Tag Archives: family room

Weekly Wishlist: Watercolor Trees by Angie Vandenbogaard

I’ve been admiring Angie’s watercolor trees ever since I discovered Etsy (circa 2008). There’s something about them that just makes me smile. She offers a bright, bold, friendly palette of colors, and I love the unique personality that each print takes on.

After so many years of admiring, I’ve finally purchased one for myself!

This is her “Hello” Print.

And I promise, promise, promise that one of these days, the elusive Family Room Gallery Wall is going to make an appearance (I’m saying this more for me than for you. I need to get a move on!). What I expected to be a quick, throw-it-together display turned into a time consuming “labor of love” where I began second-guessing everything I chose… But it’s all good now. It’s underway. And this adorable “Hello” print will be prominently featured!

You can shop Angie’s prints on Etsy here.

Autumn Mantel Makeover

Thought I’d pop in today to share the seasonal spruce-up I gave to my mantle (and a bookshelf) last night! I was inspired by some of the ideas I found yesterday through The Lettered Cottage Fall Decorating Link Party. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should! There are plenty of cute, clever and creative ideas to be found!

I literally cut these sticks out of a smaller, dead tree in our backyard. We’re planning on taking it out, so we might as well put it to use for decorating! The vase fillers were in a set decorative fillers I bought a few years ago. I think I got them at Michaels.

If you haven’t already guessed. I LIKE SPARKLY THINGS! The mercury glass candle holder was part of a set of 3 from Kohl’s earlier this year (snagged ’em on clearance for $6! So I got 2 sets). The brown tealight holder probably came from Michaels (I’ve had it for a few years).

Most of the items I used are things I already had, like the hurricane vase (Bed, Bath & Beyond, circa 2007). I just switched out the usual candle for acorns. The metallic pumpkin is new – Michaels had all of their fall accents for 50% off last week! Booyah! The gold pumpkin and glittery crow above (I’m calling it a raven in honor of Edgar Allan Poe) were also sale finds from Michaels! The purple glass spikey things were made by my cousin, who’s a glass artist.

Here’s one last shot of the whole mantle:

Now, on to the bookcase! I’ve been struggling with what to do with this space. I think I’m happy with this arrangement. But that doesn’t mean it won’t change 😉

Aren’t those flowers pretty? The color palette is so perfect for this time of the year, and I think they do a nice job of complementing my Subway Canvas. Check out how I made it here.

I just love that Scentsy owl warmer! And the Caramel Pear Crisp scent inside isn’t bad either!

Well, that about covers my mantle and bookshelf makeover! Hope you like it!

PS- Sorry that these photos are a bit grainy – I took them with my phone… and it was dusk, so the lighting wasn’t the best. I was too anxious to blog about my makeover to wait for the weekend, i.e. the benefit of natural daylight. Sorry. I’m impatient. I’m trying to work on it. Especially since my impatience is constantly at odds with the care and detail that needs to go into things like drilling holes in walls and painting…

*Update – I linked this post up to Centsational Girl’s Autumn Mantle Party. There are soooo many great ideas! I wish I had more mantles in my house!

Weekly Wishlist: Autumn Accents

It’s beginning to look a lot like… Autumn! In preparation for the changing of the seasons, I’ve pulled together some home accents that really set the mood for crisp nights, hot cider and weekends spent watching football.

by WorleysLighting on Etsy

The natural texture of these candle holders feel perfect for fall. Check out their shop for more sizes and shapes. With so many options, you could create a nice little arrangement on a mantle, shelf, or even a table centerpiece.

by feltjar on Etsy

These felted acorns would look so cute collected in a dish or bowl, or even just casually scattered on a table. The plum and chartreuse palette is a fresh take on traditional reds, oranges and yellows. (And would perfectly match my family room, wink, wink).

by TheBakersDaughter on Etsy!

I ADORE this wreath – the raven totally makes it. And makes me want to read some Poe.

by claylicious on Etsy

You knew there had to be an owl in here, right? 😉 Love me some owls!

by My Sweet Savannah (found via Pinterest)

These pumpkins are so fun! I have so many visions for my front porch this season… I think I need to make some room for some painted pumpkins! Imagine the possibilities!

What’s on your wishlist this week? How do you incorporate Autumn elements into your decor? (I’m still working on this… my collection of Autumn decor is pitifully small… trying to do a few vignettes around the house without breaking the bank!)

Weekend Photo Montage

Whew! It was a long, busy weekend! Apologies for the lack of a photo post on Friday – I was hauling dirt around our yard all day. In lieu of that, here’s a weekend recap in photos!

An “after” photo of Friday’s hard work. Doesn’t look like much, but we pulled crabgrass, spread dirt to fill in the holes we created, and re-seeded in hopes that next spring’s yard will be lush, green, and weed-free!

The berries are starting to come out on my Snowberry bush. So pretty!

Captured some raindrops on one of the Knockout rose bushes in our front yard.

We went to a wedding on Saturday night that was hosted in an art gallery. A cool environment, with a really cool view of Cincinnati at sunset.

On the way out of the reception, Tom sat down in these funky, mod chairs. I think he looks pretty handsome, no? Like Mad Men meets James Bond?

On Sunday, my mom and I hit up the Burlington Antique Show across the river in Burlington, KY. I picked up this little table – it’s the perfect size to fit between our two accent chairs. And it was only $28!! Now I just need to decide how I want to refinish it. I think spray painting is in order (yellow? black lacquer? metallic?) and I’m debating adding a mirror trim, a la Kristin of Bliss (check out her DIY makeover here). What gets your vote??

I also picked up some new, upcycled yard art at the antique show! The dragonfly is make out of silverware handles (so clever!) and the flower is made out of glass bowls. The center is a tiny amber beer mug! Ha! Love that! You can check out the artists’ website here – Allglassflowers.com.

That about covers my weekend! We finished Sunday out by watching football (welcome back, old friend) and eating some delicious black bean and zucchini chili (recipe from Real Simple)…

Now that’s what I call a good weekend!