Before and Afters

So, turns out preparing for a baby's arrival doesn't leave much time for blogging. Hince the 5 month hiatus. I am back to share a couple of before and afters we have been working on this summer.

First, we wanted to replace our outdoor light fixtures. They were a dated brass finish, and the glass panes were flithy. Instead of purchasing new ones though, we spray painted them a metallic brass color, and scrubbed the glass panes clean. What a difference! Our patio is much brighter now and the metallic color shimmers in the sunlight. The cost savings was pretty nice too.

And for before/after #2: Here is what our breakfast nook looked like a few months after we moved in.

Blah and BLUE.

Well, here is what it looks like now! Warmed up with a little terra cotta hued paint. Oh, and buh-bye blue blinds.

So much more welcoming!

St. Pat's Centerpiece

How cute is this little centerpiece? My mother-in-law attended a party last week, and these were on each of the tables. Bless her heart, she asked if she could take one home! I think they would be adorable for a St. Patty's day party, with the white carnations substituted with green ones. Or you could sub the brown glass beads (the beer!) for green ones instead, and still go with white carnations. You could even use this idea for a kid-friendly BBQ, and serve root beer floats as the centerpiece look-a-likes. The possiblities are endless with this one!

P.S. Nell Hill's Briarcliff was kind of a flop, we didn't find much we liked, and decided the Atchison location is better for us. So that is the reason the follow up post never happened!

Winter Fun

Aren't these signs just adorable? I had to resist the very strong urge not to rip them off the wall of our condo last weekend. We were at the Taos ski valley for their annual Wine Festival. So pretty and so serene, plus lots of good food, wine and friends! Plus a little tubing down the mountain, that was super fun. GMA did a feature on Taos this morning, if you would like to see more.

Here are some gorgeous carved melons from the Grand Tasting. Love that pretty rose.

Well, I know you have been dying to see what I created from that pile of fabric in my previous post. Here is a before shot of our dining room chairs. That plaid kinda clashes with the new curtains, don't ya think?!? It was driving me crazzzy.

Ahhhh, the after. Much better. I love a $9 transformation.


Now for the barstools. These were leftovers from my very first apartment. Sorta blahhhh in our new kitchen and the wood matched NOTHING in our home.

I am really loving the finished product! I had a can of black paint on hand and also had the fabric left over from our office window covering, so it really was a completely free project too. Not sure if I am going to keep the fabric for the stools as is, or change them up again. Just going to have to wait to see on this one!

The window treatments for the guest room are STILL not finished, and I guess they are going to stay that way for a while. We are headed to southern NM with some friends this weekend to enjoy the hot springs! It has been abnormally cold here this week and we are looking forward to thawing out a little.

Happy Super Bowl weekend everyone! I am whipping up these tasty brownies for our MO guests. Can't wait!

Fabric galore!

Well, the hubs is out of town this weekend. So that means I am eating chocolate and spending money. Isn't that what everyone does when they are home alone? While he is back in MO battling the snow, I have lots of sewing and crafting plans.

First off, I am going to make these adorable rose balls, from Craftily Ever After. Her printables are so fun too! Loving this new V-day one.

Next up, I am going to turn this pile of lovely into lots of pretty things. I went to 2 fabric stores today, it was bliss. I am not sure if I was more thrilled by all the different prints, colors and textures, or by the fact that I didn't have to cook dinner tonight. Ahhh, livin' the single life again! Be sure to come back later this weekend to see what this pile turns into.

Objects of Desire

A great little shop, Objects of Desire, in Nob Hill is closing it's doors. My mother-in-law and I have been visiting them often as they continue to discount their inventory. Yesterday, I scored this adorable Christmas sign for only $15 (75% off.) I am sad to put it away until next year, but will be surprised when I pull out the Christmas tubs next fall, I am sure!

I fell in love with these lighted branches before Christmas, and they ended up under the tree for me. What a lovely surprise! I picked the vase up at Hob Lob this week. I like that the electrical cord for the lights can poke out of the bottom of the woven vase. I don't think they look too Christmasy, so I am leaving them out for all seasons. It is always nice to have something new after the holidays to brighten up your decor. Everything always looks so blah after all the red and green is put away. What have you purchased in this new year to brighten up your home?

Better late than never....

So, I know I am a little late getting a pic of our tree on here, but the holidays were just so hectic! We enjoyed lots of time with family and I am a little sad to take this beautiful tree down tomorrow! This was by far the biggest tree we have ever had, thanks to our 10 ft ceilings. We were looking for an 8-8 1/2 footer, but ended up with a 9 1/2 one. Oh well, I love every inch of it. We used 1100 lights and lots and lots of ornaments. We collect ornaments from our travels and are getting quite a collection now. I added the snowflakes ($1 for 12 from Dollar Tree) and the gold shimmery bow on top. I like that both the snowflakes and ribbon allow the lights to shine through. It made our entire living room glow all season long!

Balloon Ornaments

I was just catching up on some DVR'd HGTV and saw this creative idea on Celebrity Holiday Homes. It is a simple balloon, spray painted gold with a ribbon tied around it. They used a magnet to attach it to a can light. Even though Christmas is over, I think these would look divine spray painted silver with black bows tied around them for New Year's Eve. Can you imagine walking into a party and seeing a ton of these hanging from the ceiling?!? I love that it is so budget friendly too.

Christmas in the Southwest

Let me start by saying this is the first Holiday season I have prepared for outside of my home state of Missouri. With that said, I wanted to share a few images of Christmas in the Southwest.

The first is this funny guy above. I mean, only in New Mexico would they create a snowman out of giant tumbleweeds. Yes, folks, they do grow that big around here. Not that I have seen them personally, but I have heard the tales. Tumblin' along with the tumblin' tumbleweeds......



The second is this gorgeous blue poinsettia. Isn't it divine? Now, I am sure that blue poinsettias are not only available in the Southwest, but I have never seen them before, so I just had to have one! I think it is so perfect it looks artificial and the hubs said it looks more New Year's Eveish than Christmasy, so let's hope I can keep it alive until then.

The purple leaves are my favorite part. :) They look like velvet.

This last image is sorta corny, but I thought we should have some chile pepper lights for our first Christmas here. They really brightened up a corner of our dining room.

Happy Holiday preparations to all!!

Everything's bigger in Texas

I was in Dallas last week for work. It was my first time visiting The Lone Star state, and I must say it was pretty nice! My hubs has been telling me for years what a bad place TX is (it is a NM thing) so I was slightly brainwashed and not expecting much. Boy, was I wrong! The food alone was worth the trip! Everytime I turned around the hotel was bringing out another snack of some sort. I mean, who really needs Bread Pudding at 2 pm, after you just consumed a HUGE buffet lunch and have been doing nothing but sitting around all day listening to conference speakers anyway. As if the food wasn't enough to talk about, this ginormous centerpiece greeted me when I arrived in the lobby of the hotel. How can I get a job just going around to different hotels and designing their seasonal centerpieces??? I need to figure that out, fast.

I love the mossy-ness (must be a theme for me this fall) mixed in with all the gorgeous pumpkins. The colors are to die for! I hope you enjoy. I am just sad I don't get to make a trip back to see their big TX style Christmas decor.

Post-Halloween Centerpieces

For those of you not quite ready to drag out the Holiday decorations yet, check out these centerpiece ideas Eddie Ross came up with for Women's Day. The metallic touch in each one makes them feel modern, yet incredibly simple. What a pretty way to make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving.

Pumpkins and Pinecones

Celebrations at Home posted an adorable party today. Love those pine cone/daisy chandeliers. Oh, and the pumpkin dessert looks delish, can't wait to break out the trifle bowl for that one. Don't ya just love Fall?!?

Mossy Mantle

This is my 101st post! What a milestone.

I have never been very good at stretching those white cobweby thingys around Halloween. So, this year I dressed my new mantle in Spanish moss instead. I love how it turned out. Reminds me of Savannah, GA. The moss hangs so delicately on the trees there and gives the town a spooky feeling all year round.

Now this project was MESSY, so don't start it late at night like I did. The cleanup is not fun, but I think it was totally worth it.

Pretty Print

Just came across this lovely canvas print here yesterday and now I am sitting around my house looking for an open wall to hang it on. Decided I better find somewhere to put it before ordering. I love the contrast of the gold and blue, and am dying to re-do a room in these rich colors. It was taken just a little south of Albuquerque, on a wildlife refuge.

Welcoming Treat

I snapped this idea off a Woman's Day mag this weekend. I think it is simply a foam wreath covered in black fabric with candy corn hot glued on. How easy is that. I can't wait to decorate for fall and create one of these wreaths. It is rainy here tonight and is making me think of Halloween and trick-or-treaters. This will be a welcoming sight for them on our door! I hope the birds stay away!

New Rug

Just wanted to share my new rug. Now don't worry, I am not going completely Southwestern on you. I just liked this one and it really brightened up our entryway. It is from Jackalope, a great shopping destination in NM and also CA. http://www.jackalope.com/ Come visit and we just might have to make a trip there.

Greetings from the Southwest!

Inspired by our new surroundings in the Q and our fantastic patio, this week I gave a couple of pieces of our furniture new life by spraying them in a vibrant aqua color. Very Southwestern, huh? Turns out, $18 worth of spray paint can work wonders! I was a little too eager to get started, and forgot to take actual "before" pics. Oops. Oh well, hopefully you can get the effect from the one "before" I do have of the white bench. The wicker chair was white originally as well. Until next time....Adios, amigos!

I am inspired by this idea from Martha Stewart!
It only requires embroidery hoops in varying sizes, and fabric. You can use a monochromatic color palette, or a vibrant array of colors to customize a look to your event. Just fit the fabric inside the ring, and trim the excess. Hang by tying a ribbon or mono filament to the screw which holds the rings together. You can change it out for lots of celebrations! I am thinking about a trip to the fabric store to get some inspiration for my next party! This would even be cute outside over a patio table or as a quick and simple backdrop.

Spring Linens

I am loving these springy table linens from World Market. www.worldmarket.com What a way to brighten up your kitchen!

How cute is this Fleur de Lys glassware? Adore the green tint.

Celebrations at Home

I follow a blog, Celebrations at Home (see blog list below) that recently showcased a yellow and turquoise party. It just so happens I have been obsessed with this color combination lately and can't wait to find a way to use it, other than decorating myself in the 2 colors. I think the combo just looks so fresh and springy! Check out http://www.celebrationsathome.blogspot.com/ for lots of pretty party ideas and inspiration. I hope you enjoy Chris' attention to detail as much as I do!

Cozy Decor

Check out these creative ways to recycle old sweaters from Country Living. All you need is an old sweater and a hot glue gun! Find instructions at http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/seasonal-crafts/staticslideshowcl.aspx?cp-documentid=23361974&gt1=32001

I am going to dig through my closet right now for old sweaters. What a great project for inbetween the Super Bowl commercials!