room with a view

Our guest room is lovingly called "the dungeon." No light, no sound, no windows. Sleeping in there, you don't know if it's midnight or noon.

In an attempt to make it more cheerful, I picked a very bright, bold color (Orange Sherbet). I also hung a false window, complete with curtains. 


Ryan thinks it's a bit ridiculous. I think it's imaginative. And aren't those really just two sides of the same coin?

very bright. but better than boring.

found the chalkboard decal here at world market.

peekaboo. reused some curtains from
my old apartment.

representing my new hampshire roots
with a vintage pennant. 

photo on canvas. one of my all-time favorite
shots taken by my brother trey.

when i found this guy, he was
wooden with a cracked brown seat.
i recovered him in beige vinyl,
added a coat of white paint,
and he's a whole new chair.

scored this end table on the cheap at
a local antique store.

my dad salvaged this from a
neighbor's trash pile, scrubbed it down
and fixed it up with a new glass shade.

leftover restaurant bread

It's free and pre-sliced. And if you don't take it home, they're just going to throw it away. Sounds like the perfect French Toast to me.

holiday centerpiece (on a budget)

Inspired in part by Dawn's lovely handiwork, in part by the beautiful crafty things in Midwest Living, and in part by the beloved Design*Sponge, I decided to create a centerpiece for family holiday dinners back in Georgia. I needed something affordable, easily transportable, and flexible enough to work for both for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Here's what I ended up with...













Supplies only set me back about $13:
-Glass tea light holders (.60 each, WalMart)
-Sheer gold ribbon ($1, Michael's)
-Mason jars (had them)
-Glass candlestick holders ($1 each, Dollar General)
-Tea light candles (had them)
-Tapered candlesticks ($2, Michael's)
-Hollyberry "garland" ($4, Michael's)

Fresh-cut flowers were an additional cost ($15), but worth it. Now all I have to do is grab a few red bouquets and it goes from Thanksgiving to Christmas in a snap.

new things on my dresser

The upside of putting my life into boxes: finding new ways to organize. Two new things on my dresser...

1) A simple homemade earring holder. Had the chicken wire, had the white paint ("had" meaning they came from my Dad's workshop, which is a bit like Santa's, only more sawdust). Bought the wooden framing pieces. Total cost: $1

2) A very cool piece of pottery from Allison, made by her mom, which I'm using as a "jewelry I wear most often" bowl.