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Showing posts with label Crafty Ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crafty Ideas. Show all posts

Holiday Home Tour ~ 2017


` Tidings of Comfort and Joy `


Well friends, I guess I can officially wish all of you a very 'Happy Holiday' season! It's always crazy to me how quickly it sneaks up and yet - here it is. Ready or not, it's that time of year again. A time that quite frankly can be overly stressful, commercial, materialistic and rushed. As I grow older I truly try and focus on spending time with family and finding the spirit and magic that the season brings. The past few days have been spent decorating, making hot cocoa, blasting Pandora Classical Christmas, and not combing my hair or putting on makeup. Yup - truths!
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Autumn-Inspired Tablescape

A simple & elegant table setup for my favorite season of the year!



Fall is truly a magical time of year in upstate New York. I love to drive along the country roads of Washington County with no real destination, just soaking in the beautiful foliage and antiquing in my favorite little village of Greenwich. Apple picking, mums, pumpkins, cider and leaves of golden hues covering the ground...it's no wonder I use the word "magical" to describe how I feel about this time of year.

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Dollar Bin Desk {Target strikes again}

update your desk for just a few $$$


Heading into Target is typically dangerous territory for me. I enter with good intentions of saving money and getting the necessities, but usually leave with impulse buys galore! Luckily, most of the time these impulse purchases might cost just a few bucks as I really love to rummage through the dollar bins. Today I'm sharing some really cute office stationary with you that I found last week. These Target finds have brightened up my desk space and didn't break the bank.

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Charming Country Décor

Antique Finds from a new shop in my hometown

It's exciting enough when I discover a new store where I can scourer antique treasures and vintage finds, but to discover it in my own hometown of Cohoes, NY is REALLY exciting! The Olde Mercantile is a charming co-op country store with lots of amazing home decor. From candles and signage, to cloth napkins and antique tool boxes, you will find an amazing assortment.
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Country Living Fair (2014) -- A step back in time

Amazing finds at the Country Living Fair

Sharing a recap from the wonderful time I had visiting the Country Living Fair last June.  It was my first formal invite to attend an event in the capacity of a Hometalk Blogger and I was thrilled for the chance to share my finds with my favorite magazine  ~ Country Living.
I attended the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY with my amazing mother Sandie and my sweet sweet 8-year old daughter Evarista "Evey". They are my partners in crime and my best girls...it was a true girls day...
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Simple Valentine's DIY Wall Art

Creating simple holiday wall art in minutes!


I'm often the worst when it comes to decorating for a small holiday like Valentine's Day. It is such a short-lived event that it sneaks up on me and I'm always ill-prepared when it comes to decorating the house. 
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Thanksgiving Inspiration from Pinterest

Seeking out holiday inspiration on Pinterest is just too much fun isn't it? The amount of clever, crafty and inspirational ideas out there is simply incredible! Like you, I turn to Pinterest to seek out inspiration for my holiday decor when I'm feeling like I need a brain boost (which is exactly how I feel right now).

While I'll start my Christmas decorating over the next couple weeks, I'm fixated on the gorgeous, understated elegance of Thanksgiving. So I put together some of my favorite Thanksgiving pins from Pinterest to share with you today...
CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY THANKSGIVING INSPIRATION BOARD
What's inspiring you this Thanksgiving? What look are you going for? I would love to read your comments and see your boards on Pinterest! Share below in the comment section and let's inspire one another....have a great day! xoxo Laura
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Sheet Music Holiday Wreath

"Jazzing" up your holiday decor with a fun DIY project!

Have you started thinking about your holiday decor yet?
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Halloween Details in My Home

Halloween for many is an annoying day where pesky little kids come running around and terrorizing the neighborhood in search of more refined sugar than any human being should ever consume. For others, it's the holiday of all holidays --- and this is the case with my crazy family, ever since I can imagine. We aren't, and never have been, into all the Halloween gore. But we certainly love us some Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, The Halloween that Almost Wasn't, Mr. Boogedy (and the list goes on). We are the adults that are probably more excited about Halloween then the kids (cue Michael Jackson's "Thriller"). 
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Spooky Halloween :: Thistle & Poppy Frames


BOO! Are you crazy over Halloween? Want to switch up your decor a bit and have fun? Then check out what I've done with these amazing frames by Thistle & Poppy {with a little help from Michael's Craft Store and Martha Stewart}.
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Master Bath Wall Art {& Tour)

"You did what with antique shoe stretchers"? 

I came across these super cool antique shoe stretchers at a couple of artisan fairs over the summer. I really had no clue what to do with them, but I knew they were coming home with me.
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Washington County Antique Festival

Every May and August I have a good reason for visiting one of my favorite places in the world ~ Greenwich, NY. The rest of the time, I just drive there to get away from the hustle and bustle, and to soak in the rolling hills of Washington County. 

Today, my daughter and I braved the elements (it was 42 degrees, windy and raining in upstate New York) and headed North in search of some diamonds in the rough. Although our journey was cold and not very 'May like' weather, we still had a blast and got to spend some very valuable "Mommy-Daughter time" together as we like to call it. Teaching her the art of negotiation and why only a fool pays full-price, was so much fun and very rewarding. At a young age, she can find pieces worth taking a closer look at, and she always helps me to make a final decision when I'm undecided. 

Here are a few pics from our day out and about, and some of our favorite "lusts" that we didn't leave with...
Although the weather was less than pleasant and we left with a lot less than we had hoped to, we did manage to score some really beautiful finds. Below are the pieces we can now claim as our own, and they really fit perfectly into our home. From milk glass to wooden shoe stretchers, we are happy with our finds and hope you enjoyed this photo journal of our special day!

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Custom IKEA "Hacks"

Like many interior design enthusiasts out there, I love heading down to Ikea and wandering around the massive space like a kid in a candy store. When you're looking to change up your decor seasonally or purchase furniture without shelling out thousands of dollars, Ikea comes in pretty handy. There is certainly a range of items and range of quality when it come to buying products there, so shopping around is necessary. I find that Ikea has some great textiles available and their Hemnes line is beautiful! However, what I'm noticing on Pinterest and other design blogs are that more and more homeowners are posting their own DIY custom Ikea handy-work. Not only is it fun to see what people have come up with, but boy is a lot of it easy to do!

Coffee Table Hack

Take for example this awesome coffee table redo. Not only does it feature a standard Hemnes coffee table (my favorite line of Ikea products), it also ends with a reclaimed barn board esthetic. City Farmhouse has an incredible post on how to add the 'wow' factor to this standard piece of furniture all by yourself.  Check out this step-by-step tutorial walking you through this before and after...

CITY FARMHOUSE TUTORIAL

Bookshelf Hack

The next idea (that my amazing friend Andrea found) is a tutorial on turning ordinary Ikea bookshelves into custom-looking built-ins. If you've ever hired anyone to build built-in anything, you know it costs an arm and a leg. So I'm definitely trying this one! 

It all starts with the Billy Collection of shelving from Ikea. Essentially, you would measure out your space and configure the book shelve units that work best for that particular room. After you've figured out that part of the project, you can follow these step-by-step instructions from The Accent Piece...

THE ACCENT PIECE TUTORIAL

Dresser Hack

The last sample Ikea hack I found comes directly from the Ikea Livet Hemma site. It was featured in one of their newsletters and seems to be a fool-proof project! Start by purchasing the Tarva 5-drawer dresser for $99, pick a color swatch that you love with five shades on it, and get your paint brush ready. With a little patience and some elbow grease, here are the results you'll reap...

IKEA LIVET HEMMA DIY BLOG
I hope this post gave you some ideas for turning standard furniture pieces into custom delights with some pretty simple steps. It has certainly reminded me that custom doesn't have to be costly and that it can also be fun! Enjoy and happy customizing... :)
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Paint by Numbers

I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my now 4-year old son. Uncomfortable and impatient I decided to take on a project in the nursery. I was truly "nesting" and looking to add a special something to the space that was different from the norm. As usual, I was on a budget so I was limited as to what I could do and still create the impact I was looking for. The solution was painters tape (lots of it) and six quarts of paint.

I had already painted stripes in my daughter's room, so I didn't want to replicate that. But squares, no one I knew had squares in their nursery. So, I did a little math and started taping. I considered the height and width of the walls in the space and arrived at 16" squares (you could do any size you want, but this size worked best for the look I was going for). I carefully measured and taped the room:

   

Note: I made sure that one of the squares fell in the corner seem of the room to create a little extra drama!

  Be sure to measure twice, tape once, and be sure that the tape is sealed well to prevent paints leaks. 

You can work with any number of colors you wish. I chose six because I loved the color palette and came up with (and wouldn't settle on getting rid of any) the colors I selected. You'll notice that I chose one light and one dark color from three different color families (gold, blue and green). I purchased mini rollers and mini paint trays to make working easier and less fuss.  


Once all the prepping was done, I decided that the paint job would look best if it was random, meaning I didn't pre-select where colors would go or try to maintain any pattern. I wanted the eye to wander, and quite frankly I wanted guests to try to make sense of something that didn't and never would. More than anything I wanted a "unique" nursery.

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Holiday Cards on Display

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is receiving cards from my friends and family in the mail. I love to see how children have grown and keep in the loop with what people have done throughout the year. In a world of social media and digital photography, there is something special about receiving an actual print these days. For years I have taped the cards and photos I've received on a door, entry way or even a staircase. But if you're looking for a fun and different way to display these cards I have an idea for you...
*Thanks to my dear friend Cathleen Drago for the great idea!
 
- Festive holiday ribbon of your choice (20+ feet)
- Mini craft clothes pins (I found mine at Joann Fabric)
- Depending on where you decide to display your cards (kitchen cabinets, cupboards, etc.) the amount of ribbon you'll need will differ - for my cupboard I used about 20 feet of ribbon.
- A stapler
- Holiday cards
Tie your ribbon around the door you are using for your display, and fasten ribbon together on the back side of the door using a stapler (cut excess ribbon).

I used two staples in the center where the ribbon meets, but I also added tape to the top and bottom to keep the ribbon from moving at all...
Use your clothes pins to fasten your cards to the ribbon. I alternated cards going down the ribbon...
That's it! You're done and you have a fun new way to display your holiday cards!
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Soap Opera

One constant throughout all of our lives is the daunting chore of doing the dishes. Even with a dishwasher, it's inevitable that we will scrub dishes, utensils, etc. daily. One week from today is Christmas Day, and there will be LOTS of cooking and cleaning to be done.

While it's good to have sponges, soap, and lotions at our fingertips, the truth is that they can all be pretty unsightly.  
So...here's a quick idea for sprucing up your sink area before the guests arrive:

- Find an olive oil dispenser at a nearby retail shop (Pier 1 has a good selection of these)

- Fill the dispenser with yor favorite dish soap (I'm personally crazy over anything lavender scented)

- Next use a ceramic dish, small bowl or anything that would easily fit a sponge in it. Use that as your sponge holder, in lieu of just leaving your sponge directly on the counter or sink
One more tip...

For hand soaps and lotions, try a flat piece of wood to serve as a base and create an earthy look.


Super simple - super easy - super cheap! 
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Jazzing-up Your Holiday Gift Wrap

This week I have posted lots of pictures and gift wrap ideas on my Facebook page. As we draw near the big event of the Christmas holiday, I wanted to be sure that I shared those ideas here on the blog as well...

Having a gift wrap station is a short-term goal of mine. I WILL have a gift wrap station within the next few months. I just think it will make my life so much easier and help to organize the clutter of wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, etc. Below is an idea from one of my favorite resources, Country Living .

Country Living Gift Wrap Station

For those of you interested in "jazzing-up" your gift wrapping, it doesn't have to be expensive. This season "I made out like a bandit" (as my mother would say) at The Christmas Tree Shops. They have a ton of gift boxes, bags, you name it. Most items cost under $1.00, except some of the gift boxes which I paid around $1.75-$2.50 for. Here are some samples of gift wrap that are sure to WOW...

Free Holiday Wrap & Ribbon from Pottery Barn Kids

89 cents each!!!
Country Elegance with Burlap Ribbon
Want to keep things super simple, and super elegant? Check out these ideas from Birds of a Feather. It's an amazing what you can do with classic brown paper...

Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather

If you're looking for additional ideas and samples, one of my favorite blogs to visit is "The Inspired Room". It has so much to offer and beautifully creative ideas for holiday gift wrap. Click here to visit "The Inspired Room" and see a sample photo below...

The Inspired Room
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Holiday votive holder

Here's an idea for an eye catching and festive holiday votive candle display. For this you will need:

Votive candles, pine cones (small), freshly clipped pine twigs, uncooked rice (any kind), glass votive holder and glass cylinder (mine are from Yankee Candle):



Cut some pine twigs and gather some small pine cones...



Place twigs and pine into glass cylinder...then add rice to the bottom of your glass votive holder to hold candle in place and add an element of interest!



Place the votive holder with rice and candle into the pine cone and pine cylinder and you are finished! Boy...that was easy!!!





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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love the holidays! Baking and eating and eating some more (did I mention the food yet?)...it's a great time of year to share a glass of wine with friends and family and bake up some of your finest treats. It's also a time to impress others with your holiday decor and creative displays of holiday cheer.

Here are a couple of simple and cheap ideas for sprucing up your holiday display!



Here I used white pine roping from our local grocery store ($9.99) and a pine wreath (also $9.99) - hung with burlap ribbon - to spruce up the front entrance to our home. The antique metal tins came out of our shed (one was my grandfathers and the other is an old milk cooler I scored at the annual Washington County Antique Fair). In the metal tins are two faux trees that came with lights for the bargain deal of $40 at Big Lots. I used firewood to add both weight and character to the tins in hopes of creating that winter feel.



Make your holiday decor stand out with this simple red stripe
Burlap Ribbon (bought mine at AC Moore for under $5)

Pecan Pie (Country Living Magazine)



This pecan pie was simple to make and DEE-licious! Ingredients were as follows:

1 Perfect Pie Crust
1 cup(s) Pecan Halves
2 tablespoon(s) Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon(s) Kosher Salt
1 cup(s) Sugar
1 cup(s) Dark Corn Syrup
1 tablespoon(s) Dark Rum
1 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract
3 large Eggs, lightly beaten
 Whipped Cream, optional

For more information on this recipe visit this link to Country Living's website...Bon appetite!




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