Finished Autumn Mantel

A couple of weeks ago I posted my almost finished Autumn Mantel.  I think this is about as good as it's going to get.  Since I haven't had the chance to go pumpkin picking I thought I would add more white in other ways.  This mantel is BIG so it 's not an easy thing to decorate.  Another one of Mr. Country's DIY projects.

For the overmantel, I decided to use all of my chalk painted frames in a collage and wove some autumn garland, that I got at Michael's, through it.  

I covered the vintage books in white paper that I save from all of my Marshall's purchases......and added Mr. Crow!

Of course the boys always have to put their touch on everything.....Nicholas went 

Bat Silhouette happy!

The urns were once an unattractive tan color that I repainted with Chalk Paint.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see the finished product....for now at least!  I'll be linking to...

The Lettered Cottage

Black and White

I guess you can say that I am definitely not a minimalist.  In my world it's "the more the better".  Over the weekend I decided to give my dining room buffet an seasonal change. Don't know where this vignette came from but it just evolved somehow.  Mr. Country was a little baffled when he saw me decoupage book pages to pumpkins.  It was a daunting task but I the love the look.  Who would have thought, pumpkins covered in book print!

So with book print in mind I thought a black and white vignette would be a nice direction for my buffet.  And of course, out came my chalk paint again and I painted away...pumpkins, roosters and boxes. 

Something was still missing so......

 .....I added an element of Spooky and this was just the right finishing touch, thanks to the Dollar Tree!  Did you know that you can get a package of 15 silhouettes and these lovely cutouts for $1.00. 

It's amazing what you can create with things that are hanging around you home!  Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be linking up to,

Table Top Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Feathered Nest Friday

Potpourri Friday at 2805

My Favorite Cupboard.....Autumn Style

Happy Autumn everyone.  What a perfect day to give my antique cupboard a lovely autumn facelift.  

Since I've been using a lot of white lately I thought it would be nice to keep this theme going.  Doesn't she look perty!  

Out came my chalk paint and brushes...let the painting begin.  

I had a lot of black and orange pumpkins that I used in previous years so repainted them instead of buying new ones.  

I also painted the frame and the pot holding the pumpkins.  

The two little wooden boxes are another garage sale find of mine.  

I got this birdcage from a  antique store while visiting a friend.  The bird cage itself is not an antique but the metal it was made out of is.  

As for this old wooden

 suitcase, I've thought of painting it but can't bring myself to do it.  

It just has so much charm.  

I have cases of old books that I've collected through the years.  I use them in 

just about every room in my home.  Some of them date back to the late 1800's.  I always wonder if they are worth anything.  

Aren't these the cutest little boys...Nicholas and Matthew when they were toddlers.

A lot of my books have ripped bindings but doesn't that just adds to the charm?  

Eeeek.....where did they come from!

 Hope you enjoyed reading about my Autumn cupboard makeover,  I'll be linking up with,

At The Picket Fence

Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home

VIntage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Dittle Dattle

Everything-Under the Moon

Bunny Jeans Bunny Hop

Decor To Adore

Wickedly Creative Halloween Ideas at Itsy Bitsy Paper

Changing Up My Hutch

Once again I got bored with my dining room hutch so I decided to change it up a bit. Here is the before of the when I was originally trying to decide what to do with it.  I'm still thinking of lining the back of the cabinet with burlap or some other type of natural fabric to lighten it up a bit.  What do you think? 

I thought that all of the white would look great with autumn's punch of color.  I had these two sconces hanging in the living room but think they look much better flanking both sides of this cabinet.  

Yup, I'm loving the orange and white together.  This is quite a new look for me.  Blogging has definitely gotten me to think out of that same old box.  The inspiration out there is amazing!

Check out my new scarecrow tassel...isn't he the cutest. Kristen from Kristen's Creations made him.  If you haven't been to her site you must visit.  She is such a talented lady, her floral arrangements are gorgeous.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my new look.  I'll be partying with,

Metamorphosis Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Bunny Jeans Bunny Hop

Savvy Southern Style

No Minimalist Here

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Adding Autumn

I've been putting off my decorating because I thought it was too early but all of this rain and gloomy weather has made me decide otherwise.  I figured since I had to put on a jacket and jeans that was reason enough for me to start decorating for fall.  So down came the boxes....let the decorating begin!

I wanted to change things up a bit this year so while rummaging through my "stuff" I came across two tan colored ceramic pots that I really didn't like anymore.  Out came the chalk paint, and while I was at it I painted some faux gourds and pumpkins. 

This is what the pots looked like before....I really wasn't digging the color anymore but still liked the style.

I painted them in Old White chalk paint and then used the clear and dark wax to give them an old world look.  

I've always had a tough time decorating this mantel since it's oak and not white like most other mantels.  Things seem to disappear on it.  I thought that adding white would be a nice change, especially since I love white pumpkins.  

I added some old books to add height where it's needed.  

I found this chicken wire cloche at Home Good's today for $10.00 and had to have it.  It works great with the mantel theme that I am trying to achieve this year.  

Now I just have to wait until the pumpkins and gourds are ready to be picked!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be partying with,

Between Naps on the Porch

Amaze Me Monday

Tabletop Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Savvy Southern Style

No Minimalist Here

2805 - Potpourri Party

The Inspired Room

10 Years Later

We had just moved into our beautiful new home exactly two months earlier on July 11th.  Life couldn't get much better except for that little baby we were trying to have.  

My husbands truck was in the shop again so I drove him to work that morning.  What a gorgeous clear morning in was, driving around with my sun roof open, blasting my favorite music on the radio.  

Maybe I'll stop and get some mums for the front porch on the way home, I thought.  Oblivious to what was going on, I pulled into the garden center, bought my mums and was on my merry way.  As I was pulling into my driveway my neighbor comes running outside screaming and yelling. I'm thinking, okay, now what.  She started to tell me what was happening and again I'm thinking to myself that she's overreacting once again, this has to be an accident.  We go into her home and are sitting on the step in her family room watching the news broadcast when the second plane hit the north tower.  I just started to cry.  How could this be, why would anyone want to hurt us, we are a peaceful nation.  Gone was the world like we once knew it, gone were my rose colored glasses.  

I than started to panic because my father-in-law was working in the the city and we have neighbors that were working there also.  They all made it out okay, took them most of the day and night to get home but we were so thankful that they weren't hurt.  

A few days earlier my husband and I went to an Adoption Agency Open House.  IVF wasn't working so we decided to take another route to start our family.  After 9/11 there was no way I was getting on a plane to Russia or any place else for that matter. At that point I made up my mind to find another fertility doctor and to not stop until I was pregnant.  My wish came true, it took awhile but 1 1/2 years later I had a beautiful baby boy.  

I think that what happened on September 11, 2001 effected all of us in one way or another.  For me, it gave me the strength to go after what I wanted with everything that I had inside of me.  

I've been watching all of the news specials these past couple of days, reliving all of the events of what happened that day 10 years ago.  What is amazing me is seeing all of the children that were either babies on, or born after 911 who had a parent killed that day.  They are turning into such courageous young ladies and men.  They are being taught not to hate but to help others in need like help came to them during this travesty.  

   

Thanks so much for stopping by.  May God Bless everyone who perished on that awful day, may he watch over all of the families that were left behind but most of all I pray that he is watching over all of those beautiful children that lost their mothers and fathers.