New Find

Check out this basket I found the other day at Home Goods (sorry the price tag is still on it)! I've been wanting one for a long time, but haven't been able to find one. It jumped right into my shopping cart to find it's new home on my mantle.

I'm linking to the nester's mantle party.

A Few Projects...

I love to look at blogs that show different interior design ideas and DIY projects--I spend way too much time looking and not enough time doing!! One of the hardest places to decorate for me is the fireplace mantle. I have never been able to get it right, so I've been spending a lot of time redecorating, moving and making things for it. Bill never knows what it's going to look like when he comes home from work.

My first project was this burlap wreath. I've seen these done on a ton of blogs, so I decided to give it a try, but I had to make it twice as big for over the fireplace. What do you think? I think the ribbon needs to be wider or something. Any ideas?

It still needs more work--picture in the frame at the end, switch out the pine cones for spring, maybe make some more jute balls for the containers, etc...... Any ideas?

I love burlap these days, so I put some in this picture frame as a mat. Love it.

Decorative balls are a great filler, so I experimented with sheet music, rope and jute. I think I might try making one with burlap.

See my little pillows I got from the giveaway I won? I was expecting them to be a little bigger for my couch, but oh well. They're cute anyway.

My next project is this baby. Still haven't painted the cabinets from the incident here. I'm not looking forward to that job. I'm also painting the walls behind the shelves the same blue as the kitchen here. I haven't decided if I want to paint the middle section since it's built out and not wall behind it. What do you think?

I'm also having the famous red ottoman reupholstered--poor thing has had a rough go of it since Miss Sophie came along! It will be fun to change this room up a bit. Any other ideas?

Ballard Design Lamp Revamp

I know I said I was going to show my burlap projects, but I just finished this lamp and I was excited to show it. See this lovely lamp from Ballard Design? Isn't it cute??? A little out of my price range right now, but I thought I had something similar!





Enter this Pier 1 beauty I've had for years and never really liked (I actually have two that sit on my buffet in my upstairs hall).







After a fresh coat of spray paint and A LOT of braided jute this is what I got (sorry about the bad pic--bad lighting)!!!! I love it! Now I just have to finish the other lamp and do A LOT more braiding!






So, what do you think??

I'm linking up to Thrify Decor Chick, The Shabby Chic Cottage, The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shanty 2 Chic, A Soft Place to Land, Today's Creative Blog, Blue Cricket Design, Room To Inspire and Between Naps on the Porch

I WON!!!

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, and yes I am still alive. I can't believe the grief I get when I don't blog--who wants to listen to little ol' me ramble on??


Well, I've got good news! I have FINALLY won a blog giveaway!!! Yep, see these cute babies below--the beautiful burlap pillows (oh, how I love burlap these days)??? I won 'em! I was so excited this morning when I found out that I was jumping around screaming and Abby finally came over to me and put her hand over my mouth to shush me! She's such a little mother--even to the mother! :)







Anywho, I won them from The Country Chic Cottage which is one of my newest blog finds! Angie, she and I are tight now btw, makes a ton of cute things that are totally do-able, even for me!!! Her blog is on my sidebar or here at http://thecountrychiccottage.net/.


I have some projects I'm working on with burlap that I'll show you later on this week. Oh, and it's official--I'm addicted to spray paint, specifically Heirloom White spray paint. "Hello, my name is Andrea and I'm a spray paint-aholic!" Bill is starting to think that nothing in the house is safe from my can of spray paint. More on that later!

Need a Massage?

Need a massage? Well I know just the person for you! Cute Liz Dowdle Felix has just graduated from Massage Therapy School and is open for business offering great rates!! Pop in for some post-holiday stress relief!

Do you Covet?

Hi Friends. My cute niece has just started a new blog of all her finds while shopping the internet called Classy Covet! She has fabulous taste that stays within a budget...what we all need! So drop on over to her site here http://classycovet.blogspot.com/ and show her some love!



P.S. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten I need to finish my recap of 2009. I've been a little busy having a hysterectomy! :)

2009 Year in Review (Part 1)

Happy New Year!! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to 2010! I'm excited to get Christmas cleaned up, purge my house of junk and start getting organized again! My cute friend Dee Dee was taking a look back at 2009 on her blog and I loved it! With her permission I'm doing the same, so enjoy a first look back at our year.



Jake and Abby went snowmobiling for the first time this year in Midway thanks to Rob! We love you! Thanks also to Liz, Celeste and Kent for making that happen! The kids and Bill loved it!





The kids were looking good in their layered looks! Thanks so much Julie and Mark for the darling jacket for Sophie!





The kids did some serious sledding on the sleds they got from Santa. Bill pulled them around the neighborhood behind the small John Deere tractor A LOT!






We enjoyed watching Jake play Junior Jazz. He had a great time!






Abby got to get all dressed up for a night out at The Roof and the symphony for her best friend Lily's birthday. They ate shrimp, flirted with their server, and ate a ton from the dessert bar!




Stay tuned for my next installment of our year in review!