finally! my Fall foyer reveal…

In case anyone needs a reminder, several weeks ago I did a post on my big foyer mess-up. You can read about it HERE, but basically it had to do with re-painting my entry chest. Well, I finally finished the chest and in addition, I’ve made a few more changes to my entry way I thought I’d share today.

This is my BEFORE photo of my hat rack and plates.

If you’re interested, you can see my entire FOYER post here.

And this is my new look.

How do you like that vintage hat in a rich pumpkin color? I found it yesterday in an antique store and I couldn’t resist adding it to my hat rack for a Fall touch. I also attached a cream colored flower to one of the hats and I switched the plates to ones that feel a tad lighter and more feminine, just for a change. I bought those plates for $3.99 each from Ross, quite a bargain.

This is the mirror I had there before. And I loved it, but it contributed to a heavy, masculine look that I was tired of…so I painted it with a fresh coat of white paint, then used sandpaper to rough it up.

Here it is, the creamy white version.

By the way, don’t you love the color of those roses? If I ever win the lottery (which is impossible since I never buy tickets) I’ll always have fresh flowers in every room and back massages daily. Just a random thought.

Anyway, I decided to switch lamps from another room so the one on the entry chest is now smaller with gold accents.

 

This is the BEFORE photo with my little sea grass rug and my dark wood chest and mirror.

And this is my AFTER photo with my larger rug and lighter look. What do you think?

By the way, can you see my white office floors inside the French doors? That’s my bigger project I hope to finish this next week. I’ll keep you posted.

And here’s a peek at my Fall mantel which is almost done. I finally had a chance to work on it last night…

Anyone out there still trying to finish their Fall decorating?

I have to admit, I love this season and all the nesting in the home that comes with it. Although we’re still having ninety degree days here in the Valley. Last night Mr. Moss and I went on a walk with Michael and our rambunctious Stella who still behaves like a puppy and it was such a beautiful, warm evening. I still can’t believe the holidays are right around the corner, can you?

xoxo

Leslie

I’m linking up here:

• http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2012/09/inspiration-friday-no-84welcome.html?
• http://www.commonground-do.com/2012/09/vintage-inspiration-107-sophias-decor.html
• http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/09/feathered-nest-friday_27.html
• http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2012/09/glamour-halloween-show-and-tell-friday.html
• http://www.impartinggrace.com/2012/09/grace-at-home-no-28.html

 

Technorati Tags: home decorating,DIY,foyer decor,country style

creating a room of my own…

Hello dear friends!  If you’ve been visiting my blog lately you know I’m smack in the middle of re-decorating my home office and of course, things have been a bit chaotic here. I’ve been busy with all sorts of DIYer details, and while it’s exciting, being without my office  has taken a toll on my blogging.

It’s also left me feeling a bit out of sorts because my office is where I work and it’s the hub of my little world. So I can’t wait to get it back together.

Do you have a special spot where you do your best work?

Pay bills? Write your daily lists? Make phone calls?

Do you have a certain spot where you blog? 

Virginia Woolf’s famous quote about women having a room of their own was her acknowledgement of how women can flourish when they have a special space to go and creatively express themselves.

Although her life in the Victorian era was a different world than what we live in today, I still think it’s crucial for women to carve out their own favorite spot inside their home.

It doesn’t have to be an entire room. It can be next to a favorite lamp or in front of a window with a nice view.

 

Today I’m sharing some favorite photos of feminine work spaces because that’s what’s on my mind right now. Each of these rooms has something that caught my attention.

Pretty pictures always inspire me… like this one. I love all the details in this room, but my eyes are especially drawn to the blue lamp with the black shade.

Right now I’m deciding what exactly to put on my newly painted white walls, and I’m trying to use restraint but it’s hard for me. I’m not naturally a minimalist.

Here’s a photo I’ve had in my file for a while. It used to be the office for Velvet and Linen’s designer Brooke Giannetti. Let’s see, why did I save it? It must have been the rustic lantern she chose with the French furnishings and muted colors. And of course, I want all those old books! 

Maybe that’s why I like this photo. There’s a desk right in the middle of all those wonderful shelves filled with books and sentimental objects. That’s more my style, but do you think it looks cluttered?

I

I love the white floors and industrial lighting fixtures in this photo…

and the white-washed frames with the green/white combo here, although the pattern is too busy for me. How about you?

I could write forever in this peaceful setting.

And in this cozy room I like the gilt mirror and cream colored drapes next to the rustic table

and I think this cowhide rug looks wonderful next to the metal cabinet and petite wood table. It appeals to my more funky side.

But the most important thing for me is to finally have a place to organize all my paper work and files. Like here in this photo. Is this what your rooms look like? If so, I’m seriously jealous. Right now as I write these words, I can’t imagine having an office that’s finally neat and orderly. But here’s the crazy part..

I’m never happier than when my sleeves are rolled up, my hair’s in a ponytail, and I’m right in the middle of making lots of decisions about paint colors and fabrics and where something should hang on the wall…

Can you relate?

to be continued….

xoxo

Leslie

• http://igottacreate.blogspot.com/2012/09/wildly-original-linky-party-19.html
• http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2012/09/treasure-hunt-thursday-75-highlights.html
• http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/09/transformation-thursday-no-171.html

 

photos via: the decorista, dustjacketattic, BHG, tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com & countryliving.com, brookegiannetti.typepad. com

Technorati Tags: country style offices,feminine work space,where women create,cottage decor

Halloween decorating with black crows

In case you’re wondering, the letter “C” is for Crows.

Well, at least during Halloween.

During the rest of the year this gold letter stands for ‘Create’ and it hangs on my dining room wall with my collection of framed vintage prints. This is the BEFORE photo of my dining room wall last season… before I transformed it into a cool Halloween art gallery of black crows.

via doctormacro

Don’t you just love those screeching black birds? They add that perfectly creepy touch at Halloween, especially when you cluster them in large numbers.

So when I saw this package of twelve crow silhouettes by Martha Stewart, I bought it without knowing exactly what I’d do with it. And then it dawned on me. What about turning my dining room wall into a gallery of crow art? After all, everything was already there, the framed art work and the nail holes…

All I needed were the crow pictures.

So here’s what I made using Martha Stewart’s crow silhouettes.

It was so easy.

I simply cut white poster board to fit inside the framed artwork I already had hanging.

And I covered each white poster board piece with old book pages…

But first I decided to draw lines on the poster board to use as a guide. I wanted the pages to appear straight, so l lined them up, then used double stick tape to attach them. 

After the poster board was completely covered with book pages I attached a single crow silhouette in the center using the adhesive dots that are included in the package. And voila! You have instant Halloween art for your haunted house. The final step is attaching the poster board to the front of your glass, and again, I used tape.

What do you think? If you’re interested in how I made the doll head chandelier, you can Click here. But back to the crows.

I added a few more birds here…

and there…

And then I made this Crow’s Nest using my pot rack.

Do you like it? Here’s how I did it:

I sprayed some branches black and attached them with wire. Then I added burlap pieces layered with cheesecloth and dried moss. And of course, lots of crows. The birds were a little tricky to attach to the branches because of the odd angles so I used wire and lots of black masking tape over their feet. As a final touch, I tucked a few small flashlights inside the burlap and on the night of the party I turned these on. In the dark, these lights added a spookiness to the crow display that was perfect!

Well, the countdown to Halloween has begun for all of you Halloween party planners. I hope I gave you some ideas you can use…let me know how it’s going, I love to hear about party details.

In the meantime, I’m linking up here:

• http://betweennapsontheporch.net/an-historic-swiss-ski-cabin-restoration-and-renovatio/
• http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2012/09/motivate-me-monday-141.html
• http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2012/09/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no132.html
• http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-week-34-at-cowgirl-up-link.html

 

xoxo

Leslie

 

Technorati Tags: martha stewart crow silhouettes,halloween decorating ideas,halloween wall gallery,DIY

my white painted floors: an update

Well, I’m still at it folks. In-between working and family life I’m still focused on getting my office floor painted white. And I’m happy to say I am making progress so I thought I’d give you an update. First, an apology. If you’ve left a comment and haven’t heard back from me it’s only because my computer has been disconnected and moved around right now. I can’t wait to catch up on my blogging world.

And now. Do you remember my cluttered gray office I started with? This is what it looked like when it was almost emptied.

In this last POST I told you about the deglosser product I used and the gripper sealer/primer that followed. This is a photo after the coat of gripper. Now I wish I would have done a second thick coat instead of simply touching up certain areas.

I painted the walls with Behr’s Decorater White. It’s a warm white shade that I really like.

I decided to leave my lighting fixture alone. Right now I like the weighty feeling over my head. And I can always paint this later if it bugs me. 

Plus the lighting fixture coordinates with the curtain rod.

This is the product that I used on the floor. I went with a satin finish after reading how the glossier the finish, the more it exposes every speck of dirt. 

I had a hard time with this one, I love the glossy look in photos like this one.

But I also like the rustic looking, flat paint finish here.

I still may top it off with a clear coat, I need to do some more homework. What do you think?

I’m told that porch paint needs to dry for 24 hours in-between coats. So I’m waiting to add another coat right now.

But here’s a peek, and I’m loving it so far. Although I’m going to have to go out and buy one of those swifter sweepers for this floor. I already know that.

And of course… one project always seems to lead to another. Once I got my Pottery Barn desk unit outside I suddenly saw all the nicks and discolorations, and yikes, it looked grubby. So I got online HERE and HERE and found out you could paint laminate wood. So right now I’m touching up my desk furniture too.

If you open my front door this is the first thing you’ll see. A partially painted file cabinet. And me, with paint specks all over my body.

And my half-finished white painted floor. Stay tuned for more…

How about you? What’s going on in your life?

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Thanks for checking in, I’m linking up at these fun places:

• http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2012/09/wow-us-wednesdays-84.html
• http://igottacreate.blogspot.com/2012/09/wildly-original-bewitching-fall-linky_19.html?
• http://www.impartinggrace.com/2012/09/grace-at-home-no-27.html
• http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2012/09/treasure-hunt-thursday-74-highlights.html
• http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/09/southern-accents-architectural-antiques.html
• http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2012/09/its-inspiration-friday-no-83-welcome.html?

 

 

xoxo

Leslie

 

Technorati Tags: white painted floors,DIY,office transformation,cottage decor