Fireplace Makeover

The fireplace makeover is done! It took a while to find just the right things, but I did it! I cleared off the mantle and used nature-inspired wall decals on the mirror- decor without the clutter. I moved all of our plants to the floor so now it looks like a little forest! The faux birch hurricanes I found at Kohls on super clearance (I love great deals!) and look so cute with little potted herbs in the top (The floating herb garden has been brought inside). I placed a few of my bigger rocks in there too to fill up the space. I painted the brick using Behr brick and stucco paint and a good ol' paintbrush for all the cracks. It took about three coats of paint to really cover up the brick, but I think it was worth it!

Done!!!

Oh, I can finally put this sponge paint catastrophe out of my mind!! The color came out great (Behr Adobe Straw) and I found some great pieces for the walls to start with, we plan on adding some Charles Burchfield prints and more artwork. I love that museum feel in big hallways! Plus, the walls are plaster and full of bumps and holes from previous tenants, so its a nice way to cover most of them up, although I don't mind the texture that plaster has. It's hard to get around those imperfections in really old houses, so we're just embracing it. On the landing I repainted a table and some wall shelves and replaced the drawer pulls- that was a very simple update, just use a few coats of white paint and a couple pretty pulls (you can splurge a little more when you only need two!). 

It's been a while huh...

Hi Everyone! It's been a long while since I've posted, but I've got some new ideas for posts that I'll have up soon! Justin and I are loving the fall weather, and have been busy snuggling, baking, and trying some seasonal brews. We just took a ride to Corning, NY, a small little town a couple of hours away from Buffalo and visited the Corning Museum of Glass and a nice long walk down Market Street. I have to say the drive was one of the best parts because all the leaves are just starting to change, it's just beautiful. More to come on what we've been up to!

Floating Herb Garden

Here's a great idea if you have pets that like to dig up planters in your house or on your porch. Clementine is the guilty one and the inspiration for this floating herb garden.  I started the herbs from seed so that's why there's no little plants sticking up yet! Hanging the pots is simple, small to medium size is better if you're using wire. Just wrap the wire around twice under the lip of the pot, and use a longer piece (doubled for extra support) and twist it around the wire you just put under the lip. You can make them hang from all different heights or you can measure the wire and make them straight across. I labeled each pot using a metallic sharpie, and added a few little beads and shiny things to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to my flowers! Happy Gardening!

Jewelry Frames

I can't bear to see perfectly good stuff go in the landfill, so when we clean house at work I rescue as much as I can and try to turn it into something useful. We were getting rid of all these wooden frames and old marketing with really nice background patterns. I decided to turn the frames into jewelry holders and use the paperboard as a "picture" inside the frames. After I sized and framed the paperboard, I drilled holes wherever I wanted my jewelry to hang from. I was sparse with the spacing on some of the frames. Since i was clustering the frames on one wall, I didn't want too much hanging from them and looking cluttered. Less was definitely more in this case. Then I just screwed in some little white hooks from Target ($4) and hung the frames with some upcycled ribbon! I love the end result! It also freed up some space on my jewelry tree that Justin bought me for Christmas one year so it's easier to see everything and I can add a little more to my collection!

Favorite things...

A collection of pretty things from Etsy, Anthropologie, Aerie, and Modcloth.

I love peonies!

Thanks for the beautiful flowers Beth! They add so much romance and fragrance to our space!