’ve always been on a budget, so there’s not going to be room to re-furnish our entire house just because I don’t like our stuff anymore. No, I’m going to do things as I always have – slowly evolving over time.

Take this vignette for example. White on white, some galvanized metal, twine, distressing. These are staples in my design choices and have been for a long time. Yesterday, I made some small and simple changes to this vignette. Because one teeny tiny change can make you feel like you’re doing something, even if it’s not an entire house or room.

I took some matte black spray paint I had in the garage and gave these candlesticks a new look. I swapped out the distressed jar for a basket-weave candle holder. I added this antique medicine bottle. But that’s it. Everything else is the same. The flowers, the greenery in the jar in the back. I didn’t change the table (though that’s on my list), the tray, the furniture along the wall.

I took a tiny step in the direction I want to move toward. I don’t know what words you might use to describe the look I have in mind. I have words like “neutral,” “traditional,” and “casual” in my mind. I am loving elements of matte black, natural textures like jute and basket weave, and dark brass. I was looking around my house and realized I don’t have a thing in it that’s black! Good thing I know my way around a can of paint. 🙂

I plan on slowly replacing things like furniture and large decor items on a budget, and you can bet I’ll bring you all along for the ride. I will sell some things like my dining room set to make room for new things (are you local? My dining room set that I refinished (click here for the original posting details) will be for sale soon!). Slowly, over time, I’m going to move on. Because if I can get past the high school duct tape phase, I can get past this modern farmhouse phase too.

That’s it for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

July 12, 2018 by
Personal

Life Update: Where in the World Have I Been?

You guys. Every time I have updated on here in the last year, it has started off with, “So it has been forever since I’ve posted…” and I suppose today is no different! In the last year, I have only posted about five times, and the last time was all the way back in January! I have been slacking to say the least. Things around here have been a little crazy and unpredictable, so I thought I might give a little quick recap of the last year or so.

First, if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we are expecting our first baby this fall. So that alone is enough to have me freaking out. I was feeling pretty sick for a while, and just generally not like myself. I’m feeling much better, and I’ve been able to get back into running and not having to slowly eat pretzels in bed before standing up. 🙂 Now all I can think about is the fact that I am totally and completely unprepared for all of this!

Secondly, because of the baby coming this fall, I won’t be able to do any fall shows. For the last two or so years, I have done several shows per season, while working my full time job. I’ll be taking the fall season off, and after that, I’m not too sure what the future holds. Having a baby will definitely make doing shows a much bigger endeavor, so we will have to see how things go. Meanwhile, I have been selling most of my inventory that I’ve had from my booth, so if you’re local to the North Texas area, shoot me an email or IG message and you can come shop my workshop!

Third, since I’m taking a temporary step back from doing shows, I’ve got my etsy shop back up and running. These hymnal pages have always been my top selling item at my shows and events. I’ve listed them on etsy, because I’ll easily be able to work on them from home, even when I’m home with a newborn. These are my absolute favorite things to decorate with, and they are also my go-to baby and wedding shower gift garnish. If you’d like to check out the shop, click here. 

And, lastly, the thing that has me in the biggest slump is our current living situation. Let me give you the most up to date info. So, we’ve lived in our current rental for just under two years. In fact, our lease ends in just a couple weeks. Since early this year, we have been looking to purchase a home. Our first home! So exciting! Well, it was. And then we found out we were pregnant, and it was even more exciting. We started looking and looking, and well, maybe you need a little backstory. The area we live in is rapidly growing. Which means one thing: the housing market is. out. of. control.

There are so many historic homes in our area, and we would absolutely love to purchase an older home that needs work and slowly bring it back to life. But here’s the thing. Houses sell within a few days. The area is growing faster than homes can be built, and so most homes have multiple offers within a few days, driving up the prices. We’ve lost out on a few houses that we’ve had our hopes set on, because the sellers have chosen other offers.

So, what started as an exciting time has quickly become stressful and disappointing as we loom closer and closer to the end of our lease, and the baby’s due date. I can only plan in theory what the nursery is going to look like because I have literally no idea what the room is going to look like. And I’m a planner. So, it has been incredibly hard not to start working on nursery projects.

Knowing that we’re going to be moving “soonish” but not knowing any type of time frame has put me in a creative slump in our current house. All I’ve been doing is purging, organizing, and throwing things out. I haven’t been doing projects or working on decorating certain areas in new ways because I’ve just been viewing it all as temporary. When we do finally move into our new house, I plan on bringing you all along for the ride! Of course, I’ll still be sharing small decorating DIY projects, but for a while, I’ll be focused on large, full scale projects. I’ll finally be able to do things like paint! I have been waiting SO. LONG.

So, all that to say, who knows what may change before the next time we chat. I’ll try to keep you posted. That’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

June 20, 2018 by
Home Decor

A FREE DOWNLOADABLE PRINT

Hey guys! Glad you’re here! Today, I’m excited to share what I have for you. I wanted to do something for you, to say thanks for being here. If you’ve been around for a while or you have seen me at one of my shows, you may know that I love to do hand lettering.

So I made a little something for you! I hand lettered this little sign. I have hand lettered things all over my home because they’re just so versatile. 

I like to put them in frames, or clipped to a clipboard. The best part is that they’re easy to swap out and change whenever the mood strikes. So, if you’d like to use this little print, you can click here. Just print it, and display it however you like best. Easy peasy! Today is short and sweet yall. Happy decorating!

That’s all I have for today, have a fabulous day!

January 16, 2018 by
Organization

Simplify All the Things!

Hello, hello! I’m so glad you’re here! Can you believe it’s already a new year? I’ve been pretty quiet around here for a while, but I think you’ll be hearing from me a bit more from now on… I have some great stuff planned!

So anyway…as I type this up, it’s the end of the first week of the year. I have been off work this week, which is always great, and it’s motivated me to get a bunch of things done around the house. I always like to take this time to reset. I’m known to purge all kinds of things and organize like crazy right after new years. Each year, I do a little more or do something a little different, in hopes that eventually my home will be perfectly organized. It may take me ten years, but I’m getting there, right?

On New Year’s Eve, I picked up A Simplified Life by Emily Ley. First of all, the book cover is my style to a T. Of course I’m not one to judge a book by it’s cover, but the cover was speaking to me! So the premise is, get rid of all the excess in multiple areas of your life and live simpler. Sounds good, right? Y’all. This book has got me so motivated to clean, simplify, and get rid of all kinds of things. I have set out to purge my entire house of stuff, and even though I’ve only just started, it feels amazing!

I started in the bedroom, just cleaning trash and getting rid of all kinds of things. I got a new set of sheets (totally not recommended by the book, but just so happened to purchase at the same time that I was reading) so things feel fresh and clean, and then I cleared my nightstand to have more room for a book, or my phone, etc. It looks bare, but also so clear, like there’s room to breathe.

That’s my overall goal for my home this year. Less cluttered, more room to breathe. My decorating style can lean toward the cluttery side, even though things are just as I planned them to be, I know it can look busy. I want to be more intentional about creating spaces that aren’t as busy looking. If nothing else, it’ll give me less dusting to do!  Last year (or was it two years ago? yeesh.), I read this book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Also a great read if you’re looking to get organized this time of year.

That’s all for today, friends, have a fabulous day!

*This post may contain affiliate links, but as always, all opinions are my own.

 

January 5, 2018 by
DIY Projects, Home Decor

DIY Scroll Wall Art

Hello, hello! I’m so glad you’re here! Today I’m sharing my favorite kind of project…a free one! (Cue all the praise hands emojis!) Lately, I’ve kind of been giving a certain area in my living room the side eye. As in, it was just driving me crazy and I knew it needed something, but I couldn’t figure out what.

I had these windows hung when we first moved in, and last year after Christmas I hung a paper chain over it that was left from the tree. But it was just so plain it was driving me crazy! I’ve been seeing these cute hand written scrolls around etsy and Pinterest, and I thought I might try and make my own. All you need is some Kraft paper, a Sharpie, twine, and possibly some hot glue. Since I had all these items on hand, it seemed easy enough.

I cut the paper, and let it naturally roll at the top and bottom. I put a dab of hot glue on the corners to help it stay in place. Then I wrote one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite childhood authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’ve always loved the quote, Home is the nicest word there is, and so I figured it would be perfect for our living room.

I wrote with a Sharpie, and strung some twine through the top roll. It took me about twenty minutes total. I free hand wrote this, but if you’re unsure about your writing abilities, you could totally use a stencil!

I had some greenery on hand, so I added that to the top. I still think the sides need a little something, but that’ll come later. For now, this is what I have, and it was free, so I can’t complain.

Now, I will say, if I were to do this again, I would probably use different paper. I had Kraft shipping paper on hand, and that’s what I used, but it is very think, and so it was hard for it to lay flat where I wanted it. If I were to do it again, I think I would try the roll that comes from the painting section to protect edges of floors. It’s much thinner, and so I imagine it would lay flatter.

Even so, this worked out just fine, and I’m happy with this little project. It was easy, and it makes a statement, so it’s a win-win for me! I won’t bore you with more unnecessary details, so that’s it for today! Have a fabulous day, friends!

October 30, 2017 by
Room Tours, Uncategorized

Bedroom Update: We Have a Rug!

Hello all! Wow. It’s been awhile! *covers face in shame* I’m so sorry about that…time gets away so quickly, doesn’t it? Well, I have a little update to share today, which really could be summed up by the title alone, but of course, I’m going to chat about it a bit.

So, we’ve lived in this house for a year and a half. It’s a rental, blah blah blah, you know the spiel. Our bedrooms have tile, and that’s absolutely the last thing I would choose for a bedroom if I were the owner of this house, but I’m not, so I suck it up and move along. Anyway, we have been here a while, and I have always intended to add a rug to this bedroom, but for whatever reason, I’ve never set aside the money in the budget.

So when I received some gift cards, the hunt was finally on for a bedroom rug. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen in my stories a few weeks ago where I posted a few options of rugs that I was thinking of. I ended up going with the one less people liked, but #yolo guys. Go with your gut.

So, I got an 8×10 foot jute rug, and let me just say, I am in love with it! I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner!

I like the natural texture, and I think it adds the perfect warmth to the room.

I chose this rug from At Home, and the best part is that it was only $150! For an 8×10 size rug, that is the most affordable option I came across. I was slightly skeptical of the quality for the price, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it in person!

The other concern that I had with this type of rug is that it would be rough or scratchy, which isn’t what you’d like in a bedroom. The best way that I can describe it is that it is sturdy, but not scratchy. It has a stiff texture, but it is not uncomfortable.

I’m so happy with this purchase. Took me long enough, I suppose! I’m loving this simple update in our room, and I think it makes a big impact! I’m so excited about it, I may or may not find myself sitting on my bed just so I can stare at it.

Anyway, that’s all for today, friends. Have a fabulous day!

October 19, 2017 by
DIY Projects, Home Decor

Our DIY (Renter-Friendly) Dining Room Chandelier

Hi friends! It’s been a while, I know! I have been busy busy busy, but I missed being here, so I had to hop on! I wanted to share something we did this week to our dining room that was incredibly easy and I am in love with!

As you know, we rent our home, and we recently signed our lease for another year. We’ve been here for almost one full year now and it has been tricky to make this super builder basic home more my style while staying in the confines of our rental agreement. Most of our lighting is the typical low-grade fixtures and haven’t been changed since the house was built fifteen years ago.

Signing that lease for another year made me really think about what I could do to make this house a little bit more me. I came up with this basket chandelier, which is in no way an original idea, but I love it nonetheless.

It was so incredibly easy! We unscrewed the existing hardware which released the old glass dome. Ethan then cut a 2.5in circle in the center of the bottom of the basked using a jigsaw. We then replaced the basket where the glass dome was and re-applied the hardware on the underside of the basket. It took about ten minutes I think!

Seriously, I cannot believe we didn’t do this earlier! It isn’t something I would choose if we owned this home, but it definitely adds a bit of my style within the confines of what we’re allowed to do here. Plus, it was incredibly budget friendly! The only cost was the basket which only cost me a few dollars! It’s a total win-win!

Just because you live in a rental doesn’t mean you can’t make things your own! Sure, there’s a ton you can’t do as a renter, but if you get creative, you can add a bit of your style into your rental home!

So that’s it y’all. I’m in love with this little update and I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys! That’s all for today! Have a fabulous day!

June 21, 2017 by
DIY Projects, Home Decor, Tutorials

Chalk Paint All the Things!

Hi there! Hope your day is going well! I’m here with a super easy project today that can’t even really be considered a project. It’s something that is seemingly obvious, but I had never thought to do, so maybe you haven’t either. I don’t know. Anyway, y’all know I love chalk paint. I use it all the time on my projects for both my house and my pop-up shows.

I have used it on a variety of items, but never lamps. I had these lamps that were out of commission from our bedroom. You can see the corner of it here in this photo. They were from our wedding registry, when I didn’t know what I liked or what I was doing. So they didn’t really mesh with my style anymore, now that I feel like I have an established theme in our home.

So while I replaced these lamps, they were still perfectly good lamps, and I wanted to see if there was something I could do to make them fit into my style a bit more. So, I used my trusty old chalk paint and went to work! Like I said, this isn’t really a tutorial or anything, because it’s seriously the world’s easiest DIY. I just slapped some paint on it and called it a day.

I used my own homemade chalk paint, so I don’t have an exact color match to show you, but I used a white, and then added some gray on top to give it a little more dimension.

I think it gives the lamp just the right touch to take away that builder-grade base we were working with.

It makes it a little more subtle and farmhouse-y. I moved one into the living room, and the other went over to my booth at Farmhouse in Downtown Waxahachie, TX. I should have tried this a long time ago; I’ve spent so long wanting to replace them that I missed a perfectly good opportunity to relove them! Waste not, want not, right?

So in case you were wondering, chalk paint works on all kinds of things! Don’t be afraid to slap a coat on to something that needs a little love. It’s not just for furniture!

Anyway. That’s pretty much it. Have you ever chalk painted anything in particular? How did it go? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Well, that’s all for today, friends. Have a fabulous day!

April 26, 2017 by
Room Tours

Tips on Loving a Rental Kitchen

Hello all! Today I’m going to bare my soul a little bit. And by bare my soul, I mean my kitchen. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve never shown my kitchen before. But I thought that in the name of being honest and forthcoming with y’all, I might as well share with you. So here we go. No judgement here friends.

So, just to recap, we live in a rental. It’s a super basic builder grade house that was built in 2003. The paint colors aren’t what we would choose and the house has zero character, but it is miles above our first home, and keeps us safe and dry. I’m good with it. I honestly am. The kitchen though… is very 2003. What I mean by that is that it’s just an almost 15 year old kitchen (2003 was almost 15 years ago?! I feel more than ever now that I am getting old!) that hasn’t been updated. It’s functional, albeit tiny, it’s just not pretty. So I thought I’d share some tips on living in a kitchen that’s either small, or in my case, an ugly rental.

Decorate, decorate, decorate!

For me, the kitchen never really seemed like a place to decorate due to its functionality. The kitchen is a very utilitarian room, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get some love! When I added décor into my kitchen, it covered up some of the ugly, and made it a bit more bearable. I decorate above my upper cabinets, on the wall, and even a little on the countertops.

Clear the counters!

This may seem counter intuitive to my last statement, but seriously. Toasters are not decoration. Knife blocks, while perfectly functional, are not pretty. Now, to each his own, I totally understand. But in my experience, putting the daily appliances away makes the counter space more refreshing. I keep my toaster in a lower cabinet, and I use it every day. I honestly don’t mind taking it out every day. It keeps my counter from looking cluttered, and leaves room for pretties.

Add some cute textiles.

So the floors aren’t your top choice. Maybe your years away from a kitchen reno, and maybe you can’t touch anything in your rental. I feel ya. A little rug in front of the sink can go a long way. A cute tea towel on the stove (not a ratty old dishrag) can help. These are inexpensive fixes that can distract the eye from what’s really there. Choose something that fits your style, and the good news is that you can change it out whenever you want!

Create vignettes.

Bring in some fresh flowers, or a bowl of fruit and style around it. Do what you have to do. I’d rather have something pretty on my countertops than a jumble of appliances and cords. It just feels thoughtful, even if the bones of the kitchen aren’t.

My kitchen is dark, and while in a perfect world, I would replace the black appliances, paint the cabinets, and concrete the countertops, that’s just not our reality right now. I have learned to love this little kitchen though. It is small, which means it’s easy to clean. It is open, which means light flows in during the day. It is miles above the kitchen from the 1950s we had in our previous rent house. I’m grateful for this little kitchen, even if it’s not a magazine worthy kitchen by any means.

What about you? Do you have a kitchen like mine? Do you love it or hate it? I’d love to hear about it! Well, that’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

April 21, 2017 by
Home Decor, Room Tours

Spring Bedroom Refresh

Hey y’all! I am so glad you’re here! Easter has passed, and spring is in the air! Can you feel that itch for summer where you are? I wore shorts for the first time this weekend, and it was wonderful! Today I am finally sharing something that has honestly gotten out of hand. What do I mean by that? Well, let me explain. Do you ever start something and then just stall for a while until you almost forget about it? That’s pretty much what happened to me.

I decided to shuffle things around between our bedroom and guest bedroom right around New Years. I bought new bedding for our room, moved the old bedding into the guestroom, and promptly left it at that. Never mind that I wanted to get new lamps and possibly new nightstands. I just went on for a few months halfway done with what I was doing. #typical

So here’s a photo I shared a while back on my review of some bedsheets, but it gives you an idea of what it looked like beforehand.

The lamps were too small, and the modern look wasn’t really my taste anymore anyway. The pillows, while comfortable, were more colorful than I was hoping for, and I wanted something more soothing. So, I ended up with this: 

All the bedding (throw pillows and comforter) came from TJMaxx. I can’t find the exact link on their site because of the nature of the store. The lamps were purchased at HomeGoods.

The lamps match my personal style much better, and they are sized a little better than the old ones were.

I also added some faux greenery to the top of the window which I think helps to add a bit of dimension. The garland is from Hobby Lobby.

The overall vibe I was looking for was calm and peaceful, with a farmhouse flair. I think I pretty well accomplished that goal.

Now of course, because I am all too cheap, I didn’t want to spend much money on this refresh. So I listed random household items on my local Facebook Swap page and made money to purchase the things I wanted! If nothing else, it was a creative way to spend a small amount of money! I ended up keeping the nightstands the same. I may eventually change them out, but the budget didn’t allow it at the moment.

So there it is! My super simple but super prolonged project! In case you missed it, you can read all about how I made that headboard myself here. That little DIY is still working for us, and I love the simplicity of it. Oh, and it was free. So that’s a win in my book.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! That’s all for today, have a fabulous day!

April 17, 2017 by