Decor Dilemmas

Hello my fellow bloggers - all of you are such talented designers and DIYers that I am asking for some help from you. If you have been following my blog, then you know that I recently moved into a new-to-us house and I just LOVE it! I am loving decorating it. For the new space, we just purchased some gorgeous (hand-crafted by the Amish) TV stand, coffee table and end table. They will be ready in about 8 weeks and I am so excited!

We purchased them in Brown Maple with a Rich Tobacco Stain. Lemme tell you, it's GORGEOUS. Now here's one of my dilemmas: I went with the brushed pewter handles & knobs, because I tend to gravitate toward that, but now I am looking around our space here in the family room, and I wonder...did I make the wrong choice? It's not like we have a lot (if any!) pewter finishes in here, and the feeling is definitely earthy. It's not too late to change my mind so I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts. Should I go with bronze? I know it's not a permanent thing, I mean, I can change out the handles easily, but I want to get it right from the get-go, know what I mean?

My other dilemma is this - I love love love our fireplace - it's wood-burning (can't wait for Winter) and we love the mantel. HowEVER, what do I put above the mantel? I wanted to have a mirror there, but the one we have is quite large (not crazy huge) and I think that it would dominate most of the space above the fireplace, leaving quite a blank space underneath...because it seems as though the mantel is quite high. What do I do? Hubs isn't much help in either situation (he's leaving it up to me, he says) so I am turning to you, design-savvy gurus that you are. Can you please help me out? Thank you ever so much! Oh, and don't mind the pictures, they aren't exactly picture-worthy, we still have some things to organize. :)

Our Mantel


To the right of the fireplace


To the left of the fireplace(I apologize for the darkness of the picture, it was quite bright out)

Fabulous Finds

Here are some of my fabulous finds lately....the first few are from a Habitat ReStore yard sale last weekend. The store itself was having 25% off everything, but do you think I could find anything for me? Nope. Oh well, I got a few nice things at the yard sale.

I found this cute little bird cage-ish candle holder. I just love it. It was $3.
The bird candle holder I just love the way it is, it has a nice patina to it. $2


I put them both on a tray I already had and I also purchased this cute little folding table for $10. I think it's supposed to be for outside, but for now, it goes nicely here in our family room. Someone else stained it before, you can see the stain drips and such. I might paint it, I am not sure yet.


I also picked up this cute little corner shelf for $2. It has a home right now in my craft loft/office area. Still not sure what to call that place, because I know once I go back to work in September, I will be writing report cards from there. That's not so crafty. :)


I found this ADORABLE little bowl/vase from Value Village for $2 - I love it the way it is and is making the 'theme' (if you can call it that) to my craft area come together! Right now it holds all my foam brushes. :)


Omigosh, i just found this the other day at VV, too...I went with my son to the toy section, and there it was, sitting forlorn in the wrong section. Thank you to whomever didn't want it, because I love it! It's quite heavy, and I love it white. However, I do have some plans for it. It was $6.


Ok, my son wanted this. :) It was $3..and it's missing a few fish, but you can't really tell. It's very heavy, and I think made out of resin. It'll be cute on our playroom bookshelf.


Snatched this one up quickly - from Better Homes & Gardens. I'll be painting it, as I am not jiving with the olive colour that it is. It was only $2.


Oops, sorry! Forgot to rotate this picture, but it's the same from any angle. :) I picked this up at Michael's - it was $15, but I love, love, love the inlaid design!



Have you had any fabulous finds lately?

An award!

Wow, I got an award! Melissa over at Keep Calm and Decorate (if you don't know this blog, go over there - and a question: where have you been? Just teasing.) gave me a lovely award - the Sunshine Award! This definitely made my day more sunshine-y! So thank you, thank you, thank you Melissa!!


The rules are as follows:
1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
2. List 7 things that people may not know about you.
3. Pass the love to 15 deserving bloggers that you have discovered recently.(well I won't pick that many - that IS a lot!)
4. Let them know that you gave them an award

Here goes! Hoping I can think of some different things as I just did this not too long ago for the Versatile Blogger Award!

1. I prefer vanilla over chocolate.
2. I love cinnamon. Apple crisp with cinnamon, yum. Cinnamon toast, yum.
3. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday of the year, I get excited and dreamy just thinking about it!
4. I have broken one bone - my arm on New Year's Eve 1997, coming home from a bar (no, it's not why you think - there was a freak snowstorm and no cabs to be had and bad shoes) I was in a cast for 3 months.
5. I love old movies (don't get me wrong, love new movies, too) but I love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, the Quiet Man...)
6. My Grandpa was my hero, and the only father figure I ever really knew. A big teddy bear.
7. I am returning to work in September after 14 months of maternity leave.

Phew! That's a lot of soul-searching, lol.

I've decided to pass this on to these lovely bloggers, who I have recently discovered and would like to get to know better!

Mrs. Little Big Nest@Little Big Nest
Ginger@That looks like Craft!
Marcia & Nicole@The Cozy Chateau
Cathy@The Far Fifty
Corie@Red Letter Rising
Valerie@Occasionally Crafty
Momma to Bug n' Bear@Just Another Day in Paradise

Decor Ball

Ok, so everyone has seen all the decor balls out there that are floating around - papered ones and twined ones. Hey, I even jumped on the bandwagon myself a month or two ago and wrapped up some Styrofoam balls with some jute. Very cute, I must say!

I tried to wrap a ball with paper, but I guess I am just a bit inept at that. The other week I found in a little clearance area at Wal-Mart a bag of cotton piping for pillows for $1. I should have gotten more than 1 bag (in retrospect), but oh well.

Brought it home and just recently got around to wrapping it around a Styrofoam ball. It was a lot easier than jute, maybe because it was thicker - so it went a lot faster. But, I still burned my finger and got a blister - OUCH.

Here is my pretty little ball - don't you think she's lovely? I had enough to cover one more! So, because I had the styrofoam balls already (and I got THOSE on clearance - 6 for $3.50), each ball only cost me 50 cents!


Thanks for looking!

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Twenty Questions

I'm participating in the 20 Questions link back contest at Under The Sheets-shhh. Why? Because I feel like it and I think it's fun, and why not learn a little more about me? I might learn something, too. :) Enjoy!

1) Dressing up or casual?
I prefer casual for every day, but love dressing up for a night out!

2) Most original Halloween costume?
I was a cave girl when I was 12. lol

3) What would your talent be if you were participating in a beauty pageant?
Singing.

4) What do the words retro boutique design mean to you?
50's, Elvis, poodle skirts, soda shops.

5) What do you see as your greatest achievement?
My two sons.

6) What household chore pacifies you?
Doing laundry. Not putting it away, though.

7) Favorite type of weather?
Fall weather all the way.

8) Do you sleep with the sheets tucked in or out?
Tucked in.

9) Do you have freckles?
No.

10) Favorite kind of sandwich?
If I'm making it - basic. If hubby is, grilled panini with cheese, meats, onions and red peppers.

11) Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?
Yes..can't everyone?

12) What’s your name spelt backwards?
Htebazile. Sounds like a witch name or something.

13) What message is on your voicemail machine?
You've reached Elizabeth..spouse, 2 kids...we can't come to the phone right now, but if you'd like to leave a message, please do so at the sound of the tone and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! Have a good day!

14) What was the name of your first pet?
Sheba

15) Do you believe in karma?
Yes. It darn well better be true, I'm counting on it!

16) Do you believe in luck?
Sure.

17) Do you have a nickname?
Liz

18) Are you a shopping addict?
No

19) Favorite superhero?
No favourite.

20) Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla all the way!

Vinyl, Vinyl, Everywhere!

Ok, so it's not everywhere (in my opinion) but in his (read: hubby's) opinion, it's everywhere. I would still love to add it to other places, and trust me, I will. But I won't go overboard. I just love the personal touches that vinyl can give...I love to see inspirational and homey words around the house - it makes me feel more like...home...like us.

Here are some pictures of the vinyl that I have done around the house so far. We're still unpacking some boxes - and definitely living in disarray. But the kitchen's done and the boys have their bedrooms (although paint is coming in the hopefully near future) so we're doing ok.

Ok, enough talk - on to the vinyl!
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This area is in my little 'craft loft' - what used to be a 4th bedroom was converted into an open area. The vinyl is above my cricut machine area. I'll show you the whole area at a later date when it's more tidy. ;) I love the little 'E' monogram I created using SCAL. Have I said that I love that program before?


Two super quick prints that I did using some cheap canvas, leftover paint from our old house, and 2 vinyl images cut on the cricut. I love their simplicity.



Got these two great rope-handled storage bins from Wal-Mart for $7 each - and added a bit of whimsy - numbers 1 and 2. Love the end result!


In keeping with the numbers theme, I quickly put together the numbers 0 to 9 and slapped that on a wall in the playroom. So fun and cute!


I also did a fancy little 'Powder Room' sign for our first floor powder room, of course! Not quite sure that I love love love it - but it'll stay there for now. I eventually want to put beadboard in the powder room, we'll have to see how everything pans out in there.


It's hard to see well because of the glare (sorry about that) but here is a bit of vinyl when you come in the front door - 'Enter with a Happy Heart'. I love that saying, and I want to strive to do that everyday. I hope that our visitors will love that saying, as well.



That's it for now! I'm not sure much more vinyling will take place until we've painted the rooms in the colours we want. I'll have to remember to take before pics of the rooms so that in the future I can show you the changes.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

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I think I want these

But I know I will never get them. A girl can dream, can't she?

Just found this site on the net (in a roundabout way, you know how that is), it's a Christian gifts site, and has a wonderful set of dinnerware items...these place settings are just GORGEOUS! Don't you think? I love everything, but especially the Taupe Dinner Plate and the mug, and the vase...oh, everything!





Oh gosh darn it! Check this, too. :)

Skeleton Key Art

If you've been around blogland even for a week, chances are you have happened upon something to do with skeleton keys. I know I have seen quite a few out there in the past 2 months only. I have always loved skeleton keys - ever since I was allowed to use my Grandmother's antique dresser as my own dresser when I was a child - it had a small skeleton key that I was able to lock one drawer and cabinet up with. Yippee! I loved it. As a side note, my grandmother always said I could have it, and now, with her moving to a nursing home, she (very sadly) is dividing her things amongst her daughters and grandchildren. But the dresser has my name on it, and I can't wait for it to have a place here. It's over 100 years old. I love it.

But I digress. Back to skeleton keys. I looked for some on Etsy, but shipping was way too much from the U.S., and no one in Canada seemed to have them, either. I looked on EBay - nothing. There are some salvage places in Ontario, but not too close to where I live. So, I decided to look in the jewellery section of Michael's, and found a couple of packages of skeleton key charms! Score!

I went home and got a 4x6 frame from Goodwill that I had previously spray painted black and slightly distressed. I took off the back and cut out some lovely vintage-inspired scrapbook paper that I already had. Armed with my hot glue gun, I glued the keys on the paper (in a pre-arranged fashion, of course!). In retrospect, I might have snipped off the charm thingamabobbers (you know those little circle parts - the name eludes me) but it's neither here nor there now.

I popped the paper and keys into the frame (still kept the glass on) and re-attached the back. I wanted it to be behind glass, and luckily the backing of the frame was secured with staples, so I just bent them more loosely when securing the frame. Does that make sense?

Anyway, voila! Now I have a cute little piece of art for somewhere in my home. It's waiting for that perfect spot.


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Some things out of hiding

Well we are all moved in - well, the unpacking is still ongoing! I never want to move again if I can help it, unless it is to a cemetery!

At any rate, I was unable to unpack some goodies - some fabulous finds and also some things that I made before I started my blog that I wanted to share!

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This canvas I got for a steal 4 years ago before my first son was born. Now, it was kind of babyish, know what I mean?



I spray painted it with Heirloom White, cut out some paper with my cricut, and used the negative as a stencil. Not perfect, but I like it. This is NOT it's new home, above the fireplace, it's definitely washed out here.



This candle is mine already, but the tile I found at Value Village for $2 - I didn't take a before, because I wasn't doing the blog then, but it was a wooden frame with a tile front - a picture of a lady in Renaissance period dress. Love that era, would love to dress up like that one day, but it's not my decorating style. So I painted it all black, and cut out some vinyl - the word 'love', a bird and a branch. So cute now.


Found this star at Value Village for $2. Love it just the way it is. Found the candle holders at Dollarama for $1 each - I added some jute around the top and the bottom with a bit of hot glue. Love it much more now. Now I need to get some candles for them. :)


I absolutely LOVE this find - I found this iron plate stand for $5, and went and found three lovely matching white plates for $1 each. I didn't take a picture of the plates, but they are so nice - some fruit and leaves around the border.


In this picture, there is the Fire King vase/bowl thing that I found, along with a cute little white bowl that I found at Value Village, along with a ceramic candle holder I found on clearance at HomeSense. I love the glazed finish, don't know if you can see that.


Found this cute little wall sconce thingy at Value Village for $3 I think - it was grungy yellowy-white - you could tell it was from a heavy smoker's house - it smelled, too....eww. Sorry. I digress. A good washing and a coat of heirloom white made it all better. I have to find a place for this lovely still, and something to go on it.


This candle holder was lovely in all it's whiteness, but I hit it with some lovely fresh green paint, I love it!

The mirror is from IKEA, you know the bare wood ones? I found it at Value Village for $2. I bought some wood appliques, glued them on and spray painted the whole thing. It's so pretty now.


Love words around my house...got this for $3. Not sure if I should reserve thus for Christmas....do you think this word can be used any time of the year?


I love this transformation - picture a grungy, bronzey planter that was from Edible Arrangements. I cleaned it up, painted it with heirloom white, used some negative images of a fleur-de-lis from the cricut as a stencil and used some black craft paint, and wrapped some jute around the handles. I love it!


Last, but not least, I found this lamp at Pier One Imports - on clearance for $25, regular $100! It has an imperfection in the glass base, but nothing a little turn-around of the lamp won't hide! For $25, I didn't care!


So there you have it! I am sure I have some stuff still in hiding, so I will update you as I find them! :) I also will have a post coming up soon about vinyl - stay tuned!

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