MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Joy to you and yours!

Ladies luncheon

Mom and Grandmother came into town Friday afternoon and I had a small luncheon at our house on Saturday with some great old friends and family. As most of you know, Grandmother grew up in Chattanooga and graduated high school (GPS) here. She's still close with her very best friend from high school, Sara Lee. So, we had Sara Lee, Aunt Kitty, and one of Mom's "summer friends," Ann up for lunch. It was a nice gathering and I think everyone enjoyed the visit!
I wasn't so good taking pictures once everyone arrived, but here's a picture before the luncheon with Grandmother.

And, the table. I had fun with the floral ring around the Christmas tree. I put it on a cake stand and then just filled it in with greenery and roses.

A more up close shot of the flowers.

And, looking down...

And, for place settings, I decorated cookies with their initials. Of course, drawing on cookies is much more difficult than it seems. I have a new respect for cookie decorators! :)

a bit of Christmas decor...

Well, I'm finally finished decorating (almost!). We're done with the guestroom paint and have hung blinds in there (thanks, Brooke!), but I'll have to take the "after" pics when the room gets back in order. For now, I thought I'd post a few shots of our Christmas decorations. EBTS came out a bit today. For my friends that might not know about EBTS, it stands for "Everything but the Silver." One day I'd love to have my own business---doing tabletop decor for small parties and gatherings. I love setting a table and as all of you know, I love decorating in general. I'm having some of my Grandmother's friends over for lunch next Saturday, so I'll have to take some more pictures before the luncheon. I've got a few ideas ready for the centerpiece.

Here's my gold "stick tree." I bought a terracotta pot and sprayed it gold, and then gathered limbs from the yard, spraying them gold, also. I found these cute mini ornaments at Hobby Lobby and hung them on the branches. Easy to do! The hardest part was finding the coral ribbon. I still didn't find an exact match, so it's now my mission to find the perfect coral ribbon for that room!

A bit more up close.

And, here's our front door wreath. It's not exactly the best picture in the dark, but it's just an evergreen wreath with ribbons and then a bell (cheap plastic bell from Wal-Mart) that I covered with reindeer moss. Gotta love glue guns!

Here's a better shot of the reindeer moss bell. I also made another one that I've hung on our mailbox.

And, here's the manger scene that I decided to place in my rice bowl this year. I really like how it looks in there.

This is a very fuzzy shot of the tree, but there it is! We moved it this year to this corner and I like its new spot.

And, the mantle. I still have some more work to do on this, but it's Saturday night and I'm stopping! Notice the new shades for the lamps. They FINALLY came in after a month of waiting! I ordered them from this custom lampshade shop that can do any style, size, and fabric. I think the black shades look good.

And, sadly, the last item from Stray Dog for this year (because the warehouse sale is over!). I got this paper maiche mirror frame from them for $15. I can buy a mirror at a wholesale mirror place here in town for $20. The price on the Stray Dog site: $450! I think this mirror will go over the sink in the downstairs bathroom once we renovate it.

Guestroom and lantern...

The hallway is finally done! YEA! It's amazing what a couple (or three or four) coats of paint can do! The space is so much more open and it actually makes it feel as though we've added on to our house. It's amazing how closed off that side of the house seemed with the dark paneling. It's a great change! We also began painting the guestroom. I unfortunately didn't take any real "before" pictures and my "during" aren't great so far as we have all of the furniture piled in the middle of the room, so it's hard to get a good photo. But, you at least get an idea. It has been a pale yellow, and we're painting it in Riviera Azure by Benjamin Moore---a lilac-y blue color.

Hallway done!

And a view down the hall towards the guestroom (the open door here is the office).

And, here's our new foyer light. It's an "outdoor" lantern. I like the look, and it was certainly a nice deal at Home Depot!

Here's the guestroom. The door on the left goes out into the hallway, and the door on the right is the closet door.

Here's the closet door...very exciting, I know. :) At least you can see the beginnings of a new color!

Stray Dog Strikes Again!

Brooke will quickly tell you that I'm not usually much of a bargain shopper. But, it seems in the last few weeks, the bargains have found me! I'd been searching for almost a year for 2 lamps for our buffet in the dining room. I wanted them in a soft blue/green, something that would match the kitchen walls. I thought they'd go well with the coral, and also help to merge colors between the kitchen and dining room and maybe even let me decorate with a little McCarty in the dining room. After looking high and low, on the internet, in little gift shops and big stores everywhere---I found them at the Stray Dog Designs warehouse sale. I walked in on Wednesday, and there they were---with my name on them! Math isn't my strong point, but if I had paid retail for them, I would have paid $410 a piece, equalling $820 total, and that doesn't include tax and shipping! I got 1 lamp for $30 (including the shade) and the other for $45. So, $75 vs. over $820. I'd say that was a pretty darn good deal! :) The one that was $45 was only more because the shade still had the plastic wrap around it. The owner quickly told me that I couldn't even buy 1 shade for $75. Yes, I know. Wow! And, I really like that the 2 shades I got have green silk trim on top and bottom, that will help bring more green into that room, as well!

Miguel lamp on Stray Dog Designs website: $410 x 2 = $820.

Miguel lamps in the Fore house: $30 + $45 = $75 total!

The flash on my camera didn't work so well on this one, but they look great with the coral! Now, those lamps are making my chandelier look even more shabby. That's another project!

Fun things!

I FINALLY had topiaries put into the McCarty vases to sit in our kitchen window. I had them done at Sophie's. I really like how they turned out!

A bit dark, but you get the picture!

And, I got a couple of new pieces of McCarty. A small basket bowl and a "signature" McCarty piece, their candle plate. The candle plate will actually sit on our breakfast room table. I just need to pick up some candles. It would also be a great "Advent plate!"

And, who says I can't find deals?!?! Stray Dog Designs is based here in Chattanooga and they're having a warehouse sale now through the end of November. I stopped in on Wednesday and was a bit overwhelmed at the fabulous selection. I will be going back next week as I think I might be able to find some lamps for the buffet in our dining room. They're quite pricey normally, but there were some steals there. $500 lamps for $40!!! YES, that's correct. And, absolutely nothing wrong with them. See how I was overwhelmed?!? Anyway, I picked up this adorable paper maiche bird that retails for $50 for $9. Looks cute on the new table! Like I said, I will be going back!

This was probably the best deal I found. This tole Christmas tree retails for $105. I paid $20! The color matches our kitchen perfectly.

This again!?!

Well, we slacked off all summer, so here we go again...the beginning of the fall project season! We're hoping to get the entire downstairs part of the house painted by the end of the winter. First, we start with the hallway. Once again, priming in between those little grooves, and 2-3 coats of paint on the walls. We're painting the hallway in 1/2 strength peanut shell (the living room color). So, it'll be a bit lighter than the living room. Brooke's favorite part is painting the doors. They require 1 coat of primer and 3 coats of white paint. LOTS of fun! I've taken some shots below of the "cave!"

The hallway closet...before paint...

Standing in the hallway looking into the dining room and up the stairs. The carpet on the stairs will also be pulled as there's gorgeous hardwood underneath. But, that's a project for another day!

And a view down the hallway towards the bathroom, guest room, and office. Lovely DARK paneling!

I primed all of the grooves. What fun!

And, another view of the grooves primed, looking into the living room.

Primer on the closet door! The first coat of 4!

Primer on the ceiling!

THE loveliest light fixture you've ever seen!

And, the first coat of white paint on the closet door!

Drapes in the living room...

Why do house projects ALWAYS take much longer than you think? Sadly, I've had these drapes for about 8 months and have been waiting for over a month for the curtain rods to ship. Because that's taken so long, I should have known that it would take me 4 hours to put the pleat pins in the curtains. These curtains came with openings so you could just slide the opening over the rod. I knew the burlap curtains were already very casual, so to give them a more finished look, Mom and Grandmother sewed curtain pleating to the back of the drapes. Yesterday while watching the Dawgs and then again this afternoon, I inserted the pins to make the pleats. My fingers are now numb! It was a project! Brooke hung the bamboo rods that we bought off of Ebay and we finally got the drapes hung. Like I said, after sitting in my closet for 8 months, it was about time!

This picture is out of order, but these are the pleats after the pins have been inserted.
Here's what it looks like to insert a pleat pin. I think using these with cotton or silk drapes would be much easier. Burlap is thick!
And, the bamboo rod is up!
Drapes hung on either side of the french doors.

And, here's a view from the kichen. Strangely enough, Brooke and I feel it makes the room not only look larger, but the ceiling appear taller, too. I've read that putting the curtain rod as far up the wall as possible always heightens the ceiling. A nice trick!

A new outlook and fishy, fishy...

I realized that I hadn't posted on my blog in nearly a month! Ops! We haven't had too much going on around the house, except for the usual weekend cleaning. We'll start painting the downstairs hallway very soon, and I'll post pictures of that next project. I have had a lot going on personally in the last few weeks---I have a new job! YEA! It's truly an answer to prayer, so I'm rejoicing! I was able to spend some time in the last week with friends and family and it absolutely "re-charged my batteries!" There's nothing better than getting to catch up with people that are closest to your heart. A few lunches out, a little shopping, and a couple of naps over the past few days has made me a new person!

My fish vases from Sophie's and Isabel's. I don't know that this will be their final resting spot, but I've got them here for now. They look so cute with a piece of fern or a single flower coming out of the top.
Looking down...

Mirror up...chandelier...not quite...

Well, the mirror did get hung this afternoon, but as you can see the chandelier is still in waiting. Brooke has to re-wire the chandelier as the chain / wiring is too short for what we need. So, hopefully that'll get done this week! I'll be thinking of some things to decorate around the mirror. Possibly painting something around it or hanging some McCarty plates. Just wanted to show y'all that we did do some work today! :)

Putting up the plates...

My leaf plates are finally out of hiding after collecting them for years. We received a leaf plate as a wedding gift and I really liked it, so decided that I'd start picking up a few here and there as I saw them. I've found them at gift shops as well as TJ Maxx and Marshall's, Crate and Barrel, and Pottery Barn. Whenever I saw one I liked, I grabbed it. I still have plenty of room to add more as I continue collecting. The new table presented the perfect opportunity to display the plates. Now maybe I can talk Brooke into hanging the mirror and the chandelier today in the breakfast room and have more to post. :)

Here's the before---I arranged the pattern on the floor first.

And, this was Brooke's clever idea---tape off the top of the table and the edge of the lamps so we could more easily visualize the space.

And, here they are. Yes, it was quite a pain to get the hangers on just right and decide on spacing. Of course, it's supposed to be somewhat random, but my obsessive side couldn't let it be too random! I found the little mini mirrors in a booth at the Southside Galleries. I thought they'd add a little something to the leaves.

And, a view of the finished product! I did end up picking up the twig lamps from Pier 1. I really thought they'd look great in the living room. The candlesticks to the left of the bowl are driftwood (faux driftwood) tht I picked up when we were on vacation at Perdido Key. Also, I added some pinecone candlesticks in the grouping that Mom gave me. I need to find some candles. I plan on filling the red bowl with moss balls and adding a few more pieces to the table. But, for now...I'm pleased.
Here are some starfish that I picked up at Souvenier City in FLA! I'll mix these in with the moss balls. Must have a bit of the beach in every room! :)

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

So, I was in Dalton last week at the same exit of the antique place where I found the table. I couldn't possibly pass by without stopping in. Of course, I found another deal too good to be true! I saw this mirror stuck behind a few old plates. I believe it was an old vanity mirror that the previous owners painted black (bad paint job, too). I loved its curves and the size was just perfect for our breakfast nook. I'd been looking for a while now to find a mirror that would fit over the pub table. This was just the piece. Cost: $45! I know I couldn't buy plain mirrored glass at this size for $45! What a steal! So, I painted it a chocolate brown color this weekend. We'll hang it over the table and I'll just have another reason to collect more McCarty pieces to display on its outline. I had wanted it to be a bit deeper brown, but after going back to Home Depot twice to get them to re-mix, I decided this shade was just perfect. :) I'll post more pics when we get it hung!

Before: black.
During: white primer.
After: Chocolate Coco by Behr.