Decorating a Dining Room for Thanksgiving

After all of the decorations that I had up for Halloween, I wanted to keep the decorations that I put up for Thanksgiving pretty simple.  Especially considering that right around the corner is Christmas and I pretty much decorate every inch of my house with something.

For my centerpiece I decided to add some leaves and a simple pumpkin.  By placing the pumpkin on the wood accent, I have been able to create a more substantial piece for the eye.  I added the leaves to a clear vase to keep the table open.  When using a clear vase it doesn't block off the other side of the table, so it creates a more open centerpiece.

I love my chalkboard that I have hung in my dining room.  For awhile I was forgetting to utilize it, but since I have I really have been enjoying finding new things to write on it.  If this is something that you are interested in using in your house, Pinterest can be a great way to find sayings.  

I have added a wine rack to my dining room since I last posted about it.  It has become one of my favorite pieces in my entire home.  It adds such a warmth to my dining room and has really turned into a conversation piece.

I hope everyone is getting ready for the holidays, I know I am.

Welcoming Fall

Fall is here and I would like to share my front entrance with you.  I love decorating my front entrance for the seasons to create that warm welcome for people.  Currently it is decorated for Fall so that it works for Halloween to Christmas.

Right when you walk in the door you are greeted with a mirror.  To soften the look, I have put this wreath on the mirror using a clear command strip.  By using a command strip you can hide the hook so that you don't see any hardware.  By keeping my wreath generic, I can keep it up longer.

To keep my fall theme going, I have added some pumpkin accents as well.  By keeping the staple decorations on the dresser generic, I am able to accent with holiday and seasonal items very easily which I love to do.

With a few easy things, you can really warm up your entrance for guests through out the holidays.

Wall Art Over the Couch

Since we have renovated our family room, I have not had any luck finding artwork to go over our couch.  It's a pretty big size wall and couch so I needed to do something that would make an impact.  After shopping around with no luck, I decided to create my own wall art.  To do this, I needed to decide what size pictures that I wanted to hang.  I decided to do 8 x 10 pictures, because I wanted to be able to update them very easily.  Once I made that decision I could purchase my frames.  All of the frames that you see here are from Ikea.  After knowing the measurements of my frames, I could choose how many would best fit across the couch.

The next decision was to decide on the pictures that I wanted to frame.  Believe it or not this was the hardest part.  After long consideration, I chose the pictures and developed them in sepia tone so that the coloring in the picture didn't have to compete with my decorations.  Once you have your pictures framed, lay them out on the ground because you need to balance your pictures out.  Give consideration to what the subjects are and try to spread out like pictures.

This was such a fun project and I love being able to share my memories when people come over and visit.

Dressing Up a Light Fixture

Today I would like to share with you a quick and unique way of hiding the chain on your everyday light fixture.  I used a burlap cover in my dining room, but you could use any fabric.  You can make the fabric as tight or as loose as you desire.  With having a smaller section of chain, I didn't want to use too much fabric so I loosely wrapped the chain.  To secure the fabric together, you can use small buttons about an inch apart.  This is a very quick and easy project that you could do to dress up any light fixture.

Kitchen Series: Window Transformation

For the last day of my Kitchen Series, I have decided to share my window transformation with you.  To see what the window looked like before click here

I wanted to create a more open look to the window.  In order to do this I created a curtain that would open to let more of the window show.  To start, I found a fabric that would be light but also have a print on it.  The next thing that you have to do is decide on the length of the curtains.  Lastly, and to me the most important part are curtain rings.  Without them, your curtain will not hang as nicely and will not slide across the curtain rod as easily either.

I usually always leave the curtain open, but it is nice to have the ability to close the curtain as well.  It still keeps the window open, but also adds a little bit of privacy to your kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed my new Kitchen Series and as always if you have any questions, please email me.

Kitchen Series: A Decorating Extension

As you know, my kitchen is a little smaller.  With this, I have had to be a little more creative when planning out my kitchen decorating.  Our kitchen leads to our family room through this hallway that was always empty.  I couldn't extend the cabinets any further so instead I decided to add this hanging utensil decoration.  Adding this piece to the wall made the kitchen seem that much bigger.  It took your eye to a wall that was always ignored and now it has become a useful area.  If you are interested in creating this in your home, remember to keep whatever you decorate with slim to the wall.  The last thing you want to have is one more thing to maneuver around.  You don't have to use something like this either.  You could simply hang some decorative hooks on the wall and achieve the same look.

Not only did I create an extension to my kitchen, but this has become a very useful decoration to me.  With having my oven mitts so readily available it has been such a help with cooking.  It has also cleaned up some space in my drawers which everyone could use in a kitchen no matter the size.

Coming up next in the Kitchen Series is my window transformation!

Kitchen Series: Adding a Rug

I can't believe it took me this long to put a rug in front of my kitchen sink, but it did so don't judge me.  I know that a rug in that place is pretty much a staple, but it took me awhile to find one that I was really happy with.  I needed a rug that would flow with the kitchen and not be so big that it covered too much of the flooring.  After finding this rug at Target, I am amazed at the difference that it made to my kitchen.  Don't under estimate the warmth that a rug can bring.  It pulled the entire room together by having that piece on the floor.  Usually the color black can be a little too cold and modern for my home, but the texture and design on this rug fit my design perfectly.  So remember when you are out shopping to keep an open mind because you never know what you will fall in love with.

Kitchen Series: A Fresh Coat of Paint

Welcome to my new Kitchen Series!

As you recall, my husband and I completely renovated our kitchen from the ground up.  Since then, I have made a few minor changes that have dramatically changed the look of our kitchen.  I didn't think I could be happier with our space until I made these updates.  With my new kitchen series, you will be able to see all of the changes that I have made.  To remember what the kitchen looked like before click here

To kick off the series, I am unveiling my new paint color.  I loved the color before, but with a smaller kitchen and the updating that I have done in the rest of my home it needed a change also.  I have been painting some of the other rooms in my home to create a more clean, neutral look throughout so I wanted to continue that in my kitchen.  If you are interested in the paint color, email me and I can give you the details.  Don't be afraid to paint and try something new.

While I was updating the paint color, I also wanted to update my decorations/necessities to match the new look.  I wanted to keep the room very light and open.  In order to do this, I have used whites, creams, and natural coloring to keep the space unified.  With such a small space, you definitely need to keep the room cohesive, so that it doesn't give you a headache when you walk into the room.  

With keeping the room light and neutral, I can always switch out my dish towels whenever I like.  Currently I am sticking with my white and mustard yellow you could say.  

When storing those spoons, spatulas, whisks, and whatever else you have collected over the years, don't be afraid to try something a little more unique.

I hope you enjoy my new color as much as I do.  I love color, but there is something about that clean look that makes a space feel light and stress free.  Stay tuned for the rest of the Kitchen Series!