Fall Mantle

We've gotten out the fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations!  Such a fun time.
I don't have a mantle above my fireplace.  Instead, I have a cut out thingy above my fireplace and TV.  What are these called?  Niches?

Here it is decorated for fall.

Wheat bundles are from Michaels, berry tree topiaries are from Target, pumpkin candles are from Target.  And that does it for me.  Check out Nesting Place for more fall mantles, or fantles.

Things I love about fall

Pumpkin Granola

Layers

Park Days

Candles

Apples

Cable Knit Blankets

Browns, oranges, reds, and yellows

and so much more.  In fact, the only thing that I don't like about fall is when it starts acting like winter in the middle of it!  What do you love about fall?

Grateful Sunday

I am grateful for:

• Sunday lunches with friends - I think I like it even better than dinner!
• Saturday mornings after my runs, I come home to our bed made and pancakes cooking for the kids - I LOVE that!
• I get to teach in Primary, an age that I love.
• My piano students are starting Halloween music this week - so fun!
• the bins of fall decor are out and we've been decorating
• pandora.com
• all the new followers - thank you so much!

What are you grateful for?

The "Pleated" Fix

I do love the look of shirt dresses.  I've tried them on time after time and never buy them.  I always figure it is not my body that looks good in these types of dresses.  BUT, I still love them.
I saw this dress at Target and it was all wrong.  It's way too big, and way too short, but it was $6.25.  So, I bought it and thought about it for awhile.

I grabbed inspiration from my daughter's dress, of all places, and made a pleated ruffle and attached it to the bottom.  That quick fix gave me another 2 1/2 inches, and now it's a length I feel more comfortable with.

I used scraps I had and measured and ironed - done in about 20 minutes.  Did not take the time to iron the rest of the dress, though.

I like it - why didn't I think of this before?

I played it very safe this time with a white ruffle.  But I think a cute black polka dot would look adorable.  or a blue pinstripe.  or the cutest floral print.  Maybe next time, because I'm pretty sure there will be a next time!

I think for fun I'll link up to 320 Sycamore's party.  I think it is supposed to be more about decor and less about clothes, but oh well.
 

Just a Tip

This is for those who have potty trained toddler girls who just can't seem to get their undies on the right way.

The tagless "tag" washes off and the undies get all twisted.  Especially if you have a certain girl who likes to do it herself (I have 2).

I put a dot on the front with a permanent marker - even better if the dot is pink!  Then I tell her to put the dot on her belly button.  Then I laugh as she tries to pull her undies all the way up to her belly button - but at least they aren't on backwards.

I probably got this from a Family Fun Magazine, or Parents or something.  I used it with my oldest and now I do the same with my youngest.  Always works

Grateful Sunday

I am grateful for

• Fall candles and the way they make my home smell
• We lit up our fire pit for the first time this weekend - what a fun addition to our backyard
• Several hours logged in at the park now that the weather has cooled a tad
• The park is three houses down the street
• I could have run forever yesterday morning with the mist we were running in.  I'm also grateful for more women meeting us Saturday mornings.  I always look forward to this run and do not always feel that way for my mid-week runs.

What are you grateful for?

Fall Wreath

We took a hike in Vail on Labor Day.  It was gorgeous and wonderful.  While we were stopped for lunch, we collected pine cones.  Yes, I packed them in my backpack and carried them the entire way back.  Tom was sure I was either getting sap or making a mess out of the backpack.  He just didn't see the potential that I saw.  Luckily, I had just seen Vanessa's wreath that morning and was inspired by it.  OK - totally copied it.

I bought a cheap wreath form and glued away.  I glued the ribbon down first and then glued the pine cones on top of it.  Then, I tacked the ribbon to the top of a door. 

It's a fun reminder of our perfect day.

Interview with HGTV's Chip Wade

Last week, I was contacted to see if I was interested in doing another HGTV interview.  You bet I am!  This time, I interviewed Chip Wade, the contractor and master carpenter on Curb Appeal: The Block.  What a fun interview.


If that isn't working, here is a link.  I am so grateful and excited for any of these opportunities!

FYI - Atlanta native Chip Wade has building in his blood. Coming from a long line of experienced carpenters and woodcraftsmen, Chip began working with his father at an early age – and over the years developed an interest in carpentry, landscaping and renovation. As the contractor and master carpenter on HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block, Chip explains and demonstrates the tools and processes best suited for exterior renovation, landscaping and construction. Chip also appears as the carpenter on HGTV's Designed to Sell.
After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, Chip moved on to earn his certification in residential construction. He soon developed a passion for construction as he became proficient in both the design and execution of large-scale remodels.
Chip is the owner of WadeBuilt LLC, a design and construction firm, and resides in Atlanta with his wife, Pauli, and son Mac.

Slipcover Love

In April, I declared my goal of making a slipcover for this love seat.  April - that was 4 and a half months ago!  I finally finished and am so proud of myself - lots of pictures are coming!!

Before:

After:

I finally finished.  With every seam, I pinned, then basted, then dragged it back to the loveseat to see if it worked, then stitched it, trimmed the seams and finished the edges.  Over and over, back and forth from the couch to my sewing machine.

My goal was to do one seam a day.  That doesn't seem like much, but it was attainable (most days).

The piping totally makes it.  I bought cording and cut fabric strips on the bias to cover it.  Totally worth it.

Oh yes, I did sew zippers on the back sides!  Don't you just want to trim that little thread?

So many details.

It turned out exactly how I planned.  I even impressed Tom.  We were walking through PB and I showed him an example of the slipcover I was aiming for.  He said "Do you really think you can do this?  And make it look like this?  Cause I think that looks pretty cool if you can do it."

I got the loveseat from a friend who was looking to get rid of it.  We traded some monogramming for the couch - I still think I owe her more, but she assures me she is happy with the transaction.  I spent $70 for the fabric and $5 for the cording.  There is probably 1 1/2 yards left over. 

Pottery Barn's version (which is a couch, not a love seat) is $879!  Mine totalled $75.

I have the perfect spot for it - in our office between the bookshelves.  It fits perfectly, but the molding isn't up yet so it sits on our Master Bedroom until we get to it.  Meanwhile, I'm planning on making my second slipcover for the wingchair I showed Friday and today I've been staring at our living room couch wondering  . . .

Grateful Sunday

I am grateful for:

• a perfect Labor Day hike
• the brick path in our backyard now goes to the trampoline!
• good friends over for dinner tonight
• my husband will be home for an entire week this week.
• fall is here - my FAVORITE season in Colorado!

Craigslist Shopping - Final Edition

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
I think I've exhausted all I can out of this topic!  Today, I've got a couple of final thoughts.

Sideboard - sanded, stained, and added new hardware!

Tip #6 - overlook the seller's styling.  You have to kind of squint your eyes a bit and really look at only the piece you want.  It kind of makes me laugh at some of the pictures!  When I was a little girl, and my mother and I would go pick out patterns, she taught me how to look past the girl wearing the dress and the fabric they used and just look at the lines.  This is a skill I use all the time when looking at Craigslist.  Look at the bones, ignore the rest.

$35 glass cabinet - picture a white bead board back, white shelves and a lovely gray color, with some funky knobs!

Tip #7 - Know your DIY resources. - Can you picture it painted?  What if you changed out the hardware?  Sanding and Staining can make a huge difference.  What about a slipcover?  I used an entire bottle of Goo Gone on patio chairs, I've used Old English on a desk.  You can change a lot of things and make it work for you and your home.  If you know your options while clicking on pictures, the pool of what you have to choose from gets larger - and your competition gets smaller.

I know this looks like a really ugly chair, but take off the ruffle.  Make a slipcover of navy blue canvas and white piping - I can already see it in my little man's room!  Free off Craigslist.

That's it.  I'm finished.  Go forth and snatch up those deals.  I'd love to hear what you get!