Merry PINK Christmas...

...is the theme I chose for the shoppe window. Breaking from tradition (which seems to be a common theme as WalMart is carrying pink christmas paper, breast cancer awareness paper,etc). Now I have to be honest and admit I do not like the color pink AT ALL! SO, this was a stretch for me (but I know how y'all LOVE pink, and I am here to please the masses when it comes to merchandise!!). If you see anything you're interested in, shoot me a message!

***** Santa is SOLD!*****

*****Carol frame is SOLD!*******

Rustic Elegance

So when I moved I KNEW I wanted to decorate the next place in a "rustic elegance" style (think classic silver and leathers kinda Ralph Lauren-ish). BUT it was a challenge when everywhere you looked was white walls and a blank canvas! Here's a totally idiotic admission - I was scared to pick the wrong paint color! Now before y'all say "it's only paint" I've said that to myself a million times BUT for some reason, that first color choice on an other wise blank canvas is difficult. BUT a choice has been made...

Remember the mantle wall looked like this?

TA-DA!! Now it looks like this!! Courtesy of "hedgehog" a true value color. I know it looks like a dusty plum but it can also look like a muddy grey...just depends on the lighting. I L O V E it! THe white accessories just POP! off the paint color.
I had the worst time decorating the mantle for thanksgiving(when the walls were white) the silver accents just didn't look right, the white window frame would just blend in with the wall BUT no MORE!! Once the paint was on the walls it was so easy to decorate! It's amazing what a difference paint can make!
NOW, the question is....do I paint the oak fireplace surround a creamy white OR leave it?

Happy WHITE Wednesday! For more white, go to Kathleen's blog http://www.fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! May you all have a blessed holiday with the people you hold near and dear!

Give Thanks

I haven't done too much Turkey Day decorating (couldn't find it from the move in June and when I did there were several larger serveware / deco pieces that were destroyed in the flood - SO that means I should hit the sales the day after Thanksgiving - oh wait, that's Black Friday, I will be shopping anyway!!). I picked up this "Give Thanks" sign at HobLob....maybe not exactly appropriate over the bar OR MAYBE it is!! I LOVE the granny smith apple green and orange combo this fall. For a brief moment I thought I wasn't going to be able to use my apple wreath for Thanksgiving decor as it just wasn't looking "right" that was until I added the green metal serving tray and the give thanks sign BUT still, something wasn't quite right....it was the burlap "ribbon" I had on the wreath (see my post back in September if interested) BUT when I added the orange - POW! Perfect! So I guess that just goes to show if ya really LOVE something, just keep trying until it works!

This next piece is my FAV of the season! I bought the old porch column base at the CUTEST lil antique row (she was a private owner with a barn, a shop, and 3 or 4 cute lil themed out buildings right there on her property). I knew I wanted a cloche look BUT for some reason never picked one up (ok, I do know the reason, I am trying to cut back on unnecessary tchotckes) SO I flipped a vase/pillar holder thing I had on hand upside down, added some of that crazy filler and the cutest metal turkey I just picked up Monday and have a very Pottery Barn-ish display.
The holiday mantle which I am not thrilled with....another case of trying to use what I love(ya know when ya get a pic in your head of what you plan to do and then it doesn't play out that way - here's a case in point). I really wanted to use the silver, the black and white photos of my kids and the turkeys...so we'll see what else I come up tonight when I get it all back on the mantle as the painter is there RIGHT now!! So y'all will see the new color too!
I am selling 2 Johnson Brothers platters....perfect for fall / thanksgiving even Christmas! IF interested leave me a message. One is 12" and the other is approx. 14".

TOP 5 Reasons I L O V E Trader Joe's

Reason NO. 5

FRIENDLY helpful staff! If ya don't see it, ask somebody....I was looking for their Cilantro dressing (LOVE in a bottle...put some on plain 'ol spinach leaves and WOW!) as it turns out, it's current'y on a recall SO if you have a bottle make sure it wasn't on the recall list (I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for when it makes a come back!)

Reason NO. 4

Healthy and affordable! The offerings at Trader Joe's are the direction I am going in regards to healthy / organic eating....(and they offer samples SO you can try before you buy)

Reason NO. 3

You can get an ENTIRE meal wine INCLUDED for under $15.00! That package of pork carnitas from Trader "JOSE" (how funny is that!?!?) fed 2 adults and 2 kids (which ps, the kids LOVED - I was half expecting them to gripe and complain BUT they came back for seconds and thirds). Now I do feel the need to let y'all know I had the balance of ingredients on hand for shredded pork tacos (shredded cheese, diced fresh tomatoes and fresh cilantro BUT these are staples in our home)

SEE? Entire meal for $13.60!
Reason NO.2

FREE Pumpkins! That's right! This FAB cinderella pumpkin and palest of green shade pumpkin on top were FREE! On my way out the door I saw a sign that said "pumpkins .29" I was sure it was by pound even though it didn't have the "lb" after the price....WHAT?! Could these fab varieties really be .29 EACH? So I stood there, hemmed and hawed....realizing I parked downstairs and a block away (as we were doing other shopping).....how would I carry my bags and 4 pumpkins (yes 4 because I needed 2 for each urn)....just then a TJ worker passed and I asked "are these really .29 each?" he replied "I think they're free....lemme check" so now I am all beside myself....and he comes back and says "yep. they're free. the season is over (and I am thinking to myself WHAT?! don't people just decorate for fall? Thanksgiving dinner?) how many do you want? 2?" so I say "um, can I have 4? or is that too many?"

Look very closely and you will see my 2 urns with my pretty (FREE) pumpkins! and that leads me to

REASON NO.1.......to shop at TRADER JOE'S

I left there feeling HAPPY!!!!

Onto the giveaway....Leave me a comment of what YOUR fave item from Trader Joe's is and I will send ya a lil Starbux gift card - enjoy a latte on me for sharing YOUR fave item! Winner will be drawn Sunday at 8pm Illinois time!!

See Mary at http://urbanfarmgirlandco.blogspot.com for a VERY GENEROUS Pottery Barn giveaway!!

Fall Window Boxes

IF you read my post yesterday you know that the summer bounty has faded and left me with empty sad pots AND WINDOW BOXES! I wanted to do something natural looking but not FAKE. I picked these up....

Pretty and simplistic.....
Golden Eucalyptus.....
Now I KNOW gold glittery mica doesn't SCREAM natural BUT they do resemble embellished stix, so I think were good! I don't think the Nester would be too disappointed!
I started with these pitiful looking boxes.....I KNEW the direction I wanted to go....a taller graduated arrangement...all I had on hand were some stix (and a few other fillers you'll see later)
Box on the other side.....LOVE the big 'ol metal star in there!
Hope ya don't mind as ya fallow along on my step-by-step arrangement process! Grab a cuppa joe!
So I added those fab looking natural flowers....that's a lil better.....the stix aren't so lonely anymore....

Then I added those gold stix (after fluffing out to look more natural) on an angle so as to make a lil nest or bed for the gourds and pumpkins....
ABOVE I just stuck it in as it came so you could see the DIFFERENCE between fluffing and stuffing....
See the difference? The bunch on the left looks stiff and un-natural....
Don't be afraid of your artificials! Bend and fluff, trim if necessary....
...using your wire cutters.....MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!!! Here I am trimming the eucalyptus down so I can out in at an angle and continue to make a nest...

and VIOLA!!! The finished product!
Just when any sane person would be done, I add MORE!! Can you spot the difference between the above and below pic? It's almost like where's Waldo!!
In case you weren't up for playing along, I'll just tell ya...I added a HUMONGOUS pine cone and a ceramic plate in fall colors.
So tell me, which do you prefer? The box as it was OR with all the bells and whistles (ie the pine cone and plate). Is the more really too much?
Here are the boxes side by side

This is the first box I showed you. The only difference between the two is the star. The pumpkins and gourds are real, as are the tall stix....the rest, FAB fauxness!! Happy fall y'all! Tomorrow....top 5 reasons I love Trader Joe's and a GIVEAWAY!! Check out f

or fall decorating ideas and gearing up for Christmas!

Midwest Outdoor Fall Decor

The summer growing season has come to a close (even though it's 70 degrees here today which I am LOVING) and with that it means little outdoor greenery. BUT I still wanted the outside to look "happy". SO I cut down the impatients I had in the pot, added the cute lil wagon or truck wheel, some cat tails and a metal pumpkin on a small hook (and I don't think I am ready to stop there....I might add some faux fillers!!)

In the backyard before the expanse of open field (which I do love) there are these utility boxes which I've disliked since day 1 SO over the summer I planted some tiger lillies in front (which SHOULD cover the boxes next year)
and then I added a vintage chair that I filled the missing seat with mums (please forgive me for the dead mums....I kept saying I can get the pic tomorrow and well by the time tomorrow came they were goners. RIP mums)
Notice the chair was strategically placed in front of one of the boxes! I had this iron birdbath stand on the front porch holding a pumpkin in my last post. When I threw the pumpkin away I KNEW the stand couldn't sit empty....
So I went in search of a dish to fill with water to make a lil wildlife retreat. Maya picked this fancy crystal cut bowl....
Ta-da.....
Awwww, what a sweet lil grouping. Not too shabby for a baren photo
Stay tuned! I'm to work on the window boxes next....they were looking pretty pitiful SO I went and bought some faux fillers today...I don't really like to use fake-ies BUT I also don't like a box o' dirt!