Coming Soon.....Mardi Gras!!

Following my last post, I dropped my camera and BROKE IT!!!  I ended up bitting the bullet and took a couple of Christmas gift cards (thank you to my staff!!) and broke down and bought a Nikon DSLR camera.  I was trying to save my gift cards, but oh well!!  I still have an AWESOME gift card to Pottery Barn and one to Yankee Candle!!!  I am waiting on just the perfect items.....

NOT that I have learned to use my camera yet, but I am trying.  I have been so busy at work this week and nightly work duties (it's basketball playoff time!) until I haven't even been able to read the manual yet.  I need a crash course on DUMMY CAMERA operation!!

Anywho, I have been working on my front porch and a tablescape for this weekend, Mardi Gras style!!  I live on the Gulf Coast, so Mardi Gras is a big deal.  We have one small parade in my town, but many larger parades in the nearby towns.  I don't go to them because they can be pretty rough sometimes.  I do, however, love the colors of Mardi Gras, and I do love the food.

I did make a Mardi Gras wreath for the front door, and I also decorated my two Christmas trees on the porch with a little bead bling and, of course, my favorite fleur de lis ornaments!!! 

I also always plan a special Mardi Gras menu of red beans and rice, crusty French bread, and Krispy Kreme bread pudding!! YUM!!

Hope to start learning to use that camera VERY soon.....my tablescape is almost ready to be put together this weekend!  SUPER excited about that.  I used things from around the house and made a really cute centerpiece with a mask!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!  See you soon with pics of my Mardi Gras front porch and tablescape using my NEW CAMERA!! WOOHOO!!

Fleur de Lis and Animal Print = True Love!!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted since Christmas!!  I got sooooo sick on Christmas Eve, and then everyone had it!!  NOT a happy holiday season!!!  Then, back to work, back to school....everything got CRAZY!  But....Christmas is down, packed away, and we are getting back on track around here.

So, it's back to my other FAVORITE decor that stays in place all year until fall.  I am soooo excited!  How I missed my animal print and fleur de lis things!!  Some of the fleur de lis stuff stays out during the holidays, but if you have checked out my blog, you know that at Christmas, well, it's pretty much ALL Christmas, ALL THE TIME!!!  It really is kind of fun to do that because when you take your stuff back out, it sure all seems new again!!

I have to tell you....I haven't bought anything new.  I made a few new arrangements and rearranged my stuff in a new way.  I love a makeover like that!!

Enough jibber jabber, onto the pictures!!  Oh, and I don't think I have ever shown our family room before, so here goes...

You will see one of the new arrangements I made on the entry table, one on the coffee table, and the other on the fireplace.  They are old.  I just fluffed, added some moss at the base, and added FEATHERS!!  I love, love, love my feathers.  I have them in all of my arrangements now.  I think they add such flair and sophistication!

 A closeup shot of my coffee table arrangement.  I made the wall pockets when we first moved in here.  They also have feathers.  I love them so much, they are one of the few things I haven't changed.  Don't you love, love, love my crystal candle bowl from Kirkland's?  I bought it before Christmas with some Christmas gift card!  Sparkly AND animal print...be still my heart!!  Oh, and I almost forgot...the feather orbs?  Well, I couldn't find any orbs I liked anywhere.  I had these feather balls I used on my bedroom tree year before last.  I had them in my closet.  Pulled those off the stems, and viola, NO COST orbs that were just what  I wanted.  WOOHOO!!

Here's the view from sitting on the couch.  Love my fireplace! I would love to paint it, but my husband says NO!!  I did paint the cabinets while he wasn't looking, but I just haven't had time to tackle the fireplace.  I would really love to have stone rather than brick.  I wonder how difficult that is!!

The mantle is the same old stuff, just rearranged.  I added my columns (from Hobby Lobby a few years ago) and placed my "new" arrangement on one along with my favorite candlesticks (also from Hobby Lobby last year on the 75% clearance sale!). 

 I just love having things at different heights, and book boxes and columns are two of my fave ways to do that!

Ignore that ginormous tv!!  That's a non-negotiable item.  My dad made me the cabinet by hand years ago for my birthday.  I would NEVER part with it!!  It is perfect.  Oh, and the tv, it is perfect, too! There is nothing I love more than a good movie in front of the fire.  I work so hard all day and don't get to spend much time at home. When I do get to sit down at home, I love to have my family around me and curl up together on the couches and just chillax!!! 

Closeup of the tv cabinet.....look at all those fleur de lis' everywhere! LOL!!  See the horse....I had him when I was little!! I just love him!

View of the little formal dining area from the sitting area. I don't have the formal living and dining spaces I had in the other house, but I have to say I like the flow of this house better for our family.  With 8 people living here, there is no formality! LOL!!  Love just having space!

I'll probably be showing the kitchen next time IF I can get it retweaked!!!  Funny how you forget where everything was.  I'm also thinking of taking some of my Mardi Gras stuff and decorating the front porch a little.  Definitely doing a wreath this year!! I thought of doing Valentine's, but I have to take it all down in a month.  I can leave Mardi Gras up until mid-March!!  WOOHOO!!!  I have always wanted to do Mardi Gras, so here goes!!

Have a great week!




Linking up to several partays this week -- Tabletop Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Type A: Anything Goes, Kristen's Creations Share Your Creations Party, and Open House Party over at No Minimalist Here (definitely a gal I can relate to, LOL!)!!

center>

""/>

http://www.blogger.com/profile/09431971958749953197