Wreath

I love wreaths. They're super cute, easy to make and a reflection of your style. Walk into any craft or dollar store and you can gather up materials needed to put one together. Now that's easy-peasy!

The one our door is sporting was created from 'scraps' laying around the house. I literally stuffed that 'Z' right into the circle. Boom. Wreath created. I believe this is how our glorious God created our wonderful world; one wave of his hand and Bam-a-lam! World. This isn't quite as big, but hey, its the entrance to my little world, so why not?

Here's what I used - - it was created sporadically and today when I opened the door from fetching the mail, I decided the 'Z' that was residing on our shelf simply had to be placed into that lonely ol' wreath.

• Letter - whatever one you like. Ours stands for 'zoo' because that is the zone you enter upon opening ;)-
• Craft paper - I dressed 'Z' up in an orange design
• Mod Podge
• Branched out wreath - don't know the proper word for it - this is one I've had for years which I bought from the flower section of Michael's
• Ribbon in a burlappy material - also from Michael's

So, its pretty basic. The real work comes from doing a mod podge on the letter with paper. However, that's very simple. Just trace the letter onto the paper, adding about half an inch leeway between what you traced and where you cut. Then, take the paper you cut, and glue it right onto the letter with your mod podge. That extra 'leeway' helps you wrap the excess paper around the letter, ensuring the edges are covered.

As for the wreath part, I had the bow tied around it for weeks and wedged the letter into it. Voila! I told you it was easy..

Candlestick Makeover

I admit, I was going to write about a sign I had just made for my kitchen - which I'm super-duper excited about - however, I'm even MORE excited to share a little project involving a couple candlesticks, paint and a cheese dome. Yup... a dome, in my home.

So, here are the before pics (which I'm so proud that I actually took!):

They were in great shape, but the color had to go. I scored these at a thrift store for $1.00 each and was able to see major potential as I had all sorts of ideas dancing in my brain. Certainly I was not going to use them as actual candle holders. I mean, that would be absurd. First of all, my daughter would miraculously get hold of the candles and remove wax bits with her fingernails (been there, done that) and/or my son would get one in his mouth and use it as a teething device for sure. SOOOOO, I went the safe route instead (see below). 

I used simple acrylic craft paint in a flat finish. When I began painting the candle sticks, it did not adhere too well, so I applied a second coat. No biggie, it turned out well covered after that. Once they were dry, I took sandpaper to the scoops and edges for that distressed look. 

I ended up with these: 

Now... I couldn't just leave them standing all pretty without topping them with something. Its like going to an English wedding without a hat, just not acceptable. Here's where that cheese dome comes in [oh, yes I did].

Sort of 'cheesy' on its own, don't you think? (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Like peanut butter to its jelly, these guys belonged together. So, on they went. I have yet to glue them in place because of my commitment issues, but this is the easy part. For now, I will figure out if the "hat" will remain its wooden color or morph into something else. I happen to think its a lovely fall addition, the colors work perfectly for the season and with our table. I also plan on filling this little guy with a few tiny gourds in various colors, which will offset the emptiness of the dome.  

Where did the second candle holder go, you ask? It scurried off right onto our shelf, alongside other 'fall' themed decor. Don't you just loooooooooove autumn? This is why I chose black; colors get warmer as the weather gets colder. Plus, it just pops against all the bright colors of pumpkins and mums! 

Bookcase Decor

We LOVE books in our house. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but we are absolutely obsessive over them. I mean, seriously. One of our local libraries gives away old books and sells {some} really good ones for about .25 each. That's right up our alley. The look, the smell, the wear and tear, are all things we go ga-ga over. 

String and pencils create an intellectual feel

Perfect for a book display!

Can finally display this without all the clutter

More of our tree bark pencils

A thrift store find with my own personal touch

I just love book pages

Having said all this, these books tend to, erm, 'collect' over time and may appear a bit hoarder-ish in our little home. Don't get me wrong, it is my belief that you can never have too many books (I shriek as I say this), but seriously, how many books can you stack up in one area before it becomes a hazard to you and your little kiddies?  

A label and stamps creates this whimsy feel

Ta-da..

Anthro-inspired

A collage of stuff at the top

Today, I packed up a bunch of books and moved them to another room. Of course I've merely shifted the issue to another location, but I'll deal with this another time. Perhaps when my kids are off to college in 18 years? 

I can showcase our dictionary with those old-school tabs

There was a haphazard color wheel happening on our bookshelves for a while. There were books that were collecting that were 'shoved' into place. This wasn't going to fly on my radar much longer, so I decided to deal with it. My babies seemed to be on board with my mission, so I just went with it. 

I was completely inspired by a magazine where a woman turned all her books with the bindings facing inward. Yeah, I know. Totally impractical and my husband is going to FREAK when he's looking for a book, but can't actually locate it! However, it looks cool and is a nice change up from what was there before. It also appears much cleaner and streamlined than before and I'm thrilled that I could shift a couple of plants there as well. Happy all-around. 

A plant from my friend finds a suitable home

Letters from Michael's discount section resides in a vase

Wouldn't be complete without those lights

Its all one muted color and I'm digging it... at least for now.