Let's Visit the Kitchen

A year ago, I decided to paint my oak kitchen cabinets black.  I did it during the middle of the night because my husband kept saying no, no, no!!!  He thinks it's CRAZY to paint perfectly good wood, brick, etc., but he is married to a loony woman who will paint the kids if they sit still too long.  LOL!!

This all started because of a picture I found at Kirkland's the other night.  It was soooo gorgeous.  I just couldn't leave it behind.  As I mentioned the other day, I'm not some big wine drinker.  BUT....I do love this picture, and I love how wine bottles look.  I could stare at the labels all day long.  So, it started the whole kitchen redo this weekend.  Paired with Mr. Rooster (from Kirkland's YEARS ago!), and a new winebottle holder from Kirkland's, I love how this looks!!

Here's a closer look at Mr. Rooster strutting his stuff and my super gorgeous picture from my favorite store, Kirkland's...



I love the way this cabinet and picture flow with the countertop vignette I did the other night...

Moving to the left toward the eating area....You can tell how MUCH I LOVE black!!!  My furniture was already oak and black before I painted the cabinets. 



This china hutch is one of my FAVORITE pieces.  I already had the table and chairs, and I bought this hutch and the buffet when we bought this house.  Dishes just aren't enough for me in china cabinets or hutches, so I am always adding a little extra to them!

Here's a closeup of the vignette on the bottom shelf. I shared this animal print fleur de lis tray from Hobby Lobby the other night.  I have one on my countertop by the stove.  I LOVED it so much, I went back and bought another one!!  I LOVE animal print, and I LOVE anything with a fleur de lis on it.  I could NOT resist this!!!!  Yeah, I know...who puts animal print all over their kitchen?  ME!!

Moving around the room, here's another thing that peaked my itnerest at Hobby Lobby that same night, something else I am in LOVE with and have been forever...topiaries!!  I spied these two pics and HAD to have them.  I knew they'd be perfect on each side of my doors.  LOVE how they match my curtains!

I also spied these hydrangeas, and I knew I had to have them to go on the buffet.  I also got the wine picture at Kirkland's the other night.  I already had the zebra topiary and the books.  LOVE my Mercury glass buffet lamps (also from Kirkland's!).  I have several sets of these all over the house....

Here's a better look at the entire kitchen...

The wine and rooster theme also contines on the other side of the kitchen.  Here's Mr. Rooster topiary that I have had for years.  I can't bear to part with him!!  I got these decorative bottles the other night at the antique store.  The gigantic one was only three dollars!! The other two were a dollar each!!  I couldn't leave them!

Notice my rooster pictures over there on the wall?  They're from Family Dollar.  Five bucks each!!  I couldn't leave them behind either.

Check out this GORGEOUS wine bottle I found at the grocery store for $4.95!!  Like I said, I'm no big wine drinker. I just LOVE the bottles!!  I had to get this one.  It's so pretty!

Here's a view of both sides of the kitchen....

One last shot of Mr. Rooster as he says "Goodnight" to you!!  LOVE how he looks in the lamplight.  Hope you enjoyed our tour of the kitchen!!

I'm partying this week over at Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Metamorphisis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays,  A Stroll Thru Life's Tabletop Tuesday, Wow us Wednesdays over at Savvy Southern Style, and with Miss Sherry over at Open House Thursdays on her blog No Minimalist Here!!!  Friday, I'm linking up with At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday and French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday!  I'm just a par-tay-ing girl this week!!

AND..this is how quickly things can change at my house!!  Went to Ross today and spied this Mr. Rooster....couldn't leave without him, of course!!  He was less than $10!!!  What do you think?  Like him better here on the hutch or like the water pitcher better?  HMMM....confusing!!

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Let's Visit the Dining Room

 Today we are visiting the dining room.  This is the most "formal" eating area in our home.  Our great room has a weird shape, and this section is on the very front of the house.  When we moved here, I had this gorgeous table and china cabinet.  I love the cabinet so much, I couldn't bear to part with it.  I started to make it a library, but...you know how that goes.  Money, money, money, yada, yada, yada.  So, the table and cabinet fond a home there. 

This house has a huge kitchen with room for an 8 foot table which is perfect for my family.  Most of our time is spent in the kitchen, so it's only natural that we primarily eat in there.  However, I love the way this more formal dining space flows with my great room. 

Most of the decor in this space is from Kirkland's.  I made the orchid centerpiece a couple of years ago, and it has moved all over the house.  I like it best here, I believe, because it goes perfectly with the chairs and the Kirkland's art between the windows.  Here's a closer look at the centerpiece...

The dishes and glasses are from Beall's.  Beall's is a Florida deparatment store for those of you that don't have one near you.  I love these white shell dishes - got them for HALF off, making the plates and bowls about $3 each!  The napkin rings are Pottery Barn, and so is the flatware.  I am in love with this flatware, by the way, but I can't afford it.  LOL!!  So, I have created my very own Pottery Barn Layaway Plan.  Every time I go in the store, I buy a set.  This way my husband doesn't I don't notice the cost of it as much, and before I know it, I will have the 12 place settings I need.  Pretty clever, huh?



My curtains are "no sew"...Remember, I don't sew?  LOL!!  They are just long panels of material ($6 a yard!!) folded and clipped with curtaian rings.  Doesn't matter that they're not store bought formal draperies, they do the trick and match my couch to a "T".  I tried lighter colors on the windows, but with all the light in this room, they just faded into oblivion.  I think these tie the entire room together perfectly.

See why I couldn't bear to sell the china cabinet?? I think it is one of my favorite pieces of furniture.  The metalwork on the doors is totally fabulous!



And, finally, here's a view looking back from the great room living area. 

Linking up to Debbie's Newbie Party!





And also par-tay-ing over with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday, Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, and on Thursday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!!

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For the Love of Pillows.. Stenciled Burlap Pillow

I am obsessed with pillows.  There, I said it.  I love, love, love, love pillows!!!  I just don't think I can ever have enough.  When you add in the fact that I love burlap and damask, well, you see where this is going.

Let me just go ahead and straight up tell you that I can't sew SQUAT. And while I'm confessing....I'll go ahead and add this little tidbit.....  When I was in the 10th grade and took Home Ec, I really didn't sew my shirt I had to make to get an "A".  I messed it up pretty bad and ended up taking it home to finish.  Instead I took it to a local seamstress.  She helped me straighten it out, and I took it back to school the next day.  Don't get all crazy on me, I did it.  Yes, I know...what kind of principal CHEATS on her Home Ec homework???  The kind that now knows all the tricks the kids have up their sleeves, like taking home their Home  Ec homework.  LOL!!  (That was the only "bad" thing I ever did in school for the record.)

Anywho, I can hot glue up a storm, and who needs to sew when you have hot glue? Now, I surely wouldn't wear a shirt or skirt I hotglued together, but I don't mind a few hotglued pillows!!  (I did lose a wraparound skirt off me once at OpryLand when I was like 10, so after that traumatic little incident I won't be wearing anything ever again held on by strings much less hot glue.)

I started out with some burlap, I think it was about a 1/2 yard.  I didn't measure it out, I just cut it to the size I wanted.  (It was a scrap piece leftover from this fall.)  I took one piece and taped the damask stencil to the fabric.  I then used a black fabric marker to color in the template.   The fact it isn't totally black is just fine with me.  I like the different shading, it makes it look "old" to me.  By the way, this dries fairly quickly!

After it dried, I then hotglued up three sides, filled it with polyfill (leftover "snow" from Christmas I had in the closet).  Next, I quickly folded over the last side and hotglued it together.  You will have to "pinch" this side in place for a few minutes to ensure it holds. 

Keep in mind, this is a "decorative" pillow.  If the hotglue comes off, just reglue it!  This little project cost me absolutely NOTHING since I already had all the materials.  If I had guess, I think you could make a couple for under $10.  The major cost would be the material and the stencil.

Pretty cute for a hotglue job, huh?

I'm linking up to Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday! 

By the way, I was featured over there this week for my grapevine window wreath last week!!!! THANKS, LINDA!  YOU MADE MY DAY!!!

Something Old, Something New

Two of my favorite things are old windows and old picture frames.  I love to repurpose them, and I love to mix them with the unexpected for a new, fresh look.  We have a local antique store that has TONS of old windows out front where you can score some amazing finds for $5 to $10.  Here's a great idea for using an old window frame outside in a new way...

Attach your window frame to the wall, and add a window box near the base.  By simply attaching a window box and adding a springeri fern to the base of the window,  you can create an entire new look for your outdoor spaces for just a few dollars. 

Here's another great idea for using an old frame outside....Attach the frame to the wall (this frame was attached using L shaped hooks).  Take two grapevine wreaths of different sizes and wire together.  Hang the wreaths inside the frame.  Attach a window box near the base of the frame and add a springeri fern.  Again, an entire new look with repurposed items!

By mixing something old and something new, it's super simple to create unique outdoor displays that are high on style but won't break the bank!

Linking to Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures, The Tattered Tag's Keep it Simple Sunday, Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, and Savvy  Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesdays.