Merry Christmas!

Well, November totally got away from me!

Between the vintage market, birthdays and holidays,

I simply could not find time for one single post!

So, before the same can happen to December,

behold some Christmas decorations for this year:

And if I don't get back to you before the end of the year

(which seams likely)

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

Getting Ready For Roses and Rust Vintage Market

The big vintage market in my area, Roses and Rust, is coming up in just one month, so I have shifted my focus from working on the backyard to getting things ready.

I skipped the market for the past year to focus on the many unfinished house projects,

but I decided it would actually further my endeavor to declutter,
because I would only use what I already had. 

This had to include paint, hardware, furniture, wood...

I found some nice boards in the pile

and made some cute signs.

These started out as old drawer fronts.

They just needed some hardware to become useful hooks.

Old cabinet doors became chalkboards.

And since I had a bunch of drawer pulls, I added some for more interest.

 

Fall Mantel and a New Chalkboard

Oh, Fall, how I love you!

 I love acorns, pumpkins, Thanksgiving...

and making new chalkboards!

 

Backyard Storage Shed

Last year, we built this little shed in the backyard
and I finally got around to painting it!

Even though we are just storing odds and ends in it,

I can see the shed from the kitchen window and

the rest of the yard, so I wanted it to be cute.

I wanted to use up old paint I already had,

so I mixed some outdoor green and blue and 

came up with this.

We used a door we already had 

and cut it in two to make a Dutch door.

(I have always wanted one of these!)

The window we also had on hand,

it just needed a coat of paint to match everything.

Since it's at the end of our half acre yard,

and near the "orchard" (okay, a few fruit trees),

I added a couple of chairs for a spot to rest!

This was only 1 of many outdoor projects I have
been tackling this summer, and I'm
so happy with the results!

Super Easy No Sew Dropcloth Curtains

These are the easiest curtains you will ever "make"!

I just used two clean, new dropcloths,

turned down the top about 2 feet,

 and clipped them on to the rings already on the rod,
making sure the "ruffle" was in the front and looked even.

 No sewing or even ironing needed.

They fall beautifully and look great with my
dropcloth-slipcovered chairs!

Yellow and Grey Ottoman

I showed you my finished family room makeover a couple

weeks ago, but I still had one thing to add:

I needed to cover the little ottoman in the room, 

but I hadn't found the right fabric yet.

One more trip to the fabric store produced this

pretty yellow and grey fabric that mimicked

 the curtain fabric without clashing.

(not an easy thing!)

 I think it fits in perfectly!

 It is a practically "no-sew" project, just staples and glue!

Check out this tutorial I did a few years ago

if you want to see how to do it!

 The two things I did differently on this ottoman,

was to add a grey band around the bottom

( glued on after it was already attached to the ottoman)

 and yellow piping around the top piece

(this was the only thing I sewed).

Family Room Reveal: Before and After

I was perfectly happy with my family room.

I loved the red check curtains,
the cottag-y slipcovers, and my dad's pine trunk.

I loved it even more when I got a new grey couch!
And it looked great with everything that was already in the room.
No need to change anything!

But one day, just for fun, I hung up some grey fabric
to see what it would look like instead of the red checks.

Then I just happened to find this great rug when
I was shopping on vacation.
I wasn't looking for it, it was just there!

Well, one thing always leads to something else,
so I made new slipcovers in a navy ticking
and new pillows to keep a pop of red.
(Plus, I wanted to keep the little red dresser in the corner)


I also brought in an old over-stuffed chair and painted it grey,


traded the heavy, dark trunk for an airy, white table,


and made new pillows for the couch,
including some red-checked ones!