Inspiration Friday No.32~ Decorating the Christmas Tree

Decorating the Christmas tree use to be one of my most favorite things to do.  

I would spend hours putting the tree together, always with a glass of 

white wine in hand!  I loved finding the perfect spot for each ornament, 

always stepping back to get a full view before putting on the next ornament.  

Fast forward 2 children later and I still love having a pretty tree but I am 

less excited about doing the work!  Over the years I have decorated the tree in 

purple, light blue, dark blue, and mulit-colored ornaments...now I crave an all white tree 

with a simple burlap tree skirt.  But it is hard to have an all white tree because so many 

of our personal ornaments that I love are colored.  

We have solved this issue by having two trees!

I have my large fake tree in the front window, decorated in white, 

wrapped in ribbon and all, and my husband and children get a real tree 

and decorate with all the color and tinsel they desire!  Everyone is happy!!

Some of my favorite tree inspirations...

Pretty mantle!

www.beachcomber26.blogspot.com

I went to visit one of my favorite local stores, Shore Gallery & Design.

This is the first time that I have been during the holiday season 

and I was amazed that every inch of the store is beautifully decorated

for the holidays!

An amazing peacock decorated tree.

So much fun!

The front window is so beautiful.

Not Christmas tree decorations but I thought cool enough not to share.  

I found these unique knobs at TJ Maxx last week.

I was walking to the cash registers and stopped short when I saw these beauties.

I know I should have bought them, just to have them.

But I didn't.

They were only $7.99 for a pack of 4, which is a great price!

Ahhh, I should of bought them!!!

So is everyone all decorated for the holidays?

I feel like I am just about done decorating but there are 

still so many boxes everywhere!  

I need to wrap it up so I can literally start wrapping stuff up!!!

I hope you have a great weekend!

~  Kim

(most pictures can be found on my Pinterest  "Holiday Decorating" page)

Striped Wall Update Decor

  You know when you are getting ready to have a party at your house and all of the sudden you need to finish at least two of the things that you have had on your "to do list" for ever but all of the sudden it has to be done right this minute???  That was what I was doing on Friday before our annual cornhole tournament on Saturday.

  This (pic below) is what our wall has looked like since I painted the stripes back in February.  The same mirror has been up since we moved in 2 years ago and the pictures on either side I stole from the bathroom after trying plates that didn't quite cut it....so the bathroom has been pretty much bare since then.  I didn't love the pictures but I left it like this, for a long time, longer than I would have liked but I just didn't have the drive to replace it all until Friday.  And then it was compulsive that I do it all right that second!!!

  Now after a little TJ Maxx shopping trip there's been some much needed changes on this focal wall.  In came a new mirror, and two new pictures, and the console I purchased at a garage sale recently.  The mirror has been switched out with a more rustic finish, the ornate silver finish mirror went into the makeup room, and the pictures finally went back into the bathroom.

Here is how it looks now!

With the addition of the new, bigger artwork...

 and a new rustic, painted mirror that style fits way better 

than the shiny mirror that was there before....

 and the el cheapo console table I scored for $2 bucks!

So after a long wait I am kinda lovin' the changes that have been made and I couldn't beat the $2 console table...still can't believe that!!!  And to top it all off, I painted OVER the coral paint samples that were ALL OVER the bathroom, put the pictures back up and it looks back to normal in there now.  I think I'm kind of over the whole coral paint now that I have a hot pink room!!

~  Kim :)

Before and After... (almost)

  Today was a busy day, lots of updating at my mother-in-law's house for her living room and dining room makeover.  First, I will show you some before pictures and what has been updated so far.

This is what we started with.  A once loved floral print sofa that no longer fit into my mother-in-law's desire for a more light and modern look.  Luckily she was able to find it a good home at her mom's house!

The walls were white and missing personality!!

New addition...the sofa was found for $175 at a garage sale.  

It is Storehouse brand and is in great condition... (she did attempt to use a slipcover on the floral sofa from http://uglysofa.com/, but that was quickly forgotten when she found this sofa at such a good deal!)

The coffee table was $25 found on Craigslist.  

Yep, I said $25!!! This is a heavy, REAL wood table.  You can not beat it!!!

...the room with new paint from Martha Stewart, Myrtle Blossom.  

Such a pretty blue, it immediately gave the room new life.

...and today the windows looked like this.  There was no visual separation from this room and the sunroom on the back of the house.  So I ran around all day putting the pieces together to give the two windows in this room a new life.

...and the new and improved windows in this living room and dining room.  Thanks to my husband and father-in-law that so happily put up two bamboo shades, two curtain rods, and two pictures!

Oh and the crown molding was installed today!  My father-in-law has been very busy.  I love that the men in our lives are happy to help us!!

(pictures were taken with my iPhone, I apologize for the poor quality)

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out, and more importantly my mother-in-law is happy with it!

The break down of where the new items were purchased from is:

Curtain rods-  already owned and spray painted black

Bamboo shades-  Home Depot

White curtains-  B. Smith at Bed Bath and Beyond

Curtain rings-  Bed Bath and Beyond

Floral prints-  TJ Maxx

Thanks for looking!!

~  Kim :)

Family Room Slipcover Round #2

*** I want to apologize ahead of time if anyone is sick of looking at my Family Room, it's new to me so I am excited to show it off... the newness will wear off soon.  I promise :)  

 I was looking at the pictures from yesterday's slipcover reveal and I didn't care for the placement of furniture.  It felt lopsided to me.  So I messed around with the room today and it went from this:

To this:

 I think there is more symmetry to this layout.  One day I plan on doing two matching side tables with matching lamps, but for now this will have to do.

 Our dog, Zoe, she was comfortable so I didn't want to move her.

  I left out the Pottery Barn chair (on the left) in yesterday's post because the slipcover was being washed.  I thought that the two fabrics would match perfectly but the sofa slipcover is a much creamier color than the chair slipcover.

 I created a little display on the wicker trunk of books, shells, and a green potted plant.

Okay, so I have a question and would love some feedback.  Below is a picture with the yellow garden stool that I purchased at HomeGoods.  It is very yellow and I'm not sure that I want to keep it that color.  If you compare the two pictures below one has the stool and one doesn't.  What do you think, keep the stool yellow or spray paint it another color?  And what color do you think?

 With yellow garden stool.

With out stool... I definitely plan on incorporating it somehow, just unsure about the yellow.  What do you think?  

Thanks for stopping by!  :)