Spray Paint Freaks

Remember when I told you about the fan dilemma around our house?

It's still not solved.

But we did finally decide to keep this old fan.

And after a very small debate, Jason took this fan apart and gave it a face lift.

I am loving the new look but I'm a little disappointed that we don't actually use it.  Although it works, we are a little fearful that the old wiring could be a fire hazard.

We've thought of re-wiring it, but then there is always the concern that little Maggie might get her tongue chopped off.

I think we'll just keep it as a decoration for now.

Cheese Dome Cloche Club

Jason and I have been on a bit of a spray paint binge lately.  We have spray painted so many of our Hub's Place treasures and I've failed to show them all to you, so over the next couple of days, I will reveal some of our before and afters in an effort to catch you up.

First, since I've joined the blogging community, I've seen so many people create their own cloche by using a cheese dome. 

Anyway, I found this cheese dome at the Salvation Army for $1.99 and I knew I was going to copy everyone in blogland when I bought it.

I also snagged a couple of the glass domes for $1 each, but they were missing the bases.

I spray painted the base with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint and now I am officially part of the chesse-dome cloche club.  I know, I should really add a pedestal to it like Allison did over at House of Hepworths  or Thrifty Decor Chick.  I just didn't have a candlestick and I am happy with it just the way it is for now. 

I'm counting myself in the club even without the pedestal. Maybe if I find a candlestick at the Salvation Army or Hub's Place, I'll take this little cloche to the next level.

I put some cheapo lemons from Tarjay in it for now because I'm paranoid about putting real fruit on a spray painted piece of wood.

See that table that the new cloche is sitting on?  It's getting ready for a coat of black paint too.

Oh, and as for the domes, I am using them on plates and plate stands and I really love the look.

Are you in the cheese dome cloche club?

How Does Your Garden Grow

One of the best aspects of a Do-It-Yourself Wedding is that you get to keep all of the things you buy to decorate for your ceremony and reception.

After our DIY wedding (See Two Addicts Become One), we had an abundance of vases, baskets, buckets, and candles . . . not to mention a whole house full of beautiful flowers!  Because our honeymoon was delayed a couple of days due to inclement weather, we were able to return home after a couple of days of staying in our hotel.   When we walked in, it smelled like a florist's and the site was breathtaking.  There were shades of pink flowers in every room.

We couldn't stand the thought of throwing all of these flowers away, so we gave some to friends and relatives, but left the vast majority in the vases when we left for the honeymoon.  Needless to say, when we returned, it didn't exactly smell like a florist's anymore.

Anyway, I still use many of the items around my house that I used in my wedding.

One of the items that have gotten a lot of use recently are the little tin buckets that were used to hold rose petals for guests to toss after our ceremony.  See them hanging on the chairs at the end of each row?

For a long time, these little buckets were stuffed away in closets.  Then I discovered chalkboard paint and used them on my mantel.

Most recently, Imani got busy planting herbs in them for my windowsill herb garden.

I wrote with chalk what was planted in each container and placed them on my window sill, just above my sink.  You'll see that the cilantro is growing the fastest, which makes me happy because it's one of my all-time favorite herbs.  Jason, on the other hand, hates cilantro.  He thinks it's overpowering.

Do you have an herb garden?  What's your favorite herb?

Linking to:  Shop the House Sunday, Metamorphosis Monday

Bittersweet Goodbyes

"All changes are more or less tinged with melancholy, for what we are leaving behind is part of ourselves."
-- Amelia Barr

My distance from blogging isn't because I don't love all of you.

It isn't because I'm lazy either.

The real reason is that our home search is over.  We found a house and our offer was accepted, which means saying goodbye to our first home.

  It's been a good little house, and it's come such a long way - just check out the "Our Fixer Upper" page. 

Jason and I both have a habit of getting attached to people, places and things, so although we are incredibly excited about our next adventure, we're busy saying goodbye by putting the final touches on this little Cape that will undoubtedly make someone a great home.

It's difficult each day making sure every area of our house is spotless, just in case a realtor shows it while we're off at work.  While we both know it's necessary for the realtors to show our home in order for it to sell, it's far more emotional than we originally thought it would be.

Jason hates the thought of other people walking around our house, peeking in our closets when we're not home.  I don't mind that so much.  We both hate the thought of leaving something that we worked so hard on in the hands of new owners -- people we're trusting will take as good care of this house as we have.

I've had to stop Jason from doing any more home improvements.  He's annoyed that we won't complete the house by getting a new roof or tiling the backsplash . . . in our minds, we're leaving the house unfinished.  I'm not the type to leave something unfinished and neither is Jason.

But all of these feelings of sadness are coupled with excitement about our new house -- a house with history.

I can't wait to tell you about it.

Oh and don't worry - I will still show you the final guest room re-design, the office "nook" and all of the other projects we've completed before we leave!

Giveaway Winner!

Watch Imani draw the winner to my first giveaway!

And here's what the winner's comment said: 

"My husband and I just bought our first house and moved out of a tiny apartment into four bedrooms plus bonus room.  EVERYTHING is a decorating challenge, as there isn't anything to decorate with yet.  While the blank slate is fun, it's also extremely intimidating.  Thanks for all the inspiration on your blog and congrats on reaching 100 followers!"

Congratulations! Hopefully, the new magazine will be chock full of great ideas to decorate your new home.  Contact me to let me know which magazine subscription you are selecting and your address.

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing and Happy Mother's Day!

I Think It's Because We're Young

A few weeks ago when Jason and I went to Snooty Fox Antiques, we were inspired by the many cool ways Dick and Jane displayed their antiques.

They are the king and queen of repurposing and I just felt the urge to take a million pictures so I could copy everything at my house.  But I'm not that bold . . . yet.

I also wanted to touch everything like a little kid in a toy store. 

Jason and I both loved how Jane had a lot of plants and flowers in various bowls, buckets and dishes.

So we picked up what we thought was an oversized white mug.  Jane had it proudly displayed on a table with a beautiful lilly planted in it.

When we went to cash out, Jane giggled, "Oh good," she said smiling.  "I'm glad to see someone else who loves chamber pots."

Isn't that what people used to use to go to the bathroom?  I was feeling very foolish but I didn't say anything.

I casually moseyed on over to Jason and quietly whispered, "Did you know that mug was a chamber pot?"

"Ewwwwww . . . it is?" Jason asked.

Phew. I was so relieved that he didn't know either.  He always knows more than me.

It must just be because we're young, I justified in my own head.  I notice I've been doing this a lot lately as I approach my mid-30s. 

"Do you still want to get it?" I asked.

"Yeah, you?" he asked.

"Yep."

 A little repurposing here didn't bother me.

And so . . .

Here's my chamber pot proudly displayed on my dining room table. 

Imani is often interested in the history of various antiques we bring home so when I told her what this used to be used for, she got all grossed out and swore she wouldn't eat if it was on the dinner table.

It's still there and she doesn't appear to be starving.

Ladders Aren't Just for Climbing

I've been noticing ladders lately, and not just because Jason's been using one to climb up and fix the soffits on our roof.

I've noticed that I like when people incorporate old wooden ladders into their decorating.

I first noticed it when I discovered one of my favorite blogs, Philigry.  Katie has an old ladder just propped up against a wall in her living room.  I like how simple it is.

Image: Philigry.blogspot.com

Then I spotted a ladder used to hold a blanket in Pottery Barn.  For $179, this baby could be mine.

Image: Pottery barn

I set off on a mission to find a ladder for my living room, but I wasn't paying $179.  Jason and I came across a great ladder at an antique store around the corner from our house called Barn House.

We placed it behind a leather chair in our family room and I draped an antique flag over it.

I'm reallly loving how it looks with the flag as a backdrop behind the chair.

I love when people take an ordinary object and use it for a completely different purpose -- one of the common techniques among many interior designers.  Ladders are just one of the many objects that are often re-purposed in decorating.

Some people use ladders as pot hangers in their kitchens.

Image: Woman's Day

Here, a step ladder is used as a plant stand.

Image: Country Living

And here, a ladder is painted white and incorporated into a holiday display with a wreath.

Image: Country Living

But one of my favorites, and probably one that Jason and I will soon copy is here, where the ladder is turned sideways and used as a shelf.  I love it.

Image: www.arusticgardenblog.com

What about you? Have you used ladders to decorate?

Pssst:  Don't forget to enter my first Giveaway!