Saturday, December 31, 2016

~ New Year 2017


Wishing You a
Very Healthy, Peaceful
and
Happy New Year!

 

Sunday, December 4, 2016

~ Christmas - A Time of Giving


The Decorated House ~ Donna - A Time of Giviing


The Joy of Giving. This year more than ever, I hope that it is a time of giving and showing compassion.  We can never really know what the next few years may hold for us, but we do know that when we open our hearts and give, it makes us feel wonderful too. 

It becomes a bit of a countdown this time of year, finding the last gifts, wrapping presents, planning meals or trips. Maybe you research charities for a lovely end of the year gift where it is needed.
Whenever I see lots of presents all wrapped up, it makes me think of what a great time of the year it is to remember some of the best charities who depend on us to help them do their work. 

Please consider checking Charity Navigator to see how a particular charity spends the money that is donated. You can check to see how the CEO of the organization is paid and if they are paying a good portion of the donations to professional fundraiser companies. Both are red flags that may make you give you money to a more worthy charity.  Sometimes it might surprise you to see exactly where your money goes. Just because a group calls themselves a charity doesn't mean that they really are doing much charity work at all.

Most people who do the research will also tell you to look in your own home town, maybe first. The cancer centers, or centers for women and children in your area may have more need than the ones you see on TV all the time and may well make better use of your money and gifts. There are homeless shelters, pet rescue groups, charities that take care of those in need everyday, right where we live.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

~ Wishing You All A Very Happy ThanksGiving Day

The Decorated House ~ Happy Thanksgiving - Velvet Pumpkins & Antique Books

Wishing each of you
a very Happy and Peaceful ThanksGiving Day

Friday, October 21, 2016

Black and White for Halloween, Elegant and Whimsical.

Halloween Decorating - Elegant Black and White - The Decorated House
As the cooler Fall weather finally reaches us, I usually get a burst of energy and a desire to get some projects done. This year we have been hard at work for a couple of months already. So it feels more like time to sit back with a good book or great movie. Although I'm not doing as much Halloween decorating this year, I have noticed there is no need to add pretend spider webs or dust to make things look scary. It feels like a layer of dust is on everything!

We're working on the den/family room. We found some damage in there, and I thought we should tear somethings apart before hiring anyone, so we would know exactly what we were going to be dealing with. Like the ol' days, it turned out to be the first step in just doing the work ourselves, even though I swore those days were gone. After the demolition, things have gone very well, slowly without rush, just getting it done. We have a lot to do yet. Somehow "re"modeling and working around older construction always takes twice as much effort and time. 

Now if I can just get a magic broom to go sweep up the dust bunnies, I think I could continue reading a good book and enjoy the show. I hope you are all enjoying your season of Autumn.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

~ Fall Decorating ~ Get Ready for Halloween

I love the fact that so many people still find fun and joy in Halloween. The days seem to have suddenly grown shorter, even though the cooler weather hasn't found us yet. It will soon
enough, so there is no complaining here. I am sure that Halloween will still be lot of black and
 white for me, and the Mercury glass pumpkins and the velvet pumpkins are still  favorites.

Beau Bunny and his friends are decked out in Halloween attire in the shop and available now. 
Emily Grace likes to pose with her sweet black kitty and Raven, too.

The Decorated House - Halloween, Velvet Pumpkins, Mercury Glass Pumpkins

See Y'All Soon~

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Thursday, September 15, 2016

~ How To : Antique Glaze and Wet Distressing - A Perfectly Imperfect Frame with Annie Sloan Paris Grey Chalk Paint

The Decorated House :: How to Glaze and Distress Chalk Paint
Fall is my favorite time to fluff the nest! The shorter days means less daylight to work on projects, the cooler temperatures sure help. So let's get painting!

I'm sure the shop owners shop owners and workers were laughing as we walked out the door with the old frames. The frames looked really bad and didn't give much hope of looking better any time soon. The sellers must have thought what a stroke of luck to find anyone who would actually pay money for that old junk. But their junk was a perfect find for me.

This one was actually in two pieces. The inside needed to be reattached to the outside molding. And some of the original carving was missing. It was certainly past its prime in life. It made me so want to make it look good again. Here's how work with different colors and using a wet distressing technique.

Monday, July 18, 2016

~ How To Create a Faux Cement Paint Finish ~ Urn & Succulents Gardening


How to Create a Faux Cement Paint Finish

using an inexpensive plastic - resin urn. 

Update: May 2016
The urn was painted 4 years ago. It has been on a covered step/porch area
 out of the direct elements of sun, wind, etc., but it has also been outside with my other pots for   months at a time. It looks exactly like it did when it was first done. The only changes have been keeping the plants to a nice size. Even succulents can get quite large. The aloe grew a lot and was cut back and some put in the ground or in other pots. The other succulents have been clipped as need, but all did very well. It is now about time to replant the whole thing, but it lasted for a few years with very little attention. The urn itself is doing a bit more aging with the rain and humidity, but the paint has held up very nicely.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

After going without rain for some time and spending so much time watering to keep all the pretties alive, we had a few days of non-stop rain. Another downpour early this morning, before the plants could dry out even a little from the last few days. Mother Nature teaches us patience or why it's good to buy plants where there is a one year guarantee.

Click on "Continue Reading" Link Below for the Instructions:


Friday, June 24, 2016

~ Get This Look For Less


What an inviting room! It doesn't look like a room where a couple of kids play, but it could easily be so with the addition of some storage for toys.  Although it appears to be missing a TV,  they tucked a not too large one inside the armoire. 

This room would be extremely easy for you to get the look. 
Only element could prove a bit difficult and that would be the antique cane back sofa. But there are many other options you could choose. 

This home was featured by Country Living and is the creation of Emily and Michael Knotts of NC.  They fully utilized trips to garage or tag sale, on line thrift find sites, and the good ol' big box hardware store.

 Some of the details in the Living Room

Curtains: Love the simple window treatments  that Emily sewed herself of $9 a yard  cotton to mimic the more look of a more expensive linen. It is a sheer cotton, that is most likely at least twice the width of the windows for fullness. The biggest mistake that I see when people use a cheaper fabric is that the still skimp on the amount of fabric they use. This makes cheap fabric look simple cheap. To get to a more chic look use more yardage, more width and get a fuller look so it doesn't look like you tossed a drop cloth up there. 
 
Sofa:  The 1920s cane sofa  was a  steal at $250  from Craigslist. I've never had that kind of luck to find one in such good condition for that price. She recovered it in a drop cloth, which is perfect for washing or recycling a few years down the road if kids and pups give it a bit too much wear.



White Chair:  Thrift store find. You probably recognized it as from Ikea. This I would just purchase new since it is an upholstered piece because of dust mites etc. I know lots of people are perfectly find with buying it used. However it isn't expensive to begin with. Also if you would like a much better chair that this, and you do find a resell one, you can have it reupholstered for a much longer lasting addition to your decor.


Wingback Chair: GoodWill find redone in a drop cloth. Same as the white chair, you could totally reupholster one you find at a thrift store. It is also a good idea to check upscale consignment shops,
A lot less likely to have any unwanted passengers in the fabric or upholstery.

Ladder, $5: Emily's go-to vintage source, Cline's Country Antiques near Charlotte, harbored this ladder. (clinesantiquesmpnc.com)


Lighting, $24: A $4 socket plus a $20 garden lantern equals a pendant lamp with organic appeal. (Socket; ikea.com. Similar bamboo lantern, $89.99; nova68.com)
Wardrobe, $100: This $60 wardrobe from Cline's, fronted with two $20 custom-cut Lowe's mirrors, hides the Knottses' TV. (lowes.com)
Carpet, $150: Emily bought this sea-grass rug at Hall's Flooring in Charlotte. (hallsflooring.com)
Wooden crate, $3: Another Cline's discovery, this fruit crate holds antique glass fishing floats.

 

Reading Nook

Wall art, $30: Emily won this 1909 pull-down map on eBay.
Chair, $60: This secondhand chair and footstool from Goodwill currently go for $349.99 total at Ikea, new.
Shelving, $4: A pair of $2 brackets convert free driftwood into a floating shelf. "Sea glass, spring branches, and driftwood bring beauty into your home—for free," Emily advises. (lowes.com)

Monday, June 6, 2016

~ How To Make a 5 Minute Pillow ... Maybe 10 Mins.

The Decorated House - How to Make a 5 min. Pillow Cover

You can make a pillow like this in 5 minutes!
(Or maybe 10 if you are like me with sewing.)
Tutorial and Step by Step Directions:
-------------------
Click on "Continue Reading" Link Below for the Instructions:

Saturday, February 6, 2016

~ Valentine's Day Decorating Ideas

Valentine's Day Decorating :: Pillow by The Decorated House


It's almost Valentine's Day! 
Here are a few ideas for your holiday decorating. 
Click on the pictures for more pictures and 
the full post for each one. 

Valentine's Day Mantel : Black and White with Pink by Donna @ The Decorated House


Click on "Continue Reading" Link Below