Thursday, October 28, 2010

Doppelganger Kitchen

So this week while I was browsing the internet for inspiration, I stumbled across a kitchen that is very similar to my own. I found the image on Country Living and am calling it my kitchen's doppelganger. Here is my kitchen again...


And here is the Country Living kitchen...


Okay, so it's not identical, but it has almost the same paint colour, the same shelves and a similar layout. Anyway, check out the rest of this kitchen... it is gorgeous! 




I love the rounded door and the cute little breakfast nook area. Obviously, the similarities in the kitchen ended with the first photo!  Click here to see the album with before & afters on the Country Living website.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Halloween Decoration

Well, I'm back! It has been so long since my last post. Not a lot has happened other than some trips to the pumpkin patch, some knitting and some cozy-ing up inside with hot drinks. This October has been excellent and I can't believe it is almost over. 

Anyway, while I love to decorate for fall, I don't normally decorate for Halloween. However, this year I wanted to have a small Halloween display. Since, I don't really have any Halloween decor, I found some DIY projects online and tried them out for myself. The first project was a cake stand, which I'll be able to use throughout the year, but for now it is supporting a cute white pumpkin. This project was incredibly easy, quick and cheap and I love the result. I found the instructions on another blog, but unfortunately, I can't remember which one. 

First step is to visit a second hand store and find a silver candle stick and a small silver plate. I found mine at the Salvation Army and paid about $2 for both. I don't love the design on the silver plate, but it was the only one, so I decided to go with it.


The next step is simply to glue the plate to the top of the candlestick. For this I used hot glue because it was all I had at the time, but I don't think it is the best choice. I would recommend using a type of super glue instead. Anyway, once you have glued the plate to the candle stick, you have yourself a cute cake stand.



So that was my first project in my Halloween display. The next couple of projects are ones that I have found on an amazing blog, with tons of free clip art... The Graphics Fairy. This blog is an awesome resource and I have used it so much since I stumbled across it. The first from the site is a fun 'BOO' banner. All you have to do is print off the banner provided and attach it to some string or ribbon. Click here to make the garland.


The second project was printing off the spooky owl being displayed in the lantern. I printed my owl onto beige card stock. Click here to print your own owl.


Those are the three little projects I took on for my small Halloween display. Here it is all together...


Have fun getting ready for Halloween! 

Friday, October 8, 2010

Thanksgiving Tables

Well, I was all set to show you some pictures of some Thanksgiving table ideas, but my camera has decided not to load onto my computer. So instead, I will show you some pictures that I am using as inspiration for decorating my table for Thanksgiving.











Most of these looks could easily be re-created without spending much money. The centerpieces use pears, gourds or pumpkins along with items that can be found in your backyard, such as pine cones, leaves and acorns. I love the idea of searching for decorations around your house. I'm usually surprised with what I can find to create a table setting. 

Anyway, I have to get packing for our trip home for Thanksgiving! Hopefully, I'll get my camera working so that I can show you my version of a Thanksgiving table. Also, we'll be making a stop at Ikea on our trip. I'm working on a mini-makeover of our bedroom. I'll share more details on that next time!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Kitchen Shelf Re-Do

Well, autumn is definitely in full swing now that it is October. September flew by! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next weekend! I'm so excited because we are going home for Thanksgiving and my sisters are going to be there (for sure one of my sisters will be). I'm really looking forward to spending time with family and, of course, eating a turkey dinner.

Anyway, I've been adding some fall decor around my home and I wanted to give my kitchen shelves the same treatment. In our kitchen we have open shelving (there is very little storage) and so there is a lot of opportunity to have some fun with different arrangements. When I got started I only intended to re-organize the dishes and various jars, but I got a little carried away and also did some painting. 

So, before I show you what I did yesterday, I should start by introducing you to our kitchen. Here is what the kitchen looked like before we moved in...


And here is how it looks today after some fresh paint and some added shelves and decor...



So there's the kitchen. Onto the shelves. As you can see in the pictures, there is a shelf across from the sink where we store all of our dishes, cookbooks and some foods in jars. The shelf was previously all white, but I decided to paint the back of the shelf the same blue that is on the walls (French Silver by CIL).  Here is the shelf before...



It looked fine, but I thought the blue would make a nice backdrop for the dishes, especially the glasses. So, here is the after...




The change is very subtle, but I love it. The blue sets off the white teapot and accessories and I think it really compliments the dishes. This change cost me $0 because I used paint I already had. You could try stenciling a design in the back for a little more fun, or you could put up wallpaper. Also, to add some fall coziness, I put a little pumpkin on display along with couple of sprigs of wheat in a pitcher. You may have also noticed the fall mum in the woven basket by the sink. I love the colour and texture it adds.

Well, that's my kitchen shelf re-do! I always have fun changing things up a bit, especially if it's free. Now, I am off to have some fun... did I mention that it's my birthday today?
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