Outside Dreaming

Dreaming of spring.

Dreaming of a walk.

Dreaming of a beach.

Meanwhile, the winter light shines on my dreams.

I will join:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at House in the Roses

Mosaic Monday at Little Red House
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
White Wednesday at Faded Charm 
Good Life Wednesdays  at A Beach Cottage
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Go and visit these lovely blogs.
Don't forget for two more days you can enter to win $45 CSN gift code.  Enter here

TCOH Recap 2010

It is so often customary to review the passing year in some form or another.  I wasn't  going to do a review but, then I decided to do a recap and show how much the blog has been growing creatively for the people who have just recently started to drop by. 

This Shabby Chic Spring Tablescape was the first post that I felt was starting to look like I had envisioned the blog looking.  

 Children's Easter table.

Mother's Day gift basket.

 Mad Tea Party.

 Anne of Green Gables tea.

Sleepy Hollow table.

Arachnaphobia

Hogwarts Halloween Feast

Vintage Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Woodland Mantel

Christmas Tea

 It has been a wonderful year and I appreciate every one who stops by and views my blog.  I have some exciting plans for 2011.  I can't wait to see you there.

Sherry

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses.

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life.

Tree Topper

Today I have been working on the tree topper.  Instead of a traditional tree topper I am making my own.  Just about every tree I have seen in decor stores lately have had a tree topper done in this fashion.  Here is my before bare tree top.

 I have now added two glittered oak leaf floral picks.  I found these at Hobby Lobby and got them 50% off.  Along with these two picks I have spray painted two twigs gold and added them in and tied them to the tree top with wire. I am not sure I have enough twigs at this point.

Here, I have added a very large bow made with a 2-inch wired floral ribbon.  I purchased three spools of this ribbon from a floral shop after Christmas last year and got it at 50% off.  You can find out how to make a great florist's bow at Sue's blog I Need Mom!

This link will take you right to the bow making tutorial.  I made all my bows this way this year and they turned out really pretty!   

I spray painted a few more twigs and added them to the top.  This look is more what I was going for.  Looks festive without looking too busy.  The rest of the tree isn't finished but, I will keep working on it.  Progress has been slow but steady.

I will join these wonderful sites, go and visit them.

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses
Make It For Monday  at Cottage Instincts
Before and After Party  at Savvy Southern Style
Re-Party at First a Dream 

Just Something I Whipped Up  at The Girl Creative

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Amaze Me Monday  at Dittle Dattle

Candle Chandelier Makeover

I have a hold on doing much to my dining room.  I can't do any lighting changes, flooring, or major wall changes because my husband has plans to knock a wall out, get new flooring, and new lighting.  So I am limited to not changing much.  See with my husband when you remodel you remodel.  He has no small project button.  You do it all at once and you change everything.   But, I can do things that don't require 21st century changes like candle chandeliers.

So here is my dining room before; we don't have a central lighting fixture.  (Yes, I know the carpet is bad.  Someday we will change it.)

So here is the after.  I have a light fixture!  I won't use it every day but if the power goes out we are set and it has great decorating potential.  A trick to getting candles to sit up nicely in a candle holder is playdough.  Put a little bit of playdough in the bottom of the holder and set the candle in it.  It will dry in place and it is easy to remove.

I will link this to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Seasonal Change

With Labor Day fast approaching, the kids back in school, and our first home football game (which they won!) it can only mean the seasonal change is right around the corner.  The days are getting shorter and the nights are crisp and cool so my decor has got to change.  I have had this wreath on the door all summer.

But, as much as I love the beach, I wanted to give the front door a little more of a harvest feel.  

This wreath was super easy to make.  I just took two different colored sunflower picks and took a sunflower off of the grouping of sunflowers with pliers.  I took the two different colored sunflowers and wove them into the top of a 12-inch grapevine wreath.  It looked a little bare so, I had picked up two sunflower picks at Joann Fabrics (these picks had leaves, berries, and wheat on them) and I stuck one of those on each side of the sunflowers and that gave it the look I wanted.  I was trying to go for simplicity with a touch of color. I love the seasonal changes and will always have a lot of that in this blog.

I will remind you of my CSN $45 gift certificate giveaway.  Click here to enter. 

 I will also remind you to enter any giveaways you might be hosting to Atticmag's giveaway link up for their Giveaway Friday. Click here to enter.  They are also hosting a backsplash giveaway if you need a new backsplash!

 I will link to these parties:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch 

Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative

Making the World Cuter at making the World Cuter

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Make It For Monday at Cottage Instincts

Toot Your Horn Tuesday at Silly Little Sparrow

Get Your Craft on Tuesdays  at Today's Creative Blog

Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design

Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

Transformation Thursday  at The Shabby Chic Cottage