Halloween Home Tour

I typically decorate in a more general manner at this time of year where my decorations will carry me through Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving.  This year, however, the moment it was officially Fall, I dove head first into Halloween. :)  I started with items I already had and quickly discovered I needed more!  So I did what any girl would do, I went shopping!!  I scored a couple things from Goodwill and of course, Home Goods and Hobby Lobby.

Let's start with the kitchen.  Look familiar?  You can see how I made the wreath here and the sign here.

Here is my table's centerpiece. 

I found the black pedestal at Goodwill and it was in such perfect condition that after a quick clean, I was able to plop it right down onto my table and add apples.  It might just be me, but having just the apples provides a spooky element - like any one of them could be poisoned!  Like I said, might just be me. :)

Moving on to the living room...

 

 

I also found the BOO votive holders at Goodwill - so cute, right!? 

And here is my buffet and my bookshelf.

 

I scored this wreath at Home Goods for $2.00 on clearance.  It was a natural color, but I knew with a quick coat of black spray paint, it would make the perfect spooky addition to my bookshelf.

I also practiced my decoupage skills on these wood numbers - 31 for the date of Halloween.  Love that paper!!

Not done yet!  Here is our powder room.

And finally the ledge at the top of the stairs.  It's the line where decorations end in our home. :)

And there you have it!  I hope you enjoyed the tour!!
-Ashley

End Tables - Before And After

I was given the opportunity to paint these gorgeous end tables when my husband's grandmother downsized her living space.

The tables were in really good condition, so very little prep was needed.  In fact, only two minor gouges needed to be filled with wood putty.

I bought General Finishes Corinth Blue specifically for my son's step stool, but had a secret plan to use it on these tables, deepened with dark wax and topped with gold accents - a combo I've been wanting to try for a VERY long time!

After taping the hardware on the feet of these tables, I got to work.

 Look at the difference in coverage from one coat to two coats - loving the color!

It took three coats to get the finish I wanted.  Wanting to deepen the color, I gave each table two coats of dark brown wax.  And finally, I gave the hardware a quick coat using Krylon's Gold Leaf spray paint.

I removed the tape and put all the pieces back together and absolutely loved the result!

Going into this project, I wasn't 100% sure that we would be keeping these tables, although we had hoped too keep them in the family.  But the moment I put them in our living room, they didn't move. :)  I have to update a few pieces of my old decor, like the lamps, but absolutely  love the pop of color against the grey.

And as usual with Home Goods, I was able to find the perfect pillow and blanket storage solution to match the tables.

-Ashley

Pantry Makeover

I have the bug!  The "organization" bug, that is and I have it in a bad, bad way. :)  Once I completed the dining buffet, I knew I wanted to spend more time on the inside of our home maximizing all the potential storage space we have.  It's amazing just how much space my toddler and his "stuff" takes up!

I immediately bought an over-the-door storage system from The Container Store (loooooove that place) for our loft closet, but soon realized that the first place I needed to start was the kitchen since it is probably our most used room in the house.  And with the hubby away for a few nights, I had the perfect window.

Along with cleaning out and reorganizing all the drawers and cabinets, I spent a lot of time on our pantry.  I apologize for not having a "before" picture (I promise I'll get better) but here is my "after"!

I love how clean it looks!  I scored these two wood crates from Home Goods along with these super cute baskets.

Somehow seeing 5lbs on the "Sweets" basket tends to keep me away. :)

I also found this at Marshalls - veeerrrry functional!

But what I love most are the labels (big shocker, right?!).  I found these chalkboard labels and chalk pens at Michaels and to be honest, was very skeptical of both.  But take my word, each and every one of you need to run out right now and grab these for your home, to be used anywhere! They are amazing!

I can't wait to tackle the loft closet now!
-Ashley

Mail Sorter Redo

In need of a new mail sorter - and by "in need" I mean I got sick of our current one - I spotted this at Home Goods.  It was a very solid piece that would be extremely functional.  However, even before I bought it, I knew there would need to be a couple of small tweaks.

First, it needed to be black.  The original color blended into the wall too much.  And second, I wanted it to say MAIL on it.  Cute, right?!

Having always wanted to try the "sticker" technique, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  By the "sticker" technique, I mean you use stickers to write out a word (in this case "MAIL") and then paint the entire piece, stickers and all.  Once dry, you peel off the stickers and just like that you have perfectly stenciled letters!

I finished it up with a little distressing of course!  Now it's perfect. :)

 

 -Ashley