Guest Post: Home is Wherever I'm With You

I absolutely love this post from Becca, and hope you guys do too. Enjoy!!

I’ve wanted to design a collage above my bed for some time. Luckily, I have an uber talented boyfriend who happens to be an Art Director J Justin is the best at taking my ideas and physically bringing them to fruition while using his keen eye for detail.

For awhile now, I have wanted to use a lyric made famous by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes song, “Home.” Of course, everyone and their mom have put this quote on everything! However, I had faith in Justin and his creative ways, knowing he would put his own spin on it. We got his design printed at Target Copy for $15. For this main focal point, I purchased a framed picture from Goodwill for $5.99, popped the old picture out, and then put the perfectly crafted graphic inside the wooden frame.

Next, I had two small wooden framed paintings that were just not my style. Luckily, I realized these would make something great and saved them from being sold at a yard sale. One day it came to me, silhouette pictures! My grandma has one of my mom and her sisters that I have always loved. Justin mentioned they would be easy to make so we snapped these simple (and unattractive) pictures of ourselves to get a solid profile of our faces. Justin then used Adobe Illustrator to create the silhouettes.

The other items I decided to add to the mix were a golden picture frame from Justin’s family but decided to paint it with Terra Cotta colored acrylic paint. I cut a piece of cardstock in a design that I liked and inserted it into the frame. Also, I found a small, round mirror from Marshall’s for $4.99 that I changed from silver to a gray by painting it with acrylic paint from Jo-Ann Fabrics. 

The final objects I used were a feathered circle I previously purchased from Michael’s, one of my favorite pictures of Justin and me and a metal letter “B.” I bought a circular, white picture frame from Marshall’s for $4.99 then cut a piece of houndstooth cardstock and placed it inside. Now that I had all the pieces, I laid out the items in the design I liked best and began affixing them to the wall using nails and Command Strips. My unifying color palette of gray, terra cotta and wood worked out nicely.

As I am constantly shifting things around in my house, this turns out to be the perfect solution for me since items can be added or swapped out from the eclectic mix whenever I need a change. Sweet dreams to me!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone! It's been a few weeks since I've posted regularly due to an insane schedule, but because this is my most favorite holiday ever, I wanted to share with you guys a pumpkin party I recently hosted as well as my Halloween decor. It's no secret pumpkin painting is growing increasingly popular, and I love that they last longer than carved pumpkins and they're so much prettier. A few weeks ago I hosted a small get together with a few friends to welcome fall with some pumpkin painting, and we had a lot of fun.

I kept things very low key by pulling out various colors of paint and spray paint from my paint drawer. I also supplied tape, stencils and paint brushes for application.

For my pumpkin, I started by taping off some polka dots and giving my guy a coat of black spray paint. (I know I say this a lot, but it really does make such a difference in coverage when you go with a better brand of paint. I like Krylon or Rustoleum as they give great coverage in very few coats. If you go with the inexpensive stuff, you'll need three coats to provide the same coverage of one good quality can. So save yourself some time and invest in the best.) After the black was dry, I removed the tape to reveal orange circles and added silver and gold dots to the mix as well. The entire project took about an hour -- of course that hour also included mimosas and yummy treats, so no complaints here.

Here are the pumpkins all together after finishing. And I'm wrapping up the post with my Halloween decor. Most of this stuff I already had in my stash, but I did add the framed "31" this year. That number is one I use on a regular basis, so I'm quite fond of it. Last year I made the orange, black and white tassels, and I was so happy to reuse them again this year.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and end the night with some sweet treats! XOXO

Guest Post: Upcycled Fall Decor

After a week-long hiatus -- unfortunately blogging sometimes has to take a backseat when it's not your main gig -- today I am sharing with you guys Ashlie's ideas for bringing life back into empty bottles to create some affordable fall decor. Enjoy!

My good friend and fellow guest blogger, Becca, did a previous post about transforming bottles into customized home decor. I, too, have collected numerous bottles of different shapes and sizes and love finding new ways to utilize them. Some were purchased and saved for future use, others were gifted and a few are antique finds. The versatility of these little gems is what makes them so great. I have put together a few groupings and hope that you see at least one that piques your interest.

I started out by soaking the bottles in really hot, soapy water and used an SOS Pad to scrub the labels and adhesive from the glass. Once that is complete, it's time to utilize your inexpensive new house accessory.

MATERIALS

OWNED - White String Lights, Bottles, Teflon Tape -1/2"
PURCHASED - Lowes & Home Depot - Yellow Mums, 1/2''-3/8" copper coupling,1/2" copper cap,  replacement tiki torch wicks, torch fuel
GIFTED - Single blooms, wine carafe, moss green decorative sticks, Pumpkin

Here I simply cut a few stems from the mum plant and placed them in dark green and brown bottles. The colors really pop and this can be used as a centerpiece or just to brighten up a room. The beauty of this is that you really can't mess it up! Just add or take away and customize to the area you have to work with.

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This time I used some white Christmas lights inside of a clear wine carafe and used the remaining lights to wrap around the mums and the table legs. I also used things around the house to put together some autumnal outdoor decor.

Now for the in depth portion of this project...Wine Bottle Lanterns.

I do need to give some major kudos to my Hubby yet again, as he did the mounting and necessary adjustments to make it all come together. I first heard about this project from a friend of mine and had been wanting to try it ever since. The materials are fairly inexpensive and were all purchased from Lowes and Home Depot; materials for the lantern and the mount were probably around $25 for everything. This is of course after 3 total trips to different stores and purchasing incorrect materials. However, if you have done any type of home project, then you know that is all part of the finished project! Due to the fact that this was a project that Lee actually had to complete for me, I am including some helpful "How To" sites that may provide you with a more directive approach. It includes a list of materials as well.

First, wrap the larger end of the coupling with Teflon tape until it is securely nestled in the mouth of the bottle. Next, place the wick inside of the coupling so that it extends about 1/2 " above the end. Pour the fuel into the bottle, ensuring that you fill it up enough to meet of the end of the wick. (You may find longer ones online vs. your local home improvement store.)   Finally, insert the wick in the mouth of the bottle and tighten the hex bolt for a snug fit. The 1/2" copper cap is placed on top of your wick to keep it dry while not in use.  

Mounting Instructions - http://www.gerardotandco.com/blog/recycled-bottle-torch/

Now it's time to channel your creative side for an autumnal inspired outdoor gathering!