Monday, January 28, 2013

Valentine decor...finally.

I have to admit...I have been in a decorating slump since taking down my Christmas decorations. My once warm, cozy, glowing house seemed bare and cold. I have had my Valentine decorations out for some time but just couldn't get it right. Today I was determined to get it right or maybe just good enough...whichever came first.

 My mantel is "love" ly and while I am not completely in love with it (it's hard to follow up the Christmas mantel) I am happy with it. I put some of my favorite Valentine cards from years past in a little basket and printed a 14 tag and attached it with red and white baker's twine (love that stuff). My candles are leftover from Christmas, I debated red but decided the white was "fine". The framed print was a free download from http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2013/01/valentines-day-mantel-decor-and.html  check out her awesome blog and free printables. My family has a long history of loving antiques especially wind up clocks, you will see these repeatedly in my decor. The blue mason jar is filled with twigs that have fallen during the recent floods, heavy snow and ice in the past two weeks. The three framed pictures are old black and white photos of both mine and Steven's grandparents...I adore each of these photographs.




Next up is my piano, I love decorating the top of this but not so crazy about taking pictures of it. Our walls in our house (downstairs) are all wormy chestnut and while they are beautiful they sometimes make it difficult to get a great picture. Two more wind up clocks, one belonging to my dad and the other to my grandfather. Neither one are with us anymore so I love having them as part of my "love"  vignette. The plate is a charger from Dollar Tree for $1, and I added a vinyl XOXO from my Silhouette machine, easy peasy. The cupid is a thrift store find with a new coat of paint. The banner is one that I made out of a sheet of music, "I'll Still Be Loving You". I simply cut the sheets to the size I wanted them, attached to red cardstock, cut out love on my Silhouette machine and strung it with baker's twine.





Next I have my Valentine mailboxes for my kids. I got these several years ago at Target in the dollar bins. I am pretty sure they still have them. I have chronological numbers on the front of them as we have three G's and one B and on the sides I have their initials that I cut out with my Silhouette and vinyl.






My dining room buffet is ready for Valentine's day with a Love You banner that I bought last year (I cannot recall where from). I have three apothecary jars, one is filled with red hots, one wine corks and skeleton keys and the other more black and white pictures of grandparents. My white platter was a T. J. Maxx find (favorite store ever) and I added a red vinyl 14 to it as well. I have a small table in my dining room and a chalkboard over it, I didn't take an up close picture of it because if there is one thing I cannot do... it is draw, not even a simple bee so do not look too closely. ; ) The last picture is of my dining room looking in from my breakfast nook.








Lastly my foyer has a black console table (fondly known as the black thing) and large mirror that is the first thing you see when you enter my house so it always needs to look it's best...HA. Let's not forget I have four kids, please. I made this banner several years ago using the same technique as mentioned before except I used ribbon to string it by. The tree is around for the fall/winter seasons sporting something new but right now she is dressed in hearts and I love yous. I have a picture of my four sweet Valentine's and a chalkboard printable from http://www.nestofposiesblog.com/2013/01/valentine-chalkboard-printables/  she also has an awesome blog with some amazing chalkboard printables. I love you to the moon and back is very special to me...my children loved Guess How Much I Love You and I have read it to each of them time and time again. Needless to say when I seen this printable I had to have it. Thank you again Nest of Posies.







I hope you enjoyed my Valentine decorations and that you may be inspired to create a "love" ly space for Valentine's Day.  Thank you for stopping by and until next time....XOXOXO

Brandy
 
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Monday, January 14, 2013

Wooden Christmas signs

Good Monday morning. I have a few pictures of wooden signs that I completed prior to my blog and even though they are without before/during pictures I thought I would share the after. I have so many projects that I have either completed, started or am daydreaming about and I can't wait to share them with you. I am in the process of decorating for Valentine's Day and will be sharing some sweet decorating ideas soon.
                                                            
                                Brandy


This is my Christmas mantle and if I could get away with it I would leave it like this year round. I love the soft ambiance the Christmas lights tucked in the garland give, not to mention the smell of fresh pine. My favorite moments during Christmas are having my family surrounding this mantle and Christmas tree, watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, listening to Christmas songs, drinking hot chocolate and having a toasty fire. Sigh....just the thought of it makes me happy. My Silent Night sign was made from an old piece of wormy chestnut from our attic, painted and distressed. With four kids this was the most appropriate sign for our mantle..not really, it is my favorite Christmas hymn. ; )


I made this sign from another piece of wormy chestnut, painted and distressed it as well. This one as you can see was over my kitchen sink. It felt a little bare before the sign, even with the garland and boxwood wreaths, but the Joy sign made it all come together perfectly. I hated taking the garland, wreaths and sign down from here as well. I think I need a new sign...more daydreaming. I made several wooden signs for Christmas teacher presents and everyone loved them (or so they said).


This one is for one of my sons' sweet preschool teachers.  I am most proud of this sign because I used the miter saw to cut the wood and make the brace all by "my own self" (a favorite saying of our family). Our sweet friend/teacher lives in a beautiful farmhouse that was built around 1914. The P is for her last name and of course Circa (which means around or about) is the year the house is thought to have been built. I can't wait to see where she decides to put it. I love that it looks so old, almost like it has been around since 1914.



Saturday, January 12, 2013

Pink and Sage

It only took two weeks into the New Year to post a project..I know my one and only follower has been sitting on the edge of her seat waiting for it...lol.
 Our preacher and his sweet wife are expecting their fourth baby, Sage, and we wanted to give/make them something special. Sweet little Sage has a beautiful nursery with brown walls and beautiful pink accessories including a dresser her daddy spent lots of time painting. When I spotted this ugly  sweet little baby cradle I knew I could do something amazing with it. I took it home, called my friend and asked her for the leftover paint they used on the dresser and got busy. It went from drab to be still my uterus we are not having any more babies. I love how it turned out and when I took it to our sweet friends the tears and hugs told me they did too. It is painted with Simply Pink from Sherwin Williams and distressed with Minwax dark walnut stain.

 Nothing, not anything, warms my heart more than having someone adore something I made them...especially when it was made with love.

                                                                            Brandy


Linking up with:
  http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net
  http://theletteredcottage.net/word-of-the-year-link-party-2013/
  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/office-update-finally-found-the-right-spot/
  http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2013/01/overflowing-with-creativity-56/
  http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/monday-funday-link-party-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

2013

Welcome to No. 631. My New Year's Resolution is to make my dream of having my own blog a reality, unlike dieting and working out I am eager to make this happen.
Over the next few days I will be adding completed projects, tips, photos and some of my favorite recipes. Grab a glass of sweet tea/coffee/wine and join me on this exciting new adventure.


Brandy