potted boxwood

As promised, an update on the projects for the indents on the side of the fireplace. I purchased a pair of Dwarf English Boxwoods at Lowes for $6.98.

  As well as a pair of what I think are the coolest planters ever, on clearance for $11.95 New England Pottery 6-5/8"H x 7-1/2"W x 6-5/8"D Eggnog Clay Pot

  I transplanted my bushes into the pots, and centered them by adding  potting soil on the top and around the edges to keep them straight. 

 Plopped them on the mantle where I wanted them, and voila!

 It's really a never ending process, I'm sure it will stay looking like this for a week or so ;) But i was really excited to share it with everyone.

Fall garland

I started decorating our extra living room which has this awesome fireplace. For months it was just a room that stored all our stuff we didn't know what to do with and didn't want to put in the basement. It's Fall now, and who doesn't love when the leaves turn those beautiful fiery colors. I decided I was going to take an old book and with a black ink pen draw out some leaves. Then paint them with water colors.

 When they dried they looked like this.

 Then I cut Them out not following the the lines and leaving so of the white, out of preference. Then I hot glued the stems to the left over jute twine from the mirror project , and strung them across the mantle.

 And for now it looks like this. I have plans already for the indents on sides of the mantle but more on that later.

So what do you think? I'd love to read your comments and feedback.

Bar cart turned side table/magazine rack

Picked up this small bar cart at a barn sale last fall before we ever bought our house. I thought it would be a great industrial piece as well as a magazine rack.

Before

Before

 Tossed it beside the couch with a diy tray, some antlers I had just picked up this summer at a garage sale for $2 , and a dish I hand painted a few yrs ago on top of some books. Took our magazines out of the box in the closet and filled the bottom slots.

 I really liked the way it look and of course it was functional, but just looked a little odd.

 So I went to Wal-Mart and bought a can of high gloss green spray paint. took the casters off the legs and  gave it a few coats. I let it dry out side for a few hrs then brought it into the garage over night,  because of the fumes. In the morning I hauled it inside put the casters back on, magazines in and rearranged the top a bit. (yes I painted the antlers white)

After (Side)

After (Front)

After (Top)

After (Top)    

Mirror, Mirror on the wall

We had bought this mirror 4yrs ago for $20 at Wal-Mart. Never loved it but it was cheap.

 I purchased 200ft of jute twine for $8 and hot glued it all the way around. 

 I'm very pleased with the result. for $8 and two hours of gluing I have a new mirror with a natural touch.

Kitchen makeover

These are the before pictures when we first bought the house in Nov. 2011. The cabinets were the cheapest things I have ever seen. Panels slapped on where they didn't want doors, missing drawers, and all around just flimsy! The counter top was stained and outdated as was the flooring. Needless to say this was our main priority. We kept to the layout, other than that everything was replaced. I'm very happy with the final product! We ordered new white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark bamboo hardwood floors, and a granite look alike laminate counter top.